But I have tons to post next week!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Fingerprint-less Stainless Steel!
I will be doing a series on home goods and kitchen finds.. And all their awesome uses.
Today it's olive oil and its magical powers as a Stainless Steel cleaner!
In the past few years many people have upgraded their kitchens to be more commercial looking. So why not use a trick those professional chefs use on their stainless steel counters? But doesn't it seem like the moment you get the darn thing finger-print-free with EXPENSIVE cleaners, it is dirty almost immediately? My method here will change that! And even if you do get a hand print, all you need to do its come back with a cloth or napkin and wipe wipe, and problems gone! No cleaner, no toxic sprays, no messy fridge or dishwasher,etc.
First I like to dry wipe any dust off of the appliance of there it's any. The great news is you will not be doing this again for along time!
Use a soft cloth or a soft paper towel and turn the bottle of Olive oil down onto the cloth and allow about the size of a quarter's worth of oil onto it.
Now simply wipe the oil on. With those other cleaners you must go in circles (wax on, wax off..haha)... but I have found that as long as your Final Swipes are in the same direction as the grain of the appliance, it looks fabulous.
Continue to add oil and wipe as you need, but a little goes a long way!
Don't worry, as long as you haven't used the entire bottle of oil, it is NOT GREASY!
The best part to me is that it actually
repels dust and fingerprints and lasts up to two weeks, even with
my four year old running around!
Like I said though, if you get a print on it..just get out a papertowel a wipe it away!
Note: for tough spots dripped on the fridge or side of the oven (food splashed and dried, etc.) You can grab your kitchen scrubby or use a nail brush to scub those off first. Then polish with the olive oil. Dont use anything too abrasive on the stainless. You don't want to scratch it!
Please enjoy this time and money saver! It has changed my life and I certainly love eliminating hazardous chemicals from under my sink and in my breathing space!
Ps. I have tried other oils but did not like the results. For the most part we should only be cooking with olive oil anyhow... So stock up!
- The Domestic Diva
Feel free to check out my artwork
At www.facebook.com/ArtistCara
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Sunday... A day to relax, be lazy.. And clip coupons!
Even if you have a smartphone and have downloaded some of the great new coupon apps like GeoCoupon, there is nothing like a coupon from the Sunday paper.
It is worth spending the dollar Or two on the paper, because you can save up to $50.00 in groceries and other necessities. Plus you get to read the comics and do the crossword puzzle. (My all time fave pasttime!)
Each Sunday you may not find things you will be needing that week, but cut the coupons anyhow and organize them by subject OR by expiration date. Note: expiration dates used to be a few months but now they are only a few weeks or a month! So be sure to use them before they expire!
Certainly don't buy something you don't need just because you have a coupon.
If you have a lot of free time you can get hardcore into couponing and print store coupons online, as well as manufacturers coupons...and you can leave the store with hundreds of dollars worth of goods for only a few bucks.
If all that is intimidating and just too much...start small... go get a Sunday Paper.. Catch up on your world events... And clip some COUPONS!
-THE DOMESTIC DIVS
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Obsessed with germs and keeping your home clean?
Okay, well you don't have to be obsessed! But here's a cheap and fab way to keep your house bacteria and viral free!
We are going to make a Bleach/Water solution that has been lab tested to be 99% effective at killing harmful germs that can make you and your family sick. Okay...here we go.. Super easy stuff.
BEST OF ALL, INSTEAD OF SPENDING $3.00 on a bottle of cleaner, I figure this costs you some where around .04 cents a bottle. (That's after you get the actual spray bottle.)
What you'll need:
1. Spray bottle (read specs below)
2. High quality bleach
3. Water (no, doesn't have to be bottled! Haha)
More Specific...
1. You need a Bleach Safe bottle. This is important. If it isn't the bottle will stop working within a few weeks.
You can buy an industrial strength empty bottle at one of the big home improvement stores. I bought a few, one to keep in each bath and in the kitchen. This cleaner will change your life! (oh, I also have one in laundry room to spot clean my whites before I wash them!)
Another great way to get your spray bottle is to reuse bottles that were 'Tile cleaner with bleach' or 'Lysol all purpose cleaner With bleach".
When that bottle is empty do this project and be sure to write on it in marker what it now is!
