{Vinegar Magic}

Many of you know, I am cleaner by day and DIY’er by night! Therefore, I know much about vinegar! I LOVE it… yes, cleaning… and vinegar!

While I HATE the smell, I love the outcome! I dare you to try it out and let me know what you think! Every time I DON’T use vinegar… the result is just not the same.

Let me share some tips…

*White Distilled Vinegar and water (half and half) will clean and shine your wood floors like you have never seen*

To remove stickers that have been used to “decorate” furniture and other surfaces, moisten with vinegar. Let sit for at least ten minutes, then remove.*

* For persistent room odors, place a bowl of vinegar in the room overnight.*

* To clean windows, spray with half vinegar, half water. Wipe clean with either newspapers or cloth.*

*Spray shower walls and shower curtain with vinegar to help prevent mildew.

* Give your dog a gleaming coat by spraying or rubbing with a solution of 1 cup white distilled vinegar to 1 quart water. As a bonus, you save the cost of an expensive shine product used on show animals. (Works even on a horse!)

*Keep car windows frost-free overnight in winter by coating them with a solution of 3 parts white distilled vinegar to 1 part water.

*Polish car chrome with full-strength white distilled vinegar on a soft cloth.

*Remove unwanted decals and bumper stickers by covering them with a cloth soaked in white distilled vinegar, or by repeatedly spraying them with full-strength white distilled vinegar. They should peel off in a couple of hours.

* Kill weeds and grass growing in unwanted places by pouring full-strength white distilled vinegar on them. This works especially well in crevices and cracks of walkways and driveways.

That’s a start… try them and you will never go back! Give some of these tips a try and let us know what you think!

And on a encouraging note: Dwell on this today, it sure has been an encouragement to me these past few weeks

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

Romans 8:18

{I reminisce on the time Christ hung on the cross for ME and in the midst of His deepest agony and suffering, the men he was dying for dipped a sponge in vinegar and put it to our Saviors mouth… But, in His present suffering there was so much glory to be revealed in that.} Remember today, His plan is much more glorifying than ours will ever be!

 Jessica

What Time Is It?

SUMMER TIME!

Ok, ok. Please excuse the cheesy High School Musical reference. I just can’t help myself sometimes…

But seriously! It’s summertime people! Time for running through sprinklers, catching fireflies, eating strawberries, drive-in movies, and so many other fun things.

To celebrate, I thought it’d be fun to look at 5 fun DIYs that are totally summer appropriate!

1. Herb Pots

 

You can find a clay pot, paint, brushes, and seeds at WalMart. All for under $5! This is such an easy way to add a little life to the windowsill in your kitchen or living room. You can paint them any way you want to match your home and then plant away. It’d be a great activity to involve your kiddos in, too! Continue reading

DIY Patio Cable Drum

Can we say “Welcome Spring!” How I love it! Doesn’t it automatically cause you to think of family grill outs, planting your gardens, riding bikes, the coolness of the mornings… oh I just love it! Well part of our spring consists of revamping… you ask, what are you revamping? Anything and everything! We see it as the season of refurbishing! Below is our newest re-furbished piece… hope you enjoy!

Cable drums are used mostly for hauling large amounts of cable wire. They are hard to find apart from inside electric companies and such. On the other hand, you may get lucky and find one at a scrap yard or a dump site. If you do find one… don’t let it get away! You can find many uses for them! They come in all sorts of sizes, which makes it perfect for different projects!

For instance… a friend of ours found 2 and gave us one! We decided to make ours into  outdoor patio furniture! It was easy, fun, and it looks great!

What You Will Need:

*Cable Drum, size of your choice
* Stain- color of choice, we used Dark Walnut
* Rope- found a bundle at Lowes for $8.00
* Patio Chairs- ours were a yard sale find for $2 each!

How To:

* First of all clean off the cable drum, make sure there is no oil or dirt on it.
* Secondly, sand down any rough spots or edges, you could use your hand to sand and a grit paper 100.
* Thirdly, Stain your cable drum.
* Allow stain to dry.
* Add final touches by wrapping the rope around the base of the drum.
* Lastly, find matching chairs. Like I said, we found some at a yard sale for $4 total! Keep your eye open for those good deals! They are far and between!

We added our $2 plant to the table and I just love the feel it gives!
In sitting and enjoying this weather it takes me to Deuteronomy 10:14 (convenient that it is the Book we are in during chronological!)

 

“To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.”

How good it is to know that He owns it all. May we not forget today that HE is the author and finisher of our race and has the authority to do so, HE created us! Amen and Amen.

Jessica Manuel