Pipeline by Peter Schechter - Book Review

I am posting a link to this new, fast paced book Pipeline by Peter Schechter.

I have really enjoyed reading this book by Peter Schechter.  It is reminiscent of the cold war books of the 70's and 80's.  It has lots of political intrigue.  The characters are well developed, and it is a very entertaining beach read.  It is one of those books that you do not want to put down.  (Forget cleaning the house or cooking dinner or even writing a blog.)

The plot is not too far from reality when applied to our energy crisis today.  The United States in having a huge natural gas crisis, and is at odds with Russia.  One of the main characters is Tony Ruiz, son of Mexican immigrants and an aide to the President of the United States is struggling to help the president.  Russia is behind the scenes withholding natural gas from the United States, kind of like a puppet master manipulating countries all over the world to keep them from giving natural gas to the U.S.   Los Angeles is the first city to shut down, and then eventually the entire state of California comes to a stand still with no natural gas to keep the states electric companies going.  One can only imagine the chaos that would ensue if this country had no electricity to power our cities. Imagine, no water, no gas, no electricity, no food, no farming, this country would be back in the stone ages.  The rush is on to solve the situation before the country ends up in total chaos.

You can find this book through Barnes and Noble or Amazon.  I have provided a link above to Barnes and Noble.  It is a book that I would definitely recommend for a summer read. 

I would love to hear what books you plan on reading for the summer, and what books you are reading now.

Have fun reading.
Debi

Morning Coffee - A Small Ritual

Morning Coffee Center

Yesterday, I wrote about my morning coffee in my blog.  Yes, I need coffee to wake up, not a lot, but enough to help me understand what people are saying to me.  Sometimes my husband, David, will be asking me questions in the morning and I just stare at him, uncomprehendingly.  Then he will start to laugh at me.  That's okay.  After so many years of marriage, you would think he would remember that I will not be able to understand him, until I have a cup of coffee in me.

I love coffee so much that I have a specific area in my kitchen for making coffee.  I have this great coffee machine, a Saeco Royal Coffee Bar, and it is not working right now.  It needs to go to be repaired.  This makes me very sad.  I had to go buy a Mr. Coffee, which you will see in the pictures below.

My Almond Roca Flavor for my coffee

I have coffee flavorings, many different flavorings, because you never know what flavor you may want.  Unfortunately, I am such a creature of habit, I normally use the same flavor every morning.  That would be Almond Roca.  Once they were out of it at World Market, and I thought I was going to cry.  I now buy 6 bottles at a time.   It takes being able to function to make an exciting new flavored coffee in the morning, like an Almond Joy coffee, a peppermint patty coffee, or even just a chocolate covered almond coffee.  I can make all of these flavored coffees, but not first thing in the morning.  They can come later in the morning, once I am actually awake.

The many flavors to make special coffees

I will at some point try to actually measure ingredients for different flavored coffee and give you recipes.  I just need to do that when I am awake.

I hope that you enjoy your coffee or even tea.  Let me know how you like your coffee or tea in the morning.

Enjoy your morning rituals.
Debi

Morning Reading - Links for Some of My Favorite Blogs

The first thing I do in the morning is stumble down my stairs, let my dog out, and pour my coffee.  My coffee is very important, but that is for another post.  Today, I am going to talk about what I do while I am drinking my coffee.  My morning ritual.  I let my dog, Shadow, back in the house, and then he and I go back upstairs.  I turn on the news, open my nook, and check my emails.

You see, some of the blogs I read are in google reader, and some come in my emails.  I clean the junk out of my emails, and take care of business, and then I settle in to read my favorite blogs.

Thoughts By Natalie

I read Thoughts by Natalie to see what beautiful thoughts are traveling through her mind.  Her writing is geared towards women in their 20's ( definitely not me, I'm 53 ), but that doesn't matter.  I love the thought provoking way she looks at life, and I believe that she is a wonderful role model for young women.  She talks about body image, volunteering, dressing, shopping for vintage clothing,  and healthy values for the young adults that she writes for.  I have followed her move to Texas and admire her tenacity to make a life and friends in Austin.

