DIY Dry Shampoo!

OMG. . .I just found this and I absolutely cannot wait to share with you.  I stumbled across this website called Refinery 29 while procrastinating here at work today.  I'd never heard of it before but maybe that's because I'm pathetically behind the times or something?  Anyways, it seemed at first as if it was this high fashion New York City-ish diva website--and I'm all about being a diva, but I'm not exactly what you'd call "high fashion" or even "low fashion" for that matter.  I'm more like "no fashion". . . but, I digress.  I wasn't sure that I was going to find anything on the site of value.  That is until I stumbed across what could possibly be not only a HUGE money saving recipe for me. . but it could also be life changing.  I swear!  It was. . . .

*drum roll, please*

*clearing of the throat*

A DIY recipe for DRY SHAMPOO!!!!  Okay, are you as excited as me?  No?  Hmm. . .well, I'm excited.  You may not understand.  I've spent what feels like a fortune trying to find the right dry shampoo.  It's no secret (or maybe it is?) that I don't wash my hair every day.  Yes, I shower. . .I just don't wash the strands on a daily basis.  This is for a number of reasons.  Or maybe just, like, two.  1. I am lazy, short on time, and just don't have the energy to actually wash, condition, dry, straighten, and style my hair ever-y-dang-day.  It's much easier to just straighten and style on a regular basis and save the other stuff for only like twice or three times a week (depending on if I have any hot dates on the weekend--and most times, I don't.) and save my time on those other mornings for fighting with Ty to get dressed or making sure that Ty, the dog and the cat are all fed before rushing out the door to work.  2. I don't like how quickly I run through shampoo and conditioner when I use it every day.  Skipping a day or two (shh, don't tell!) between washings cuts down on how much I use.  A dry shampoo is my only savior on those days.  Better yet, it's like the best friend who keeps all your secrets and comes to your rescue to get you out of a jam when you need it.  A good dry shampoo can literally make or break your hair success.  This is major, people.  Major.  With a capital M. 

Over the last year, alone, I've tried the following dry shampoos:


Bumble & Bumble Blondish Hair Powder--$35

Can I get a WOWSERS on that price?  Yeah, this was recommended to me by a previous stylist so I grabbed a can, handed over my credit card, squeezed my eyes shut, and signed the receipt before I could back out.  I hardly spend $35 on my highlights (well, maybe a little more than double that, but who's counting?!). . .whatever. . . I knew spending $35 for a product for my hair (again, simply because I'm lazy and prefer to hit the snooze button than to get up and wash my hair!) wasn't a smart idea.  But my stylist recommended it.  She must know, right?  Maybe but not always.  I simply wasn't impressed with this stuff.  It made my hair sticky and I just really didn't like the way it made it feel kind of almost waxy.  I tried it several times to try to give it the benefit of the doubt but I just didn't like it.  I think I ended up giving the can to a friend of mine. I know I didn't finish it. 

Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo--$19

The next time, I took my chances at Sephora.  The gal I spoke with highly recommended this stuff.  Rather than a spray (like the B&B), this is actually a powder with a pointed nozzle which you simply shake into your hair at the roots.  I still wasn't thrilled to spend $19 bucks on something for my hair, but I figured it was just the price of the commodity.  So, I did it.  I have to say, this stuff isn't that bad.  I still wouldn't say that it's worth $19 but I liked it a whole lot more than the Bumble & Bumble stuff.  It did seem to soak up the oilies (I don't really get oily hair. . .but I sometimes like to think I do to justify the fact that I buy these products.  I clearly have issues) and made my hair seem more like "first washed" hair.  But, it does kind of have an overpowering lemon scent to it.  I'm pretty sure my co-workers think I wash my hair with pledge.  That's kind of what it smells like.  But, I do like the bottle that it came in because I'll be able to use that in the future (just wait. . .you'll find out what I mean!)

Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo--$3.00

Now, THIS price is more my style!  I found this little beauty while I was grocery shopping one day.  I frantically dug through my coupon tote to see if I had any coupons for Suave products and I did!  B1G1F (for those of you newbies to couponing, that acronym stands for "Buy 1, Get 1 Free"!). . I did my Happy, Happy, Joy dance right there in the personal care aisle at Kroger.  It wasn't pretty!  Anyways, I snapped up two cans and I've been using this product ever since.  I have to say, that this stuff hasn't let me down.  I don't know that I really like it as much as the Oscar Blandi powder but I definitely like the price.  The price is totally living in my kinda world!  But, it's a spray and while it doesn't leave my hair anywhere near as sticky as the B&B, I think I just prefer a powder better.  But, beggars can't be choosers so if the price is within my budget, I'll make it work.  The Suave does have a very pleasant fruity scent. . .not overpowering, though.  Almost like pineapples.  It's quite lovely! 

So, now that I've forced my product reviews on you, it's time to get into the actual content of my post.  This DIY recipe that I found for making your own dry shampoo.  I thought about making it myself and trying it before posting the recipe, but my excitement got the better of me.  I just simply cannot wait. 

