Mix & Match

 Okay, so I kinda missed posting yesterday due to technical difficulties.  But the good news is today you get both cleaning and indulging!  I actually think this topic could be considered both.  Anyway, you know those glass jar candles?  You are nodding your head right?  I really hope you don't throw those away after  the candle burns out that would be such a waste!  The jars and containers from your jar candles can be used for so many different things.  We use them to contain cotton balls, q-tips, flossers, bath salts, decorations (i.e. shells-see pictures), spices, buttons, pens, etc. My favorite candles are the ones from Bath & Body Works.  They smell great and the containers are awesome, my husband and I usually pick up a few when they go on sale.  Michael's also has good candles for great prices, if you can get them on clearance all the better!  You might however ask....how do you get the wax out?  Well this is my husbands special secret but I'm gonna tell you anyway!

When you are at the end of the candle put on some latex gloves or use a dish towel to keep your hands from burning (be very careful!).  While the wax is still in liquid form pour out as much as you can.  Then, take a dry paper towel and wipe the remaining wax out.  This all must be done fairly quickly because if the wax hardens you'll end up having to scrape it out or I suppose you could heat it up in the microwave for a few seconds as long as the container is microwave safe. I will usually throw them in the dishwasher at this point just to make sure there isn't any lingering residue (please only do this when there is no more wax in the container, I would imagine you might ruin your dishwasher otherwise.) Now your candle holders are ready for decorative and/or utilitarian uses!

The containers with silver lids are from BBW candles.

Candles from Michael's used for cotton balls and flossers.

Fanfiction rec of the week:  Worth the Burn by My-Bella

A night of Halloween trickery & secrets leads to some unexpected treats for Bella. Will this night of debauchery be a one time occurrence? Or will Bella & Edward risk the burn and attempt a relationship? Rated "M" for mature language & situations.

I figured since we are getting close to Halloween I would recommend a Halloween fic.  This story has some humor, lots of mis-communication, and of course love! Enjoy.

HAPPY WEDNESDAY (AND TUESDAY ;))

Spring Cleaning...er...Fall Cleaning

I am sure most of you have heard the idea of Spring Cleaning and yes I do subscribe to the notion of some deep cleaning now and then.  Early October is also a good time to get some deep cleaning done as well.  Many of us have family and friends who visit during the holidays and how embarrassing is it when you pull out your sofa sleeper for a guest and there are food crumbs lodged in there!  Or something rolls under the couch and your guest has an allergy attack trying to retrieve it due to all the dust bunnies collected under there.  Or when you have guests over for Thanksgiving dinner and you pull out your turkey platter or gravy boat only to find they are covered in dust and possibly a dead bug...gross! This is why I take some extra time over the first couple of weeks in October to get all those places I don't get to on a daily or even weekly basis.  Here is a list of things I plan on getting done over the next two weeks:

vacuuming out an spot cleaning the couches

moving furniture and vacuuming/mopping underneath

dusting and wiping clean all of the air vents

cleaning out and wiping down the insides of the kitchen cabinets and drawers

same in the bathrooms

cleaning and wiping down the floor boards throughout the house

paint touch-ups

getting rid of all the too small, ratty, summer clothes in preparation for cooler weather clothing

eradicating broken, outgrown toys in preparation for holiday gifts

Having all of this done well in advance of holidays visitors and/or parties will make those visits so much less stressful and you can concentrate on entertaining your guest instead of worrying about dust bunnies and dirty serving dishes.  What are some things you do in preparation for the holiday season?

HAPPY TUESDAY!

Household Uses For Lemons

Lemons are common place in my household especially when the tree in our backyard is ready to be picked.   While there are many uses for lemons in cooking and baking there are also many ways to use lemons to help keep your kitchen clean and smelling fresh.  So the next time you use a lemon to flavor your favorite dish don't throw the rind away try these lemony fresh tips.

Tea Kettle: fill your teakettle with water and add a handful of lemon rinds.  Bring to a boil then turn of the heat.  Let it sit for about an hour, drain, and rinse well.  This will get rid of those mineral deposits.

Coffee Pot:  (not the machine but the carafe)  add ice, salt, and lemon rinds to the empty pot.  Swirl the carafe for a minute or two, then drain and rinse well.  This will leave your pot nice and sparkly.

Garbage Disposal:  when I am done with a lemon whether I have used it for cooking or cleaning I never throw them in the trash can.  I chop them up and throw them in the garbage disposal.  This cleans the disposal and makes the kitchen smell great.  I also do this with orange peels.

Microwave:  I always feel really weird about using chemical cleaners for the inside of the microwave...it just doesn't seem right.  Try this instead;  fill a microwave safe bowl half full with water and add  some lemon rinds. Heat on high for about 5 minutes until the water is boiling and condensation has accumulated on the side, top, and bottom of the microwave.  Very carefully remove the hot bowl and use a cloth to wipe away the splatters.