One Good Thing by Jillee

I am always really excited to see what new things that One Good Thing by Jillee is going to teach me for the day.  I have made so many of the different items from her blog.  I am amazed by how many great ideas she has, check out yesterdays blog about making colored jars and vases.  I also love her recipe for Jillee's OxyKleen, Homemade Hairspray, and her Crockpot Greek Yogurt Recipe.  I have now made this yogurt it for the 2nd week in a row.  Check her out and see what other great ideas she has to offer.  I promise you will enjoy her writing.

Melissa from The Inspired Room

A really beautiful blog that I read in the mornings also, is The Inspired Room.  I look at all of the beautiful pictures from magazines, and it makes me want to decorate my house.  She talks about the decorating she is doing in her house, and projects she is trying to finish, like her home office.  Monday's blog was about garden sheds.  Some of these sheds are amazingly beautiful.  Some are even little guest houses.  I do not have a yard big enough for a shed, but I am sure lots of people do.  Take a peek at her blog, to see what inspires you.

Next week I will post more links to blogs.  There is so much out there, and I believe that these women that I read each day are truly amazing.  They show creativity, and a willingness to share their knowledge, and for that I am extremely grateful.

Let me know what you think of these blogs, and what blogs you enjoy reading.  I love finding new blogs to read.

I wish you beautiful reading for the next week.
Debi

Me Again - Movie Review

Me Again - Movie Review - David AR White

I just saw this new David AR White Movie.  I am a huge fan of his.  He is not only a Christian actor, but he is also a producer for Christian Movies, through his production company PureFlix.  I love almost every movie that they put out, and this movie does not fail to entertain and provide a message at the same time.  This wonderful cast includes David AR White, Della Reese, Ali Landry, Logan White, and Bruce McGill.

This movie is about Pastor who has lost sight of what is important in his life.  He wishes for a life other then his own, and he sure gets it.  It is definitely not what he expected.  He becomes many different people and things, including a model, a goldfish, himself as a baby, and old woman, and along the way he finds out what is important in life.

Will he make the changes that he needs to make to appreciate his life?  You will have to watch this movie for yourself.  I have posted links above for you to be able to buy this movie online, or you should be able to get it from your local Christian Store.

Tell me what you think of this movie or any other movies you have seen recently.

Happy Watching.
Debi

P.S.  I just watched the trailer for a new TV show out this fall called Revolution.  It is a new JJ Abrams show, the producer and director of Super 8, Cloverfield, and Lost.  Here is a link.  Take a look and see what you think.

Revolution - Trailer

Bible Study 2 - Sharper Then a Two-Edged Sword

This weeks bible study is on chapter 2 of the book Sharper Then a Two-Edged Sword by Andrew Wommack, and we will be learning about the Holy Spirit.  God's word is there for us, all we need to do is open his book.  The Bible has all of the answers to our problems, if only we will open it and read.

Sharper Then a Two-Edged Sword

Sharper then a Two Edged Sword

Chapter 2

Do we have to be baptized in the Holy Spirit?  
Is it a choice?   
We do not have to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, you get baptized in the Holy Spirit.  It is a privilege.  (from workbook)

The Holy Spirit          

the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive,

            because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you

            know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you

                                                                                    John 14:17

                                                                                                           

The Holy Spirit

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof , for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

            that the man of God may be complete thoroughly equipped for every good work.

                                                                                    2Timothy 3:16 and 17            

                       

1.              1.   How is the Holy Spirit going to help me live the Christian life?

                                               

The Word of God is the truth that will set you free, but you need the Holy Spirit to make the Word come alive as you read it in order to get understanding. (From workbook)

The Holy Spirit is who helps us understand the Bible..

It is not enough to know in your mind what the Bible says, it is the Spirit that helps you discern the word of God.

2.              2.   Why did Jesus tell His disciples not to do anything until they received the Holy Spirit?

