A Great Deal & Kitchen Table Makeover

Jake and I heard about a local furniture and accessory sale that was happening yesterday. A neighborhood builder was selling the furniture and decor from a model home. We decided to check it out with our friends Kim and Dave since Jake and I are in the market for a coffee table and tv stand. We all jumped in their car and headed to the sale and got there 10 minutes early.

We didn't find a tv stand or coffee table, BUT we did find...

• 4 dining room table chairs
• A bamboo sushi platter (Now I guess I need to try to make sushi!)
• A set of 4 tea plates (I didn't really want to buy these, but I dropped one of the plates and it broke...whoops!)
• A set of 6 white porcelain serving platters (they match my white serving bowls)
• 6 clothe napkins and cute napkin rings
• 6 woven round chargers (I've been wanting these!)
• 2 artificial hydrangea bouquets with vases (cute centerpieces)
• A set of 3 topiary decorations
• Set of 6 12"x12" square wrought iron wall hangings
• A gallon size Ball hermetic jar, which is great for dry goods or beverages
• A set of 2 floor-height candle holders
• AND a real foods cookbook!

Wow! That's a lot of stuff! My kitchen has definitely received a little makeover! 

The BEST part is that we only spent $60.00! Yes, sixty dollars.

Here is a picture of all of our treasures: I still can't believe that we bought everything in this picture for sixty dollars (excluding the table...that was already ours, but INCLUDING the chairs)! You don't find a deal like this everyday!

The chairs are perfect! I love the fabrics and they match our kitchen so well.

The floor-height candle holders also go with our kitchen.

I like these topiary decorations. I think they would look really great on a bookshelf!

These are the wall hangings we got. They also match our kitchen decor. I don't know where I will hang them, but I think they are great!

The chairs we got are great, but they have arm rests that didn't quite fit underneath our table, which is an antique and is lower than most kitchen tables. Whenever we entertain and have people sitting at both ends of the table, their legs touch the table when sitting in our chairs, which are also antiques. I've never been crazy about our current wooden chairs because they are very straight-back and not comfy. So, Jake decided to raise the table top so the new chairs fit nicely tucked underneath.

Kitchen table BEFORE with old chairs:

Kitchen table AFTER Jake lifted tabletop with wonderful new chairs:

The chairs are comfy which is great for enjoying a meal with great company or playing board games and cards!

Alice testing out the new chairs...

She likes them!

Fall Is Here!

One reason why I love Fall so much is because it is so festive! I absolutely love Fall foods - carmel apples, soups, squash, pumpkin, and all the other seasonal treats. To bring in the Fall season, Jake and I went to the Organic Apple Festival on Saturday and we had a blast. 

The festival was at the Rodale Institute which is a farm just down the road from our place. We took a wagon ride tour of the farm and I really enjoyed learning about all of the history - the farm originally belonged to William Penn. The farm is devoted to researching best practices in organic agriculture and they currently have the longest-running agriculture research study in the US. The study compares conventional chemical agriculture to organic methods. I think it is interesting that what they have found so far is that organic yields equally match conventional yields and it outperforms conventional in drought and environmental distress. I'm sure I'll be visiting this farm again!

In addition to the wagon ride, we enjoyed apple cider floats and other fall foods from organic vendors. We also picked 16 pounds of apples! I already made applesauce with all the apples...it freezes well and I love heating it up and enjoying hot homemade applesauce (loaded with cinnamon) in the fall and winter.

Apple Picking!

After church on Sunday, we went to a local farmers market and then enjoyed a long afternoon picnic at the Lehigh Parkway. I love the multiple farmers markets in our area. It is so nice to buy local meats, eggs, and veggies!

Jake and Tyler walking in the creek...

Love the really old covered bridge at the park. It was built in the 1800's.

As I am finishing up this post, I just want to say that I am already enjoying my hot applesauce on top of ice cream with cinnamon and oats. yum!

PS - SO excited to say that Jake and I have a new niece today! Congrats to Zach and Catherine on the birth of Mallory Kate! We can't wait to meet her!!

DIY Wall Art

Since Jake and I have moved into our townhouse, I have been looking for cheap, DIY decorating ideas. We have an open floor plan and a big empty wall that goes through the kitchen and living room.

