Tuesday Toilet Tips!

"She looks well to the ways of her household,

And does not eat the bread of idleness."

Proverbs 31:27

NOTE:  This is a "re-post" from way back...enjoy! :)  

Welcome to my version of "Tuesday Toilet Tips"...now, don't go looking around for a Mr. Linky, and don't start planning your post for next Tuesday.  I know you'll be disappointed to learn that this will not be an ongoing meme on Toilet Tips.  :)

It occurred to me, as I was happily scrubbing down our own gleaming porcelain bowl, that not EVERYONE has had the militant upbringing, um..., opportunity for specialized training that I have had in that area.  If you've been reading my blog for a bit, you may know how I feel about the cleanliness of bathrooms...if you don't know how I feel, but for some odd reason are curious, click Here.

In short I was raised in a Military home, the youngest recruit child of 6, born to an Air Force Dad.  Common phrases in our house were "I want that spic n' span"... "I want to see my reflection in that table"... "I want that floor clean enough to eat off of"....you get the picture? :) 

Weekend family fun often included cleaning every lightswitch in the house, dusting baseboards, and scrubbing all wall corners..."409", Amonia and Bleach were pantry staples.

Then at the tender age of 17, I joined the Air Force myself.  In Basic Training I was awarded the prestigious honor of "Latrine Queen"...you've heard of K.P. Duty?  Basically it was my job to make sure that the toilets were "spic n' span" at all times....oh what fun...the memories are too much to bear. :)

So, with all that needless information bouncing around inside your heads...I'll get on with my fantastic Toilet Tips for Tuesday! :)

There is more to cleaning a toilet than just swishing the inside of the bowl.  As a matter of fact, I'll touch on that part lightly...basically, you squirt the cleanser in there and use a toilet brush to scrub it all around (get up under that rim!), then flush.  Easy as pie...right?

Well, if you really want a clean toilet there is a bit more to it...This is where "Green" cleaning goes out the window for me. 

I like these....I like them a lot...

If I wipe a toilet with it, basically, I don't want to use it again.  Enough said. 

Take one of these lovely tossable disinfecting wipes out of the container...

FIRST wipe the seat down real well, never wipe the seat after you've wiped some other part of the toilet....Think about it.


Fold that wipe in half, and wipe off the tank top, sides and HANDLE...think about it! 

Don't forget this area, where the seat meets the bowl... get into the nitty gritty...you can wash your hands later!!! ... or wear gloves! :)

Work around that bowl edge, getting any little bits of dust and such that may have settled.

Get up under that bowl and wipe it clean...you'd be surprised...do you have kids?  Yup, get down there and wipe it...I raised a boy, I know what happens!

Now, let's get all those little nooks and crannies at the base, they are made JUST to hold dust and grime.  Start from the top and work your way down, folding your wipie, or getting a new one as needed.

Yes, even down around these little guys....gunk is just hiding and lurking back there!

Clean that bad boy all the way down to the floor!

Now here's the scary part, because you have to kinda lean into the toilet for this, but you've cleaned it really nicely, so it shouldn't be a problem....right?  Get that little hump in the back of the toilet and scrub him good!

While you're at it....get a fresh wipie and clean the door handles and light switches.  The neighbor kids are always using my bathroom, and personally I just don't know what kind of hygene they have....just sayin'...

Now, don't you feel better?  Don't you just want to sit there and stare at your sparkling potty all day?  No?  Ok, get on to something else...keep your hands busy ladies so that your husbands will praise you saying...

"Many daughters have done nobly,

But you excel them all."

Proverbs 31:29

Laundry Tip for Line Drying...#2

Don't you just love the way clothes look swaying in the breeze along a Laundry Line?  I do. 

The wind picks up and whips the towels, making them fluffier and fluffier with each snap. 

Pretty colors dance in the sunshine.  I think it's a very pretty sight...but there are SOME things I would personally rather not see....

NOT pretty...

Unless you live in the country, or have a laundry line that is "out of sight" of the neighbors, please think twice, ... three times if necessary... about haning out your "Unders"... if ya know what I mean...

The Neighbors ARE watching...there is a "Gladys Kravitz" in every hood...

...and she's just itching to tell Abner what color your bras are...

