List of Randoms

Randoms ~ things going through my mind

~ I have become completely obsessed with cleaning out my garage. I think about it all day while I’m at work and every box I empty out I seriously feel like doing a happy dance.

~Once the garage is completely cleaned out I have plans on making a super awesome playroom since baby #3 will mean less room.

~I have found things while cleaning out my garage that are priceless and things I thought were lost…. Mya’s u/s picture. This might sound morbid, but I really wish that they would have printed out an u/s picture when we discovered that she had passed away. I wonder if it’s in my charts that the Sacramento office sent over to my Medford OBGYN. I just might ask. The u/s picture I found was from our first appt. There’s just a little sac, but she was in it and that is something I always want to treasure.

~Now that I’ve found her u/s picture I want to create a shadow box in remembrance of her. And get another urn necklace made w/the remainder of her ashes to put inside of it. I am so relieved that we still have ashes since Ella flushed my original urn necklace down the toilet…. That was a sad, sad day.

~I’ve also found my mother’s Book of Mormon from when she was a little girl. That to me is a priceless treasure.

~My daughter is turning 3 on Saturday. She’s overwhelmingly excited for her party on Saturday and I’m overwhelmingly excited for her! She’s anticipated this day for a VERY long time.

~I’m on my 3rd week of work. I’m surviving and I actually kind of enjoy it. The break from the house was probably much needed, especially with a new baby on the way…. But my heart definitely misses my kids.

~I had a prenatal appointment yesterday. Very uneventful, but those are the best in my opinion. I was in and out and won’t be back for another 4 weeks. Baby’s heartbeat was beautiful. On Sunday I will be 6 months pregnant! It’s flying by! Still have no morning sickness and have been feeling absolutely wonderful. About dang time!

Who would've thought?!

Who would have thought that in order for me to just get some major things done at my house all I'd need to do is just go and get a JOB! I have no idea what in the world my deal has been at home these past 3 years, but ever since I've been OUT OF THE HOUSE I'm doing more IN THE HOUSE.


This weekend I did some major transformations in my garage. I found things that made me oooooo and ahhhh and things my friend who was in there with me wanted to hit me over the head with for not having up in my home. But I'm finally organizing MAJORLY and I think I'm even ready to bust out some paint and have this home of our's {well, sortof since we don't own it} the way I envision it.


I need to remember after this working thing I'm doing is over that I MUST stick to a schedule.  I MUST take advantage of all the time I will have at home to ensure that my home looks how I want it.... to make my home the haven it should be for my family.

Tackle It Tuesday.... a lovely list of things!

It's been a while since I jumped in the {Tackle It Tuesday} clan, but I feel like I've tackled so much I need to share with the world!

1) I REMODELED MY OWN BLOG!!!!  I thought so many times about hiring someone, because the frustrations were just too much for me, but I DID IT!  I added graphic links under my header, borders around my posts, a Tweetmeme, a 2nd sidebar and DESIGNED MY OWN LINK BUTTONS - there's more things little things I did here and there, and much more that I have planned, but I did it on my own... saved the buck and am satisfied with the results.

2) I FINALLY  got all of the kids' toys out of my living room and built the cute tower lamp that has been sitting in my garage for months just dying to be displayed in my home {now to get some cute picture frames displayed on it}.... this entire corner was TOYS and now it's clean!

3) While my friend Jenise was here visiting I tackled the most amazing thing possible for me.... EVERY, SINGLE PAPER IN MY OFFICE IS FILED AWAY!  You might be sitting there thinking, big deal... oh no, it is a BIG DEAL had I a before and after picture you'd completely understand... my brain is now uncluttered, my office area is now uncluttered, and my friend now has a new IPhone for helping me out.... win/win!!!

4)  I managed to fill a frame that has been displayed on my wall for 2 years w/the pictures that it was bought with!

So, I guess you can say I've tackled LOTS OF STUFF!!!  And hope to tackle much, much more!

Since I have you here, and  you are more than likely a blogger ~ you should check out {THIS POST} that I just posted and let me know your thoughts on it.  Thanks!!

Ella = AWESOMENESS

Today my daughter shocked the pants off of me. The girl just turned two and I watched her saw her do this..... this video is of me telling her to do it again, but she honestly did this EXACT thing on her own.... I'm still in shock!


 **oh and don't mind my phone ringing in the background of the video LOL**

ASK A BLOGGER @ BLOGNERD!

WOOOOOOOPS!!! I thought that this post was going to automatically post at midnight.... guess I did something wrong. So, I guess for this lovely Saturday we're gettin' this party started off LATE!

