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Friday, April 22, 2016

DIY Absorbable Un-Paper Towels ~ A Tittlemouse Tutorial


"When Mrs. Tittlemouse ventured to come out—everybody had gone away.
But the untidiness was something dreadful—"Never did I see such a mess—smears of honey; and moss, and thistledown—and marks of big and little dirty feet—all over my nice clean house!"
~ Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse
"She fetched soft soap, and flannel, and a new scrubbing brush from the storeroom. But she was too tired to do any more...
"Will it ever be tidy again?" said poor Mrs. Tittlemouse."
~ Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse

{Welcome to another edition of "Fun Friday" with Beatrix Potter!}

Poor Mrs. Tittlemouse indeed! She had been invaded by many unwelcome guests (of that un-thoughtful insect population) and was now left with quite a mess! However, she was a prudent little mouse and quite prepared. She simply walked into her stocked storeroom for the necessary housecleaning supplies. But no, dear reader!-- She did not reach for disposable paper napkins to wipe up those smears and smudges! She was a frugal little creature and used her handmade flannel (un-paper) towels. 

Did you mention that you buy paper towels every week? Did you want to streamline the budget? If so, follow along with Mrs. Tittlemouse's easy tutorial and you will be saving money in no time! We haven't purchased a paper towel in over 5 years and I must say it is splendid!


Supply List:

All you need are a few yards (or meters) of soft flannel (which is chosen because it is so absorbent), a pair of scissors, some sewing pins and a sewing machine (or needle and thread). The pattern we used was simply a regular piece of paper which measures out at 8 1/2 by 11 inches (which is near a common paper towel size). I also used a solid flannel on one side and my pretty print on the other in order to stretch the fabric I had on hand.


9 Easy Steps:

1. Gather your supplies (see list above).

2. Cut out your patterns (you will need a set of two pieces for each "towel" so you decide how many you would like to make).

3. Pin each set together with right sides facing each other (but leave a 5 - 6 inch opening so that you can get your hand inside to turn the fabric inside-out when you are finishing up).

4.  & 5. Sew around all four corners (with a 1/4 inch seam allowance) except for your "opening" of 5 -6 inches.

6. Now place your hand inside and invert your fabric to the right side out. You should now have both of your nice sides showing.

7. Iron down all your cloths and tuck in the opening seam area and pin the opening down in order to finish off the towel.

8. Now, do a zig-zag or fancy stitch around the entire edge of the napkin for a final finish.

9. Store in an easy to locate spot in the kitchen (mine are in a small plastic basket under the kitchen sink). 


These are great to use for those spills on the kitchen table and countertops (basically in areas where you don't want to use a "gross" rag from the rag bin). They are also nice for dusting and polishing furniture. Per Mrs. Tittlemouse, when you pair these with cloth napkins, you will no longer need to purchase paper disposables for your kitchen and that saves a mouse much money! 


Tittlemouse Tip:

If you are interested in doing this project, she would recommend preparing a stack of the "un-paper" towels in order for them to truly be a help in the household. If you make just a few, you will be tempted to purchase paper towels in no time.


You may also be interested in Mrs. Tittlemouse's bug spray recipe and her cottage rose pantry labels.


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Tuesday, April 19, 2016

How Long Do They Keep & What to Do with Expired Essential Oils



There are five items in my life that I will spend money on (yes, I am about to get personal). Normally,  dear reader, I am ultra-frugal... except when it comes to a good cup of coffee, hardcover books, quality dark chocolate, pantry jars and finally, essential oils (no, call me crazy but you won't find diamonds and jewels on this eccentric list). Essential oils are a huge part of our medicine cabinet! How many times in the middle of the night I am searching for the right oil to help that certain weird ailment and how many times I am rewarded with help. They are a big blessing to us and I have invested a pretty penny into them. It would only make sense to know how to store them properly and how long do these "medicinal jewels" really last? The answer to the last question has not been easy to find.


The conservative time that the medicinal value of an essential oil decreases appears to be at about 2 - 3 years (and these dates are broad as some claim they will last up to 5 years and some claim forever!). However, there are some exceptions:



~ Citrus oils are believed to have a shelf life of 6-12 months and should actually be stored in the refrigerator.

~ On the other hand, the "thicker" oils like vetiver, sandalwood and patchouli seem to enhance with age.

According to doTERRA (which is where I purchase my essential oils and I do realize they sell them so the information may be biased):

"All doTERRA essential oils that are approved for internal use are required to contain a printed expiration date on their packaging. doTERRA cannot guarantee the oils after this date because essential oils naturally lose some of their potency over time. However, essential oils are very stable. We are currently conducting shelf life testing and have found no problems even after 5-10 years. Properly stored essential oils will maintain their potency for a long time!"


