Be my Valentine?? Everyday!

You shouldn't have to celebrate one day in the year for that special one you love-you should do it everyday!! Here are a selection of Valentine inpired items in my Etsy shop:

London Calling!

Time for a trip to London :)

Calm before the storm

Stunning calming items from these fabulous Etsy sellers!

Homemade Cleaning Products

On a quest to eliminate chemicals from my life here is the ingredient list for homemade cleaning products. Simple!
Ingredients
Water
White Vinegar
Mildly acidic, white vinegar gets rid of dirt, soap scum and even water deposits on taps / around sinks. It deodorizes as well as cleans by absorbing (as opposed to masking) unpleasant smells. If you are worried that the whole house will smell like vinegar, don’t be because when it dries it becomes odourless. It can be used on tiled surfaces, wooden floors and even as a fabric conditioner.
Bicarbonate of Soda
This is a must for the cleaning cupboard because of its abrasive qualities. It also deodorizes by absorbing smells rather than covering them up. In fact you can use bicarb as a deodorant on your skin. It won’t stop you sweating, but will stop the sweat from smelling.
Lemon Juice
The acidity in lemons make simple lemon juice a great cleaning product because it too cuts through dirt and grease. The other great thing about lemon juice is that it smells nice!
Olive Oil
A truly versatile item, olive oil is essential for polishing and protecting wood. Just like the rest of these items, it is completely natural and cannot harm anyone if consumed. The same cannot be said for chemical cleaning products.
To Make
Floor Cleaner
For vinyl and tile floors I mix 1 cup of white vinegar with 1 gallon of water. For wooden floors you should just use half the amount of white vinegar with the same amount of water. Mop the floors in the usual way.
All Purpose Cleaner
White vinegar and water can also be added a spray bottle and used as an all purpose cleaner such as kitchen surfaces. It should be made slightly stronger than the floor cleaner – 1 part vinegar, 1 part water.
Bathroom Cleaner
Bicarb is perfect for scrubbing the bath and basin with because the abrasive action cleans them so well. For tougher cleaning (such as the toilet) it can be mixed with water to form a paste. Apply the paste to the area you want to clean and leave for 20 minutes before scrubbing off.
Furniture Polish
Mix together 1 part lemon juice to 2 parts olive oil in a spray bottle. Shake the bottle well. Spray the solution onto your furniture and use a dry flannel, duster or piece of old towel to polish thoroughly. Your wood will shine, be protected and smell nice too.
Window Cleaner & Mirrors
The recipe is 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup of white vinegar and one teaspoon of liquid detergent. Place the ingredients into a spray bottle and shake. Spray onto glass and rub with newspaper to stop it streaking.
Trigger Sprays
You may find it handy to store your homemade cleaning products in a handy plastic bottle with a neat trigger spray for simple, clean use.
I find that no amount of bicarb or elbow grease will remove lime scale from our shower head so for this we use a commercial product. Washing up liquid is also not homemade in this house. Although we can’t make everything, it’s great to switch to homemade products for the majority of our cleaning chores.

Alderholt Vintage & Handmade Fair -Dorset

Want a day out on Sunday? Enjoy vintage treasures? Like to support local community?
Please come visit this sure to be amazing event in Alderholt, Dorset!
Fair Link

Sunday, 11th September, 10am – 3pm. Alderholt Village Hall, Alderholt, Dorset, SP6 3RB

The Great Dorset Steam Fair

Well I had to do a post on The Great Dorset Steam Fair as it's right on my doorstop! it also holds a special place in my heart as I met my now husband there :)) so here are some fun items from folksy shops that remind me of this famous event.....
The Great Dorset Steam Fair

Summer Blackberries

It's that time of year again- blackberries! I've seen them out already (a month early) so I have managed to make some yummy blackberry muffins. We do freeze some with a batch of apples for winter crumbles too. So after stingy fingers and thumbs- I always get stung! I have found these delicious blackberry themed items made by talented Folksters :)