Lovey Dovey

I made this plaque to give our mantle a little "Valentines" feel. We have absolutely no valentines-y decorations in our house, which is sad because it's a nice time to pause and be thankful for the loved ones in our life. (Even if it is a made up holiday exploited by card and candy manufacturers!) Hee hee.

I used a wooden plaque that I spray-painted red. The quote is from the song "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. (If you haven't heard it, which is pretty impossible since it is plastered all over dozens of commercials, do yourself a favor and check it out!) I cut the letters out of black vinyl using my Silhouette Cameo. The font is 5th Grade Cursive.

Love is in the air. Can you feel it?

My Cloth Diaper Routine

I've been wanting to share a little about cloth diapering lately. This is something I've become increasingly excited about since I bought my first cloth diaper almost a year ago. Cloth diapering is not only a great option for the environment, it's also a wonderful option for your pocket book. I think there are some misconceptions about it, so hopefully I can shed some light on the subject and maybe even offer a few tips along the way.

Cloth diapering does require more time and energy. If I were still working full time, I definitely would not be able to do this. I probably do an extra two to three loads of laundry per week. Since I work at home, I don't mind this. I make time for it and even try to find some joy in it along the way.

Some people I've talked with think that cloth diapering is gross. My opinion is that it's no more gross than regular diapering. In either case, there are going to be times when you get your hands dirty, and stink up your bathroom. I've learned a few tricks that have helped keep the gross factor at a minimum.

This roll of wonderful-ness is my first trick. They're called "nappy-liners" and they are marvelous. They look similar to a roll of fabric softeners. I use these to line my diapers, so when my child poops, it catches everything and can be neatly thrown into the toilet and flushed. These work about 90% of the time to catch everything. I've heard that they can be washed and re-used (considering your child only peed and did not poop in them), but since they are only about $5 or $6 for a roll, I just dispose of them each time. I buy mine on Amazon.

I purchased a sturdy, stainless steel garbage pail to keep the dirty diapers in. (Of course I had to decorate mine, especially after I visited a friend's house and saw how cute hers was!) It works pretty well at keeping odors in. A friend of mine even puts drops of tea tree oil in hers, and swears the oil smell overpowers any odor from the diapers.

I line the inside of my trash pail with a special liner for cloth diapers. I also purchased this on Amazon.

I have sort of a love-hate relationship with this little gadget. It loves me and I hate it. Mostly. Remember when I told you the nappy-liners take care of the job about 90% of the time? I use this little contraption the 10% of the time the liners don't get the job done. It's a diaper sprayer and it hooks up to your toilet to spray mess into it. The only problem is that the trigger is way sensitive and I usually end up spraying poopy water onto my bathroom floor. Grrr. I didn't say cloth diapering was perfect, people. ;)


Finally, this is the wonderful, all-natural detergent I use to clean my diapers. It works with HE washers and really gets everything squeaky clean. Have you had experience with cloth diapers? I'd love to hear about it, both good and bad!

Fun With Instagram & Washi Tape

My husband surprised me the other day with some Instagram prints he had mailed to us using the Postalpix app.

I attached some to the wall in Gibson's room using some Washi tape I got on sale at Anthropologie just before the Holidays.

I also used it to hang up this awesome owl alphabet print I got from Gingiber's etsy shop.

I'm kind of obsessed with Instagram and Washi tape as of late. Do you Instagram? If so, follow me @ashleymichelleturner!

Not Your Mama's Enchiladas

I try new recipes I find on Pinterest on a pretty consistent basis. It isn't often that I find a keeper. Last night restored my hope in Pinterest recipes. I made these Bubble Up Enchiladas and they were delish. Don't be fooled by the name. It's not really enchiladas. It's more like a casserole. The dish gets its name from one of the ingredients, enchilada sauce.

Oh, did I forget to mention it's only 5 WW points? This is definitely going to be a new staple in the Turner house. To get the recipe, click here.

And the Greatest of These Is...

When we moved into our house a few years ago, I found a boat load of frames that the previous owner left behind. Since then I've been having fun finding ways to use them! I spray painted one of the frames grey (I've been stuck on this color for a while now) and used some heat transfer vinyl to make this Scripture quote. After I painted the frame, I took a rough sponge and scuffed up some random places to give it a worn look. The background is leftover muslin from my Chalkboard Wreath.

I used my Silhouette Cameo to design it. For FAITH, I picked the Anderson Four Feather font (say that five times fast). I used Capitals for HOPE, and for LOVE, I picked the font, Rio Grande. When using heat transfer vinyl, you're supposed to flip the image backwards before cutting. I didn't picture this step because I almost forgot to do this! I would have been one mad chica!

I ironed the muslin.

Then, after the vinyl was cut, I positioned it on the muslin where I wanted it.

I ironed the vinyl onto the muslin. This part was tricky. Heat Transfer Vinyl has not been my friend. It's kind of tricky to work with and has been known to make one think mean thoughts.