"The oils should be kept in brown or dark-colored bottles away from light, heat, and dampness. Keep the tops tightly closed when not in use."

For optimal storage of essential oils, keep them in a cool, dark and dry location with the caps firmly in place. Keep them out of direct sunlight as heat, light and oxygen will destroy their medicinal properties.



It was 15 years ago, for our first child, for our home birth, that I purchased our first set of essential oils. They were from Young Living and I splurged as this was to be my natural medication during  (what was to be, a long, long, long!) labor. Now, staring at the leftover bottles which I haven't the heart to throw away, one wonders, what can you do with "expired" bottles of essential oils?

"The therapeutic life of essential oils is about two years, although some would argue that they last longer than this. Certainly their antibiotic and other properties can still be utilized in nonbody methods such as air fresheners, kitchen surface wipes, perfumes, or celebratory and gift purposes, when their aromas are a crucial aspect of their use."


Unlike vegetable oils that go rancid, an essential oil is different as it is not technically an oil but the essence of the plant. It will simply lose strength (deteriorate and/or oxidize) and is therefore still safe to use in many areas (and may still retain some of the beneficial properties as a bonus). Here are some things you can do with your expired oils so that you don't have that unfortunate feeling of wastefulness (because sometimes in life, it is all about the aroma!):
  • Use it in your homemade cleaners for the wonderful aromatherapy.
  • Use it in your homemade fabric softeners.
  • Add it into homemade potpourris to freshen up the scent.
  • Use them in your candle making adventures (just make sure the wax cools a bit before adding).
  • Once an unscented candle is lit, add a few drops to the oily reservoir for additional scent.
  • Add it into handmade soaps.
  • Use it in room sprays (approx. 1 cup water, 10 drops of essential oil, 2 tsp. of vodka).
  • Add a few drops onto a cotton ball and place in your drawers for a lovely scent.
  • Add a few drops to stationary when sending a letter.
  • Use them for traditional aromatherapy by inhaling the aroma (such as lavender to calm).
  • Place them in diffusers for a lovely scented home.
  • Add the seasonal scents to your firewood before burning for a luxurious fire.
  • Add them into homemade bath salts (1 cup of epsom salt to 10 drops of oil, mix and use).

Be careful to store your older oils in a separate location to make sure you use them for the utilitarian purposes we shared. Keep your current fresh supply of oils in another safe location as part of your family medicine chest.


These are our most favorite essential oils. Perhaps I will share how we use them in a future post?


What are your favorite oil "flavors" and what other ways would you use the "expired" oils?



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Wednesday, April 13, 2016

The Linens {An Old Fashioned Day} ~ Whatsoever Thy Hands


Today she has tried something different, for that is the luxury of a homemaker.

She created a "linen day". Perhaps dear reader, it was simply a melancholy moment.

She brought out her Sunday best, pleased to know her Sabbath would start with a smile.

She also washed the curtains, special cloths and lace-adorned runners that were sleeping in the cedar chest. She aired them on the line to dry and brought them into her home in large heaping baskets. Such a lovely fragrance filled the room as the breeze has its own fresh charm.

She gently places the pile of laundry on a creamy painted chair.

She turns on some inspirational music and heats up her iron till it sings its lonely, sentimental song.

She sets up her station. 

One by one, one by one... the garments and linens are placed on the board and she begins the quiet rhythm of ironing.

Back and forth… back and forth.

Steam hisses from the iron.

Generously, she sprays her lavender water and the fabrics soak up the sweet, floral scent.

She inhales and exhales the aromatherapy.

Her nerves began to unwind. Her body releases its tension. Her prayers unfold as the moments go by.

These simple moments remind her of more peaceful times. They remind her that being a keeper at home is a romantic vocation. They remind her that the old fashioned work of a homemaker can be a blessing when one chooses to view each occasion as one.


"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might..."
~ Ecclesiastes 9:10a

"She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands."
~ Proverbs 31:13

 “Washing is a necessity, ironing a luxury.” 
~ Old Saying


For more gentle homemaking inspiration, visit here.

For Mimi's lovely post on how to make ironing more pleasurable, visit here.

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Friday, April 8, 2016

DIY ~ Bug-Be-Gone Spray {Insect Repellant} by Mrs. Tittlemouse


"Mrs. Tittlemouse was a most terribly tidy particular little mouse, always sweeping and dusting the soft sandy floors... Sometimes a beetle lost its way in the passages... "Shuh! shuh! little dirty feet!" said Mrs. Tittlemouse, clattering her dust-pan."
~ Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse


Welcome to another segment of "Fun Friday" this spring featuring Beatrix Potter Inspired Posts!

