Pinbellish #22

Welcome to Pinbellish!

A Pinning Celebration

I'm still finding my groove for 2016. How about you? I love when Friday comes around and all I have to worry about is getting the party ready for you and playing in Pinterest. Pinterest is my guilty pleasure.

Worthwhile Wednesdays #105

Welcome, Welcome all to the 105th
Worthwhile Wednesdays Link Party!

Thank you so much for partying with me!

Valentines Day Decor on a Budget

After finally putting all of the Christmas decorations away and cleaning up the New Year's confetti, Valentine's Day will be here before we know it. But this doesn't have to be a cause for an alarm – there is no reason to spend an extravagant amount of money on Valentine's Day decor. I did some research and read a Chase Freedom Unlimited review.

Read on to learn more about how to maximize your Valentine's Day décor appeal while minimizing the impact on your wallet.

Heart Shaped Place Mats

Source: Better Homes and Gardens

This is a great way to add some pizzazz to your dining area, at minimal cost. All you need to get started are some foam craft sheets (red or pink of course) and a pair of scissors. From there, simply trace and cut a heart shape. You can use a gold pen to decorate the heart with romantic slogans and edge it with swirls. Or perhaps you will want to personalize the heart for that special someone...

Candy Coke Bottles

Source: Two Peas in a Bucket

Valentine's Day offers a multitude of opportunities to indulge one's sweet tooth, but did you know that sweets can also double as a great decoration idea? You can use Coke bottles to create some additional decoration or use them as gifts/party favors. Simply fill the Coke bottles with red, white and pink M&Ms and tie a beautiful ribbon around the top. Gift givers can also add a card, if they feel so inclined.

Flowers For Your Dining Chairs

Source: Rachel Rose Weddings

To spruce up your dining chairs and put your living space in the spirit of Valentine's Day, pick up some silk flowers (preferably four to six) and a moderately sized roll of wire ribbon. By tying flowers to the back of your own dining room chairs, you can create the proper Valentine's Day ambiance. By choosing wire ribbon, you can make your bows as large as possible, for an additional eye-catching element.

Floral Bouquets

Source: Lulu's Sweet Secrets

When you head to your local supermarket, there are a wide array of inexpensive floral bouquets to choose from. To get the most of these floral arrangements, break them down into a series of smaller bunches. Add some of your best evergreen yard clippings and grab some vases and teacups to add some much needed romance to your rooms. A pretty display can be created for pennies on the dollar!

Candles

Source: Artzy Creations

Candles create a very romantic ambiance, no matter what time of year they are purchased. A trip to your local dollar store or discount shop will provide you with a varied selection to choose from. By shopping for candles at a deep discount, you can create lovely groupings throughout the home and, for example, place them in mason jars, with ribbons tied around the outside.

The ideas are limitless! Even if you're not the crafty type, you can always buy your decor 

pre-made, and save while you're shopping!

Thanks so much for tuning in!

Until Next Time...

Need more Valentine Ideas be sure to check out my Valentines Gift Guide!

Pinbellish: A Pinning Celebration

Welcome to Pinbellish!

A Pinning Celebration

I'm still finding my groove for 2016. How about you? I love when Friday comes around and all I have to worry about is getting the party ready for you and playing in Pinterest. Pinterest is my guilty pleasure.

Worthwhile Wednesdays #104

Welcome, Welcome all to the 104th
Worthwhile Wednesdays Link Party!

Thank you so much for partying with me!

DIY Eco-Friendly Hand Sanitizer

Hello, all and happy Monday!

I have a guest blogger today. Please meet Kathleen Crane.

She's here to tell us how to make your own DIY Eco-friendly hand sanitzer.

Take it away Kathleen!

Hand sanitizers can be a great way to protect

 yourself in the approaching flu season. For

 those that are extra careful with what you 

put on your body, or your kids' bodies, then

 you probably know that commercial hand 

sanitizers are full of chemicals that can cause

 allergic reactions, eczema and often, they dry

 your hands which is very unpleasant as well. 

But if you are an advocate of hand sanitizers

 and you want to use them regularly to protect

 yourself and your family, you might try 

making it yourself.  Knowing the exact 

ingredients, will you give you a 

sense of calmness, because it is much safer

 than the chemically induced ones, and 

as well these homemade hand sanitzer smell 

so much better than the store bought kind.

You'll find this recipe to be to

 be quite simple.  Most recipes are for more

than just a small bottle of hand sanitzer. You 

can make a larger bottle and then refill 

your smaller ones, which will save you a 

lot of money, rather than having to buy 

hand santizers on a weekly or monthly basis.

You will need Aloe Vera gel or a concentrate 

(keep in mind they will 

be proportioned differently).

You will also need

 Vitamin E, tea tree oil or 

2-3 more essential oils of your choice

 (depending on the properties each has, or   

simply choose them  based on which 

ones smell the best to you). And you will also 

need olive oil and water.

For my hand sanitzers I followed the below 

recipe:

1/4 cup (2 oz) olive oil

1/2 cup (4 oz ) Aloe-Vera concentrate

¼ teaspoon Vitamin E oil

15 drops Tea Tree Oil

20 drops Orange/Lavender

 ( or any scent of essential of your choice) 

1 cup (8 oz) water

Tea tree oil is an all-natural product that has

 antibacterial and antimicrobial properties and

 is a great disinfectant. 

Vitamin E will soften your hands, plus it will 

preserve the hand sanitizer longer.

This recipe is for a 16 oz bottle, but If you 

have a glass bottle I would suggest you 

store it in  there. 

When you finish making the sanitizer, simply 

fill your smaller bottles and keep them in 

places where you need them the most.

You can use these for work, keep them 

in your purse, car, kids bedroom, better yet, 

just put one everywhere. You should have 

enough to place them any where you desire!

If you want to make smaller portions with a 

variety of scents the recipe below would be a 

better choice to follow.

1 tbs aloe vera gel

1 tsp Vitamin E oil

20 drops essential oils tea tree

10 drops lavender

 (or  your favorite essential oil scent)

and 

a little less than 1 cup of cool, filtered water

Some people add high-proof alcohol in their

 hand sanitizers. Personally I see no need for 

it, but you can try adding it, if you wish.

And there you have it, DIY Eco-friendly hand 

sanitizer. 

Take care of yourself and your family in the 

best way possible, by using all natural 

ingredients that you can use every day. 

If your hands could speak, they would thank 

you!

This article was contributed by 

Kathleen Crane. 

She runs a small company 

called TenancyCleaners Barnes. 

You can get in touch with her via G+.

Thank you so much Kathleen for sharing this awesome recipe!

I am so excited to try it!

And thank you all for tuning in today!

Until Next time...