Author name: amy

Wall hanging clipboards… creative, clean, cheap, and organized

For those that do not know me personally, I don’t like clutter.  I watched the show “Hoarders” and it made me cringe.  I don’t like stuff.  Too much of it is such a waste.  You will find me cleaning and weeding out my house 3-4 times per year.  Having a large family, I find that things do accumulate and unfortunately things do get messy most of the time.  I try and be organized but I realize that there is always room for improvement.

Well this past spring I went through and painted our entire house.  It has been 5 years since we have moved into our home and we painted the rooms when we did move in.  But with 10 children, walls get scratched, paint gets dull it was time to freshen up the place.  For about $100 I was able to repaint our entire house.  I decided to go with a more neutral color this time around, the first time I used lots of colors and then found when I needed to touch up something, my paint was usually gone and I didn’t want to go spend $20 for a new can.  This time I used the same color in multiple rooms of the home and it has given it a nice neutral, warm feeling.  I went with browns–dark brown for the trim, and a lighter tan colored for the walls.  Anyways with all that new paint, I decided to redo my wall decorations.

I haven’t had much on the walls, because I have had so many little children in the last few years, who has time to decorate their house when they barely have time to get a shower each day.  Well this year things are seemingly getting easier, my youngest is 1 now and life does get better.

I found that within my day, I write multiple to do lists and have different notes and papers for the children.  I was so tired of having them all over my counter space in the kitchen.  I decided to make these clipboards to hang on the walls, out of the way.

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Each clipboard is designed for each person that needs a note.  I have one for 8 of my children, as the littlest ones do not need one yet.  It was so simple to make and cheap too.  I put it together in an afternoon.

For the project you will need

  • a bottle of modge podge $8 –I used about 1/3 of the large bottle
  • clipboards to hang $1
  • scrapbook paper to cover the boards $.25 on sale at Hobby Lobby

DSCN2637First you need to cut a pattern out of your paper.  I lined it up to the clipboard and cut out the rectangle to fit.  Then made a pattern to see how to cut the top to fit.  DSCN2638I put the Modge Podge in a bowl and wiped a layer onto the clipboard.DSCN2639Cover it completelyDSCN2640I then put the top piece of paper on and smoothed it.  DSCN2641I then put the large square piece to fit the bottom.  I had to put some more Modge Podge at the top over the fitted piece.DSCN2642Smooth out the wrinkles as best as you can.  I found the lighter scrapbook pages did bubble up and show a little more than the darker colored ones.  When the Modge Podge has completely dried, about an hour, turn the clipboard over and trim the excess paper with small pair of scissors or a very sharp exacto knife.DSCN2643Then apply 3 coats of Modge Podge onto the top of the clipboard.  Let them dry in between coats, I did them about one every hour.DSCN2645Then when completely dry, overnight, I hung them up.  How do you hang up something that has no hook?? Velcro. I applied 3 small squares to each  clipboard and stuck them to the wall.  Genius.

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21 days to a more natural home series part 18…natural air fresheners

all natural home series

 

I love burning a nice smelling candle in my home almost every night.  I never thought until recently are there toxins in what I am burning in my home??   That led me to a little research online and YES there are toxins in the candles I was burning.

So, what’s wrong with my candles?
According to a recent study by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), 40 percent of candles on the market contain lead wires inside their wicks. Most often, the candles with lead wicks are scented candles. Fragrance oils soften the wax, so the manufacturers use lead to make the wicks firmer.

A candle with a lead-core wick releases five times the amount of lead considered hazardous for children and exceeds EPA pollution standards for outdoor air, says the CPSC. Exposure to high amounts of lead has been linked to hormone disruption, behavioral problems, learning disabilities, and numerous health problems.

So what can we do with all of that??  First of all, ensure that any new candles you purchase don’t have lead in the wicks. Look for a “lead free” label, or perform the “No-Lead Test”.

  1. Look for a “lead-free” label when shopping for new candles.
  2. For unburnt candles, rub the tip of the wick on a piece of paper. If it leaves a gray mark, like a pencil, the wick contains a lead core. If you’ve already purchased the candle, take it back to the store and tell the manager why you’re demanding a refund.
  3. For candles that have already been burned, you should just throw out any that have metal cores as a precaution. Simply look at the tip of the wick and see if it has a metal core. If you still can’t tell, peel back some of the cotton.

Now if my candles are bad, what else can I do to “naturally” freshen my home??

  • Keep the odors down in your household.  Keep trash cans emptied, throw diapers outside in the trash, wipe up and disinfect “smelly” areas, and keep pet smells under wraps.
  • Give your household a good old fashioned open window policy. Nothing is better than fresh air flowing through your household.
  • If your kitchen is smelly from cooking fish say…..boil some vinegar on the stove or in your microwave.  It will take away the smell.
  • Set a pot on your stove with water and some spices and simmer for a few hours.  I like to do cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.  Or use vanilla or almond extract.  You can boil cut up oranges and lemons as well.  Experiment with different spices to give a great quick scent.   Be sure to keep the water level in your pan as to not burn it.
  • A few drops of essential oils dropped in different areas helps with scent controls.  Or you can mix it with some water and alcohol in a spray bottle and in the air.

You want to avoid all the “heavy-strong” smelling factory made air fresheners.  Most all contain carcinogens.  Look at part 2 of this series for links to the Cancer Prevention Coalition website that lists many products that contain these harmful substances.  They cause many harmful side effects as well.  Even though they smell so great, you want to avoid all those chemical laden product, for the safety of your children and yourself.

Look for part 19…how to repel bugs naturally

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