I’m still trying to get back into the swing of things after a very crazy summer, so I apologize for the lack of posts. But I figured we can jump right back in with Tidy Tuesday to get things rolling. This week is all about cleaning windows. Now if you are a good housekeeper (which I am NOT, but that’s alright), you probably clean your main windows almost every day. Ones like sliding glass doors, livingroom windows, etc. The windows which get fingerprints on them seconds after you walk away. So for those of you who keep up with the daily stuff, your challenge this week is to clean up those windows you don’t see as often. This could be windows in a spare bedroom, windows you need a chair to see out of, ones hidden by curtains most the time, and so on. For the rest of us, the challenge is getting ALL the windows done, including...
Finally, the house is almost back in order from the remodeling. The last task that will be done in the next few weeks is laying the carpet. Since it’s being professionally installed, we’ll have people moving heavy items for us. However, as it stands right now, there would be an avalanche if someone attempted to move my desk. So this week the focus will be on cleaning off my desk, including the top shelves and every single cubby. Not something I’m looking forward to, but it needs to be done. Unless I want a huge mess on my hands that is. Post your progress come next Tuesday! Read More →
This week I’m giving you all a break. My house is still in pieces and it’s hard to do any “normal” tasks or organization right now. So instead I’m going to pass on a very quick and useful tip my mom taught me. If you use SOS pads for any reason, you know how they can get pretty nasty sitting on a sink or counter. They just flat out don’t keep and will get rusted just sitting out in the open. Unless you put them back in the box. Yes that’s right, you can save an SOS pad from getting rusted by simply putting it back in the box with the others. You would think it messes up the others in the box, but it doesn’t. They all keep just perfect in the box. So there’s your quick tip for the day. Enjoy! Read More →
Looking around my house I see a cluttered mess. Since we are remodeling (I know, reminding you all of that fact is getting old), there are boxes stacked everywhere. If not for the “lived in” look in other parts of the house, you’d swear we just moved in. Some of this I can’t blame on the construction though. For example, there are two very large bins with stuff the kids bring home from school sitting in the hall near the bathroom. Do those really need to be there? No, not really. This week I’ll be working on clearing my hallways and corners, making sure things are put away once and for all. I have a storage room, so really there shouldn’t be things just sitting out (the storage room is either a very small bedroom or a very large closet with a whole lot of shelves). I’ll hope you’ll be joining...
This week’s Frugal Friday tip may seem a bit strange to you. After all, buying in bulk can usually save you quite a lot of money over time. You are right, it can. But only if you are buying certain things. Non-perishable such as paper towels and canned goods are great things to buy in bulk. Certain foods and items with expiration dates are not. For example, we do not buy gallons of milk because we can’t use it all before it goes bad. Granted the half gallons are not as cost effective, but they are when we would be dumping the rest of a gallon. Stocking up on certain snack foods just because they are on sale isn’t usually a good idea either, since we tend to eat more if it’s sitting in our kitchen. In the past I’ve bought several boxes of toaster pastries when they were on sale, but the kids had them gone in no...
Are your kids spoiled like mine are? If so, you probably have toys scattered EVERYWHERE. Well this week I’m going to do something about it. Since we are still remodeling, I’ve got to get the kids rooms completely empty very soon (yes they are STILL in my room, but hopefully almost done). We’ve been collecting boxes from family members so that all toys can find a home. If we have time (and the energy), we’ll also do some sorting, putting all similar toys in the same box (we already do this with several things – my daughter’s Littlest Pet Shop, my son’s cars, and a few other things). In addition to boxing everything up (stuffed animals included), we’ll be throwing some things away or giving them away. Seriously we have just way too much stuff and it’s time to downsize a bit. Even clean...
Last week I probably should have picked something a little shorter and easier for a weekly challenge. Not only was I late getting started because last Tuesday was so hectic, but we had a holiday weekend in there too. I’m sure there were quite a few of you who had a busy week or weekend too, so we’ll give this another shot. This week’s tidy Tuesday challenge is to get caught up on your laundry. I won’t hold it against you if you leave a few half a load or so in the laundry basket, but for the most part it should be mostly caught up. This means all hampers in the house should be empty (luckily we only have one), and all clothes picked up off the floor. Since some of us are way behind, I’ll leave the putting away part up to you. Right now I’m going to be the mean mom and make the kids put their clothes away...
Forgive this for being a day late, but we’ll just say “life got in the way” yesterday. Oh what a crazy day it was! I’m sure we all have days like that, right? Anyway, this week will be dedicated to laundry catch up. I don’t know how it happens as we do laundry almost every day, but it still gets piled up. Regardless, it’s time to dwindle that pile down to nothing. I’m tired of there never being any towels clean! To get as much as we possibly can done in the next week, we’ll have to do at least two loads every single day. The kids will have to chip in too, putting away their clothes as they come out of the dryer. Mine unfortunately (or maybe not, he he) will have to stay in a pile in the laundry room. I have no use of my closet right now due to construction in my room. Darn. =P The biggest challenge...
With all the remodeling and rearranging we’ve had to do the last few weeks, the kitchen has been a little neglected. The laundry too, but that’s never ending. For as little as we’ve cooked the past few weeks, it sure is a mess! This week while my bedroom is still in pieces (I did manage to find my bed last night though – another night on the couch was not a pleasant thought!), I’ll be working on the kitchen. This includes all of the following: - Doing the dishes - Cleaning off counters (are you guilty like me of leaving out things like flour?) - Scrubbing counter tops, cupboards, and appliances (don’t forget inside the microwave!) - Cleaning out the fridge - Sweeping and mopping the floor (when was the last time YOU mopped?) - Cleaning under/behind the stove and fridge, time permitting The chances of me...
The goal of any remodeling is to make your house more comfortable and nicer looking than before. But I’m quickly remembering the royal pain it can be while it’s being done. You see we started on my bedroom yesterday. Not only is there a huge mess right now, but I also don’t have use of my bed. My nice, cozy bed. *Sigh*. Already having sleeping issues, a night on the couch was not pleasant. I sit here hardly able to form coherent thoughts. I woke up a few times, as if my body was trying to tell me “hey you fell asleep on the couch – go upstairs and go to bed”. Well that would have been great if my room wasn’t in pieces and my bed buried under clothes and plastic. So a word to the wise. When you remodel and hire someone, make sure there’s backup plans in place just in case they don’t...
