how to take care of your drier.

Okay so I think I am a pretty savvy mama who knows how to care for her appliances and I keep them clean and take some pride in the things I own but I found something out I didn't know this week that shocked me!! I have two girls (who change clothes at the drop of a dime) and plus a hubby who has work/home/pjs everyday! So laundry adds up fast at my house. When we moved last year we bought our own washer and drier. They were used ones from craigs list in great condition. Our drier has been taking more then one cycle to get a load dry I figured it was probably just because it was a older machine. Well I will teach you a few tricks to cut your drying time by allot!! It was also save you money on your energy bill and make your machine last longer because the heating element won't burn out at fast.

Now everyone should be cleaning the lint out every time they change loads plus cleaning the actual drier hose area out to prevent fires (just saw a cool new contraption to help make that a easier process that attaches to your vacuum!!) but I didn't realize that drier sheets build a film up on your lint trap!!! Test yours take it out run it under water if it stays on top it is clogged!! I just sprinkled a bit of baking soda (since it was right there next to the sink for my "no poo" which is getting better all the time btw) on mine and scrubbed it with some water quick. I am going to start testing mine and cleaning it at least once a month (more if it needs it!)

Another thing to help is make a few wool drier balls. There is a great tutorial here. They are easy and kids can even help whip them up. Make sure you grab wool not acrylic. Not a problem at my house and is a great use for some left overs in your stash. It will help keep things separate in the drier, absorb moisture, and static.

I have 3 (one must be in a laundry basket) but I noticed a dramatic difference when I started using these! It was crazy. Please let me know if you try this and what you think. I am off to care for a sick fire monster. She has been sick for a few days now and when she isn't napping on my lap she is keeping me on my toes.

check out my new intro video

refurb refurbed and home made corduroy beanbag chair

So Monkey Butt has been after me forever to buy her a bean bag. Well I happened across this
and thought this was even better. Then promptly forgot about it lol. But I remembered last week at the shop when the zum order came in and there was a bunch of packing peanuts. So me and Monkey Butt picked out fabric. It is corduroy and the top has paisley and the sides are elephants.

this is huge because I am not great at sewing. I even put in my first zipper. Monkey butt loved it but some one loved it even more..

from point a naughty thought this was his personal ball pit..

and no matter how I closed the box he would find a way to squeeze his butt in there. Then he slept on the bean bag all night and every time he would move the Styrofoam noise would wake me up lol apparently he is a huge fan of Styrofoam. Who knew.

you might remember this rocker that I never loved I think the fabric reminded me of a hotel room. I wasn't crazy with how it turned out

I also found fabric and recovered the rocker and its ottoman. I did it in the opposite sides of the fabric so they have a little different look. I am loving it.

I got a ton of that fabric now I am debating what else to use it on...who knows where it will pop up.

sparkly romantic eye turorial

So I thought I would share a quick tutorial with one of the new Nessa's Naturals shadows I got last week. I am loving this look. It is a sparkly romantic eye.

I I also have on my new custom foundation which has a bit more cushion since I have such dry skin (hence the unsightly patch of eczema in my hair line).

and my ruby slippers lipstick. but here is the shadow look.

I only used two colors. pale moon over the whole lip. Then I used vex in the crease and the bottom corner underneath the eye. I blended it with another brush to soften and there you have it.

I love eye shadow and I am a bit obsessed I know lol. I also used my bed head for a precise line eyeliner and maybelline falsies mascara.

diy yarn bowl

So I have been wanting a yarn bowl for a long time. A yarn bowl keeps your yarn from rolling away or getting tangled while you are working while you can still take your yarn in and out with our cutting it. I have been wanting this one for a esp long time but I just can't see my self spending that right now on my self! So today I had a very rare moment of genius...

I have a set of these that I love soo much. But don't know quiet what to do with I just sit them around because I love them. Well...

I just hooked one of these cute paper clips I got from target last trip to the cities on the side and then slid my yarn through the holes.

and it even holds my needles so my work doesn't slide off. The lace scarf yarn really tends to do that and picking it back up is next to impossible.

Then if for some reason you need to take your work out you just squeeze and unhook the little clip and boom you are good to go. Hope these makes some of you as happy as it makes me.

going shampoo free.

So for those of you who don't know me I have eczema. I might get small patches on my face ,and if I am not careful I might get patches here and there other places, but mostly it is on my scalp. I have tried all kinds of things over the years : any over the counter dry scalp shampoo, antibiotic shampoos, herbal mixtures, oil treatments, steroid creams (not the pro sports kind lol), and wen. I like wen but it might make things less but not get rid of it. All of these just don't cut it. So I decided to try to go "no poo" meaning no shampoo.

I have been experimenting with a few different ways one being borax, but I hate ordering on line and I would need citric acid to rinse. I did it with out and I felt like it gave me eye issues and wasn't super pleased. So then I changed and started doing the baking soda method. Now I have got it down to a science and I have only had to use shampoo on my hair once in two weeks (because I colored it and I felt I needed to get that out really well) but my scalp felt tight and my hair felt almost plasticy afterword. After weeding through and watching tons of videos and trying different things here are the ones I think are the best and what I am going with.

this is how I apply it and I use 2T since my hair isn't dry.



and this oneon how to wash with just suave conditioner instead of wen this is supposed to work (sorry embedding was enabled making it harder to share)

and then this one is good too for curly or dry hair people but I have heard bad things about the olive oil being very hard to get out so be careful.

