Natural Homemade Living

Welcome to Part 2 of our Simply Homemade Gift Guide! You can check out the Part 1 Food Gift Ideas if you missed it - Food Gift Ideas.   Memo Picture Board Tile Coasters   Homemade Lotion   Homemade Cookie or Cupcake Platter   Coconut Sugar Scrub   Brown Sugar Scrub   Simmering Holiday Potpourri   Bath Salts   Display In a Jar   Ball Jar Soap Dispenser   Lotion Bars   Jewelry Magnets   Simply Sewing Drink Mats   Paper Flowers   Powder Laundry Soap   Liquid Laundry Soap   Spiced Sink Scrubber   Cute Cupcake Decoration or Ornament    Play Clay For the Kids Can Be Dried for Ornaments Too! Beautiful Bows for Gifts Make Your Own Tote Bags - Great for Groceries or for the Kids   Simple Cloth Napkins   Homemade Air Freshener in a Jar   Simply Homemade Soap   Have some fun ideas of your own? Please share with us in the comments below! ~Simply Angie an...

As promised, the post today is one of the most simple ways to make homemade soap. I have other recipes that are more complicated and time consuming but this is the perfect DIY gift project if you want to give something that you've made. It is getting down to the wire for us with projects and baking. It just wouldn't be normal for me if I actually didn't have too much to do! And then things start happening...like my computer is being weird and I don't like it, then last night the microwave stopped working in the middle of our bake-off. I have mixed feelings about replacing it, do I really need a microwave? Does everyone have a microwave? I don't know, we'll see what happens. Ok - back to the soap... now you know why my family tells me I get distracted easily, yep, I do - haha!! Supplies: Goats milk glycerin base soap (I got mine at Michael's) Essential oil of your choice Herbs or flowers, dried Soap coloring (optional)       Directions: ...

For the rest of this week we'll be posting some handmade and homemade gift ideas for all of you last minute gifters! I say this and laugh a little to myself because I am still finishing my knitting projects, sewing projects, baking projects, soap making projects and fifty other things that are on my "to do" list. Thankfully my oldest grand-daughter finished her project early so she is sharing her idea with you. We just finished making goat's milk soap, stay tuned we'll be posting that within the next couple of days. For a cute little gift project, I bought clear glass mugs at the dollar store or you could also use any glass mugs you already have. Place one serving of hot cocoa mix,  Simply Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix , in a baggie and tie the top with a ribbon. I hot glued 2 candy canes together to make a heart shape and placed them inside the mug. For the little mug warmer, I measured the circumference of the mug and subtracted an inch. If you are a beginner or ne...

Not sure if this ever happens to you but I open the microwave door to find a food explosion has occurred! Just sayin' that I always use a paper towel to cover my food in the microwave but some people in the house do not! A quick and simple way to clean your microwave without scrubbing your fingers to the bone is to use vinegar and water. Here are the super simple steps: Using a 4 cup glass measuring cup, add 1/2 c white vinegar and about 3 c water. Place the cup in the microwave and turn on the microwave to high for about 4 minutes, I usually wait for the water to boil. Let sit, without opening the door for about 5 minutes. Using a wet rag, wipe out the inside of the microwave. Enjoy your sparkling, clean microwave until the next food explosion occurs!   Love and peace, ~ Simply Tammi

I hate to admit it but I really do like to clean. I also like to experiment with homemade cleaning products.  Making your own cleaning products is a great way to save money and reduce the number of toxins in your home. White vinegar is one of my favorite cleaning products. I think some people don't like to use it because of the smell, but trust me you can't even smell it after it dries. My favorite toilet cleaner: Pour 1/2 c white vinegar into the toilet bowl then add 1/2 c baking soda. The mixture will foam then settle down after a few minutes. Let sit about 20 minutes, use your toilet brush to scrub and you should have a beautiful toilet bowl. (I don't measure the amounts every time, you'll be able to guess once you have tried it).  On a side note, we used to have well water that left a water ring around the bowl. Using light pressure with a pumice stone (available at hardware or some grocery stores) you can remove the hard water ring. Be careful not to press to...