...Abner don't need to know... ya know?
I have neighbors on all three sides of my backyard, and while I do have a 6 foot privacy fence, my backdoor neighbor is over 6 feet tall.  You do the math.  I don't mind him seeing my shirts, shorts, and towels dancing in the breeze, but I really don't want him seeing the style, shape, color or size of my under things. 

Yup, sometimes it's a good thing to leave those things out of other peoples minds.

Yup.  That's my "Tip" for the day, and I'm stickin' to it. :)

Laundry Tip for Line Drying...#1

Our weather right now is just perfect for line drying clothes.  The sun is shining, the humidity is not soaring and the breeze is blowing.  The clothes dry quickly and smell wonderful.  There's just something about the feeling of pinning the clothes to the line...hearing nothing but the breeze, the birds and distant voices in the nieghborhood. 

Today I wanted to share with you a tip to save you some headaches.  The one thing I don't like about hanging shirts on the line is the pinched look that is inevitable from placing the clothes pins on the shoulders of the shirts.  If you hang them upside down, you get little darts at the bottom of your shirt.  If you hang them by the sleeves, you end up with protusions in your arms.  What is the solution?  It's an easy one!

Place the shirts on hangers, then hang the hangar on the line and use two clothes pins to keep it from sliding down the line.  Voila!  No pinchy parts on your clothing... AND...you just take them off the line and hang them right up in your closet!  Works great!

And YES, that is a "work rag" next to those shirts - not a face cloth, lol.

Have a blessed Easter!

Laundry "room" makeover

In my fantasy world, I have an indoor, bright, sunny, laundry room.  There are windows that open to the fresh outdoors and a clothes line that can be reeled in so that I can hang my clothes without ever leaving the room.  On the window sill sit birds that sing to me all day long.  Obviously I am some sort of Disney Princess in this fantasy world.... :)

In reality, I have a Laundry "Area" that fits into a space in my husbands very well used and "Manly" garage.  We do not have the type of garage that simply "stores stuff".  My handy husband is a fixer.  He has tools and greasy things and stuff that I can't name.  So the garage is all his....all except for my little area where I do laundry. 

I decided that I would make this little area as pretty and "me" as I could, so using some paint that we already had, a few thrift store finds and a couple of new "splurges", I made my Laundry Area a place that is cheeful, pretty and neat as a pin.

Here is my before "area 51"... lol... basically a disorganized, dingy area that is cluttered and worn looking.

Notice the worn out rug, dingy sink, and orange dog food bucket.

And, After...a much happier place to do laundry! :)
Things to note, no more trash can.  A brand new, very pretty, floor mat, pretty and fun colors, a nicely organized shelf with coordinating colors for storage.

I spray painted the "dog food bucket" to match my color theme and hot glued a band of red felt around my laundry basket.  The red spoon is a soap holder.  I scrubbed down the outside of the sink and painted the legs red to give a pop of color and make it appear as though it were on a "stand".

This was my one "splurge" item... it was $24 at Lowe's.  But it was SO pretty, and I figured with all the other bits and pieces where I saved money...well, I just really wanted it.  :)

Here are some steps I took...

I grabbed a can of white paint off the shelf...purchased for another project, but I bought a gallon so I have plenty!  I painted the entire inside of the cabinet, and the top and sides of the shelves.

Painted the edges and underside of shelves, as well as cabinet door with a Robins Egg blue paint leftover from another project...

All painted and drying...

I had to make it "girly", so I hot glued lace along the edge of the industrial flourescent light.  I purchased these two red collapsable containers to store bug sprays and cleaning supplies in a neat and clean way.

We kept tripping over the little plastic white trashcan (which was simply for dryer lint).  Everytime we took out our bikes, we knocked it over and lid fell off and lint went everywhere...so did the candy bar wrappers that I would toss in there to conceal my love of chocolate!  So, I replaced with this cute tin bucket.  I purchased it at Lowe's for about $2.50 and spray painted it red.

The spray paint station... Hubby wasn't too happy with my apparent "overspray" effect on his concrete...ooops. :/  I purchased the metal "spoon" and plastic bucket at a thrift store.

Here is my "re-organized" shelf.  I was able to toss several empty cans of OFF that had been hiding in the shelf for years and consolidate extra trash bags and rubber gloves to store neatly.

