:: Cleaning, Reading and Crocheting

Not always in that order, though. 
We had a pretty day today. It was overcast and looked like it was going to rain all day; so far, nothing. But the breeze and cooler temperature reminds me of Fall.  I guess it is inching closer and closer even though a few weeks ago…the day time highs were hitting 3 digits, I still wasn’t ready for Fall—I think I’m getting there now! 

:: Fall is Like a Second Chance Spring Cleaning

This is the view across the room this evening.  A peaceful place in my home to let my eyes rest. 



I’m not going to lie.  There aren’t many corners of my home right now that I would call restful. Busy, busy, busy; every single corner. It seems the more I try to create a haven; the more I struggle with it.  It just doesn’t come easy for me now days.

The whole dynamic of our home life shifted after The Honey retired in 2009.   I remember days when he’d get up and go to work; for me that meant—I’ve got a set number of hours to get things done.   Then once he came through those doors; the shift was togetherness.  Supper, evening routine, shower and bed.

It’s not like that for me now.  After all these years I’ve still not adjusted to having him home ALL. THE. TIME.  It’s like I’m always on a break.  Time has gotten away from me and so has my house work… 

There are things I have wanted to do… and didn’t. (here/ UPDATES)  It won’t be long Fall will be here; and we’ll be entering into the last quarter of this year!  I’m finally getting some work done in my craft room.  Slowly, but surely, I’m getting some of my busy corners organized and settled.
    
I found this list of Pre-Holiday Room by Room Cleaning (tasks) Plan @ Sunny Simple life… I pinned it am using it!  If you’ve not read Elaine’s blog—go there! She has wonderful household tips on cleaning, organizing and MYO (make you own) cleaning supplies!

I seem to get this way every year about this time!  Fall is the time of year, to me …like a second SPRING CLEANING!  Checking the list that was made so early in the year…last minute preparations- Getting ready for Winter and of course all the Holidays that are coming with it.
Is it like that for you?

Til next time, Be Blessed!



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Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanks giving let your request be made unto to God; And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension will guard your heart and minds in Christ Jesus.  ~~ Philippians 4:6-7

:: Removing Scratches from Stainless Appliances ::

This post will contain affiliate links to purchase product. Thanks.

A dark photo—but notice the front of the fridge- smudges and scratches all over.


I was working in the kitchen this weekend--
and one of the things I worked on was my stainless steel—like so many now days, I do have some stainless in my kitchen. 
I fought hard to get it.  At one time I had wanted Stainless Steel counter tops… but was told No, on account of the maintenance and care.
What?!
Maintenance and Care?  Yep. 

I am married to a “Sheet Metal Man”. 

::Using What you Have ::

Really, It was a Story about 3 tables
...And Organizing small spaces.  That's what I've been up to now.

Oh yes! I showed you the mess that was my side of the bed.

 And no...I was not proud. I'm not proud at all when I show you things like that and then fess up; because, honestly it's been like that for a month AT LEAST! 

I make no excuses...it is what it is.

And! while I've already shown you my new Red...yes, Terra Cotta Red by Valspar table.

which by the way took only 1 sample pot from Lowes and only cost $2.98
I created CHALK PAINT OUT OF IT 
AND WAXED IT TOO. 

I agree...
It looks ORANGE! 












I wanted to point out a couple of other things.

Baskets are so practical for storage in small spaces. I have one with yarn on the little table. It's bright and cheerful ...and now it is off the floor. :)

I have another one that appears to be piled with pillows.

But don't let it fool you.

We have no closet in this room, as it is only 9' X 12' ; and so I have my shoes there (which I eliminated some of them when cleaning this messy corner) and there is a folded cotton coverlet between the shoes and the pillows.
Pillows are much prettier to look at than shoes. Aren't they?! (even if one of them is your Honey's heart bypass pillow-- a reminder to how blessed we are!)

So really, this is the story of 3 tables. Because it took  two little tables to replace the one.

I like the "layered in and nested" look.
Layered and nested...when it's orderly is what I crave. 
I'd rather have layered and nested on tables than the floor anyday! :D 


I also like doing things a little bit differently and using what I have while spending as little money as possible. This Homemaker's Anomaly.
What? You don't hide your shoes in a basket and make it look like pillows? 

I think this little organization project definitely fits the bill for different and free (almost!) 

***This is the blah-blah-blah part... I bought the Valspar paint sample with my own money...and I'm not compensated to push their product or say nice things about it. The thoughts and opinions you read here are ALL MINE! There. 

 

Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart. ~Psalm 37:4

 

::Your Cleaning Personality Is...::

I was just hankerin' to know, so yeah...in all my spare time I took their little test.

The Procrastinator It didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. But now it is official. You don't have to take my word for it... because BH&G said so! 
and they congratulated me. 