Poor Mrs. Tittlemouse had been plagued by insect guests and she had had enough! Being she was a natural type of mouse, she got out her aromatherapy archives (passed down to her by her great mouse-mother) and created a "bug-be-gone" spray with the essential oils she had. She was certainly not interested in using the toxic, chemical sprays they sold in the mouse-market. Oh, no! She was no lab rat! She was a respectable country mouse!


"Another day, a big fat spider came in to shelter from the rain... "Beg pardon, is this not Miss Muffet's?"... "Go away, you bold bad spider! Leaving ends of cobweb all over my nice clean house!"'
~ Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse


Though Thomasina's (that is her Christian name of course) bugs may be of a different concern than our own, I think you will find her recipe to be quite helpful in deterring the insects (mosquitoes, horseflies, gnats, etc.) that us humans find rather upsetting.

Directions: 

Place the following ingredients in order in a 16 oz. spray bottle (or place in pint jar and decant into smaller spray bottles like we did):
  • 1 cup witch hazel 
  • 60 drops of bug repelling essential oils (listed below)
  • 1 cup water (distilled or boiled and cooled water)
  • (optional) 1 tsp. vegetable glycerin (acts as a binder to aid in keeping essential oils on skin and is moisturizing at the same time)
  • (optional) 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract (aroma acts as repellent and alcohol in extract acts as an extra preserver) 

 How to Use:

Shake spritzer bottle well before each use. Reapply every 30 minutes for best results.


Bug Repelling Essential Oils:

(Don't worry, you do not need to put every one of these oils in the spray! Simply see what inventory you have and utilize those oils (making sure to use a total of 60 drops). If you haven't any oils, begin with 30 drops of lemongrass (as the most affordable oil) and mix with 30 drops of citronella oil.) 


Variations/Options:

For a well-rounded blend that will not only deter mosquitoes but also gnats, horseflies and ticks, make sure to include peppermint, eucalyptus and rose geranium in your mix.

If using the insect repellant for children six and under, consider using a combination (or a mix of a few) of the child-approved oils of lavender, tea tree, thyme, geranium and rosemary.

You can also mix 1/2 cup of soybean base oil (which has bug-repelling properties itself) with the 60 drops of your chosen essential oils (easy on the cinnamon if you use it). Let mixture sit for an hour before applying. To use, massage oil into areas that require skin protection. This will last up to one year if properly stored in a dry, cool, dark place.

Alternatively, mix together 1/3 cup of vodka with your 60 drops of bug repelling essential oils. Then add 1 tsp. vegetable glycerin and 2 cups distilled (or boiled and cooled) water. Shake well before each use. Reapply every 30 minutes for best results.


Notes: Though lemon essential oil may be found on some bug-repellent lists, because it is phototoxic (it could cause alterations to your skin pigmentation if exposed to the sun shortly after application), I don't think it a good choice for outdoor day-use and therefore didn't include it.


"Mrs. tittlemouse began to pull out the moss. Three or four other bees put their heads out, and buzzed fiercely.
"I am not in the habit of letting lodgings; this is an intrusion!" said Mrs. Tittlemouse. "I will have them turned out—"
~ Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse


You will find our printable "insect repellent recipe" HERE. Perhaps you would like to place it in your "Manual of Household Hints and Delights"? This is simply a safe place you can store all of Mrs. Tittlemouse's homemaking printables to have them handy until you are ready to use them (lots of fun goodies will be coming your way). You could also think of it as a "printable portfolio" collection to store all your favorite printables. You will find the free download here if you are interested. The cover page is designed to slide into the front of the binder as a title page insert. The tabs are best printed on card stock, affixed with glue to card stock and staggered as you attach them. It is just a bit of extra fun!


Mrs. Tittlemouse gleaned some of her insect repellant information from the following sources:  The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy, Organic Body Care Recipes and The Herbal Academy of New England.

This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Titus 2sdays, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, From the Farm Blog Hop, Front Porch Friday Blog Hop, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Five Star Frou Frou Friday, Shabbilicious Friday, Simply Natural Saturdays and Clever Chicks Blog Hop. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through them help to support this little blog.

