Review & Giveaway: The Sticky Stuff

Being a military spouse, I have to be able to make just about any house a home, but still be able to leave it with bare white walls when we leave, even if we only have a couple days to do so.  One easy way to do this is with vinyl wall stickers and signs. 

The Sticky Stuff  creates the customized vinyl wall decor that many people look for, using premium vinyl that is easy to apply and remove.

The Sticky Stuff was founded by a military spouse who decided that instead of wishing the big box stores would carry what she was looking for, she would make it herself. So it makes sense that, while The Sticky Stuff can create nearly anything you would want as a vinyl wall decoration, they specialize in military themed decor.  

For a sampling of what they are capable of, take a look at their Facebook page! Their prices start at $5.00 for a sticker and $15.00 for a sign. The best way to go about ordering your very own customized creation shipped to your very door, is to contact her through Facebook or send her a text (info here).  Though they are located in Fort Irwin, CA, they do ship elsewhere.

I was able to receive a beautiful sign from them that displays where we have lived in our military career.

As you can see, we have lived in two military installations during our time with the Army.

I love the bright, clear colors that are the background's fitting red, white, and blue, and the vinyl's white, green, and yellow. I was especially pleased with choosing green lettering for our Florida base (Florida is VERY green and lush with vegetation) and yellow lettering for our current desert home in California. It's the little things that please me most.

Hanging the sign was extremely easy with the sawtooth hardware.

If there is one thing that the Mr and I (mostly the Mr) found lacking, it was the lack of hardware to put more installations on under Fort Irwin.

Personally, I figure it would be an easy thing to do when the time comes. The cost of this sign is $40.00, and since The Sticky Stuff sells to people out of the Fort Irwin area, it should be easy to order additional panels after we've moved.

Doing business with Jessica was exptremely easy and pleasant.  She was very quick to answer any and all questions I had, whether I contacted her through Facebook or text.  My sigh was made in a week, and  that included her ordering more white vinyl.  Arranging pickup was also very easy.  We met up at a local Starbucks where I got to see my vibrant sign for the first time!  Jessica was even willing to stick around a little long and answer my questions.  Never making me feel like I was just taking up time, she gladly gave me all the information I was looking for.

I do plan on utilizing The Sticky Stuff in the future for my décor needs, as they are always posting new creations and fun ideas!

Meanwhile, they're offering a delightful giveaway to one of our US readers - this beautiful 12" x 12" pine sign, customized with a last name, an initial and an 'est.' year, valued at $20.00.  This giveaway will end just before midnight on Monday, September 22.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment in this entry as instructed by the Rafflecopter, then leave the name you commented under and your email in the box in the Rafflecopter entry. (This lets us contact you if you win!)  This will open up additional optional entries to increase your odds of winning.

Good luck, everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Review/How-To: Homegrown Collective DIY Air Fresheners

I unboxed the August Homegrown Collective GREENBOX for you all a month ago, and I have so enjoyed working with this over the last few weeks! The August theme was DIY Summer Essential Home Detox, and the box was full of ways to freshen the air in your home.

I really enjoy projects like this, and Homegrown Collective provides the instructions and equipment to make everything quick and easy.  If the August box is any indicator, so much of it is reusable that the $39 a month subscription fee is very cost effective - you'll learn new skills and have the items necessary to repeat the methods with just a couple small purchases to cover whatever you won't still have on hand.

Homegrown Collective included four vials of essential oils - cinnamon, cedarwood, sweet mandarin and lemongrass, and each of them will go a long way well after every project in the box has been done a few times.

I don't want to go on at length today about each of these oils, but here is a brief and incomplete summary of the benefits of using them as a way to scent the air:

Sweet Mandarin is a bright citrus essential oil that is uplifting and cheerful, and also safe for most children's rooms.  It is relaxing and promotes restful sleep.  At home both in the summer and the winter, it can be useful for those who experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Cedarwood is a woodsy scent that is antibacterial and antifungal, among other things.  It repels mosquitoes and moths (which is why cedar is used to line cedar chests).  In aromatherapy, it relaxes and reduces anxiety and promotes the body's production of melantonin, so it promotes deep, restful sleep. This is a wonderful essential oil to use in the bedroom!

Lemongrass is a grassy essential oil that smells like citrus.  There is a long tradition of using Lemongrass to purify the air, including its use in a diffuser in a room where there has been airborne illness.  It aids those experience mental fatique and some use it to help clearing away old negative ideas and 'racing thoughts'.  Top it off with some great bug repelling abilities, and this is a wonderful multi-purpose oil to keep on hand.

