Homemade All Purpose scrub cleaner. You'll Be Glad you Read This!

 Today I am sharing my new favorite homemade cleaner. It consists of 2 ingredients that I can almost guarantee you have in your kitchen and bathroom cabinets!
Baking Soda
Hydrogen Peroxide

Really? 2 ingredients?? Yep! Once you have this recipe all mixed up you'll be running around the house wondering what else can it possibly clean!?
I've used this to clean my bathroom....shower, sink, toilet..Kitchen sink, Stove top( It even gets those crazy tough grease stains that even bleach can't clean on your stove!) you name it, this cleaner does it.
Here is what you need to do:
Mix baking soda and Hydrogen peroxide together to form a creamy paste..

{I didn't really measure exact amounts. It just depends on how much you will be cleaning with it. I cleaned my stove top and sink and I had just the right amount. I would say I used 3 table spoons of Baking soda and just added hydrogen peroxide until it was the consistency I wanted. You can adjust the ratio however is best for you!}
 Once it's mixed just apply where you want it.

    Scrub it in.(don't even need a scrubby. I used a crochet rag and it was perfect!)
  Let it set for about 5 minutes.(more or less depending on how serious your mess is(:
  Last, Rinse and admire!

badabing badaboom. No harsh smells. No tough scrubbing. Probably the cheapest cleaner yet. Does it get any better? (:

Hope you enjoy this cleaner! Just in time for Spring Cleaning!

** I haven't used this on wood. I've cleaned glass, stainless steel, and plastic(bathtub) and it's fantastic. Before applying to surfaces you aren't sure about just test it out on a small corner first.

DIY Strawberry Planter from 5 Gallon Bucket

I have to admit, I've got a strong case of garden fever. With my seedlings growing and the season slowly changing, I'm getting so antsy about planting my garden!
 That being said, here is what I worked on today. While cruising the Internet for some easy planter ideas, I found a tutorial for making a strawberry planter from a 5 gallon bucket. We had everything needed so I thought, what the heck I can do that!
What you need:

5 gallon bucket
Skill Saw
Marker
Heat Gun
Garden shovel (or another stiff object to form your openings)

Take your bucket and mark where you want your cuts

With the skill saw, cut your slits

Use your heat gun to heat around the cuts (don't over heat it, or it will bubble!)

After it's heated and flexible,  stick your shovel into the opening and wiggle it around to loosen it and then hold it where you want with the shovel for about a minute until it cools.(Push the top of the cut in and the bottom out.)

That's it! Fill with soil and your strawberry plants and enjoy! (:
YouTube Tutorial Video

Getting Ready For Spring

 We are so close to spring, I can feel it! Here in Florida, we've had some summer and spring feeling days throughout this winter. Like every other winter, plants and trees are as confused as we are, pollinating and blooming one week then back to a winter chill the next! Nevertheless, Spring will be here before we know it and I am counting down the days.44 to go!
 This year I'm planning a garden to remember. Me being a person with a history of a black thumb(Yep, I've murdered some plants in my time),this should be amusing! I have to say I have come a long way since my plant killing days. Let's just say I've learned a little from those failed attempts to grow herbs and veggies.
 This year I have tried a few different things in hopes of more success. Also, I didn't want to pay for plants that are already started from the hardware store. So, With success and frugality on my mind, here is what I have done so far.

 I started my seeds indoors in seed starting trays under a UVB Light fixture(I "borrowed" it from my husbands aquarium. (:) I've had SO MUCH success so far! Watching the little seedlings pop up is so thrilling! Makes me feel like a kid on Christmas morning.
 Most of my seeds are started in coconut fiber (Eco Earth). We have alot of reptiles, so we usually have a few blocks of this on hand. Its so much cheaper than buying individual pellets. I think it costs $3.49 per block and once you add water it expands to fill half of a 5 gallon bucket. Yes, half a 5 gallon bucket. You can buy this at any pet store and sometimes you can find it in the pet section at Wal-Mart.
 I have my tomatoes in a flat with jiffy peat pellets. These have been good too. I got the idea to use them from one of my favorite gardening pages .He has great tips on gardening and more. Check it out at the gardening link below.


 My seeds were planted straight into the coconut fiber and I just let nature work it's magic. Once my little seedlings emerged, I started to water them with water from my Tilapia Barrells. This water is high in Nitrates. In other words, It's a natural fertilizer 100% organic. And, it cost nothing! {:
 I'm deffinantly anxious to see how much I will harvest from these plants. I've got bell peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, and LOTS of herbs. A good variety is something I love.

We are working on several DIY projects for the garden and I will hopefully have them posted soon. Stay tuned!
Gardening (:

Coturnix Quail Are Here!

My hubby surprised me with 20 Coturnix (aka "Pharoah", "Japanese") quail chicks a few days ago. They are a week old and probably the cutest things I've ever seen!

