My hubby went through the house and changed all the lightbulbs, and before he could recycle them I said, “Wait, I can use those for this project!” He may have given me that “year, sure” look, but I really had an idea for these little bulbs. I’ve been wanting to create a hanging lightbulb herb vase FORever and now I’ve done it and I love them. I didn’t really want floral vases, I wanted little herb vases. When you pluck a bit of rosemary or sage, the smell is amazing! We have an amazing amount of herbs always available in our yard (our rosemary grows year round) and if we need a bit for cooking, it’s right there. Ready to make one for yourself? Let’s go!

Supplies:

- Old lightbulbs

- Martha Stewart’s Multi-Surface Paint

- Painter’s Tape

- Wire

Directions: 

- First we need to prep the bulbs. Make sure you are wearing protective eyewear and gloves. Prepping the bulbs involves breaking glass, and it seems to fly everywhere! Do this project in a space you’re not worried to find little bits of glass later, cause you will find little bits of glass later. Be safe.

- Use a set of pliers to pry off the little metal disk on the base of the bulb.

- Using pliers or some sort of point, crack apart the glass inside of the bulb. When it’s broken up, pore out the glass. If there are any stuck pieces, use needle nose pliers to pull them out. Break away any extra bits of glass inside the rim. Pour some water in the bulb to swish it around and get any last little teeny bits of glass.

- Wash and completely dry the outside of each bulb. Use your painters tape to set up some fun shapes on the bulb. Tear and adjust the tape to your liking.

- Paint in the spaces you prepped for painting. Let dry completely before removing the tape. TIP: I put a chopstick inside each bulb and propped them up in glasses to dry.

- So, the Martha Stewart paint requires 21 days to cure completely, but I didn’t really wait for that. Since I’m not putting this in a dishwasher, I think it’s probably ok.

- Cut a couple 10 inch sections of wire. Make a “U” shape with one of the wires, and fold up the tips on each end (see photo below) and this will be your handle. Make a rough circle with the other wire piece, loop the tips onto the circle.

- Use some needle nose pliers to twist and tighten the wire on one of the lightbulb ridges and the tips of the “U” handle. Trim the extra bits of wire.

- You’re done! Just needs a bit of wire and some smelltastic herbs.

We hung these lovely vases in our kitchen. I love it.

- Chelsey

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If you have a Wednesday post, please feel free to link it up below. And, feel free to link up to these blogs too… Parenting by Dummies, Project Alicia, Jenni from the Blog, In The Moment With, and Live and Love Outloud.

This past week I took on something new… A full on DIY with my kiddo. With her help. It was hard, but we did it. I’ll chat more about working with my kiddo at home, but for this moment I really just want to share what we made. Cardboard Playhouses! I’ve been seeing these wonderful creations ALL over Pinterest (I mean, where else) and I have wanted to make this for R. It’s cheap and easy. That’s perfect for me.

Directions:

- it’s all pretty easy… but the basic idea is starting with a couple of large boxes. There was an awesome guy that helped us, at Home Depot, to find these damaged boxes.

- Unfold the box and use masking tape to connect the flap edges of the box or boxes.

- Use a permanent marker to draw on doors and windows.

- Cut out the doors and windows with an xacto knife (watch your fingers).

- We decided to turn our 2 boxes into one giant row house, cutting a door on the inside and taping it together.

- I added some cardboard to the roof area to add height (especially since my kiddo is so tall. Put on the roof.

- If you’d like a shingled roof, cut out little rectangle shapes for the roof top. Scalloped roof? Use some paper and cut scallops out. Tape on with clear tape.

- Add paint to any doors/windows. Let dry.

- Tape or ModPodge on some cute wrapping paper onto your home. I went with ModPodge, since I know this will help keep this home cleanish for a bit longer.

- Do any touchups, and you’re done!

The kiddo has LOVED this. It’s long enough she can lay down in it (for about 10 more minutes). This was a fun project to create with my kiddo.

Enjoy!

- Chelsey

P.S. one of my favorite cardboard house inspirations is from Skunkboy Creatures.

I realized, AFTER I shared my Apple Pie Butter recipe, that I never shared how to actually do the Water Bath Canning Method. I am, by no means, an expert… but I’ve researched a ton and referenced a couple of reliable websites (at the end) for this post (plus my random tips). Water bath canning is the most simple method for preserving high acid – foods (I haven’t even attempted pressure canning… it’s a bit intimidating). BUT, I’ve had a ton of fun working with the water method. I’m sharing how you can do it! Check it out:

Tools you may need:

If you’re completely new to canning, I recommend buying this kit. Saves money buying it all together. BUT, if you already have some of the tools… here’s a list:

- A boiling water canner (or a large pot with a lid) with a canning rack

- Canning funnel

- Jar lifter

- Magnetic lid lifter

- Canning bands and lids

- Canning jars (if you use old jars, make sure they were meant for canning and have zero chips or nicks)

- Wooden spoons

- Ladel

How-to:

- Gather your recipe ingredients and all info (including how many jars you will need).

- Wash jars in the dish washer, or warm soapy water. Check your jars for any nicks and chips, and don’t use those jars if you find them (the jar may not properly seal).