What does Jesus say in Act 1:8 to his disciples? 

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”      Acts 1:8

How strong are we on our own, then and how much stronger with the Holy Spirit?  With the Spirit we can do anything.

He tells them they are to wait for the Spirit, because they are going to go forth and represent Jesus and his teachings to the world.   They would fail as witnesses without the Holy Spirit.

3.              3.   What is the difference between being born again and the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

Acts 8:14 - 17 and Acts 19:1-7 both talk about the difference between baptism of water and the Holy Spirit.

Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria's had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:  Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)  Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

In Acts 19:1-7 it says that when Paul asked some people if they had been filled with the Holy Spirit.  They did not even know what the Holy Spirit was.  He then prayed for them to receive the spirit and they started speaking in tongues.

The apostles had been baptized by water already, and the Samarians had also been baptized in water.

What does it take to become born again?  Rom 10:9-10  All it takes to be born again is to confess that  Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead.

 You get the Holy Spirit when your are born again, because you have to have the Spirit of God in you in order to be born again. (1 Cor. 12:3)

4.           4.      Are you saying I didn’t get all of the Holy Spirit’s ability when I was born again?

When we are filled with the Holy Spirit do we receive gifts?  Yes, we receive gifts when we are filled with the Holy Spirit.   

What are these gifts?  There are many gifts, not just tongues.  The Holy Spirit is also our Comforter,  kind of like a blanket for a child, He is there for comfort and security.

Do

5.             5.    What does “speaking in tongues” mean?

Speaking in tongues (1 Cor. 14:2) we do not understand it, but God does

Your spirit contains the mind of Christ (1Cor. 2:16) and knows all things (1John 2:20) (from workbook)

•                     What does speaking in tongues do in your life ( 1 Cor 14:15-17)

•                     Do we still receive the gift of speaking in tongues today?

•                     What would cause you not to speak in tongues?

Why would God give me the gift of the Holy Spirit when I still sin?

•                     If I were perfect, would I need the Holy Spirit?

           

These are all questions that I would like you to think about.  Please let me know what you think.  I will be happy to answer any questions you have.  Just let me know. 

6.            6.     Why should I speak in tongues?  What is it going to do for me?

·         Speaking in tongues is using your voice.  You have to speak to speak in tongues.

·         Will you understand what you are saying? (1Cor. 2:14) Is it possible to understand? (1Cor. 14:13)

·         Jesus is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit (Matt 3:11)

·         To receive the gift you need to ask God

                        Father, I thank You that I am the temple of the Holy Spirit, I

                        I welcome You to fill me right now.  Thank You for filling me

                        with Your presence.

           

           

Happy Mother's Day 2012

Mother's Day is such a special day for all of us MOMS.  It is a day when we get to feel special.  As moms I think we spend most of our days taking care of other peoples' needs.  We love our families, and are always trying to make things easier for them.  We cook, we clean, we take care of children or parents, and we do it all with love and care.  So Mother's Day is the one day when our families try to make us feel special.  I think it is a really important thing, not only us, but also for them.  I think that it is important that we let them take care of us, and for us to show our appreciation.  It teaches our families,  that it is wonderful to give, and it helps us to learn how to receive.

Being able to receive gracefully is a difficult thing for women to do.  It is hard for us to let go of handling all of the little details.  We want our homes to run smoothly, and sometimes we feel it is easier just to do it ourselves, and have it done the way we want it, then it is to try to tell someone else how it should be done.  We, as women, need to learn how to let go, and accept help.  We do not have to be perfect, and neither do our families.

Normally, they ask what I want for a gift, my answer is always the same, for you just to spend time with me.  That is the best gift they can give me.  Our family is full of busy adults, with jobs and lives, but the thing I love most is to spend time with everyone.  I love going to shoot pictures with my oldest son, or going to the aquarium with my middle son, window shopping with my daughter, and having a quiet dinner with my husband at home.  The gift of time and knowing my children as people, their likes and dislikes, their hopes and dreams are what is important.  My husband is always so busy with work, that it is a treat to spend a lazy Sunday morning having coffee and reading the paper together,  going on a new adventure, or planning a trip.  Those are the special moments in life that I cherish.

