The Polyvore Files | Reading Rainbow

I'm finally back! Sorry for my absence from The Polyvore Files the last couple of weeks.

If you haven't figured it out yet, I love to keep things neutral with pops of color in my spaces. I find it much easier to replace a few pillows than to replace a large piece of trendy furniture. That is another reason that if I choose to paint furniture, I typically choose black or white. 

I LOVE this reading space I have created. I can easily replace the colorful items, like the pillows, poufs, and blanket with new items for a whole new look as my style and interests change. But the best part is just having a space to read and relax, sip coffee, and to jot down my feelings and ideas as I read my books. 

Here are a few books that I have on my reading list right now:

1. Gone Girl
2. Balancing It All
3. The Goldfinch
4. Women Living Well
5. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

I was kind of out of the loop when it comes to reading books, but I have made sure I am making time to read lately. I have a lot of books to catch up on, but luckily, I have been devouring books and am currently reading Gone Girl. 

What are some books you have read recently and recommend?

New to The Polyvore Files? It's so simple to participate. Create an outfit or a room decor idea over at Polyvore, share it in a blog post, then come back and link up here with me or with Kara over at The Snugly Duckling. Be sure to grab our button below too!

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The Polyvore Files | Backyard Oasis

The warm weather we have had this week has got me to thinking more and more about how I would love for my backyard to look this Summer. I love spending time outside and on our back porch, but I would love for it to be a little more inviting and user friendly. It will definitely be a work in progress, and may not get it all done this year, but I look forward to taking it on and making it a space we love.

Click HERE to see information about the items in this collection. 

This space will most definitely revolve around food. Clean and healthy food, of course! And a place to gather with friends and family, grilling out, enjoying fresh fruits and veggies, sipping on refreshing drinks, sitting by the fire pit and having fun conversations. I'm already excited!

1. Lighting is key, including string lights for those late nights outside. 

2. Indoor/Outdoor rug 

3. There must be an area for my container garden. I love growing fresh veggies like cucumbers, but love tomatoes and hot peppers for my fresh salsa the best!

4. A fire pit is a must. Great for roasting hot dogs and S'mores!

5. A smoker grill is the best. It's what we currently have and we love it. Not pictured, would be all the Bobby Flay cookware to go with it! Heck yeah!

6. We have a small love seat type sofa now, but I would love to have a larger seating area with fluffy outdoor pillows. 

7. I was a little torn between a picnic table and a regular table, but figured the round table is more grown up. I would still love to have a full size picnic table for the kids that I can place somewhere in the yard. 

8. These can be used as stools or small tables. I love that they are versatile and can be used for multiple purposes. 

9. A tall side table where I can serve up yummy foods on cute dishes! 

10. More seating! I really wanted to make sure we have enough room to sit. Just our family takes up 8 seats, so when friends come, perhaps with their children, I really want everyone to sit comfortably. 

This is what I would do with the space we currently have to work with, but Jason will definitely talk to you all day about the outdoor kitchen he promises we will one day have. Believe me, I am definitely looking forward to it, but since we know that this house is not our forever home, these are what would work best for now. 

New to The Polyvore Files? It's so simple to participate. Create an outfit or a room decor idea over at Polyvore, share it in a blog post, then come back and link up here with me or with Kara over at The Snugly Duckling. Be sure to grab our button below too!

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make your own: household cleaners

there are only 5 cleaners you will ever really need ever again. i use all 5 of these to clean my house and love them. i don't want to get into all the details, but 2 weeks ago i did a MAJOR spring cleaning of my house from one end to the other and i only used these 5 products the whole way. my house is THE cleanest it has ever been. not just because of these products but because i spent a lot of time working on our home for one solid week.

again, i ONLY used these 5 products i will share with you today! 


kitchen cleaner

• 12 oz. vinegar 
• 12 oz. dawn liquid dish soap

combine ingredients and pour into a spray bottle.

i use this product everywhere in my kitchen. on the counters, on our tables, on the backsplash, on the stove top... everywhere! it cuts through grease like nobody's business and makes everything shine! 


all-purpose cleaner 

• 5 oz. rubbing alcohol
• 3 oz. white vinegar
• 1 tsp. liquid laundry detergent (without added bleach)
• 1 tsp. white ammonia

combine all ingredients in a spray bottle and then fill the rest of the bottle to the top with water. 

i use this product in my bathroom the most, as well as on my bathroom and kitchen floors. it does a great job getting out all those nasty urine smells that tend to linger around toilets!  

baking soda cleaner

mix water with baking soda in a container until you get a paste. amounts depend on how large of an area you have to clean. 

