Frugal Fridays- Cheap Cleaning May 29, 2008

 One more post about cleaning and then I should probably spend some time….cleaning. The house has begun to fall apart around me while I run the garage sale of the century. Although my sink is still shiny!!! (I really can’t take credit, my mom came over today and did my dishes while I wasn’t looking).

Do you know you can clean on the cheap by making your own cleaning products? The easiest is vinegar and water in equal parts. You can use it to clean countertops and floors in the kitchen and bathroom. I just keep mine in a spray bottle from sold old cleaner I ran out of.

The other miracle cleaner we all have sitting around the house is baking soda. Sprinkle it on your sponge to get rid of tougher stains in the tub and kitchen sink. You can also use it to unclog drains instead of that yucky Drano stuff. Finally, mix some rubbing alcohol and water and you got a great window cleaner. You can also use it to keep your sink shiny- flylady style.

Now you are thinking, what about my wood surfaces. However will I dust? I just avoid it, problem solved. But if you prefer your house to not have thick layers of dust on every surface, you can make your own with 1 cup of olive oil to 1/2 cup of lemon juice.

Any I forgot? I am newly replacing my pricey and environmentally poopy cleaners with the homemade kind so I would love any tips on what works at your house. Saving money and the environment. Doesn’t that earn my some sort of tiara?

Things I Love Thursday- Clorox Disinfecting Wipes May 28, 2008

 Why not just continue on with the theme of “my clean house” that we have begun this week? I am up to my eyeballs in a massive 6 family garage sale I am hosting tomorrow so hopefully this is coherent. I have blogged before about my love of Lysol Disinfecting Wipes (and the guilt I still carry over the environmental impact of using these babies), but I was asked to try the Clorox brand, and I thought, why not?

Verdict: I like these even better. Going into I figured a wipe is a wipe, but that is so not true. The smarties over at Clorox have made their wipe thicker and more textured which allows it to clean even better and last a little longer. FYI- it is also helpful to know that they are:

Effective against common bacteria such as Staphylococcus (Staph.), Salmonella, and E.coli*

Pre-moistened disinfecting wipes that kill 99.9% of germs including viruses that cause colds and flu

Sounds good to me. Nothing worse than a house full of sickies. Also I loved the scent. I was given lavender to try and yummy. I would not advice actually eating the wipe, but it smells really good and I prefer it strongly to the generic smell of anti-bacterial clean. You might too, unless you are my friend Jen, who believes your house isn’t really clean unless it stinks like bleach.

Here is my note to the good people at Clorox. Recently, I have also tried Mr. Clean’s Disinfecting wipes (cause I scored them for free while doing a little Walgreening a few weeks ago-p.s. when you shop drugstores, like I do, their names become a verb) and their container kicks your container’s booty. So you should think about that. Cause right now it is a toss up for which one of you gets my life long disinfecting wipe loyalty. And if I made you both arm wrestle for it, I am thinkin’ he would easily win (check out those biceps!). And I know my loyalty is far too precious to throw away on an arm wrestling match (I warned you, FRIED BRAIN).

Works For Me Wednesday- Fill Your Sink May 27, 2008

   In my new quest to fly high I have been trying to tackle the biggest and most important fly lady rule. Fly ladies say it with me…SHINE YOUR SINK!! So I am trying to keep my sink dish and pan free.

Here is our previous system. The family puts dirty dishes into the right side of the sink that I load into the dishwasher. If you haven’t read my 100 things you might not know that I am a expert at loading the dishwasher. Absolutely no one else is allowed to load it cause frankly, they just screw it up. Just between you me and the lamppost (how weird is that expression?), I have also been known to rearrange other people’s dishwashers when they aren’t looking. It’s a sickness, don’t judge. Sometimes, things get loaded right away, other times, I’m not gonna lie, they might sit there a little while.

The pots, pans and other odd shaped things that don’t fit in the dishwasher go in the left side of the sink. The hubby is in charge of those. Depending on life, those may or may not sit there for a while too. I’m not callin’ him out, just keepin’ it real (don’t I sound hip and cool?). I am just thankful I don’t have to do it cause I hate cleaning pots and pans.