This came directly from the Refinery 29 website:

"Make your own dry shampoo with equal parts baking soda and baby powder. Take a container of baby powder, pour half into another container to save for later, then fill the baby powder container to the top with baking powder. Add a few drops each of yellow, red, and blue food coloring. Shake well and remove top to dry. Wait 24 hours and it will be ready to use."

OMG. . .I'm so excited, I can't stand it!  I'm not entirely sure what the food coloring is for, but I'm guessing it's to make the powder more of a natural skin tone color?  Also, I'm sure you could add a drop or two of essential oil (not too much or else you might end up making your hair oily!) to the mixture to give the powder a nice scent.  I'm planning on using the bottle from the Oscar Blandi dry shampoo since it has a nice pointed nozzle that gets right down at the roots.  But, you could use the baby powder bottle or any canister which has a shake top to allow you to control the amount that comes out. 

 Since I already have a mostly full can of Suave Dry Shampoo spray at home, I'm going to wait to make this up until I'm getting close to being out of the Suave.  Or maybe, I'll just go ahead and make up a batch of this and save the Suave for when I run out? Who knows.  But either way, I'm SO excited to have found this recipe. $3 for a can of Suave isn't too shabby, but this recipe sounds like it's going to be much cheaper than even $3!  YAY! 

Thrifty Thursday: Cleaning on the Cheap

**I'm cheating a little bit today.  This post is actually one that was featured over on Brit's blog, Knewlywifed, a few months ago.  But, I'm knee deep in projects (more coming soon. . .hopefully!), getting back in the swing of things from after the Holidays, and well, I've been slacking just a little bit too, I suppose.  Anyways, I don't know how many of you have already seen this post so I figured I'd use it this week for my Thrifty Thursday post.  Forgive me? 

Today's post is related to cleaning your home in the cheapest way possible!  While I do occasionally buy cleaning products from the store, I most often make my own solutions.  There are several reasons for this.  One, it's stupidly cheap.  Two, it's seriously easy and quick to make your own!  Third, most of the items (or all?) that are used in the recipes below are totally family friendly and won't cause any harm to my little man or my animals.  I can't confidently say that about the products that I buy from the store.  I've had people tell me that they don't feel that homemade cleaning products clean as well as ones with chemicals in them but I actually get the opposite result.  Not only am I feeling good about spending less money and having less chemical residue on my home's surface, I feel that most homemade cleaning products clean BETTER than store bought.  Here are a few of my money saving recipes and tips.  Hope you find them to be as awesome as I have!

Microwave Cleaner:


1/2 c. vinegar
2 c. water
juice from half a lemon (optional)


Combine in microwave safe bowl, heat on high for 3-4 minutes, remove bowl and wipe down inside of microwave.


Dishwasher Detergent:


2 c. borax
2 c. baking soda
4 packages of unsweetened lemon Kool-Aid (or generic)


Mix together and store in airtight container.  Use enough mixture to fill detergent cup 2/3 full in dishwasher.


Window & Glass Cleaner:


1 cup water
1 cup vinegar
1/2 tsp castile soap (Dr. Bronner's is my choice)


Mix together in spray bottle and give a gentle shake.  For a streak free shine, use newspaper to wipe down surface rather than a cloth or paper towel. 


Toilet Bowl Cleaner:


Liquid Castile soap
Baking soda or Borax


Squirt soap into toilet and sprinkle baking soda (or borax) in around bowl.  Scrub with a toilet brush.


Tub and Tile Cleaner:


With a sponge or cloth, apply white vinegar full strenth.  Scour with baking soda and rinse well.


Wood Floor Cleaner:


1 gallon hot water
1 c. white vinegar
squirt of castille soap (Dr. Bronner's Peppermint leaves your house smelling minty fresh!)


Mix all in a bucket and use a slightly damp rag to wash floors.  Yes, this requires hands and knees style mopping, but it's so worth it!


Carpet Deodorizer:


Baking soda
10-20 drops of essential oil


Mis together and sprinkle on carpet.  Wait 15-20 minutes and vacuum.


Laundry Detergent:


1 c. grated Fels Naptha soap
1/2 c. washing soda (mine is from Arm & Hammer and comes in a yellow box)
1/2 c. borax


Mix all together and store in an airtight container.  For a lightly soiled (or small) load, use 1 Tablespoon.  For heavier loads or very soiled loads, use 2 Tablespoons.


Fabric Softener:


Add 1/2-1 cup white vinegar to your softener dispenser


Other Money Saving Tips:


* Run dishwasher late at night without the heat-dry on and let dishes air dry overnight
* Instead of sponges (which get mildew-y and yucky quicker), use microfiber cloths or bar rags for cleaning.  Can be washed and used over and over again.
* If you must use sponges, extend their life by either running them through the dishwasher with your next load or wet them down and pop them into the microwave for 45 seconds to kill any bacteria which might be trapped inside. 
* Only wash clothes (unless really soiled) on cold setting.

