A Very Repurposed DIY Christmas

To me, the best gifts are homemade. Gifts that are heartfelt, that took time and love to put together.

These gifts are usually one-of a kind,made by the giver with the givee in mind. 

So that's what I tried to do this year. To give gifts specific to people in my life to show how much I care.



Here were some of the gifts that I gave:

Crafting with my little man. 

Repurposing some frames by painting them all white. 

After one coat. 

Finished gift for my sister. Three of her favourite things and a quote on how awesome she is to be a nurse.

For my parents and my grandparents. 

The boys and I made these hot chocolate snowmen for our neighbors. We had an abundance of baby food jars, so this was the perfect year to repurpose them. The neighbors loved the snowmen. I blogged about the idea of these baby-food-jar snowmen here.

We added a small bottle of Bailey's as a Christmas gift for my son's grade 2 teacher. Because, well...I'm sure she needs it being around grade 2's ALL day. ;)

There are still some gifts that I need to give, so I won't blog on those quite yet.

Thanks for reading and I hope you got some ideas for some repurposed, DIY gifts that you can give to some loved ones throughout the year.

Blessings.

In My Closet- Breaking My Own Rules

About a year ago, I wrote a post answering a question that I had been asked on wearing leggings. 

I stated that, in my opinion, patterned leggings should only be worn by girls in their early 20's.

Well, today I am admitting that I have been breaking my own rule. I have been wearing patterned leggings. And loving them.

Here are some pics of me wearing them to the Aquarium recently:

They are beyond comfy and super cute. I am a patterned legging convert.

I snapped up a couple of pairs at the last Clothing Swap that I went to. So, those multi-coloured aztec style leggings were FREE.

I have also heard of a company Sweet Legs, that is a Canadian company that sells through independent suppliers and they have a HUGE selection of designs.

Check them out, if you want to break my rule, too! ;)

Or, do what I do and scour the thrift shops or consignment shops for them.

If you do decide to be brave and wear patterns- send me a photo! I'd love to see you in them.

Peace, friends.

Mis-Matched Socks? I Have A DIY For That!

I came across this fabulous DIY idea on facebook yesterday for lost socks in the laundry room. I KNOW everyone else has the same problem...you are POSITIVE that a pair of socks went INTO the wash....but one a single sock comes out.

Here is a place to put that one sock until it's mate turns up (which happens, what? 70% of the time??) :

I thought that this was such a great idea, I went looking on Pinterest for some similar ideas. And I found some awesome ones!

If you are crafty at all, these would be pretty easy to make. You would just need a peice of wood (preferably second-hand!) and some clothespins. Otherwise, I found some similar signs that you could purchase on Etsy here.

Here are my Lost-Sock DIY favourites:

Love the added jar for change found while doing laundry! 

I also love this idea of a wall decal over a 'clothesline' attached to the wall. It would be easier for the not-so-crafty out there:

I found some decals to purchase on Etsy here. 

This sign is not for the unmatched socks, but I love the message on it SO much that I may be making one for MY laundry room:

And....in case you never do find your sock's missing mate....this made me laugh pretty hard:

I hope you found these Laundry Room DIY ideas as inspiring as I did. :)

Thanks for reading.

Blessings.

DIY Dry Shampoo For Light AND Dark Hair

I recently stumbled on an amazing DIY for homemade dry shampoo. I found it on Wellness Mama and it has a recipe for shampoo for light hair, as well as one for dark hair. She even included a recipe for a Wet/ Dry Spray Shampoo for light and dark hair.

As someone with dark hair- I find it difficult to find a dry shampoo that I love. Most of them make me look like my roots are a whitish-grey colour (not really a sought-after look for me). I use Beyond The Zone's Rock On- dry shampoo for medium to dark hair at work on my bride's and bridal parties, but I find it lingers in the air and don't love using it at home for my boys to inhale.

But I DO love to use dry shampoo. Partly because I am a busy Mom of 3 and don't have time to wash/style my hair each day. 

Partly because I am a hairstylist and know that washing/styling your hair every day can be damaging for your hair- as well as causing your hair to OVER-produce oil if it is getting over-washed.  

Partly because after I had my 3rd baby, my hair has fallen out and become SO fine and gets greasy oh-so-quickly (I used to be able to go 5 days between washing- now I can make it 2 WITH dry shampoo).

Partly because I want to be 'greener' and use less water/ shampoo. And partly because well...laziness, I guess. ;)

That's why I was beyond elated to find these homemade dry shampoo recipes. 

DIY Dry Shampoo For Light Hair 

1/4 cup Arrowroot or Cornstarch

An old makeup brush or salt/sugar shaker

10 drops essential oil (optional)

Add the oil to the powder and store in a jar or shaker. Brush or sprinkle powder on roots and brush or comb through hair. Style as usual.

DIY Dry Shampoo For Dark Hair

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons Arrowroot or Cornstarch

An old makeup brush or salt/sugar shaker

10 drops essential oil (optional)

Combine cocoa powder with arrowroot or cornstarch. Add the oil to the powder and store in a jar or shaker. Brush or sprinkle powder on roots and brush or comb through hair. Style as usual.

DIY Wet/ Dry Spray Shampoo For Light Or Dark Hair

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup Arrowroot or Cornstarch

1/4 cup vodka, rubbing alcohol or witch hazel

essential oils or a spritz of perfume to scent (optional)

Combine ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake to mix. Before each use, shake again and spritz on roots. Let dry and style as usual.

Tip from Wellness Mama: if you don't want to add the cocoa for dark hair (but seriously, who wouldn't want their hair to smell like chocolate, people???), add the mixture for light hair the night before or at least a couple of hours before leaving the home. That way, you won't walk out with grey roots.

