DIY Weed Killer

As we all know landscaping is a full time job. In Alaska with the sun never setting it seems like the weeds just grow like wild fire. We have chick weed problems, this is 2 weeks of not weeding. My back yard is turning into a jungle.

I have a hard time justifying buying weed spray, all the chemicals, toxic, dogs, and toddlers. It just unrealistic for me to find an hour by myself to go spray roundup everywhere. Then barricade the kids and dogs from messing with it. There is a lot of DIY weed killers on the internet so I decided to experiment with the common ones and adjust the measurements. I think I have perfected this recipe.

What you will need:
Vinegar White
Salt (everyday table salt)
Dish soap
Spray bottle

I started off by pouring about 2-3 Table Spoons of salt in the bottom of the empty spray bottle. 3 Table Spoonful of dish soap on top of that. Then add Vinegar. I did not mix or shake it up, It naturally mixes! I was afraid of suds mess.

Thats it I just went to town on the weeds near our house. I even let Lilah go spray since she just loves helping mommy out. This mixture was just right in an hours I could already see the weeds wilting, and changing color. 

24 hour results

Super EASY! Happy Weeding!

XO

Simple Garden Box

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Last weekend was project time of course, and it was time to get our plants into the garden. Simple easy garden planter box. Looks great on hilly areas, like our back yard.

Supplies
News paper
(6): bags of garden soil $10 each
(2): 2x6 x (16ft) $22 each

Directions
We cut the boards (2) @ 8 ft
(2) @ 4 ft

We attached the boards with 2.5" screws creating a raised planter.

No need to weed or dig up the ground,  just lay newspaper down and then fill with soil.

Last of all go pick out some fun vegetables to grow!

Have a wonderful weekend!

What we planted
Onions
Cabbage
Cauliflower

Lettuce
Broccoli

Tomatoes (beef master and cherry) 

Bell peppers

Baby Gate DIY

I have a love hate relationship with our stair case. We have been searching for a baby gate to fit our very wide stair case for over a month,  with no luck. Our stair length varies on the bottom 48.5" and the top is 52" due to a railing. Our goal was to find or make a gate that was SAFE and Kid Friendly.

 Lilah is 3 and needs to be able to go up and down the stairs freely while little Kaylie slightly uncoordinated and needs restriction. So Derrick & I have been discussing and pinning ideas on how to make the stairs safer, well we were a little too late. Yesterday morning Kaylie fell down the stairs. She has a black eye and bruised up nose. So I decided to follow my gut and create two gates one for the top and one for the bottom.

 So in my panic after the fall we headed to lowes to pick up some wood! Lilah is proud for being a big Helper!
Total cost for this gate $33.16 

 What you will need~

Sanding block (sanding paper)

Heavy gate hinges (2)

Gate lock (1)

Wood stain ( Old Leather)

Paint brush

Screws ( 1 1/4 ") short You don't want these to pop threw the other side

Wood

(1) 1x4x8  

(1) 1x6x8

(2) 1x3x8

 1x6x8 was cut to (2) 47" pieces, The stair width is 48.5" so I chose to go an inch smaller for the hinge and latch spacing.

 ~ The height of the gate is 24 " which is perfect height on our first step. Cut the 1x4x8 into (4) 24"  pieces. We used the two extra on the second gate.
Attach the 24" 1x4 to the 1x6 to create a rectangle.
Cut the 1x3x8 into 24" pieces, used only 6 of these boards. I attached them with screws at 3.5" spacing  between each board.

 Next stain the gate and let it dry for atleast 2 hours, Our stain had a seal mixed in it. Then attach the hinges.

Attach hinges to the gate first, then attach them to the wall make sure they are in a stud you don't want  the gate to rip a hole in your wall. Make sure the knuckle to the hinge is out, so that it does't get caught up on the wall. 

 Attach your gate latch, test your gate and you are done!

 Our latch is secured by a ribbon tied in the hole since the girls do not know how to un tie a bows, its perfect and beautiful.

Taking the step towards homesteading

Do you ever get exhausted over bills, errands and the constant spending at grocery stores. I am so tired of all the fuss and constant errands. I, myself am a home body, I love keeping busy with the girls, homemaking, cleaning and the animals. While making our bi weekly grocery list I pondered why we are always purchasing store products like bread, canned veggies fruit and spaghetti sauce. 

It dawned on me, I'm lazy. Yes it's true I cook most items from scratch mainly because my oldest has extreme food allergies to nuts and peanuts. Everything manufactured says processed on or I. The vacinity of nuts. So yes baking and cooking is my "hobby" lol more like forced hand. But it's not all bad what's bad is that I always but two loves a bread a week from Costco. While I know how to back bread and just choose to spend money at te grocery. It's true I have not had a garden in years but the time has come to take a step in the past and start homesteading more intensely. 

So as of just the month of October I no longer buy bread I make it from scratch 5-7$ a week for two loaves ... But now it's less than a 1$ per loaf by making it myself. There is only 5 ingredients! What!! And tastes better. 

This summer I canned over 48lbs of peaches for the whole year along with 60lbs of tomatoes my neighbor grew we split the bounty 12 spaghetti sauces, 10 salsas. 

My lovely raspberry bushes produced an over load of raspberries so the girls and I canned 12 plus jars and froze 2 lbs of fresh berries. 

This is just our start. As each month comes and we prepare for the first we are going to take the no grocery store challenge to witness the savings, the joy and challenges of homesteading. Our only flaw will be yogurt and milk. Maybe I convince my hubby to getting me a goat but for now that is our only store purchases. 

Wish us luck!