So this year for Mother's Day I will learn to gracefully accept any small deeds from my family, and say thank you.  I will appreciate every moment that I have with them.  We never know what God has in store for us, and it is today, and the memories that we make now with each other, that are the most important part of our families lives.

I actually can't wait, because whether your kids are 5 or 27 you still love spending time with them, and Mother's Day is a great time to do it.

Have fun, and enjoy you day. 

I would love to hear what you are doing for Mother's Day, and what is important to you.

Love,
Debi

Gifts For Mom on Mother's Day

I decided that this year I am going to send my Mom an assortment of toiletries that I have made.  Along with the toiletries, I bought her the first season of I Love Lucy, one of her favorite shows.

I am sending my Jasmine Shaving Cream based on a recipe from Frugal Granola @ http://frugalgranola.com/2008/10/works-for-me-wednesday-homemade-shaving-cream/.  It is her recipe for Homemade Shaving Cream.  I love this stuff.  My whole family is using it now.  The only things that I do differently for women is: I use distilled water instead of rosewater, and I use jasmine fragrance instead of the other essential oils.  I do still add the tea tree oil.

I am sending my Jasmine Body Butter based on a recipe from One Good Thing by Jillee.  It is her Body Butter  @ http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/02/make-your-own-moisturizing-body-butter.html. This stuff is totally amazing.  It melts in your hands just like butter.  It makes my skin feel divine.  Again, the only difference in the recipe is that I use Jasmine Fragrance.

I am also sending my lip balm.  It is my own recipe.  It feels great on your lips.  You can find the recipe  Honey and Beeswax Lip Balm @ www.adornedfromabove.com.

Last, but not least,  my own anti-aging moisturizer.  This stuff is great and packed full of vitamins, kelp, and DMAE to help with wrinkles and sagging skin.  You will find my recipe for the Anti-Aging Face Cream @ http://www.adornedfromabove.com/2012/05/new-homemade-face-cream.html


I hope that all of you have a wonderful Mother's Day.  I would love for you to share what you will be sending your mothers. 

Debi

Our Lives Through Music

Mark Schultz - He's My Son

When I look back over time, I can see my life through the music I have listened to.  The stronger that I have become in Christ, the more I listen to Christian music.  I absolutely love listening to Denver's Christian Radio station 91.1 KLove.  When I turn on my car KLove is always playing.  My kids, who by the way are adults, call my music Jesus Jams.  I feel peace come over me when I hear some of the songs that play.  I love the Mark Schultz song He's My Son.  It speaks to my heart.

And in 2010, when my middle son was on his first tour in Afghanistan, I listened to Mark Schultz's Letters From War all of the time.  He was a dog handler in Operation Moshtarak looking for IED's.  We did not hear from him for weeks at a time, and he was in the first wave of the invasion.  This song helped me to feel closer to him.

Video of Mark Schultz's Letters From War

 Matt Maher Hold Us Together

My childrens's ringtones are songs that I love, that seem just right for them.  My oldest son's ring tone is Matt Maher's song Hold Us Together.   My middle son's ring tone is, of course, Letter's From War.  My daughter's ring tone is Hope Now by Addison Road.

Addison Road - Hope Now

My husbands ring tone is The Righteous Brothers Unchained Melody.  That was the first song we danced to at our wedding.  We also had a friend sing Michael Bolton's I Said I Love You But I Lied at the wedding.  There are always special songs in our lives.  I can remember dancing with my babies in my friend's living room to 50's music.  That music was before my time, but all of the kids and babies loved the music.

Righteous Brothers Unchained Melody

There are bands from my 20's, this is aging me since that was in the 80's, like Flock of Seagulls, Madonna, Steve Perry of Journey (remember the video Oh Sherry),  Elton John.

