Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone out in Blogland!

 

We usually don't buy or do anything for Valentine's Day

for each other.

 

But this year we decided that we

are going out to dinner and enjoy being

married for 30 years!

 

I just can't believe that it has been 30 years!

WOW where have the years gone?

 

I have been making my own wreaths

for years.  As I was making my latest one

for Spring I thought that it would

make a beautiful Valentine's Day wreath.

 

 

 

 

 

Isn't it BEAUTIFUL!

 

I have had many requests to make, not only these wreaths, but some

of my other wreaths.

 

I already have 5 requests for this style of wreath

and 2 for my Christmas wreath!

 

I wasn't even trying to sell these!

 

Because I have received so many compliments on my

wreaths I have decided to make them to sell!

 

This wreath is a full 25" W x 9" D.

 

I never intended to make these to sell, I just

enjoy making my own wreaths and creating

something beautiful for our home.

 

I will be posting more pictures of some of my

other wreaths that I have made with all the details and dimensions.

 

For now I will be posting my wreaths on this

blog to see what kind of response I get for

these.  We will see if it will be worth

it to open an ETSY shop to sell my wreaths.

 

If you are interested in any of the styles of wreaths and would

like one custom made for you,  you can contact me through

this blog or through my email:

verniep0884@gmail.com.

 

I would love to hear from you.

 

Veronica

 

 



Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding

 

Hubby loves his sweets!

Since he has been a little under the weather lately I wanted

to make him a healthy dessert that would also satisfy his

sweet tooth.

 

As I was perusing the Internet for a healthy dessert,

I came upon http://triedandtasty.com/ blog with

this Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding recipe.

 

It sounded like it was super easy to make, was very healthy,

plus I already had all of the ingredients!

A win, win, for me!

 

 

I must say that this was one of the easiest recipes

I have every made.  Just throw everything in

a blender and blend.  Pour into individual dessert cups

and let set in the refrigerator for 1 hour.  It's that simple.

 

 

This is truly a healthy dessert.

 

The Greek Yogurt packs double the protein than regular yogurt,

for the same amount of calories.

It is packed with calcium and probiotics, which literally means

"for life", referring to living organisms that can result in a health benefit

when eaten in adequate amounts.

 

Coconut milk is loaded with vitamins and minerals.

 

Honey possesses antiseptic and antibacterial properties.

 

Chia Seeds are a good source of Omega-3 and fiber.  It is higher

in antioxidant activity than Blueberries.

 

Strawberries are rich in the essential nutrients Vitamin C,

potassium, folic acid and fiber.  One cup of strawberries

contain 160% of your daily needs for vitamin C, for only 50 calories!

 

See.  It's good for you!

 

And you know what?

 

Hubby really liked it!

 

 

 

So make sure you check out  http://triedandtasty.com/ blog

for all her great recipes.

 

I'm off to make her Maple Candied Almonds now, another

quick and easy recipe.

 

Stay Healthy!

Veronica

 

 



Cold and Flu Season

Hubby came home the other day not feeling well.

He said that he had a lot of phlegm and felt really run down.

So he went to bed right away.

He kept me up most of the night with his coughing due to the phlegm.

When he got up the next day, he said that his phlegm was worse.

But he went to work and ended up coming home early because he didn't feel well.

Hubby has a heart condition so he can't take any over the counter drugs with stimulants in them.

 

So I made him some Lemon Water to drink.

 

Disclaimer:  I am in no way a medical  expert in this department. Please do not hesitate to seek medical advise when needed.

 

I just use what I know works for us. 

 

 

He didn't want to drink it.

I told him "Trust Me" this will help you.

So he drank it and went to bed.

 

He NEVER coughed once all night.

He woke up the next day and could not believe that he didn't have as much

phlegm and he felt a little better.

 

Lemon water is ALL NATURAL and safe enough for children to drink.

 

If you have a cough you can add Honey to your Lemon Water.

 

1 cup of Lemon Water & 1 tablespoon Honey

 

*Lemons contain citric acid which helps rid the body of mucus-forming

bacteria in the respiratory system, and the

Vitamin C in lemons help to improve the immune system.

 

*Honey is well known as a cough suppressant, plus it acts as an

anti-bacterial to reduce the infection of the respiratory tract.

 

DIY Lemon Water

 

4 cups of Boiling Water

1 Lemon

 

DO NOT PEEL THE LEMON - You want that "Good For You" oil from the lemon peel.