Most of the items listed above are extremely cheap to buy and will last a really long time.  For example, I buy a 5lb bag of baking soda for $6.00 and a gallon of white vinegar for $3.50 at Costco.  One of those two items is used in most every recipe above.  In fact, I use only baking soda and vinegar to clean my bath tubs.  About 1/3 c of baking soda sprinkled in my tub and then spritzed down with a few sprays of vinegar and I've cleaned my tubs literally for pennies.  Another favorite product is my Dr. Bronners Castille soap.  I bought a large bottle of it for $7.00 at Kroger (natural foods section--can also be bought from Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joes, etc) and I've been using the same bottle for about 2 years.  The great thing about castille soap is that you can use it for ANYTHING!!  Seriously. . .cleaning product, laundry soap, shampoo, body wash, face wash.  Honestly!   The same bottle that I used to use to wash Tyler's cloth diapers was also the soap that I used to wash my face at night.  It's so gentle but cleans so well! 

Do you have any other recipes for homemade cleaning products?  What about money saving tips related to cleaning your home?  Please share!!

Yummy Yummy in my. . .err. . . Crock Pot

Being a single mom who works full time and goes to school part time, I'm all about any meal that tastes like I spent all day preparing it but took me literally minutes to get everything done.  If you're like me and secretly carry on a slightly inappropriate relationship with your Crock Pot, you need to try this recipe! 

Sadly, I don't have any step by step pictures. . .but that's because there are only a couple of steps!  Seriously!

Here's what you need:

1-1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat
1 can French Onion soup
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
salt (I used course sea salt)
pepper (I prefer the grinder kind)
chopped onion (I use the dried chopped stuff but you could use fresh onions that have been diced finely)

Here's what you gotta do:

Combine first three ingredients in your crock pot and stir it up.  Toss in some of the chopped onion (I just eyeballed it) and sprinkle salt and pepper in (if you are concerned about using too much, you could always leave it out and just season after cooked and served).  Turn CrockPot on low and cook for 8-10 hours. 

That's it!  Easy peasy!  I just served mine over some rice that I was able to make quickly but you could serve it over wide egg noodles or even mashed potatoes.  The flavor is excellent and it was SOOO super easy to make! 

It Was Love At First Bite!

Tonight, we tried something totally different.  Well, at least for us.  After years (yes, years) of trying to get my picky kid to eat a vegetable other than french fries (I don't care what anyone says. . .they're made out of potatoes. . .they're a veggie.  Don't argue!), I have FINALLY found something that works.  OMG.  Bring on the happy dance! 

My utterly fantastic friend, Sharon, gifted me with some zucchinis when I went to visit her in her new home (which includes lots and lots of vegetables growing in her very own garden) last weekend.  When I inquired on what in the world I was supposed to do with this crazy looking cucumber (that's what I always thought zucchinis were. . .a type of cucumber), she laughed at me and told me to fry it.  Umm. . .okay. 

So, after pondering this preparation method for the last few days, I decided to give it a go.  Afterall, we love fried stuff in this house and if it means I can sneak some veggie in under that lovely fried goodness, I'm game. 

So, we started with a fairly large zucchini.  Take it from me (because I'm an experienced pro at this now), don't use a zucchini this large unless you're making this dish for alot of people.  I ended up throwing out half of the uncooked zucchini (I know, NOT a good example for Living on a Dime or Less.  I'm sorry!) simply because I had too much of it. 

Slice it up into thin slices. . .but not too thin or else you'll end up with zucchini chips.

Some of those slices are too thin.  Just throw those out.  It's not worth cooking them.  Really!

Then, mix up your coating mixture.  It's SOOO easy squeezy!  Just flour, seasoned salt, and pepper.  See, easy peasy! 



No measurements.  Just throw some flour onto a plate, sprinkle in some seasoned salt (not too much or the finished product will be too salty) and some pepper.  Mix it all together. 

Crack an egg or two into a bowl, add a splash of milk and fork (mix) it up. 

After your prep work is done, heat some veggie oil in a large frying pan.  Dredge (that's the fancy term for dip and coat) the zucchini slices in the egg mixture and then the flour mixture. 

Place the coated zucchini slices in a single layer in the hot oil and fry until golden brown. 

Once the golden brown goodness is done cooking (really, just fry until your desired level of golden), remove fried slices of heaven and drain on a plate covered with paper towels. 

Once cool, call over your little taste tester and bribe him/her to try their new favorite food.  A tip from the master: don't tell them that what they are about to try is a vegetable.  It just ruins the experience.

He looks scared, doesn't he?  Can you tell that I force him to try alot of foods and refuse to answer his question of what it is?  Poor kid. 

SCORE!  Kid likes it.  I will never look at a zucchini the same way again.  Seriously, I ate fried zucchini for dinner.  ONLY fried zucchini for dinner!