Searching, searching, searching...for a good way to clean wood floors. After 4 years of carpet in our home, my husband took out the carpet and  installed wood floors due to my not so subtle hints about my carpet "phobia" issues. The wood floor was not a problem because my husband and son-in-law are both carpenters, however this also means that my options for cleaning the wood floors are limited. No machines, no excess water, no fancy equipment, nothing with pads and liquids squirting out the ends, I did try a chemically infused mop type device a few times (icky!!), so the search went on and on. And being true to what I already knew was the best way to clean my floors, just as in the "old days" and keeping it simple, we ended up with a hands and knees approach (thankfully most of the time my husband or daughter do this for me). In the beginning we used vinegar and water, it works pretty well but it is now my second choice. I found the ultimate product! You may ...

Before I'm very excited to tell you about my new DIY project! My daughter's old computer desk was on it's way out of her house, so she asked me if I needed a new computer desk. So once again, here's how it works...mom needed a smaller computer desk/table, which is what I had but I wanted something different. I was looking for a vintage item to re-purpose. But as soon as I saw the pictures of my daughter's desk, I knew something very cool was about to happen here! As you might guess, mom took my original desk and my daughter's computer desk landed at my house! This is how you trade furniture - haha!! My original plan was to buy some Annie Sloan chalk paint but it seemed that it was not to be found in our city (on my first attempts anyway) so I decided to make my own chalk paint. I went to a local hardware store and bought a quart of incorrectly tinted paint (these are really cheap and most paint stores have them, it's the paint that was mixed for s...

Now that so many of us are working in our gardens or the children are on summer break, we wanted to re-post our super simple recipe for a sugar scrub. We have it by all the sinks and tubs. It's great to clean and moisturize your hands and body... and smells yummy! Remember that coconut oil melts easily so you might want to keep it in a cool place, especially in the summer. It's perfect if you've been working in the garden or if you don't like to wear shoes in the summer. You can use it to clean and soften your hands and even your feet! It also makes a great gift! 1/2 c. white sugar or organic cane sugar 1/2 c. coconut oil                                                            ...

We thought it might be helpful to post our favorite spring cleaning homemade products. Even though spring is officially here in the Midwest, our temperatures are still in the 30s and 40s. Warm weather is on the way and you know what that means, time to clean! Have a great week and happy cleaning! ~Tammi and Angie Homemade Soft Scrub Spicy Sink Scrub Disinfectant Spray Sink Spray Cleaner

I decided a couple of weeks ago that I was going to start my mission to find a homemade liquid dishwasher soap. I really do prefer liquid soap over powdered soaps. Since I love the Simply Liquid Laundry Detergent (also on our Most Popular Posts) so much I knew there had to be a liquid dishwasher soap that we could make and that works. I found a recipe on http://choosingsimplicity.blogspot.com .and tried it. I read the reviews and as it happens with everything, some people had issues and some people loved it. It seems that part of the problem with homemade dishwasher soap is water type...do you have soft water, hard water, well-water....you know what I mean? And then there is the whole what to put in the rinse aid container? Lemon juice, vinegar, inexpensive rinse aid, expensive rinse aid...? SO what I'm trying to say is that there doesn't seem to be a perfect dishwasher soap. But I wanted to save money and I wanted a liquid soap, so I tried it anyway. I figured it would be ...