I cut the muslin to fit the size of my frame.

And, voila! I'm pretty sure this is my favorite project yet. Faith, hope, love. And the greatest? You guessed it. Love.

Sunshine Day

We played outside in the huge park behind our house today.

It was a beautiful, warm, sunshine-y day.

I'm so glad I skipped my Sunday afternoon nap for this.

Featured Again!

My bicycle canvas was featured in the "A Punch of Color in Yellow" Treasury! Click here to view the entire Treasury.

Chalkboard Wreath

I made this Chalkboard Wreath tonight.

I used a wooden plaque that I spray painted with chalkboard paint a while back.

Some other supplies I used:
Styrofoam ring
Half a yard of muslin (my wreath was smallish)
Felt

Here's what you'll need to do to make your own Chalkboard Wreath:

First, make yourself a big ol' mug of Godiva hot chocolate.

Now you're ready to cut your muslin into strips. This would be a great project to use up any extra scraps of material you have. Burlap. Linen. Whatevs.

Wrap your strips of fabric around your ring. Dot hot glue to keep it in place.

Glue your chalkboard plaque to the front of your wreath. The front of your wreath, people. Not the back. ;)

Make some cute felt flowers. Add some buttons or pearls.

Attach felt flowers! This would be a super cute wreath to make for the teacher friend in your life.
I love the versatility of it. I can't wait to write all the quirky messages that I'm sure will pop into my brain!

Show Your Support for Walgreens

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you heard about the new changes taking place at Walgreens? As of January 1, Walgreens has been dropped as an Express Scripts Inc provider.  This means that military personnel, their families, and retirees using Tricare for their insurance needs will no longer be able to use Walgreens pharmacies to get their medications.  The decision affects thousands of military personnel and their families.  Obviously, this decision is outraging those directly affected by it, and more than a quarter of a million people have already signed an online petition.  Walgreens and Express Scripts

Walgreens has a prescriptions savings club that offers discounts on medications.  Without these discounts, families affected will not only have to find a new pharmacy to service them, but will likely also be paying more for their meds.  Prescription Savings Club at Walgreens

Walgreens wants to help support and serve our troops who have given so much of their lives to serve our country.  Express Scripts Inc is currently preventing them from being able to do that.  What can you do to help?  There are several ways you can get involved!

Follow Walgreens on Twitter to help support their cause and stay updated.  Walgreens on Twitter

Like Walgreens on Facebook for another way to show your support and stay in the loop.  Encourage your friends to do the same.  Walgreens on Facebook

 

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I made a batch of laundry detergent today. There are several recipes on the blogosphere for making your own detergent. I have only made the dry, powder detergents (as opposed to the liquid detergents) because they don't require any cooking, and the less fuss the better for me. I have friends who make liquid detergents and swear by them, though. If you want the recipe for the detergent pictured above, click here.

Another recipe I've used in the past includes:
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
1 cup baking soda
1/4 cup castille soap (find this at a health foods store, or Amazon)

Mix dry ingredients together, then mix in castille soap. Store in an air tight container. Use about 1/4 cup per load.

Instead of fabric softener, use vinegar. Also, if you're using an HE machine, it's best to pour your DIY detergent straight into the barrel instead of the little compartment.

May your day be filled with clean laundry!

Let's Get Organized!

I've been having a hard time managing my time lately, so I made this little lovely to help me stay on track. Each day I can write a goal for that particular day that I really need to get accomplished. The black rectangles are chalkboard vinyl, but you could definitely make this with chalkboard paint and get the same effect. I used one of the vintage frames I bought a few months ago for two dollars!

I began by spray-painting the frame grey. Or gray. However you prefer. ;)

I made the text using black vinyl on my Silhouette.


Then I added the chalkboard vinyl rectangles, which I also cut on my Silhouette. I can't wait to hang this puppy up! I have the perfect spot waiting for it in my kitchen. Here's to being more organized this year!

Homemade Dish-washing Detergent

I made my own dish-washing detergent using only two ingredients!

To make your own, mix equal parts borax and baking soda. Borax can be found in most grocery stores in the detergent isle. Store in an air tight container.

Pour vinegar into the "refill rinse agent" compartment. You're going to be saving money, keeping your family safe from nasty chemicals, and saving the environment!

It's a Bird... It's a Plane!

No, It's Super Gibson!

I bought some fabric a few months ago with the intention of making G a superhero cape. Then came the realization that he's a little too young to appreciate a handmade supercool superhero cape. I stashed the fabric away and decided to wait until Gibson is old enough to ask for a cape and customize it the exact way he wants it.

Imagine my delight when, while home for Christmas, I came across this pint-sized superhero cape at my in-law's house! It belonged to a pair of pajamas my husband wore when he was a wee lad. I couldn't wait to pin it on G and let him run around! His first vintage, hand-me-down, superhero cape! I think he's ready to save the world. After naptime, of course.