White Chocolate Peppermint Pretzel Crisps

Warning these are very addicting!  So if you like pretzels, white chocolate, and peppermint keep reading for the recipe!  Even if you don't keep reading, my husband who doesn't like "dried bread" as he calls pretzels thinks these are really good!  They are simple to make and make a great little treat to give away or to eat all yourself! 

Ingredients 1 c. white chocolate melting chips  5 drops of Young Living Peppermint Essential Oil (where to buy) Pretzel Crisps Sweet Stripes Peppermint Candies
Instructions Melt 1 C. white chocolate melting chips in double boiler When melted add 5 drops of Young Living Peppermint Essential Oil and stir Dip Pretzel Crisps in melted white chocolate Lay on parchment paper Sprinkle ground up peppermint candies on them Let harden and Enjoy!
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Ditch The Dryer Sheets...DIY Wool Dryer Balls

 

I am always looking for alternatives to items that get used everyday in households. One of those is dryer sheets.  Many people love the smell of dryers sheets and the reduction in clingyness of clothes.  Some people don't realize that dryer sheets are basically a piece of polyester with lots of toxic chemicals and fragrances on them.  

Fragrances can include tens to hundreds of different chemicals, some of which are toxic, and many of which are known allergens, like limonene and linalool. All fragrance chemicals are usually kept secret from consumers. Dryer sheets can contain volatile organic compounds like acetaldehyde and butane, which can cause respiratory irritation. Quats, a fabric softener chemical, is often part of a family of chemicals called quaternary ammonium compounds, many of which are linked to asthma. Acetone, used in dryer sheets, can cause nervous system effects like headaches or dizziness.

If you are like me I really don't want all those things around my family.  But there is an alternative...wool dryer balls!  Dryer balls don’t contain toxic chemicals, they last for hundreds of loads, get rid of static cling and wrinkles, soften clothes, and they actually save time and energy by cutting down on drying time.  They can be easily made by buying 100% wool yarn and winding up your own.  They took me about 15 minutes each and cost me about $2.50 each.  Pretty great deal if you ask me!  

But what about the lovely scent that dryer sheets give my clothes?

 Young Living Essential Oils

  Add natural and safe fragrance to your laundry by putting a drop of lavender, peppermint, purification, or another oil that you love the smell of on each wool ball and you’ll have great smelling clothes for your next three loads!  If you’re worried about cling, you can add a tablespoon of vinegar to the rinse cycle, this helps the wrinkles disappear in the dryer. Some also swear by adding ½ cup of baking soda to the rinse cycle.

Here is the tutorial that I followed.  

Wool Dryer Ball Tutorial

For more Information on the only essential oils I recommend using

Young Living Essential Oils

Basement Renovation

When people step into our basement the first thing they say is "Wow, your husband has a lot of car stuff", which I then say, they are actually mine.   Well both of ours now since we've been married for 11 years, but you get the point!  I've been collecting die cast cars, Hot Wheels, and Dodge, Chrysler, and Plymouth things since I was 14 years old.   There are a few Chevy pieces in the collection but only because my husband likes them so I figured he should be represented at a least a little bit.  

So the basement got refinished and all the car stuff got put up. 

We decided to use corrugated metal for the ceiling, mostly because it looks awesome, but also so we can still access the pipes above, as we have hot water heat on the main level. 
Enjoy!

Homemade Baby Wipes or Cleaning Wipes

I am always on the lookout for ways to reduce the chemicals in our home and make it healthier.  When I found out I was pregnant with Brynlee I knew I wanted to cloth diaper and along with that came making my own baby wipes.  I use washable cloth wipes most of the time, but for those times when we are out and about I wanted disposable too.  By switching up the essential oil used you can make cleaning wipes too!  

1/2 t. fractionated coconut oil

1 t. Dr. Bronners Castile Soap

1/2. cup water

5 drops Young Living Lavender Oil

Other Options:

Young Living Gentle Baby EO for baby wipes

Young Living Thieves EO for cleaning wipes

Mix together and pour over your choice of wipes

I tried using paper towels and didn't like how they fell apart. After some searching I found these awesome Medline Wipes that hold up really even through the wash! Not that I am reusing them, sometimes they slip in there with the cloth diapers. I cut them in half to get even more out of them as one of them is kind of big.  

I only recommend using Young Living Essential Oils as they are 100% therapeutic grade.  Visit www.youngliving.com/bethbaker1167 for more information.  

Patio Redo

Our outdoor space was the first project we tackled when we moved in 2 years ago.  It was a huge project consisting of removing an ugly patio, 2 layers of concrete (by hand), and a tree stump.  To give us a clean slate to add pavers and blocks to make the space look more clean.  Please ignore the ugly green siding, pretend it is white because it will be hopefully this fall.  I cannot tell you how excited I am for that, since I have a slight problem with everything having to match!
I love color so I had to add that to the outdoors too.  Spray paint was my best friend for all these projects.  
 I found some windows for $5 each and painted the Love and Owl on the inside of them.  
The peace sign is a piece of scrap wood with license plates framing it.  
I got the old wash tub for free and spruced it up with some spray paint.
 The chairs were the starting point as I bought them in the green color from Menards.  I found an old cooler for $7 and it makes a great coffee table. 
  The address sign is license plates and metal tubing.  
The bistro set and glider came from Lowes and I spray painted them.    
Hope this give you some ideas to give your outdoor space some color too!

Here are some before and afters:

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DIY Fleece Area Rugs

 I looked for for the longest time for a rug that I liked for our living room, but never really found one that I loved.  So I decided to make one.  And while I love the way this one and the others turned out, it is not a project for those who like get things done quickly!  I didn't time myself on the big rugs, but the small pink one for my bathroom took 5 hours, so you can imagine how long the big ones took. 

I took strips of fleece and attached them to a latch hook thingy (don't know the official name for it!).  I would take the rug everywhere with me including the dirt track races and sit in a chair and put attach piece after piece.  They were all labors of love but I couldn't be happier with the way they turned out!  They are feel wonderful on your feet and add warmth to the room.

  

Here are some pictures of in process of making the small pink one.  The strips are 1" wide by 4" long.  I didn't tie them in knots, just slipped them through the grid.

  
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Black and White Kitchen Remodel

This past weekend marked two years that we moved into our house.  One the many projects we have done was remodeled our kitchen.  We installed new oak flooring in the dining room and kitchen to match the original hardwood flooring of the house, ripped out the header, put new texture on the ceiling, installed new cabinets, appliances, sink, and a tiled back splash.  I love my new kitchen and all the hard work we put into making it ours!  Enjoy!

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