3 Ways to DIY green cleaning in your home

Have you ever wondered what's actually in your cleaning products? Whether they're safe to use around children and pets, or the impact they have on the environment? Green cleaning is a phenomenon that focuses on the ingredients used to clean and making sure that they are safe and biodegradable to protect the earth's longevity. To help, we've found a few tips to help you not only save money but be sustainable at the same time.

1. Incorporate household ingredients like lemon, baking soda, vinegar, and more.

Make your own DIY cleaning spray by combining lemon rinds and white vinegar in a glass jar for a week. After a week has passed, strain and pour the liquid into a spray bottle, dilute with water and start spraying!

2. Use reusable cleaning cloths instead of paper towels.

Instead of creating more waster with single-use paper towels, opt for reusable microfiber cloths to wipe down your children's toys and storage. When they get dirty, give them a wash with your laundry and reuse them.

3. Try making your own air fresheners with essential oils.

Powerful and natural, essential oils serve many different purposes from destressing to deodorizing. Take 1 tablespoon of baking soda and mix it with 5-6 drops of your favorite essential oil. Then, pour your mixture into a spray bottle and fill the rest of the bottle with water. Shake and spray!

For more tips on how to clean in an environmentally friendly way, check out this infographic from Hive Brands.

DIY Natural Bug Remedies

Now that summer has reached its peak and the kids are getting ready to go back to school, if they haven't already, you may be looking forward to some much-earned relaxation indoors. However, these last few weeks of the season can be much less relaxing if you’re dealing with a bug situation in your home. 

The warm weather tends to bring out more of these pesky critters, but you need to find a healthy way to get rid of them. Pesticides contain chemicals that are harmful to humans and pets as well as bugs, so instead take a look at these DIY bug repellent tricks from TurboTenant  Each of the 8 recipes has been tailored for individual summer pests and uses natural ingredients found in the home! Happy debugging! 

Fun and Free Kitchen Printables

These 28 free kitchen printables from Kitchen Cabinet Kings are great if you need to add a quick

decorative pop to your kitchen and/or dining area. There are many different design types to fit all
styles of kitchen, whether it’s modern, family-friendly, or rustic farmhouse.

I personally love the “Family Makes This House a Home” printable, it’s perfect for my family dining area.
Check out the other printables, download the ones you like and print them out at home or at your local
print shop. Frame them and hang them anywhere you have empty wall space.

Family Makes This House a Home

Americana Guest Room Makeover

Having a guest retreat is always nice, if you have the space for one. My friend Jaime has a wonderful space in her basement but she wasn't happy with it since they moved in two years ago. She asked for my help and I jumped at the chance to share my interior design passion with her.

After assessing the rooms layout, listening to what she had in mind and taking note of the current furnishings, I suggested an Americana theme.  Notice the red and blue artwork currently hung on the wall? I also spotted a beautiful flag that was Jaime's husband's Grandfather's casket flag. The challenge was getting the room finished in a day, so painting the walls just wasn't an option. I quickly scoured the rest of the house for anything red, white and blue and then we headed to Target and HomeGoods.

Jaime had a futon and another piece of furniture that held the tv that was given away before the redo. Artwork that wasn't getting used and a few boxes that needed to be gone through. 

Below you see the loot in bags (on the left) after our shopping spree

When you think about what a guest needs in a room, just think about what you'd like if you were to stay at someone's house. A place to drop your car keys and wallet, so you don't lose them and it's always nice to unpack your clothes so don't feel like you are living out of a suitcase. Obviously a TV is not necessary in a room but if you already have one in your space, you can work it in.

Items needed for the room:

2 Bedside tables

Small seating area

TV stand to double as storage for guests

A place for guests to hang their jackets

Somewhere for guests to put their keys and wallet

We moved the bed out in the larger area of the room, so that guests wouldn't feel like they were being stuck in a corner. Moving it there also allowed room for bedside tables and a lamp on each. The bedside tables also double as storage for guests items and they have a place to set the latest novel they are working on reading.

At the bottom of the stairs, we just rehung artwork. The hook board we found at HomeGoods and an extra chair from upstairs is normally in the corner. Perfect for guests to sit down, take off their shoes and hang up their jackets.

The trunk was something Jaime didn't want to part with, from her travels in Korea, so we worked it in the room. This is an odd area, with the pole and slanted wall, so instead of using it as a walkthrough, there is now a place for extra blankets and guests to put their luggage. The light up star was the only purchase in this area, from Target.