"BLEACH WATER"
2. I said high quality bleach because a lot of people think buying the cheap stuff saves them money but it doesn't. (just like you buy cheap quality products at the discount stores ...it's not going to last. How many times are you going to have to re-buy those products and how much does that cost add up to? Usually better to buy higher quality in the beginning and not have to keep repurchasing.)
With bleach the cheap stuff is EXTREMELY WATERED DOWN. So don't pay for water.
3. Now the simplest part of this project is the MAKING OF IT!
I like to use a kitchen funnel and in the sink I pour a capful of the bleach (cap from the bleach bottle. That's all!) Pour it into the funnel...into your spray bottle ...turn your sink on Low and fill the bottle up!
You are done!
Remember bleach removes color so be careful, but use this liberally in your kitchen, bath ..anywhere.
I use it for...
Spraying my cutting boards
Spot touching my white clothes
Cleaning the toilet
Spraying the shower down
Cleaning the garbage cans
Sanitizing door knobs and sink levers
All bathroom surfaces
so much more!
I hope you love this product as much as I do. I have many more great home cleaning ideas coming up! Some of them you would never have imagined!
-the Domestic Diva
Friday, September 9, 2011
Organize your jewelry in under one hour
THIS IS A HOME DECOR/CRAFT PROJECT
to organize your necklaces. (or customize it for hanging other things such as scarves, purses, hats, belts, towels, ...endless possibilities!)
Today I made a jewelry hanger which I will mount on the wall and will use to keep all my gorgeous necklaces from getting tangled up. This can be hung in a closet or right in your bedroom so that you may use your jewelery as part of your decor!
This is a very easy project even for those of you who are not very handy with tools! It can be made several ways but I will tell you the simplest and quickest!
Before you get started what you will need; 1. 1"X3" pine board length of your choosing. I suggest between two feet and three feet. The pine I purchased was $1.99 for a ten foot board. Reasonable. The big box stores will cut the boards to size for you for free in the back!. You do have to buy the leftover wood though. Save it for another project or make two of these!
2. Closed eye hooks or open hooks with screw ends. Choose either gold or silver finish depending on your decor. Box of 50 is $3.99
3. Leftover latex paint from a .home project? Or acrylic paints from the craft store work great too. They usually run about $.69-$.99 a bottle and you won't need more than one bottle.
4. Sandpaper block or just a piece of sandpaper. After having the boards cut and before painting you will want top sand those super rough ends. A block is about $2.99. Buy medium grain you will be able to use this again for other projects!
5. Power drill with a 9/64 drill bit. You can use a slightly larger bit if you have to. IF you don't have the drill you can use a hammer and a bigger nail to tap tap into the soft pine a bit to start a guide hole for your hooks. That's what the drill is for, we will not be drilling through the pine except on the two ends where we want to be able to screw out into the wall. A good power drill is worth the investment! They even make them in ladies sizes now so they are easier to grip in your hand!
Might I suggest a Pawn Shop ... I have gotten oodles of tools there. Just make sure they work and always double check that the correct charger for the battery is in the box! You can save so much money this way!
6. Tape measure. You need this to mark out how far apart you want your hooks to be. I chose two inches personally.
7. Optional picture hangers for the back if you do not want to screw this directly into the wall like I am! These come in a pack at, the store and have little teeth on them for,grabbing onto the nail or screw you put into the wall.
See the photos posted of what my tools for this project looked like. And... See my steps and final outcome photos!
Steps for a fab necklace organizer: 1. Buy the wood and have them cut it.
2. Sand the rough edges.
3. Paint all sides that will be visible when hung on wall. (front.top, bottom, sides)
4. With a pencil and tape measure mark in the center of the the board (its OK to eyeball the center, from top to bottom) all the places you want to put a hook. I found the center point and then went an inch out from each side. Then spaced them two inches apart on each direction.
5. Pick up your power drill and be careful! Tools are to be respected! (there are always free workshops at the box stores on how to use tools if you are afraid! Drill only half way through the board. Its okay if you go through but try not to! Remember to keep the drill at a 90 degree angle to the wood as you are drilling. This ensures a straight hole drilled. Hit the reverse button on the drill each time to let the drill back itself out of the hole! At this point you can decide if you want to drill 2 extra holes, one at each end so you can later screw this to the wall. Or we can attach a picture hanger on the back for less permanency.
6. The holes will look messy afterward and you will think you just ruined your pretty paint job, but don't worry! Take that sandpaper and lightly sand back and forth over the holes. Some wood will back back into the holes. Don't stress.
