Make Your Own French Vanilla Coffee Creamer

My hubby drinks so much coffee in the morning I think he almost goes through a container of creamer a day and that stuff isn't always cheap! So here is a recipe for making your own French Vanilla Coffee Creamer.

14 oz. Can Sweetened Condensed Milk

14 oz. Milk (Whole, 2%, Skim doesn't make a difference) 

2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Pour all of the above ingredients into a container that has a lid. Replace lid (tightly) and shake. Store in the fridge and use as needed. Enjoy! 

Make Your Own Glass Cleaner

I love making my own cleaning products, it's cheaper and I know exactly what I'm exposing my family and pets to. Here are two recipes for homemade glass cleaner. You can use an empty glass cleaner spray bottle or purchase an empty spray bottle from Wal-Mart ($1 or under). Do not use a container that previously contained bleach or bleach products. 

• 1 Tbsp Ammonia
• 1 Cup Rubbing Alcohol
• 1/2 tsp. Dawn Dish Soap
• 1 Cup Water
• 2-3 drops blue food coloring (Optional) 

Combine all ingredients in spray bottle. 

-OR- 

• 1 cup Water
• 1/4 cup White Vinegar
• 2 to 3 drops Dawn Dish Soap

Combine all ingredients in spray bottle. 

Make Your Own Laundry Detergent

Okay I'll admit I was really hesitant to make my own laundry detergent I was convinced it wouldn't work but for the first time ever (okay maybe second) I was wrong! (Shhhh don't tell my husband he thinks I'm always right hahaha) Anyway I have been using this for about 2 months now and I will not go back to buying detergent ever! First of all I bought all of the ingredients for under $7 which will make about 6 gallons of laundry soap! Continue Reading for the directions.

Make Your Own Clorox Clean Up

I truly enjoy making my own cleaners at home for several reasons. Of course the first reason is the money I'm saving by not paying full price for the products. I also like knowing that I'm not throwing away all those empty bottles and adding to our landfills. Lastly I like seeing what goes into the cleaners and knowing that it's safe for my family and pets. Here is another way to keep money in your pocket and keep your home fresh and clean!

DIY Bleach Cleaner like Clorox Clean Up

1/8 Cup Bleach

4 Cups Water

Pour into a spray bottle, shake gently and start cleaning, it's that simple! 

Kids Korner: Slime

Gak, Goo, Flubber, Slime, whatever you want to call it this stuff is neat. My kids loved this activity and I'm pretty sure I'm like the coolest Mom ever for letting them make slime (well for at least the next 5 minutes anyway). Here's how you can be a cool Mom too.

Make Your Own Hair Detangler

My daughters' hair gets knotted so easily and brushing their hair is always a project. Hair detangler is the only thing that seems to make the job easier, however you just don't see coupons for detangler and I hate paying retail. So here is recipe we use for homemade hair detangler that costs only a few cents for each bottle!

• 1 part Conditioner
• 9 parts Warm Water
• Empty Spray Bottle

Pour conditioner & water into empty bottle and shake to mix. Simple and Cheap! 

Buttermilk Substitute

With holiday cooking & baking quickly approaching here's a tip to save a little money. Buttermilk is one of those things that I need a cup or two maybe once a month, not really enough to justify buying buttermilk. Here is an easy substitute that will save you a couple bucks.

1 Cup of Milk
1 Tbsp. White Vinegar

Let sit for a couple minutes on the counter, once it starts to curdle give it a quick stir and it's ready to use.

If you need less than a cup you can use 1/3 Cup of Milk & 1 tsp. White Vinegar 

Make Your Own Wrinkle Releaser

If you hate to iron as much as me or if you're just short on time mix up this recipe for homemade wrinkle releaser and save yourself time and money at the same time!

Homemade Wrinkle Releaser

1/3 C. Liquid Fabric Softener (Grab one at the Dollar Store or choose your favorite scent)
1/3 C. White Vinegar
1/3 C. Water

Pour all into a spray bottle & shake. Hang up the clothing you want to remove wrinkles from, spray with the wrinkle releaser and shake out the wrinkles! For stubborn wrinkles just spray generously and toss in the dryer for a couple of minutes.

Make Your Own Febreze

With 3 kids & 3 dogs Febreze isn't a luxury in our house it's a necessity! So when I cam across this recipe for homemade Febreze I was thrilled. Plus you have many more scents to choose from when making your own!

Homemade Febreze

• 2 Cups Warm Water
• 1/4 Cup Liquid Fabric Softener (Choose your favorite scent)
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda

Pour into an empty Febreze bottle and shake to mix. It's that simple. To make this even cheaper grab your fabric softener at the dollar store! 

Kids Korner: Bath Paint

Store bought bath paints can run anywhere between $6 - $10 and with 3 kids I just can't afford to spend that much on something that might last one bath. So I found a recipe for homemade bath paint that was simple and I already had everything to make it on hand! We had a lot of fun making it and the kids loved playing with it in the tub. I had no issues wiping this off of the tub but you may want to test a little first on your own just to be safe.

Reusable Dryer Sheets

If you're anything like me you hate spending money on things that you will just throw away like trash bags, sandwich bags and dryer sheets. So when I came across a way to make reusable dryer sheets I was ecstatic (sorry I couldn't resist). Here is how you can stop paying for dryer sheets too!