My Scarf Collection and Organization!

My goal for this week is to begin Spring cleaning a bit early. My first order of business will be tackling the chaos that has become my closet...one organization project at a time! I don't know about the rest of you, but I always feel more peace in my life when my surroundings are clean and organized. When there is disorganization around me, it definitely affects my mood, so I prefer to try and keep things as tidy as possible. My closet could definitely use a redo right now, so I'm putting my focus on that this week during my spare time. I'll try and take pictures as I go to hopefully give you all some inexpensive organization ideas! 

Tonight, I tackled my scarf collection and organized it. I LOVE how it turned out! Over the weekend, I spent some time with my aunt, and she told me about a scarf organization idea that she saw on Pinterest. (She knew it'd be perfect for me since I'm a total scarf junkie!). Tonight after dinner, Nick and I went to Target for a bit and I found the perfect tool for organizing my scarf collection. (It was in the shower organization area with all of the shower caddies and organizers). It took me all of five minutes to assemble it, and then I went to work placing all of my scarves on it. I may change up the order I put them in at some point so the colors are a bit more organized, but for now I really love how it turned out, and that my closet is a little less cluttered! (Before, I had them on two circular tie organizers, but the metal picked tiny holes in my scarves, and it just wasn't holding them well to the point that they would fall off easily. My new organization solves that issue!)  

Here are a few pictures of how it turned out: 

(This is the organizer that I decided to go with. It's a towel holder intended for shower doors or standard interior doors. It was a cinch to put together, and I couldn't be happier with it! Like I mentioned above, I found it at Target in the shower organization section. It was on clearance for $17. Since it's so sturdy, I think it will be a nice long-term investment in how I organize my closet.

The laughable directions that were included with the organizer. 

(No worries, it was super easy to figure out and assemble. I was done in around 5 minutes!)

The finished product!

(My favorite thing about this is that every single one is visible and won't get overlooked. I also like that they are allowed to drape easily over the bars, and aren't tucked away somewhere collecting wrinkles. The more visible they are, the more they will be used...and now I don't have to worry over wear and tear from the way I'm storing them, unlike my last storage solution for them.)

If you're a scarf lover like I am, I hope this post inspired you to organize your collection and take good care of it! I don't tend to purchase a lot in the way of clothes or shoes, but I do love a nice accessory to make the staples in my wardrobe pop...that's why I adore scarves so much! If you're not an avid scarf collector, this particular organization idea can be used for so many different things! Necklaces, purses, belts, ties...the possibilities are endless! If you're into tech-related things, you could use this to store your extension cords, chargers, and cables so they don't tangle. (You can even add plastic or silver shower curtain rings onto the bars, and use it for more organization if you prefer that!) 

Do you have a great organization idea or tip? Feel free to leave a kind comment below and share! 

Pinterest Tested: Sugar Cookie in a Cup!

It's time for a little Pinterest fun! Tonight, I tested out the "Sugar Cookie in a Cup" pin from the "no. 2 pencil" blog recipe I found recently on Pinterest. (Ok, more like I saw the pin and IMMEDIATELY tried it because I wanted to see how this little science experiment would turn out!) Well...it turned out to be quite tasty!!! What a fun way to have a little treat, instead of baking an entire batch! Here is the link to the blog and recipe I'm raving about: Sugar Cookie in a Cup

Go try this recipe! It's super easy and tasty enough to satisfy even the most intense sugar cookie craving! I've included a picture below of how mine turned out (Sorry there's only one, I was hungry lol! I was out of the fun color sprinkles, so I used silver cupcake sprinkles instead!). 

(One side note: I needed to microwave mine for a little longer than the recipe indicated in order for mine to reach the right consistency. I would check this often and put it in for a little longer if you have a lower wattage microwave.)

Pinterest Tested

I thought it would be fun to start regular blog posts on Pinterest pins that I try and review! Those of you who follow my boards know that I'm addicted! (Ok, if there were an AA type club for Pinterest addictions, I would need that!)  If you're not already following me on Pinterest, feel free to click the button in the top right hand corner! :) 

Today I'm doing the review on the "Tub Cleaner - vinegar and dish soap, no scrubbing!"  pin. 
(Sorry in advance, I forgot to take pictures of the before/afters!)

I was very excited to try this pin! I have a lot of heart/lung issues, so I can not use strong smelling chemicals to clean my home. I prefer more natural alternatives; they are safer for both myself and my pets. I am also VERY picky about the cleanliness of my home. My mom has owned her own cleaning business since I was a small child, so cleanliness is a way of life in my book! (Especially with the number of pets I own; I prefer my home not have "furball tumbleweeds" rolling across the floor when I entertain, so I clean often and never let things pile up).

