12 DIY Projects to Attempt in 2012

In an effort to save money and be more healthy, I’m putting together a list of items we use or eat on a regular basis that I’d like to try to make myself. 

1. Peppermint Foaming Hand Soap – I already have the ingredients for this one and can’t wait to give it a go.
2. Natural Cleaning Kit – I want to do a complete overhaul of our cleaning products and switch over to homemade stuff as much as possible.
3. Mosquito Repellent – I always feel weird about coating my children’s skin with chemicals, so I’m hoping this natural alternative will work just as well.
4. Waffles – We sure love our Eggos around here, but they are a bit expensive.  Mom & Dad bought us a waffle maker for Christmas, and I’m looking forward to trying it out.
5. Peanut Butter – We also love peanut butter!  We buy the natural stuff anyways (just peanuts and salt), so I’m thinking it can’t be that difficult to replicate at home.
6. Granola Bars / Health Bars – Keith would eat a Lara Bar everyday if they didn’t cost so much.  Again, the ingredients are pretty basic so I’m hoping I can find a recipe to make our own that will save us some money.
7. Hummus – Mmmm…hummus.  Enough said.
8. Salad Dressing – I’d like to make salads a more regular part of our meal plan, and I think a really yummy homemade salad would help us to do so.
9. Iced Green Tea – As far as winter beverages go, I’m all set thanks to a great hot chocolate recipe book my brother gave me.  However, come summer time, I know I’ll want a refreshing drink and I think iced green tea would be a good replacement for iced coffee.
10. Yogurt – ?! This one seems a bit overwhelming to me, but I at least want to look into it.  We eat so much yogurt, and of course we’re addicted to the more expensive brands
11. Preserved Tomatoes – I’m not sure what this will look like, but I’d like to take advantage of summer’s bounty to preserve tomatoes in some way.  Maybe pasta sauce and pizza sauce?
12. Okay…so I only have 11 projects so far.  But 12 in 2012 sounds better, and it works out to one project per month.  I’m sure I’ll come up with a number 12.