5 Tips How To Repurpose Leggings

leggings from Legging Army

Leggings are the hottest trend right now and why shouldn't they be? They are so comfortable that you can sleep in them!

Sometimes with over wearing or over washing, you're leggings get holes in them. That's why it is so important to follow the washing directions. If you're favorite leggings end up with a hole or some other type of rip, don't throw them away...repurpose them!

If you are into DIY then you can do almost anything with you're leggings. Here are 5 tips:

 

Artsy Fartsy Mama 

1. Create shorter leggings for your child's doll just like Lindsay shows you in her blog post.

 

DIY & Crafts

2. Make a crop top! These are very trendy and would look great! Take a look at this tutorial from the DIY & Crafts blog post

 Magnificent Mayham

3. Make drink holders or hair accessories like Gretchen did out of her leggings.

Vintage Revivals

4. Create cool lamp shades for your house! Follow this tutorial from Vintage Revivals

 

Saved by Love Creations

 5. Every outfit needs some type of jewelry so what a great way to make fabric bracelets out of leggings! Saved by Love Creations


If you don't want to do any of those, you can always buy more leggings!

I started selling Legging Army clothes! Come take a look and get comfy with leggings, shorts, dresses, skirts, joggers and more! Join my Facebook group to stay up-to-date on all the new products!

To check out more clothes from Legging Army, go to https://leggingarmy.com/#DanaLeggingArmy and if you purchase anything, please put my name in the affiliate box.

Thanks and happy repurposing!

10 Tips to Save Money

1. Laundry: This is a 2-part tip, so you are already getting more for your money ;) a) Use less detergent. The label says use a full cup; but I use only half a cup and my clothes come out clean. b) Wash All Your Clothes in Cold Water! Did you also know that over 90% of energy used in doing laundry comes from heating the water? That’s crazy!! Just wash all your clothes on “cold” and save on your electricity bill. Cold water gets the smell out just as well as hot water.

2. Let it mellow: Flush the toilet only after you use it 2-3 times. Have you heard the saying “If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down”? Well, now you know and aren’t you so happy I shared it? I bet you’re going to be reciting this little ditty all day now. You can thank me later ;) Oh, and I didn’t think you needed a visual on this one. You’re welcome.

3. Battery Life: Use rechargeable batteries for electronics and toys. Store batteries in the refrigerator. They last longer. Yes, it means a bit of an investment initially, but it pays for itself and FAST! Oh, one more tidbit…if your battery life is getting low – try transferring it over to a low-power appliance (eg. alarm clock, remote control etc.) to stretch out the life even more! Just don’t mix old and new batteries, okay?

4. FREEZE! Fill empty soda 2-liter bottles 3/4 full of water and stick in your freezer, one to a shelf. If the electricity should go off; it helps save all your food. When the family goes on a trip or picnic, we place them into the cooler. No buying ice and everything stays cold.

5. Accept hand-me-downs. You can donate them if you can’t use them. Besides, you will look so much cooler when your kids aren’t dressed in the cookie-cutter clothes all of their friends are in :) Kids grow so fast, there is nothing wrong with doing the second-hand thing. Thrift stores are also great to check out – talk about eclectic! LOVE!

6. Use WHAT on my WHERE? Instead of facial tissues, use toilet paper, which costs less. Remove the cardboard core from a roll and throw away. Then place the roll inside an empty square tissue box and pull from the center of the roll through the opening. Reuse the same box over and over! Nice.

7. Reuse things. An example: Plastic grocery bags can be reused as lunch bags, shoe bags, liners for a small trash can or wastebasket or laundry bags on vacation. And just because I LOVE you, I’m going to share one of my favorite tricks for plastic bags. Watch and learn my young padawan.

8. Return it: If you’ve bought stuff that you haven’t used, see if you can return it. Get honest with yourself. Haven’t used something in 6 months? You won’t miss it. Not only can you get some bucks back, but your house will feel so much lighter and open with all of the useless clutter gone. Right? Right.

9. Wash and re-use Ziplock bags. Too much? I think not! We are saving pennies, people!

10. Use water from boiling eggs or pasta to water your plants. Make sure it’s cooled off first.

 This list was found on Pinterest and the site is http://www.howdoesshe.com/10-tips-to-save-this-summer/

Beauty Tips for Vaseline

Vaseline is great and can be reused in different ways. Check out these 5 ways tips. To see all of them, go to the website below. You might be surprised of all of the things Vaseline can do for you. 

1. It makes your eyelashes grow:  Lather Vaseline all over your eyelashes overnight and watch them thicken, even without a prescription!

2. Soften dry and cracked elbows.

3. Dry cuticles: Store a mini-Vaseline container in your purse and use for emergency dry cuticle moments.

4. For kissable, luscious lips: Fall is a beast for drying out summery, dewy lips. Vaseline is there for you and your irresistible pout. You can also mix Vaseline with Kool-Aid powder and make a colored (and flavored) lip gloss.

