ORIGINAL BLUE DAWN . . . IT’S NOT JUST FOR DISHES ANYMORE

It's not just for washing dishes. Isn't it amazing how some things can be used for more than what they were originally made for?

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ORIGINAL BLUE DAWN . . . IT’S NOT JUST FOR DISHES ANYMORE

Wild Life
Ever wonder why Dawn Dishwashing Liquid is the wildlife cleaner of choice after an oil spill? According to the International Bird Rescue Research Center, Dawn effectively removes grease but does not cause harm to the skin of the birds. It’s also biodegradable and contains no phosphates.

BUBBLES
According to Bubbles.org, Dawn dishwashing liquid makes great homemade bubbles. Here is the Giant Bubble Recipe used in bubble makers at many children’s museums: 1/2 cup Ultra Dawn 1/2 gallon warm water 1 tablespoon glycerin (available at any drug store) OR White Karo syrup works too! Stir gently. Skim the foam off the top of the solution (too much foam breaks down the bubbles). Dip bubble wand and get ready for some good, clean fun!

GREASY HAIR PROBLEMS
Kids get into the darnedest things! Like Vaseline and baby oil rubbed into their hair! Dawn is mild enough to use on their hair and strong enough to remove the most stubborn grease.

HAIR PRODUCT BUILDUP
Once a month use original Dawn as you would shampoo. It will remove excess oil from your hair and scalp and strip away any build-up of styling products without any damage. Perform this once a month and you won’t have to buy expensive salon products that do the same thing.

MANICURE SECRET
Soak fingers in full-strength blue Dawn. It makes the cuticles soft and easy to work with. And it removes the natural oil from the fingernails, which allows the polish to adhere very well.

REPEL HOUSEPLANT INSECTS
A safe, effective way to repel insects from your houseplants, including aphids, spider mites and mealy bugs. Put a drop of Dawn Dishwashing Liquid in a spray bottle, fill the rest of the bottle with water, shake well, and mist your household plants with the soapy water.

CLEAN YOUR WINDOWS
Try this recipe from Merry Maids: mix 3 drops Dawn in 1 gallon water and fill a spray bottle with the solution. Spritz and wipe as you would with any window cleaner.

PETS AND PESTS
Use it to bathe the dogs. It kills fleas on contact and is much cheaper than expensive dogshampoos.

CLEAN AUTOMOTIVE TOOLS
After you have finished your automotive repair project, soak your dirty tools in Dawn before you put them away to remove all the oil and grime. Dawn also helps prevent rust from forming on the tools.

ICE PACK
Partially fill a strong zip-type sandwich bag with Dawn dishwashing liquid, close and freeze. The liquid soap stays cold much longer and it can be re-frozen many times. It will conform to the place you need an ice pack.

TUB AND SHOWER CLEANER
Take a spray bottle and fill it halfway with white vinegar. Heat in the microwave. Fill the rest of the way with blue Dawn. Put lid on and shake to mix well. Spray on your tub and shower walls. Allow to sit for a few minutes and rinse away. It will totally melt all the gunk, slime, sludge and other stuff that builds up including a bathtub ring.

REPEL ANTS
Spray counter-tops, cupboards and any other area where you see ants with a solution of Dawn and water. Wipe dry. The slight residue of Dawn that remains will not be a problem at all for kids or pets, but ants hate it. Should you see a trail of ants, go ahead and hit them with the Dawn spray.

STRIPPING CLOTH DIAPERS
Add a squirt or two of original Dawn dish soap to your washer and run a hot wash, then rinse until there are no more bubbles. Dawn is a degreasing agent and helps stripping by removing oily residue. Be sure to rinse, rinse, rinse until the water runs clear.

UNCLOGGING TOILETS
A cup of Dawn detergent poured into a clogged toilet allowed to sit for 15 minutes and then followed with a bucket of hot water poured from waist height will clear out the toilet.

POISON IVY
Poison ivy spreads through the spread of the oil within the blisters. Washing the affected area with Dawn, especially on children who keep scratching the blister’s open, helps dry up the fluid, AND keep it from spreading.

DRIVEWAY CLEANER
If you have gasoline or motor oil stains on your driveway, you can use the kitty litter method to clean up the excess oil and then use a scrub broom and a solution of biodegradable Dawn dishwashing detergent and warm water to safely and effectively remove excess motor oil from the pavement.

OILY SKIN
Dawn makes a great facial cleanser for oily skin. A drop or two combined with warm water will do the trick.

PAINT OR GREASE REMOVER FOR HANDS
Dawn combined with corn oil makes for the perfect paint or grease remover. Simply combine a little bit of both in your hands then rub it over affected areas. The corn oil and the dishwashing liquid both help to dissolve the grease and paint – yet leave skin soft, unlike harsher paint removers.

