The big TO-DO

How many people out there actually have a perfectly clean and organized home? Anyone?

ANYONE?

I have always, ALWAYS had an issue with cleaning and organizing. I've always loved a clean bathroom. Who doesn't love to take a shower in a clean, crisp shower? If anyone has ever been in my house, I'm famous for saying "Sorry about the mess, I'm lazy". True story. I'm incredibly lazy. But, I love clean. I'm a walking contradiction.

B and I recently bought new bedroom furniture, and, getting rid of the old stuff was a tad hinky. Yep. I said hinky. Right now our house is right out of an episode of Hoarders. In our Guest bedroom (a glorified catch all room), we have two nightstands and two lamps that used to be in our bedroom. We also have all of the other furniture that is meant to be in that room. We have an extra bookcase (fold-able, super cute and compact I'm thinking about painting it and sealing - it more on that later) that my mother-in-law gave us. We also have a taken apart bed frame to get rid of. There is sweeping to be done, and, floor steaming to do. PLUS, thanks to the super awesome Pinterest, I am going to use the self adhesive tiles that you can find at Home Depot and tile under my kitchen sink... I'm very excited about it.

Anyways, I'm very excited about re-organizing my home. I'm going to start by the broad picture. I'm going to purge my house. Getting rid of junk we don't need. I'll be taking pictures, providing I can find my camera.... and working through it, so, I'm HOPING that this will give me motivation to get it done. If you have any different and creative ideas on how to organize small spaces, please, let me know.

I'm VERY excited!  

Christmas Votive Holders

Christmas Candle Holders!

I found these pictures from Christmas time on my computer. I made this with the intention of making three, and, the intention of giving them to my Mom for her Christmas Party. Well, just like my cards... that never happened. Anyways. I just loved the idea of these, and, I'm probably going to finish them when the weather breaks and I can do this with an open window.

I started with an average run of the mill votive holder you can buy practically anywhere. I think I got three of these at Michael's. This would probably really neat as a jar for flour, or sugar or something.

Step one - tape off any part that you want to remain clear. If you are going to do a flour or sugar jar. It would be really neat to tape some kitchen stickers or matching (to the room decor) stencils to the jar. Oh, Maybe you could make like a really cute paperclip holder or embellishment jars! Anyways, that's enough.

Then, you spray it with the frosted spray paint I used the Krylon stuff (I think). It's what Michael's had. I just love how these looked. You have to let these dry for like 24 hours. I think I let mine dry for 2 days. Just to be safe. Then I removed the black paper. I'm thinking maybe stripes for the next one. Maybe I will vary the sizes. Or, I might take some painter's tape and rip it and then tape it to the top and spray the bottom so maybe it will look like snow? Enough with the ideas.

I cut this adorable little "Let it Snow!" out with my Cricut machine. Then I ran it though the little Xyron sticker maker and just stuck it to the glass. I wonder if the make colored frosted glass paint? I but this would be really pretty to put some snowflakes on it and then spray the blue around them. Ooh. Nice. I'm not even sure if you can light a candle in this with the stickery stuff on it, but, it's super cute. I'm all about filling it with an LED light. No flames, and no worries. Maybe I'll make a white one and fill it with cranberries and tinsel.

Seriously. This is my brain on crafts.

Shark Vac Then Steam - A Review

Have you seen this product? I saw this on TV a few months ago, and being the owner of a home with almost no carpet, I was instantely interested. I never believe commercials for these kind of products when they come on, but, I just couldn't help myself.

I'm not sure why I do this, but, I hardly ever buy myself something that I really want. I got this for Christmas this year. I was SO excited! We have all hardwood floors, and, I'm always scared that something will damage them. I love them, they are gorgeous and I want them in tip top shape.





I finally just the opportunity to use it (I've been really sick, yuck!) this past week. Let me just say - our floors have NEVER been cleaner. This product is like magic! It does exactly as the name says. It is a hard floor vacuum first, then, it's a lovely steam mop.

We have a very hairy dog. When I say hairy, I mean HAIRY. There are clumps of nasty dog hair everywhere in my house. GROSS! This thing sucked up all the hair in my living room, dining room, and kitchen. Yes, Kitchen. I have to sweep it ALL the time. It's nasty, and, I really don't want dog hair in my food. It collected all of the hair, SO much better than sweeping!

