Label Maker Spice Jars

I needed to organize my most used spices in a more uniform way and they needed to be cute, because they sit on the shelf out for everyone to see.    So, I emailed this etsy seller and asked her to make me some.  I saw some of her cute Halloween labels and a light bulb went off.  Originally, I was going to buy a label maker and make them myself, but this was cheaper and I didn't have to do it!  Plus, she was lovely to work with!  She made them and shipped them to me super fast, all for $4! :)

the tall spice jars are from target, they are Archer Farms Spices in the grocery area.  I just refill them with cheaper spices.  The jars are from ikea, but I picked them up in the package for $2 at Goodwill! :)


xoxo

repairing worn leather with shoe polish

We have those puffy leather recliner on both ends matching set of couches.  I dislike them.  I don't hate or loathe them, but given the money/opportunity I would go with something completely different.  We bought them brand new 6 years ago and they were 1000% better than the crap we had.  Two moves and 4 kids worth of wear and sippy cup spills, they are holding up just fine.  If they would die I could get new, but whateves.

The only thing wrong with them is a few nics hear and there from being shoved through doorways and some regular wear, nothing a brown sharpie can't fix.....yep you read that right.  I take a brown Sharpie to my couch for small touch ups.

 One spot in particular was looking extremely scratched and ratty. I couldn't Sharpie that one or it would look like Audrey drew all over the couch.  The ratty spot might be my seat, I'm not as bad a Sheldon from Big Bang Theory, but it's my seat. My seat.  Anyhow, after Audrey and Oliver were born it's where I slept with them, nursed them, changed them.   I always sit cross legged for most of this...it was wearing the leather.  Plus, Harley the Super Border Collie sleeps there at night.  She is sometimes covered in sand and then rolls on the couch, essentially sandpapering my spot on the couch.

Before:

Cripes that looks like shiz.

I decided to try some brown shoe polish to disguise the worn spots.  I picked it up in the shoe department of Wal-Mart.

After:

I just followed the directions on the back of the can.  I wiped it on with a soft rag, let it sit for a bit and polished it until the rag still looked clean.  I didn't want brown all over our clothes.  At first it was sort of sticky and smelled weird.  That goes away.  It is considerably less obvious and a cheap fix until we get new furniture....after our children quit getting ours gross.  I know, you probably don't let you kids drink in the living room....I don't either.  But, those little twerps sneak it in!! 

xoxo

Cleaning Tips from Pinterest

So, lately I have been on random spurts of nesting....probably because I am 500 months pregnant.
I am so preggers that people don't say "Awe, when are you due?"  They say, "Lord, when are you due?"

Here are some tips from Pinterest that totally work!

Tips that work from Pinterest

1. Mattress Cleaner: Add 1 TBS of liquid fabric softener to 2 cups of baking soda and sprinkle on your mattress.  Leave for 1 hour and vacuum off.    (This makes your bed smell superb, plus it kills dust mites, ick.)

2. Magic Carpet Cleaner: 2 cups warm water, 1 TBS of Vinegar, 1 TBS clear dish soap.
(This took stains out of my bedroom carpet that the carpet cleaner wouldn't!)

3. Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are the shit!  I mean it!  They absolutely deserve to be called magic! These boogers cleaned all the scuffs, crayon (thanks to Audrey), and random hand dirt off the walls.  Plus, I used it to clean my stainless steel sink that had a yellowy hue when we moved in-came right off.  It cleaned the nasty out of my washer tub, and countless other things!  I am all over these things, plus my kids aren't gigantic fans of cleaning, but I hand them one of these and they go to town on everything!

4. Wash your nasty shower liner.  All you do is take it down, shove it in the washer with some towels and washcloths, add soap and bleach and viola!!

5. Bathtub and shower cleaner.  Half white vinegar and half dawn dishsoap.  At first, this didn't work for me...mainly because I didn't read the directions.  You have to let it sit for like an hour.  I sprayed it and gave it 10 minutes, no dice.  The hour thing totally worked!!  WARNING: it makes your bathroom freaking stink....my kids could smell it in their room from the vents :)  It got dirt and grime off from the previous owners that I have had no luck trying to get it off!  Plus, I spray it, then race to see how much I can get done I the hour I have to wait!  Oh the excitement of a stay at home mom!


None of these ideas are my own, they are all found on my pinterest cleaning and organizing board.

how to kill ants...for good

So, the winter was so mild and lovely! Right?!?  Good then, bad now.  We live way out in the country, on a dirt road, right near a lake....we have bugs, lots of bugs and they usually don't bug {punny} us until later in the year.

The first little f-ers were the rolly pollies.  The were in the front bathroom and were super pissing me off.  Audrey actually picked one up and through it in the bathtub...yuck.

Then, we ate dinner out side yesterday and the freaking mosquitoes are the size of birds already.  This wouldn't bother some (Mr. TSL never gets bit).  Hayley and I usually look like we have chicken pox because we are so covered in them.  I am a scratcher....like let's see how fast we can rip the flesh off and leave a scar! Awesome.
I found a product for that and will yack about that in a minute.

Ants-that's the most recent one.  At our old house, we always had them on the counter in the summer.  It was a super old house and I could never figure out where the little turds were coming in.  I tried all the
"organic and earth friendly options,"  nothing freakin' worked.  We recycle and compost and eat as organic as possible, but when it comes to bugs in my house....THEY CAN FREAKIN' DIE!!!!  A miserable death, like I hope they are thinking, "I knew I shouldn't have gone inside."  I always leave bugs alone outside, I tell the girls not to kill them because that is their home and they are doing their jobs.  Come in my house and it's a different story!!

Back to the Ant deaths.....
A friend suggested I use Terro, she said it's at Wal-Mart in the lawn and garden with all the other bug junk.
I bought it and followed the directions.  You just tear off these little cardboard pieces and put a few drips of this clear fluid.

 Let me tell you, if you see 6 ants on your counter....there are hundreds more you can't see.  Just put this stuff down and see how many come out to try it.....it's the shiz, in the ant killing department.  

Terro did not pay me to write this, just sharing something that works for me.  Plus, while I was writing this I googled an image for the Terro Ant Killer and found this:

I am so excited to try this, you have no idea!!  I want to roll in the little mosquito repellent granules and sparkly like Edward Cullen!!

-Make your life beautiful!!