How to Clean Outdoor Cushions

 I love the nice outdoor cushions you can get for your outside patio or lawn furniture, but they do get dirty.  I gave up on bringing them indoors all the time, and by mid summer they were looking a bit grungy.

I came across this perfect recipe for cleaning them outside.

What you will Need:

1 x Cup of Borax (grocery stores or online)

1 x squirt of dish soap

1 x bucket (to mix solution in)

1 x hard bristle brush

Sunny warm day!

Method:

Pour the one cup of borax into your medium sized bucket.

Add water from your garden hose or in the house

While adding water also add a few squirts of dish soap

Mix all together

Take your bristle brush and brush the solution generously all over the cushions and give a good scrub especially near the seams and edges where dirt collects.

Flip over and do the other side.  NOTE:  Its best to do this on a hard surface such as a patio, deck or driveway rather than the grass.

Take your garden hose and really rinse the cushions to get solution out.

Press on cushions to get out excess water.

Lean up against an outdoor wall or garage to dry.

Outdoor cushions are created from fabrics and inserts that will dry fast.  

Put back out on your furniture and you are good to go!

If you are finding your cushions still grubby, maybe it is time to get some new ones! 

patio furniture 

Borax is awesome for releasing outdoor stains. Something I was introduced to a long time ago.

How to Stop Meat From Sticking To Grill

 We have all probably read the dangers of using a wire brush to clean the barbeque grill, so I went in search of a way to create picture worthy meals that are not torn in half by sticking to the grill!

This is what I have found so far that works super well.

What you will need:

1 x large white onion

1 x large white potato

Method:

1.  Heat up your grill, and then peel the onion and then slice one end off.

2.  Take a fork and jab it into the non cut end of the onion and start rubbing the cut end on the grill quickly.  Not only does this clean the grill but it smells awesome and if some onion bits stick to the grill?... that's ok, as it will add to your cooking.

Now that the Grill is Clean...

3.  Next slice off one end of the potato and take the fork and jab into the uncut end and then quickly slide this along the grill.

The starch apparently helps to keep food from sticking!

 Propane Levels

Always check your propane levels before you start because if the level is too low the grill may not get up to the optimum temperature causing your food to stick and take forever to cook if at all.

There are tricks and scary ways to check the level, but I decided to invest in a gauge that you attach to your propane tank.  Plus I always keep one extra tank full and as a spare just in case.

How to Get Rid of Pesky Mosquitoes From Your Yard and Patio

 Mosquitoes are not only annoying and itchy, they can carry viruses and drive even the toughest guest back indoors.  

I love the summer months, but especially the evenings on the back patio.  But ever noticed if the air is still how quickly the mosquitoes move in looking for dinner?

I have tried all the toxic sprays and lights and candles and found that unless you are almost sitting on top of them, they simply don't work or leave a yukky smell.  

Mosquitoes Do Not Fly Well

I did some research and discovered that apparently mosquitoes are weak fliers.  They simply cannot stand wind.  Have you ever noticed they are way worse on those still warm nights?

If you love to sit outside in the evenings, by yourself or to entertain, then instead of handing out bug spray and coughing in those fumes, how about using box fans?

These totally work.

Set Them to Create A Breeze Around Yourself and Guests

You don't aim them at you or your guests and blow their hair and cute hats off, you simply aim them at the areas around your seating, and the mosquitoes will not be able to get close to you.

These larger box fans do not need to be on full blast, but just enough to create a breeze around your seating area.

They are a nice addition if the air is still and humid.  Perfect for the porch, deck or back patio.  I found these worked well and you can control the direction.

This way you are not actually on a killing spree but rather a "blowing them away" mission.  You create a soft breeze if positioned right, and you put off the mosquitoes and flies as well without blowing away plates of food or hats!

Enjoy the Summer!

Awesome Outdoor Cat Enclosure to Keep Your Cat Safe

 As much as we would love to just let our cats out and roam, it is just not safe for them!

Between cars, other animals and not so nice people, our cats are constantly in danger while outdoors.

You could leash them, which works if you trained your cat from an early age to except a leash, but wouldn't it be nice if you could enjoy the good weather outdoors and have your cat outside with you too?

I am presently searching for a good enclosure that my cats would feel comfy in, and they could enjoy the fresh air too.

I have checked many pet shops but it doesn't seem to be something they carry, they tend to carry indoor things, so I checked online and found some awesome deals with Amazon.