After sucking up all of the hair on the main floor of my house, I went room by room to try out the steam mop. Boy, am I glad I did!! In the fall and winter time, our entry way gets really dirty. It gets dirty in spring and summer too, but, will the rain and snow in the fall, it's worse. Anyways, it cleaned the entryway like it was nothing! I usually use the Swiffer WetJet, but, I've been really, really lazy lately. In my lazy time, it's gotten really nasty. Same thing goes for where the dog's water bowl is. That spot is nasty. B (my husband) put a paper towel underneath of it. That was stuck to the floor. The steam mop got that, too! So, in it's place I put down an old plastic placemat I got as a gift.

All in all, if you or anyone you know has all hard floors and only a bit of carpet (like me), this product is highly recommended!

I may never sweep again. 

Here is the link to Bed, Bath and Beyond... Vac then Steam

Skin So Soft and Elbow Grease

Has anyone ever used Skin So Soft for anything other than amazingly soft skin? I recently found a GIANT list online of uses for SSS (http://www.beckysbiz.com/skinsosoft.htm). This Avon classic, and, my new household staple. I read that you can use it as a cleaner for the hood above your stove (or in my case - cook top). The dirt and general nastiness ont the hood is sticky and difficult to remove. I have tried numerous cleaners and things. So, today, I run upstairs and I grab my little spray bottle of skin so soft and I spray away. I've never been so happy to clean. This made the greasy-stickiness come right off!

As some of you may or may not know, my house was burglarized in December, and, the police were out the the fingerprinting dust. That stuff does not come off. No matter what they tell you. So, I thought, well... if it works so well on the stove maybe it will work on the window sill. With a little bit of elbow grease and some skin so soft, My loevly white whooden window sills are white again!

Today rules.

COOKIE RECIPE!

I got this recipe from The Food Network, but, the cookies are amazing! I tweak them a little myself.
In some batches I substitute the whole bag if chocolate chips for 1/2 bag (12 oz bag) of peanut butter chips and 1/2 bag (12 oz bag) of milk chocolate chips and a few marshmallows.
For regular chocolate chips cookies, I use 1/2 bag (12 oz bag) of Milk Chocolate Chips, and, 1/2 bag (12 oz bag) of Mini Semi-sweet chocolate chips.
I have also used 1/2 bag (12 oz bag) of Milk chocolate M&M's and 1/2 bag (12 oz bag) of milk chocolate chips.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (I use I Can't Believe It's Not Butter)
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup of sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 oz of chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk chocolate, etc.)
2 1/4 cups all- purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt

Pre heat your oven to 375 degrees F. Set up two baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl, covered. Cool slightly.

Whisk the sugars, eggs, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. In a separate bowl, whick the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, do not over mix. (The original says with a wooden spoon)

Stir in the chocolate chips, chunks, or, whatever you are putting in the cookies.

Scoop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared pans. I usually scoop the dough into my hands, and, I make them into balls (this way they come out to be beautiful, round cookies).

Bake the cookies until golden, but, still soft - about 12 to 16 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Serve.

These are SO good! I highly recommend these cookies.

Happy Birthday, Ian!

Happy Birthday, Ian!!

Here are just a few pictures I captured of Ian's birthday party.

This is Kiley, Ian's little sister. She is with my Dad, if he has been on the corner of a couch, they would both be asleep!

Post one

I'm starting this blog because of Soft Scrub. Funny thing is, I have always wanted to write. And... soft scrub fueled my passion.

My little rant about soft scrub....

Let me start by saying that I don't really like to clean. Or, well, I don't like to start cleaning. I have tried all kinds of cleaning products to clean my shower. I have white tile, and, it's pretty hard to keep clean.

One of the things I tried is a combination of Krud Kutter (from Home Depot) and the lovely Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. That would do the trick, and REALLY well I might add, but, the Krud Kutter smells terrible! You cannot use it without opening a window. Which means it's pretty useless in Maryland from October to March. Plus, I feel like it's chafing my fingers. That is not ok with a pretty manicure!

Anyways, Soft Scrub makes everything so much better, I spray it on rub it in, and rinse it off. Ah-mazing! I can get back to my fulfilling life of sitting on the couch and watching TV.

Thank you, Makers of Soft Scrub for being AWESOME!

Sorry my first post is kind of short and boring, but, this is my first post - ever! I will be posting recipes as I make new things, cleaning products as I find new awesome things, etc.