Journey Oh Sherry

Or how about the 70's with Cat Stevens, James Taylor, Carole King, Chicago, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, and the Bee Gee's.  I would sit with my best friend in my room and we would listen to these albums over and over.  We had boyfriends at the time who could do the laugh from Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young's Suite Judy Blue Eyes.  I can remember skiing in Mammoth, California and them doing the laugh on the lift.  We thought they were so cool.

As you can see we can see our lives through the music we have listened to at certain points in time.  This is a special time in my life for music.  You see, what my kids call Jesus Jams, is music that is worship music.  I love that the music the music I listen to is beautiful and glorifies God at the same time.  Life is good, because God is good.  Even when things are tough I have this wonderful Father who loves me unconditionally.  Isn't that grand?  You don't get much better then that.

All videos are through YouTube

Bible Study 1 - Sharper Then A Two Edged Sword

Sharper Then A Two Edged Sword

I am sharing this link and picture of the book Sharper then a Two-Edged Sword by Andrew Wommack, so that you can buy the book.  I would like to do a bible study  once a week on the chapters in this book.  I started leading this class at my church, Orchard Road Christian Center in February, and found that I would like to share the information online.  I have learned so much, and found that the more I read of the bible and the book, the better understanding I have of what God is trying to tell us.  For instance, I did not understand before this class,  that once we invite Christ into our hearts we receive the Holy Spirit.  Before this,  I thought that receiving Christ and the Holy Spirit were two separate things.

I am sure there are many of you who already knew this information, and a Christian who is leaning everyday about God's Gifts to us.  I hope that you find this helpful, and I would love any and all input.  I always love hearing from people, and what they have to say.  I am hoping that we can start conversations about these questions.  I will be using the information from the sheets that I used in the class, I will use  the questions from the lessons and give some of the scripture that I feels helps answer the questions.

So now, onto Chapter 1 - Lesson 1 - True Christianity

I love this scripture, and felt that it was important to start with.

                For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
                believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
                                                                             John 3:16

Now if any of you watch football,  you have seen this all football season, because Tim Tebow former Denver Bronco, is an outspoken advocate of his Christianity.  I live in Denver, this made me very happy this year.  I am so sorry that they traded him.  What a role model he is for our young people!!!

1.  Why should I believe that Jesus actually lived or that He was anything more then a good man who taught who with wisdom?
There are prophesies in the Bible that tell us that God is going to send someone to us.

• But, Bethlehem, Ephrathah, though you are still little among the thousand of Judah,                   Yet out of you shall come forth to Me                                                                                             The one to be Ruler in Israel,                                                                                                          Whose goings forth are from old,                                                                                                    From Everlasting.                                                                                                                                                      Micah 5:2
•  Isaiah 53:3 to 53:12 talks about the Messiah                                                                                  53:3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.  And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised and we did not esteem Him. 4. surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.  5. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.  6.  All we like sheep have gone astray, We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.  7. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.  8. He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation?  For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.   9. And they made His grave with the wicked-  But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.  10:Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief, When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.  11. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.  By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.  12. Therefore I will divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death,  And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors. 
• Psalm 22:16                                                                                                                                     For the dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.  They pierced My hands and My feet.

• And last but not least Matthew 3:13 - 3:17  - if you read this, God declared that Jesus was his son.  He said it out loud at the baptism.  He declared it from Heaven.

2.  Why did God become a man and live in earth, and what does it mean for me?

• God became a man and lived on earth through Jesus Christ so that we could have and intimate relationship with Him.  When Adam and Eve were created they were born with the Spirit, and when the ate from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil their spirits died.  There became a spiritual separation from God.  (Gen 2)  After that all man was born of sin, except for Jesus, because he was born of a virgin. There was no sin passed to him. (Isiah 7:14 & Matthew 1:23    Sin is the barrier that separates us from God.  Jesus was God in flesh and he lived a sinless life.  He died on the cross for our sins, he took our punishment.  Christ has paid for all of our sins.  There is only one sin that separates us from God.   That is when we do not accept Jesus.  We have eternal salvation through the acceptance of Jesus. (Acts 4:12

 3. What if I want to believe something different: Can't I follow another religion and still meet with          God in the afterlife, as long as I am a good person?

