DIY Life

Make your own car shampoo and save a few bucks. It's easy! Remember: there's nothing very magical in the store-bought bottles of car wash solution. All you need is some detergent that will remove dirt and oil residue without damaging paint. Here are some suggestions:

The site MakeYourOwn recommends the following recipe:

• 1 cup liquid dish detergent
• 12 T powdered laundry detergent
• 1 large bucket of water

If, like me, you want to avoid washing any harmful substances into our waterways, here's an environmentally-friendly solution from About.com:

Kids love kites and the kids in all of us loves kites too. Have you ever tried to make your own kite? Without proper instructions it can be difficult. I remember trying to make my own kite as a kid and being a miserable failure. It probably had something to do with the fact that I was using poster board and sticks from the tree in the front yard but hey, I was trying.

WikiHow has a fun make your own kite project using the much more flyable plastic grocery bag. While its not the world's most attractive kite it does seem to be very functional. Granted, I haven't done this one personally so if it doesn't work I can't help you. This does seem to be a fun project to try with your kids and a way to get them out of the house away from TV and video games for a time.

If you decide to try this let me know how it works. I'd love to know that there is yet another use for the ever present plastic shopping bag.