Home Tour: Part III

And, we're back to the tour.
I completely forgot that I hadn't finished these posts.

Today, we're heading up the stairs and getting a quick peek at our tiny bathroom & going into probably my favorite room in the house. The Master Bedroom.

I think I've mentioned this in the other posts- but one of my "needs" after living in a small apartment with random, small windows- was great natural lighting. Our bedroom has 3 large windows in just the right places and every Morning I get a dose of pinky orange sunrise.

Originally our room, like most in the house, was some variant of yellow. Our bedroom was, mustard. A very loud color for the walls. So we painted it a soothing gray-blue and I adore it.

Also, I think the best thing my Husband has ever purchased (well, one of the many...) is our large Ikea dresser. I think it's the epitome of everything I love. Coziness. Clean. Fresh. Elegant. Simple.

 

 

 

Below, is my side of the bed. With our favorite, down comforter. (thanks MIL!)

 

This is Kyle's side.

(Yes, if you're noticing the different comforters. The photos were taken on different days!)

 

Made these yesterday on a whim. Definitely homemade, but full of love :)

"I adore you, my darling"

We have two of these laundry bins, from Home Goods!

 

Kitty Spot, of course.

 

 

 

Cleanin' Those Clothes

A few weeks back Hubs & I were wracking our brains while hiking, trying to come up with little ways to save some money. Among several ideas, we came up with making our own laundry detergent.

I had been contemplating a recipe that I had seen floating around Pinterest- and if I'm being honest... The concoction looked awesome. It had minimal ingredients and seemed easy enough to make.

The perfect moment arrived for us to budget in the supplies ($28.27) & try out the detergent.

My primary concerns with making my own detergent was the idea that *I* had made it. Ha!
I just felt like how could I possibly make something that would work better, let alone just as well as, store-bought?

As I thought about it- I was like, "Man! Why didn't we do this before??" The recipe makes sense!
After using it three times so far- we really enjoy it! The clothes are definitely clean- and while they're isn't an explosive scent, it's either just plain smell free- or there is the faint trace of Purex Crystals.

Below I've listed the supplies & steps to make your own detergent.

You Need:

1 (4 lb 12 oz) Box of Borax

1 (3 lb 7 oz) Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

1 (3 lb) Container of OxyClean  (Optional...but why not add it?!)

2 (14.1 oz) Bars of Zote Laundry Soap. (You can also use Fels Naptha)

1 (4 lb) Box of Arm &Hammer Baking Soda

1 (55 oz) Bottle of Purex Crystals Fabric Softener

The Process:

You need to use a cheese grater or food processor for the Bar Soap.

Literally, you just layer all of the ingredients and stir it up as you go, to make sure the ingredients are spread evenly. You also need a good size bucket for mixing- I recommend using one with a lid for extra detergent storage. 

Using:

I put some of the detergent back into the Purex Crystals container & the OxyClean Container. (I still had tons of detergent left over!) If you use the Purex Crystals Container, you can use the little round lid to measure out the amount of detergent you need. (The middle line) Or 1-2 Tablespoons in general. Put the detergent directly into the drum.

We have a HE Washer & haven't had any clogging problems so far.

We've heard it can last up to 7 Months or So, I'll do an update post once I know for sure!

Fancy Digs & Skippin' Spring

Well....we've made it! It's a new week.  I wonder what this one will bring?

How was your weekend?
I had a low-profile weekend. I watched the TV Show, Downtown Abbey, which I really enjoy. You should check it out!

Also, one of my most favorite things, are drives. Especially at night.  Kyle surprised me on Saturday night and took me to Greenwich, Connecticut.  If you're at all like me, you may enjoy browsing homes- and the homes in Greenwich...well, they're....large. And expensive. And exquisite.
http://www.coldwellbankermoves.com/property/PropertyResults.aspx?SearchID=8024161

How are you feeling about this continuation of crazy weather?  I have to say...Summer is not my favorite Season and to have it seemingly come without acknowledging Spring makes me a tinge sad. Cross your fingers for a little cool weather yet before Summer slams us with crazy high temps.

If you're looking for a low-cal chocolately treat of goodness, try Skinny Cow Dreamy Clusters in Dark Chocolate. So Good.

I've been slowly, but surely debating a few 'DIY' projects. They seem oh so popular these days- and I can't help but want to jump on the bandwagon and try my hand at something ' Homemade'.  I've absolutely never been one to pick up someone else's trash.  However, while on another of our many drives, we passed a home that had a huge mirror sitting up against a tree with a nearby hand-written sign spelling out "FREE".

"Kyle! Turn around! There was a free mirror at that house!!"

We don't particularly need a mirror, but it was too awesome to pass by. It's quite large. It's painted green (the frame, obviously) and has four mirror panes. So cool! I'd like to paint it white and do some distressing. We shall see! I'll keep you all updated...but don't be surprised if it turns out completely botched. :)

I'll see what I can do about getting a picture up of the 'before' soon.

Does anyone have any good tips for keeping up your energy? I feel like I get 8+ hours of sleep every night- so why every day do I feel completely exhausted?

 HELP!

One more quick tid-bit. If you like whimsical, romantic music- or a bit of French thrown in- set your Pandora Station to : Charles Trenet. 

So wonderful.

Until next time, do something yourself. :)