5. Help your scent stick around: Softly rub Vaseline all over your perfume points (i.e. the cleavage, behind the ear, neck, and wrist) and your scent will last longer!

I found these great tips on a blog called My Thirty Spot. 

http://www.mythirtyspot.com/2011/09/20-uses-for-vaseline-girls-best-friend.html?m=1

Are you Bananas?!

Today's topic is bananas...there are so many things you can do with them! (not to mention that they are healthy for you and very yummy too!) So, what else you may ask can you do with bananas besides eat them? You can...

• Restore Shine to a Plant's Leaves
   Easily dust your houseplant by rubbing the inside of a banana peel on each leaf. Not only will it 
   remove dust, it will also leave the leaves even shiner than before.

• Great for Compost
   Mix dried banana peels in with the soil next time you plant something new; you'll give it the
   potassium and phosphorous it needs to grow beautifully.

• Help Dry Hair
  Mash a banana and mix with a teaspoon of almond or olive oil. Rub the mixture into your hair and
  scalp, and let sit for 20 minutes. Rinse off and shampoo and condition as usual. You'll be surprised
  at the results!

• Great for Smoothies
  Use bananas instead of ice the next time you make a smoothie. Just freeze them overnight and your
  good to go!

Heres a banana peeling secret...when peeling bananas, peel from the bottom up. This will eliminate the banana "strings" you get when peeling from the top down.

Happy reusing and repurposing! If you have any great tips, I would love to hear them...just comment below! These tips came from my Who Knew? book

Cleaning Wonders...

 
We all want a cleaner home...but why buy expensive cleaning products when you probably have a lot of them right in your home!

Ready...Set...Clean!

• Keep your windows clean my washing them with newspaper instead of paper towels! It will leave you with a streak-free shine!

• Make your own home all-purpose cleaner: 1/4 gallon water, 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol, a squirt of dish washing liquid, and 1/4 tablespoon ammonia (non-sudsy). Mix ingredients and fill a spray bottle and you are ready to go!

• If you have rings around your wood table, use a little petroleum jelly to remove the white stains. Just rub the area with jelly and let sit for several hours (or even overnight). Then rub again with a soft cloth and the stain should disappear.

• To remove charred food from your cast iron cookware, boil a mixture of salt and vinegar in it an let simmer for 10-20 minutes. Rinse your pan thoroughly and then re-season it with vegetable oil before storing it.

• If you have coffee or tea stains on your carpet, pour beer on them to get them out! Just pour couple of sips on the stain and it should vanish. Dab up the extra beer with a paper towel, and if the stain doesn't go away completely, repeat the task a couple more times.

Theres a lot more where that came from...this is just a teaser but if you would like to see more, please email me or comment below! I want to thank the Who Knew? book for these great tips!

Pinterest Addict!

I am addicted to pinterest and I have a lot of ideas from there for reusing and re-purposing products and I would like to share them with you! How cute is this idea....

Use an old VHS cover as a picture frame with hidden storage! Take a VHS cover, take the label out (or you can put a photo over it), put a photo inside the from sleeve. Screw it to the wall and you are done! Talk about re-purposing! I smell a pinterest board coming on...stay tuned!

Here is the website (http://pinterest.com/pin/197736239859717218/) Happy pinning!

Make your own dryer sheets!

I found this great DIY blog post and had to share! It is from Discount Queens. (http://www.discountqueens.com/diy-dryer-sheets/) She shows you step by step how to make  your own dryer sheets using an old towel or rag. Talk about re-purposing and reusing to save money! Check it out and have fun! I am definitely going to try it!

Whites, darks, and everything in between...

The next 2 posts are about a chore we all have a love/hate relationship with...laundry! Hopefully I can "lighten the load" and make doing laundry more enjoyable and you can save money too. Here are some tips on how to re-purpose your used dryer sheets. I got these tips from Recyclebank (https://www.recyclebank.com/live-green/20-ways-to-re-purpose-a-used-dryer-sheet)

- Use one to smooth your hair and prevent winter fly-aways.

- Use them for cleaning bug splats from your windshield. Just wet one or more softener sheets and wipe over splats. Wait a couple minutes, wipe again and then flush with water.

- Use on grill, headlights, side mirrors and any other surfaces.

- Place used dryer sheets in the bottom of your trash can before you add the new bag, It will absorb any drips or leaks and leave the can smelling fresh. This works especially well if you use paper grocery bags in your can, which tend to leak easily.

- Place a used dryer sheet near the trashcan at your next barbecue or picnic; it will repel bees and flies. Also, wipe one over your arms and legs to repel mosquitoes.

- Soften the soles of your feet by soaking your feet in some warm water and rubbing them with a used fabric softener sheet.

- Place a used fabric softener sheet inside your vacuum bag next time you change it to freshen as you clean.

