Homemade Cleaners

It's time for Spring Cleaning... I have spent the last couple of days trying to CLEAN-UP my house. After all the Easter FUN we had... and just everyday stuff it is sometimes a never ending chore to keep things nice and clean the way I like them. But I have to tell you I LOVE the homemade cleaners I have been using. Some I have used for years & some are new ones I have just started using the last 8 months-- We made cleaners a few months ago at "club" and Tara typed them up on recipe cards for me.... so I thought you might like to try using them too. Just start with one and see what you think...


this stuff will not streak... it's so good you are going to love it.


and this cleaner is AMAZING.. great for tile, sinks, tubs... it makes lots of suds, so you have to be able to rinse the area your cleaning really well


This is probably my all time FAVORITE.. it will make your counter tops shine like nothing you have ever used..


love this stuff too... cleans just as good as any of the store bought ones I have used... and saves lots of $ too.


I use this alot too... but DON'T use it on granite- because the vinegar will cause it to dull over time, and make sure you add the soda last after everything else has been put in the bottle. For all the cleaners I just pour them into spray bottles, and then I write the ingredients on the back of the bottle too. Then it's easy to make more when you are getting low. They are so much better for you because there are no harmful chemicals in them. Let me know what you think about them!

Here is one more... I have been making a homemade laundry soap that I liked, but you had to grate the bar of soap & boil everything on the stove... it was a little time consuming.  So a few months ago I decided to try this one and I LOVE it!! It is so easy, I haven't figured the math on how much it cost per load- but I know it can't be more than .10 really!!  And I can't tell the difference in my laundry.

Parmesan Green Beans

I made these Parmesan Green Beans for Easter Dinner and they were quick & so good. I thought you might like to make some too, so here's how:

Click the magic button for printable version

Hope you enjoy these as much as we did, they have become one of our Favorite dishes!

Easter Party 2012

HAPPY EASTER!! Oh what a wonderful, fun, lovely day. I hope all of you had a Happy Easter- ours was so nice, it is always a lot of work and sometimes while I am trying to get it all put together I wonder if it's worth it..... ahh but then when my whole family arrives- oh how I LOVE it.


I love the vegetables in the glass containers-- makes it look so fresh...and so colorful..



shot glasses with vegetable dip- always looks so cute. Add a carrot with a piece of cilantro for the top & you've got super cute!!


Yummy food is always a hit at the Hamblins-- Ham, funeral potatoes, parmesan green beens (I will post a picture & recipe for them- they were great) BLT pasta salad, fresh fruit salad, rolls, Vegetables & dip, darling carrot cupcakes-- I hope Amy will post pictures about those- and of course orange chocolate dipped strawberries (carrots) and plenty of treats....


heres a close-up of the carrots (orange dipped strawberries) I love them on these darling cake plates that I found at T.J. max...doesnt the pink poke-a-dot ribbon just make you want to smile!

It's Summer Time

Waking up to 2 inches of snow on the ground today.... has got me longing for the warm days of SUMMER!!! I know it's way too soon, we haven't even really had spring yet-- But I was going through some pictures & found these of a fun summer party we had last year..... oh don't you just love paper straws!! They can make any day a party, add some curling ribbon and a tag and let the party begin....


we love to have pic-nics in the summer... it doesn't take much, just some snacks in clear containers, I love the extra large ric-rac around them-


and some buckets filled with all kinds of goodies--


chocolate dipped marshmallows with sprinkles-- and skittles...


and bubbles to keep them busy... actually we did set up the water slide.. and had more than treats for lunch, but I haven't figured how to post more than 5 pictures at a time... so this is it-- at least for today.



I found the tags at amandaparkerandfamily.blogspot.com

April Meal Calendar

Don't you wish every month came with a meal calendar? Something that helped you decide on what to make for dinner each night/week/month? Well you are in luck! (This was a 2011 calendar, but I still reference it often.)

{click on calendar to read}

Stay tuned for recipes...

Countdown to Disneyland

We LOVE anything Disney in our home so when Grandma told us she was taking the whole family to Disneyland for Christmas we could not wait. (I don't know who was more excited, me or my 5 year old.) 


I thought it would be a fun idea to mail Grandma a package with a countdown until we were all together is the most magical place on earth. 


I raided the dollar bins at Target and hit up Dollar Tree. Anything and everything that had to do with Disney, I bought one of (each bag has at least 2 or three items). Some of the items include: puzzles, pens, notepads, ponchos, a Disney t-shirt (this was at Wal-Mart), silly putty, candy pixie sticks (to represent pixie dust from Tinkerbell), ponchos (just in case it rained), candy, princess juice bottles, etc. 


I also put similar packages together for my family. 

Here is a photo of the end result and the tags if you ever want to make a count down for your own family.

Pineapple Yogurt Dip

Today I thought I would share a couple of recipes I LOVE-- This is the perfect dip for fruit.... yummy yummy