We have been wanting to get into quail for a while now, but were just waiting for a good deal. We are hoping there will be a good male\female ratio. Its hard to believe these little quail will be laying eggs in just 8-10 weeks! AND they will also be mature enough to eat at that time. That is one of the many reasons quail are a popular choice when it comes to raising poultry for meat and eggs. Other good qualities at the top of the list: Quail eggs hatch in just 17 days Some people pickle their eggs. (Im looking forward to trying it) Eggs are VERY Nutritious        -high in iron, potassium, calcium, protein and Vitamins A & B. Just to name a few. Cleaning quail is MUCH easier than cleaning a chicken. I was in search of a good tutorial for cleaning quail and this one was the best I found. Seems easy enough(: Now on to making a hutch for them!

DIY Compost Bin

Over the past few months, I have been really wanting a compost bin. But, being that they are going for about $40 USED, of course I was looking to make one instead. I've found lots of different kinds of homemade compost bins online and decided to just pick tips from all of them to make my own. We've collected a few 55 gallon barrels lately. Although I have plans for some of them for other things, I thought it would work great for my bin! We we're given the barrels for free, so total cost so far for my compost bin was $0. Bought 1 pack of small hinges($2 total) and a latch ($2). That's a $4 compost bin..definitely approved by me! (: There are just a few tools needed to make this A saw of some sort(we used a skill saw) A drill 1/2 inch drill bit First, we flipped the barrel over. I wanted to do it this way so the knobs weren't in the way. -Cut the lid Rinse inside -Add hinges and latch Drill holes -Fill er' up! :) I'm sure you know what does and doesn't go into the bin, but in case you want to freshen up on that list, head here for a very detailed list! Set in a place where it will get both sun and some shade. * mix the compost once a week.. just make sure the latch is closed and secure, tip the bin over on it's side and roll it a few times. Happy Composting!

Homemade dog treats

The holidays are just about passed and we can move on to our hopes for 2013! I love Christmas and New Year celebrations. The family and fun and warmth that comes with everyone gathering together to eat and fellowship is something I always look forward to.
This year I made it a goal of mine to try to make most of my gifts to save money. Gifts are so much more personal if you make them to suit the person receiving them. Along with my gifts to family, this year, I decided to include the pooches in the family. I made bone shaped cutout biscuits and sent them off with a little toy. I had trouble finding a recipe I liked( I wanted a recipe without peanut butter) so, I just threw something together.
  Here is the recipe I used:
3 cups flour
1 cup quick oats
1 Tsp sugar
1 Tsp baking powder
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 Cup hot water
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese3
1 egg

Dissolve the bouillon cubes the the hot water.
Mix dry ingredients.
Add water and egg and cheese.
Mix until combined.
Turn out onto floured counter and knead until smooth dough comes together.
Roll out to desired thickness and cut out.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake in pre heated oven at 325· for about 20 minutes (depending on thickness and how crunchy you want them to be)
*I baked mine for 18 minutes and they were about 1/4 inch thick and they came out a little crunchy.
Enjoy!

Speaking of pooches, check out Helping Hands pet rescue. They work hard to save pets lives! (:

Emu In The Incubator

 Of all the pets we have now or have had in the past(we've had lots!), my favorites Will have to be our emu. We've had them since they were hatchlings, and have bonded with them so much since then(2 years)!



Hubby Playing with Our Emu

  Our dogs love them to as they were raised with them from pups. Originally we bought 2 emu hatchlings as a pair, Male and female, with intentions to breed them and incubate the eggs. 2 years later, we have come to the conclusion that we have 2 males! (Male emus make a grunting noise when they are matured and females make a deep drumming noise. We have 2 grunters!)
 This week we found 2 female emu for sale and had to get them. Now our boys finally have mates!



Emu Playing

  I'm Thrilled to be able to start incubating emu eggs. Emu are by far the cutest chicks in my opinion.
We've done our reading (and googling!) and found out the exact temps and humidity levels needed in order to hatch healthy chicks. If you think you may want to incubate emu eggs in the future, read on!(:
 The Ideal Temperature for incubating emu eggs is 96.5 to 97.0 degrees Fahrenheit.(The Temperature needs to stay at a steady temp. Not like chicken eggs that can have a successful hatch rate at varying temps)
 The Humidity level should be around 70-75 degrees. (Keep a small bowl of water in the incubator for humidity)
 Turn the eggs 2-3 times every day.(you can mark an X with a pencil on one side of the egg so you can remember which eggs have been turned)
With chicken eggs, you could continue to turn the eggs until they begin to hatch. Emu eggs on the other hand Should not be rotated after day 41 or so. The chicks are preparing to emerge from their shells during this time!After 43-50 days in the incubator, your emu chicks should be here!
 I am so excited to see our chicks hatch. We only just put them in the incubator, and I already cant wait!