DIY Framed Magnetic Board

Recently, my husband and I updated our kitchen and during that process got all new stainless steel appliances.  With all the planning involved, one thing we did not account for was that we would no longer be able to display our six year old's art work on our refrigerator anymore. This made all of us sad, so naturally we started looking for a solution. It had to be really simple because we were done with DIY projects after our kitchen remodel.

One day while at a hardware store looking for air filters, I noticed that sheet metal came in 24x36 inch sheets which just so happens to be a standard frame size. It is also big enough to display more than a few pieces of our daughter's art. Perfect!

I found a frame to match our décor and since the sheet metal was the exact size of the frame there was no cutting involved. I just replaced the glass with the sheet metal and kept the cardboard and pressboard backing as support for the new magnet board.

There are so many uses for this project. It's a simple and affordable way to create a display board for home, work, and for your kids. My next project is to make one for our toddler so we can still use her alphabet magnets and other magnetic toys.

Cheers!

How to Grow Your Own Ginger

 

 

I love cooking with ginger, but unless I use it frequently, that nice fresh piece of ginger dries out quickly in my refrigerator.

A few years ago, I started growing ginger in my garden, but it only lasted through the spring and summer months. I would inevitably lose the plant over the winter and have to start over again in the spring. Recently, I learned ginger grows well indoors year round!

 

This is so exciting because nothing compares to using fresh ginger out of the ground. Whether you plan to use it for tea, cooking , or natural remedies, growing it at home gives you the best version the ingredient in the most convenient and affordable way.

 

How to Start Growing Your Own Ginger:

 

Next time you go to the store find a nice fresh piece of ginger. Make sure it is not too dried out. Look for places where new shoots may begin to grow. I have found that the best ginger roots for growing can typically be found at local international markets or farmers markets where the product may be sourced closer than the big box stores.

 

Once you get your ginger root home place it in a shallow bowl of water. Change the water frequently to keep the root fresh and free from mold. After about a week, you should start to see new growth on the root. At this point you can plant it in a pot with a 50/50 mix of soil and compost. Ginger has shallow roots, so it is better to use a wide and shallow pot.

 

Ginger also grows quickly, so give it a few weeks to establish itself before you start cutting pieces off for use. When you are ready to harvest you do not need to uproot the entire plant. Just feel around in the soil for a piece about the size you need and break or cut that piece away from the plant. Do your best not to disturb the root system of the rest of the plant.

 

And there you have it, fresh ginger on demand. 

Homemade Coconut Mint Toothpaste

Homemade
Coconut Mint
Toothpaste

In an attempt to reduce the toxic body burden on my family I have been experimenting with homemade all natural body care products.  Toothpaste, as we know it wasn't invented until the late 19th century and even then the products we use today do not resemble some of the earlier, less toxic, recipes. When a homemade version works just as well as a store bought product, is non-toxic, and so easy to make, why not make it yourself?

 

Here are the ingredients you will need:

• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 5 tablespoons baking soda (or bentonite clay for a less salty taste)
• 10-20 drops of peppermint essential oil
• xylitol powder (optional)

 

Mix all the ingredients together till it forms a paste. Brush and enjoy!

 

Tips:

• Depending on the temperature you may need to warm up the coconut oil so it mixes evenly and easily with your other ingredients.
• The more essential oil you use you may also need to add up to an additional 1/2 tablespoon of the baking soda or bentonite clay powder to get a nice consistency.

Lavender Coconut Sugar Scrub Recipe

Scrubs are fun to use and easy to make. Whether you are trying to "green" your beauty routine or just looking for a simple scrub recipe, this scrub is definitely one you'll want to make again. It is not too hard or too oily making it easy to handle in the shower. In addition, it smells divine while exfoliating and moisturizing your skin. Here's what you'll need:

     

• 1/2 cup organic sugar
• 1 cup organic coconut oil
• 1/2 cup dried lavender
• 20 drops lavender oil
• mixing bowl and spoon
• measuring cups
• small containers

Mix all of the ingredients together. You may need to warm the coconut oil under warm water in the jar before measuring. Softening the oil just a bit makes it easier to both measure and stir.

When you are done mixing, spoon the scrub into your containers. It's beautiful, it smells delicious, and it makes your skin feel so soft.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

UPCYCLE: Glass Jars

We recycle everything we can recycle in my family, but where I live they have stopped taking glass. At first, we saved the glass assuming they would begin taking it again as soon as they found another facility, but unfortunately it has been years now and there is no glass recycling in sight. It kills me to throw away glass and if you look in our laundry room cupboards you will see that I don't.

Because our cabinets are limited on space, I can't keep hoarding glass unless I can find a way to reuse or upcycle it. This is an easy and attractive way that I've found to reuse some of the jars in our house.

You can use them as storage canisters for paperclips, buttons, leftovers, and so much more. They are BPA free and the chalkboard paint makes for easy labeling. They have even been mistaken for new store bought storage canisters.

 For this project you will need:

• chalk board spray paint
• newspaper
• glass jars, with labels removed
• chalk

Place the lids on the newspaper and spray evenly with the chalk board paint. Let them dry and voila!

 

 

 

The Pomegranate Mystery Has Been Solved

I love pomegranate, but for years I never bought it. For the life of me, I could not figure out how to open one without making a huge mess and staining my hands and anything near me in the process. Until now. I learned a trick from a friend that will put pomegranate on your grocery list, but not under your fingernails.  Below I will show you an easy step by step way to eat this delicious fruit:

 

1. When looking at your pomegranate you will notice that there are slight ridges running from top to bottom along the sides of the fruit. 



 

 

 

         2. Using a sharp knife, score the fruit along the ridge only cutting through the skin.

 

 

         3.  Repeat step 2 along another ridge. Your score marks should meet at the top and bottom
              of the fruit.

          4. Pry the fruit apart along the score marks. It should open pretty easily, so if it is giving you
              trouble you may just need to make the score marks a little deeper where your score marks
              meet at the top and bottom of the fruit.

 

 

Now you can eat your pomegranate mess free. Enjoy!