Homemade Cleaners 2

The Easy Floor Cleaner Mix

• 1 gallon of water
• 1 cup of vinegar

 Mix in a mop bucket and mop the floor. I do not like the vinegar smell so I suggest you add essential oils or do what I did and spray the room with my spider deterrent mixture.





Floor Cleaner Mix

• 1 gallon of water
• 1/2 cup of vinegar
• 1/2 cup of rubbing alcohol
• 2 to 3 drops of dishwashing soap
• essential oils (such as peppermint, lavender or a citrus)

Mix in a mop bucket and mop the floor. This mix smells better and dries faster, but uses more ingredients

Note: The floor cleaners on this page are not meant for hardwood floor or natural stone.

I will update in the future if I ever try them out next to each other. Let me know if you have any recipes and how they preform for you.

Spider Deterrent

My Mini Me is afraid of spiders. She is so afraid of them that she can't even bring herself to get close enough to kill one. We have found a solution to our spider problem.

Photo by K. Langberg

Peppermint oil. 

Yes, peppermint oil. Spiders do not like peppermint oil. It won't kill them. It just deters them.

Steps:

1. Put 10 to 15 drops of peppermint oil in a spray bottle
2. Fill the spray bottle with water
3. Spray doorways and window sills 

I have seen a significantly lower amount of spiders in my house. Another suggestion for using the peppermint is to soak a cotton ball in the oil, put it in a small dish in the area the spiders are coming in and reapply the oil ever two weeks. I have heard putting chestnuts in your house keeps them away, but I have never tried it.

Do you have any natural or frugal ways of getting rid of spiders? Other than squishing them. :)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I LOVE Chocolate Chip Cookies!! I adore them. I didn't create this recipe and I do not remember where I did get it from.

Makes 2 dozen cookies:

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg plus one egg yolk
1 cup chocolate chips (or a mixture)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, lightly toasted (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325 F (163 C)

2. In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.

3. Cream butter and sugars. Add egg and the yolk and vanilla and stir to blend.

4. Add wet ingredients to the dry, stirring until combined. Then add chocolate chips. (I used chocolate chunks this time)

5. Spoon by heaping tablespoonful onto a lightly greased baking sheet (or silicone pad) leaving room for the cookies to spread.

6. Bake at 325 F (163 C) for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are beginning to brown and the centers are set.

7. Allow to cool briefly and move cookies to a wire rack.

8. Eat!! Yum yum...

Kindness Day

Once a year, the city of Battle Creek, MI has a Kindness Day. It is a day to remind the citizens to be kind to each other. This year, 25 envelopes filled with $50, a 50 cent piece and 3 kindness cards where hidden around the city. Kindness cards are cards that remind people to pass on the kindness. Clues to the locations were posted and the hunt was on. It is currently unknown if all the envelopes were found.

We found one envelope and used the money to buy flowers for the secretaries of two public schools. Having found one envelope already, my family made the decision to not look for any others and allow someone else to get the prize.