When you pick a theme or color scheme, just remember to keep it simple and you can add either a gold or silver to warm it up. Jaime chose gold after I asker her a few key questions and it was meant to be...the gold accents in the room all came from Target; lamps, bowl on the table and urn in the window. Just those few glamorous touches really helped pull the room together. 

A new set of sheets and comforter, also from Target. The throw pillows and blankets were found at HomeGoods. The tray on the end of the bed is another great place for guests to put their lose things or even place a couple of water bottles and snack for a midnight craving.

The couch was a perfect find at HomeGoods. It's comfortable, not too huge and a neutral color which can fit in any space or be reusable in a move. A cozy spot for guests to curl up with a book or watch a bit of tv. The coffee table, rug, bedside tables and tv stand (which also doubles as a dresser) were all from Target.

The flag is obviously a statement piece in the room. Isn't it beautiful?! Since painting wasn't an option, the flag adds a glorious display of color on a large wall that otherwise would've been left blank. A curtain rod from Target with small clips, holds it proudly in place. We couldn't center the flag because of the electric panel box on the left but adding a floor lamp to that corner fills the space and still allows accessibility to the switches. Jaime already had the lamp and I encouraged her to spray the base gold and redo the shade with a blue jean fabric,  she did a fantastic job!

This space is right at the bottom of the stairs next to the hooks, we found this sweet little shelf from HomeGoods and the wooden bowl is a great spare change grabber along with the gold tray, another find from Target. The shelf can also hold books, a purse or treats for guests.

They've already had several guests and so far everyone loves the room, a space of their own, where they can stretch out, unpack and get comfortable. What's your favorite part of the space?

DIY Wood Wall

When my parents were here, my very handy hubby and 

woodworking Daddy slapped together this wood plank wall

in our Master Bathroom.

Regular wood fence boards were picked up from Home Depot.

 The tops were cut off and the new router was put to work 

making rounded edges on each board. 

Next the staining...

I picked out two different stains but once they were

applied, they sort of looked the same, oops!

Just one coat of stain was applied to each board 

and then a bit of drying time...and banging up each

board just a bit with a hammer.

The guys hard at work

My hubby drew lines on the wall to mark out the studs.

He nailed the boards into place with the nail gun,

my Dad cut them all to our requested sizes and I was 

their runner up and down the stairs (my workout for

the day, whew!) 

We love it and I can't bear to hang anything on it yet

but we are dreaming of something 'Tahoe' style.

I have the paint picked out for the rest of the walls,

just waiting for the perfect day to paint!

Window Privacy

If you are tired of feeling like the the world can peer into your home

at night or the mailman dropping off packages during the day. 

The neighborhood kids popping over to play with your littles, 

or just want to walk around in your bathrobe all day without 

feeling like a turd, then this privacy window film is for you!

 I picked up a tube of 'window film' from Home Depot

and with a spray bottle of water and soap, it was very

easy to apply. I'd measure your window out first and then

cut to fit. You'll want to leave a little room on the edges, so

the air and water can be squeegeed out from underneath and 

give you a little room to move it around a bit if you are a 

perfectionist. I tried to pick out the less gaudy print without

it being too blah. The one I used is called Etched Lace.

If you have high windows that can't be covered with 

curtains or that let in a bunch of sun or heat, 

you can buy tinted film as well. The lack of 

curtains that are bound to get dusty and the clean lines 

of simplicity appealed to me with this privacy film. 

I need to run out and buy more for our sunroom!

The opinions in this post are all my own,

this is NOT a sponsored post.

DIY - Pantry Makeover

It all started on a scratch piece of paper...

The four large wire shelves just HAD to go. Whoever

can keep their pantry organized and clean with those,

high five! This girl just isn't a fan of wire.

I apologize for not taking a before photo...the wire 

shelves were removed too quickly and thrown to

the curb for trash pick-up.

The hubs spent two days on this project and we 

love the results!! The only thing we changed while

he was cutting and installing the wood was making an

extra pan/tray cubby, so we ended up with four instead

of three. Once we were able to visualize the gap, it just

needed an extra cubby.

Note to self: paint before, touch up later...

I was the painter and couldn't help but get paint

all over me. Obviously, I'm NOT a professional!