The new system: when I am cooking lunch and dinner, I fill the left side of the sink with dishsoap right when I start. As I cook, I throw things in there. They soak while we eat, and then before I leave the kitchen, I quick wash them up. At least, I have done this for 2 days now and it seems to be working. I give it 2 more before I get tired of washing pans and pass the job back to the hubby. But if I do manage to stick with it, isn’t it an awesome tip? That crazy purple fly would be so proud!

For more tips that work (for a few days at least), head over to Rocks In My Dryer.

I’m Flying…Again May 26, 2008

 Do you know who this is? She is either a genius or tool of Satan. I have been riding on the fence on that genius/Satan thing for a few years now. I try her, then she starts to frustrate me with her demands for a clean sink and needing to wear my shoes in my house and her harping at me to go to bed at 10 pm. Yeah, wouldn’t that be nice?

But, I have been feeling like the “home” in homemaker has been falling by the wayside so I am back on the Flylady wagon. I have discovered that she is slightly less annoying than before with a little less email clutter (although enough with the testimonials-I get it, you’re fabulous). And my house is staying relatively clean. So much so that when people come over I don’t have to do a mad dash to stash everything. And I will admit, it is nice to wake up to no dishes in the sink.

Still, you know those compliments that are totally meant to be compliments, but somewhere in there is a tiny bit of an insult. Like, “Wow, you look amazing.” (cause you normally look like something the cat dragged home. Or “Holy cow, you have lost some weight!” (cause before you could have just slapped Goodyear on the side of you and called it a day).

Well today I got a few, “Wow, your house looks amazing.” Which leads me to believe people have previously believed we were living in a filth hole. Or that I was sitting around eating bon-bons all day instead of tending to the house. It is more likely I was up to my eyeballs in coupons trying to score a good CVS deal or trying to track down my long lost childhood friend on Facebook. Actually some days it takes all that I have just to keep up with the dishwasher and the laundry (the cycle NEVER ends) with a pause here and there to yell at the kids. And by yell, I mean gently and lovingly remind them that, “YOU DO NOT SIT ON YOUR SISTER!!”

But now with my fantastic system in place, I expect my house to remain clean for a good 4 days until I have grown again frustrated with that purple mad woman and let it go back to its usual sub par state of cleanliness. So frankly, you have a 4 day window in which to come over unannounced. After that you best call first so I can throw all the dirty dishes into the guest room.

Today I was Inspired… May 24, 2008

  Today I watched my mother cross the finish line of her first (and probably last) marathon. She is 59. It is more than safe to say that at 32, she would have kicked my butt. I would still be crying at mile 2.

I will digress for one moment and let you in on a now famous story that will probably make it’s way into my eulogy somehow. In high school I went out for cross country. I am not sure why since I hated exercise of most any kind, but my parents were runners and somehow convinced me that this was the sport for me.  An athlete I am not. Anyway, the first meet comes around and suddenly despite lots of “practice” it occurs to me that I am going to have to actually run and that there are hills involved. And that the run is longer than from the couch to the fridge. So I do what any trained, superstar athlete would do when confronted with having to run a long distance (sadly, it was 2 miles). I wait until I go into a grove of trees and fake an fall which “injured” my knee. So clearly, marathons are probably not in my future.

My mom has been training for 4 months. Today, she wore a metal denoting she ran 26.2 miles. I could not be more proud of her. I found myself tearing up so many times today watching her run (yes Courtney, I cried). I am just amazed at her strength, courage, determination and perseverance to finish this race. The best part for me was watching Lily meet her in the last stretch so that they could cross the finish line together.

                                             

They actually held hands as they crossed the line, but I missed that in the picture. Of course, after they finished, I got asked the obvious question, “How come I don’t get a medal too?” I explained to Lily that you had to run in the race to get a medal. She looked at me like I was crazy and said, “But I did.” Oh sweetie, if only we got a medal for running the race for a few feet, we would need a bigger house to hold all of mommy’s cross country medals.

I am so proud of you mom!! Feel free to send your congrats in the comments. She is my most loyal reader.