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Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Seven Styles of Laundry Room Art ~ Free Printable Sets


"It is not hard to enhance the mundane so that the ordinary becomes extraordinary and creativity pays dividends. Home should be the happiest place on earth."
~Dorothy Kelley Patterson, Co-Author of The Christian Homemaker's Handbook

There are many ways to make our homemaking tasks pleasant and one of them is to prepare a cheerful environment in which to do them. We women are quite visual and when we see something attractive, we light up! Perhaps, we can persuade you to enjoy doing laundry with a bit of wash day art on your walls. We are sharing 7 different {free} printables to go with various home decoration styles. I do hope one of these sets will fit your taste! For when our daughters see us putting love into our home and daily duties, we are showing them that home is indeed a place worth our investment of time!


To print out these individual art sets, follow the free links below:

Laundry "Fun" Chalkboard Set


Antique "Primitive Signs" Laundry Set


The "French Collection" Trio  {These will print horizontally.}

Classic Pioneer "Wash on Monday" Set  {These will print horizontally.}









And finally, something inspirational... Our Old Fashioned Wash Day Prayer based on the Psalms.



Note: You can find frames inexpensively in second-hand stores and yard sales. Simply paint them to match your home decoration. We printed our art on white card-stock, cut it down to size (leaving some white border as a "matting") and placed the sets in 8 by 10 inch frames. Happy homemaking, ladies!


For more Wash Day inspiration, I invite you to visit here. You will find "loads" of laundry DIY recipes (stain removers, fabric softeners, etc.), laundry room labels, laundry room crafts, tutorials, lessons and other lovely homemaking talk to encourage a love for home.

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Friday, April 1, 2016

"Cottage Rose" Pantry Labels by Mrs. Tittlemouse ~ Free Printable


"Fun Friday" this spring has officially begun! This year we are sharing the homemaking adventures of Mrs. Tittlemouse from the World of Beatrix Potter with features from her "Cottage Rose Collection". Do come in, have a cup of tea and we will explain!

"Once upon a time there was a wood-mouse,
and her name was Mrs. Tittlemouse.
She lived in a bank under a hedge..."
~ Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse

Perhaps you are not acquainted with Mrs. Tittlemouse? She is a bit more reserved (okay, a bit more of the no-nonsense type...) than our dear Mrs. Tiggy-winkle and much less mischievous than precious Peter, however, once she gets to know you, you will find her quite hospitable. In fact, she can be very giving and wanted to share her precious pantry labels with you all today.


"Such a funny house! There were yards and yards of sandy passages, leading to storerooms and nut-cellars and seed-cellars, all amongst the roots of the hedge... There was a kitchen, a parlour, a pantry, and a larder."
~ Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse


You see, Mrs. Tittlemouse practices the art of food storage like her mouse-mothers before her. Her home is blessed with storerooms, nut cellars, seed cellars, a pantry and a larder! To create order and  beauty, she has everything labeled very nicely with her cottage style charm. To be frank, she had chided me that although I have already shared some pantry labels (antique french style), they just wouldn't do for her country home decoration! And thus, her "cottage rose" collection was born. And truth be known, I was in for a bit of a change myself so I welcomed her bold suggestion.


Without further adieu, here are the links to Mrs. Tittlemouse's "Cottage Rose" Pantry Label Collection:

Nut and Seed Cellar Collection {Featuring Nut and Seeds Labels}
Pantry and Larder Collection {Featuring Basic Pantry Labels of Dried Goods}
Storeroom Collection {Featuring Seasonings, Spices and Such}

These even include gluten-free foods for her GF friends!



The labels can be printed out on plain paper, cut to size and affixed to your containers with glue (or decoupage) or print them out on sticker paper and cut to size. If you choose the first route, you may want to place a piece of packing tape or clear contact paper over each label to protect them.


For extra fun (this is "fun Friday" remember?), we also share a printable cover page and matching tabs in case you would like to prepare a copy of "Mrs. Tittlemouse's Manual of Household Hints and Delights". This is simply a safe place you can store all of Mrs. Tittlemouse's homemaking printables to have them handy until you are ready to use them (lots of fun goodies will be coming your way). You could also think of it as a "printable portfolio" collection to store all your favorite printables until you are ready to use them. You will find the free download here if you are interested. The cover page is designed to slide into the front of the binder as a title page insert. The tabs are best printed on card stock, affixed with glue to card stock and staggered as you attach them. ~~ Truth be known, I am having fun with this series and enjoyed creating this frivolous little "manual" even if no one ends up using it! :)


For more posts on pantry building, you may want to visit here.
This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Titus 2sdays, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, From the Farm Blog Hop, Front Porch Friday Blog Hop, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Five Star Frou Frou Friday, Shabbilicious Friday, Simply Natural Saturdays and Clever Chicks Blog Hop. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. 

at 49 comments: