DIY Life

For the last couple of days, the weather has been humid, without much wind to cool it off. It was hot enough outside that I had to split the lawn mowing into two days. I will not complain, though, as I will take the heat, sans humidity, any day of the year.

Unfortunately, it gets pretty hot in my house too, as we don't have much shade or air conditioning. It wasn't enough that I had cold water to drink: I needed something more to help cool down my body temperature. I wasn't prepared, but next time, you can bet I will be with these 6 simple frozen treats I can concoct myself.

Thought you had to spend a pretty penny to eat healthy? Sometimes it seems that way, with organic packaged food being all the rage these days. You know you are a creative do-it-yourself-er, or you wouldn't be reading this post, so I have faith that you can eat healthy without losing your shirt.

What we all may forget is that most healthy foods aren't found in the packaged foods section of the market. Instead, WebMD suggests that there are ten healthy foods you can purchase, each for under a dollar or close to it.

Some produce makes the list, like bananas and apples, while some canned and dry foods, like beans, tomatoes, and lentils round out the list. And let's not forget the yogurt!

What does this mean to you as a healthy DIYer?

• You can save money and eat healthy foods.
• It is easy to keep your pantry stocked with healthy foods.
• Teaching your kids about healthy foods and being frugal is a snap.
• Making dinners such as Greek Pasta with Tomatoes and White Beans can be second nature.
• Compiling your own additions to the list of cheap, healthy foods is on your "to do" list. Here are some of mine: frozen organic spinach, fresh broccoli, kiwis, eggs ...
  

I consider myself a frugal person. When it comes to buying anything new, I check my local thrift stores or shop on eBay to see if I can get the item cheaper. It seems that the only time I decide to spend too much money is when I go to the grocery store hungry.

Besides clipping coupons and going without a night on the town with my husband, I wondered what else I could do to step up my frugality. Lynnae over at beingfrugal.net asked her readers to send her their frugal tips on surviving when money is tight and dollars need to be stretched. Her readers came through in a big way, so she compiled a list of 168 frugal tips to survive a recession.

From saving money on grocery shopping, utilities, transportation, and clothing to saving money on miscellaneous necessities, Lynnae breaks down the great tips her readers have offered into nine categories. While not all the tips are feasible for everyone, there certainly are tips that everyone will be able to utilize.

[via: Curbly]

Gradient tights (also known as "dip-dyed" or "ombré") have been hot on the fashion runway in the recent past, making notable appearances at Prada and Lacroix; other clothing that fades gradually from one shade into another, in a few large, diffuse stripes, will also be visible this spring and summer.

Jennine, of the style blog The Coveted, badly wanted a pair of ombré tights, but found that the rare pair she could find were too expensive for her to justify the purchase. Instead, she treated a pair of light-colored tights to a home dye-bath.

A simple special process is used, so if you're interested in getting this look, read more about it after the break.

I love the smell of fresh clothes still warm from the dryer, but then again, who doesn't? What I don't like is having to pay an arm and a leg for dryer sheets. I cut dryer sheets in half so that a box of 80 becomes a box of 160, but then that little half sheet curls up in the dryer, and the clothes don't smell as fresh.

Most of the time, I use vinegar in my wash machine, and it works just as well as liquid fabric softener to freshen and soften my clothing. In the dryer, I always pop a half sheet of Bounce, but I want a cheaper way to get my clothing static free. Thanks to Curbly, I found that way, with these recipes for making your own dryer sheets.

1. Pour fabric softener into a spray bottle, spray an old washcloth 4-6 times, and then put in the dryer with the wet clothes. A small refill carton should last you over 1 year.
   
2. In a pail, such as an ice cream container, mix one gallon water and one cup concentrated liquid fabric softener. Every time you do laundry, dip an old washcloth into the mix, wring out, and dry with your clothes. Put the lid on the pail and don't forget to label both the pail and lid.
3. Pour a 50/50 mix of fabric softener and water into a spray bottle, spray your wet clothes 3 or 4 times, or an old washcloth, then put the rag in the dryer. Basically the same as the first recipe, but less concentrated.
   
4. Mix equal parts hair conditioner and water in a spray bottle, spritz a washcloth, and dry with the wet clothes. I wouldn't recommend this recipe too often, as hair conditioner can be very expensive.
5. Vinegar with a few drops of essential oil misted on an old washcloth works just as well, and is much cheaper than dryer sheets.

One fabric softened rag should last about 5 loads before you have to wash it. Old pieces of flannel work great too, if you don't have any old washcloths kicking around. Don't forget to wash your rags every once in a while too, not only to remove build up, but to keep them from smelling funky.

Everywhere you look, you see someone wearing a skull cap or a bandana. Cowboys, whether in movies or real life, wear them tied across their face to keep the dust out of their nose and mouth. They also keep them tied around their necks to wipe the sweat off their face. My dad used a bandana as a handkerchief.

I came across an article on Wisebread, written by the very talented Myscha Theriault. She writes about bang up ideas for bandanas, and sends you off to read the many links that accompany her awesome article. I absolutely love her article and I too have put many of the fascinating ideas to use.

I like the fact that Myscha mentions using bandanas as no sew window valances, as I had written a blog for DIY Life about that very thing back in July. Some of her other ideas I like for using bandanas include making toddler pants and a toddler dress, no sew pillows, using bandanas to wrap up a homemade gift and making a beach bag. Be sure to read the article, as it will keep you busy with things to do with bandanas for quite some time, and give you lots of ideas for Christmas gifts.

Summer is officially over and it's time to pack up summer things and make room for fall and winter. I have lots of old beach towels that just aren't going to make it through another summer. Our local thrift store isn't interested in them because they can't sell them, and they cost the store time and money when they end up having to throw the towels out.

I'd really rather not throw these out, so I went looking for ways to re-purpose them. After the break I'll let you in on 10 uses for old beach towels. I'd love to hear your ideas too.

Being a frugal person, I am always trying to save money. I can't stand wasting my dollars on things that I can only use once before I have to throw it away. I cut my dryer sheets in half so I get two loads of fresh smelling laundry instead of one. My clothing smells just as nice as if I had used an entire sheet.

How about eliminating the dryer sheet altogether? You can eliminate fabric softener by adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup of vinegar to your load of laundry and amazingly, it works. It also means that your clothes are odor free. If you like a nice smelling garment, TipNut has an excellent article with instructions on how you can make lavender dryer bags that can be used over and over again.

All you need is some cotton muslin or cheesecloth squares, some thread and some lavender. Sew your pieces of cloth together, throw in some lavender, and finish stitching up the bag and you are ready to dry some laundry. Best of all, when the lavender no longer has smell, you can crush it up and drop it on your carpet. Then when you vacuum, you'll have nice smelling rugs. I am so going to try this awesome idea! How about you?