Keep in mind that when I reviewed this pin (tonight), my showers were already pretty darn clean; I just never let them get too grimy in the first place (gross!). I tried this pin out tonight to see if it would make my bath tubs even more shiny, clean, and polished. 

It did not! This pin was a big fat fail! 

Here's what you're supposed to do:

Mix one part heated white distilled vinegar (90 seconds in the microwave) to One part blue Dawn Dish Soap into a spray bottle. Shake it up and then spray your bathtubs down. Let it sit for 30 minutes, and then wipe down your magically clean bathtub, with NO scrubbing needed. I followed the directions exactly. (For those of you wondering, you're supposed to heat the vinegar so that it will keep the dish soap from clumping and make it spray easier out of the spray bottle). 

I followed the directions and then came back 30 minutes later to my guest bathroom expecting to see a magically shiny, polished surface with a gentle swipe of a cloth. FAIL! Nearly another 30 minutes later, I had finally scrubbed (and cursed) it clean of the horrid soap scum that the Dawn part of the mixture left behind! This pin's recipe did NOT clean my already clean bathtub or make it more polished. What it did do instead, was leave behind soap scum EVERYWHERE. It took me an eternity to clean it all up and polish my tub back to normal again. Once I finished with my guest bathroom, I ran into the same issue in my master bathroom tub that I had sprayed down as well. It took me forever to clean the soap scum off of both. I really wanted to love this pin and wanted it to work, but I have to say that I am very disappointed and can not recommend this one!

In a side note, I'm also wondering just HOW filthy and dirty the other pinners' tubs were that left positive comments on the website? Seriously, did they have a 2in thick layer of soap scum, mildew, and grime in their tubs? Maybe it worked for that. For someone who maintains a clean tub/shower and just wants to keep it polished, clean and nice: all this pin does is leave behind a soap-scummy disaster of a mess behind! (That you WILL spend an eternity scrubbing away!)

(For those of you wondering, you're better off  using a paste of baking soda, lemon juice, and vinegar and a scrub brush to get your tub sparkling! (You can also use hydrogen peroxide). Bleach and lemon juice is another combo that works well, but it can be irritating to the lungs/eyes, so I prefer the first combo, or a natural cleaner from the store).

Homemade Rosemary Mint Fabric Softener: Thank you, Pinterest!

I recently came across a recipe for homemade fabric softener on Pinterest and thought it sounded great! I actually had everything on hand that I needed, even down to the specific conditioner mentioned in the recipe; I found that the conditioner itself wasn't thick enough for my hair type a few months back. So although it smelled terrific, it was just left sitting in my linen closet because it wasn't the right match for my hair. Enter the idea of re-purposing it into a fabric softener for my laundry...Genius! Since I've discovered Pinterest, I've had such a fun time trying out all sorts of fantastic ideas! If you don't know about Pinterest, you should check it out: www.pinterest.com


Before I continue, I want to say that all credit to this source goes to One Good Thing By Jillee's Blog . 


This recipe calls for only 3 ingredients. It takes only a few minutes to concoct, and will undoubtedly save you quite a pretty penny every time you do your laundry. That's a win-win in my book! I've tried it out on several loads of laundry now, and I have to say that I am very pleased. I'm pretty picky about the products I use, so if it passed my test, it's a keeper! (In a side note, I have sensitive skin and didn't experience any negative side effects from using this.)


What you will need:
-Water
-White Distilled Vinegar
-Conditioner
-Funnel
-Clean, Empty 1 gallon jug (I used an empty jug that once held distilled water from Target in it. It had a screw on top which made shaking up the product very easy!)
-Cute containers and labels for storage (optional)


Recipe: 
-6 cups of water
-3 cups of white distilled vinegar
-2 cups of conditioner (I used Suave's Rosemary Mint Conditioner)


Combine all ingredients into a clean, empty 1 gallon jug with a funnel. Put the lid on the jug and mix everything together. That's it, you're done! How simple was that?!


To use it in your laundry, simply add it to the "fabric softener" dispenser in your laundry machine the way you would any other laundry detergent, or pour it into a Downy Ball. If you would rather use it in your dryer, you can soak a clean dishtowel in a bit of the fabric softener and then toss it into the dryer with your clothes. It will make everything smell lovely and reduce static! 

Enjoy!

Notice the empty wine & olive oil bottles? I'm planning to put a pump-type lid and nice labels onto them soon so that they will make cute fabric softener dispensers! (Did you know that most olive oil and wine bottles with screw tops will fit empty soap dispenser tops? Re-purpose those little gems!)

Finished product! 

Be sure to give the container you store yours in a little shake before each use so that everything is mixed thoroughly.