• Congratulations! You get that there's more to life than cleaning. For you, cleaning is a last-minute, get-it-done-as-guests-walk-in-the-door type of affair. Here's how to excel at being a procrastinator with tips on how to clean smarter, not harder.

So while I was outside today taking in all of this..... 

Surprise TO ME...  Lavender colored Iris (that have NEVER bloomed before)

 I knew I needed to be inside while the temps are still mild and it isn't too hot in my kitchen.... DOING THIS! 

YEP! that is under my kitchen sink. Blech! 

Not to mention it's JUST DOWN RIGHT SCARY UNDER THERE!!! 

But it had to be done. 

I took everything out and wiped down the whole thing...and organized 2 caddies

this one holds everything that had product in it to be used up PROMPTLY AND COMPLETELY!  Don't want to waste anything. 

 This one holds our car cleaning rags, tire/rim cleaner and ALL THINGS CAR.

AND THEN....YES! 

I even scrubbed THOSE pipes clean...

I can say (though I'm not proud) I've NEVER SCRUBBED PIPES. 

I HAVE cleaned out from under the sink... and I don't like doing it. 

But it's done now! 

Here is something else I did. 

I painted the inside cupboard door a couple of weeks ago. 

...and today,  I RE-PURPOSED 2  CD racks 

This is how they usually function. 

I happened to grabbed these from the throw away pile a while back.   I was going to use them as bird feeders and put SUET INTO them during the winter. 

That didn't happen. (procrastinator, remember?) 

 With a little bit of baling wire and some screws,(some diy-gals like duct tape... I like BALIN' WIRE)- 

 Now,they hold trash can liners...

and  scrub brushes, duster brushes and empty spray bottles ( 3/$2 at Dollar General) awaiting home made cleaning solutions. You can see many solutions that I've pinned  here on my Pinterest board ::Organized and Clean::

This is the JUNK removed from that sink cupboard... and either tossed or re-appropriated. (red tub and yellow caddy... I'm moving to the trunk of my car...maybe) 

 Now it's clean!!

and I can get back to this AND PROCRASTINATING!

Are you curious?  

Do yo want to know what your cleaning personality is?  

Click here to go to BH&G and take the QUIZ!


* just a reminder Amazon links in this post help support this blog. Thank You! 


I'm linking this shelf of sorts here: FJI Rustic Shelves (not really rustic...though they are metal AND REpurposed)  :) 

Therefore be careful how you walk not as unwise men but as wise making the most of your time for the days are evil. ~Ephesians 5:15-16~

 

:: Frugal Fodder ~19~ Let's Talk Laundry ::

While out walking our property with the kids last Friday-- all along the back fence I was noticing how the trees are filling in with leaves and such. 

I had recently been researching Soap-nuts. 

Apparently this is something that can be used for sustainable lifestyles. 

We've known about these trees on our property for years. 

We've always called them China-berry Trees 

Only recently after reading many different Homesteading blogs  and this post @ LIVE READY NOW! have I discovered that what I think I have on our property is Soap-nut or Soap berry trees;  rightly called 

Western Soap-berry. Here in Texas.

There are several of these trees along the fence 

and a small stand of trees behind the barn,too.

My dad always said they were a 'trash' tree. 

Momma always warned us to 'NOT Eat them'

I remember when they bloomed that there was a sweet fragrance to them. 

They make a wonderful canopy and shade. In fact the Littles and I stood out there for quite sometime watching the cows. 

I went ahead and collected some of the soap nuts.

These trees are not blooming right now. It is said they will flower Spring or Summer 

with 'drupes'  coming after that. 

These that I collected were caught on branches; and dried already. 

Apparently the soap-nuts can be used to wash your laundry and shampoo your hair! 

I'm still researching but find this fascinating. 

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a tree on your property that produces sustainable soap for your clothes?  What a savings that would be! I've been making homemade laundry soap for almost 6 years now...this would be a little bit easier, faster, and WAY! CHEAPER!

I've read that it takes the equivalent of about 5 soap berries in a linen or cotton pouch tossed into the washer and wash your laundry as usual. I understand that you have to remove the seeds from inside and let them dry. Like I said these have dried already and they have the seed inside. 

I'm not sure if they'll work; but I don't know why they wouldn't. 

The work best in HOT water to release the Saponin, which is basically the natural detergent inside the skin of the soapnut.

I'm interested if any of you have heard of this?

Have you tried it? 

Is it something you'd be interested in trying in your home? 

Or do you make your own laundry soap? 

Western Soap berry links. 

• Native Plant Projects
• Texas Beyond History
• Aggie Horticulture
• LIVE READY NOW!

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him; because He cares for you. ~1 Peter 5:6-7

 

:: Fresh Perspective ::

When blogging I'm always looking out  for blogs that I've never read before. 

