Labeling! Part 1

Labeling.  It is oh so important!  That is why there is going to be a Labeling Part 2, and maybe even more labeling posts in the future.  It is that important. 

Today's labeling lesson is ALWAYS label the stuff you let people borrow.  Always.  Here is why:

1.  You might want your stuff back.  And chances are, if your name is on it, it will actually get back to you.  Why?  Because every time your friend sees your name it is a big reminder that they should return your item to you.  Right? 

2.  It makes it so much easier on the person that did the borrowing, especially if they borrowed more that one person's stuff.  Example:  I just helped plan a 40th birthday extravaganza for my friend (birthday shout out to Michele!).  We had to borrow a lot of chairs, and I mean a lot.  And THEN when it came time to return the chairs, we weren't exactly sure who to return them too.  It was so confusing!  And a little annoying.  Just grab a Sharpie and write your name on the bottom of chairs (or any such items) before you hand them off.  It just makes life easier.  And you are ensured that you will get your stuff back. 

SIDE NOTE:  Sharpies are your best friend when it comes to labeling. Repeat it with me please, SHARPIES ARE MY BEST FRIEND. They really are the best for labeling big things like chairs and banquet tables.

3.  I am a scrapbooker.  And I have seen non-labelers lose stuff.  It happens.  You THINK you are the only person with a hot pink handled Crop-a-dile (yes, people, that is a real scrapbooking tool), but you are not.  And when everyone whips out their Crop-a-dile at a Crop, bad things can happen - like you never see your beloved Crop-a-dile again.  BUT, if your name is on it, and someone asks to borrow YOUR Crop-a-dile, chances are that you will have it back in your bag again when it is time to go home.  I've witnessed it may a time. 

4. Books and movies are a fine thing to lend out, but chances are, you may not see them again if you don't label them.  The perfect label for these smaller items are an address label.  You know you have TONS of them that you get free in the mail from charities wanting a donation if you accept their free gift of a sheet of address labels.  Well, whether or not you decided to donate (hey, I'm not here to judge) peel off one of those little labels and add it to your book before you give it to your friend.  That is ONLY if you want your book back.  Or your movie.  I may have loaned out my copy of Dr. Laura's The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands with no intention of getting it back.  I'm just sayin'.   And I could see Robb lending out my Anne of Green Gable movies just so he doesn't have to worry about ever having to watch them with me. 

5.  Tools want labels too.  They really do.  Tools are just one of those things that if you lend, you sort of plan on never seeing again.  BUT if your name is etched into the metal with an engraver (yes, I really have an engraver) your next door neighbor will have no choice but to remember whose thingamajig they borrowed. 

SO, my challenge for you is to label your stuff before it walks out the door . . . forever.  And trust me on this, you are not going to look all crazy possessive about your stuff if you name is on it.  You are going to look smart.  Like you care about your investments.  And you should!  It is seriously annoying to have to replace something you loaned out.  Seriously.

Because, there is no question, clean feels good!

the DO JUST ONE THING Challenge

My list to do seems to be a mile long.  Is that a summer thing?  It seems like everyone I know is doing project after project right now. 

SO, I gave myself a little challenge.  I've been doing it for two weeks now (I wanted to see if I could really do it before I blogged about it) and it seems to be working GREAT!  I call it (drum roll please) . . .

THE DO JUST ONE THING CHALLENGE

I have an ongoing list of things I need to do, but never seem to get to.  The lovely list has chores listed both big and small.  So on the super busy days, I pick a small job (like clean a bathroom drawer) . . . and on those rare days when I have a huge chunk of time (huh?  like, when does that ever happen?), I pick a big job (like empty out the storage unit). 

Side note:  Yes, we emptied out our storage unit yesterday!  Which will save us a whopping $100 a month on ridulousness.  It feels oh so great!  Although, now my GARAGE is full of crap that I now need to sell or donate, but at least that gets me one step closer to getting rid of junk we don't even use!  Victory!

So, if you have a bunch of annoying little (and big) jobs that just nag at you, and you never seem to find the time for them. . .  try the DO JUST ONE THING CHALLENGE!  If it works for me, it will work for anyone.  Trust me on this.  And it feels sooooooo great to chip away and my crazy list of things to do. 

Because, you know, clean and being organized feels good! 

From Top to Bottom

Just a quick tip I picked up on a while back, which may or may not be obvious to the rest of the world . . . because it wasn't to me! 

