Turning Lemons into Lemonade for the summer

Parents,

As we head into summer let’s focus on making this a summer that counts. I have already heard so many people say this summer is going to be long, with having the kid’s home and nothing to do, but that all depends on you as parents! I have big goals this summer of things I want to do, but I know that I must look at the reality of it and will be making a plan to make the most out of it.

Each day of the week will be themed but not set. I am planning to do a learning day, one week it may be on Monday and the next it may be Thursday. The goal is to get in one day of each kind so each week we will have a day focused on learning. Other days include: Craft, movie/game, free, and outing day.

There are so many ideas that you can find to fill each day. Just make sure that the focus is on making some kind of memory that day.

Here are some ideas to get you going:

~We each will be making our own Summer Bucket list. I am letting the kids pick one thing that requires money and the rest have to be cheap or free ideas. Pinterest has tons of summer idea list to get the ball rolling. My summer board is: http://pinterest.com/jenhaddy/summer/

~ Our local city halls do movie in the park night.

~Join your local Libraries summer reading program. There is also one though Barnes and Noble. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/summer-reading/379003570/

~Make an “I’m Bored Jar” http://www.shabbybeachnest.com/101-idea-im-bored-jar/

No matter what you do remember to take time out to watch your kids. They will only be this age this summer and you do not want to miss it. Just like my husband said “Man, the kids are growing fast.” They are and will continue to. Stop and fly a kite with your kids before it is too late.

Homemade Cleaners

Well my goal for 2013 is to learn how to make more things. I love making things myself. So The first task on my homemade list is cleaners. I choice not to go out and buy all matching and nice bottles so I reused what I had. I did this to save money. Make sure that you label the bottle so that you can not misuse them. Also there are so many ideas out there and every time I get ready to post this I find a new one I want to add. So I am going to post this for now and may to updates to it later as I like to test out the cleaners before I share them.

So lets get cleaning. I have made, use and like all of these on the list.

Carpet Freshener

1 Quart Jar

½ cup Borax

baking soda to fill the jar with about a 2 inch space

2-4 drops essential oils ( I did and liked 1 drop lavender & 1 drop eucalyptus)

Shake well and let set for 24 hours. Shake again before each use. Sprinkle on carpet and let sit for 5-15 minutes. Vacuum up. *I also use this on mattress!

Air & Fabric Freshener (24oz.)

1 oz of fabric softener

2 TBS baking soda

Fill the rest of the bottle with water. Shake well before each use

Dishwasher Soap

(small batch)

½ cup Borax

½ cup washing soda

¼ cup kool-aid

¼ cup salt

Mix well. Use 1 Tablespoon for each load. Make this in a small batch so that you can adjust it to your water and washer type. If you have hard water you may need to add more salt and/or kool-aid. *With this it all depends on your water and your dishwasher. If you know you have hard water you can add twice as much salt and Kool-aid.

Kitchen Cleaner (32 ounces of magic..LOL)

12 oz White Vinegar

12 oz Dawn Dish Soap

1 tsp Landry Detergent( I did use the homemade powder. Just dissolve it in about 3TBS hot water add water and dissolved detergent.)

Shake well before each use. I love this stuff!!! * It can be soapy so I just wipe it with a wet towel when I am done. It works great.

All Purpose Cleaner (24oz)

5 oz rubbing alcohol

3 oz Vinegar

1 tsp Landry Detergent( I did use the homemade powder. Just dissolve it in about 3TBS hot water add water and dissolved detergent.)

1 tsp Ammonia

2 drops of essential oils (I used lemon.)

Fill the rest of the bottle with water. Shake well before each use.

Bleach Cleaner (24oz)

2 oz bleach

1 tsp Landry Detergent( I did use the homemade powder. Just dissolve it in about 3TBS hot water add water and dissolved detergent.)

Fill the rest of the bottle with water. Shake well before it use.

Window Cleaner

1 oz Ammonia (I used lemon)

4 oz Rubbing Alcohol

1/4 tsp Landry Detergent( I did use the homemade powder. Just dissolve it in about 2TBSP hot water add water and dissolved detergent.)

Fill the rest of the bottle with water. Shake well before it use.

Floor Cleaner

¼ cup Vinegar

1 TBSP Dish Soap (I used Dawn)

¼ cup Baking Soda

2 Gallons of hot water.

Mix and scrub!!

Baking Soda: This stuff is great.

~Sprinkle some in your sink, tub, and toilet. Then scrub, make sure to rinse well.

~Oven cleaner. Sprinkle in the bottom of the oven. Then drop some fresh lemon juice in different areas on the bottom. Let set for about 20 minutes, then scrub well and rinse out with just a wet rag. This works well with a warm oven.

~Pet messes. Sprinkle enough to cover the mess right away to help soak it up and to cover the odor. This also works well for vomit and wet mattresses.

Laundry Soap

1 (4 lb 12 oz) Box of Borax

1 (3 lb 7 oz)Box of washing Soda

1 (3 lb) Container of Oxi Clean

2 (14.1 oz) Bars of Zote Soap (I used Fels Naptha. If you do use 4 bars of it.)

1 (4 lb) Box of Baking soda

1-2 (55 oz) Bottle of Purex Crystals Fabric Softener optional But I did do it in my clothes. To help them smell better.

The hardest most time consuming part is grating the cheese soap. Stick to either a hand grater or food processor. The soap dissolves just fine, even in cold water. I know that tends to be a concern but you need not worry. Oh and I would recommend using a large mixing bowl to grate into and using the fine side of the grater. I mixed all of it together in a 5 gallon bucket. Adding some of each thing as I went so that it was not so hard to mix. I also did put the lid on and roll it to make it much easier. The kids enjoyed that part. I then store it in Half gallon mason/ball jars. That way it is ready to go for when I need it. Add 1-2 Tbsp per load. I still add fabric softener because we love good smelling soft clothes!!

Fabric Softener

6 cups Hot water

2 cups Conditioner

3 cups White Vinegar

Mix the hot water and conditioner together until dissolved then add vinegar. Shake well before each use. Use as you would the store stuff.

Please feel free to let me know how you like them. Also please share any cleaner ideas so I can test them out and share with all.