Well, I for one can't wait to try these recipes. I hope you are excited to try one or two yourself.

Save time, money (homemade dry shampoo is about 95% less expensive than store-bought), and be green. Try some homemade dry shampoo!

Peace.

For The Home- Second-Hand Stuff In My New Kitchen

I recently bought my first home. Well, the first home that I own all. by. my. self.  

I'm quite proud of it, but it really does need work.

Some of the work I was able to do before I moved in, with the help of many friends.

Some of the work I continue to chip away at, when I can find some time....which is tough with 3 boys- let me tell you that! Like the work that I did on my Pretty Powder Room (I found pretty much everything I needed at the ReStore for that project).

In this post, I want to let you in on what I've done in my kitchen. So far, it's only cosmetic... I hope to paint out my cupboards and redo my counter tops (I'm considering concrete?!?), and install a 'real' back splash.

But for now, here is my kitchen/ dining area that I love.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

For now, I've freshened up this space with a couple coats of paint, some blackboard paint next to the fridge (an area that the kids LOVE!), and a faux-brick wallpaper back splash (from this locally-owned wallpaper shop).

And I love the way this little sign looks above my stove that I picked up at Value Village a couple of years ago for $2.99. 

Before:

After:

 In my dining area I obviously painted, and changed out the light fixture. I absolutely fell in love with this Wagon-Wheel Chandelier that I found on kijiji for $50. My pantry I bought from a friend who needed the space for around $40, I believe. And my table and chairs I also snapped up on kijiji... post on that here. (Since this photo was taken, I have also put down some barn-wood-type flooring and painted out my trim white).

In my dining area I also found a new use for an old shutter that I used to have as a bulletin board here... it is now an extremely useful coat rack for my back door. I found these mis-matched-yet-match-ey door knob 'hooks' at The ReUse Center.

I wrote a blog post about other fabulous uses for old shutters here.

That's all for tonight, friends. Hope you were able to get some great ideas for using second-hand items in your own home.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings.

Repurposing Coffee Grounds- 10 Amazing Ideas

I came across this fabulous post at The Earthy Mama on reusing coffee grounds.

If you are like me, I need my steaming cup or coffee (or 3) to start each and every day. I always compost my used grounds, but I absolutely love these ideas on how to repurpose them in useful ways!

Pest Repellant

If you have ants that are getting into your home, figure out where the point of entry is and sprinkle coffee grounds in that spot (I have also had great results with a mixture of borax + sugar for this).

Homemade Wood Stain

If you want to try a cheap, chemical-free way to stain your wood, check out the step-by-step here: http://groundtoground.org/2012/10/25/reusing-coffee-grounds-as-wood-stain/

Naturally Deodorizing Flower Vase

You can place dry or used coffee grounds in a jar or vase, fill with fresh cut flowers (wet grounds will look just like soil) and you will have a natural deodorizer (not to mention the fabulous smells from the flowers) for any room in your home.

Fridge Deodorizer

You can replace that old, used-up box of baking soda in your fridge with a mason jar of coffee grounds and you will get exactly the same amount of deodorizing power!

DIY Exfoliating Scrub

Slough off those dead skin cells anywhere on your body with coffee grounds and leave your skin glowing and happy. Not to mention the added benefit of the intoxicating smell of coffee while you do it. Recipe here.

Natural Fertilizer

Add 2 cups of used coffee grounds to 5 gallons of water and allow to steep overnight. You can then pour this over your garden or potted indoor plants as a liquid fertilizer.

Keep Cats Away

Spread you used coffee grounds around the base of your garden to keep your cat (or neighborhood cats) from digging.

Add Shine To Your Hair

Work your coffee grounds into clean wet hair and then rinse out to add shine to your hair and condition it naturally. 

Coffee And Cocoa Face Mask

Decrease any puffiness in your face and around the eye area while brightening your skin with this easy DIY mask idea. Get the recipe here.

Hide Furniture Scratches

If you have any dark furniture with small dings or scratches, you can try dabbing a cotton swab into steeped grounds and rubbing it on the mark. You may want to try on an inconspicuous spot first. 

Well, there you have it friends. Some super-nifty ways to reuse your coffee grounds.

And you get extra points if you use fair-trade coffee. ;)  If you`re curious about the importance of Fair Trade- check out my post about it here.

Blessings.

And The Winner Is....

All the names are entered.... 

The names are shaken up... 

And blindly the winner is chosen. 

And the winner is..... 

Sarah Berger!




Congratulations Sarah! I know that you will enjoy the beautiful pearl collar.



Thank you to all who entered and shared my blog. It means a lot to me.


And also thank you to THE EDIT for donating such an amazing vintage item.



Blessings.

Vintage Necklace Giveaway

I am SO very excited about this giveaway!

This amazingly sweet vintage pearl collar can be mailed out to the winner of my most recent giveaway.

This giveaway comes directly from a local shop- 

The Edit- 205 Ottawa St N, Hamilton

A curated selection of Hamilton's finest resale, new and vintage clothing.

The owner of the shop, Yentina, has an amazing blog that I follow religiously. She updates on some of the clothing and accessories that she has in her 'brick-and-mortar' store, or in her ETSY shop. You can also follow her on Facebook.

Here are my fave outfits from her most recent blog post: 

I just love her style. She has an amazing eye for fashion and putting pieces together with a mix of vintage and thrift store finds. Make sure to stop in and visit her at her store!

And here are my favourite items from her Etsy shop right now:

Seriously....amazing items, yes???

To be entered to win this beautiful vintage collar, simply share this post and you'll be entered into the draw! The winner will be drawn on Friday October 10th. If we aren't friends on facebook, let me know that you've shared in the comments section at the bottom of this post. :)

Peace friends, and good luck! :)