7. Screw the Eye Hooks in! They don't have to be screwed in all the way down, just make sure they aren't wobbly.
8. OK, you are basically done! You can embellish with more paint,
or hang a simple picture hanger on the back. (maybe 2 depending on how long your board is!)
9. So, go hang it on the wall! If you have a Level it's always a good idea to use it so you can hang things straight. You can even get hands free ones that shoot laser light and make it super easy!
10. You're done! Hang you necklaces now! This could be tweaked easily by spacing larger hooks farther apart and you could hang scarves, bras, purses, hats... Just about anything!
Congrats you did it! Feel free to
These are my tools and supplies! The pine board! My drill
the sandpaper bar, measuring tape and the leftover paint from
another home project!
Below LEFT see my DRILL BITS: Be sure to choose a drill bit that
is SMALLER than the screw end of your eye hook or screw, You
want a SNUG fit!
BELOW RIGHT You will see all of the project as I am working
including the eye hooks and at this point I have painted the board.
Here is a CLOSE UP of the EYE HOOKS I used. You can used OPEN HOOKS too. I used these because I happened to have a GIANT BOX of them lying around. It may be more handy to have an open hook. However, I think it looks SUPER COOL to have the closed loop. And as long as you dont screw them in ALL the way, there will be planty of space left to hang things behind the EYE LOOP.
Here I am in the process of screwing in the EYE hooks. Just be sure to line them up straight! Very easy to twist them in by hand!
THE FINISHED PRODUCT!! LOOKS LIKE I NEED TO ADJUST ONE OF THE HOOKS, it is screwed in a little bit more than the others, but seriously, who cares! This is going to look fabulous on the wall with all my colorful necklaces and beads hanging from it!!
to organize your necklaces. (or customize it for hanging other things such as scarves, purses, hats, belts, towels, ...endless possibilities!)
Today I made a jewelry hanger which I will mount on the wall and will use to keep all my gorgeous necklaces from getting tangled up. This can be hung in a closet or right in your bedroom so that you may use your jewelery as part of your decor!
This is a very easy project even for those of you who are not very handy with tools! It can be made several ways but I will tell you the simplest and quickest!
Before you get started what you will need; 1. 1"X3" pine board length of your choosing. I suggest between two feet and three feet. The pine I purchased was $1.99 for a ten foot board. Reasonable. The big box stores will cut the boards to size for you for free in the back!. You do have to buy the leftover wood though. Save it for another project or make two of these!
2. Closed eye hooks or open hooks with screw ends. Choose either gold or silver finish depending on your decor. Box of 50 is $3.99
3. Leftover latex paint from a .home project? Or acrylic paints from the craft store work great too. They usually run about $.69-$.99 a bottle and you won't need more than one bottle.
4. Sandpaper block or just a piece of sandpaper. After having the boards cut and before painting you will want top sand those super rough ends. A block is about $2.99. Buy medium grain you will be able to use this again for other projects!
5. Power drill with a 9/64 drill bit. You can use a slightly larger bit if you have to. IF you don't have the drill you can use a hammer and a bigger nail to tap tap into the soft pine a bit to start a guide hole for your hooks. That's what the drill is for, we will not be drilling through the pine except on the two ends where we want to be able to screw out into the wall. A good power drill is worth the investment! They even make them in ladies sizes now so they are easier to grip in your hand!
Might I suggest a Pawn Shop ... I have gotten oodles of tools there. Just make sure they work and always double check that the correct charger for the battery is in the box! You can save so much money this way!
6. Tape measure. You need this to mark out how far apart you want your hooks to be. I chose two inches personally.
7. Optional picture hangers for the back if you do not want to screw this directly into the wall like I am! These come in a pack at, the store and have little teeth on them for,grabbing onto the nail or screw you put into the wall.
See the photos posted of what my tools for this project looked like. And... See my steps and final outcome photos!
Steps for a fab necklace organizer: 1. Buy the wood and have them cut it.
2. Sand the rough edges.
3. Paint all sides that will be visible when hung on wall. (front.top, bottom, sides)
4. With a pencil and tape measure mark in the center of the the board (its OK to eyeball the center, from top to bottom) all the places you want to put a hook. I found the center point and then went an inch out from each side. Then spaced them two inches apart on each direction.