With the cold and flu season upon us here in the Midwest, I thought I would share a quick recipe for a disinfecting spray.  This is adapted from the book The Naturally Clean Home.   It is full of quick and easy herbal alternatives for cleaning just about everything!  I use this spray for everything. It's great for walls, tables, toys, doorknobs, or any place people touch. I have one in the kitchen and one for the bathrooms. Just spray it on and wipe it down with a damp sponge or cloth. Disinfectant Spray Formula 1 cup water 1 cup vinegar (don't worry the smell goes away when it dries) 5 drops tea tree essential oil  5 drops thyme essential oil (I use lemon or lavender essential oils) Tea tree, Thyme, lemon and lavender are antibiotic, antibacterial, anti fungal and antiviral.  There are others too, but these are the ones I use most often. I put it all in a spray bottle and go around my house spraying and wiping every surface- happy disinfecting! ~Si...

If you like to add a little sweetness to your coffee, tea or other drinks, simple syrup is a great concentrated sweetener, and is quick and easy to make. In the Midwest it isn't exactly "cold drink" weather this time of year but it works in hot drinks or desserts too.  It can also be brushed over a cooled cake to keep crumbs from getting into the frosting. This recipe is for vanilla but you can use other flavors too, depending on what you are using it for and what you like.  I added some to my half-n-half for coffee creamer. Here's what you need: 1/2-1 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like it, and what you're using it for, I used 1/2 c) vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise, scrape and keep the seeds and pod  if you don't have vanilla beans you can use about 1 1/2-2 teaspoons of vanilla or other extract In a small saucepan over medium heat add 1 cup of water, sugar,  vanilla seeds and pod. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 5 minutes stirring ...

I found several recipes using honey and lemon to soothe sore throats a while ago.  Maybe it was a premonition...or the fact that everyone around me has been sick..but I did make it last week just in case someone would need to use it. I didn't really plan on it being me, but I guess I'm as good of a test subject as anyone. I read that a couple tablespoons could be added to a cup of hot water, or..if you are brave just take a tablespoon of it by itself. The lemon is supposed to cut the mucus and soothe along with the honey. It does seem to be soothing my sore throat. It is a little bitter, and also a little sweet by itself so I added it to hot water. It tastes much better than regular cold and cough medicine and there's nothing but natural ingredients in it.      If you would like to try it, here's what you need: 2 lemons cut up in pieces  1/3-1/2 c raw honey container or pint jar with lid I put the cut up lemons in a jar and filled the j...

    If you are looking for a project to do with little ones, this is a great one for people of any age. Tammi started showing my kids how to make them years ago when my kids were little. They still like to make them. It's fun to look at them every year and see how much more creative they had gotten as they got older.  I bought these clear glass ornaments for under $2 for a set of 6. I put  a couple drops of acrylic paint inside (you can use other paint, that was just what I had). Then roll, shake and turn it until the paint is covering the inside of the ornament. This one was made by a 2 year old that I have in my daycare. After he was done rolling it around I put his name and year on it with a metallic marker, you could also use a Sharpie marker. Then I turned it upside down for a few hours to let the extra paint drip out and dry. If you don't want to use paint, you could also use glitter or pieces of tissue paper or anything small enough to fit in it. He ma...

We put together 20 of our favorite homemade food gift ideas and their links all in one post to help make it a little easier this holiday season to find that perfect homemade gift for someone special on your list. Some made it to the list of our Popular Posts and the rest we gathered from throughout the year. You can still do a search on the blog for more ideas that didn't make the list! We hope you have as much fun making them as we did!  Cinnamon Butter served with Simply Sweet Rolls Simply Homemade Marshmallows Simply Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix Simply Homemade Apple Cider Syrup Simply Homemade Apple Cinnamon Granola Simply Homemade 5 Ingredient Caramel Sauce Simply Homemade Brownie Mix Simply Homemade Apple Cider Jelly Simply Homemade Vanilla Extract Simply Homemade Holiday Vanilla Rum Extract Simply Homemade Flavored Sugars Simply Homemade Pancake Mix Simply Homemade Scones Simply Homemade Cherry Lollipops Simply Homemade Lemon Buddies Chex Simply Homemade C...