If you haven't already introduce yourself {HERE} and leave comment love for a great giveaway

and then you should head over {HERE} and share your blogging advice, give more comment love for another great giveaway

Today's is simple, sweet and to the point.......

ASK A BLOGGER ~ WHATEVER YOUR HEART DESIRES!!! Have you ever wondered what bottles you should use for your baby? How about advise in the kitchen? Are you stuck on a family decision that you would like a fresh set of ears to listen? Write a blog post and link up and let's go around answering each other's questions ~ bloggers helping bloggers

Today's giveaway is..... a surprise gift basket from {Bath & Body Works}.... because we ALL love the stuff!!!!

THIS AND THE OTHER 2 GIVEAWAYS WILL NOW END AT MIDNIGHT ON 7/27/09 ~ WE'RE DRAGGING IT OUT FOR MY BIRTHDAY WEEKEND!!! SO SPREAD THE WORD!

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment For 3 more entries write a blog post asking the bloggers anything you want and then come back to leave 3 more comments for your 3 extra entries Send a tweet ~ leave an extra comment for another entry

~ Here's my ASK A BLOGGER question ~

I am not a coupon clipper. I'm not very frugal when it comes to grocery shopping, but you can read {HERE} how that's about to all change. I want to learn about a good system that I can use to start trying to be frugal. I don't even know where to begin..... I don't know how to organize coupons and all of that..... so bloggers can anyone help me????

I call it stupidity... who would've thought

I come from a snobby family, well not all of them, but a couple of us are. I've picked up their traits and probably created a bunch of my own.I've changed into things I never was before, for the better, since I moved to Oregon. One thing I have yet to let go is where I grocery shop. In Sacramento if you go into a cheap food store it's so ghetto you want to disinfect your food before you bring it into your home.

So, I was always a Safeway shopper. In my eyes we were getting amazing deals! I didn't have to deal with the grimy feeling I felt when going to the less expensive stores. Then we moved to Oregon, where we remained a Safeway shopper, later discovered Fred Meyers, which was like 10x better than Safeway, because it was like having Target and Safeway combined! Yes, it was a dangerous thing, since we always ventured in to the fun part of the store and bought things.... things that are still sitting in my garage waiting to be used. Basically, Fred Meyers was sucking my bank account and I thought I was making out, because I didn't have to drive all over town for the different things I needed.

I never understood why people would shop at places like Winco, Food 4 Less and other ghetto looking places. Haha, I know what you're thinking.... what a snobby little biotch ~ just stick with me here.... a rare occasion is about to happen!

Last night my friend Brittany (she's my new nephew's mom) needed to go grocery shopping. Being that her baby is so new and the entire thing is just new to her she needed a helping hand to make sure it all went smoothly. I had no intention on buying a thing, because we were going to Food 4 Less. I walked in and it was like a light shone in my eyes and I heard angelic music. THIS STORE WAS AMAZING! The prices were completely unreal ~ it wasn't dirty, sure there were some trashy people there, but I was more in awe over the store than being concerned with them! How could the bread I buy for over $3.00 a loaf only be $1.89??????? What in the fricking world was I doing shopping at Fred Meyers?

I spent less than $50.00 and got quite a bit of stuff! They even have organic and natural sections... you can buy brown rice by the pound! The milk is a whopping dollar less than Fred Meyers....... the mayo ~ don't get me started I can't believe I ever paid more than what I did last night on the stuff.

I think my husband is a bit relieved that his wife who thought she was too good for a good deal is over herself. I'm relieved that I'm over myself, because I'd rather not spend what I spend on groceries. It's ridiculous! I'm anxious to sit down, menu plan for next week and head to my new found, glorious store to discover what's down those aisles, and have the prices sing to my heart!

I AM NOW A

GIRL

Things I Love Thursday - My Magic Bullet

One thing I LOVE LOVE LOVE is my Magic Bullet. Blenders and I don't get along. I don't know why, but I never could get thing things I wanted to blend the way I wanted. I know, it wasn't the blender.... it was the user! Making a smoothie isn't a hassle anymore in my home - even my husband makes them.

There are so many things that you can make with your Magic Bullet ~ I make any sauces I'll be needing for my dinner, salsa of course using {THIS MIX}, and it comes with tons of recipes you can try out.

I am really satisfied with my purchase and this thing gets used daily in our home.

Everybody loves something and {Diaper Diaries} is hosting a great carnival for everyone to express their love.... head over there to read more!!

Friday Favorites

Been a while, but I want to get back into this.....