- Fill your boiling water canner with water and place your jars in. The water should be about 2 inches above the jars. Heat the jars to a simmer at medium heat, until ready to use.

- Place your lids in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring the lids to a simmer over medium heat. Do not boil the lids, this may damage the seal. Keep your jars hot until ready to use (this will prevent breakage when filling).

- Prepare your recipe using fresh veggies or fruit.

- Remove a hot jar from the pot, using the jar lifter, and dumping the water back into the canner.

- Filling one can at a time, use the jar funnel to fill the jar. Make sure to leave the recipe’s recommended head space (if not specified 1/4 inch for soft spread, or 1/4 inch for fruits, pickles, salsa, and tomatoes).

- Remove air bubbles by gently tapping the base of the jar on a hard surface, and/or run a rubber spatula or the handle of a wooden spoon along the edge of the jar 2 to 3 times.

- Use a clean damp cloth to remove any food debris from the rim and threads on the jar.

- Remove one lid from the heated water using the magnetic wand.

- Center the lid on the jar (allowing the sealing compound to come in contact with the jar rim). Apply the band and twist till fingertip tight (don’t make it too tight).

- Place your filled jars into the canner. Make sure the water covers the jars by 1 to 2 inches (if you’ve lost water during the process, add some warm water from the heated lids pan).

- Place the lid on the canner. Bring the jars back to a rolling boil: that’s when you start your processing time.

- Process the jars for what your recipe, adjusting for altitude (here’s an altitude chart).

- When your processing time is up, turn off the heat and let the jars sit in the water for 5 minutes.

- Remove the jars from the canner and place on a towel. Let the jars cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours. Don’t tighten the bands, because that will mess with the sealing process!

- After 24 hours, check the lids for proper seal. Push the center of the lid. The lid should NOT pop up and down. Remove the band and try to gently lift the jar with your fingertips on the lid, the lid should not come off. If the lid comes off, place it in the refrigerator and eat it within a week or so.

- Clean, store, and label your jars in a cool dark space (label with the month and year). Your preserved goods can be saved for a year (give or take).

- Enjoy!

I hope this helps you! I need to thank the Ball website for help with this post. Visit their water bath canning page to see visuals for this process. The Dummies website also has quick straight-forward instructions for this method. Sooooo, I’m in a preservation club. We gather once a month to swap the goodies we’ve made (I mean… I really don’t need 8 jars of pickled carrots). There IS actually a food swap website to share some info for you to start your own food swap club! Check it out.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you’ve tired canning… or if you will be trying it for your very first time. Happy Tuesday!

- Chelsey

I finally tried it, Homemade Laundry Detergent! ANnnnnnnd, it does work. I’m not going to do the math and get all crazy about my costs per load… but I am saving money by making my own! And, why not just make everything? Ha! Seems like that’s what I’m doing for EVERYthing anyway. I’ll share  a quick rundown of how I made this (This is the same recipe I’ve found on 40 billion different sites… so I’m not sure of the original source. I can tell you it DOES work):

Ingredients:

1.5 cups of Borax (a natural laundry booster)

1.5 cups Arm & Hammer’s Washing Soda (NOT baking soda)

1 bar of Castille soap (I used Dr. Bronner’s peppermint bar)

Directions:

- Use a cheese grater to grate up your Castille soap.

- In a food processor, blend your grated up soap and a 1/2 cup of Borax and a 1/2 cup of Washing Soda until blended (you want those shreds of soap to be small).

- Pour the blended soap into a bowl with the remaining Borax and Washing Soda. Stir until it’s all blended really well.

- Pour into a jar that has a seal (keep it fresh) and seal.

- When washing your clothes: Use one to two tablespoons of your homemade powder per load. We usually prefer to wash in cold water, and it’s been working!

Side note: the Dr. Bronner’s Castile Peppermint Soap smells like peppermint chocolate.. don’t eat it. Hee hee. Just kidding! I know you wont eat it. I hope.

- Enjoy all that money you’re saving.

- ALSO: The peppermint smell is wonderful, but sometimes we want must a teensy bit more good smells. SO, we add laundry scent. On occasion. It works.

ANDPLUSALSO:

If you make you’re own detergent, you’re going to need a cute jar to seal it in. It’s pretty easy to add the gold painted “wash” word to your jar… here’s how…

- Wash and dry the outside of your glass.

- Print and cut out a word from my “Wash and Laundry” Printout.

- Tape a small piece (red side down) of Saral Paper to your jar and tape your word over the Saral paper.

- Trace the outline of the words with a ballpoint pen.

- Remove your paper and you’ll notice a wonderful red line to follow while you paint!

- Using some Martha Stewart Multi Surface Paint, paint in your words. If needed add more layers of paint (letting the paint dry for about 1 hour between each layer). I ended up using 3 layers of paint.

- Let dry. NOTE: on the back of the paint bottle, it notes that you need to let the paint cure for 21 days before washing or handling too rough. AFTER that: you should be good! I’ve heard great things about this paint.

If you give this a try, let me know! I’d love to see how it works for you. Happy washing!

- Chelsey