So here is what I have used in the last week.

two squirt bottles (one is from beauty supply and one any mother/nurse will recognize you can have a nurse in the family grab you one or even grab like a ketchup mustard bottle pack from the isle with cooking odds and ends at walmart or dollar store) then I have suave daily clarifying (1.49) and baking soda, and some vinegar (they say apple cider but I have had this red wine vinegar in my cupboard for years and need to use it so there you go) I think it works great to exfoliate my scalp and clean my hair. I also think every now and again I will do it like the link to the second video shows (again sorry she blocked embedding so it makes it harder for me to share with you) and just crap ton of suave conditioner. It is great today and I used some baking soda on my scalp and then suave and after I rinsed that out some vinegar water. :) Btw no your hair won't smell like pickles all day. It goes away as soon as it is dry. Vinegar is great too because it has antibacterial qualities. This system is supposed to be esp. amazing on curly hair. Check this out.this is from on just a couple acres blog.
Looks amazing doesn't she. Me having straight hair not as impressive but loving it non the less. I am thinking I will have to try her trick with the aloe too!

So here is my results after two weeks of no poo.

I have shine and it feels soft not squeaky clean and plasticy but clean and soft. I might need to clean more then every 2- 3 days like i was before while my hair adjusts but that is okay. I will deal. (and my skin is glowy and amazing from the custom face wash Vanessa from Nessas Naturals whipped up. Can't recommend that more. My face has been amazing . Don't love the smell ,but do love my skin )

My hair has lots of body and is shiny too!

My hubby tried it this morning and he loved it too!!! So if you guys give it a try please let me know what you think or if you have any questions.

My handmade ryan gosling

So the other day when I was on my handmade Ryan Gosling kick and having so much fun with it it was getting under my sweet hubby's skin and he was ranting and raving cleaning up the kitchen (hey I cook he cleans up its the deal). He was scrubbing the counter and complaining "what is this stuff all over the counter that I can't get off and where does it come from " lol hence this was made...

Ryan would be fine with that I don't know why my hubby has such a beef with mod podge all over my house!

handmade ryan gosling

So I don't know how many of you have stumbled upon Handmade Ryan Gosling but if you haven't you need to because you are missing out on great little gems like this

So true .. and this...

and this right here is my dream man...

check it out gotta love it lol

smokey berry eyes tutorial

So I talked last week about sharing another one of my new looks with Nessa's Naturals. Here it is..

It is a really smokey berry colored eye. I use berry dazzle on the main part of the lid then in the crease and outer corner I use smoke monster for a under the brow highlight is halo and I brighten the inner eye corner with blingy but you can use halo for that too. I used a felt tip liquid liner this time .

since this is more of a smokey eye I keep the lips and cheeks lighter

just a bit of a cream blush on the apples of my cheeks . I really love this look :) Hope you guys enjoy it.

cute lace table (came home)

So my cute lace table came home and I had the choice to repaint it or keep it. and it is too freakin cute in my living room. (notice my coffee cup I did for myself too )

I so was not sure when I first did this table but I REALLY love it now

Who would have thunk but this little 2$ 70s table is soo sweet.

I find myself always sitting on the love seat so that I can use it :)

I have another thing I wanted to share with you guys you might remember this cute vintage suit case refurb.. well my sis gave me a little case to re do and here it is..

I decoupaged it and decked it out and now I love it!!! Well time to get ready for work see you later.

once upon a time/ Snow whites make up

So I don't know about you guys but me and my girls are huge fans of of Once Upon a time. We love it and I know I have mentioned before my love of Gennifer Goodwin. She is cute as a button.

And there is some really great make up going on in Once Upon A Time. Above is a pic of the lovely Gennifer as snow white. Her make up is light and pretty and I followed this video but with my make up

Here is how it turned out.

This has been one of my favorite day time looks lately. It is bright and pretty.

It is a sparkly pretty look. Here is What I used for my eyes. I did Nessa's Naturals bligy for the lid, fog for the crease and them halo for under the brow. they eye brows are very important in this look Here is a great video for brows. I did the outer corners only with liner and I used mocha for that. I also paid special attention to the tear duct area with bligy.

very pretty and sparkly. (please ignore my red allergy eyes)

Well I don't know about you but I certainly enjoy feeling more like a princess!

Well I am off for work feeling like snow white herself :)

a robbery and a mullet

So we have gone through soo much drama lately. There has been some good some bad and some ugly (literally) So I will start with some good things. I am in love with a company we are carrying at italy ava.

It is called Nessa's Naturals and I am wearing some of her shadows in the pic above (berry dazzle on the lid, smoke monster on the outer corner and crease, and halo to highlight under the brow. ) I am loving them and will share some of the other great ones I have picked up another day.

also loving my cowls. I love them Super cozy and cute. Now for the ugly side of things...when we got home from one Christmas and were doing laundry and cleaning up fire monster got a hold of scissors and she cut her own hair.

Yes into a mullet. The best we could do was this..

I will just have to keep trying to grow it and trim it until it looks normal. but that wasn't the end of a awful week. Our car was broke into and we had got the girls dual portable dvd players for the car and they were stolen as well as the one we bought almost 5 years ago with our wedding money and all of our chargers and our copy of beezus and ramona!! I am super bummed because the way we do things is one big gift and then a few small ones so the girls big gift (which they split) is gone. We did get a generous gift from one of my hubby's friends of dvd player to replace it that helped ease things for our 5 hour each way road trip to my hubby's side of the family's Christmas this last weekend. It wasn't as smooth as our old one.

but what is with fire monster around lol here she is with her toy stuck on her arm later that week. this took a screw driver a half hour and some soapy water. So anyway off to get some stuff done.