 

Wash the lemon and cut into 4 wedges.  Place the quartered lemon into the boiling water and

steep for 20 minutes.  Remove lemon from the water and strain.

 

Drink 8 ounces of warm Lemon Water 4 to 5 times a day to relieve chest congestion due to excess phlegm.  I have Hubby drink 1 glass before he goes to bed at night.

 

 

Not only did I make Lemon Water for Hubby, I also made him

some Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.

 



 

From the Mayo Clinic website:

 

Chicken soup might help relieve cold and flu symptoms in two ways.  First, it acts as an anti-inflammatory by inhibiting the movement of neutrophils - immune system cells that participate in the body's inflammatory response.  Second, it temporarily speeds up the movement of mucus, possibly helping relieve congestion and limiting the amount of time viruses are in contact with the nose lining.

 

Hubby loves my Chicken Noodle Soup!

He says it really helps with what ails you.  Plus it taste SO GOOD.

 

To speed up the cooking process I use this as my chicken broth.

 

 

 

 

 

*There is a low sodium version of this for those who needs to watch their sodium intake.

 

Here is my Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup recipe.

Feel free to copy my recipe card I made for my soup.

 

I PROMISE YOU,

once you eat this soup you will never want to eat another can of store bought soup again!

 

 

 

Enjoy and stay HEALTHY!

Veronica



 

Laundry Soap Recipe

 

Just a quick post today for all who have inquired about my laundry soap.

 

This is another of those So Quick To Make recipes.

All of the ingredients can be found in your local grocery store, in the

laundry detergent aisle, except for the baking soda, which will be in

the baking aisle.

 

**Super Washing Soda and Baking Soda are not the same thing.

Make sure you purchase both.

 

Here is a time saving tip:

 

I use my food processor to grate my bars of Fels Naptha.

Much easier than grating by hand!

 

The recipe calls for 2 Tablespoons per load.  I only use 1 Tlbs. per load.

2 Tlbs. only when I have really dirty, soiled clothes.

 

Also, if you have a front load washer like I do,  I place the detergent in the

drum and then place my clothes in.  You don't have to do it this way, It's just

the way I prefer doing it.

 

So here is my recipe that I use and have GREAT results.

Feel free to use it or customize it to your scent.

 

 

 

 

Give it a try and I'm sure this will be your "GO TO" laundry detergent also.

 

Enjoy!

Veronica

 



DIY Fabric Softener Sheets

I have always believed that the more natural the product,

the better it is for you.  I used to purchase All Natural

Organic products when our budget would allow.

 

Little did I know how easy and inexpensive they are to make!

Plus they work just as good, if not better, than store bought products

with harsh chemicals!

 

Now that we are Empty Nesters I am in the process

of making my own All Natural Home/Beauty Products.

 

Not only are All Natural Products chemical free,

earth friendly, they are also VERY economical!

 

I've already been using my All Natural All-In-One Household Cleaner,

which by the way works GREAT....

 

 

and my Homemade Laundry Soap for some time now.

 

 

I've been keeping track of how many loads of laundry I could get out

of 1 batch of laundry soap.  Can you believe that I've done 234 loads of

laundry!  Talk about economical!  That breaks down to .13 cents a load!

I'm now on my 2nd batch.  I do a LOT of laundry.

I've noticed that since I've been using this All Natural Laundry Soap,

that my Whites are Whiter.

 

 

I've had this T-shirt for 10+ years!

I knit my own dishcloths using 100% cotton yarn.

Just look at how white they are!

 

Last weekend I made my own bars of soap.

I already started using this soap and LOVE it!

It leaves your skin so soft and silky, with no residue feeling.

 

 

So far I have been very pleased with how these products

have performed.  And believe you me, when it comes

to household/beauty products I am very picky!

 

So this weekend I thought that I would try making my own

All Natural Fabric Softener to go along with my Laundry Soap.

 

 

This was SO EASY to make, and requires only 4 products that you

probably already have in your home.

 

 

2 cups Distilled white vinegar

2 cups Hair conditioner, any brand or scent (I used Suave Waterfall Mist, purchased from the Family Dollar store for $1.00 per bottle)

Water

Sponge (I used 2)

 

THAT'S IT!

 

Bring your water to a boil.   Remove from heat and add the conditioner.  Stir until

conditioner is completely dissolved.  Add the vinegar.  DONE!

