Domestic Goodness

Little known scientific 'fact': when you spend all spring working on a kitchen update, it triggers some sort of 'domesticity gene' and you end up spending the summer indulging yourself in all sorts of household goodness.

A few of the latest examples:

Jam
Last week, one of my favorite people EVER was in town, and we spent a lovely Saturday morning turning this:

into this:
Hannah taught me the art of making jam, and I gotta say...it's mighty satisfying. We did a couple of batches of low-sugar apricot together and then I tried my hand at raspberry-blackberry later that evening. I was going to put a photo of Hannah from that morning up, but she was not feeling her best *ahem*. So, you can just see me making the second batch of apricot. I can't wait to make more.
DIY cleaning products
This next endeavor started out as a way to try to keep my little girl's sensitive skin away from harsh chemicals. I noticed that every time I cleaned my bathtub, no matter how well I rinsed it, Riley ended up with a bit of skin irritation after she bathed. I did some research on more natural cleaning methods and started cleaning the tubs and sinks using baking soda as a scrub and a vinegar rinse. Worked like magic on my tub, kept my drains very clear, and her skin was much less irritated. So I did some more research and expanded my new ways so much that I basically got rid of all commercial cleaning products and am now using only the items in this photo to clean my entire house.
(the one exception is dishwasher detergent. I'm going to start making my own after I use up what I have left.) I'm even making my own powdered laundry detergent out of borax, washing soda and ivory soap, and I am in love with it. Besides cleaning as well or better than any commercial detergent I've ever used (seriously - it got out the very worst stains easily) my skin is less dry, Riley's skin is not irritated at all, it's really easy to make, and it is super inexpensive. I estimated it to be about 7.5 cents per load (yes, I did the calculations. I'm that big of a numbers geek).

Salvaged Chair (aka glorified dumpster diving)
In my city, they do a neighborhood cleanup times when people put out things to be taken away, recycled, etc. by city workers. I happened to be driving through my neighborhood when I saw a chair that was dirty, yes, but the lines were amazing.

I thought about it all day. I could not understand why anyone would toss that chair when it was so gorgeous.

That night, Hannah and G were at my house, and around midnight, Hannah and I went and 'liberated' the chair. Here it is in all it's dirty glory.

Since then, I've had it professionally cleaned and it made a world of difference. Once I got it home, I realized it was in really solid shape and the fabric pattern is so cool. I'm looking into ways to dye it so I can keep the fabric, but in the meantime, I'm enjoying a cool, retro chair and Ican now say that I'm one of those people who will steal other people's trash.

I'm a homebody at heart, and I'm really enjoying the time I've been spending making my home more comfortable and authentic. I feel like doing these kinds of things are right in line with my values of simple living, cultivating a healthy lifestyle, being mindful of the earth and being thrifty.

This domestic goddess thing...it's a lot of fun! Who knew?