The little red container was perfect for storing sponges and scrub brushes neatly and it was a whopping .50 cents at the thrift store!  The cute little blue plastic vase was only .30 cents, and matched perfectly...great for storing paint sticks.

Last, but not least, I made this "faux sign" for the cabinet door.  I will show you step-by-step how I did this next week...so come back!

I plan to either spray paint or use vinyl stick letters to apply words to the sink, washer and dryer.  They will be:  SCRUB  WASH   DRY  - Can anyone think of a better word to put on the sink?  If you think of one, let me know... I could only think of Scrub, lol.

Oh, and of course, there are just some things that you can't change...

The fact that my little princess gets very annoyed when I won't let her in the house with "dirty feet"...she was obviously doing yard work while I was busy... Hmmmmm

And THIS....the inside of a garage sink.  It's well used. 

Really thankful?

I tucked in the sheets, and smoothed out my bed cover, eyeing the basket of freshly washed clothes that sat next to my bed.  Those would need to be put away.  Several chores crossed my mind that I'd like to get done today or the next,... begin the grout cleaning, scrub down the shower, finish making bedroom curtains... on and on the list goes.

I wasn't thinking of it as overwhelming, just going over it in my mind, and then a thought occured to me.

Every chore that I have on my list is a reminder of a specific blessing in my life.

I am so very blessed to have clothes to wash fold and put away...there are many who have very little.  There are many who have no shoes, no washer or dryer, no soap...no laundry basket to sit by the bed...no bed.

I am so very blessed to have grout to clean.  I have a home with tile floors, I have a roof over my head, walls to keep me safe and warm...or cool.  There are so many who have dirt floors, a sheet of aluminum for a roof, ...or no home at all.

I am so very blessed to have a shower that needs a scrubdown, a potty to clean, and sink to wash out.  I have not one, but two bathrooms in my home.  There are many who have no place for such a private luxury.  No plumbing or pipes to take away the refuse, no soft towels to dry off with, so soap or shampoo....no clean water to bathe in.

I am so very blessed to be making new curtains for my bedroom.  I have fabric, money, a sewing machine, and a home with glass windows that let in sunshine but keep out rain.  There are many who can't even imagine that kind of life.

Every day, do we take for granted the "normal" things in our lives?  Or can we take a moment to remember how blessed we are, and to thank the gracious God who has given us those gifts. 

If you have a home, you are blessed. 
If you are struggling with finances, you are still blessed.
If you think feeding your family is expensive, you are feeding them, you are blessed.
If your have a toothbrush, a plate, a cup, a mirror, a brush, a pair of socks, you are blessed.

Have you ever stared into the pantry and wondered what to make for dinner?  I have.  Have you ever noticed how much food is in there, and yet you still say "There's nothing to make for dinner"?  We are so incredibly blessed.  How do I know I can include YOU in this?  Becuase you are sitting at a computer reading it.  If you can do that, you are blessed.

We are rich beyond belief when we compare ourselves to those who go without what we would consider basic necessities each and every day.  Our homes are mansions, our cars are chariots, our food is lavish, our clothing like that of royalty.  When you look at your life that way, chores become a gift. 

We are blessed to be given the opportunity to care for these things we have been given.  Fold those clothes with honor and delight.  Make that shower sparkle, no matter it's size or the materials it is made from, it is an amazing gift that you have been blessed with.  Tuck in those sheets and make those beds with a song in your heart for you are blessed that at night you can lay on a mattress, pull those blankets up over your body and feel safe, warm and blessed.

Thank you Lord Jesus for all your precious gifts.  Help us to always remember to be thankful for those things that we have become the norm for us.  Help us to see that even our very basic items are such a huge gift, from You.

"He who is generous will be blessed..." ~ Proverbs 22:9a

Mid January Mish Mash...

Hello again! :)

Here we are almost mid-January, and SOME progress has been made with my "re-ogranization" and clean-up efforts...not much, but some. :)

After searching online for pre-made "Housecleaning Checklists"...I combined, clipped, cut, added and customized one for my home and our needs.  Now, ... to start using it. :)

I did manage to do a wee bit of "decluttering".  This is after just a TINY bit of cleaning out....it's truly amazing how much "stuff" we have that we  ~ A.  don't use, B. don't need, and C. don't even know we have!!!

