Friday Favorites

Feta, Cheddar and Spinach Muffins - They look pretty and sound tasty
Plywood Painted Floor - seems like a way that would be inexpensive but able to cover up some ugly flooring 
Guide to Knives that you Actually need - getting my knives up to what I think I need has been a task I have been working for several years. 
Blank Printable Calendar - to help get more organized - would be great if you do a household binder. 
Adding a New Tree to your Landscape - video has tips for planting trees

2 Beauty and Body Care Book Reviews

Organic Body Care Recipes: 175 Homeade Herbal Formulas for Glowing Skin and  a Vibrant Self
by Stephanie Tourles

Although this book is put together nicely and has some good information, I wouldn't say it offered me anything I can't find online and some information in the book to me wasn't good for you.  This book has a nice introduction about eating healthy, drinking plenty of water, getting rest - but again all the stuff you can find online. It has a nice listing of how long things last, but not sure I would trust it though.  This book doesn't offer a lot vegan options either.  It has many animal based products in it with no alternative mentioned. The thing that really bothered me and I felt was bad information was that it uses things like borax and petroleum jelly in recipes. Borax while being a natural based product is still toxic and putting that on my skin doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Again the same thing with petroleum jelly - not something I really want to use as an ingredient on my skin when I am trying to move away from things like that. Of course there were plenty of recipes in there that actually were organic non-toxic and using things around your house such as honey or oatmeal. But over all I am not sure that a book that uses borax as something you use on your skin - is a book a trust with the rest of the recipes or information provided.

GREEN BEAUTY RECIPES: Easy Homemade Recipes to Make Your Own Organic and Natural Skincare, Hair Care and Body Care Products
 by Julie Gabriel

I liked this book better but again it has some problems. The editing on it isn't great. There are missing ingredients, words spelled wrong and I read the kindle edition is just a draft of the book and even worse.  It has the use of a product called Cetyl alcohol which is used in one of the first basic recipes of the book as emulsifier is actually an emollient. So the basic recipe in the book doesn't work from the start because of bad information. It also will mention an ingredient or how long it lasts in the description, but down in the recipe it either leaves out that ingredient or has different information all together.  So it can get confusing.

One thing I am looking for also that I can't seem to find a positive answer to is how long products last.  Some books say one thing, another says something different and then some books tell different time frames on the same products.  It just doesn't make much sense.

Out of these 2 books, I did like the recipes in Green Beauty better.  I am not sure I would buy either of these books, but checking them out from the library to take a look at isn't a bad idea. You might find some recipes or information that is helpful.

Dusting the Ceiling Fan

A house I lived in years ago practically had a ceiling fan in every room and I got to the point of hating them not only because I am not especially fond of their looks, but cleaning them has always been a pain.  Here we only have one ceiling fan and it is in the bedroom.  It is needed in the summer time or we would never stay remotely comfortable when the temps reach 109 degrees during July and August.

I really dislike this ceiling fan because it is pretty much right over the bed no matter how we arrange the room.  I have used all sorts of cleaning methods over the years to dust the blades, but I have always been annoyed that I was basically dusting it on to the bed creating more work for myself.  Finally....I found the solution....using an old pillow case.

* Slide a pillow case over a blade of the ceiling fan.
* Hold one end and pull it along the blade. The dust and debris fall into the pillow case and not all over the room. 
* After doing this to each blade, take the pillow case outside and turn it inside out, shake out the dust and debris, and then launder. 

Friday Favorites

DIY Drop Cloth Stenciled Curtains  -  I think this would be an inexpensive way to replace curtains throughout the house.  I just wonder if they look as nice as they do in the photo as I really am thinking this is something I am going to do for our bedroom and the kitchen and dining room.

Staining Oak Cabinets Espresso  - again something I would love to do and this blog makes it look not as difficult as I thought it would be

Organization Board Tutorial -  a board with all the things  I need in one place. Very stylish too! I love the idea of putting them in frames and using them as dry erase boards with the printable check list under the glass.

Clean and Regrease a Kitchen Aid Mixer  - just something that might be helpful to those of us with Kitchen Aid Mixers

Thai Peanut Slaw - this is a different recipe then I usually see...I love the thought of the dressing. I really want to try this and add some grilled chicken to it for a good summer time meal