It is always best to clean from TOP to BOTTOM.   Gravity is your friend but can also be your enemy when it comes to cleaning.  Think about it.  You've finished mopping the floors, and you then wipe off the counters.  It is inevitable, some of that crud is totally going to fall on your newly mopped floor.  Yuk!

This is an especially helpful when you are dusting something like the ceiling fan (dang! those things can collect SERIOUS dust) and dust falls all over the floor.  Then when you vacuum, you can just take care of the dust with the vacuum.  Easy peasy! 

SO, if you already knew this, I guess you could teach me a thing or two about cleaning.  :)

Oh, and did you know?  Clean feels good!

The Ever So Fabulous Clothes Hanger Trick

Have you heard the clothes hanger trick when it comes to purging clothes you never wear?  Well, it is oh so simple . . . and it totally works!   I have applied this to my closet R E L I G I O U S L Y, and my closet (and tendency for collecting clutter) have loved me for it. 

It is as simple as this.  Turn your hangers backwards in your closet.  That way, after a month or two, or when you do the Seasonal Clothes Switch Out, you will know what clothes you haven't been wearing and you can just get rid of them.  I do this --  no. matter. what.  Even if I think that shirt is super cute - there is some reason I never wear it. . . and that means it is time to go!

Ok. This obviously isn't MY forest green Girbaud jeans.  Use your imagination, please.  And I'm pretty sure I didn't look at all like Katie Holmes wearing them.  But I DID peg them, like Miss Katie.  :)   Lovely.

Try this out.  Really, it works wonderfully!   It helped me finally get rid of the forest green Girbaud jeans I was holding on to from back in the 90's.  Which also didn't even fit anymore.  But knowing I had spent $80 on those babies (and that was a lot for a pair of jeans in the 90's!) made me want to hold on to them forever.  I hope their new owner cherishes them like I did.  I haven't missed them a bit. 

Oh, by the way, clean feels good!

Snapware Containers = organizational happiness

This lovely photo was from Becky Higgins' blog.  Her pantry just looks so much nicer than mine. 

Recently one of my favorite bloggers, Becky Higgins, did a post on her pantry organization.  Becky is Little Miss Perfect when it comes to, well, everything!  And I only mean that in the kindest way.  I am a huge fan of Becky Higgins.  Not only is she one of the most talented scrapbookers ever, but she is an Organization Queen too.  Love that combination!

Anyway, Becky recently organized her pantry and you can read all about it here. 

The thing that got me oh so excited was that I have been using her new container of choice, Snapware Containers, for years in my pantry.  I love, love, love them!  Mostly because I like to buy things in bulk - like bagged cereal, giant bags of pretzels from Costco, and Goldfish crackers.  I also love to make homemade granola, which stays nice and fresh in Snapware, and it looks lovely too.  This is why I have such a love affair with Snapware.

When you pour your cereal (or whatever) the lid stays open.  It is genius, I'm telling you!

And it makes your pantry look so clean!  And organized!  Pure love.

I should mention that these little babies are NOT dishwasher safe.  That is the only drawback.  I feel like a pioneer when I have to scrub them out myself.  But I really think they are worth it!   And that is obviously saying a lot if I am willing to hand wash them. 

So try them out, if you are in a pantry revamping spring cleaning kind of mood!  They are a little pricey, so you may want to just try out a few to see if they work for you.  But they will last a good long time.  Especially if you don't accidentally leave one close to the stove and then turn it on.  I am sorry to say I know this from experience.  And I am also sorry to say that I am to cheap frugal to throw it away.  I still use the dang melted thing!   I just stick it in the back.  No one knows.  It is in the pantry, for hecks sake.   

You'll have to let me know if you love Snapware as much as I do! 

Because it is just the best thing to feel organized, because clean feels good!

The DREADED seasonal clothes switch out.

Do you hate the seasonal clothes switch out as much as I do?  This chore seems to last a full week for me for some unknown reason.  And it drives. me. crazy!!!   So, this year I decided to try things a little differently.  I enlisted the troops.  And let me tell you, they were not a bit happy about having their Saturday taken up by such a lame-o chore!  But it really did make my life so much happier and easier not dragging the winter clothes switch out f o r e v e r. 

So here is what I did.  Prepare to be amazed. 

1.  I had each boy (since that is what we have around our house.  except for me, of course) pull all the clothes out of their closet that are winter-ish.  I had them hold on to a few pairs of favorite jeans, but for the most part anything with "long" in the title - long sleeved shirts, long pants, long underwear (I'm kidding on the last one) were pulled out of the closet.

