Do you still hang your clothes out on the clothesline? Yes, same here but it seems to be a little old fashioned now and not many people have the time, opting to use the clothes drier to get the laundry dry.
There are many reasons why using the natural sun to dry your laundry is best but why are stainless steel clothes pegs the best? This is why I think they are.
Is your climate right for using clothes pegs
I’m extremely lucky that I happen to live in a sub-tropical climate here in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia so we have pretty much all year round sunny weather.
Except for a couple months a year when the temperature might drop to under 20oC (68oF) in winter, we have the perfect weather. Even in winter, the sun shines warm enough and long enough for us to get our laundry dry. (Maybe thick doonas and blankets need a dry, windy day in the middle of winter.)
For those who live in snowy conditions, hanging your laundry outside isn’t probably ideal but definitely worth it in the summer months.
Stainless Steel Pegs are environmentally friendly
Unlike plastic clothes pegs, stainless steel pegs are made from marine grade steel so are easily recyclable unlike plastic pegs.
Plastic pegs deteriorate from being in the sun, from wear and tear, age and those with a metal spring just give up over time.
Wooden pegs also contract mold and mildew if left out in the elements.
The stainless steel clothes pegs are made from marine grade 316 1.7mm stainless steel so they won’t rust. They have been constructed as one piece so the spring of the peg mechanism forms part of the entire peg.
They are also good for the environment in that they are fully recyclable.
Stainless steel pegs have many uses
Just as I am with food and anything else I buy, if a product has more than one use, I’m happy.
Stainless steel pegs have been great for many other uses in the home including:
paper clips
clips for using in sewing, quilting and other craft projects
use to guide creeping plants and vines
hanging children’s artwork
hanging Christmas cards
strong enough to hang washed shoes and toys on the clothesline
keeping packets closed in the pantry and freezer and I think a few have gone missing in the shed for my husband’s various home DIY projects.
Conclusion
For the price of the stainless steel clothes pegs compared to cheap plastic pegs, you’ll have the stainless steel pegs for a lifetime with the ability to use them in many ways in all areas of your home. They’d make a great practical housewarming or wedding gift for someone.
Last minute DIY Mother’s Day Gift Ideas? I’m not suggesting that Mother’s Day gift ideas should be a last minute idea. I still remember those gorgeous crafts and handmade cards my children gave me when they were younger. Now they’re teenagers, they barely remember that it is in fact Mother’s Day. That’s okay. I know they still love me. But if things have popped up and you haven’t had a chance to go to the store, these last minute DIY (or practical store bought gifts) will help you come up with an idea for a thoughtful gift for the mother in your life this Mother’s Day.
I can remember when my mother was alive, she always appreciated a handmade gift more so than a store bought one. What do you buy a woman who has everything? She appreciated a trip to the cafe, me bringing over a homemade cake or making lunch for her at her place. Often it’s the thought that counts to us mothers more so than an expensive gift.
Check out the following ideas for inspiraiton.
Beauty Products for Mother’s Day Gift Ideas
Treat your mother to a homemade beauty product. There are so many beauty and pamper products you can make from basic pantry items. Find an empty jam or spread jar, create a pretty label, spray paint the lid or cover in fabric and you’ve got a beauty product that cost next to nothing.
Coconut oil is an amazing product on it’s own. A jar of coconut oil from the supermarket with this print out of over 40 uses for coconut oil (instant download) will be much appreciated for less than $10.
There are also a lot of online places like Groupon or Scoopon where you can buy online vouchers for massages and other beauty treatments. Just print out the coupon and pop it into a greeting card.
Homemade Baked Goods & Sweet Treats
My mother was a fantastic baker and taught me well. As she got older, she couldn’t be bothered baking much, just for herself so she always appreciated if I brought her something homemade.
Failing that, take your mother out for a nice morning tea or high tea. Groupon and Scoopon usually have vouchers for those as well. They don’t have to be on Mother’s Day. (Always so much more expensive.) A good way to catch up with your mother at any old time.
