Homemade Eye Make Up Remover

I don't normally buy "eye makeup remover" for my daily routine. But I must admit, I wear waterproof mascara and many mornings I wake up looking like a raccoon! So i decided to give this product a try. I was pleasantly surprised by the results and will continue to use it!


RECIPE:
1 c. warm water
1 Tbsp. Baby Shampoo
1 tsp. Oil (i used baby oil - but some people don't like to put that around their eyes. You could also use canola or even olive oil).

Mix all ingredients together. Transfer to dispenser of choice (I used an old hand soap dispenser that I washed very thoroughly).

Yes, it's that easy!

No Bake Freezer Granola Bars

This week's focus for the 52 Week Organization Challenge is your Refrigerator and Freezer Space.

So, as I work on creating a freezer inventory, I thought I would share a new recipe with you all: homemade freezer granola bars! I don't make these because the are necessarily cost-effective... I make them because I feel like I am feeding the kids an ingredient list that I can actually pronounce!

As usual my notes are in red:

(photo credit)

No Bake Freezer Granola Bars

2 large overripe bananas
1 cup oats (I used old fashioned)
1/2 cup crunchy cereal (I used rice krispees)
2 tbsp pure maple syrup(or any other sweetener you use)
2 tbsp peanut butter or other nut or seed butter
2 tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips (I recommend mini chips, or giving your regular chips a quick run through with a knife)
2 tbsp dried cranberries or other fruit (I omitted these, but I think raisins would be delicious!)
2 – 4 tsp cocoa powder (I used 2 tsp. and they were plenty chocolaty... actually next time I might try adding even less than that)

Line a muffin pan with paper liners, or use a silicone muffin pan for easy removal. Mash the bananas. Add wet ingredients and cocoa powder and mix well. Add all other ingredients, mix well then press into prepared muffin tin. Freeze at least 60 minutes before serving.

My kiddos love them right out of the freezer. But I'm sure others may want them to thaw out a bit.

Homemade Baby Wipes

My kids are getting older, and better at being potty trained, but I still love keeping a container of wipes at the kitchen table for after meal.s.. and in the each of the vehicles... oh and in my purse too! Boy, I must confess, I use the wipes almost as often as the kiddos do!

(photo credit)

RECIPE:
(Yet again I found this idea on pinterest).

1 roll of quality paper towels
2-1/4 cups of water
2 Tbsp. baby bath or shampoo
1 Tbsp. baby oil

Cut the roll of towels in half (an electric knife works great). Place one half in a container (a large plastic coffee can or a Rubbermaid container works well). Mix all liquid ingredients together and pour over top of the towels. When ready to use, remove the cardboard center and pull the towels from the middle.

A FEW NOTES:
These are not wipes that I would tote around with me, but they are great for stationary spots (like the kitchen, van, etc).

DO NOT flush these wipes! Remember that they are wet paper towels and will clog your toilet!

I purchased nicer quality paper towels, that are also cut into smaller sheets (this makes each wipe smaller - and in my opinion, a more appropriate size for what you're using them for).

When choosing a container, remember that the wipes will shrink up at bit and be a bit flexible after you add the water solution.

These only took 5-10 minutes to make. The most time consuming part of the recipe is cutting the paper towels in half (which is a job I gave Justin - he loves using the electric knife - ha!). Plus, in the future, I will cut a dozen or so rolls at once, so I always have some in stock!

COST COMPARISON:
I normally buy wipes from Sam's club - 9 packs for $14.48 = $1.61 per package.

I've also purchased packs ndividually at Walmart for for around $1 per pack (but the quality is not as good).

Homemade Wipes
$0.62 for 1/2 Roll of Paper Towel
$0.04 Baby Oil
$0.03 Baby Shampoo/Bath
TOTAL = $0.69 per container

That's a savings of $0.31 - $0.92!

Note: I did have to purchase a couple new pieces of tupperware to store the wipes in (the ones I had on hand were not the right shape or size), so the initial investment cost me a bit more. But in my opinion, totally worth it!

If only I would have stumbled upon this idea 4 years ago! The money I could have saved!