Pennies & Sense

Thrifty how-to's & such by Corina Ross

[penniesandsense]

This is June Carter. She is the newest edition to our household, weighing a whole .9 lbs. and completely unaware. Feisty, silly, fun.

[penniesandsense]

Making Arrangements and what-not

[penniesandsense]

Cherry Lemon Kombucha

Black tea, Apple Cider SCOBY, cherry juice, and lemon (last two items added after SCOBY was removed).

[penniesandsense]

DIY Stain Remover 1. 1 Part Dawn dish soap (Blue is preferred - It's gentle enough to use on delicate clothing, and tough enough to lift grease). 2. 2 parts hydrogen peroxide 3. 2 tablespoons of Baking Soda Mix together in a small bowl and apply to stain using a bristle brush. An old toothbrush will do the trick. Stroke in a circular motion and gently work mixture into fabric. Allow to dry before washing. Spot-test is recommended.

[penniesandsense]

I’ve been playing with flowers and #repurposing graduated cylinders.

[louisaguildjewel]

Louisa Guild will be in // LOS ANGELES, CA next week! We’d love to network with photographers, bloggers, and local store owners 💗 Send us an email to [email protected] if you’d be interested in connecting.

[penniesandsense]

Finding Homer Laughlin plates in my office while detoxing for spring #treasure #minimal #retroplates #vsco

[penniesandsense]

Spring Cleaning = Deep Cleaning 

I started my spring cleaning endeavor in one of the places that is most used in our household - my car! 

 Attacking the car as a deep clean zone can be daunting, but with a few easy steps and prep - it’s easily checked off the chore list. 

 1. Empty your car - Floor mats, trunk, trash, glove box, and nooks. 

 2. Set aside items in groups - floor mats, trunk stuff (reusable bags, dog travel goods, and yoga mat in my case), Glove Box goods -etc. Don’t worry about this stuff now, it’s a small task for later. 

 3. Take out seats, if possible and Vacuum. (Vacuum everything - seats, floors, cracks and crevices. 

 4. Dust off dash area - I like to use armor-all or pledge multi-surface. As it cleans, it’s builds up a anti-static coat to make cleaning easier over time as dust does not like to stick to it. Start here before cleaning floors or windows. Any loose dust will go in the floor and overspray will hit windows. 

 5. Vacuum the seats - I usually find crumbs that I missed the first go-round. 

 6. Clean windows - spray the entire window and don’t worry about overspray. Wipe with a lint free rag or newspaper. Newspaper leave your windows streak free, and it’s a good way to re-use it. 

 7. Scrub your floor mats - I use dish soap and water mix with a bristle brush. After its soaped up and scrubbed well- rinse and let dry. (Old tooth brushes are great for getting in small grooves) If you have carpet mats - vacuum and scrub with tough stuff or any upholstery or carpet foam. You can usually blot up with water after you have scrubbed for a bit. Let it air dry throughly before putting back in your car 

 8. Vacuum the floors - getting as much of the dirt and dust that builds up over time is the best way to keep it at bay. 

 9. Sort through the crud - I usually start on the passenger side after sorting through my glove box bin. Keeping things that are essential : Sunglasses, Insurance & Registrations, a few napkins, and a pen or two. Toss the rest! You do not need a glove box full of napkins and kleenex. Clear the Clutter.

10. Put in Floor Mats, and enjoy!

… and it’s off the list of spring cleaning.

Tip: Remember to keep essentials and discard the rest. Here’s my quick list of what to keep:

- Glove Box - Registration, Insurance, Sunnies, Charging cable and AUX cable, Napkins or Small Pack of Kleenex, Note Pad, and 2-3 pens.

- Driver Side and Passenger Side Door - NOTHING. Keep it clear.

- Passanger Door - Umbrella

- Trunk - Yoga Mat, Dog Kit (Leash, plastic bags, portable water bowl, and sheet to cover the seats), 4-8 Reusable Bags for shopping, and one trunk organizer.