Memorial Day Weekend- Better Known as the day the pool opens May 23, 2008

  When I moved to my current hometown from Chicago, one of my first goals was to join a pool. We moved in summer and the thought of being in a new place with nothing to do was my worst nightmare. My father-in-law got us a gym membership for a house warming gift because it had a bit outdoor pool. Normally, I might be offended if someone gave me a gym membership for a gift, but I know this was because he knew of my strong desire to spend my summer stretched out beside a kiddie pool (at least that better be why he got me a gym membership).

I didn’t have a pool to go to in Chicago so I was unaware that once you have children, relaxing by the pool goes by the wayside. Instead, you spend your time making sure your children don’t drown and getting in and out of the pool every 5 seconds because your child is cold, tired, hungry, has to pee, bored, got splashed, has to pee, accidentally got water up their nose, is hungry or has to pee. Fun times. Then you have a second baby and the fun just doubles.

My problem is slightly compounded by the fact that my normally extremely helpful and hands on hubby cannot resist the pull of the water slides. If you drive by my pool on any given weekend you will find a line for the water slide filled with 4 foot tall beings…and my hubby. And his face looks every bit as thrilled as theirs when he comes off one of those babies.

Then there is the ever present problem of spending large amounts of time in a swimsuit. After popping out 2 kids. Why, oh why, did we stop wearing those swimsuits that covered us from neck to knees. Cause my pool seems to be filled with a bunch of women who are either a) married to a good plastic surgeon, b) spending way too much time at the gym and way too little time eating or c) genetic freaks of nature. None of these options bodes well for my general well being and self esteem.

Still, with all these factors in play, I still live for the weekend when the pool opens. And I spend many of my days there all summer long. I squeeze into the suit, slather my kids with sunscreen, head towards the water and hope for the best. You know why it is all worth it? Free (actually, not even close) entertainment that tires out my kids so much that they go to bed early and sleep like a baby. And really, doesn’t that make it all worth it?

This post is for a contest going on right now over at the Parent Bloggers Network. They are partnering with Huggies Little Swimmers and giving away a great “Summer Fun Essentials Package” (which I am hoping includes a nanny who likes to play with my kids at the pool while I lay out and read People magazine). Head over there for info on how to enter.

 

Frugal Fridays- Walgreens Coupon!! May 22, 2008

 So I am about 5 diapers away from a naked baby’s bottom. Or an early potty training adventure. I have been looking for a good diaper deal, but there aren’t any this week so I was trying to make it until the next sales cycle this Sunday. That doesn’t seem to be happening.

So imagine my delight when I stumbled across this. I still have a $3 register reward and some diaper coupons so I think I can turn this into a great deal. It’s only good on Friday the 23rd so head to Walgreens and pick up something good. Maybe the last of the Easy Saver free after rebate products. I heart Walgreens

Things I Love Thursday- Ragu Fresh & Simple Pouch May 21, 2008

  Have you ever tried a product that you didn’t even realize you needed until you tried it?I was happy with my jarred pasta sauce. No real complaints. And then I was sent the new Ragu Fresh and Simple pouch to try and I realized my life had not been complete and I didn’t even realize it.

You know how you make pasta and then you have to find a way to heat up the sauce to put on the pasta. You can throw it in a pan, but then you are just dirtying another pan. You can throw it in the microwave, but often it explodes all over the inside. Now, you just put the pouch in the microwave and pour it on your pasta. How easy is that?

The absolute best part: no added sugar, additives or preservatives. You can actually read and pronounce all the ingredients on the package. And there is a full serving of veggies in each half cup. The best news, they definitely didn’t sacrifice taste. The hubby and I both give it 2 thumbs up. I think your kids will love it too, but my kids insist that their pasta be served without sauce and with a heaping pile of Parmesan cheese. Actually it kind of ends up as a pile of cheese with a side of pasta.

To further help out mommies who are trying to put dinner on the table while screaming kids pull at her legs (please tell me that is you too!) they have put a couple of recipe suggestions on their website. Also Ragu has put together Feed Our Kids Well which gives some great tips and advice for keeping our families healthy. You can get a booklet that has lots of great recipe ideas to use your pouches to make. Sign upto have one sent to you or view it on their site. This booklet is great cause it has all kinds of ideas very few of which actually involve pasta. Who knew you could use pasta sauce in sloppy joes?