•   John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
• I think this sums it up.  You can not get to heaven through works.  We would never be good enough.  How would we know what is good enough for God?  He is perfect, we are men and we are flawed, now matter how hard we try, we can never be perfect enough.  That is why we have to accept Jesus.
• Rom 3:23 All of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

4.  Why do I have to be born again to see the kingdom of God?  And what does it mean to be born  again?

• John 3:5 Verily, Verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
• Being born of the water is our natural birth, but being born of the Spirit is accepting Jesus Christ in your heart.  When we accept Christ in our heart we receive the spirit.  We are then no longer separated from God.
• We receive our relationship with God, it is not something we earn.  We can not buy our way into heaven with good deeds.  This is what separates Christianity from other religions.  We do not earn our relationship, we receive it.

5.  Is being born again just about getting into heaven when I die, or is there more?

• There is so much more then getting into heaven.  Being born again means that you can have a personal relationship with God.  It means that you can talk to him and hear what he has to say.  Being born again. 
• John 17:3 Tells us that Jesus died to give us eternal life and and eternal relationship with God.  Jesus died to give us this.  There are many blessings that God wants to bestow upon you, and this is done through Jesus.

6.  What do I need to do to be born again?

• Romans 10:9  If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved

I hope that this is relevant in your life, and that you desire to have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

If you have any questions please feel free to send me a message

Sincerely,
Debi

How to Unclog Your Drain Without Chemicals

I just watched this video about how to unclog your drain without chemicals.  I just tried it on my slow drainging bathtub.  It worked.  I use so many oils in my bath products that it causes a build up in my drain.  This just cleaned out my drain and now the water drains much faster.  I am posting a link to a video of Julie Edelman's video of how to do it. 

Ingredients:
Baking Soda
Vinegar
Boiling Water

Pour Baking Soda down drain, add vinegar.  When it stops foaming, pour boiling down the drain and presto it is cleaned out. 

What a great helpful hint!!!  Love That!!!

Julie Edelman's video on how to unclog your drain without harmful chemicals

Natural Cleaning Product Recipe Links

 I have come to love reading blogs.  I have favorite blogs that I read all of the time.  I wait impatiently for them to post their next blog, because they are so full of wonderful hints and recipes for everything from laundry detergent to coconut shampoo.  Now I am sure you are saying, really, this girl must have nothing else to do with her time, but I can guarantee you that my time is pretty full. 

I can tell you that they all inspire me.  Whether it is to do something for the community  or find something beautiful to read in The Bible like the blog Thoughts by Natalie http://thoughtsbynatalie.blogspot.com/, or making Jillee's Oxykleen from One Good Thing by Jillee http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/05/my-top-ten-favorite-homemade-cleaners.html,  I am most certainly always inspired. 

Today I am going to show how the blog One Good Thing by Jillee helped me to organize my laundry room.  Her pictures are always so pretty.  Then, when I am done, I am going to post a list of links to some of these sites.  I hope that you will explore them and let me know what you think.

Laundry room washer, dryer, and storage shelf


I, of course, did not think about taking a before picture.  Seems like I am always doing that.  Before cleaning this room I had all of the laundry products on the other side of the room around the sink, and towels and one of the baskets on the washer and dryer.  I also had a box of things the clean the lint from the dryer on top of the rack along one of the baskets. 



Laundry room sink area all cleaned up

The jar that is on top of the washer is full of Washing Soda, so that I can easily make Jillee's OxyKleen,
which I absolutely love.  The stuff works wonders.  I had a set of white sheets that were several years old and starting to grey.  I used Jillee's OxyKleen recipe and they are now white like snow.  It is amazing.

Here is a list of a few of the websites that I go to to find new things to make to help clean my house.  I hope that you find them useful also.