[penniesandsense]

Sweet Tea Kombucha (Yields: 1/2 Gallon) - 1/2 Gallon of brewed organic black tea (steeped overnight) - Organic Sugar - 1 organic SCOBY - 1/2 Gallon Jar - Dish Towel (breathable) After Tea is brewed, and steeped overnight - Add 1/2 to 3/4 a Cup of Organic Sugar Place SCOBY in jar of tea Cover Jar with Breathable dish towel, and place jar in a warm, dark place "Brew" from 7-30 Days. I prefer 8-10 personally. - Once you are ready to consume - Remove SCOBY and store in dark/warm place until you are ready to use again. (Store in a shallow dish with some Tea to keep it wet, and place dish towel over it.) Refrigerate Kombucha in jar with lid. (Good for ~ 30 days, but you usually drink it all within 10 days.) Before serving, and 2-3 tbsp of lemon juice and a little bit of sugar. Enjoy!

[penniesandsense]

Fighting winter blues // Play with flowers.

A sweet friend of mine gave me a dozen garden roses and a few sprigs of eucalyptus. I was ecstatic!

I have spent most of the morning playing with flowers. Arranging them, photographing petals in color gradient, and deciding where I want to put my mini arrangements around the house. (I even stuck a few roses in potted plants because I felt like it !)

This was a much welcome distraction. Being cooped up in the house when it’s cloudy out can really wears on your nerves. This helped get my creative juices going!

After my flower therapy, I felt much better and decided to do a few chores around the house. Walking around the house and seeing pops of color really makes a difference.

Treat yourself: Go get a $10 bunch of flowers and see what you come up with. Get those creative juices pumping.

[penniesandsense]

Caring for airplants //

These guys are so easy to care for. Mist once or twice a month, making sure water doesn’t get in between the leaves. Place in bright, indirect sunlight. They look great anywhere and everywhere in your home.

I usually mist them and place them upside down on a towel so that water doesn’t stay between the leaves where rot can happen easily.

To grow ginormous airplants, mist with orchid food as instructed on the package.

[penniesandsense]

Making labels//

Use a typewriter to create personalized labels for file folders, notebooks, and orderly storage boxes. I love the nostalgic look of type font. Organization is the key to success in anything! Labels are a must.

[penniesandsense]

Deodorize, like a Boss.

Problem: Odor/ Cigarette Smoke You made a serious shoe score at the thrift store, but these shoes smell ratchet.   Solution: Spritz inside of shoes with a small amount of vodka (spot-test first). Straight vodka kills bacteria, but it doesn’t leave a scent as it dissipates. Dry in a well-ventilated area.

This method is also great for your vintage finds that smell like Grandmother’s attic. For those items, spot test first (especially, if the item has dye) - Hang to dry outdoors, or in a well-ventilated area. (spritz like perfume, do not make the item wet.)

Vodka has been used in Hollywood for years to help keep well-worn costumes clean and odor-free. Give it a try!

[penniesandsense]

Started 2o15 off with a brisk hike, Greens and beans, and potential.

[penniesandsense]

I’m currently obsessed with cold-press juice.

[penniesandsense]

Packing delicate Christmas ornaments // Ornament burritos 1: Start with a rectangular piece of paper. (Great repurposing for used wrapping paper or paper bags.) 2: Place ornament in center towards the bottom edge, and begin to roll. 3: Fold in right and left sides, in towards the ornament. 4: Tuck in sides to create an envelope. 5: Fold and tuck envelope top into bottom crease. 6: Store in small box, so ornaments cannot more around freely. 7: Store safely until next year.

[penniesandsense]

Today, We juice!

Cassie brought over her new Omega masticating juicer she was gifted for christmas. (Clearly, someone was good last year.) She began telling me all about it. It’s amazing! The possibilities are endless. You can make your own nut butters, almond milk, baby food, pasta, sorbet, bread, and my favorite, fresh juice.

We quickly jumped on Pinterest and sought out every juice recipe we could find. After a quick trip to the nearest produce section, we began to craft our own juice combinations.

We juiced:

- 2 bags of Apples (Fuji + Granny Smith) - 1 bunch of Carrots - 1 lb. of Spinach - 1 Huge bunch of Celery - 20 Strawberries - 6 Lemons - 2 oranges

* and one Banana as a test. They do not “juice” well.

We made:

2- Green juices (1 pint of each) 1- Half gallon of Fuji apple juice 1- Surprise juice (1 pint)

Here is a recipe for our favorite: Yields ~ 1 pint

- 5 handfuls of Spinach - 3 Granny Smith apples - 4 Celery stalks - 1 Orange - 1 Carrot - 1.5 Lemons

Best to enjoy immediately, refrigerate and drink within 2 days.

Cheers to health!