i use this all over the house, but my two favorite places to use it are in the shower to get soap scum off and on my stove. it cuts burned on food from my flat top range with no problems. i even cleaned underneath my range hood recently and it now looks brand new. i usually use the baking soda cleaner in conjunction with my other cleaners, but another great use for this is to remove marks from walls. think of it as a cheaper version of those mr. clean magic erasers!


bleach cleaner

• 2-3 oz. bleach

pour into a spray bottle and fill the rest of the bottle to the top with water.  

everyone needs a bleach cleaner. i mostly use this in areas with grout to make it bright white. DO NOT use this product with the other cleaners unless you have rinsed thoroughly. those other products contain ammonia and you DO NOT mix bleach with ammonia. EVEN dawn dish liquid contains ammonia and you DO NOT mix it with bleach! 


window cleaner

• 1 oz. white ammonia
• 4 oz. rubbing alcohol
• 1 tsp liquid laundry detergent (without added bleach)

combine in a spray bottle and fill the rest of the bottle to the top with water.   

this stuff is amazing! it's streak free and cuts right through all those finger prints that collect on our doors and windows! 


hope you love these products as much as i do! let me know if you try them out!

time for me to go refill my bottles now!  

♥ ♥ joni - sixcherriesontop(at)gmail(dot)com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram | bloglovin' ♥ ♥

 

make your own: fabric softener/fabric refresher

 

this is actually more like a tip for making your liquid fabric softener last longer by using it in the dryer. i prefer liquid fabric softener because it comes in a larger variety of scents. here is a great way to use liquid fabric softner in your dryer and save money at the same time.

the formula is so simple: 

just mix 1 oz. of liquid fabric softener with 24 oz. of water in a spray bottle and spray several squirts on a rag and toss into your dryer. i actually just spray it directly into my dryer onto the clothes, but do what you like.

and, no fancy spray bottles for me! i ain't got time for that! just a regular spray bottle i purchased in the cleaning section at target. to be honest, i typically don't use fabric softener or dryer sheets because they are a bit pricey for something that we go through so quickly, but since trying this recipe out and discovering that a full bottle of fabric softener can last me months and months, i find it a little easier to accept.

i just refilled my bottle that i had been using for well over a month now. i wash one load of laundry a day. according to this bottle of fabric softener, it will last for 50 loads. i have washed at least 30 loads of laundry so far on one spray bottle. i can wash hundreds of loads on this one bottle of fabric softener!

that month included using it as a fabric refresher also. that's right, i use the same bottle to spray my furniture to freshen  it up, as well as my bed each week when i change our sheets. so much cheaper than febreze, and again, it comes in a larger variety of scents.

let me know if you try this out! i would love to know what you think!

♥ ♥ joni - sixcherriesontop(at)gmail(dot)com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram | bloglovin' ♥ ♥

make your own: dishwasher soap

after making my own homemade laundry soap, i got the idea that it wasn't so hard to make my own soap for the dishes i put in my dishwasher. after doing a little bit of research online, i put together my own batch of dishwasher soap. even with the kids in school, i wash at least 3 loads of dishes a day and those tabs can get pretty expensive. even the loose powder in a box, even though it is cheaper, never lasts very long around here, and i feel like i am always buying something.

the materials i purchased to make this dishwasher soap cost around $20, including the 1 gallon jar i use to store it. so far, i have washed many loads of dishes and have had no problems with it. my dishes come out clean and with no stuck on food, and i have not noticed any residue. i will also add that i DO NOT use a rinse agent in my dishwasher. i have never really bought into the idea of that stuff!

homemade dishwasher soap

materials

• 1 (4 lb. 12 oz.) box of borax (laundry aisle)
• 1 (3 lb. 7 oz.) box of arm & hammer super washing soda (laundry aisle)
• 1 container of powdered lemi shine (dishwashing aisle)
• 3 cups of epsom salt (health & beauty section)
• large bucket for mixing
• large container for storing
• 1/2 tablespoon measuring scoop

directions

simple... mix all ingredients well in a large bucket and then pour into a container with a lid to store. keep this stored in a cool, dry place.

when washing your dishes, i recommend 1-2 scoops of the homemade dishwasher soap.

this batch made a little more than a gallon of soap. why not pour the rest of it into a cute little container and give it to a family member, friend, or neighbor as a gift!


 as always use this product at your own risk!