2.  I then had them remove the hangers.  And put in a tidy pile.  I can't handle a tangle of hangers.

3.  I folded the winter-ish clothes and put them in clear plastic Sterlite containers that are my fav for this sort of thing.  I have been using them for years, and I have a real love affair with them!  I buy them at Target . . . and sometimes they even go on sale!   Yay!  Anyway . . . you should know that I have to fold the clothes.  They have to look a little bit orderly since you can see into the containers.  I am quirky like that.  BUT if that doesn't bother you, this is another thing you should have your kids do.  I probably should teach my boys how to fold . . . but I am so not there yet.   Oh, and don't forget to label the outside of the containers with something brilliant like "Kade, winter."  Or the size would be good too.

BUT, I digress. 

4.  I then had them sort through their spring/summer clothes and pick the ones they still like and think they will wear.  We always seem to have closet overload - you know,the kind of closet squishiness that doesn't allow you to hang even one more t-shirt, and it is one of my New Year's Resolutions to stop that insanity.  SO, I told them they could have 15 shirts and 10 pairs of shorts and/or pants.  We will store the rest and see how we do.  If they aren't missed or needed (it is nice to have a back up plan in case I get seriously behind on the laundry.  Hey!  It happens!) they will be taking a trip to the local DI.  Or maybe I will even try to sell them. Who knows!  I also made them try on the keepers - just in case their sedentary winter lifestyle packed on a few extra pounds (I am probably talking about me here).  Or just in case they grew a little taller. 

And that is it!  I knew you would be blown away.  Getting the kids involved took my week long terrible, horrible, no good, very bad project and made it into a much easier task.  Love it!

Obvious rewards?  My kids learned a new skill (how to untangle hangers), our clothes are organized, and there was more time left over for me.  AND there might have been a little Cold Stone thrown in too.   Cold Stone is my favorite kind of reward.  Cheesecake ice cream with raspberries and almonds.  Pure bliss.  I think I've mentioned this before. 

Yes, that's right. That is SNOW you are seeing.  I took this photo from my window, just today.  Yikes!  It is April 29th!

OH, and I should mention that Mother Nature also rewarded me by bringing back cold and freezing weather.  Nice.  And there is NO WAY my kids are pulling back out their winter clothes.  They are just going to have to toughen up.

But that is ok, because now we are READY!   Ready for spring!

And it is the honest to gosh truth . . . clean feels good!

The super-fantastic-can't-live-without-it CLEANING toothbrush

Ok.  It is obvious I get pretty excited about cleaning products.  Anything that makes my life a little easier?  Who wouldn't be excited?  Well, I have been using this lovely cleaning toothbrush for years . . . and I am still in love with it!  Maybe you already use a toothbrush for cleaning in the nooks and crannies that seem to collect all kinds of grossness.  It is pure genius!

This little tool has become priceless in my cleaning routine.  You can't believe how much easier it has made my life!  It can get into the tiniest of places and after just a little bit of agitating, most crud comes up with ease.  I'm not even kidding!  This past weekend, I realized how disgusting the kitchen faucet had become.  You know, hard water yuckiness and other grody junk that had set up permanent residence (there is a reason I didn't take a photo of it for my blog - ewwww!  No one should see that up close.  I promise.).  Just a little Lime Away and my handy dandy toothbrush made it a breeze!  Ok . . . not a breeze . . . but it was a much easier task than it might have been is my pre cleaning toothbrush days.

So, here is a link to my favorite ever cleaning toothbrush.  I order it from The Clean Team.  And they last for a super long time.  Seriously, mine have lasted for years.  And I am pretty hard on them!  I love the fact that you can tell they are different from a normal toothbrush.  I can't imagine how tragic it would be if you or one of your kids accidently mixed up your teeth toothbrush with your cleaning toothbrush.  Nasty!  This way, you will never ever have that problem. 

Some of my favorite uses:  yucky faucet handles (obviously), stovetop scuz, toaster muck, skuzzy light switches, filthy window tracks, toliet rottenness, grody door handles, refrigerator crud . . . you get the idea.  Pretty soon your kitchen (and everywhere else) can look just as spiffy as this lady's. 

Try it!  You'll like it!  :) 

And of course, undeniably, clean feels good!

Whiter whites! I swear!

I consider myself a laundry professional.  I know, I know, the word professional would imply that I get paid to do laundry.  Well, not exactly.  But sometimes I pay myself with Cold Stone.  Shhhhhh . . . don't tell my husband though.

