A face at last!

2007-11-12T21:28:00.000-08:00

When I was pregnant I knit this bear using the Baby Bobbi Brown pattern. It has sat around faceless until tonight. Primarily because I do not know how to embroider. My friend was going to show me, but as AC's now 9 months old I decided to just forge ahead. Okay, so you can tell I don't know what I'm doing. But I'm happy to say the bear now has a face. I would love to tell you what the yarn was I used, but it's been so long I no longer have the information. So it goes.

Cleaning the toilet's never been so fun!

2007-11-04T14:31:00.000-08:00

My friend and I got together to make green cleaning supplies this weekend. Melissa is the kind of friend I can totally nerd out with and giggle about dorky projects like making toilet bowl cleaner (it foams!). The "recipes" are from this book, although it's pretty easy to find recipes online (an all-purpose cleaner found at Bastyr is below; this link has quite a few recipes).

Once my daughter started crawling, I started thinking about the nasty cleaning supplies we had lying around the house. I feel much better about using cleaning materials that aren't harmful to her or the environment. Plus, they smelly yummy! We made peppermint and tea tree oil toilet cleaner, orange floor cleaner, and rosemary and lavender all-purpose cleaner.

The recipes were very simple, although we had to add more water to the toilet cleaner recipe so it would actually "pour" as the instructions say. I'd still like to make window cleaner and dusting polish. What smells should I use for those????

Part of the fun was making the labels. My husband said "I'm thinking something gothic for the font. Not black make up gothic, but Victorian gothic." So cute. I have no idea why he thought that, but here they are with "gothic" font.

All-purpose cleaner #1

1 teaspoon borax
1/2 teaspoon washing soda (a mineral, sodium carbonate, also known as soda ash and sal soda, which should be found in a grocery store's laundry section. A very effective cleanser of grease, oil, dirt and many petroleum products)
2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon vegetable-oil-based liquid soap
2 cups very hot tap water
Spray bottle

Combine the borax, washing soda, vinegar and liquid soap in a spray bottle. Add very hot tap water, shaking the bottle gently until the minerals have dissolved. Spray onto the area to be cleaned and wipe off with a sponge, rag or cellulose sponge cloth.

Love and Pickles

A face at last!

Cleaning the toilet's never been so fun!