I hope these tips are useful to you, let me know how they worked!  Have a HAPPY TUESDAY!

Shiny Sinks?

Ahhhh.....cleaning my favorite task.  Yeah, not really.  As I've said before cleaning is not my favorite thing.  I try to avoid it at all cost.  The problem is that I can't stand to live in a dirty house.  I came across a website one day that kinda changed my life: www.flylady.net .  This woman has amazing ideas on how to keep your home clean and clutter free without spending all of your time cleaning.  Her method is based in the concept of spending 15-30 minutes at a time on a task whether it is cleaning the kitchen, organizing your bills, or scrubbing your toilets.  I found that if I set a timer and know that I am only going to spend 20 minutes going through my sons' room, it doesn't seem like such an overwhelming task.  The Flylady has a daily email you can subscribe to that presents a task for the day which is great to get you started.  After several weeks of doing this I learned a lot and was able to create a schedule that fit my family's needs.  Flylady also has a section called baby steps that really helped to get the ball rolling for me and I would like to share the first baby-step with you.  This is something I now do once a month....here is an excerpt from FlyLady.net :

Shiny Sink 101

Note: Follow this procedure the first time you shine your sink. You do NOT need to follow this method everyday. Just keep up the shine with a little window cleaner.
Dear Friends,
I want you to smile from ear to ear when you gaze upon your shiny sink.
I have heard every excuse in the world. Even old sinks can look new again with a little elbow grease.
Here is how you do it:
BE SURE AND RINSE WELL BETWEEN EACH STEP OF THE WAY!

1. Take all the dishes out of the sink.
2. Run some very hot water into the sink. Fill to the rim. Only do one side at a time. Then, pour a cup of household bleach into the hot water. Let it sit for 1 hour. Now, pull the plug with a pair of tongs. If you don't have tongs, then scoop some of the water out of the sink into the other sink and use your hand to pull the plug (wear gloves and don't get the bleach-water on your clothes).
3. Rinse your sink well.
4. Use some cleanser (Comet, Ajax, or Baking Soda) and scrub your sink. Ensure you rinse ALL of the cleanser from the sink.
5. Take a sharp edge and clean around the rim of the sink, just like you would clean dirt out from under your fingernails.
6. Clean around the faucets too. You may need an old toothbrush or dental floss.
7. Now, get out your window cleaner, I use Windex, and give it a good shine.
8. If you still don't like the way it looks, then you could try some car wax. Just know in your heart that you have cleaned it very well now and it doesn't have to be perfect. Our perfectionism is what got us in this situation in the first place.
9. Every time you run water in your sink, take your clean dishtowel and dry it out (I lay out a clean one, every night with my before bedtime routine). Before you know it, you will be doing this everytime you leave your kitchen. The rest of the family will too. No more water spots. You will have a clean and shiny sink.
10. Don't have a fit if someone doesn't take as much pride in your sink as you do. It is very easy to fix. You have already done the hard part. You will never have to go through this process again. Daily maintenance will keep it looking this way all the time. Nasty hurtful word are not as easy to repair. Just be sure and tell your family what you are trying to do. They will think you have gone crazy.
11. If you don't have a dishwasher, don't worry. A dishwasher is just a dirty dish disposal. Clean out a place under your sink and put a dishpan in there. Teach your family, that instead of putting their dirty dishes and glasses in the sink, place them into the dish pan. Get into the habit of putting your dishes away as soon as they have been washed and are dry. No more leaving the dish drying rack on the counter or in the sink. Put it away under the sink when you have finished. If your old one is nasty, you may want to soak it in the sink full of bleach water at the same time you soak the sink or go buy a new set.
12. To insure that your family remembers this, put a note in the sink. It will get their attention and remind them where to put the dishes. Be patient! They have never been taught either. It is going to take some practice.

Now if you have a stainless steel sink, I recommend all of the above directions with one extra instruction added: after you soak your sink, rinse well, and use SOS pads to scrub it. This will buff the finish. It will look like new.
If you still can't get it to shine after the Windex, put a light coat of lemon oil or olive oil on it. I mean just a tiny bit on a cloth and rub it. This will make you smile. Some people have had very good results from Bar Keepers Friend.
Go Shine Your Sink!
FlyLadyLast note: ensure you don't mix cleansers like Comet, etc. with Windex (or other ammonia based cleaners), you can create dangerous gases! It is worth repeating: rinse well between each step.

  Give it a shot, you won't be disappointed!  The FlyLady also has a book called Sink Reflections that can be purchased HERE.  Next week:  homemade household cleaners....do they work?  HAPPY TUESDAY!