Monthly Archives: August 2015

The Do-It-Yourself websites that have helped us in 2015

Posted by Sam on August 30th, 2015

Have you seen Loving Heart Mommy?
A lil’ bit of this & a big tad of that..
With the accelerating growth of the internet, it is probably not surprising that many a previously niche activity are fast becoming global phenomenons. The Do-It-Yourself or DIY movement is one such activity that has taken the world by storm over the past decade and has led to all sorts of wonderous creations that would have never seen the light of day if creativity was left solely to the domain of business. DIY historically has meant home repair and maintenance or home improvement, but as the internet has shown, it does not have to be. In fact, just about any activity which involves tackling a task oneself instead of yesteryear’s norm of engaging a professional service, can be classed as DIY. To celebrate our recognition of this do-it-yourself era, we at Chrysanthemoms decided to share the latest DIY sites we like and that have recently helped us be part of the DIY revolution ourselves.

Woodworking hand tool reviews
The English Woodworker is a must-see site if you are into woodworking – lots of tips and techniques on how best to choose your woodworking tools to make your next wooden project. Take their advice to heart and you will soon have a firm grasp of what you need to get the job done. Highly recommended.

Choosing your power tools
DIY-High is a valuable website to the home improvement crowd that is dedicated to helping you choose the best value power tool for your next home renovation or DIY building project. The site covers a range of power tools for the resident handyman and even provides some valuable insight for the most experienced of tradesman. The site covers a wide range of power tool categories from air compressors to hammer drills and power saws and, for the most part, the site focuses on power tools that are easily available to order online.

Construction equipment hiring
HSS Hire is the one of the best companies in the UK for hiring all sorts of construction equipment from the small amateur units to the very big professional rigs. They service both trade professionals and amateurs alike.

Sewing, embroidery, jewellery-making, and your effeminate side
If you are more artistically-inclined, the DaWanda Marketplace is a great place to go to learn new skills for sewing, fabric creation and design, making your own original jewellery, and several other crafting activities.

Electronic gadget and car repair
iFixit is fast becoming the go-to site of choice when it comes to sorting out one’s hardware problems with desktops, laptops or smartphones especially if you don’t agree with the ‘throw-away’ culture of some generations. In recent times, they have also started to branch out into other hardware, namely cars and trucks which at first might seem unrelated to their core expertise but if you have been following the news of late, even the trusty old car will soon be transformed into just the next must-have gadget.

Written By:Sam is the resident gardener, a father of 3, who lives in the UK. He is also into everything tech and is the ‘go to’ guy for anything DIY. He is also an enthusiastic blogger who especially enjoys writing about outdoor activities.

Popularity: 91% [?]

Healthier carpet freshener

Posted by Chrys on August 2nd, 2015

Have you seen Loving Heart Mommy?
A lil’ bit of this & a big tad of that..

I have been making my own home-made carpet freshener for several years now instead of buying the stuff from the store.  The home-made stuff is so much better and an added bonus is that you don’t always know what is in the commercial version. My lovely puppy does what all dogs do and keeps sniffing around the house – the thought of him inhaling some unhealthy chemicals is not appealing at all. And since It’s really so easy to make your own – it’s a no brainer! The key ingredient in the home-made stuff is baking soda which is sodium bicarbonate, in other words a simple salt – so that is unlikely to be bad for Rover. The other ingredient, essential oils, is optional, but makes it more like the store-bought stuff as it provides the scent to the freshener.

Scented carpet freshener:
A. Three mugs of baking soda or sodium bicarbonate (I usually have baking soda in large quantities at home as it has many applications.)
B. Two teaspoons of essential oils (but more can be added if you want a stronger aroma)

Mix together in a bowl but apply one tsp of essential oil at a time with thorough mixing after each addition. The most recent scent I used was strawberry but there are so many other aromas you can choose from.  With a spoon or similar, blend the oil right into the baking soda. Sometimes, little spheres of oil will form in the baking soda so be sure to squish them up with your mixing implement. Once I’m happy with the texture of the mixture (and once it’s smelling lovely), I pour some of it into another container that has holes in it so it can act  as a shaker to dispense the carpet freshener (actually it is an empty store-bought carpet freshener container from old practices!)  Cool tip: Whenever you’re attempting to get rid of labels as well as the adhesive from commercial containers, remove as much it as possible by pulling it off and then place some vegetable oil on the area with a cloth and rub it in. It works every time! Happy Freshening!

Written By:Crystal is the founder of Chrysanthemoms, and a mother of 3. She is a graphic designer, specializing in wedding invitations, baby announcements and photo greeting cards. She is also an avid blogger and loves to write. – Visit Crystal’s Website

Popularity: 22% [?]