 

 

Place in an airtight container and label.

I used my vinegar bottle.  I like to recycle/upcycle when I can.

 

 

I also made a label for the backside of the bottle with the ingredients and instructions.

This way when I need to make a new batch, all I have to do is refer back to the bottle.

 

 

I cut my sponge in half and placed them in a smaller container with a lid, which I keep on the dryer.

 

 

 

 

When you are ready to use your fabric softener, just grab a "sponge/dryer sheet" and

squeeze some of the liquid from the sponge, and throw it into the dryer.

 

 

 

You will notice a slight vinegar smell with your new fabric softener.

NO WORRIES!  The vinegar smell dissipates in the dryer and you are

left with soft, fresh, clean smelling clothes.

 

 

I've already done 4 loads of laundry and am happy to say that

"this really does work and smells good".

I will keep track of the loads of laundry I do using this to see just how

economical it is.  I'm thinking that it will last a LONG time.  I'll let you know.

 

Until next time,

Veronica

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Fresh & Clean

I've been wanting to make this next project for about 2 years now.

I finally decided that I was just going to jump in and JUST DO IT!

I can't believe that I didn't do it sooner.

It was so super easy to do and it makes the house

smell so fresh & clean.

Can you guess what I made?

 

Did you guess scented candles?

 

Try again.

 

Did you guess homemade bars of soap?

 

Winner, Winner, chicken dinner!

 

I made my own bars of soap!

 

 

These soaps are made using Goat's milk Glycerin Soap Base and essential oils. 

They are so rich and creamy feeling, smell wonderful and

they create a lot of lather.  These bars are a full 4 oz. each.

 

My favorite is the Savannah Rain.

 

It is made with Lily of the Valley, Lilac, Magnolia and Violet

essential oils.  It smell like freshly fallen rain.

 

 

I made a couple of bars with swirls of seafoam green colorant.

 

 

 

A couple of the Lavender bars I added some

Lavender buds to them.

 

 

Just melt your soap base in a microwave safe dish.

 

 

Add your favorite essential oils.

 

 

You can even add colorants, flowers, herbs, colored sugars.

The possibilities are endless.  Be creative!

 

Place into a mold.

 (Sorry I forgot to take a picture of the soap in the molds)

 

 

Let set for 1 hour and remove from the mold and you have

beautiful bars of soap that smell and feel so good.

 

 

Here are a few other soaps I made.

I didn't have time to make the labels for these.

 

 

We are set for soap for a while.

I wish you could smell how fresh & clean these soaps are.

This was such an easy project to do that I will continue to

make our own bars of soap. At least I know exactly what is going into each bar.

No more mystery ingredients!

 

I hope you enjoyed this post.

 

Until next time,

Veronica

 

 

 

 

 



Winter Blues

 I just realized that I haven't posted anything since Christmas Eve!

After the Christmas hustle & bustle I usually have to

unwind and relax for a little bit.

 

I haven't been in the creative mood lately.

My card making is behind along with a few other projects.

Winter tends to give me the blues.

All I want to do is hunker down under the covers and sleep away the winter.

Kind of like hibernating!

 

So I thought that I would share my Winter snowflake pillow

covers that I made during the Christmas rush.

 

These are made out of felt that I purchased at Joann Fabric.

 

I cut my snowflakes using my Silhouette cameo machine and

hand stitched each snowflake onto the pillow covers.

That was a LOT of hand stitching!  I must be insane!

No wonder I want to take a 3 month nap!

 

 

 

 

 

Here they are all lined up on the couch.

 

 

I wanted to make another pillow to go with these but all of the supplies that

I needed are on back order.  Oh well, there's always next year!

 

This is another fun little pillow cover I made for the winter season

out of some scrap fabric I had laying around.

I got this pattern out of my American Patchwork Quilting magazine.

As soon as I saw this pillow cover I knew that I was going to make it.

I cut out each piece by hand...

 

 

and again hand stitched each piece onto the pillow cover!

 

 

Isn't it just the cutest!

It's such a happy pillow that it kind of chases the winter blues away!

 

Looking at these pillows made me hungry for something warm to eat.

So for dinner I made a BIG pot of chili.

Add a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese on top

and dig in!  YUM, YUM

 

 

That's all I have for now.

Stay warm and I'll see you next time.

Veronica