My favorites of this week are as follows:

• Jayden finally made it to the dentist for the first time and did AMAZING! My 7 year old doesn't even have a cavity. I'm so proud of him :) I highly believe that this is because I never let him go to bed with a bottle or anything to suck on, but it might just be because he's a super star brusher.

• My superstar husband helped me to start clearing out the clutter out of our garage. We have one section completed and a shelving thing in its place. I love organization, even though I suck at it, and am glad we're on an organizing mission. He also cleared off our old kitchen table and carried upstairs so that it can serve as a return on my desk. I LOVE IT!!! We were actually going to spend money on a new desk and now I really have no reason. I can even use my table as my sewing area.... THANKS WONDERFUL HUSBAND!!

• Ella has begun potty training and to my shock and surprise is doing amazing with it! My little girl isn't even 2 and is telling me when she needs to go potty and even held up on a 2 1/2 hour outing of the house!! WTG, Ella!!

• We got to bring in my husband 28th year with him. Thursday was his birthday and we got to go as a family to dinner. Amazing thing is - we got together when he was 18. We've last almost 10 years together and 5 years of marriage. I love him. Here's to another year of his life that will be spent with ME!!

• Jayden tested for another belt in Karate. He got called on in Karate class to give a Code of Ethics and he said, "I will forget my mistakes and concentrate on the future." That made me proud. He makes me proud. I sure was blessed with a special little boy. I can't wait until we find out if he earned his belt!! I think he did a great job.

That pretty much sums up my favorite things of this week. I love my life. I know sometimes I can complain and get overwhelmed and discouraged, but at the end of the day....I love my life, and I'm so thankful for it and the many blessings that are poured on my family. I'm excited for the next week to come and to talk about my favorite things.

Things I Love Thursday - Roomba

The Diaper Diaries is an absolutely fabulous blog, and every once in a while I jump on her carnival of Thing I Love Thursday. I don't like to tell people I love something unless I truly love something.

I truly, whole heartedly am head over heels in love with Roomba. Roomba does AMAZING things in this house. My floors are almost always clean. The best is when your kids have spilled gold fish right before bed and then stepped on them and when you wake up..... there gone. And you have this smile on your face, because you didn't have to push around this vacuum whispering profanities to yourself about why in the world you would even think about handing that toddler a cup of goldfish.

Almost a week ago we got a puppy. We've named her Sophie, and I sometimes want to scream, because let's face it.... puppies are HARD! But, my house still has this freshness to it, and I think I owe that to Roomba. No matter what, Roomba comes out and makes life better and easier for me. I've actually really come to love the little guy.... I'm talking about Roomba.

Don't forget to GO HERE for my giveaway. It ends Friday night @ 9:00pm PST. Get you're entries in... and don't forget to read about how to get a double entry.

I'm mapping out my day here, people

I am feeling slightly overwhelmed today. I could blame it on the new puppy, but it has nothing to do with her. In fact, she's acting like a newborn baby and sleeping.... a lot. Thank you, Sophie, thank you!

I have a huge list of things that I need to accomplish, and I feel like I have no idea where in the world to begin.

Household:

1. Mop floors - all of them
2. Clean master bath
3. Clean downstairs bath
4. Have Roomba vacuum for me...... gotta love that Roomba!
5. Do 4 loads of laundry
6. Clean up my room so I can actually work in peace...I hate it when I let my room collect clutter and toys... not okay!
   

Wildtree:

1. I need to schedule my 2 tasting launch parties
2. Need to call on my SOI's
3. MUST call in on Team meeting call today..... excited!

For Work:

1. Get Norm's bills paid and in the mail
2. Go through and do collections
3. Spend 30 minutes working on Tenant files
4. Spend 30 minutes working on taxes
5. Spend 30 minutes working on insurances

CRAP - I have a really busy day ahead of me. Really busy. Guess I better turn off the computer, and start dinner. I'm making something absolutel delicious, which you lucky people will be getting the recipe in my next post.

Putting shoes on first thing in the morning

It's Wednesday, so we're all gathering over at Kristen's blog to talk about what works for us. These days I don't feel like things are working very well for me, but I'm trying. I'm trying to get organized, I'm trying to do little by little daily, and I'm starting to see some results.

One thing is that I am a Flylady fan, but I usually don't do what Flylady tells me to do. So, this month's habit is get up and get dressed to shoes that lace up. Well, I have busy mornings and sometimes don't get in the shower til close to noon... still trying to stop this habbit, but I have listened to Flylady and I am putting on my lace up shoes, and strangely.... she's right. The past week I've been making sure that if anything, my shoes are on, and I'm doing things. I'm being more productive that I usually have been, and if the trash needs to be taken out then my shoes are already on - and when I do dishes, I'm not stepping on the splashed water. I'm really liking the whole shoe thing.... try it, let me know if it works for you too.

