Ammonia vs Windex - Knockout

I {heart} Windex. I do. I like the smell, the colour the streak free shine...but when I ran out the other day I took a look at the ingredients and saw that it was basically ammonia, water and blue. So, with a bottle of ammonia in the laundry room (that says 60 ml/1 L water for windows) and a near empty bottle of (no name) Windex, I stood in the mirror and said to myself, "Let's do this." (Ha ha! As if, I just thought, I'm not freaking going to the store, again, to buy one more thing only to come back with a truckload of stuff.)

I free poured the ratios, spritzed (everything that needed sanitizing or cleaning, including the mirror) and wiped clean. PERFECT-O. Steak free shine.

1 bottle of household ammonia ($2.45/1.8 L) + water + the wee bit of Windex left in my spray bottle (that tinted the new cleaner blue) makes THIRTY 1L BOTTLES OF NEW WINDEXY SPRITZ OR $0.08/1L BOTTLE. Bonjour. For a family on a budget this is fabu.

2L Windex Refill is $7.00
2L of New Windexy Spritz is $0.16

Ok. Not that this will stop me from running to the grocery store to buy that 1 thing I forgot. But next time I'll have a little more cash to add to the things I throw in my cart that aren't on the list (ie. "unnecessary" stuff for me or the kids).

Happy Friday!

What are your favorite colours?

Do you have a favorite colour, or favorite series of colours? Someone asked me what some of my favorite colours were today and it made me smile. Here they are:

Blue Dancers, c1890
Oil on canvas by Edgar Degas

Teal, Aqua, Gold, White, Expresso and Raspberry Red. Yes, The Raspberry Red is missing from this Degas, but that's ok. I imagine these girls have raspberry red lips and that will do.

I'm a big fan of colour in the home. Inspiration can come from anywhere: a painting, your favorite jewellery set, a holiday photograph, a pet (seriously, some cats and dogs have beautiful colour combos) and last but not least - Mother Nature. There are even some cool websites that take photos and profile their colour pallets: Design Seeds or Photo Card Boutique. Fun to browse.

There's a TV show our daughter loves about a sister and brother called Stella and Sam. In one episode 4 year old Sam asks his older sister Stella why the sky is so colourful...she tells him a story about the Sky Painter. The Sky Painter is fairy like woman who paints the sky beautiful colours. Isn't that sweet?

Image linked from Grade ONEderful - a Canadian Primary Teacher's Blog

You can find inspiration everywhere and anywhere. I once asked my gorgeous hairstylist cousin what colours I should be wearing. She said we are attracted to colours that suit us. And I sighed a sigh of relief. Of course.

The colours we are attracted to can also make us happy when we look at them. Fill your home and your heart up with these colours. Forget the latest trends, what your neighbour has in their house or what you may see in magazines for a while and colour outside the lines. Why not?

Too many dishes, not enough drying rack (?)

We have used our dishwasher FOUR TIMES in two months. For those of you who don't have a dishwasher feel free to roll your eyes...now. I don't blame you. For those of you who do have a dishwasher, I'll expect a congratulatory note in the mail (ha! joke). When we did use the dishwasher I was pretty sure it would have taken less time and water to have just washed the dishes in the sink. Wah waaahh.

So here's the thing, I'm on a mission. It's a new year(ish) and after watching David Suzuki's documentary Force of Nature/The Legacy I thought the least I could do, immediately was stop using so much water. As an added benefit, it'll save us some money on the water bill and I'm sick of going through a dirty dishwasher to hand wash my one decent knife because I need it for chopping...again. Besides, we go from having a bazillion dishes in the cupboards to waiting waiting waiting for the dishwasher to finish it's job so we can unload it and eat off a dish. Before stopping using the dishwasher we were running the thing EVERY DAY at one point. Not so necessary.

Ok, Not only did I stop using the dishwasher, but I packed away 90% of our dishes - we just don't need all of them daily. It's been so freeing (I'll spare you the details)! Again, those who don't use a dishwasher, feel free to roll your eyes and then come give me a hug...

The purpose of this post was to offer you a tip, whether your a hand-washer or dishwasher loader (we all wash dishes at some point) when the drying rack on the counter gets full (or if you don't own one) and you still need a place to dry your dishes, pull our your strainer and start piling rinsed dishes in there.

Works like a charm.

The Zero Waste Home

I'm not much for the TV program The View...but I catch it once a while. This morning there was a really interesting California family featured who produce less than 1L of garbage a year. Wow. The wife is French and the husband is American and the 2 sons are +/- 12 and 9 years old. The husband said he wasn't on board until he compared a year of finances before and after the switch. They spend 40% less money and say, "We now not only feel happier and eat healthier but we also lead more meaningful lives, based on experiences instead of stuff, and action instead of inaction."


