Essential Oil DIY Air Freshener Recipes

I don't know about you but I am hooked on my essential oils.  I love everything about them.  How they are good for my health, my environment and such a great alternative to using candles since their scents have such wonderful benefits.  So, you can only imagine how excited I am to share with you today, 10 DIY Air Freshener Recipes made out of essential oils!

                                        DIY ESSENTIAL OIL AIR FRESHENER RECIPES

To make your own homemade air freshener to use around the house just follow the steps below. It’s incredibly easy. Once you get the hang of it you can mix and match scents and play with the strength of the concoction!

To make these air fresheners you will need a base of 3 ingredients, and then you will swap out the scents as you wish. You will want a spray bottle that fits 8 ounces, a funnel, distilled water (if you don’t have distilled, tap is fine), and two tablespoons of either 60+ proof vodka or rubbing alcohol. Vodka and rubbing alcohol both have ethanol which is used to solubilize (or dissolve) the oil into the water and acts as a preservative. They also have mild disinfectant properties.

Next, you will want to pick the scent you will be using. Citrus scents will feel more invigorating and refreshing, while scents like lavender and chamomile can be soothing. Mix and match until you find a scent that is uniquely yours.

Finally, just grab the spray bottle and use the funnel to pour in about 1 cup of water. You can double the recipe if you want to make 2 cups of air freshener or find the smell too overpowering. Lastly, drop in the prescribed amount of essential oil and shake it up.

That sounds easy enough, doesn't it?  Now, for the recipes.  I am only sharing a few of my favorites but remember, there are 10 recipes in all.

Notice that each recipe is unique in that it not only freshens your home but it also has properties that create a certain "feeling" within you.  This Grapefruit, Tangerine, Lime has a scent that will all energize you.

                               Lavender Chamomile is good for relaxation.

And if you want just a fresh, clean scent, this Lemon-Basil recipe should do it for you.

There are so many benefits from using essential oils so why not jump in and give them a try by creating some of these great air freshener recipes.  There is also a button where you can DOWNLOAD each recipe and keep in handy in a file. 

The Colorful Show Called Autumn in Colorado

Y'all, the heat is simply oppressive here in the south.  You can only understand this statement if you have been here.  In September, while other states are enjoying cooler weather and sitting outside around a fire pit, we here in Louisiana are sweating, running our air conditioning on 68 degrees and swatting at flies.  Yea sure, when these cooler climates are snowed in and freezing to death we are bragging about still wearing shorts and flip-flops, but the heat of early fall here has the last laugh.  That's why, when offered to use a friend's house in Breckenridge, Colorado for a week we jumped at the opportunity!

We left the sweltering heat and landed in Denver where we took a transfer up to 10.000 feet in Breckenridge.  When we got out of the vehicle the air was already cool and crisp with a humidity level of only 18%.  It was an instant relief.  That is until I was struck with altitude sickness.  I was expecting this so was prepared on this first day, armed with Tylenol, Yogi Ginger Tea and a little oxygen.  By the next morning I was feeling much better and ready to conquer the day with a little hike.

                                     This was our view upon rising, every single morning.

This first hike was not a difficult one.  We took our time and made our way along the trail, hubby pointing out animal tracks and I taking in the scenery. We stopped along the way to eat a snack and just enjoy being able to enjoy the outdoors.

      Hubby bought my these Hoka hiking shoes before we left so I felt like a "real" hiker!

I actually took note of the signs on this visit and learned how to read about everything concerning the trails I would be hiking.

                                            He lead, I followed.  It's usually best that way.

                       Of course, I'm always snapping photos.  He's getting used to it.  Sorta.

Looking at the animal tracks along the way I wasn't too afraid.  Until mention of a bear came up.  But this cute little chipmunk let us creep right upon him to capture a photo.  Look carefully because he blends in really well with the rocks.

We ended our hike and then set out for a bit of a jeep ride that afternoon, ending with this gorgeous view.

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DIY Halloween Hats!

I just LOVE Halloween.  It marks the beginning of a new season with all of the pumpkins and hot chocolate and marshmallow roasting.  Leaves begin to flutter to the ground and suddenly the hot days of summer give over to the cooler, crisper days of autumn.

With 10 little ones over here, I am always looking for some cute new craft to do with them and this year for Halloween I have found these  5 adorable DIY Halloween Hats to make!  The hat templates are absolutely FREE for you to DOWNLOAD and there is also a list of supplies you will need along with instructions for making each hat.  Here are a couple of my favorites:

Ahoy Matey! This Halloween, give your little captain of the sea a hat to complete his look! Simply print out our band and let your kid color in his skull and bones. Crunching for time? Print the colored in black band to save you a few minutes! Your child will be ready to take on the great sea, aka the sea of houses for trick-or-treating!

Supplies 

• White cardstock
• Scissors 
• Hole punch
• Tape
• Thin elastic

Directions

1. Print the hat template either colored in or print white.
2. Cut out the hat. If printing the white hat, have your child color in the hat.
3. Next, punch holes where marked on the hat. 
4. Tie or tape thin elastic onto the hat as the head strap, adjusting the size as needed.

For a simple and creative DIY bat craft, try a bat headband! Create your bat headband for your child’s Halloween party with friends or for trick or treating on Halloween night. Read up on bats before they dress up so they can share some facts with their trick-or-treating pals.