- Place them in the rafters of your home to keep spiders and other bugs from nesting.

- They're great for removing stuck on foods from your pots and pans. Fill the grimy pan with water and drop the sheet inside. - - Let soak for about an hour and wash as usual.

- Use old dryer sheets to easily wipe up messes like talcum powder and flour.

- Use old dryer sheets in the bottom of flowerpots to cover the drainage holes.

- Stuff them in and around any place that needs freshening like tennis shoes, closets, laundry hampers, luggage and dresser drawers. Tuck one in your pillow and sleep on a fresh scent every night.

- Use them instead of paper when doing 'paper piecing' for quilts. First ironed them smooth, then trace your pattern onto the dryer sheets. They’re lightweight, don't add bulk to your quilt & they smell great.

- Use them to remove pet hair from your clothes and furniture.

- Run a sheet over a piece of thread before you thread the needle when sewing. The thread will glide through the eye and won’t tangle when sewing.

- Rid your house of unwanted pests. Find any place where pests like mice are entering your house and stuff the hole shut with used sheets.

- Use them to remove soap scum on your glass shower door, or use to wipe windows when cleaning.

- Used dryer sheets make great dusting cloths for your wooden furniture.

- Use just like you would a Swiffer sheet on your floors to pick up dust and pet hair.

- If your scissors are dull and not cutting as smoothly as they should, wiping them with a used dryer sheet will remedy the problem.

Milk...it does a body good!

This is a request from one of my Facebook fans asking "What are plastic milk gallon containers good for reusing?" Here you go Casandra....

• Yarn Dispenser: Cut the top of the milk container off just enough so a ball of yarn and your hand can fit into the hole. Once the ball of yarn is in take the end of the yarn and bring it through the handle of the milk jug. This is a great way to keep the yarn from getting tangled together! 

• Funnel:
  This is one of the easiest homemade funnels to make. All that you need to do is to cut off the bottom of the milk jug right below the handle, turn it upside down and pour.  

• Piggy Bank:
  With the lid on the top of the milk jug, cut a small slit opposite of the handle and drop in your change. You can even use markers, paint or stickers to decorate your piggy bank. 

• Plant Base:
  Instead of buying a potted plant base or saucer you can just off the bottom of the milk jug and place the pot inside. 

• Meat Separator:
  It’s never good to see your hamburger patties sticking together once they’ve been in the freezer. To prevent this from happening you can cut the milk container into small circles or squares and place them between the patties.

• Plastic Bag Dispenser:
  Cut a small hole across from the handle and then put in your plastic bags. You can take the bags out one by one from the hole whenever you need one.

• Toilet Bowl Brush/Plunger Holder:
  Cut a hole across from the handle that’s big enough for the toilet bowl cleaner or plunger to fit through.

• Dustpan:
  With the lid still on, turn the milk jug container upside down and cut the top off at an angle. This is a great alternative to traditional dustpans.
  
• Bird Feeder:
  Instead of buying an expensive bird feeder try making your own! Check out these Milk Jug Bird Feeder Instructions for an easy way to feed the birds. 
  
• Scooper: For an easy way to scoop up kitty litter, dirt or anything else, cut off the top of milk jug right above the handle. You can then hold onto the handle and scoop up whatever you need to.
  
  These tips are from http://www.greenstudentu.com/eco_lifestyle/10_tips_for_reusing_plastic_milk_jugs.aspx I hope you enjoyed these tips and if anyone would like to request anything else, just let me know!

Salty and sweet tips!

 
We all know that salt on food tastes good but it can be used for so many other things (besides putting salt on a slug to kill it) Make sure to always keep the salt handy when you are done learning out these great tips...

• Clean vegetables more easily. If you're having a hard time trying to get the last pieces of grit off of a vegetable or herb, give it a bath in salt water.

• Chill drinks faster. Because salt lowers the freezing point of water, your beverages will cool more quickly if you use salt in your cooler. 

• Keep your milk fresh by adding a pinch of salt to it after you open it.

• If you are cooking beets and you have beet-stained hands, sprinkle the affected area with salt and a drop of dish washing liquid and rub.

• Freshen shoes odors by sprinkling salt in them and leaving them overnight. The salt will absorb moisture and odors.

• Got dandruff? No worries, rub 2 tablespoons of salt into your scalp before shampooing and your flakes will be gone.

• What to do when you have poison ivy? To help relive the itching of a rash, soak the affected area in a strong salt bath. Make sure the water is warm to fully get the itch out.

• If you are having trouble sleeping, try this salty tip: At bedtime, drink a glass of water, then let a pinch of salt dissolve on your tongue, making sure it doesn't touch the roof of your mouth. Studies have shown that the combination  of salt and water can induce a deep sleep.

Talk about some sweet tips! Did you know the United States produces about 48 million tons of salt per year, making it the saltiest country in the world! What is your favorite salty food?