Run out and get yourself some. I think these might just become a staple around here. It went over way better than the Brut deodorant I was sent to have my hubby sample. He is complaining of smelling like a barber shop. I tole him I liked it cause I think he smells like my Grandpa, whom I loved. I don’t think he found that to be a good thing…

Works For Me Wednesday- How to Set a Table May 20, 2008

  When we got married (7 years ago!!), we didn’t register for china. I know it is what you are supposed to do and the registry lady sure seemed to want us to, but in all honesty, I just didn’t see us as china people. I can remember a very small handful of times we got out china growing up and my mom basically told me I could have her china since she wasn’t using it. I actually really like her china, so we just registered for some upscale every day plates and called it a day.

So if I were to be honest with you (and frankly, when aren’t I?) I also don’t enjoy a formal place setting because I am always way confused about how to set one. I know knives go inside the spoon, but I can’t recall which side they go on. Glasses to the right or left? This is too much stress for my little brain when I am already trying to cook a meal and look cute!

It’s even worse when you are out at a fancy event. There are so many forks, glasses, plates. It’s like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. How many times have you been seated at a wedding and accidentally started drinking out of your neighbors glass. No…just me then…alrighty then.

Anwho, I was delighted when I picked up Real Simple (the best magazine ever) and discovered some handy tips for navigating a formal place setting.

• When you are at a wedding and confused about which glass to sip, picture your fingers making an OK sign. Your left hand makes a “b” for bread and your right makes a “d” for drink. I will pause while you try it yourself. I would suggest however you don’t REALLY do this when at a formal dinner unless you follow it up by making the “L” sign on your forehead.
• When setting the table, remember this little tip: Fork- 4 letters- LEFT; Knife- 5 letters- RIGHT.
• All flatware should be placed about a half an inch apart and line up with the bottom of the dinner plate.
• Apparently the knife blade should point toward the plate. Emily Post says it is impolite to allow a knife blade face other guests. Geez, it’s not like you are pointing it AT them.
• Serve a lot of wine so that nobody really cares where the silverware goes or if you eat their bread accidentally (That’s not a Real Simple tip, that’s a freebie from me).

For more tips, head over to Rocks in my Dryer.

Four Score and Seven Years Ago… May 19, 2008

 Well maybe not four score, but 7 years ago today I was a nervous bride. 8 1/2 years ago today I went on my first date with a man, never even dreaming that he might one day be my husband. He brought me toothpaste and I was hooked. We married a year and a half after our first date. It was also the date of my grandparents anniversary.

I remember waking up that morning with butterflies in my stomach amazed that I was about to become someones wife. We met at the church first thing in the morning, just the two of us, and spent some time praying together. I will always treasure the memory of that hour, the last time we would see each other before the organist played “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” and I walked down the aisle on my dad’s arm.

I remember how sick you were. I remember the songs and the words that were sung. I remember you stumbling over the vows (“In sexness and in health”) and trying not to catch your eye cause I knew if we started laughing, we would never stop. I remember the pronouncement and hearing my name as “Mrs. Anderson” even though it would take me so many months to answer to it when someone called. I remember our first dance and you knocking off my veil. I remember the serenades by our friends. I remember singing to you and truly meaning every word.

I remember that I had no idea what “for better of worse” really means. How could I? We had only had “the better.” I probably still don’t fully know what it means, but I still mean it more than ever. I remember thinking several times over the years how awful it would be to be married to someone I couldn’t laugh with. I remember loving you even more the first time I saw you hold our baby in your arms.

Of course I remember being frustrated, unappreciated, annoyed and impatient. I remember that you have been the same with me. But I remember that every time you are, you have the grace to forgive me. I remember that you are almost always the person to say “I’m sorry” first. And I remember that way more often than not I am cherished, respected, appreciated and loved. I remember that too often I take that for granted.

And so today, I remember all the reasons I love you. All of the reasons that after 4 months I “knew.” All of the reasons that after 7 years…I still do. Thanks for the best 7 years of my life. Happy Anniversary babe.