Supplies 

• White cardstock
• Hole Punch
• Scissors 
• Glue stick
• Stapler
• Thin elastic

Directions

1. Print out the wings on white paper and cut out. 
2. Print out the two eyes, fangs and nose. 
3. Glue the eyes, fangs and nose to the center of the headband. 
4. Fold the edges of the wings about a ½ inch (marked) and staple each side so they have movement.
5. Hole punch either side of the hat and attach with thin elastic, creating knots to secure.

Now, aren't these super cute and don't they look fun to make with your kiddos?  I thought so too!  Just click HERE to DOWNLOAD all of the templates to make getting ready for Halloween even more fun!

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NEW Paperless Post Flyer!

Y'all, I just discovered the CUTEST invitation that can be texted, e-mailed or shared to social media!  You heard me right, texted.  How great is that?!  It's quick, convenient and with texting, it goes straight to the invitees phone.  Plus, the invitations are animated which make it even more festive.  Want to get started on your flyer now?

FIRST:   Choose your category.  Is the occasion a birthday or some other sort of party?
SECOND:  Choose your design.
THIRD:  Personalize with all of your information and guest list (There is RSVP also).
FOURTH:  Copy your link and send invitations out.
FINALLY...Just wait for your RSVP's to start rolling in!

                                                  THE PAPERLESS POST FLYER
                                                            FUN to DESIGN
                                                          SIMPLE to SHARE
                                                           TOTALLY FREE!

         

Printable Slow Cooker Recipes

We all know that our family expects to eat an evening meal but GOSH how we hate the planning and cooking and standing over a stove.  Well, I've got just the thing for you; 10 Five-Ingredient Slow Cooker Recipes!

There's nothing better than a good slow cooker recipe that you can just put the ingredients in and let the cooker do the rest.  Today I have for you 10,  Five-Ingredient  FREE Printable Slow Cooker Recipes.  All you have to do is download them and add them to your recipe file.  Here are a few of my favorites:

 Who isn't looking for an easy yet delicious sandwich for weekend football tailgate parties?  This pulled BBQ chicken sandwich fits the bill perfectly!

 OK, I'm a southern gal so I grew up eating all sorts of cobblers with fruit straight from the orchard out back.  Needless to say I LOVE some cobbler!  This recipe is great for any time you need a quick dessert recipe that tastes like you spent hours making.

Chicken is my go-to food so I am always looking for a new recipe to change it up a bit.  This lemon and garlic roasted chicken is so simple yet flavorful and I know it will soon be a family favorite.

Trust me, you do not want to miss these time-saving Slow Cooker Recipes that will free you up to do the things you really want to be doing!

Free Vintage Food Label Downloads

Hey, if you're like me, organizing is a necessary evil.  No, really, I do love to have things organized, especially my pantry.  But if I'm going to get everything organized in there I feel like it should be labeled...and cute too!  That's where these adorable Vintage Food Labels come in.  They're functional,  easy, cute and FREE!

                                   Take a look at all of the adorable labels that are available!
                                             There is one for ever staple in your pantry.

And there are some for Homemade Cookies, Lunches and even ones that you can personalize for anything else you want!

All you have to do to get these FREE DOWNLOADS is CLICK HERE and then apply them to your containers.  To apply the vintage food labels to your containers, try spray adhesive for plastic surfaces and double-sided tape for glass and ceramic surfaces. You also have the option to punch a hole in the label and use string to tie a label around your mason jar container. 

Wherever you decide to use these labels I hope you have SO MUCH FUN creating something unique!

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Printable Road Trip Games

Do you remember what it was like (or hearing your parents tell you what it was like...) before the invention of electronics?  Imagine this:  A road trip was spent reading a book or playing some sort of game to pass the time.  Well, I don't know about you, but I miss those times.  And with more and more research becoming available about the effect of excessive use of electronic with children, I was SO EXCITED to find these awesome Printable Road Trip Games!

Y'all, there are 30 games in all and games for kids of all ages,  so I am only going to highlight a few of my favorites.

“My Cows!” – Driving through the countryside? Chances are, you drive by fields and fields of cattle. Every time you see a group of cows, yell out “my cows!” Keep track of how many herds of cattle you have and see who can get the most! But watch out – if you drive over a bridge, the first one to say “no more cows” can keep theirs, but everyone else loses all their cows!

License Plate Game – Spot a license plate for all 50 states (bonus points for Hawaii)! Color in each state as you find its plate and see who can get the most! This game is great for school-aged children: it will keep them off their electronic devices, engaged in the drive, and learning geography at the same time!

Road Trip Bingo:  One of the things that kids love to do is play travel bingo.  Although, most free printable travel bingo games are usually designed with only 4 boards.  This Travel Bingo game is designed with 8 boards!  And a great idea for this game would be to laminate the Bingo cards and provide Dry Erase markers for using them over and over again.

Road Sign Scavenger Hunt:  Want to keep your family busy during a road trip? See how many of these common road signs you can spot along your route. 

  
Providing kids with a Travel Game Box is the perfect idea for any road trip.  Choose a special box where all games and pieces can be kept and perhaps even let the kiddos help to decorate the box.  Laminate as many games as possible so they can be used over and over again and if you really want to get organized, use an accordion file to store each game in.

This is such a great opportunity for reconnection between kids and parents alike.    Click HERE to access all 30 FREE GAME DOWNLOADS and start looking forward to your next road trip!