Peace - It has to start with me

I had a wonderful day at church today. It's been a couple of weeks since we've gone thanks to our trip and the flu. Even before all that, we were going off and on due to illnesses and another trip to Sacramento, and I'm so relieved that I have nothing planned and will be attending as far as I know every Sunday.

Ella went to nursery. She still isn't doing very well in there, but she was in there for most of the time. I got a good 20 minutes of sitting in Relief Society and I am so thankful for the 20 minutes that I did get in there. I have no idea what the lesson was on, but I got a message that touched me. It's a song, I believe, and it goes like this.....

Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on earth
The peace that was meant to be
As God is our father
Children all are we.
Let us walk with each other
In perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me
Let this be the moment now.
With every step I take
Let this be my solemn vow.
To take each moment
And live each moment
With peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth,
And let it begin with me.

I'm not at peace. I have anxiety, at times I feel my temper is short, and this is something I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to work on. Having peace in my life, and having it start with me. This is a very difficult thing for me, because I don't think I'm in any way a peaceful person, but I want to be.

I want to be that person that people look at and say... wow, what makes her so peaceful and graceful. It can't happen over night, but I definitely want to work on having peace within myself.

Here is how I think I can accomplish having peace:

Get my home in perfect order. Perfect is a very strong word, but I need it to be darn close to it. I worked a lot on this today and am very pleased with what I accomplished. I have a goal of having the entire house in perfect order by Friday... excluding the garage. This is a very easy goal to accomplish... it might not be PERFECT, but it will be in order and I need that.

Reading my scriptures every single day. I am TERRIBLE at this. I want to start my day out by reading a message through scripture reading and I want to end my day by reading a message through scripture reading.

I need to get routines and schedules going in my home. Sometimes it's chaotic and stressful, and it shouldn't be. We need set bedtimes, set homework times, set bath times... I think it would bring peace in our home.

For me, I'm going to start doing Yoga once a week and make it a point to set aside time every evening to take a relaxing bath with a good book. Ever mom needs time away.

So, this all starts with me.

If you have ideas of things that could bring peace within yourself, please let me know.

Get out of a slump!

Works for me Wednesday! It no longer is with Rocks in My Dryer, but is now being hosted by one of my favorites.... Kristen over at We are THAT family. She has a great blog and I highly suggest checking it out.

Sometimes I have days that I can't think of one thing that works for me. Yesterday I had this overly productive day where I cleaned off the top of my fridge, which had been accumulating things well over a year, put together a cabinet thing to keep our DVDs and games in so that my toddler will stop throwing them everywhere and did laundry. It was a great day! Then I woke up today and don't feel motivated to do a darn thing.

It is however a day that I need to share with everyone something that does work for me. So, I'll share with you how I get out of a slump like this. First thing I do is shine my sink, because Flylady truly is on to something here, then I start a load of laundry, then I make my bed and then I go and wipe down all of my bathroom counters, then things start happening after that. I in a way start getting motivated and it works. Yes, I do have to FORCE myself to do these things, but if I don't then the day is wasted with me and some cheesy movie and lots of sugar... not a good thing.

What do you do to get out of a slump like I'm in today?

Over 100 Uses of Household Items

It's Works for Me Wednesday!! And today I'm sharing something that was shared with me and I tucked it away to share with YOU! It's the best list of uses for home items that I've come across yet. So, I hope you all soak it up and that it works for you as well! If you're looking for other things that work for other people head over to ROCKS IN MY DRYER where you'll find HUNDREDS of people telling the bloggy world what works for them.

Alka-Seltzer

1. Clean a toilet. Drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets, wait 20 minutes, brush and flush.

2. Attract fish. Fill a tube jig with a piece of Alka-Seltzer and cast off.

3. Remove burned food from cookware. Fill your cookware with warm water, then dissolve six tablets and allow to sit for an hour or so.

4. Soothe insect bites. Dissolve two tablets in water and saturate a cloth or cotton ball with the solution, and place on the bite for 30 minutes. Don't do this if you are allergic to aspirin, which is a key ingredient in Alka-Seltzer.

Aluminum foil

6. Sharpen your scissors by cutting through six to eight layers of aluminum foil.

7. Shine rusty chrome. With a bit of water on a wadded-up piece of aluminum foil, you can rub most rust spots off chrome car parts.

8. Keep birds out of your fruit trees. Hang twisted strips of aluminum foil all over your fruit trees using fishing line. The light reflections and the sound will keep birds away from your fruit.