 I re-organized the hall closet.  Happy.

Look, I can cross something off the list I posted in my last blog post!  Yee-haw!!!!  :)

*Do SOMETHING about that coffee table that is too big for your living room!

I found this on Craigslist.  I've been looking for a round coffe table FOREVER....it seems.  I didn't want it too big, or too small. Nothing modern, had to be REAL wood, and wanted it to have some sort of pretty design element.  This was a dark cherry stain when I got it.  I sanded it down, gave it several coats of an antique white paint and sanded away some areas for an "aged" look.  I LOVE it.  It's just what I wanted and now I have more space in that room! Yea!

I found the mirrors I want for our bedroom...now to paint them, and the dresser.  As you can see, I also found some cute Christmas gift tags on clearance.

I found these windows....relatively cheap.  I want to use them in my bedroom, I'm not exactly sure how or where, but I have a few ideas jumping around in my noggin.

My sweet hubby bought us passes to Busch Gardens for Christmas!  AND tickets to go see Mark Lowry, one of our favorite Comedians...the man is just funny...and can SING!  Wow. 

Soooo, in order to take our RV on a trip, we have been busy fixing it...remember the fire?  Yup.  We have replaced the carpet, made a new couch cover, refinished the burned wood, and now I am in the process of repairing the seats.  I have NEVER done this before...yikes. 
We literally took the "skin" off the drivers and passenger seats and I am replacing the burnt pieces.

I took about 750 thousand photos of every detail as I took it apart...yet STILL managed to sew it back together wrong...frustrating myself beyond belief.  Then after much sweat, furrowed brows, confusion and some tears, in a flash I realized my mistake.  Ahhhh, relief.  I am now on the road to recovery, lol.

Amidst this, I am making new curtains for my bedroom, hemming pants...and, uh...working on that quilt...still.

...and altering this dress.  OY!

My sweet friend is pregnant.  She was not so big when we fitted it, and I left some room for comfort.  I altered it.  She came back and BAM, that baby GREW!!!!  Now what?  No worries Jessica....Ms. Kathy WILL make it work.  So, I am going to pour Miracle Grow on it and see what happens.  Kidding!!! (just in case she's reading this).  Some sort of magic will happen and I'll let you know what it is when I figure it out.

Last night we had a light dinner, Potato Pancakes and steamed broccoli.  The entire house smelled so good after making that.  Oh yum.


How do you eat your Potato Pancakes?  My sister eats hers with applesauce or sour cream.  I like them just plain, or with a dab of ketchup.  Do you make them?  They are easy and sooooo delicious!  Shred 2 peeled potatoes, shred a small onion, mix them together and squeeze them a few times with paper towels to get out the moisture.  Add 1 egg, 1 Tbsp. flour, a little salt, pepper and garlic powder, stir it up.  Drop 4 blogs in a thin layer of hot olive oil, flatten with a spatula to make "pancakes"...fry until golden brown on both sides.  Set on paper towlels to drain.  EAT! :)


Today I am making my Rosemary Olive Oil bread...yum.  I have decided to make a double batch and share with my neighbors.  Here it is sponging overnight....night night dough bowls ~ sleep tight!

Our baby boy is still off fighting bad guys in Afghanistan.  Mom says "COME HOME NOW!"...

I wonder if he heard me?  *sigh*

He'll be back at the end of February.  This makes a Momma's heart happy.

Just for fun,....isn't she adorable?  :)

"Mom, I see a squirrell!"

"I'm gonna get it!"

"Um, where is it?  What did you do with it?"

"Is the squirrell coming back?"

And because it's always best to close on the happiest note...there is my man.  Have I ever told you how much I absolutely love my husband?  He's the best.  He's godly, smart, strong, loving, chivalrous, and funny, ... very, very funny. 

I love him!!!!!

Happy New Year!

Well, here it is 2011.  As usual, the years fly by faster the older I get.  I see my fitness goals becoming more and more "important" as the years go by.  If I don't do it NOW, it may never happen (goes through my mind often enough), LOL.