With the ceilings being high...putting a large shelf above

would be silly, since we wouldn't be able to get to it, so 

a skinny shelf proves to be the PERFECT spot for vases

since I still haven't opened the cupboard above our fridge yet.

and here it is in it's non cluttered glory!

Have you updated your pantry? Leave a link to your
pantry post in the comments below, we'd all love to see!

Coordinate with Paint

I added this piece in our Sunroom (just not on the main

wall) and wanted to  have it flow with the room, 

so a bit of frog painter tape,

a touch of GOLD spray paint and tadaaa...

An easy way to update a piece of art or make

it coordinate with the tone of your room.

I actually like it better now!

DIY - Just Spray Paint It

Paint it....black GOLD!!!

If you happened upon my sunroom wall post, 

then you know I went a little crazy with the spray paint.

Step away from the can...haha

The reason the wall took me all day,

was because I tweaked a few things here and there

as I was hanging and just so happened to have one

can of spray paint in the house... Thanks to an

impulsive buy at the craft store and because I

give away all of our paint before we moved

this past summer, boo...

'Stuff'

The birdcage was fine but looked a little dull, so it

got a new facelift and now sits center stage ready

to clip some Instagram photos to it. Orange wasn't

happening in the room but I love the frame, so of 

course...gold but I'll probably end of repainting it 

black. I even got down and dirty with the screws

for the birdcage since they are visible. I think I

might be painting a few of my hubby's tools next!

'LOVE'

This little nugget was tucked away for a rainy day,

with plans to make a Shhh, don't ring, sign...but as

you can see, nada wholada going on with it. It was

however the perfect size and color for 'the wall', so

I dusted off the Cricut and made a very sketchy

stencil. I taped one letter outline down at a time,

using a bit of snail adhesive for the inside little bits

and sprayed. The paint dried fast, so I was able

to move onto the additional letters quickly. By the 

time I got to the 'e', I was pretty darn proud of

myself and will be trying my hand at more of this

in the future but maybe with proper tools.

Sunroom Wall Decor

Every room in our home is starting to feel a bit more complete. 

Yesterday, I finished this wall in our sunroom/mudroom

and love gazing at all the fun pieces.

I used a can of gold spray paint to make a few items 

fit the color scheme I was working towards and...

ta daa

Do you have a wall that is looking for a change? 

Try grouping 'like' items together and lay everything

out on the floor, moving things around until you like

the arrangement, then grab a hammer. Happy Hanging!

An afternoon coffee is always a welcome treat

after a productive day!

Front Entryway is Finished

So I obviously meant to write up this post in the Spring...but 

sort of got sidetracked (hmmm, not sure why, haha)

I've been collecting items to hang in our front entryway for awhile now

and finally felt like I had everything to complete the look I was going for.

So, after piecing everything together on the living room floor, 

I found the right mix and called on

the hubs to hang everything for me.

What do you think? Fun and cheerful, eh?!

I LOVE it!

The prints and birdcage, I bought off Zulily, I really need a 

frequent buyer card for that site, danger zone, if you catch my drift!

The yellow and turquoise medallions, mirrors, cross, chevron frame, 

shadow box and two smaller frames are from Hobby Lobby.

The large frame and pillows are from Target.

Vintage Circus Themed Baby Room (part 1)

So baby number four was born just a month ago...knowing this would be our last, we chose to not find out the sex and save this fantastic surprise for everyone! Before we even got pregnant, my Mom had given me a few items that used to be my Great Aunt's. She was a teacher and taught me Kindergarten - 2nd grade. As soon as I saw the sectional animals (pictured below) I started dreaming of a vintage circus nursery theme. Since we didn't know the gender, it needed to be unisex and I couldn't be more happy with how the nursery turned out.

I found these fantastic frames at Hobby Lobby,

on sale of course!

Can anyone spot what's in the reflection???

DIY Shelves

My DH built me these beauties over his holiday break and I finally got around to framing a few pieces of my art from high school & college and collected a few other colorful lovlies for this wasted hallway space. Just wish I had taken pics of the before, during and then after...If you'd like to see a short video, I've posted it on Vine! (and yes, I'm already fully addicted to this new app)

 left shelf

right shelf

Toothbrush Storage

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen a photo I took awhile ago of my kiddos toothbrush drawer. I took this one today, after I put each of the liner bins in the dishwasher to rid of toothpaste junk...and tada, a new clean drawer. Piece of cake and there isn't any arguing at bedtime!