 I have been trying to find something BIG that can go on that wall behind the kitchen table. I've seen wall art in magazines using embroidery hoops, and I got step-by-step directions from the Shabby Chic blog. I went out and got a few embroidery hoops and a paper mache "K". First I laid out the design on the floor:

Then I collected my fabric. The colors in the kitchen are red, burnt orange and brown.

Then I painted the "K" ivory.

After that, I assembled the fabric on the hoops. First, unscrew the hoop and pull the rings apart. Lay the center ring on the floor underneath the fabric.

Then place the outer ring over top of the fabric and screw it back together.

Cut off the excess fabric along the edge of the ring.

And, the finished product...

I used my negotiating skills to purchase the slightly defective "K" for 50% off at the craft store, so I got it for $5 instead if $10. The damage is on the backside of it, so it didn't even matter. The embroidery hoops were $1.25 each. Overall, a pretty inexpensive project!

Make Your Own Mayo

I've never liked mayonnaise...never will. But, I am married to a man that eats it on his sandwiches! I decided that since I already have all of the ingredients for homemade mayo in my kitchen, why not try to whip up a batch for him! I can't tell you if this recipe is good or not since I don't like mayo, but Jake seems to like it.

Ingredients:
2 Egg Yolks
1 T Apple Cider Vinegar
1 t Dry Mustard
1/2 t Salt
1 1/4 c Olive Oil

Directions:
Using a whisk, mix yolks, vinegar, mustard, and salt. Add olive oil drop by drop at first and then graduating into a thin stream.

Best Laundry Soap Recipe

I've been experimenting with my homemade laundry soap. I've made different liquid and powder versions, but this one is the easiest and it seems to do the job:

Powdered Soap for Top Loading Machine:

1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (Not Baking Soda!)
½ Cup Borax

Grate soap until powdered. Mix all ingredients. For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons.

Yields: 3 Cups detergent. (Approx. 40 loads)

Recipe costs approx $2/batch which is $.05/load!


It's the little things in life that make me happy...Like this shelf in the "laundry" corner of the basement (Notice the iron is still in the box!)

DIY Cleaning Supplies

I never thought twice about cleaning products…until I became a home owner. There are a few reasons why I looked into creating my own cleaning supplies:

1. I keep the majority of my cleaning supplies underneath the kitchen sink. Whenever I opened the cabinet to get a bottle of cleaner, I would hold my breath because the smell of the harsh chemicals were so strong! This just didn’t seem right...


2. I started reading the labels. The contents of commercial cleaning ingredients are a little worrisome and may leave somewhat of a footprint on the environment. Why would I want to clean with something that says, “Chemicals in this product have been known to cause cancer in the state of California”!?!


3. I strongly dislike shopping for cleaning products. If you go to the cleaning aisle at the store, there are tons of different options and different solutions for everything and they aren’t cheap!


So, in an effort to live simply…I decided to make my own cleaning supplies!

So far, I have created my own laundry soap, automatic dishwasher soap, dish soap, all-purpose cleaner, and bathroom disinfectant. As I continue to phase out my commercial cleaning products, I am planning on making toilet bowl cleaner, oven cleaner, kitchen floor cleaner, scouring powder...and the list goes on.

Once you make your first homemade cleaning product, I think you’ll be hooked. I always add a few drops of essential oils into my cleaners and the aroma of lavender or lemon or eucalyptus is heavenly! It definitely beats the smell of chemicals. Also, lots of essential oils have bacteria-fighting qualities that aid in the cleaning process!


Here are more great reasons to make your own cleaners:


·Cost – You can buy a jug of vinegar and a box of baking soda for less than $5.00. This will be a lot more versatile and last WAY longer than your standard chemical cleaner.
·Environmentally friendly
·Sustainability – Get out of the cleaning aisle at Walmart and make your own! It is gratifying to make it yourself and gain some independence from consumerism/advertising
·Knowledge of ingredients – I stopped taking vitamins because I didn’t know what was in them. Now, I no longer have to wonder about the contents of my cleaners! I can pronounce the ingredients and count them on one hand.
·Personal development – I am a learner. Making your own cleaners involves a little bit of research and resourcefulness.
·They work! Don't be brainwashed into thinking you have to have the best of the best chemical cleaner to get the job done.

I suggest the book The Naturally Clean Home...it is where I have gotten the majority of my cleaning recipes. Or check out this cute collection of recipes off of Etsy. Eartheasy also has a really great article on non-toxic cleaning. It even includes recipes and substitutions.