9. Keep the bottom of your fireplace or charcoal grill from becoming encrusted with soot. Line the bottom of your fireplace or grill with aluminum foil before starting a fire, then dispose of the foil after the fire is out and the coals are completely cooled.

10. Eliminate electromagnetic interference if your TV and DVD player are stacked on top of each other. If the picture is fuzzy, place a sheet of aluminum foil between them.

11. Iron more effectively by putting a piece of aluminum foil under the ironing board cover. The foil will reflect the heat from the iron so both sides get ironed at once.

12. Move furniture with ease. To slide big pieces of furniture over a smooth floor, place small pieces of aluminum foil under the legs. Put the dull side of the foil down _ the dull side is actually more slippery than the shiny side.

13. Clean starch build-up from your iron by running a hot iron over a piece of aluminum foil.

Aspirin

14. Remove perspiration stains from white fabric by dissolving two aspirin in half a cup of warm water and applying to stained fabric. Leave for a couple of hours before washing.

15. Eliminate chlorine discoloration from hair by dissolving eight tablets in a glass of water and rubbing into your hair. Leave for about 10 minutes and then rinse. Shampoo.

16. Reduce pimples by making a paste with water and crushed aspirin. Cover the pimple with this paste; rinse after a few minutes.

17. Recharge a car battery by dropping two tablets into the battery itself. The aspirin's acetylsalicylic acid will combine with the battery's sulfuric acid to produce one last charge. Drive to the nearest service station.

Banana peel

18. Polish leather shoes by using a de-stringed banana peel. Finish by buffing with a soft cloth or paper towel.

19. Remove warts by rubbing the inside of a little piece of a banana peel on a wart every night for several weeks.

20. Detract aphids by burying dried or cut-up banana peels a few inches deep around the base of rosebushes.

21. Nourish your skin by mashing a medium-sized banana and combining with \-cup plain yogurt and 2 tablespoons honey to make a facial mask. Leave on 20 minutes.

22. Tenderize a roast by adding a peeled banana to the pan.

23. Wipe your houseplant leaves down with the inside of a banana peel to remove dirt and leave a shine.

24. Rub scraped knees with the inside of a banana peel to promote healing.

Baking soda

25. Extinguish a grease or electrical fire. Scatter the powder by the handful to safely put it out.

26. Clean combs and brushes in a soda solution.

27. Wash glass or stainless steel coffee pots (but not aluminum) in a soda solution (3 tablespoons soda to 1 quart water).

28. Sprinkle soda on barbecue grills, let soak, then rinse off.

29. Sprinkle soda on greasy garage floor. Let stand, scrub and rinse.

30. For a badly burned pan with a thick layer of burned-on food: pour a thick layer of soda directly onto the bottom of the pan, then sprinkle on just enough water so as to moisten the soda. Leave the pot overnight, then scrub it clean the next day.

31. Soak your shower curtains in water and soda to clean them.

32. Sprinkle soda in tennis shoes, socks, boots and slippers to eliminate odor.

33. Repel rain from your car windshield. Put gobs of baking soda on a dampened cloth and wipe windows inside and out.

34. Soak dried beans in a mixture of soda and water to make them more digestible.

35. Freshen your carpet and upholstered furniture. Sprinkle them with baking soda. Allow them to sit undisturbed for a half hour or so. Then vacuum.

36. Eliminate water rings on your finished wood with a paste of baking soda and toothpaste. Dip a soft cloth in the paste and rub the water spots away.

37. Get rid of ants in your house by mixing equal parts of baking soda and salt together. Sprinkle the mixture wherever you see the intruders coming in.

38. Fill in some nail holes in a plastered wall with a paste of white toothpaste and baking soda.

Beer

39. Use beer instead of water in your favorite batter mix, and it will have a delicious flavor. (CAN I JUST SAY EWWWWWW!!!!! WON'T BE DOING THIS ONE - BUT THOUGHT I'D PASS IT ALONG ANYWAY)

40. Soften hair and add body with a beer shampoo. Mix a raw egg together with half a can of beer and massage it into your hair. Rinse and style as usual. Beer also makes an excellent conditioner for hair. Massage a cup of warm beer into your hair and scalp after washing and allow it to set for half an hour or so. Rinse thoroughly.

41. Fertilize plants. Use all of those half-filled bottles and cups of beer after a party to pour on your houseplants and garden vegetables. The plants will love the nourishment that the yeast adds to the soil.

42. Get rid of slugs in your garden. Put a shallow dish of beer into your soil buried up to the lip. The slugs will be attracted to the beer and become stuck in it. Empty the dish each day and replace with new beer as they are attracted to the smell.