A Delightful Home

One Good Thing by Jillee

Frugal Granola

Pre-Shave Oil Recipe

My son has recently started shaving with a straight edge razor.  He said that he got ingrown hairs with the disposable blades.  Well, shaving with a straight edge blade requires a whole set of additional shaving toiletries.

I was trying to think of something personal I could make my son for his birthday, to go with his cards and gifts, and thought about shaving creams.  That was the first time I made the shaving cream from the blog Frugal Granola.  I posted the link to the recipe a few days ago.  We all love this shaving cream.  Then my son came to me about a week later and asked if I could make him Pre-Shave Oil.  It apparently helps the whiskers on a man's face stand up better so he can get a closer shave.

I asked him to bring me his little bottle of Pre-Shave Oil so that I could try to figure out the ingredients.  He brought me the bottle and low and behold, I already had almost everything on hand.  The only thing that I needed was clove oil and pepper oil.  The clove oil was easy to find,  I have still not found pepper oil,  I will probably need to go online to buy that.  Anyway, this is the recipe that I came up with after looking at and smelling his oil.   He uses it everyday and says it works great.  The recipe will follow below the picture.

I am not sure of the cost, but it probably only cost me 15 to 20 cents to make 2 and 1/2 ounces.  To buy this Pre-Shave Oil from The Art of Shaving would cost $22.00 for 2 ounces.  That is amazing,  I just looked it up online.  I can't believe how much that saves.

Pre-Shave Oil Recipe

2 oz. castor oil

1/2 oz olive oil

6 drops sandalwood essential oil

3 drops lavender essential oil

2 drops clove essential oil

Pour in a bottle and shake well.  That's it, a very easy recipe

Have fun, and please leave me any comments or recommendations

Debi

 Frugal Days -Sustainable Ways # 27 Link

Your Green Resource - Week 33 - Link

Upholstering My Couch

My couch has needed to be upholstered for some time.  I finally asked my husband if I could find inexpensive fabric, would it be okay for me to reupholster the couch.  He of course being a kind and wonderful husband said yes.  He actually is wonderful and kind, but more about him later.

I did not think about taking the picture before I started taking off the fabric, so the couch is already partially stripped of fabric and fringe.  There used to be fringe around the entire bottom of the couch.  It was very pretty when it was done 17 years ago, but alas, now it is dated.  I have been stripping the couch for about a week now.  I never realized how many stables were in  a couch.  You also have to use a tiny screwdriver to remove them,  my hands are certainly sore.  Anyway, I have now removed 1000's of staples, and as you can see below I am almost done with this part of reupholstering.

Dare you ask, has she done this before, no I have made slip covers, but never reupholstered something.  When I first started removing the fringe from the bottom, and it was too late to stop,  and I was thinking OMG what have I done.  Now I am not so afraid.  I am getting there.  The next part will be cutting and putting the fabrics together and then getting it onto the couch.  Again, with the staples.  Hopefully it will be easier getting them in then it was taking them out.  Below are pictures of the fabric that I am going to use.

I am getting excited.  Since I have never done this before, I have relied heavily on books to help me.  I believe that I can do anything if I have directions.  All of the books say that stripping the couch is the hard and boring part, putting the fabric on is the easy and fun part.  I am waiting for the fun, yeah!!!

Anyway,  when I get a little farther along, I will post more pictures, so that you can see the changes along with me.

Crunchy Betty's Food on Your Face - Book Review

I just read Crunchy Betty's Food on Your Face For Acne and Oily Skin ebook by Leslie Martin this morning.  It is a wonderful source of information on homemade, organic facial products.  It is geared towards acne prone and oily skin, but a lot of the recipes are great for all skin types.

Leslie Martin gives you valuable information on different oils, soaps, masks, and toners.  The information on different foods that you can use on your skin is invaluable.  I use honey in my moisturizer recipes and lip balms, but I did not know that you could also use it to wash your face.

This book is a definite must for anyone, but especially for people prone to breakouts.  You can buy her book at the link below.  It is definitely user friendly and you probably already have most of the ingredients in your house.

http://www.crunchybetty.com/buy-the-book