We Like Making Our Own Stuff

This homemade body spray recipe is both simple to make and inexpensive. All you need are four ingredients and a little time. You will want to begin by eating some oranges.  In fact, make your whole family eat an orange, because you need some peels!  The peels will go into a pot with just enough water to barely cover them.  Be careful not to use too much water, or your orange fragrance will be too dilute. Bring the water to a boil, and then immediately cover the pot with its lid and remove from heat.  Allow the pot to sit for 12 to 24 hours. When you take the lid off the next day, you will see that a lot of the liquid is gone. If you dip your finger into the liquid, you may notice that it feels somewhat oily.  That's good!  It's orange oil, extracted from your peels. To get the most oil out of your peels, you'll want to squeeze the crap out of them.  Pour the liquid and peels into a cotton tea towel or jelly bag that you ...

Did you know that many commercial furniture polishes contain ingredients that are known neurotoxins?  Common products, such as Pledge, contain ingredients that can cause depression, damage to the central nervous system, and memory loss. Do away with that junk, and make your own lemony furniture polish at home.  Not only is it a healthier alternative, but it is very inexpensive and easy to do.  In the past, I used a recipe containing oil and lemon juice .  This recipe is good, but I found one that I like even better!  It smells so nice, and it has a secret ingredient in it:  alcohol.  The idea with the alcohol is that it will evaporate, pulling up some of the oil with it, which will in turn leave less of a residue on your furniture.  ...That's my theory anyway. You will need to infuse some oil with lemon peels before you mix this up.  This is quite simple to do, so have no fear! Lemon Infused Oil Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups o...

Making your own fabric softener is both easy and inexpensive.  It can be as simple as buying a jug of vinegar, or a little more complex if you'd like to have added scent.  Vinegar does a great job not only softening your clothing, but also in brightening colors and removing odors.  Following are a few easy recipes to get you started. Fabric Softener #1 - Plain Ingredients: White Vinegar Place 1/2 cup of white vinegar in your fabric softener dispenser per load of wash.  (Pretty darn simple!) Fabric Softener #2 - Scented Ingredients: 1 gallon jug of white vinegar A big handful of your favorite herb (such as lavender, chopped orange peels,  or peppermint) 20 drops of a matching essential oil (optional) You will need to remove some of the vinegar from the jug in order to infuse the herbs in it.  Just pour a cup or so into a jar or bottle.  You can save it to pour back into the jug of vinegar once it is infused, or use it f...

I love apple cider vinegar! And, yes, I am going to marry it. Made from the juice and odd pieces of apples, it is a healthy alternative to use in cleaners, beauty products, home remedies, and cooking. But, to get even more out of vinegar, try making a vinegar infusion. Herbs, fruits, vegetables, flowers, and even tree bark can be made into an infusion. First, I will outline how I make my own vinegar infusions. Then I will share how I use different types of infusions, and include some recipes. The Ingredients and Equipment I Use to Make Infused Vinegars: Vinegar This is obviously the most important ingredient, so make sure that a good-quality vinegar is used. Some vinegars being sold as Apple Cider are merely white, distilled vinegars with apple flavoring and coloring added. Make sure to read the label! One Cup of Herb (or fruit, veggie, etc...) Of Your Choice For simplicity, I will just use the term "herb" to describe what I am infusing, but remember that ...