BUT here is my point.  I am pretty darn good at laundry.  And I am willing to share my very favorite laundry tip with you, my faithful blog readers. 

Here it is:   CASCADE (yes, the dishwashing kind . . . the powdered version)

Have you wondered the best way to keep your whites their whitest?  Cascade is the answer.  I swear.  I read about this tip on a blog years ago.  I wish I knew where so I could give credit where credit is due.  But really, this has improved my laundry results in a noticable way. 

Here is what you do:

1.  Add 1 cup of powdered Cascade Dishwasher Detergent to your load of whites.  If you have a high efficiency front loader, you can still do this - just add it to your clothes, not where you add your detergent.  That is what I do, anyway.

2.  Add laundry detergent, as you normally would.

3.  Soak load overnight.

4.  Rinse as normal.  You can even do an extra rinse cycle if you want. 

I love the results!  You won't necessarily notice a big difference the first time you do this, but you should notice a significant improvement by the third or fourth time.  My boys wear WHITE shirts everyday for their school uniform, and their shirts really do look pretty darn great, if I do say so myself.  And these are seriously rough and tumble, get crazy dirty, laundry nightmare-ish, stain after stain after stain kind of boys.  But they look great as they head out the door in their white shirts!  Really, they do!

Try this . . . and let me know what you think!  I love the results. 

Because, believe me, clean feels good!

Clog Schmog

Note:  This is not my bathroom.  But I kind of wish it was.  I'm in the mood for a redo!

So, we have this sink in our bathroom that always seems to get clogged.  I don't know why, and I'm not even sure I want to know why!  But it is definitely clogmatic. 

And I just hate to buy Drano - which just seems so, well, toxic. I feel like I have to wear a Hazmat suit just to protect myself.  So, I went in search of a safter, greener option, that would make me feel oh so much better about unclogging my nasty drain problem. 

After a quick google search, I found this:



Isn't she lovely?  And her idea really works!  I tried it . . . and SUCCESS!  And best of all, she used environmentally safe products, that I always have on hand -- baking soda, vinegar and water.  YAY for the cute lady with the hot pink gloves! 

So . . . if you don't want to take the time to watch the 1 minute, 34 second video, here is what you do:  (and I know, I know, every minute is precious - please don't have guilt about not watching this youtube beauty)

1.  remove drain stopper if you can (I skipped this step)
2.  pour 1/2 cup baking powder directly down drain
3.  pour 1/2 cup vinegar directly down drain
4.  pour a kettle full of boiling hot water directly down drain

And that's it!  And I swear it works!   This made me happy for a few reasons . . . this option is cheaper than Drano OR a plumber AND maybe it will prevent my husband from spending a Saturday unclogging our dang sink. 

And with all the time you've saved, you can take the time to watch this youtube video.  Because it is just oh so worth it!  Seriously, have you seen it?  Amazing!



And really, it is true! . . . clean feels good!

I'm in love!

That's right, I'm in love with the new Pledge Multi Surface Cleaner.  Ahhhhhh, this stuff just makes me happy.  Smells good, easy to use, and you only have the need for one cleaner as you make your way through the house in your cleaning freenzy.  And best of all, it works great!!!

You can read all about it here, if you are interested.   But what I would really recommend is just buying it and trying it!   I especially loved using in on the dreaded chore of blind cleaning.  Brilliant!

Thanks, Jen, for introducing me to my new favorite thing!  It has changed my life in so many ways.  I love you and I love my new Pledge.  Thank you, thank you, thank you. 

It just feels so great, because clean feels good!

Just give me 10 minutes of your time....

I used drive my kids crazy with what I like to call The 10 Minute Tidy. Maybe it is my high pitched voice that I use when I am just about to lose it - because there is crap all over the family room.

But I've learned over the years . . . and this is a solution that really works for us!    And even my family would agree.

Now when I see a growing disaster area I've changed my ways.  For me I had to just learn to calm down. Take a deep breath. And enlist the troops. For my family of five, if I get them all involved on a room (and usually it is the family room or kitchen that needs the most help) - that is like cleaning for almost an hour! 

All we do is set the timer, and clean like crazy.  For just 10 minutes!  And my family has learned that no one is going to die from taking 10 minutes away from Hannah Montana, Facebook or the favorite Wii game of the day.  It's only 10 minutes.  And that is all it really takes! 

Trust me.  You will love the difference that just 10 minutes can make. 

And you know it's true, clean feels good!