Re-Use Formula Tins

Trying to stream-line the house is becoming more and more difficult  now everything has a home, I have been saving the formula tins for a "rainy day". Then the other day as Master A was throwing them around the study and I was trying to tip-toe around them and not trip on my face, how silly a idea it was to save them considering he has moved on to toddler milk so we won't run out tins in the future.

I started to investigate ways to use them and then actually DID it! Instead of writing a list I got up and followed through, baby steps but Pinterest I have you in my sights! "I'm a Pinner, not a Do'er" No More!

Some of these ideas I haven't tried but I can't wait to give them a go...Poor Master A clung to his last two tins and ran off down the house with them to save them from crazy crafty mummy, it's ok I got them back while he was asleep Muahahaha!

I still need to do 13,14,15 and 18...and give Master A back two so he can have his drums back :/ bad mummy...

1. Use them in the shed for nuts & bolts and all that other man stuff
2. Use a drill to make patterns on one and create a candle holder, I have mine all drawn on with marker ready for hubby.
3. Good ol' drum set
4. Store plastic bags in, just cut a "X" in the lid
5. Pour unwanted oils in and put in freezer
6. Store dead batteries in to dispose of safely
7. Store buttons, ribbons, safety pins, beads, marbles all those little crafty things
8. Store home made laundry detergent or anything that isn't liquid
9. Cut a hole in the lid and stuff full of scrap fabric, I ripped up a old sheet I was just going to toss but make sure you check for fraying and make sure its cut long enough to avoid choking but short enough to avoid strangulation 
10. Paint cans
11. Ashtray, I put one on the front step so hopefully one of hubby's friends will get the hint they go in there and not on our front lawn. 
12. Rolling rattle toy, I just stuffed some soft drink lids and other crap that I didn't want Master A putting in his mouth in, you can hot glue or duct tape the lid down if your worried about it being opened
13. Make a cookie can for presents or any baked treats.
14. Colour coded tins for a colour matching game
15. Centrepieces
16. Paint and put a animal themed stencil on one for pet treats, I've also used one for animal meds
17. Put a slit in lid to put lids into, just make sure they aren't too small, like the soft drink lids.
18. Bolt to a bit of wood and paint a nice colour for the entry or back door storage

Next week I think I'm going to tackle toilet and cardboard rolls, do you have anything you have saved for a rainy day that you don't really know what to do with?

I shall upload photos onto my facebook page tomorrow as it is alot easier than uploading them onto the blog...or maybe I'm just not doing it right? LOL

Wk 29 SYL Paper & Information Management

UGH! I had to make myself a cuppa for this one hehe

I have just organised my office again, but i know my filing cabinet needs a weed out but "out of sight, out of mind" you know?

At the moment our collection area is the dinning room table, I can't wait to have a nice area in the new entry way. Although I need to do something for receipts to keep them under control and sorted for tax time.

I'm in the process of putting my routines in my iPhone as I have my planner open on the day, and I keep forgetting to open it a few pages back.

I keep items that need action on my roll out desk drawer under my desk, very handy.

I have a two drawer filing cabinet, the lower level has all our warranties and instruction manuals, although I think I might add a folder for what each item is. The top level is for everything else.

And a four drawer little desk cabinet that I have my business paperwork in one drawer and another drawer for the sustainable housewife blog and page, one for hubby and one for me.

I need to catch up on my emails mine are currently at 10400 something eeek! I plan on going through the days emails plus another 10 and hopefully I will catch up soon. :/

SYL Wk 28 Cleaning

Oops I didn't realise how much time had passed with my head stuck in my new business.
Reading through Week 28, again I am in my element after all this is why I started my blog. To set up cleaning routines and see my progress. It has helped immensely I can't believe the transformation in just five months. I can't believe the way we used to live YUCK!
I love Flylady's 15 minute approach, and have slowly worked out a weekly, daily, monthly plan. But if I miss some things it is ok because I focus on one part of the house for one week so I know it will come around in another month, takes a lot of stress off me.
If you want to check out this post about my routines or my facebook page I try to post up twice daily 5 minute missions to keep you motivated. I also post up de-cluttering missions to keep on top of clutter because if your house is cluttered it's impossible to clean.

Sunday Review

I haven't done a weekly wrap up or a blog for that matter for a little while, I decided to start my own business! HA bet no one saw that coming! To be honest, neither did I but I'm loving every minute of it.
It all happened rather quickly, a local pet minding franchise was selling and they wanted a bit of money for it but after going to the accountant and seeing the figures it just didn't look like a good deal to have to pay back that loan for nearly four years before I started to see a profit. My mum, even before I saw the accountant said, "why don't you start your own business?"
"Don't be silly! I couldn't do that!" I replied in horror, the idea scared the pants off of me! But after seeing the accountant and mulling over the business I could see the potential and the excitement grew.
Also seeing the horrible news about the local dog thefts for suspected dog fighting in Newcastle just broke my heart, I mean people have to work to have the life they want for them and their pets they can't stay at home worried about some low life stealing their dogs. I was upset I couldn't do anything to help I felt so useless! Now with the business I can be with people's pets to deter these sorts of pets, I get a lovely warm fuzzy feeling.
I floated the idea on local mummy and pet fb pages and the response was great, so I jumped in and set the business up. I try not to think to far ahead otherwise I'll just scare dinner out of me, and just focus on one day at a time. I already have a client and starting another client this week, helping her get on top of housework while she recovers from a sore knee. And kitty sitting a friends cat who's made himself right at home :)
I still have to pinch myself that I get paid to walk and cuddles these gorgeous animals, talking to my dad and nan about my business yesterday at lunch and they couldn't believe how much I charge to just walk a dog, they nearly fell off their seats when I told them that I have undercut the other pet minders in the area and also offer half priced on your fifth visit and seniors get 10% off all year round. It is unbelievable the prices that some people pay and I'm not in it for the money I do it because I love animals and it makes me so happy to see them happy.
And Master A is walking now! it happened rather quickly too, the same speed the business grew he would walk that little bit longer, take that extra step every day and now he's a real little boy. It's a perfect example to make sure I don't become so consumed by the business and to take notice of my family.

