things I’d like to try

I always find great ideas on Pinterest.

So I pin them.

And then I forget to try them.

:-/

Doh!

Here are a few of the things I’ve found that I really want to try. {Disclaimer: Most of them are cleaning related}

Rub a freshly-cleaned faucet with wax paper to avoid future water spots.

1/3 cu. baking soda, 1 cu. white vinegar, 1 plastic bag. Mix, secure to shower head, let stand for 2-3 hrs. Water deposits and grime GONE!

via

Soak crusty brushes in hot vinegar for 30 min. Wash with soapy water and let dry. Good as new!

via

Fill a spray bottle 1/8th full with rubbing alcohol, add 1 drop of Dawn dish soap, and a couple drops of scented oil. Fill the remainder with water & shake. Makes great counter top cleaner!

via

Separate and hang your scarves on one hangar with shower curtain rings!

via

Mix one part Dawn dish soap with two parts hydrogen peroxide and some baking soda--pour on tough stains like wine, sweat, and dirt, rub in with laundry brush or toothbrush. Let stand for an hour. Stains should come right out.

via

Two ingredient pumpkin cake with three ingredient apple glaze!

recipe HERE

What cool ideas have you found that you’d like to try?

If you try any of mine before I do, let me know how everything turns out…I know from experience that sometimes these types of things are genius and sometimes they’re a total bust.

Have a great weekend!

Basket Case

I spotted one of these the other day and coveted.  I’m a sucker for storage tools and I just thought a wire locker basket like this would be so useful…in so many places.

 The one I saw was used as a catch-all in the back of a designer’s SUV, but there are definitely various other decorative possibilities.

{via Design*Sponge}

{via ReLoved Rubbish}

{via We Love Indie}

{via Patina White}

Happy President’s Day!

Small Item Storage Tips

Since I’m an organization junkie, I felt the NEED to share some information from this article with you from BHG.  It’s on “storage ideas for small items” it is really very clever.  You can read the full article here.

“This pan will do more than help you cook when you use it to compartmentalize office supplies. Use an inexpensive cupcake pan to organize small items that have a tendency to get lost in drawers.”

“Control clutter in a junk drawer with this low-cost solution. Here silicone cupcake liners hold small, loose items. An egg carton stashes items such as thumb tacks and staples in the egg cups and larger items such as pencils, a calculator, and a pair of scissors on the other side.

Expert Tip: Make one of these for the laundry room and fill it with all the little things that come out of the dryer such as coins and buttons. Dress it up with a quick coat of spray paint.”

“Use a toothbrush holder to artfully store paintbrushes, pens, and pencils. Use a matching soap dish to house business cards and other small items. These clever containers will keep your drawers and desktop free of clutter.”

“Round up spare glass canisters or jars to provide storage for hobby and sewing supplies, kitchen clutter, and jewelry. They can also organize — and still display — small collectibles such as matchbooks, marbles, and pins.”

If you read my post of these great apothecary jars, this would be a great use for them!

“A paper-towel dowel and a metal tray are all you need to achieve this easy craft storage space. Attach magnets to the bottom of tiny boxes to keep your trinkets in plain sight.”

 Check out this post on other uses for a paper towel holder.

“Install a magnetic knife wall mount to the side of a shelving unit and hang small items on magnetic hooks.”

Have a clutter-free day!

Mason Jar Monday

So, I was noticing, today, that I have a lot of different-sized, empty mason jars.  I’ve used them to store dry beans, rice, or pasta in the past, but my mother-in-law is getting out of the Tupperware business and she’s graciously given us our pick of her plethora of Tupperware items…which means, I don’t need all of my mason jars for pantry storage anymore!

  The Kitchn

I decided I’d see what kind of ideas were “out there” for mason jars.  I found some pretty cute stuff–check it out!

This would be so cute in a craft room!

Weeping Cherries

If you need a place for easy and quick needle & thread storage (like maybe something that’s easily-accessible in your closet– in-case a button pops off when you’re getting ready in the morning), this would be cute and simple to make.  

Just find some batting or maybe even cotton balls, glue it to the flat part (sealer) of the mason jar lid, dig that scrap piece of fabric out of your craft bin, wrap it around the cotton, glue it down, screw-on the 2nd piece of the lid, and you’re done!  So easy!

 If you want Martha’s “official” way of making it, though, go here to get directions.

…If you want to electrify your mason jar, you could try this.

Here are the how-to details.

If you want to use them for lighting, but don’t want to deal with wires and bulbs, you could always go this route…

How about some inexpensive photo holders?

A Mountain Bride

They’d work beautifully for a vase…Now if I could just figure out where to find one of these wire mason jar holders…hmmm

OopStuff

A homemade soap dispenser:

Here‘s the how-to.

…and then there’s always the thought of using them as a drinking glass.

Simple, enough!

Of course, I love these colored mason jars.  They would be perfect to hold soaps or bath salts in the bathroom.

Hope your Monday is wonderful!

Results!

Well, this weekend’s garage sale shopping trip was not as profitable as I would have hoped, but I did find this great table for $10.  I’ve been looking for one to go in the guest room and this was perfect!

 The 1st closet system is finally installed!  My husband and a friend of his put in the framing on Saturday evening and then we worked on loading it up on Sunday.  Here is a before and after shot.  The “after” shot still shows a lot of unused space…but I’m still in the process of moving items in, so I’m sure I’ll use it up.  Seriously, though…this system has tripled the amount of storage space in our closet.  It’s amazing!

Before

After

If you didn’t see my previous post on closets, check it out here!