 ♥ ♥ joni - sixcherriesontop(at)gmail(dot)com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram | bloglovin' ♥ ♥

make your own: laundry soap

i wanted to start making my own homemade cleaners because along with the changes i have done here on the blog, i have been making some changes at home as well. a few years ago, i was really into saving my family money, and suddenly i just gave it up. not to say that i was spending tons of money, but i just wasn't trying to get the best deal when it came to making purchases, i stopped couponing, i stopped trying to cut corners, i just stopped focusing. that may sound weird and kind of vague, but what i didn't mention about myself this past year was that i was in a real big funk. i gained tons of weight, i felt really depressed, my house got disgusting, some days i hated to be around my kids, and i just couldn't get myself out of it. then, recently, after making some changes and doing something about all the things that put me in a terrible mood every day, i just SNAPPED out of it. we revamped the house with some new furniture, i have been staying on top of my cleaning duties, i started eating healthier and losing weight, and now i am working toward saving my family money again.

this is probably on hundreds of other blogs, but i wanted to share my own recipe for laundry soap. i don't have exact figures but, all of the products i purchased were a little over $30, which included the 2 gallon jar that i use to store the soap.

homemade laundry soap

materials

• 1 (4 lb. 12 oz.) box of borax
• 1 (3 lb. 7 oz.) box of arm & hammer super washing soda
• 1 (4 lb.) box of arm & hammer baking soda
• 1 (3 lb.) box of oxi clean
• 2 bars of zote soap

• large bucket for mixing
• large container for storing
• 1 tablespoon measuring scoop

directions

grate the zote soap in a food processor. i like to grate it with the grater attachment, then using about 1 cup of baking soda and some of the grated soap, i use the regular blade attachment to grind up the soap even smaller to ensure that it dissolves well in the washer.

once you have grated the soap and baking soda together, mix that and all other ingredients together in a large bucket. if your bucket has a lid, secure lid and mix ingredients by rolling it around on its side. otherwise, just use a large serving spoon to stir ingredients until they are blended well.

once it has been mixed well, pour it into an easily accessible container. this batch made enough for me to fill the entire 2 gallon glass container i purchased.

when washing laundry, i recommend 2-3 tablespoons per load.





i adapted this recipe from several other recipes i found online and so far we have had no problems with it. the soap has a mild scent, our clothes come out clean, and it has even been safe for our high efficiency washer.

i would love to know if you try this recipe and what you think. if you have another recipe that you would like to share, be sure to do so in the comments.

use at your own risk.

♥ ♥ joni - sixcherriesontop(at)gmail(dot)com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram | bloglovin' ♥ ♥

make your own: a cleaning supplies series

for several weeks i had been contemplating making my own cleaning supplies to save us money on items we use the most around our home. as quickly as i started making that decision, i started to notice that i wasn't the only one in the blogging world who was traveling down that same road. the most popular one... laundry detergent.

if you have never looked into making some of your own supplies, i'm here to tell you, you will save yourself a TON of money. as a big family, we wash A LOT of clothes, wash A LOT of dishes, and clean kitchen counters, toilets, and bathtubs pretty frequently. even if you aren't a big family like us, no one likes to turn down a little extra money.

next week, i am going to be sharing some of the cleaners i have been making, along with the instructions for making them yourself. i will also be sharing some other tips and tricks that i have learned over the years, when it comes to cleaning. be sure to check back starting tomorrow when i will kick off this little mini series with my version of powdered laundry detergent.


what are some cleaning supplies that you would be interested in having a homemade recipe for?
 

♥ ♥ joni - sixcherriesontop(at)gmail(dot)com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram | bloglovin' ♥ ♥

world market inspired living room

for awhile now, jason and i have been talking about redoing our living room to better suit our my taste. the furniture we have now is a dreadful sight and i have grown to hate sectional furniture, especially the kind that have recliners built into them like ours has. the couch is an eyesore, the walls need to be updated, curtains need to be hung, and a few random items, like those giant 80's speakers, need to be retired to some kind of museum somewhere. oh, and...hello, tacky blinds that my kids have destroyed! it's just an awful space and only represents my style slightly in the sense that i prefer a very neutral look with pops of color.

as a family, we spend a whole lot of time in this room. we do everything in here. it is central command of our home and we want a space that is beautiful, but we are not afraid to enjoy. i am still in love with the ideas i recently put together for a world market inspired kitchen, so i knew i would have no trouble finding the items i would want for my living room.