5. Pick up your power drill and be careful! Tools are to be respected! (there are always free workshops at the box stores on how to use tools if you are afraid! Drill only half way through the board. Its okay if you go through but try not to! Remember to keep the drill at a 90 degree angle to the wood as you are drilling. This ensures a straight hole drilled. Hit the reverse button on the drill each time to let the drill back itself out of the hole! At this point you can decide if you want to drill 2 extra holes, one at each end so you can later screw this to the wall. Or we can attach a picture hanger on the back for less permanency.
6. The holes will look messy afterward and you will think you just ruined your pretty paint job, but don't worry! Take that sandpaper and lightly sand back and forth over the holes. Some wood will back back into the holes. Don't stress.
7. Screw the Eye Hooks in! They don't have to be screwed in all the way down, just make sure they aren't wobbly.
8. OK, you are basically done! You can embellish with more paint,
or hang a simple picture hanger on the back. (maybe 2 depending on how long your board is!)
9. So, go hang it on the wall! If you have a Level it's always a good idea to use it so you can hang things straight. You can even get hands free ones that shoot laser light and make it super easy!
10. You're done! Hang you necklaces now! This could be tweaked easily by spacing larger hooks farther apart and you could hang scarves, bras, purses, hats... Just about anything!
Congrats you did it! Feel free to
These are my tools and supplies! The pine board! My drill
the sandpaper bar, measuring tape and the leftover paint from
another home project!
Below LEFT see my DRILL BITS: Be sure to choose a drill bit that
is SMALLER than the screw end of your eye hook or screw, You
want a SNUG fit!
BELOW RIGHT You will see all of the project as I am working
including the eye hooks and at this point I have painted the board.
Here is a CLOSE UP of the EYE HOOKS I used. You can used OPEN HOOKS too. I used these because I happened to have a GIANT BOX of them lying around. It may be more handy to have an open hook. However, I think it looks SUPER COOL to have the closed loop. And as long as you dont screw them in ALL the way, there will be planty of space left to hang things behind the EYE LOOP.
Here I am in the process of screwing in the EYE hooks. Just be sure to line them up straight! Very easy to twist them in by hand!
THE FINISHED PRODUCT!! LOOKS LIKE I NEED TO ADJUST ONE OF THE HOOKS, it is screwed in a little bit more than the others, but seriously, who cares! This is going to look fabulous on the wall with all my colorful necklaces and beads hanging from it!!
GOOD LUCK AND EMAIL ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS or PICS of your FINISHED PROJECTS!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
in the beginning....
There was a little BLOG. And it was inspired by a little dream by a hip chic named Cara St.Germain who had a little too much time on her hands, as well as WAY TOO many creative ideas popping out of her head! That chica is ME! Hi!! I'm Cara and this is my Blog! Please join me while I delve into the world of EASIER LIVING!! Live a HIPPER and HAPPIER LIFE and have a HIPPER and HAPPIER HOME with my easy IDEAS and creative solutions for everyday problems in the home and life.
It with pleasure that I embark on this journey with this goal in mind!
Look for UPCOMING BLOGS such as:
I know that by using my Interior Design Background I can be helpful and Super Inspiring!
So join me on this journey and FOLLOW me on Twitter soon so that you can see exactly WHAT the DAILY TOPIC is!!
Here's to living a more Hipper and Happier Life!!
-Cara (the Domestic Diva!)
It with pleasure that I embark on this journey with this goal in mind!
Look for UPCOMING BLOGS such as:
- All Natural Cleaning Products from Items in YOUR PANTRY/FRIDGE
- Hand Wash Your Dishes in 3 minutes and SAVE WATER!
- Re-purpose Your Furniture and MAKE IT FABULOUS!!
- Delicious Recipes from the Garden you grew! (I'll teach you how!)
- Thrift Store GEMS! (Decorate you home in Expensive Style for LESS)
- Kill Germs and Save Money!
- Lemons, The Wonder Fruit!
- How to Start a Garden for FREE!
- Throw away your SWIFFER!
- Crafts for Kids! Easy and Fun Crafts that will keep them occupied and HAPPY!
- Easy Jewelry! Look like a Diva and save enough money to actually WEAR it out somewhere!
I know that by using my Interior Design Background I can be helpful and Super Inspiring!
So join me on this journey and FOLLOW me on Twitter soon so that you can see exactly WHAT the DAILY TOPIC is!!
Here's to living a more Hipper and Happier Life!!
-Cara (the Domestic Diva!)
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