Mr. Prof designer home

I hardly ever iron.  It’s not that I don’t enjoy it because I actually do.  But there are only 24 hours in a day, and I’ve found a faster way.  It’s called Downy Wrinkle Releaser.  You can find it in the laundry cleaning section at Target and Walmart and online.

It surprises me how many people I’ve met who haven’t heard of it, so I make it my duty to enlighten them…. and now, you!  The secret to an iron free life is to unload the dryer immediately, fold the clothes or hang.  Then on the day you pull out your favorite ensemble, simply spray any remaining wrinkles, and smooth out with your hand. 

Or you could do it my way and spray after the clothes are on.  I’ve been known to line the kids up before church on Sunday and spray them down.  Does that qualify me for the bad mom award?  Probably, but hey, they look good and we’re making memories. 

Eva, just sprayed.

The spray comes out in a fine mist and doesn’t saturate the fabric.  It’s excellent for around the house too.  In fact, I didn’t iron the curtains in my latest project:

I just sprayed them once they were up.  It works!  I also use it for bedding… sheets, duvet cover, bed skirts.  It’s great for traveling too!  Just pour into a small spray bottle, and it can tag along in your luggage.  My friend says that I could probably make my own using fabric softener and water.  She might be right, but I haven’t attempted it yet.  Until then, this is definitely one of my favorite things.

Every time we’ve visited the new farmhouse, I’ve noticed a distinct old house smell about it…sort of like a damp basement.  I actually have an odd affinity to damp basement smell.  Alas, I know not everybody does.  Until we find the musty culprit and extinguish it, I’m going to have to cover it up somehow. 

Essential oils are one of my things.  They make me happy, and I like to experiment mixing them.   The process makes me feel all smart and chemist like. 

Today I made a home fragrance spritzer using a large assortment of oils.  It’s always interesting to me that each oil individually has a very powerful (and not always pleasant) scent, but blend them together, and the result can be clean, light and fresh.  

And that’s exactly what this spritzer conveys… clean, light, fresh.  I can’t wait to introduce it to the farmhouse (this week!).  It’s great on skin too… I’ve been using my children as testers.  Everyone smells delightful.  Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

Essential Oils:
10 drops lavender
10 drops peppermint
10 drops orange
15 drops ylang-ylang
15 drops bergamot
15 drops rosemary

1 Tablespoon Vodka

1/2 cup distilled water

Step 1: measure and pour vodka into glass spray bottle (I got this bottle at Whole Foods for about $3.00)

Step 2: drop in the essential oils

Step 3: cap the bottle and shake vigorously to combine

Step 4: measure and pour in the distilled water

Step 5: cap the bottle again, shake, and let sit for a few days, shaking periodically to infuse the oils

Step 6: spritz away

I just love when others post about their favorite things, so I’ve decided to start up a section dedicated to my own favorites.  It’s the little things in life…

First up is my newest find.  Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm. I spotted it for the first time at my  local Target store just a couple weeks ago, and I absolutely love it. 

Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer in “Peony” used to be my go-to, apply-it-20-times-a-day-lip-stuff, but no longer.    It’s been replaced with this new balm in “Hibiscus”.  The color is perfect for me…just like my natural lip color…  but a little more pigmented.  The application is smooth, soft and lovely with no fake sparkles.  If you’re a “natural” kind of girl, I know you’ll like it too.

It runs around $7 and worth every penny.  Remember I’m fair and blond, so “Hibiscus” might not work for you.  But there are lots of other delightful colors to suit your fancy.   Click here to see the selection.