wk 26 & 27 SYL challenge

wk 26 is about simplifying what we have, make sure everything has a home and it lives where it makes sense to us, not our mother or neighbour but to the people living in the home. And to really take notice of our hot spot areas, glad to know I'm not the only one who uses that terminology, and to assign homes to the hot spot items.

When I have a hot spot growing, I like to clear it then put something pretty or functional there it makes it a whole lot less likely that I'll let piles pile up again.

Since moving back into our own home, I've been very mindful of where things go. For instance, in the kitchen the cups were in another cupboard a few steps away from the kettle and in a smaller cupboard, crazy right?! I de-cluttered my plastics and jars I've collected and swapped where they lived, that led onto the whole pantry and every other cupboard and drawer being inspected and changed, lucky I have a teeny tiny kitchen so it only took half a hour.

wk 27 is about starting to create routines. I'm in my element! At the start of the year I didn't have any routines and was always playing catch-up, it was so stressful. Now with the routines I have in place I feel a lot less calmer and I still can't believe it was so easy. Now the blog and Facebook page are helping me stay on track as well.

I post a lot of my routines and the like on my blog and Facebook page daily so feel free to have a look for more of a idea. But some of the routines that pop into my mind, are meal planning for a month and buying the groceries once a month, using the slow cooker. Just dump the food in and in 8 hours...hello, dinner!

I clean out my fridge once a week and check the pantry once a month.

I bought a planner at the end of June and a business card holder. I love both of them and don't know how I ever lived without them.

I have a weekly review of my week usually on a Sunday and plan for the week ahead and write up a little blog to keep my motivated.

Hubby says he is going to make a covered entry room so I can have a big launch pad for mornings, I can't wait! Will definitely blog about it when it happens.

Natural Spider Repellent

Ever since having my son, I've become a whole lot more wary of using sprays and items that have ingredients I can't even pronounce. I'm slowly but surely replacing and finding alternatives for the chemicals I use.

I hate spiders! I'm ok if its a non-venomous spider and when they're on the other side of a big room, they can sit there and eat all the bugs they like. Any my cats love to watch them walk and try to catch it, if they have ever caught a spider I haven't found remains yet *shudder* I hope I never do. But if the spider is in the hallway or right over my head, or it is poisonous. I feel bad but you really have to go!

We have the old style sash windows, with lots of lovely places for spiders to hide. When we moved back after renting out our house for six months the cobwebs and red-backs made me have to put my head between my knees and breath into a paper bag. I grabbed the hardcore bug spray and sprayed the windows then grabbed the vacuum cleaner and sucked the webs and spiders up. After panicking that a spider had managed to escape the spray and gotten inside the house! And my neighbour and I ripping the lounge and blankets apart to make sure it was safe, well ok. I ripped everything apart while my neighbour pee'd herself laughing.

So now the windows are spider clear I want to find a natural way to keep the spiders away.

Did you know spiders taste through there feet? Lucky they have eight!

All you need is a citrus essential oil mixed with water in a spray bottle. That's it! But make sure it's essential oil as it seems to be more potent.

Spray this across the doorsteps and windows, really anywhere you don't want the spiders to make a home, but make sure it dries before letting pets and children near it.

So hopefully with this natural repellent my lovely neighbour can have some peace and quiet from now on. :D

Cleaning Bath Toys

Ashton & I love his rubber ducky and dinosaurs but I don't love the black gunk that builds up inside, it doesn't matter how much I squeeze after bath time and make sure they air dry till next bath, they all ways end up nasty and I just wanted to rip my hair out!

I googled how people clean their bath toys and was surprised at how many parents have just chucked out the rubber bath toys in favour of plastic jugs. While it solves the build up issue we enjoy the toys to much to just throw them out.

I grab a bucket, 5L or around that size

1/2L warm water to 5L vinegar, you can play with the ratio

I fill the toys with the vinegar/water solution and squeeze it all out, I repeat a few times then fill them up and leave till bath time

For the things with suction caps on the back I grab a old toothbrush and brush all around and over the caps and also go over the animals air holes, there is usually one on the mouth/back and one on the bottom of the animal

Give a good rinse and squeeze out a few times with fresh water before putting back in the bath for bath time

This is also a great way to clean the caps of your non-slip mat that sits in the bath if you have one

And since its environmentally friendly your kids can help if they are at that age to teach them about helping out with their toys- don't tell them I suggested that!