Handmade Mother’s Day Cards
You can buy cheap greeting cards or expensive ones but often the handmade ones are best. I’ve always got a stash of card stock and could create a quick greeting card with a heart felt message for my mother.
There are 19 ideas here for handmade Mother’s Day cards that you can use for inspiration. If not, maybe your mother doesn’t like receiving greeting cards. Save the time and your money and don’t give one at all. Even a handwritten note with a special greeting in your own handwriting will be well received.
Plants & Gardening
My mother was an avid gardener and in fact, a huge orchid fan. I wouldn’t have a clue what orchid to buy her but I always took her to the gardening store if she needed to get supplies. A voucher to her favourite garden store or the hardware is a great gift and she can buy what she wants.
A cutting from one of your plants, repotted into a nice planter or repurposed planter makes a nice gift. Herb seedlings in a tea pot, old boots or shoes to hold a plant are all great ideas if you’re looking for something last minute.
The supermarket also has a small range of gardening tools, fertilisers and gardening gloves etc. Cut flowers or potted plants are also available from the supermarket.
Handmade Gift Wrap
I always have a roll of brown paper in the house. You can turn it into any design. Get the kids involved with some finger painting or hand prints.
You don’t even need paper. An unused or new tea towel, hand towel or even a piece of fabric makes wonderful gift wrap.
Last Minute Mother’s Day Gift Ideas from the Supermarket
Fruit baskets with the freshest seasonal fruit, your mother’s favourite tea or coffee, jars of preserves, spreads, jams or unusual ingredients she doesn’t normally buy to spice up her meals all make great gifts.
Magazines, stationery and other reading material are all available from the supermarket. Toiletries they don’t think to buy for themselves, nail polish, manicure kits, body lotions etc all make great gifts.
Mother’s Day Gift Ideas – Conclusion
I hope this round up of last minute gift ideas gives you some inspiration. I’m sure your mother will be grateful for whatever she receives.
Day spa at home? Wouldn’t that be nice? It’s easier than you think using your basic pantry and fridge staples. There are many reasons why we can’t get to the day spa as much as we would like but you don’t have to make it hard for yourself. You can create a haven at home and treat yourself as often as you need.
WHY HAVE A DAY SPA AT HOME
Of course it’s just as easy to go out. But with the worldwide pandemic it was hard to get out of our homes at times and we missed out on our regular treatments.
We’re all busy too. It’s not just about the 20 to 30 minutes you’ll actually spend at the day spa. It’s about getting ready to go, driving there, coming home and what about your children or if you’re working out of the home full time? Creating a day spa at home is ideal for those who are time poor.
There are so many benefits to your overall health if you try some of these treatments. Not only are some of them great for your skin and hair, there are medicinal properties to some of the ingredients in these treatment recipes I’m going to share with you.
Stress, tired muscles, sore feet, damaged skin, nails and hair will all benefit from these treatments. Let’s also take into the account the benefit for your mental health when you’re able to treat yourself with kindness because you deserve it.
If you are at home most of the time, a bit of time out for yourself can be used as a reward. If you’ve got decluttering, organising or cleaning to do, say to yourself that you will reward yourself with a DIY facial, soak in the bath, pedicure or aromatic shower. You deserve to be treated in a way that is going to benefit your overall health.
It’s also a very cost effective option. Why spend hundreds of dollars to pay someone else to do this for you when you probably have all the ingredients yourself?
Sure. It is nice to go out and pamper yourself once in a while but even as an inexperienced beauty consultant you can easily apply these products to yourself.
WHAT TOOLS YOU’LL NEED
You really are spoiled for choice when it comes to finding ingredients for some of the following beauty spa treatments. Substitute where you can. If you only have rose essential oil, use that instead of lavender. Or if you only have white sugar and not brown sugar, use that.