Depending on the size you need, you can get super comfy outdoor spaces for your cats to enjoy. Many have shelves and climbing frames in them which cats love.

Depending on your budget, you can get ones that almost fill a backyard!  No way your cat would get bored.  Check out this full page of ideas.

Cat Enclosures 

I love my cats dearly and don't want to see them get hurt, or bother neighbors with their digging up flower beds. 

This is the perfect solution and they come apart for storage. You could take them to the cottage so that you can take your cat with you! This was another consideration I had.

Anyways, I hope you check out some of this ideas.  You could also try building your own if you are handy.

How to Decorate a Dark Corner

I live in a basement apartment. Don't get me wrong, it does have pretty big windows, but there is also a massive tree out front that tends to shade my place, which is great in the summer, but makes it hard to have plants.

I was fixing my place up and had this one corner that was not really big enough for furniture or a chair, so I decided on a floor plant, but the lighting was an issue.

I decided to look into artificial plants, and realized how far they had come from those old fake weird green ones of days gone by.  As you can see in this picture they do look pretty real, and have become quite popular.

These actually look real.

I never really thought about getting fake plants, but they do look real! Just think, no watering, or shedding or bugs. I took a look on Amazon and found quite a few affordable ones. 

I decided I would get a floor plant and a small plant stand and then a couple of potted plants to fill that dark corner.  You can pretty much use your imagination for a plant stand too as there is no worry about water damage.  You can get these as small or as large as you want.

How to Clean Fake Plants

This part is easy, your hair dryer on cool.

Once a week or so, depending on the dust levels in your space, give then a quick blow with the dryer on a cool setting.

It is nice to add some natural looking greenery to your space.  They look very realistic now compared to the old ones.  I have even notice flowering ones that are pretty realistic, but I think for now I will stick to the fake greenery instead!

How to Stop Snow Sticking to the Shovel

 

Anyone dealing with winter right now, knows what I mean!  

You have your snow scoop, shovel, or whatever you are using and you are trying to push the snow to the other side of the driveway or walkway and you go to leave the snow there and it comes back with the shovel or scoop right?  Making it heavy.

I came across this pretty easy step to make this chore just a little easier. 

COOKING SPRAY

Believe it, I found some awesome uses for this product other than spraying cookie sheets!

Purchase an extra one to keep by the door with your coat boots and gloves, so you don't have one of those "oh I forgot the spray" while bundled up in your outdoor wear!

This really does work well!  Makes the job that much faster and almost pleasant!

Just make sure and spray it out of the wind.

Simply spray the scoop part of your shovel, and that snow will simply slide off at the side of the driveway or walkway.

You don't need a lot just a light coating.

I figure whatever it takes to make this job easier DO IT!

I have also found more uses for cooking spray other than cookies, more blog posts to follow, stay tuned!

How to Cover an Ugly Wall With Shower Curtain Wall Art

I bet you read that title and thought... WHAT???. 

 But after doing some research I found this to be the most affordable option to add large wall art to an ugly wall.

I rent my space, so fixing the ugly wall was not an option, so I chose to cover it with beautiful art instead!

If you check online or in the stores, shower curtains have come a long way. You have the usual plastic liner, but many come with that fabric panel that sits on the outside of the tub to add decor to your bathroom.

Well now you can use them to make beautiful art around your house for cheap! 

Step 1 - Purchase any sizes of canvas you want. You could fill the wall with the smaller ones you get at the dollar store or you can go to a craft shop and get larger ones on sale, or online with Amazon.

Step 2 - Purchase a beautiful fabric shower curtain that you like.  You could cut it up to make many smaller pieces with small canvases or you can make a larger one.  You can get some pretty good deals online.

Step 3 - Iron the fabric if needed, then lay on a clean floor and then place the canvas on top.

Step 4 - Cut approx 6 inches around the canvas to allow for stapling.

Step 5 - Using a staple gun, pull the fabric tight and staple.

Step 6 - Trim off any excess and there is your first piece of beautiful art.

Step 7 - Put nail in the wall and hang.

You could place many smaller canvases closer together or simply create a larger one.  If you are handy you could save some money creating your own wood frame.

Here is a video to get the idea.

Have some fun with your walls.  Instead of hiding that bad wall, why not add some ceiling to floor wall art!

A great project for the New Year!