You know you've seen the signs that say things such as "Excuse the mess. My children are making memories" or "Sticky floor, dirty dishes, happy children." Or heard women say that they would rather spend their time with their children than cleaning. I get all those. I really do. But they tend to make those of us who do like to keep a clean house feel a little guilty, like we aren't spending time with our children. Even though I actually like the act of cleaning, since having Abby, I do tend … [Read more...]
Best Apple Projects and Recipes
With August over and September underway, it is almost fall. Which means....almost apple picking time! I love to go apple picking. It is probably the one thing I look forward to the most all year. The whole family loves it. I love the fall weather, my daughter loves the fun at the orchard, and my husband loves all the yummy things I make. Well, let's be honest. We all love the yummy things. ;) This year I'm excited to do some crafty things with Abby. She is finally old enough to really enjoy … [Read more...]
Stockpile Storage in a Small House
I live in a small house. I constantly feel cramped. It doesn't help that is also a fixer-upper split level ranch. So much of our house is living space not storage space, it makes the house feel smaller. The fixer-upper part just makes any house feel smaller. However, I have managed to have a decent stockpile in the space I have. Not anything like you would see on that extreme couponing show, but decent for what we need. First, I have the tops of my kitchen cabinets. It isn't ideal as I … [Read more...]
How Does Your Garden Grow?
The snow is finally almost gone. The ground is starting the thaw. All this has me thinking one thing. Garden! We have a small to medium sized vegetable garden. We grow green beans, peas, tomatoes, one pepper plant, a few beets for Matt, and we try cucumbers. Last year our cucumbers never made it. We have a different plan for them this year so hopefully they will do well. I also have a flower bed behind the house. Last year my daisies didn't come up and my phlox all died. The little … [Read more...]
Spring Cleaning!
It has been so nice up here recently. Sunny, warm (60s/70s), so amazing after a long winter. Perfect weather for lots of playing outside and spring cleaning. Around this house, here is what spring cleaning looks like. Laundry. Lots and lots of laundry. Regular laundry, winter clothing, all the sheets....well, you get the idea. Many other things going on too. The typical "clean the windows" thing is a big one. General deep cleaning of the house. Even vacuuming out the van after a … [Read more...]
Pinterest: Stain Treater That Works!
I know, I know. I'm always talking about that stain remover I found on pinterest. But I am so excited by it that I can't help it! I am never buying stain remover again. I want to show you how well it works because I am that impressed. I wish I knew about this years ago.Matt's hard hat liner gets gross. Like seriously, gross. I used to soak it in water, vinegar, and baking soda and still, this is how clean it would get.Gross, right? This is after it came out of the wash. After!So I decided to try … [Read more...]