Don't get me wrong: I love reading all the blogs I've read for years; but sometimes... I just like to find a fresh perspective. 

I've been doing the same thing for 30 years... keeping house, budgeting, cooking, cleaning...the works.  

Honestly, sometimes I forget what works-- I like to find young housewives, moms  striving to do the same thing I'm doing and unabashedly posting about it!  It pushes me.  I enjoy reading their thoughts and seeing the newness of homemaking through their eyes ! 

If you're not familiar with Brenda @ Cozy Little House; she features a few blogs every Friday on her Welcome Wagon edition. I see at least 1 new blog a week.(Thank you Brenda!) 

Last week I found this one there: 

I went there and I have enjoyed reading it. She is just celebrating her first year blogging...

Source: aswellplacetodwell.com via P on Pinterest

Congrats to her!  She certainly has fresh ideas. The first post I read was this one-- and seeing how it is her first week to post about conquering clutter...I decided to follow along! :)  Lord knows, I need to get some spring cleaning done. 

Conquer The Clutter: Week 1

I took this from her site...it is the short list

1.  Front entry.
2. Important papers/bills.
3. One closet.
4. Microwave and oven.
5. Utensil drawer.
@ A SWELL PLACE to DWELL

MY ENTRY: I also added that I 
6. *EMPTIED my email in-box too!

Go there and read the entire thing. Follow her and you can see what she will post this week.

So here is what I've done ...I modified the list,of course. I recently cleaned out my utensil drawers...so I cleaned the microwave and the cupboard this week. It gets cluttered-- and was WAY WORSE than the picture you're about to see! 
I combined a closet, microwave and utensil drawer into this ONE cupboard.  It took me about 15 minutes top to counter. I didn't do behind the curtain...I'll do that in the morning. 

Our Microwave went out recently, this one is small and was given to us for our camper. I use it for the "Littles" lunches...we've almost decided we don't want to buy a replacement. 

Of course...You, my regular readers already know this; 

                                                    But YES! I'm a week behind. 
So far that's all I've gotten done.
I have a box of papers to shred and those will go into the compost. 
The front entry...whew! It needs an over-haul. 

*As to #6...please don't take it the wrong way when I say I EMPTIED MY EMAIL.  
I just had tons of emails, and while I try to answer or visit all of you back; sometimes I get overwhelmed with the whole thing. So I deleted ALL OF THEM! 
It is so nice to have an empty email folder. 

Here is what I'm doing. 

• If I get a subscribed email-- I open in another tab, go back to my email folder and delete the email, read your blog, leave my 2 cents worth and go on my way. 
• If I get a comment on my blog; it comes to my email. I'm trying to answer them right away and delete. So easy! 
• The 'no-reply blogger' comments ( you know who you are)...if I have your email, I try to send you a note back. But, sometimes I leave a comment for you in reply to your comment. 

Do you have a spring cleaning routine?
Do you do the same ol' routine or do you mix it up and try new things?

Do you need reminding of certain jobs and help focusing?
Or does it just come naturally for you? (can you guess which one I am?) 

Therefore, be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time because the days are evil. 

~Ephesians 5:15-16~

 

::A Favorite Thing and a Papered Floor Update::

This week I'm combining a PAST PROJECT UPDATE and a Favorite thing post...for Claudia's 'A Favorite Thing' Party 

My Bathroom Floor-- I decoupaged it back in February, it is currently my MOST VIEWED POST and has been Pinned all over Pinterest. 

I'm pretty proud of this project. I think I've got the biggest bang for my buck by covering my Vinyl floor with paper, glue, and polyurethane. You can read about that here--- How To: Faux Wood Floor-Decoupaged Floor
I'll add that since finishing my floor and posting about it... I ran a bead of caulk along the floor where it meets with the tub and trim.  (can be seen in the above photo) 

The only "wear" on this floor is right under the red step chair... that louvered door is the Hot Water closet...the door rubs just a tad across the floor. It has left a 'scratch' there. The scratch is just the upper surface of Poly being rubbed off when we have to open the door.  That is not a problem...we'll probably be putting a couple more coats of poly down before it gets too cool out. Then of course well have to take a little off the bottom of the door, too. 

Most days it looks like this in here. The Littles are here almost everyday. Extra towels, extra (small) potty...etc. 

This floor has held up nicely to dirt, mud, grass, and water! The only bathroom in the house, right off the mud room and the MAIN changing area for  SWIMMERS FRESH OUT OF THE POOL and CHICKENS! 



I usually just sweep, then wipe with a damp cloth using Ms.Meyer's 'Lavender' ALL PURPOSE CLEANER. Easy peasy!  **Affiliate Link ** 

Mrs. Meyer's all Purpose cleaner

 
It only cost about $30 to complete.  It looks like wood. It cleans up pretty easily.  No maintenance! Now you can see why it is a favorite project...Don't forget to head on over to MHC and see what other's are talking about while showing off their favorite things! 