Cotton balls

43. Fight mildew in hard-to-reach spots in the bathroom. Soak a few cotton balls in bleach and place them in those difficult spots. Leave them to work their magic for a few hours. Finish by rinsing with a warm-water wash.

Dawn dishwashing detergent

44. Get a better manicure by soaking fingernails in the soapy solution, rinse and apply polish. The polish will adhere better to the nail and spread smoother.

45. Pre-treat oil-based laundry stains, such as lipstick and grease.

46. Soak your oily and grimy tools to get them clean.

47. Kill pet fleas by washing pets in a soapy water bath.

Dryer sheets

48. Repel mosquitoes on your patio. Hang a sheet when outdoors during the mosquito season.

49. Freshen the air by placing an individual sheet in a drawer, hang one in the closet, locker at the health club, locker at work or under the seat of your car or truck.

50. Run a sewing needle through a sheet before sewing to prevent the thread from tangling.

51. A sheet left inside luggage or travel baggage can prevent musty odors.

52. Eliminate static electricity from the television or computer screen.

53. Dissolve soap scum from shower door and tile walls. Clean the surfaces with a sheet.

54. Repel bees and bugs by tucking some in your picnic basket or under lawn furniture. You can also rub a sheet directly on your bare skin.

55. Combat static on your clothes, stockings and hair by patting with a sheet.

56. De-stink your pets: scrub incoming dogs or cats (especially wet ones) with a dryer sheet before they enter the home.

57. Soak cookware with burnt or baked-on food in warm water, with a dryer sheet or two. Makes clean-up easier than you'd expect. Also works on cook tops and dingy cabinet doors.

Epsom salt

58. Exfoliate skin by massaging handfuls of epsom salt over wet skin, starting with your feet and continuing up toward the face. Have a bath to rinse.

59. Remove excess oil from hair by adding 9 tablespoons of epsom salt to 1/2 cup of oily hair shampoo. Apply one tablespoon of the liquid to your hair when it is dry; rinse with cold water. Next, pour lemon juice or organic apple cider vinegar through the hair, leave on for 5-10 minutes, and then rinse.

60. Remove splinter by soaking in epsom salt.

Grocery bags

61. Preserve paint brushes. To keep brushes and rollers from drying out, place them in bags and tie them or wrap them with rubber bands to keep air out. The tools will stay moist and protected for a day or so.

62. Bulk up curtain valances by stuffing them in the valances for a resilient pouf. Can also be used to stuff crafts or pillows.

63. Treat chapped hands by rubbing with a thick layer of petroleum jelly and placing them in a plastic bag for 15 minutes to half an hour.

Honey

64. Soak in a milk and honey bath. Add about 1/3 cup of honey to 2 1/4 cups of milk. Mix thoroughly. You can even add a few drops of essential oil to give your honey milk bath additional scent.

65. Treat minor skin abrasions and wounds with honey's antibacterial and antifungal properties. Apply a small amount twice daily to a wound or burn to speed up the healing process.

66. Help a hangover by spooning a few tablespoons of honey on toast for breakfast. The fructose speeds up the metabolism of alcohol.

Ice cube trays

67. Organize jewelry, small nuts and bolts and buttons in easy-to-stack trays.

Ketchup

68. Get rid of chlorine green hair with a ketchup shampoo. Massage ketchup generously into your hair and leave it for 15 minutes, then wash it out, using baby shampoo.

Lemon

69. Relieve a sore throat. Cut a lemon in half. Skewer one half over a medium flame on a gas stove or an electric burner set on high and roast until the peel turns golden brown. Let cool slightly, then mix the juice with 1 teaspoon of honey.

70. Whiten fingernails. Rub a wedge on the surface of your nails.

71. Remove soft cheese or other sticky foods from a grater. Rub both sides of the grater with the pulp side of a cut lemon.

72. Create blond highlights by adding 1/4 cup lemon juice to 3/4 cup water and rinse your hair with the mixture. Then sit in the sun until your hair dries. Lemon juice is a natural bleach.

Mayonnaise

73. Condition your hair by massaging it into your hair and scalp. Cover your head with a shower cap, wait several minutes, and shampoo.

74. Relieve sunburn pain by slathering mayonnaise liberally over the affected area.

75. Clean piano keys. If the keys to your piano are starting to yellow, tickle the ivories with a little mayonnaise applied with a soft cloth. Wait a few minutes, wipe with a damp cloth and buff.

76. Remove bumper stickers by rubbing some mayonnaise over the entire sticker. Let it sit for several minutes and wipe it off. It will also remove tar and pine sap.

