Monday, October 8, 2012

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

This year Tiny Prints will be offering a variety of Christmas Cards. You can customize your cards and there are many varieties. Do you like vintage? Do you like traditional? Maybe you celebrate Hanukkah. They have all of this and much more. 

Here are my top picks for this season. 


I really love this new design. I always enjoy cards that are simple, modern and have a vintage vibe. I love the "Be Merry" message. Something different than Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. The polka dots are a nice touch, and I like that they are metallic. Very festive!



This design captures my eye right away. This is my hubby's favorite! It almost looks like a chalkboard with a family photo taped onto it. I love that! Very creative and different. I really like the green hue and once again the different saying "Holiday Happiness". I enjoy the tape details of the dots and stripes, as well. I think this card would stand out amongst others.



Although this is a design from last year, I still love this card. It is simple, and I love the vintage feel of the saying "Merry Christmas". The green hue is a bit different than your standard Christmas green, and this card really allows any type of picture.


Cannot wait to decide which Christmas card to purchase from Tiny Prints this year. It is always so much fun planning family pictures and personalizing the card we want. Make sure you visit the "Special Offers" page at Tiny Prints. I highly recommend them for any of your card purchasing needs. 

*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Tiny Prints.




Monday, February 13, 2012

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Interested in making your own laundry detergent? This saves so much money and you can customize your detergent (scent, liquid or powder, etc).

Your usual suspects for making your laundry detergent:

Super Washing Soda: This is NOT Baking Soda, by the way. This is a white powder that is used to remove dirt and grime from your clothing. Make sure you have at least a 3 lb. box of this to do a big batch.




Borax: Borax is a white powder, known as Sodium Borate. Borax is a natural mined product, which is great for an eco-friendly cleaning environment. This will keep your laundry white and deodorize your clothing. Make sure your box is at least 4 lbs for the big batch.




Fels-Naptha: Now, you can really use any kind of soap you want, but the most common soap for this recipe is Fels-Naptha or Zote Soap. These are lightly scented soaps that help clean your clothes and prevent stains. I recommend 2-3 bars of soap for the big batch.




Now, the painful (joking) process of making your own laundry detergent:

  1. Grab a 13 gallon trash bag or a 5 gallon mixing bucket.
  2. Grate 3 bars of Fels-Naptha Soap into the trash bag or bucket.
  3. Pour in the full 3 lb box of Super Washing Soda.
  4. Pour in the full 4 lb box of Borax.
  5. Next, you are more than welcome to add Oxi-Clean to this mix or whatever else might make you happy. I always do Oxi-Clean separately. 
  6. Next, mix it all together. If you have the mix in a trash bag, just carefully turn the mixture around. If you have the bucket, you can put the lid on and shake away. I placed my finalized mixture into plastic jugs (used to hold flour/sugar) from Walmart.
  7. Now, you can use your homemade laundry detergent. This is safe for all machines, including HE. Use 1 tablespoon for smaller loads OR at least 2 tablespoons for bigger loads or dirty/stained clothing. 



This mix costs roughly $10 to make. Using only 1-2 tablespoons each time you do laundry, will result in this mix lasting for at least 7 months, if not more. This of course depends on how many loads of laundry you do each week. I know several people that have made this mix and it has lasted them 10 months!! FYI: Call 888-468-6673 to receive Fels-Naptha and Borax coupons. 


Happy Cleaning Friends!