CLEANING THE KIDDIE POOL
Plastic wading pools can get very gunky, very fast. Dump the water, then scrub the pool with Dawn and a sponge. More potent cleaners like bleach will weaken and dry out the plastic in the sun.

MULTIPURPOSE CLEANER
Merry Maids recommends using a drop of Dawn in water to clean ceramic tile and no-wax/linoleum floors. You can also use the spray on:
• Bathroom and kitchen counters and sinks.
• Woodwork, e.g., baseboards, shelves, and wainscoting. (Dry as you go–wood doesn’t like prolonged contact with water.)
• Tubs and toilet seats.

LAUNDRY PRE-TREATER FOR OILY STAINS
For oil-based stains such as lipstick, grease, butter, motor oil, cooking oil, and some pen inks, simply apply some Dawn dishwashing liquid directly to the stain and scrub with a small brush or toothbrush until the oil is removed, and then launder as usual.

NON-TOXIC LUBRICANT
Sliding glass doors, door knobs, hinges etc. It lasts much longer than any aerosol type spray that I have tried. And Its non-toxic! It does a great job of cleaning the parts that its lubricating as well!

SIDEWALK DE-ICER
For icy steps and sidewalks in freezing temperatures, mix 1 teaspoon of Dawn dishwashing liquid, 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol, and 1/2 gallon hot/warm water and pour over walkways. They won’t refreeze. No more salt eating at the concrete in your sidewalks

POOL CLEANING
Squirt Dawn down the middle of the pool and all of the dirt, suntan lotion, etc. will move to the edges of the pool for easy clean up! AND it makes the pools sparkle.

EYEGLASS DEFOGGER
Simply rub a small drop of Dawn on eyeglass lenses, and wipe clean. It will leave a very thin film that will prevent them from fogging up.

SHOWER FLOORS
Cover greasy footprints on shower floors with a coating of Dawn; let sit overnight. Scrub away the gunk in the morning with a stiff brush.

APHID CONTROL ON FRUIT TREES
Mix two tablespoons Dawn to a gallon of water and put in your sprayer. Try to get spray both sides of the leaves, branches and the tree trunks. Let sit for about 15 minutes and then rinse the trees THOROUGHLY!

AND FINALLY……..
Here’s a brilliant idea! Need a hostess gift when visiting friends and family this summer? Print off this post and include it with a bottle of Blue Dawn! Talk about USEFUL !

REMEMBER! SHARE, LIKE & COMMENT to keep seeing my Posts!

✿´¯`*•.¸¸✿ Be Sure to SHARE to SAVE on your timeline! Mom's CIY ✿´¯`*•.¸¸✿

Frozen Peanut Butter Bites

Frozen Peanut Butter Bites

Ingredients:
1 (18-ounce) jar creamy peanut butter
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Directions
Using an electric mixer or a whisk, beat the peanut butter and confectioners' sugar together until smooth and stiff. Beat in the vanilla extract. Shape the peanut butter mixture into 20 (1-inch) balls and place on a waxed paper-lined sheet tray. Place the tray in the freezer for 1 hour.

Add chopped chocolate to a small bowl set over gently simmering water. Stir to melt. Remove chocolate from heat. With 2 forks, carefully dip the chilled peanut butter balls 1/2 way into the chocolate, let excess drip off, and lay onto the waxed paper-lined sheet tray.

With a fork, swirl some decorative chocolate across the top of each bite. Place in the refrigerator for the chocolate to set and the peanut butter to solidify, about 30 minutes.

Cook's Note: If it's a hot and humid day outside dust your hands with confectioners' sugar before rolling the balls. This will make it less sticky.

Watermelon Whole Fruit Popsicles

Watermelon Whole Fruit Popsicles

You can replace the watermelon puree with honeydew melon or cantaloupe puree. Use any fresh organic fruit you have on hand. I like using contrasting colors because it makes the popsicles look so pretty! And don't forget to use seedless watermelon.

3 cups watermelon puree (about 1/4 to 1/2 a watermelon)
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries
1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
1 peach or nectarine, diced small
handful fresh cherries, pitted and chopped

Cut the watermelon into chunks and then puree it in a blender until smooth. Set aside.

Set out about 1 dozen popsicle molds (amount needed will vary depending on size of molds). Fill each one with the chopped fresh fruit. Then pour in the watermelon puree until each mold is full to the top. Place a popsicle stick into each one. Place into your freezer and freeze for about 6 to 8 hours.

When ready to serve, run the popsicle molds under warm water for a few seconds and then pull each one out. Enjoy!
Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

Fairytale paper flowers {DIY}

The following steps will guide you in making your own paper flowers. Be sure to pay attention to detail, to ensure your fairy tale flowers.

Step {1} Cutting the leaves

Before cutting your first leaf, make a range of templates. This will ensure that your flowers are perfect. It will also be easier to create duplicates.