Marshmallows

77. Stop ice cream drips by placing a large marshmallow in the bottom of the cone before adding the ice cream.

78. Keep brown sugar soft by adding a few marshmallows to the bag before closing it.

Milk

79. Use milk to shave with if you have nothing else to use as a barrier.

80. Clean patent leather shoes to a gleaming shine by rubbing them with a little milk on a soft cloth. Leave to dry and then buff them.

81. Remove ink stains on clothing by soaking the area in milk. This can take anything from half an hour to overnight to remove the stain completely.

82. Repair fine cracks in china plates and cups can by boiling them in milk. The milk reacts with the kaolin in china and closes the crack. Place the plate in a pan, cover it with milk (fresh or reconstituted powdered milk) and bring to a boil. As soon as it starts to boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.

Mini photo album

83. Use to hold information for a DIY project: fabric swatches, paint color chips, measurements.

Nail polish

84. Make cup measurements visible by using a brightly colored polish to trace over basic measurement levels.

85. Mark levels inside a bucket with a color that stands out.

86. Seal an envelope by brushing a little polish on the underside of the flap.

87. Protect your belt buckle's shine by covering new or just-shined belt buckles with a coat of clear polish.

88. Stop a windshield crack from spreading by brushing both sides of the glass with polish to fill it.

Newspaper

89. Store sweaters and blankets in a few sheets to keep moths away.

90. Clean and polish windows without leaving streaks.

91. Make an impromptu ironing board by filling a pillowcase with a short stack of newspapers. Place on floor or countertop for ironing.

92. Put traction under your car wheels if you are ever stuck on a patch of ice or slush by placing a dozen sheets of newspaper under each rear wheel to gain traction.

Oatmeal

93. Treat itchy poison ivy or chicken pox by soaking in an oatmeal bath. Grind 1 cup of oatmeal into a thin powder, pour into cheesecloth or into a clean old stocking and tie into a knot. Suspend the bag under the faucet as it fills with warm water.

Olive oil

94. Polish wood furniture with a teaspoon of oil and a soft rag.

95. Lubricate measuring cups and spoons for easy cleanup of sticky ingredients such as honey, grain mustards and syrups.

96. Control hair frizz by combing a bit of olive oil through dry hair to tame the frizz and flyaways on humid days or in the winter.

97. Free a stuck zipper. Use a cotton swab to apply olive oil to the teeth of a zipper, then gently ease the tab down.

98. Remove paint from your skin.

99. Fix a squeaky door by using a rag or cotton swab to apply olive oil to the top of a problematic hinge.

Soda pop

100. Clean car battery terminals. The acidic properties will eliminate corrosion. Pour some soda over the battery terminals and let it set. Remove the sticky residue with a wet sponge.

101. Loosen rusted-on nuts and bolts. Soak a rag in the soda and wrap it around the bolt for several minutes.

102. Make cut flowers last longer by pouring about 1/2 cup into the water in a vase full of cut flowers. The sugar in the soda will make the blossoms last longer.

103. Clear out a slow drain by pouring a 2-liter bottle of cola down the drain to help remove the clog.

Tissue box (empty)

104. Store empty plastic grocery bags.

Vinegar

105. Remove stubborn price tags or stickers. Paint them with several coats of vinegar, let the liquid soak in for five minutes, then wipe away the residue.

106. Make wool sweaters fluffier. Drop in a couple of capfuls of vinegar during the rinse cycle for an extra-soft feel.

107. Kill weeds between cracks in paving stones and sidewalks. Fill a spray bottle with straight vinegar and spray multiple times.

Wine bottle (empty)

108. Put in boots to prevent crease line.

Day 3 of a sick Jayden

Today is Day 3 of having Jayden home. Today's the last day of school before his big 2 week Christmas vacation. He still has a fever, and I just feel so bad for my little guy.

Ella's saying cool now. I guess she's been saying it for a while, but it sounds so much like cold that I thought she was saying cold when she was saying cool. She still says cold, but about 5 minutes ago I put on Barbie Mariposa and when the menu came up she sat up and looked at me and said, "Cool!" *sigh* where did my baby go?

I'm doing the 15 minute house cleaning tip from Flylady today. I'm going to spend 15 mintues in the kitchen, then 15 minutes in the living room, then I'll take a 15 minute break and probably head over to Etsy and dream about the day I'll be able to make stuff like the girls over there. Then I'll continue on w/the bathroom for 15 minutes then folding clothes for 15 minutes. When I'm done with that...

I'm sewing. And that's how I'll be spending my Friday.... sewing.