This is their method: Refuse (flyers, junk mail, handouts from school that aren't necessary - they said they talked to the teachers), Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (as a last resort) & Rot (compost)


There are some crafty ways we can get closer to zero waste...it's a total commitment to get all the way there but some changes are better than no changes...and if it'll save us some money while doing so, why not, right? I think it would be easier to have everyone in the family on board in making simple changes. I'll use the fact that we could use the saved money towards a big man cave tv as bait (wink wink).


The Zero Waste Blog is good (here). I like "Store" section where good quality items are suggested to help you on your way...the author also gives tips if you have the resources to make some of the items yourself (old sheets into produce bags - I'm doing this, etc.)...even which water soluble wax crayons you can write the bulk bin number onto the bags with...

There's fashion advice (like how to wear and re-wear a striped shirt), Tips (Kitchen, Bathroom, Laundry & Cleaning, Dining & Entertaining, Closets, Medication, Gardening). It's Good! I'm getting me a striped shirt...

 

Check out the site - Any Change is better than No Change. 

Let's leave the world a little better than we found it.

24 ideas to make your life easier

The new year is coming up sooner than later...why not start if off with the intent of making life easier?! Thanks to my Mom for this one. Enjoy!

Sunshine Mural

Super cute for a playroom or basement corner (?)...or just to look at.

From here.

Curate Your Home

I like this idea: "creating a home that is curated rather than decorated...filling your space with things that you need and things you love." Read more here.

DIY Shoe Shelf

Does anyone really have enough footwear storage? I didn't think so... This DIY could be installed in a closet, in the garage, in laundry room or wherever! We Can Do It - sometimes we just need instructions as to how...from here.

The Happiness Project

Have you read The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle and Generally Have More Fun. by Gretchen Rubin? I have and I liked it very much.

It took me about three months on the Winnipeg Public Library waiting list to get my hands on this book and it was worth the wait (I've been on a reading binge lately). In a nutshell, the author looks to boost her happiness quota by doing some soul searching, researching theories of happiness, developing personal resolutions to test some theories and increase her own happiness. Some other results are Gretchen's own Twelve Personal Commandments (listed below) and Four Splendid Truths (I'll let you check out the book for yourself).

Gretchen Rubin's 12 Personal Commandments

• Be Gretchen.
• Let it go.
• Act the way I want to feel.
• Do it now.
• Be polite and be fair.
• Enjoy the process.
• Spend out.
• Identify the problem.
• Lighten up.
• Do what ought to be done.
• No calculation.
• There is only love.

Why I like this book:

• I want to be as happy as possible too and I like the intriguing title
• Gretchen is married and has two children
• She's done a ton of research into happiness theory and incorporates and tests the theories the throughout the book (aka: the background research is done...but I have a list of resources I could investigate for myself, if/when I want to - and there is a comprehensive reading list at the back of the book)
• There are funny moments throughout the book
• Gretchen is really honest about how she feels about life in general (it's not always easy being a woman/mom/wife - especially when you want to be the best person you can be...because we care, right?)
• She's developed a corresponding website where you can start your own Happiness Project with the same tools she's developed - for Free (not all authors are so generous)
• I feel Gretchen makes no apologies for being less than perfect
• I like and appreciate the fact that she's willing to report on what didn't work for her
• This book has opened a door of self reflection for me where I feel no pressure...only possibilities.

I would suggest checking out the book before the website. In my opinion there's nothing holding a book, turning the pages and eventually finishing it (an accomplishment in itself sometimes). 

I've bought/read/sought out a lot of books on personal development but this one is by far my favorite. It goes beyond what most of the other books did because I've felt encouraged and inspired to think about what it means to be happy (for me) and how I can take action instead of waiting for happiness to show up on my front door one day.

P.S. Yes, I am very happy and grateful for my life (maybe not ever second of every day) - but why not shoot for more of a good thing? Let me know if you read the book and what you think of it. 

"Happiness is not about what happens to you, but how you choose to respond to what happens. That's why it's called happiness not happenness—though it could be called hope-ness. You must always leave room for hope that all has happened for good cause." How to Be Happy, Dammit: A Cynic's Guide to Spiritual Happiness, by Karen Salmansohn.

Bookshelf/Play House

1 sheet of 3/4" plywood = this bookshelf/play house. I like the kleenex box chimney detail.
From here.