Use between a half and one and a half A2 sheets (80gsm+) per flower, depending on the size. If you go larger, your flower will need additional support. Then cut out a round base. The larger the flower, the sturdier the paper should be for the base. Also remember to cut a slit in the base of the leaf, which you will glue gun later. Cut about 6-8 leaves per template.

Step {2} Glue gun everything

I’m a firm believer that a glue gun is one of the best inventions ever. I use it more than any other tool in our house. The small ones are really inexpensive and will save you a lot of time and money in the long run. 

The more you cross the base section of the leaf, the more volume your flower will have. As the leaves go smaller, the cross section should be tighter; otherwise there will be gaps, revealing the base of each leaf. The trick is to hide the base of the flower.

Step {3} Getting down to the base

Now you should plan the layout of the leaves. Make sure the base isn’t too big; otherwise you will see it when your flowers are completed.

When completed, you can hang them up; put them against walls or fencing; or use them as décor for your table or photo booth.

There’s an endless list of places to use them. They will look fabulous absolutely anywhere.

CREAMY FINGERLING POTATO SALAD (VEGAN)

CREAMY FINGERLING POTATO SALAD (VEGAN)

About This Recipe

YIELD:
Serves 4 to 6

ACTIVE TIME:
10 minutes

TOTAL TIME:
25 minutes

THIS RECIPE APPEARS IN:
Serious Entertaining: A Real Deal Barbecue Feast
Serious Entertaining: Backyard Burger Bash
Serious Entertaining: The Vegan, One Meal Convince-A-Meathead Challenge
The Vegan Experience: Creamy Fingerling Potato Salad

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes (such as La Ratte or Russian Banana), cut into 1/2-inch disks
1/2 pound yukon gold potatoes (about 1 large), peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch slices
Kosher salt
2 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, divided
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon pickle relish
1 tablespoon sugar, plus more as desired
2 small shallots, one minced (about 1/4 cup), one thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed, drained, and roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves

Procedures
1
Place potatoes, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 3 cups tepid water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally until salt is dissolved. Reduce to a bare simmer and cook until potatoes are completely tender and show no resistance when poked with a paring knife or cake tester, about 17 minutes. Drain potatoes, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Immediately toss potato pieces with 1/2 tablespoon vinegar and set aside.

2
Combine reaeved cooking liquid with remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar, mustard, relish, sugar, and minced shallot in a large bowl. Add 5 to 6 pieces of cooked Yukon gold potato. Mash with a potato masher until smooth. Whisking constantly, add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Fold in capers, celery, sliced shallot, parsley, and potatoes. Season to taste with salt and more sugar if desired. Serve immediately, drizzling with remaining olive oil or refrigerate for up to three days. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.

ONE POT WONDER TOMATO BASIL PASTA

I love an easy, fool proof recipe for our busy summer days!
Not only is this recipe easy, it's also delicious!

ONE POT WONDER TOMATO BASIL PASTA

Serves 4 to 6 as an entree

12 ounces linguine pasta

1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with liquid ( I used zesty red pepper flavor style)

1 medium sweet onion, cut in 1/4 inch julienne strips (use an onion such as Vidalia or Walla Walla)

4 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves

4 1/2 cups vegetable broth (use regular broth and NOT low sodium)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch (about 10 to 12 leaves) basil, diced

Parmesan cheese for garnish

Place pasta, tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a large stock pot. Pour in vegetable broth. Sprinkle on top the pepper flakes and oregano. Drizzle top with oil.

Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and keep covered and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or so. Cook until almost all liquid has evaporated – I left about an inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot – but you can reduce as desired .

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add basil leaves and stir pasta several times to distribute the liquid in the bottom of the pot evenly throughout the pasta as you are serving. Serve garnished with parmesan cheese!

Delicious Vegan Green Smoothie

Green is the new pink, in the smoothie world. Vegetables in blended form may sound off-putting, but when made correctly, green smoothies are truly delicious. They can also work wonders on a stale (or non-existent) breakfast routine or on the vegetable-averse eater.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup frozen banana

1/4 cup frozen mango

handful of fresh spinach

1-2 tablespoons ginger juice (I used about 1/2 T freshly grated ginger)

1 cup almond milk

2 tablespoons chia seeds

2 cubes of ice

Tell me what you think?

Triple Berry and Nut Salad in a Jar Recipe

Triple Berry and Nut Salad in a Jar Recipe

Prep Time: 10 min
Ingredients
( Serves 4 )
4 whole 12-ounce mason jars
2 cup strawberries (hulled and quartered)
2 cup blackberries
2 cup blueberries
1 cup roasted almonds (roughly chopped)

Sweet Citrus Dressing:
1/4 cup orange juice
1 whole lemon (juiced and zested)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey

Directions:

To make dressing: In a small bowl, combine orange juice, lemon juice, zest, olive oil and honey. Whisk until well-combined. Set aside.