MHC

Oh give thanks to the LORD for He is good; His loving kindness is everlasting. 

~Psalm 107:1 

 

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* by clicking on affiliate links (and making a purchase at Amazon) in the post or any other post on this blog you help this blogger earn a little bit of income for her family WITHOUT IT COSTING YOU A PENNY!

Way to Hide the Trash~~~

Looking for the perfect trash can concealment? 

I am. 

When I was growing up as a kid, we had our trash here...similar to this photo...AND! in a brown paper bag. 

(source) 

Years later we quit having it under the sink and began just having it sit in the kitchen ...sort of out of the way. Like this. OH.MY.GOSH. somebody took a picture of the trash in my house when I was growing up and posted it on the internet .... YEARS DECADES LATER! 

(source) 

Well, guess what. That's how I have my trash  TRASH CAN now. ONLY WITHOUT IT SPILLING ONTO THE FLOOR. I JUST HAVE THE CAN SITTING THERE, NEXT TO THE DEEP FREEZE, RIGHT OUT IN THE OPEN.  I've had it that way for 16 1/2 years. I've always thought I  should maybe have it under the sink, since there was no pantry closet to hide the taller can. (which is where I had it in my previous house.) Come to think of it; having the trash in a pantry where you keep the food sounds really gross. But, if it's the only place, what do you do? 

So, I've been looking at solutions for hiding the trash can and the trash. 

This is what I've found. Thought I'd share it. 

Tall, pretty wicker hamper. Nice. 

source

Vintage shopping buggy/stroller with burlap liner. Unique. 

source

Grain bin. Very Farmhouse feeling. 

source

This one is SO PRETTY. Just a plain trash can...only not so plain! 

Complete with trash can scrunchy! 

love them all! 

All clever ideas... and so much prettier than just having a can sitting out. 

I'm also thinking of having something so that I can easily sort our tin and glass... we burn our trash, unless there is a burn ban; so you can imagine the burn barrel gets filled up pretty quickly if we fill it with tin and glass. 

Where do you keep your trash can? Is it in plain view? Hidden under the sink or in the pantry?  

Or do you have your trash can cleverly disguised like these lovely examples? 

The Grace of the LORD Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Philippians 4:23 

Re- Conditioning in a Practical Way~

I wrote a post recently titled Re-Conditioning.  I know we all have things that we have gone through ~~that is life. But I, in no way, want to let those things be my focus—I know those moments help to mold us, but I for one don’t want to stay there in those moments. I wanted to take a minute to say thank you so much, to all of you that left me such sweet comments—your words were an encouragement ,inspiration and most of all Genuine. So Thank you.
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This post is also about reconditioning;  in a more PRACTICAL WAY.
When my kids were all living at home—most of you know I homeschooled them. So they were here 24-7 –until they started driving and working. I had to keep a schedule and lists and write down our school work, chores and things ~~some days just to stay on task!

When they left the nest--- that all went straight out the window! I've lost steam and as I mentioned before—Clarity!


Here is what I’ve been doing to combat my lack of focus—I’m still making a list; only now, I give each task it’s own piece of paper. I first read about this method at The Mobile Home Woman. She  read about this method someplace else and adapted it to fit her needs and that’s what I’m doing too. She uses index cards… but not me!  I’m using these CUTE LITTLE alphabet tablets; I bought years ago and found them when cleaning out some old boxes of junk , stashed in a closet.
YES! they’re the letter “P”.  Hey! whatever works, right?


The stack on the left are my “longer than 15 minute projects” these are things I have to carve out a little bit of time for- before doing. The stack on the right? Things I can do in 15 minutes or less!  I put about 8 or 10 of these BAD BOYS on the fridge in the morning and try to knock out about 4 in the morning and the rest in the after noon. Whatever gets left off—goes back to the pile and they’re clipped together until next time.


That’s it!  This is me reconditioning myself to be more efficient with my time. More productive in my day.   AND. STAYING. FOCUSED.

Some one recently suggested I might have ADULT A.D.D. ~~ but, I’m not buying it!  No.  I just have a selective personality when it comes to tasks I really don’t want to do; I have an UNWILLINGNESS TO CONCENTRATE! Truth be told—most people that have disorganization problems are the same way. They just don’t know it!!! (this is just my opinion,here)


So—this is how I’m reconditioning myself to be change- complete some tasks and get some things done. I started doing this on Dec.31,2011 it seems to be working for now. I’ve gotten a lot of little tedious task done and out of the way!

Maybe you can use this idea yourself.

Maybe you have an idea of your own and you can share it in the comments—


…1 more down 300 to go! Woot-woot!

~God Bless you and Thanks a bunch for reading!