Set yourself up with all the tools you’ll need and keep them in a tub or a box that can be your special home day spa treatment. Here are just some tools you might need before you start:
Like I mentioned above, these ingredients are only a guide to what you can use. If you don’t have the essential oil, use your favourite. If you don’t have a particular type of tea or fruit, use what you have. It’s all about being as cost effective as possible.
From the Pantry
Oats
Quinoa
Honey
Coconut Oil
Vanilla extra or vanilla bean pods
Extra virgin olive oil
White sugar or brown sugar
Salt including Himalayan Pink Salt
Tea bags including herbal tea, green tea or flavoured tea like Chai
Used coffee grounds
Milk powder
Canned coconut cream or coconut milk
Spices, eg turmeric, cinnamon, pepper etc
From the Fridge
Avocado
Citrus fruit, zest and/or juice
Mayonnaise
Greek yoghurt
Eggs
Miscellaneous
Epsom salts
Essential oils
DIY BATH SOAKS
The following are only a limited number of DIY bath soak recipes for your DIY home day spa. Use what you have. You also don’t need anyone to tell you what time of the day you can take a bath. Have a bath when your young children have a sleep or they’ve gone to school.
Did you also know that In a recent study on metabolic diseases or in other terms diseases linked obesity, heat exposure in the form of a hot bath is shown to have the same effect as exercising (Faulkner, S.H. 2017). The study indicates that just one hour spent in a hot bath burns as many calories as a half hour walk. Passive heating decreases inflammation and boosts metabolism exactly like exercising.
We may not have time for a long soak in the bath but an all over body scrub in the shower can leave you feeling refreshed plus exfoliate and replenish your skin. Remember to substitute ingredients with what you have an use your favourite essential oils.
One of the things I used to love going to the day spa for (before children and when I was working full time) was for a full facial. It was so relaxing to have someone else really cleanse my face but I always found the products irritated my skin and left it feeling greasy.
I soon learned to do it easily from home and I can leave on a DIY mask while I have a soak in the bath or while showering. Create that ambience at home while doing a facial with soft music and lighting and put your feet up, have a cup of tea or glass of wine, read a book or meditate.
Whatever you can do to relax to allow the benefits of a facial to do it’s magic, do it. Here are some recipes for a simple DIY facial at home.
I actually feel sorry for the women (or men) at the day spa that have to work on my feet after a long hibernation. My husband actually bought me a foot spa last Christmas and I intend using it more often. Prior to that, I would use a shallow tub, wide enough to put my feet in.
With a few simple ingredients added to warm water, you can give your tired aching feet a long soothing soak after a long day at work, a day in the garden, a day running around after your children or working out or running.
Smooth off the dry skin with a pumice stone, trim your nails and give your toe nails and feet a rub with coconut oil or your nails a lick of nail polish.
‘I’ve had so many manicures, acrylic nails and gel nails over the years and every time I get them, I soon regret it. They weaken my nails when the nail ‘artists’ buff off the polish or acrylic. I type a lot so don’t like long nails so I’m happy with short, natural nails. I do like to give my hands a good moisturising so sometimes treat myself to a DIY manicure.
Here is a step by step guide to help you.
DIY Manicure at Home
CONCLUSION
Whether you use your favourite brand named products or some of these DIY recipes using common ingredients you can find in your home, treating yourself to time out to rejuvenate, replenish and restore you is what you’re trying to achieve.
Not only are you treating your skin, hair, nails and body to a therapeutic treatment, you are taking time out for yourself. Sometimes you just need a total distraction from the stress in your day and what better way to do than with a DIY day spa day at home.
Make this time really special for yourself by putting on the music, lighting a candle or diffusing essential oils. Treat yourself to a new fluffy towel or hand towel and make the most of the experience.
The other thing is a lot of these products make great gifts for your friends and family. Why not share some of the recipes with them made up into jars with instructions. I’m sure someone you know also needs a reminder to take time out for themselves.