Assemble each mason jar in the following order:

First (bottom) layer: 2 or 3 tablespoons sweet citrus dressing

Second layer: 1/2 cup blackberries

Third layer: 1/2 cup strawberries

Fourth layer: 1/2 cup blueberries

Fifth (top) layer: 1/4 cup almonds

3. Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat. When ready to serve, dump jar's content into a bowl, toss, and enjoy!

*Recipe, developed by editor Amanda Patton.

Cost per serving: $4.50 (ingredients only, not including mason jars)

Nutrition Information
Calories: 350.00 Fat: 22.50 g

Summer Vegetable Tortillas

INGREDIENTS:

⅓ cup sour cream
½ cup chopped fresh chives, divided, plus more for garnish
3 Tbsp milk
2 tsp lemon juice
¾ tsp salt, divided
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cup chopped zucchini
1 ¼ cup chopped green beans
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 1 large ear; see tip)
1 cup mozzarella cheese
½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
4 9-inch tortillas  (see Tip)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Stir sour cream, 1/4 cup chives, milk, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, green beans and corn and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low; stir in ricotta, Monterey Jack, the remaining 1/4 cup chives, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring gently, until the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. To roll tortillas, place one on a piece of parchment or wax paper. Spoon one-fourth of the vegetable-cheese mixture (about 3/4 cup) down the center of the tortilla . Use the paper (or plastic) to help you gently roll the tortilla  around the filling. Place the tortilla seam-side down on a dinner plate. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling. Serve each tortilla topped with 2 tablespoons of the reserved sauce and more chives, if desired.

Tips: To remove kernels, stand a cob on its stem end in a bowl and slice them off with a sharp, thin-bladed knife.

Two spring/summer recipes for make-ahead salad-in-a-jar

Arugula, Blueberry and Bacon Salad with Almonds, Balsamic Vinaigrette

Recipe type: Salad
15 mins Total time
Yield: 2 quarts

Ingredients
3 Tablespoons Balsamic vinaigrette
1 cup diced yellow bell pepper
1 cup blueberries, washed and dried
1/4 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
1/4 cup chopped toasted almonds
arugula or spinach
Instructions
In the bottom of a clean, dry quart jar, spread 1 1/2 Tablespoons of salad dressing. Repeat with second jar.
Scatter yellow bell pepper and blueberries into the jars, dividing equally between the two.
Add 2 Tablespoons both bacon and toasted almonds to the jars.
Pack remainder of jar with well-dried arugula or spinach and cover with a lid.
Place in the refrigerator and keep for up to 5 days.

Spring Pea and Romaine with Feta, Cucumber, and Radish, Creamy Buttermilk Dressing
Recipe type: Salad
Prep time: 15 mins Total time
Yield: 2 quarts

Ingredients
3 Tablespoons Creamy Buttermilk Dressing
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3/4 cup washed and sliced cucumbers (two mini)
1/2 cup sliced radishes
3/4 cup fresh spring peas
1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
2 hearts of Romaine lettuce, torn
Instructions
In the bottom of a clean, dry quart jar, spread 1 1/2 Tablespoons of salad dressing. Repeat with second jar.
Crumble 2 Tablespoons of feta into each jar on top of the dressing.
Add the cucumbers, radishes and peas, dividing them between two jars, and layering them.
Top with sunflower seeds and lettuce, again dividing the portion between the two jars.
Top with a clean dry lid and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

The "how to" bouffant

Achieving a bouffant that holds is seriously simple — just grab your rat tail comb, teasing brush, bobby pins, and hairspray!

1. Using your rat tail comb, section off two portions of hair: the front-most section, and the crown. Get the front portion out of the way by pushing it forward, Cousin It-style, or gathering it into an elastic.

2. Next, lightly tease the section at your crown.

3. Twist that section into a small bun, securing with bobby pins.

4. You may have to play around with placement, depending on where you wish your bouffant to be.

5. Now, take the front portion of hair and, using your teasing brush, tease like crazy!

6. Once the front portion is teased, lay it over your bun and, using your rat tail comb, tame any fly-aways and blend the sides.

7. Now, being sure to keep your bun covered, gather your teased hair and push up until you’ve achieved your desired bouffant height.

8. Pin in place using your bobby pins. From here, you can leave the back down, gather it into a ponytail!!

Our day at Kings Island

We had a great day going to Kings Island! Christian was able to go on the biggest roller coaster in Snoopy Land, which he was very thrilled about!!
I really enjoy days like this with my sweet family.
We had a mini pic-nic under a tree inside the park, with only a minor break down from Hannah!!
Here are the pictures from our day!

Little Miss Hannah, fell asleep just as we were leaving, bless her heart. It was a long, fun day.