1. chair  2. wall art  3. tall lamp  4. blanket  5. curtains  6. coffee table  
7. couch and slipcover  8. side table  9. drum  10. rug  11. pillows  12. lamp

this simple look with pops of red are just what my little living room needs. i always try to include a variety of textures, so i love the use of leather, wood, and metals. i usually consider my style "eclectic" and that definitely shows here. i was pleased to find everything all in one spot at world market.

you can makeover your room with world market too and here is a wonderful chance to get that opportunity:

HGTV passport to style sweepstakes

grand prize:

 $1,000 world market shopping spree & design consultation with an HGTV designer

3 runners-up prizes:

$1,000 world market gift cards 

sweepstakes runs september 22, 2012 - october 26, 2012.

share this sweepstakes with 5 of your friends via facebook or e-mail, you can receive an additional 5 bonus entries! enter daily for more chances to win! Enter on-line here or here

world market explorer program:

This is a customer rewards program where member earn exclusive perks, like coupons, offers, previews, and beyond. Spend $100 on Gourmet Foods and Non-alcoholic beverages and you will receive a $10 reward that you can use to purchasing almost anything in store or online. You can also earn FREE COFFEE Rewards! (Buy 6 12oz. bags and your 7th one is free!)

apply HERE for great deals through the world market explorer program! 

follow world market:

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Google + | Instagram

“This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™, but all my opinions are my own http://cmp.ly/3/KqtZiE"

 joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: sixcherries

i should be doing laundry: a purex giveaway

the last thing i wanted last weekend was to be stuck inside cleaning and doing laundry.  as the days get longer and warmer, i will probably be putting off a lot of my daily duties to spend more time outside with my children enjoying the fresh air and sun.

 

unfortunately for me, that means i will be up later at night after the kids have finally gone to bed to do all that i have been putting off during the day.  i wouldn't dare show you our laundry pile.  even with my two oldest boys not being here every day, our laundry is ALWAYS backed up.

as a purex insider, i was recently sent a sample to try the new purex complete crystals fabric softener in the fresh spring waters scent along with a coupon for a full sized bottle.

washing our laundry, i used up the sample in one day and just recently used the coupon to try the tropical scent. purex complete crystals also comes in a lavender blossom scent and i love the way they make my clothes feel and smell. even clothes that i hang to dry come out feeling soft.

did you know?

many of the other liquid fabric softeners have been known to use up to 20% oil in their fabric softeners. the oil in those other liquid fabric softeners cause clothing to become flammable and is why they should not be used on children's sleepwear. purex complete crystals are 92% all natural and dissolves in water unlike other traditional liquid fabric softeners.

how about a giveaway?

three six cherries on top readers can now have a chance to try out a 28 oz. size bottle of purex complete crystals softener.

what three (3) people will win:

one coupon per person for any one 28oz. bottle purex complete crystals softener

how to enter:

there are several chances for you to win. please take the following steps to enter the giveaway and to increase your chances of winning. you must complete the mandatory entry first for all other entries to count. please be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry and leave a valid email address for me to contact you if you win.

mandatory entry (worth 1 entry each):

tell me about the fabric softener you are currently using and whether or not you have ever tried purex products.

extra entries (worth 1 entry each):

• link to six cherries on top. grab my button (left sidebar!) and add it to your blog
• follow six cherries on top via google friend connect (left sidebar!)
• like six cherries on top on facebook
• like purex on facebook
• follow @sixcherries on twitter
• follow @purex on twitter
• tweet this giveaway (once a day!) using this phrase: I entered to #win @purex complete crystals @sixcherries & sixcherriesontop.com, #giveaway http://ow.ly/487Dx  then come back and leave a link.
• visit the purex complete crystals website and view any of the videos. come back and tell me in a comment something you found interesting about purex complete crystals.

this giveaway will end at 11:59 pm (est) on march 13, 2011 and is open to u.s. residents only. a winner will be chosen at random via random.org and will be notified by email. you have 48 hrs. to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

thanks to purex for offering this giveaway. i was given free products to test in exchange for an honest review. all opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way or by anyone.  by entering this giveaway, you agree to six cherries on top disclaimer/terms of use.





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sponsor spotlight: gussy sews

gussy sews has some fabulous new items that have just been added. so many of us will soon be shopping for new items for spring, and according to pantone, the new colors for spring 2011 are these HERE.

gussy has definitely incorporated some of these fabulous colors into their spring line of new items such as the spring pink wristlet/clutch that i absolutely love. the pattern and colors are so feminine and fun.

spring pink wristlet/clutch

you can also get this same wristlet/clutch in spring blue and can even get the matching headbands too.

spring blue wristlet/clutch

spring pink headband and spring blue headband
these new items plus a large selection of other great gussy classic styles and patterns can be found in the shop.

right now, you can save 10% with the code SixCherriesBlog. expires 3/15.