I have always loved burning candles but haven't bought any for quite a while, partly because the candles I like have gotten so expensive and also because people in my home-who will remain nameless, have allergies and it made them stuffy and sneezy. I used to make my own simmering potpourri but forgot about it until recently when I saw it on Pinterest, there are several sites that have similar recipes. I adapted mine from marcicoombs.blogspot.com, she has cute ideas for Christmas Scent jars to give as gifts.  I changed the recipe a bit just because I didn't have all of the ingredients, but it still smells great...and no one is sneezing from it! Here's what you need: a pint jar 3 cinnamon sticks, I broke mine in half 2-3 bay leaves cloves, I didn't have whole so I used ground, about a teaspoon a couple orange slices and peel (you can also just use the peel) 2-3 lemon slices and peel  lime wedge, I didn't have one so I didn't add it Add all your in...

I think I have finally found a recipe for laundry detergent that I really like! I liked the powder detergent but I am really loving the liquid version. I gave some to my family members to try and they really like it too.  I have seen a lot of these recipes and they are all pretty similar. I used a combination of The Duggar's Family, www.duggarfamily.com and one from my March 2012, Country Sampler Magazine.  The basic recipe is the same, it's how you get to the finished product that I really wanted to simplify. So hopefully this works for you and you love it too! Here's what you need: a 5 gallon bucket (you can pick them up at lots of places either free or cheap) 1 bar of Fels Naptha  1 c Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda 1 c Borax Very Hot Water I made this batch in my 5 gallon bucket from start to finish. I grated the bar of soap and then heated up about 2 quarts of boiling water and carefully poured into my bucket with the grated soap...

This recipe is adapted from the momsaware.org website to make your own soft scrub. I love it! It makes my sinks and tubs sparkle, cleans up my outdoor furniture and my greasy, grimy, stove and burners! You may have to adjust ingredients according to what size container you use.  It should have a similar consistency to the real "soft scrub." 1/4-1/2c liquid castile soap-we like Dr. Bronner's 1/2-1 c baking soda optional: 5 drops of Tea Tree oil (a natural disinfectant/antifungal) or essential oil of your choice Add enough water to make a thick paste I found my bottles at the Dollar store but have seen them in the grocery store also. Add liquid soap first then add soda, add enough water to make a thick paste and shake well to mix.  You will need to shake well before each use. Use directly on surface or put on wet sponge first to clean. ~Simply Angie

I recently found some recipes on Pinterest for lotion bars.  I found several sites with similar recipes. I made this batch with coconut oil. I love the smell, but it is a little greasy. I hate to waste ingredients so I decided to remelt them and add more beeswax, they were a little less greasy...but still greasy.  I wouldn't recommend using them on your hands during the day because of the "greasiness factor" but I gotta say, they are really working great on my feet. I don't want to sound like an infomercial but after a couple nights of putting this on my dry cracked feet when I go to bed (I'll spare you the before and after photos)-this really has been helping! It would be great for feet, elbows or dry skin patches, my niece said it even works when her babies have diaper rash. Here's the recipe, I used equal parts-of course I just eyeball it, I didn't have a way to measure the beeswax because it was a block that I just chipped away at. equal parts co...

If you have some scrap material that you don't know what to do with, I have the perfect, simple project for you! During the hot summer months, cold drinks are a must but you might notice that your beverage glasses will sweat and leave a ring of water on your desk or table. I was tired of the papers on my desk getting wet, so I decided to make some mug and glass mats based on a place mat idea but smaller. And now, no more rings of water! The mat absorbs the water and it dries rather quickly. I gave a few to my daughter, so I guess they could be used as gifts too! I started with 2 kinds of material. The first was quilted material and the second was denim from old jeans (that holds some sentimental value for our family). I used denim with pockets for a few mats because I thought it was kind of cute! My daughter had a great idea with the jeans pocket, she said she could use that one for a remote control holder. I like that idea too! These are my steps: First, I cut my material i...