DIY Deluxe Kid Wash Sprinkler for $40

The Deluxe Kid Wash

Thank you Pinterest for pointing me to the coolest sprinkler ever: The Deluxe Kid Wash!  My daughter's birthday party is this Saturday, it's predicted to be in the 90's, and we do not have a pool. Next best thing to keep the kiddies cool? A sprinkler.

How To

The Disney Family Fun website has the directions and suggests this can be built for around $40. Guess what? That is correct! We came in just shy of $40.

Where to Purchase the Supplies

All the PVC was purchased from our local home improvement big box store. We purchased the add-on's from a dollar store. It took about 2 hours max to construct and 10 minutes to take down and store in a nylon bag (also from the dollar store).

For the party we are adding a Slip-N-Slide under the sprinkler to avoid creating a mud bath of our lawn. A cheap tarp will work just as well.

Repurpose when done using

When the kiddies get too old for a Kid Wash, repurpose all that PVC. I'm thinking the tubes with the drilled holes will be perfect to put in the garden as part of an irrigation system.

We call our Daughter "B" so this little Bee is a perfect touch!

Instead of boring sponges we went with bath loofahs. The Stop/Go Signs are aluminum platters , 2 for $1! 

The directions call for Lawn Chair Vinyl Strips. We paid $1 for a vinyl shower curtain, hung it on curtain rings and cut it into strips. It may not last past the party but it was quick, cheap, and serves it's purpose.

The Birthday Girl testing it out

Free the Weed! Dandelion Jelly Recipe

Does the idea of Home Canning intimidate you? Some fond memories from my childhood are of canning.  As an adult I now realize why my parents had me start canning so young...to help break up the time. It does take a good time commitment. To this day string beans make me take cover like a tornado is heading my way! With Spring in the air I had a nostalgic desire to do some sort of canning, quick & easy canning of course.

Tuesday B & I went foraging for dandelions by the canal to make some Dandelion Jelly. "WHAT? You are going to consume dandelions?" Yep, and here's how:

Dandelion Jelly

(Yield: 4 cups)

4 cups dandelion petals

4.5 cups sugar

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 box powdered pectin

Cut the green part off the dandelions and collect 4 cups of just the pretty yellow petals. Its easiest if you do this when they are open. Put the petals in a pan and pour about 3 cups boiling water over them. Cover and let sit overnight. The next day, strain the "tea" into a measuring bowl with a coffee filter to remove all the petals. Add more water to the tea so it equals 3 cups (after the petals are removed...just a reminder).

Put your jelly jars in a hot bath until time to fill them. Add the tea, sugar, lemon juice, and pectin to a large saucepan and boil for 2 minutes. Pour the hot "jelly" into your jars, leaving about 1/4-1/2 inch room from the top. Put your canning lids on then seal them in a hot water bath for about 10 minutes. The jelly should set once the jars cool down, so wait until the next day to eat!

WAIT, you don't have a canning pot with a jar rack? Well, neither do I and until I score one from the thrift store I won't have one. Use a LARGE stock pot, fill with enough water to cover the jars by about 2 inches. Here's where you can get creative and daring: fold up a towel and put on the bottom of the pot to keep your jars from rattling around or falling to their sides OR if you have round cooling rack that will fit, put that baby in there. Bring the water to a boil then add your jars, very carefully. Since you have already cooked the jelly the sealing stage will go quick...about 10 minutes. When you take the jars out, a few minutes later you'll hear a ping...that's a good sound! It's telling you that your jars are sealed and can be stored up to a year!


I paired the jelly with Feta Cheese and Wheat Bread: D-Lish! The jelly has a lemon &  honey taste to it. If I were to try to sound like a foodie, I'd call the taste Regal. It is sweet yet tart and pairs well with other strong tastes...like cheeses. Of course you can put it on crackers or bread and gobble it up like that too!

From my homeschooling vantage this was a great opportunity for many "lessons:

• We took a nature walk along an historic canal
• Discussed Stranger Danger
• Foraged for edible plants
• Practiced Scissor Work & Fine Motor Skills
• Practiced Basic math with measuring out the ingredients
• Tried to practice Patience waiting for the jelly to set
• Quality Mommy & Daughter time!

Let me know if you try it and what you think!

How To Make Laundry Detergent and Save Money

Throw away your laundry detergent coupon stack! You need it no more!

Ha! My hours of scrolling through Pinterest once again have paid off! I have saved oodles of money on another of life's necessities that gouge my wallet at the cash register: Laundry Detergent!

The White Silk Purse's Concentrated Laundry Detergent is the one I chose. Our home is a fan of both liquid and powder detergents. The aggravation is powder detergent  and darks don't mix well, especially if you are  tired, overstuff the machine, and use cold water. Of the many options on Pinterest, this one stood out as the most versatile. 

Oh who am I kidding? I liked the damn picture on her site of the neatly stacked mason jars in her cupboard, the fact the soap is cooked so there is no powder left, and the bit of fun by whipping it in your stand mixer! Anything is worth doing if it ends up looking like whipped cream!