I've been MIA from my blog for a good reason!

I haven't been blogging lately, and there's a reason! I've actually been productive. I'm on this kick to be organized all throughout the year of 2009. In order to achieve this new goal I have to start a little early. My office stuff is almost completely 100%, perfectly ORGANIZED! Huge accomplishment! This next week I'm going to be focusing on my closet and the kids' toys.

I should've taken a before picture of my office area, but I will post an after. I'll do a before & after post of everything else I accomplish ~ the big thing is going to be the garage.... it's scary.

My mom is on her way up right now and should be in here in about a half an hour. I'm excited to be able to spend time with her. It's so weird how I went from seeing her at least once a week to only seeing her a couple times a year. Jayden is REALLY excited to see his favorite Grandma. I actually asked him who his favorite Grandma was (I know, I'm terrible) and he told me my mom was. Then I asked who his favorite Grandpa was and he told me that his dad's dad was his favorite Grandpa.

Friday I'm hitting up the Black Friday sales. I'm going to try to do it small this Christmas, which is going to be SO hard for me. Christmas is a really big thing for us, and I am going to try to bring back more of the spirit. If anybody has any ideas on some Christmas spirit things we can do please, please share with me!! I'm tired of buying a ton of stupid toys that Jayden doesn't even pay attention to just so he can have lots of presents to open. I want whatever it is that we buy them for them to appreciate it, and I don't want them to be overwhelmed with so many presents that half of it goes unnoticed. So... this year, simple for us.

Tomorrow's Thanksgiving ~ I'll try to come on and give a nice Thanksgiving post about the things I'm thankful for and how our day went. In the meantime I hope that everyone has a safe & Happy Thanksgiving.

Always laundry and more laundry and more laundry

It's Tackle It Tuesday and with so much going on here, I gotta say keeping my house in one piece is enough for me! However, for today I'm just going to get a list going of the things I need to tackle this week.

1. 2 loads of laundry/day ~ folded and put away
2. Tackle my work to do list for the week
3. Finish Baby Ruthie's birth announcements

That's it! That's all I'm expecting out of myself this week. Wish me luck LOL

Smell goods in my house

My sister walked into my house this past weekend and one of the first comments she made was how she wished that her house smelt as good as mine. I love to have a home that smells good. I've tried so many different smell goods and most of the time nobody notices, or they smell horrible. Neither thing is a good thing. Then I tried a new product called Renuzit Tri Scents and it transformed my home. It's hard sometimes when you have a baby and diapers and all the lovely smells that babies can make in your home. Sure, they're cute and can smell pretty, but that only goes so far to be honest. Renuzit Tri Scents helps out with covering the smells that you just don't want others smelling. I know, I know, I should just not be lazy and take the diapers out to the dumpster, but come on.... if you know me, you know that ain't happening. They'll go right in the garbage and they'll stay there until my husband decides to take out the garbage.


I first started out by putting it right next to my garbage can and it did amazing things, people. Things I didn't know things could do! Thank you TriScents! Thank you! Next was in my living room and after all the many compliments I put one upstairs and one in my bathroom as well. It makes things smell so delicious! If you head over to http://www.triscents.com, you can print out a coupon and get your home smelling as good as mine does.

What I did and what I need to do!

In my last post I talked about how it just dawned on me that it's Tuesday. Not good. So, I'm a little late here, but it's Tackle It Tuesday.

1. My main tackle of the week was keeping up with my laundry that I finally accomplished.

2. I went through all of Ella's clothes and bagged up anything that didn't fit her anymore and took it to my cousin for her to use on her baby.

It was such a busy week that's the only major accomplishments I did.

I'm going to write out some goals that I hope to have done for next week:

1. Organize spice/medicine cupboard

2. File away all of my work that has consumed my kitchen table

3. Go through my closet and bag up clothes to take to goodwill

Those are simple and very easily be accomplished. I will have before and after pictures next Tuesday :) ~ In the meantime have a very happy week!!

Refreshing Scent

It's just dawning on me that today is indeed Tuesday. I can't believe it! I've been going around all day thinking it was Monday. I actually even forgot to do FHE last night. I had a GREAT FHE planned and I'm just so backwards on my days.... oh well.

Tuesday means Kitchen Tip Tuesday. This is something that probably the whole world knows about, but it was news to me. Since it was news to me I'm hoping that it will be news to someone else. Whenever you peel an orange dropped the peelings in your garbage disposal and they will make a pretty orangey smell. You can also do this with lemon, but I prefer orange peelings.

For other great Kitchen Tips head over to Tammy's Blog ~ And have a beautiful week.