I've decided to take some time this first week of January to do some "cleanin' out". 

The serving dishes I bought because I just HAD to have them, but stored away and never used...time to get out!

The dress I bought at the thrift store "just in case" I ever had a reason to wear something like that...time to send it back to the thrift store!  When the time comes, I'll buy one 2 days before the event!

Shoes,..oy.  I garden, I exercise, I grocery shop, I got to church.  I don't need 20 pairs of shoes...well, actually, I don't HAVE 20 pairs of shoes, but I don't need 15 pair either! LOL...

And fabric?  I crave buying new fabric.  I see fabric that I just WANT...but I am determined to craft things out of at least HALF the fabric I already have before I go buying more!  So, hmmm, maybe it's time to get crackin' and open up an Etsy shop...I have a LOT of ideas, I love to make things...we'll see.

You get the picture, right?  I'm going to go room by room and take out a few things, clear up some shelf space, clear up some closet space, clear up some brain space.  It feels good.

THEN, I'll begin on the 40 million projects that I've been threatening to start for the last 12 months...

*paint and "age" my dining table and chairs
*paint and "age" my buffet
*redesign our TV stand
*cover that chair in the living room...ugh!  Cover it already Kathy!!!!
*Do SOMETHING about that coffee table that is too big for your living room!
*refinish the bedroom dresser
*replace the mirror in the bedroom...which means painting 2 new mirrors
*move some curtains around in the house to spice things up and make things look new and fresh
*lighten the colors in the bedroom
*oh...finish that quilt...oh, and that other one I started too...*sigh*

You get the picture here too?  This year I need to do things...really, I don't wanna wait months to do them, I just want to get started now and not quit till it's all done.  Will it happen?  I dunno.  Will I attempt it, sure, for a time at least. :)

Oh, yeah, and I want to run a race.  Guess I'd better start running again, eh? :)

What will you do this January to start the year off fresh?  I'm not asking about resolutions, because I gave those up YEARS ago!  Just things that need to be done, loose ends that need to be snugged up.  What are you January plans?

Happy New Year my friends, but most importantly...

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart

And do not lean on your own understanding. 

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He will make your paths straight. 

Do not be wise in your own eyes;

Fear the Lord and turn away fromevil. 

 It will be healing to your body

And refreshment to your bones." 

Proverbs 3:5-8

It's Fall Ya'll!

Oh yes it is! 

I know that the humidity today was disgusting, and the heat was rather...um, well...HOT, but it IS Fall.  I know it because my calendar tells me so. :)


So, I climbed up into the attic and found my box of Fall Decor and (after changing out of my sweltering clothing from being in the attic), I began decorating my home.

I hung my Fall wreath on my door, placed some cute ceramic pumpkins on the doorstep, changed out the silk arrangements around my house from "summer" to "fall" colors.  I go pretty subtle for Fall, just a touch here and there to usher in this season that is so sadly overlooked at times.

Just a few things here and there, to give me the "feeling" that should accompany this time of year.

It's also time for this...

Punkin Bread, Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Cherry-Berry Swirl Bread, Pumpkin Pancakes, Pumpkin Cake, Pumpkin Cheesecake bars, or even Pumpkin Soup....oh the endless possibilities!

Oh, and let's not forget all the yummy warm meals that accompany this time of years....IF you live in a cooler state OR have a good A/C... :)

Kathy's Chipotle Chili Chili, Debbies Chicken Tortilla Soup, Chicken N' Dumplin's, Pasta e Fagioli, ....

 

Speaking of baking...have you seen this?

It's missing.  Yup.  I know.  Weird.

I am not a disorganized person.  I don't even have a cluttered home (usually).  Everything has a place and "most" of the time, everything is in it's proper place.  But would you believe I reached for this cookie sheet the other day (I have two, thus the photo is it's twin), and it was gone.  I have NO idea where on earth I would put a cookie sheet.


If you have any insightful suggestions of where I should look, please do share...I have not a clue!


I have looked in the cabinet where I keep all the baking sheets, I have looked in the drawer under the stove, I have looked in all the cabinets that it should not be in, but could have mistakenly ended up in, I have looked on the porch (just sayin')...Any ideas friends?  I am at a loss...

Have a beautiful, Jesus filled day!