Simple Quilt for Beginners

I absolutely love to sew and have been looking for some quick easy projects. I used to sew a lot of clothing items, but wanted to try something new. I found this incredibly easy quilt for beginners, it's super cute and simple to make.

10 Things You Should Never Put In Your Garbage Disposal

We recently learned the hard way that there are many items that should not be put down your garbage disposal. One day last week I was doing the dishes and I noticed that the water was not draining down the sink and the water was rising. I flipped the garbage disposal switch on and the water and all the food bits came up the other side of our double sink. When I turned off the disposal the water came back up the right side of the sink… it looked like a mini geyser.  We tried to fix the clog ourselves (post to come), but we ultimately found out that the clog was much further than we could reach. We had to call in a professional. Here is a list of what we did wrong and what you should avoid putting down your garbage disposal. These tips could help you save hundreds of dollars and a major headache!!

1.  Grease, Oil and Fats

Pouring grease and oil down your drain will eventually lead to build up on your blades which will inhibit the blades from grinding efficiently. The grease and oil will also build up an in the inside of you pipes, which will be very difficult to clean out. This also goes for that bacon grease. After you fry bacon you should allow the grease to solidify and wipe it out with a paper towel and toss it in the trash.

2.  Egg Shells

This one was a surprise for us. We had always heard that putting egg shells in your garbage disposal would help sharpen the blades. Turns out this is not true. When we opened our pipes to look for the clog we were shocked at the amount of egg shell bits that poured out with the water. We had a bucket under the pipe and the egg shells were just sitting at the bottom of the bucket and did not slide out when we poured the water out. Signaling to us that there were probably a lot of egg shells just sitting in the bottom of our pipes not moving.

3.  Pasta and Rice

You should never put pasta or rice down the garbage disposal because they are two types of foods that expand when mixed with water. So after the water has passed through the pipes the pasta and rice will stay in the pipes, expand and stick to the interior of the pipes... causing a major blockage.

4.  Potato Peels

Yep, guilty again. I have always peeled my potatoes right in the sink and then jammed them all down the garbage disposal. Apparently, the starch in potatoes eventually turns to a black paste and cause major blockage. Instead of peeling directly over the sink, place a colander or dish towel in the sink to collect your peels for easy clean up (into the trash can).

5.  Celery and Asparagus

We were told that celery, asparagus and any other fibrous foods were to stringy to put down the garbage disposal. They can actually wrap around the blade causing damage.

6.  Bones

This one sounds obvious and we've all heard that bones can sharpen the blades. Turns out bones have the opposite effect and can dull the blades. Not to mention you wouldn't want hard bits of bones flying out at you.

7.  Large Pits

Cherry, avacado and other large pits are to large for the disposal blade to break down. Throw these in the trash instead.

8.  Coffee Grounds

The bits of coffee ground can and will accumulate in your pipes eventually blockage your pipes.

9.  Onion and Banana Peels

Extremely fibrous materials like the outer skins of onions, bananas and artichokes should never be put down your disposal. They can cause damage to your disposals motor, because they are to tough for the blades to break down.

10.  Non-Food items

The professional plumber that can to help us with our clog told us stories and customers putting things like plastic wrap and foil down their disposal. Throw away all non food items into the garbage can not the disposal.

5 Unique End of Year Teacher Gifts

That time of year is approaching again. The end of the school year. It's always nice to show how much you appreciate the hard work, dedication and not to mention patience of your child teachers. Here is a great list of unique gifts your favorite teacher will definitely cherish. All these gifts are perfect and most under $10... so hard to choose!

1.  Fabric Teacher Quote Key Chain

A perfect Teacher gift. This Teacher key fob features the quote "Let us remember: one book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world." by Masala Yousafzal

2.  Personalized Teacher Pencils 

What better way to thank your Number 1 teacher than with a personalized No. 2 pencil!
Each pencil is hand cut, painted and distressed. I add the custom name to the pencil to finish it off.

3.  Adorable Teacher Elastic Hair Ties

Perfect gift for your child's teacher for Teacher Appreciation Day or just because!! Comes with 3 hair ties, one chalkboard ABC's, one crayon, and one ruler. 

4. Teacher Wish Bracelet

Little Wishes are a beautiful way to give someone you care for a wish. All they have to do is make a wish and then tie the cord around their wrist. When the cord finally wears down and breaks the wish is released and will come true - so they say!

5.  Personalized Pencil Holder

This pencil holder is made from a terra cotta pot. The pot base is painted with a black paint, then the rim is painted in a yellow. The lines, numbers and words are hand painted. Then a vinyl flower is attached.

Target April Baby Box = $5

Hurry and head over to Target to snag their new baby box for only $5. The kit includes:

• 8 product samples
• 7 samples hand picked for your little one
• 1 item specially picked by you (raw sugar vanilla bean or + sugar natural body wash)

WOW... 20% OFF at the Balanced Lion

Hurry...this discount ends May 1, 2017. Help The Balanced Lion celebrate their grand opening with 20% any product. Dish Scrubbies that are dishwasher safe, machine washable and dry quickly. These are the perfect addition to any kitchen. Also great gifts!

Why You Need to Ditch Your Dish Sponge

We’ve all been there. Walking up to the kitchen sink, dreading what we’ll find. Ugh, it’s there again, a huge pile of dirty dishes. Then you see it, you know what I’m talking about, and you see the dreaded, smelly, shredded and dingy looking sponge. 

You don’t even want to pick it up, you contemplate using gloves but don’t want to waste time finding them and putting them on. You wonder if your dishes are even getting clean. Then it happens, you pick up the sponge and it’s cold and still wet from the last time you washed the dishes… is it filled with bacteria, fungus, germs or food particles. The decision is made, you toss the sponge and grab a freshly wrapped one and start the washing process all over again. How many sponges did you go through this week? Month? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a quick drying, easy to care for reusable product to clean your dishes.

Well look no more because it is here. The Balanced Lion has made a 100% polyester dish scrubby that will solve all of your dish washing woes. The polyester yarn used to make the dish scrubbies dries quicker than regular cellulose sponges, other acrylic yarns and regular dish clothes. This means no more cold, wet, smelly sponge and prevents bacteria from building up. The unique texture is gentle on dishes, pot and pans, ceramics, Teflon, but tough enough to clean thoroughly. The bright colors and texture will make dish washing a pleasant experience. No more dreading the kitchen sink. This dish scrubby is so amazing that you can throw it right in the top rack of your dishwasher to clean, or run it through your washing machine on a warm gentle cycle. You can let the scrubby air dry or throw in the dryer on low heat. The amazing thing about this dish scrubby is that it can also be used to exfoliate your skin (I would recommend buying a second to use for body exfoliation).

 So toss your sponge for good… stop wasting money from constantly purchasing sponges and head over to The Balanced Lion to get your very own dish scrubby now.