The verdict? I love this stuff! Not just for the uber money savings but also the smell (it does have a "heritage" type smell to it, reminds me of my grandma on her farm in Southern Illinois.), and it actually cleans the clothes great! Now don't go thinking it is a cure all. I still have to pre-treat my messy daughter's clothes with some hard core laundry stain removers, but I was doing that while using the expensive detergents already.

Suds-there are none. If you are one of the millions who equate suds with cleaning, first off, that is an incorrect assumption and second, this stuff will disappoint! I conducted many an experiment last week to make sure this stuff works. I overstuffed the machine (which tends to be my norm), used extra large water setting for small loads, used different amounts of the detergent, avoided using any bleach and fabric softner, dried the clothes in the dryer as well as hung them to dry.

Here are my suggestions:

1. MAKE THIS STUFF for the sake of your wallet
2. Make a small batch first (which yields about 50 loads on the low end, 192 on the high end. The picture above is the small batch yield)
3. 4 tablespoons per large load seemed to be the best amount for my conscious sake
4. When washing in cold, it may be best to let the water fill with the soap so it dissolves a bit. I'm jaded by powders and black clothes with a nice white film stuck in them from undissolved detergent.

Small Batch Recipe for Homemade Laundry Detergent

1 bar Fels Naptha soap ($.97/bar)

1 cup Borax 20 Mule Team ($3.49/box)

1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda ($2.75/box)

3 cups water plus more to top off jars

Heat the water in a quart saucepan while you grate the Fels Naptha bar. Once grated, pour into the hot water and stir until completely dissolved. Turn off the heat then add the Borax and Washing Soda, stir until dissolved. Pour mixture equally into 2-quart sized jars, it should fill them about half way, top off with water to the neck of the jar. Lid them, give them a good shake, and let them sit overnight.

The next day, pour the contents of the jars into your stand mixer(the soap will have set and separated so it is almost jelly like in consistency), start mixing slowly-like you are creaming butter and sugar for some delicious cookies-then work your way up to a nice fast whipping speed. Stop when the soap looks like a light and fluffy whipped cream that you want to spoon into your mouth...but don't! Spoon that stuff into THREE jars, lid, and use the next time you do a load!

If it turns out you can't give up your wasteful money habit of high priced store bought laundry detergent, tie a nice bow around the lid, put a pretty label on the jars and give them as gifts to someone who will appreciate them!

BTW: There is enough Borax & Washing Soda left for you to make your own Dishwasher Detergent AND still have extra! Also Borax has many, many, many other household uses and since it's spring time it's great for killing weeds.

How to make your holiday shopping a breeze

Here's how: If you are not in the Chicagoland area then get online and find yourself some hard working, making jobs for themselves, direct sales reps for awesome and unique gifts!

If you are in the Chi-town area then come to my vendor Halloween Open House on October 22 from 11-4.  Take a peak at what seasonal, limited time only products these awesome vendors have to offer as well as cash & carry products & gifts available. JR Watkins, Shortycake Creations, Tastefully Simple, and Gold Canyon Candles will be in the house!

Yes, it's a KimD party so there will be door prizes,decorations, laughter, and libations! Can't wait to see you!

DIY flavored syrups for coffee drinks.

How to make flavored syrups for coffee and save $

It's that time of year! The cool weather sets in and my Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks Gland goes into overdrive!

Being on an uber budget I cannot forfeit heating the home for a venti latte everyday! (That was a huge breakthrough. You'll see me on A&E Intervention!)

Next best thing? Make my own freaking autumn flavored goodness!

If you don't already have this stuff, well, shame on you and go get it!

Mason jars with lids

Sugar

Brown Sugar

Pumpkin Pie Spices, vanilla extract, caramel extract. Frankly any flavor you love to pay $5 for at the coffee shop.

Since these are coffee syrups, I make them thinner, i.e. I don't boil the mixture down to a thick syrup.

Ok, ok, here's the How To part:

2.5 cups water

2 cups sugar

1/2-3/4 cup brown sugar

4+ tablespoons Spices or Extracts to taste-always go strong on the flavor...you are mixing with a strong base, remember?

Mix sugar and water in sauce pan over med-low heat until sugar dissolves-no boiling, but keep stirring. Add extracts and heat on low for another 5-8 minutes.

Taste, taste, taste. Add more brown sugar and extracts if you think you need it! If you are a 4 pump caramel latte type, make you flavors extra strong!!! Just a heads up and shout out, the better quality the extracts the less you will have to use. Watkins are the best I've come across. (I can get you some, just ask)

Once the syrup is cooled put in mason jars & label them. We bought some glass oil & vinegar dispensers at a local big box store which work perfect for pouring!

Questions? Seriously? You don't know how to make a coffee drink? Don't ever call yourself a coffee drinker in front of me because my caffeine shaking hand may slap your not-coffee-stained teeth! ;-) I kid of course, coffee addicts are not violent. Just give us our java and leave us be!