Cinnamon is a spicy essential oil, and nearly everyone has some experience with the scent.  Cinnamon can be caustic to the skin or when inhaled undiluted, so care should be taken when working with this one. Even so, cinnamon smells delicious and has antibacterial properties that can help clear the air of airborne infectious diseases.  It is a cheery oil that would play brilliantly with the Sweet Mandarin to help dispel general gloominess.

August was a pretty hectic month for me - I did a bit of traveling and had a lot of commitments to deal with at home as well.  So, being able to work in a few projects that weren't overly labor intensive was a welcome bit of recreation for me.

The first project I tried was the simplest:  DIY Air Freshener Spray.  This replaces aerosol sprays full of chemicals, and it was so easy to do that I will never again use anything commercial.

Using the supplied spray bottle, it simply takes hot filtered water and some essential oils.

For this project, I chose the sweet mandarin and lemongrass, as their pleasant citrusy scent seemed the lightest and brightest way to sweeten the air on hot days.

The suggested amount of essential oils was 8-10 drops, but I brought that up to about 15 total while deciding how much of each to add.  There is no real right or wrong there - just follow your preference.

Once the warm water and essential oils are in the bottle, screw on the lid and give it a good shake.  It works best if it's shaken each time it's used.

I had to play with the bottle a bit to get the nozzle to put out a nice mist rather than a hard narrow shot of spray, but once done, it has done an absolutely fabulous job not only of scenting the air in our home, but I've also used it a few times on myself as a light cooling spritz when I'm overheated.

It even works quite nicely as a way to moisten my curly hair when styling it for the day (without moisture it's a big wild mess of dry frizz) and smells delightful for a couple hours afterward. This is one of the things I enjoy best about simple homemade products - most of them are highly multi-purpose.

The second project I tried was also quick and simple - a DIY Reed Diffuser.

The reeds, bottle and the same set of oils used for the other projects all came in the box.  The carrier oil did not.  The instructions specify 1/4 cup carrier oil and recommend almond, grapeseed or safflower oil.  I used grapeseed, since it is the one I had on hand.

Here again, which scents and how much to use is up to you - I went for 20 drops of a combination of Cedarwood, Cinnamon and Orange.

I really like the little bottle that came with this project - the bottle came with a cork, so once the oils were put in, it was easy to close it and give it a shake to combine.

It's recommended that the reeds be flipped over now and then to refresh the scent, and that really does work nicely - it smells so delightful that I usually massage whatever oil gets on my fingers over my hands to keep them soft and scented nicely.

The third project that came in the box was for making candles and I'm holding off on that until sometime this month, but I did decide to use these same supplies to make one more air freshener of a sort I've been meaning to try - Gel Air Fresheners.

You've seen things in stores, I'm sure - a jar full of scented gel that usually lasts a month or two without fear of tipping oil or open flames.  I like to keep them in bathrooms where they can do their thing unattended without worry.

I have had two jar set aside to do this for awhile - they're pretty square jelly jars, but I'd lost the lids, so the repurposing possibilities were limited.  Each jar holds 1 cup.   I made one jar a spicy woodsy blend of Cedarwood and Cinnamon, and one a citrusy blend of Sweet Mandarin and Lemongrass.  The recipe below is for ONE one cup jar of gel air freshener - if you'd like to do two like I did, just double it.

DIY Gel Air Freshener
(makes 1 jar)

1 glass jars that holds 1 cup
2 pkg. unflavored gelatin
1 tsp salt (this helps prevent mold)
20 drops essential oil
1 cup water
a few drops food coloring (optional)

Into the jar, put 20 drops of essential oil, either a single scent or a blend of two or more.

In a small saucepan, boil 1 cup water. Add salt, stirring until dissolved. Add gelatin a little at a time, stirring constantly so that it doesn't clump. Stir until fully dissolved and remove from heat.

I did not use food coloring, but if you want to, I think this would be the time to add to the gelatin mixture.

I poured the gel mixture into a large measuring cup for easier pouring into the jar, and recommend doing the same - as it cools, it is going to solidify to anything it touches and who needs the mess of cleaning that up?

Pour gel into the jar, and use a bamboo reed or other small stirrer to mix in the essential oils in the jar.

Now, all that's needed is to let it cool for several hours at room temperature or about an hour or so in the refrigerator.  This is where I decided to decorate them on a whim with a couple silk flowers I had laying around - not a bad effect, but next time I do this I will plan ahead about what I'd like to insert into them.

This should last at least a month, at which time the jar can be emptied and rewashed for another batch.

If I were to change anything about this particular box - and neither of these are deal breakers - I would have liked to have received some carrier oil for the diffuser project, and would have appreciated getting a separate eye dropper for each vial of oil.  These are very minor quibbles, though, and this remains one of the most satisfying subscription boxes I have ever tried.