Thriftista Presents: Dollarama

I bought a shower curtain rod from Superstore the other day...I returned it because we decided to keep the one we have. It was $9.99, a bit cheaper that Rona where the same item was priced at +/- $11.99

BUT...both prices don't even come close to Dollarama where the same freaking shower curtain (tension rod, white - same manufacturer's label and everything) was there for $2. How is this possible? Is Dollarama importing products at unethically low rates from [China]? Probably, but Realistically, I truly believe that each and every big box/commercial store we shop at (minus 10,000 Villages) imports products in the same way, for the same price - each store just caters to a different market group. I'm not saying it's right, but for now, many items that are available at Walmart, Superstore, Rona, Scholar's Choice, etc. are also available for a fraction of the price at Dollarama.

Here are some items that I saw at Dollarama today that shocked me/that I only buy at Dollarama (items range from $1 to $2.50):

• Aluminum stove element protectors (packages of 5)
• Shower curtain rod
• Bath mats (10x the price at Walmart, seriously) 
• Knock off Mr. Clean Eraser
• Knock off Swiffer products
• Toddler potty seat (I bought one for each Grandparent's house)
• Baby bibs (identical to the ones at Toys R Us)
• Boxes of band-aids
• Pregnancy tests (ok - this is a little personal, but I've tried them and they work! If you're going to be doing 3 in a row save yourself at least $27 and go to the buck store. I've had expensive pregnancy tests FAIL on me - as in NOT WORK - and the dollar store ones have worked every time)
• Garden ornaments
• Foil helium filled balloons
• Scrap booking supplies (acid free stickers, die cut punchers, adhesive dots and strips, etc)
• Wall decals (removable/reposition-able, including character decals like Tinkerbell)
• Art canvases
• Acrylic paints
• Those black sponge brushes in packages of 5
• Storage containers (plastic, wicker, paper)
• Picture Frames
• Boxes of mailing envelopes
• Stationary & Supplies (including card stock, glues, variety of writing utensils, desk organization supplies, poster board)
• 24" x 36" laminated educational posters (teachers, save your money and spend the savings on yourself!)
• Party supplies (b'day candles, novelty items, goodie bags & fillings, banners, streamers, etc.)
• A recorder (I bought one for our daughter)
• Batteries (NEVER will I pay 4.99 for a pack of batteries again - and that's usually the sale price)
• Stride Gum (they always have it for half the price of 7-11)
• Glass bowls with plastic lids (I'm slowly replacing my plastic tupperware)
• And of course, seasonal decorations 

Ok - there's a ton more stuff available for purchase there that I like (including chocolate) but there's also a ton of crap. I'm not saying instead of blowing your hard earned money at a big box, blow it at Dollarama (it's the big box of dollar stores) - I'm just saying, if you're on a budget (who isn't?) then you may want to consider driving yourself to Dollarama instead of [fill in the blank] the next time you need to pick up a few things. It's an option.

My haul:
3 art canvases, box of envelopes, 2 potty seats, 2 bunches bamboo (planting stalks that I'm going to make art out of), art paint pallet (for our daughter, she just needs to add water = more independence), recorder, goo gone, 2 packages batteries, greeting card, 3 bottles acrylic paint, growth chart, big and small burner protectors, fake mr. clean erasers, pack of gum, key chain... $32.42 after taxes

Sunblock, Pillows and a Waterproof Mattress - Oh My!

I thought it may possibly be selfish to keep these wonders to myself:

Yeah, yeah, we all know, we're supposed to use sunblock everyday. WhaTever, right? Then I read Carmindy's book Crazy Busy Beautiful and thought, hmmm. Ok, FINE. I'll try it one more time.
I found Neutrogena UltraSheer Dry-Touch Sunblock, SPF 30 at Superstore for $14.99 - I LOVES IT! Ultra light, non-shiny finish, fast absorbing, clean feel CHECK! This sunblock feels more like a moisturizer and for someone who breaks out at the thought of using gross-greasy sunscreen this is a goddess-send. For reals.

Need a new pillow? Superstore has PC Gel Fibre Pillows ($19.99 for a standard size) that you can WASH. Bonjour? Enough said, if you have kids, of if you're a drooler (nobody's judging, we've all been there) then you can rest easy at night knowing your pillow has been freshly washed (or dry cleaned for that matter). Oh, and you can re-use the zipper cover/packaging to store bed linen, swim towels over winter, kids clothes, etc! While you're at it grab yourself a PC Luxury Pillow Protector. 100% cotton top cover, soft and washable - oh, and on clearance right now at our Superstore for $3.49. Seriously?

Bodily fluids got ya down (gross right?! haha!) - those of us with kids know that life is messy...it's not your mattresses fault - why should it suffer? Superstore has Quilted Waterproof Mattress Covers for only $29.99 (twin size). Since we're  I'm planning on night-training our daughter sometimes sooner than later I think this purchase will pay for itself in NO time.

