Craigslist is seriously a gem. Have you had success on it? Yea there are a lot of scams on there & not so good stuff but a lot of times you can really luck out! That’s what happened to us with our huge sectional couch we got on Craigslist. We wanted a sectional & found the one we got for a super low price. It is HUGE. So big that we had to put the loveseat section in one of our spare rooms but that’s totally fine.
One obvious concern when you buy things used is cleanliness. Luckily our couch was in good condition and seemed clean & didn’t have any nasty smells so that was good. There was a “scent” to it of course, which I think you should always expect whenever you buy something used. I mean we saved so much money buying used so I think it’s worth cleaning it myself!
I’m going to get more into DIY projects around my house & one thing I would like to do more of is making my own cleaning products. I had that opportunity today when I wanted to scrub down our couch!
After reading various forum boards online, I created a little cleaning solution to scrub my couch with. First, I sprinkled some baking soda on the cushions & pillows to absorb some odor before vacuuming it up.
Baking Soda
Next, I mixed up my cleaner. I decided to mix 2 tbsp borax with about a 1/3 cup of soap shavings. I just bought the cheapest bar of soap at Target and grated it with my kitchen grater.
Soap shavings
I’ve never used Borax before but I’m so glad I have it now! It was just over $3 at Target, check out all of its potential uses:
I put the soap shavings & borax in a bucket & covered it in pot of boiling water:
Last minute, I decided to add a few drops of lavender essential oil to the soap mixture (with scrub brush in hand!)
After letting the soap dissolve a little in the bucket (& vacuuming up the baking soda off the cushions), I scrubbed the cushions with the soap solution, leaving them just slightly damp. Since they don’t get soaked, they dry really quick. Overall, it worked pretty well. There was still just a little bit of the previous smell on the couches left but nothing bad. Still, I wanted something extra to help make the couches smell glorious.
Once of my favorite scents it lavender. Lavender is great for helping you relax & sleep! I remember getting the lavender linen spray at Bath & Body Works years ago. Definitely overpriced when you can make your own!! After some more forum searching, I created my own linen spray.
Lavender Linen Spray:
2-3 tbsp isopropyl alcohol OR plain vodka (I just used isopropyl alcohol, no spirits on hand!
30-35 drops lavender essential oil
tap water
Mix all ingredients in a spray bottle & there ya go! Sorry I don’t have the exact water measurement. I picked up some empty spray bottles that I used to mix the ingredients in. I’d guess they’re 16 oz. or so.
Homemade linen spray
You could use any scent you want for this or a combination of scents. I used this on the couches & I plan to use it on my bed sheets too!
Working Out
After the drive down here & getting settled into the house, my workout routine has been all out of whack but it’s coming back! Today was great, I went to a Body Pump class at my new gym! If you are unfamiliar with Body Pump, here is a good little preview:
I love Body Pump because it’s barbell strength training to FUN music and the moves go to the music. I’m definitely going to do it on a regular basis, such a killer workout! I got to talking to the instructor after class….she kinda convinced me to become an instructor…um yes I would love that! Gonna think about it then I’ll get back to ya 
After Body Pump (it’s a 1 hour class), I rounded out my workout with a 5k run in 26 minutes/ 8:23 average pace.
Post-workout fuel: a loaded salad with smoked kipper fillets…yum!
This evening I took Maya on a nice walk through my new neighborhood then came home to watch CHOPPED ALL STARS! GAH I love that show & it was even better watching the Chopped judges compete!
You know I’m sure I’m the only one that this happens to and all (sarcasm people) but I usually crave something sweet in the evenings when I am relaxing. Of course I want to satisfy this craving but in a healthy way! I have cut out 95% of sugar (fruit doesn’t count for me) in my diet so I have been trying to think of creative ways to satisfy my sweet tooth! Tonight I wanted a milkshake.
Coconut Banana Milkshake
Serves 1
Ingredients:
1 frozen ripe banana (peeled & chop then freeze)
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk (in can)
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4-6 ice cubes
Such a fan of drinking out of pint glasses
Blend together all the ingredients in a Vitamix (yes I’m already obsessed) or blender. SLURP.
What is your favorite way to satisfy a sweet tooth?
Do you made your own homemade cleaning products? If so, what?