I expect to redo each of these projects many times in the future, and I very much look forward to what Homegrown Collective has for us in the future.  As you can tell by looking at their past collections, it could be anything from more home care DIY, to make it yourself beauty products, to some fabulous techniques for cooking.  I love the surprise aspect of never being sure what the adventure might be from month to month, and I am positive that each one introduces subscribers to skills that will be both fun and promote a life devoted to simple pleasures. In a world that is frequently toxic, physically, mentally and emotionally, that is a very good thing.

I would recommend Homegrown Collective to anyone from those very experienced with DIY home living to someone who has never tried anything like this before. I strongly suggest putting this one on your list of gift ideas - Homegrown Collective offers one month and 3 month gift subscriptions as well as their regular subscriptions.  Go ahead and get one for yourself, too - after you hear how much your recipients love theirs, you'll wish you had.

Homegrown Collective
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Review: Grey & Green

I have always been fond of handmade soaps and lotions, believing that they are held to a higher standard by their makers and consumers than your average big brand product you find at the department store.  So, you can imagine my pleasure when I was given the opportunity to try some of Grey & Green's products!

Grey & Green is a company that creates handmade products using natural, raw materials such as cocoa butter, beeswax, coconut oil, and essential oils.  They specialize in soaps and lotions (both bar and liquid), though also offer lip balms, scrubs, and gift sets.

I was fortunate to be able to try the Cocoa Butter Cold Process Soap and the Shea Butter Lotion Bar, both in the Crackling Firewood scent, as I miss the smell of campfire in the summer and wood heaters in the winter.  Each product is only $4.00, available from their Etsy store.

My Grey & Green order arrived in a very pretty, bright green bag, with the soap wrapped in wax paper and the lotion in its own convenient tin.

My initial impression of the soap was "WOW that's a large slab of soap!"  It was honestly larger than my hand.  The most prevelant scent, though far from strong, from it was a generic soapy smell, with a hint of woodsmoke, though I most often find that handmade soaps don't have a strong scent.  

It doesn't even fit in my soap dish

My whole family loves this soap.  The Mr is actually quite fond of the fact that it does not have an overpowering scent, unlike most commercial soaps.  Mischief, who likes to think that even walking by the bathroom is a good excuse to wash his hands, thinks that the ridges tickle.  I love the how well it lathers and that it leaves behind the faintest smell of woodsmoke.  

The ridges also help me grip it when small hands drop the soap (again) into the sink.  Because of the materials used, this soap leaves your hands feeling, not dry and stretched, but soft and moisturized; even the lather feels soft.  After a month of constant use (we only have the one bathroom), the Grey & Green bar is still quite large, and will last us a long time.  This is definitely a good investment for only $4.00.

Being what the Mr affectionately calls a "fiber freak" (I knit, crochet, and even spin yarn) who has a marked preference for natural plant and animal fibers, my hands are often very dry.  I very quickly found that the best remedy for this is bar lotion.  Most commercial liquid lotions dry too quickly and sometimes even leave my hands feeling drier than before.  

I can't get over how good this smells!

The Shea Butter Lotion Bar was a treat to my poor, dry hands.  It left my hands feeling wonderfully refreshed, even after working with wool and cotton which completely sap my skin of any moisture, and left behind a lingering scent of woodsmoke, which I love.

The lotion bar had a markedly stronger scent than the soap. The size and shape of it, which reminds me of a votive candle, is a perfect fit in my hands to grab and massage it into whatever dry patch of skin is desperately crying for it (hands, feet, elbows, etc).

I also like that the little tin that it comes in is especially handy for keeping it in your purse/project bag/bag of holding.  It keeps the lotion from getting random debris embedded in it, and protects your stuff from getting lotion all over!  Again, I've been using this lotion bar for a month, and it is going to last me quite a few more; another steal for $4.00!

Bar lotion can take a little to get used to, as you don't just glob it on and rub it in and be done with it.  You need to take your time and massage it into your skin, letting it melt into the skin.  It doesn't completely absorb right away, but doesn't leave your hands feeling greasy either, more like they have a protective layer.

This is great for anyone wanting to put a little extra effort into keeping their skin moisturized.

One fantastic way to use it is on your poor feet after wearing flip flops for a few too many weeks. Massage it into those dry tootsies before bed and put cotton socks on.  In the morning, wake up with new feet!

Over all, I adore these products, and I am most definitely going to be recommending them to my friends and family, as well as trying more scents and products (like the Doctor Who Dalek and Tardis Glycerin Soaps).

These products are not only high quality and non irritating to my sensitive skin, but also very long lasting. Unquestionably, worth using again and again!

Grey & Green Etsy
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