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valentine's heart mobile

i decided to change things up today friends. i have been taking so many photos lately that i kinda started to turn this little ol' blog of mine into a photography blog.

i thought things would start to slow down this week, but we have been just as busy as ever with sickness and doctor's appointments that i don't really notice a change.  however, i did get some time to slow down long enough to make this fun heart mobile similar to the one kelle made over at enjoying the small things.

tyler and i spent some time together doing crafts and we decided we wanted one of these to hang in the corner of our living room.

i used the needle and fishing line as she strategically chose each heart.  i am so ocd about things and had to fight the urge not to tell her that three red hearts in a row drives me insane and that she needed to pick a different one.  i was proud of myself.

she has enjoyed going over and looking at it every few minutes.

i cut the hearts out of some random "valentine" colored scrapbook paper and threaded them with fishing line using a needle.  then i hung them on a metal hanger and covered it with ribbon.

if i laminate them i could perhaps let it stay outside to blow in the wind.  i love this!

maybe next time!

sweet stuff sunday | valentine's day is next month

valentine's day is slowly starting to become one of my favorite holidays simply because it definitely helps with the cabin fever that starts to set in quickly after christmas when i start to get tired of being cooped up inside.

last year i started to get more into the holidays for the kids sake, and we had lots of fun making crafts and baking yummy foods. 

remember, you don't have to wait until valentine's day to enjoy the holiday. make it a month long event! 

check out some of these cute finds that are sure to get you and the kids in the mood for love this valentine's day.

valentine heart pancake mold from crate and barrel

this inexpensive pancake mold is a great way to add a little fun and excitement to you breakfast without breaking the bank. just changing things up a bit is all it takes. add a few strawberries and whipped cream for a tasty breakfast.

sweet valentine 3 felt flowers headband from sweet-n-sassy shoppe

there are so many people making hair bows for little girls now that i was so excited to see this unique valentine's headband. lindsay, owner of the etsy store, sweet-n-sassy shoppe has a large variety of one of a kind handmade items that i just love including this headband.  the simplicity and elegance of these 3 beautiful hand cut felt flowers in a row on a stretchy thin white headband allows you to dress it up or down.

♥ be sure to check back tomorrow or a chance to win an awesome prize from sweet-n-sassy shoppe. ♥

bed of roses pillow from bed buggs boutique

this rose pillow is covered with over 60 red felt roses.  this pillow from bed buggs boutique would look perfect anywhere in your home.  i could see this beautiful pillow with my other pillows at the end of my couch.  i would probably leave it there all year too. each petal is hand cut from high quality felt and it takes over 40 hours to produce. 

home tour tuesday | all wrapped up

every year i have gone with a specific color scheme when it comes to my gift wrapping.  it's almost ridiculous how much time and energy i put into preparing something that ultimately gets torn off.

this year, and probably from now on, i have decided that i can still have lovely gifts without spending a whole lot of time with all the details.  one of my new favorite blogs has really shown me how to make something look lovely without putting a lot of effort into it.

i think i am going to go with plain brown paper (as in brown paper bag) this year with lots of brightly colored bows and ribbons and fabrics.

NO I HAVE NOT WRAPPED A SINGLE GIFT (except for the one in the photos).

i always wrap my gifts christmas eve night. i put the kids to bed, make a fresh pot of coffee, put on a good christmas movie, and wrap gifts.

this year i pulled out my large scalloped square punch and my solid square punch and created these easy gift tags. it honestly took me all of 10 minutes to make them.

i got these two punches a while ago and they have just been sitting around until the other day when i decided i wanted to make something. something quick because i have the attention span of a toddler so projects must not take forever or i loose interest.

i had some random christmas-y scrabooking paper in a drawer so i decided i would use them to make these cute little gift tags.  these i did very quickly, but they can really be done up with a few embellishments if you choose.

i simply punched the background with the larger scalloped edge square punch and then cut a contrasting color for the top with the solid square punch.

then i took one large pop up sticker dot and stuck it in between the two and pressed them together.

the back of these papers are white so i will be able to write the recipients name on the back, but if the back of your paper is not white, you can punch another solid square in a light color that writing can be easily seen on and use double sided tape to adhere it to the back.

once i had the two pieces together, i punched a hole at the top and threaded a piece of string through for attaching it to a gift.  it can be tied to a gift bag or tied to a bow on a boxed gift.

quick. simple.

for the rest, i wrapped the gift in brown paper first, then added a piece of snowflake fabric around it.  all i did was cut the fabric and wrapped it around. i like the frayed edges.

then i took some white string and thick red ribbon and wrapped them around to hold the fabric in place.  before i tied the red ribbon into a bow, i added one of the tags i made.

i love the "vintagy" look of how they are wrapped.

be sure to hop over and check out all of the beautiful wrapping styles from everyone who linked up.