Forget your fridge, put your child's art on the wall!

We were over at a friends place for dinner and while we were finishing up the sushi (yum) the kiddies were into the Pipsqueaks (Crayola's cute -totally- washable markers for little hands)... when low and behold...VoilA!

One of the kiddies ran up to his mommy with his masterpiece in hand. A series of blue, green and grey scribbles on a white plain old piece of computer paper. Honestly, there was something totally captivating about his scribbles that words can't describe. We looked at each other and said, almost at the same time, that's nice enough to go on the wall - it just needs to be about 20x bigger!

Well, in my employment travels over the last 2 years (I took to part time after our daughter was born in seek of personal balance) I worked at a photo restoration shop. One of the services they offered was printing on canvas. So there you go. You can get just about anything printed to almost any size on canvas, have the canvas stretched and mounted on a frame > ready to hang on your wall. GENIUS. Seriously. If When I win the lottery my first purchase will be a big beautiful plotter (really really big printer) and I swear I'm going to set up shop in my house. Until then, if this at all interests you let me know, I can give you a hand as to where to get your kid's artwork turned into a wall sized canvas.

Our children are a part of our families and our homes are their homes too. If they happen to be into scribbling here and there and something catches your eye, save yourself about $7500 and get a big a$$ canvas print made of their painting/drawing/scribble and hang it on your wall. I think it boosts their self confidence at the same time. Win win.

I let my daughter go to town on a canvas I had lying around the house when she was about 2 years old. It hangs at our back door and I see it through the window every time I come home and stick the key in the lock. I love it. It just says Welcome Home Mommy every time.

One of our daughter's masterpieces that hangs by our backdoor.

More art display ideas:

I LOVE this.

If you have a child who produces art like it's going out of style, 

something like this may be right up your alley! 

Side note: Ikea, when are you coming to Wpg? Seriously.

Complete with photos of the artists. From somewhere in here.

A series of scribbles.

Collage style. cute right? 

112 little pieces or art in one big frame. 

I want a tepee for my living room.

Tepee, Tipi, Teepee. However you spell it, it's all the same. Me wants one.

From here.

Twinkle Lights

Twinkle lights are one of my favorite things. Don't they look nice draped down the wall?
From here.

Apartment Therapy - House Tour - Antoine Roset

"Be yourself, not what you see in a magazine," implored Antoine to those who think they can replicate a showroom layout and their apartment will feel instantly like home. Antoine runs a high end furniture company and is surrounded by sleekness much of the day. At the same time, he fully understands that without a personal touch and without the warmth of art and the dynamism that comes from mixing sources and styles that a home will feel cold and lifeless.

I Love This Lamp.

Apartment Therapy - Children's Rooms

Dear Apartment Therapy,
How do you find all these talented people with fabulous style and good sense for form follows function deign? You're put the mmm in yummm (!)

Here are some of my favorite bits from 10 Blue Rooms For Boys and Girls Alike

Cloud Shelves

Paper Lantern Cluster

ABC Framed Artwork

Paper Crane Mobile, White Shutters, Patchwork Quilt

Apartment Therapy - Room For Colour 2010

We are a colour on the walls family. While my husband and I like to use paint, our daughter prefers crayons. 

Here's the link to Apartment Therapy's Behr Room for Colour 2010. This site is nice because it show you photos of the paint in action and lists paint swatch info you can take with you if you like something you see. Not every entry is something I'd like for my own house but I appreciate being able to check out other peoples homes.

Stuck in a rut/need a change? Paint gives you the most bang for your buck and you can always change your mind and paint it back to the original colour. If you're not into re-painting all of your walls, but want a change, paint your largest wall. If you're not into painting but need to be inspired take note of the colourful accessories. I think there's something here for everyone. Take note, these are entries from everyday people - and the contest is open to "International" folks (insert Canada here). If the spirit moves you I think you should enter! There aren't many entries. Contest ends October 17/10.


Happy Thanksgiving Canada!

Wall Decals

This site is adorable, sells large reusable fabric wall decals and ships to Canada, although it'll cost ya.

Pop & Loli

For those of us on a budget: Dollarama sells reusable wall decal packages for $1. Go take a look-see before you shop at Michael's or elsewhere.

Apartment Therapy - One of My All Time FAVORITE websites

APARTMENT THERAPY - the best resource for things you just won't find in typical drugstore magazines. Featured spaces, projects and ideas are by everyday faboo (fabulous) people.


Be sure to check out all of the tabs on the top left hand corner [Home Design  Technology  Children  Green  Cooking]. Enjoy!