Thursday Thrifty Tips

Today I was looking up ways to clean my carpets at home...the new puppy had an accident and I hate using chemical products, it gives your whole house a yucky smell. Anyways, I came across a website promoting baking soda. I know we all know how useful baking soda is, but I found these tips that I'd never heard, and I thought I would share.

1. To deodorize large surfaces – sprinkle baking soda on carpets, rugs or upholstery, let sit for 15 minutes, then vacuum. The baking soda will absorb the odors.

2. Freshen closets – place an opened box of baking soda in your closet, this will keep stale smells from forming.

3. Outdoor furniture – make a mixture of one part baking soda to four parts water, and use this to clean to furniture. Rinse well with water.

3. Cleaning floors – On non-wax or tile surfaces, use ½ cup baking soda in a bucket of warm water to mop your floors. Rinse, and you’ll have a sparkling clean floor!

4. Shampooing your hair – In the palm of your hand, mix a small (about the size of a quarter) amount of baking soda in with your shampoo, and shampoo like normal. The baking soda will get rid of any product residue that’s in your hair. Much cheaper than buying a special shampoo!

5. Got stains on some of your fabric bags or purses, and can’t wash them? Use dry baking soda and a soft brush on the spots, and it will clean off the stains.

6. Put some baking soda in the wash, it will help lift greasy stains. When bleaching, use half a cup of bleach and half a cup of baking soda, this will help the bleach do it’s job, but not leave that bleachy smell on your clothes.

7. Take baking soda with you when you go camping – it can be used to wash dishes, clean your hands, deodorize the trash so critters don’t find you…all sorts of uses!

8. Got ant problems? Put a solid line of baking soda down where they are coming in, and they won’t cross it.

Aren't those cool? I had no idea you could do all of these things with baking soda, and it's so cheap!

Something small for the economy?

I was thinking about my inventory today, and trying to come up with some ideas to help it get a movin'. I sell mostly home decor, which I know isn't a necessity in this economy. I'm thinking about doing something really small and cheap (under $5) to sell, something that's still decor and pretty but not too much for those that are watching their pennies. I haven't come up with an idea yet, but I'm brainstorming and trying to think up something.

I just bought my first Showcase today, some of my stuff will be featured all day tomorrow. We'll see what that brings in!

Lastly, I'm thinking of starting some interviews of Etsy sellers, not the typical "what's your favorite marketing tool," or "what inspires you," I'm thinking of asking more in depth questions and getting to know these artists more. I'll be working on it this week, I'll probably "interview" myself first so people can see what I'm talking about, but then I'll be looking for others to interview. If you're interested, let me know!

EtsyVeg and Features!

Some exciting things have been happening, I recenty joined the EtsyVeg Street Team. All of our members are either vegetarian or vegan, and we're all about promoting a healthy and happy world through our art, using only animal friendly products. Here's a link to our blog, where you'll find recipies, interviews, and all sorts of interesting articles. At our marketplace, you can check out what some of our members have been creating lately!

I've also just been featured on a blog promoting new and upcoming artist on Etsy, check it out here!

And I just finished up my first treasury, see it here!