This week marks the start of another school year. Big Brother started 3rd grade on Monday, and while that has made running errands a slightly easier task (no one begging to be at home rather than running errands) it has really made for an interesting adjustment to my schedule. I wish I would have known before Thursday last week that I’d be getting up as early as I am!! Sissy’s schedule is equally as messed up, and since I’m not the type to engage in the Cry-it-out method, I have to work a little harder to get her into a new regular schedule. Because of the changes, my schedule was thrown a little out of whack, but I think with a little luck and a super-cooperative Sissy, I should be able to play catch-up with a few items that I should have done already this week.
I am in the process of creating instructions for the curtains that I have made for the girls’ room. So I’ll be adding that shortly. I’ve found all sorts of other craftsy things that I want to try out, but I MUST finish with our bedroom curtains first before I move on to other little projects. One thing I’d like to do is make a sample dress to try to convince hubby that I should make rather than buy a “one-wear-pregnant-ball dress”. I am having a hard time finding the look I want for a price I feel comfortable paying to only wear the dress one time! (Well, we’re assuming I’m only wearing it once!) I have no pattern for what I have in my head, but I think I can manage to combine the elements I’m envisioning from pieces in my current maternity wardrobe into a dress that will give me that super-pregnant-glow (although the whole pregnant thing will be hard to miss since I’ll be a few weeks shy of my due date by the time we get to this point!) YIKES!
Well, I’m off to conserve some energy by running a load of wash in the middle of the night!
Until Later,
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
Dusting: A Love Hate Relationship
One of the most frustrating domestic tasks for me is dusting! I can remember back to when I was a kid and my “job” on Saturday morning was dusting. In fact, the hutch that we now have in our home is the same hutch that I used to have to dust on Saturday morning. It’s a beautiful hutch and displays our wedding memorabilia, but it, and everything else in our home, harbors dust like there is no tomorrow!
Monday is my weekly dusting and bed-clothes changing day. I feel it sets the tone for the week. We spend longer amounts of time in the house during the weekend. Between my husband’s hectic work-week schedule and my need for serious down-time on the weekends, we tend to “hang out” together, have game and movie nights, and things like that. I’ve come to the conclusion that if I spend time daily on particular weekly tasks, rather than attempt to fully clean various rooms in the house in a day, I’ll not only save time, but I’ll be less likely to decide that any-given room can wait until another week.
Last week I ran myself out of dusting spray. Then while I made a killing on grocery shopping, I couldn’t find the brand of spray that I had a coupon for. So I went on a search this morning to find the best way to dust without a commercial dust spray. I found several options, one of which I could use this week because I couldn’t find my spare spray bottle. I will share my finds, but I would also like to ask for feedback, because I am struggling with what is the best way to reduce the amount of dust that hangs around after the act of dusting. So please, any thoughts??
The first method I was able to locate was The Damp Cloth method. I found this method straight out of my favorite book, Home Comforts: The Art & Science of Keeping House by Cheryl Mendelson. Take a clean rag made of natural fibers, wet it slightly with tap water (distilled water is recommended for valuable antiques) ring it out until the cloth is barely wet and leaves no trace of water when wiped across any surfaces. Proceed to dust top to bottom all dustable surfaces in the usual way, folding the cloth to new clean areas and getting a new cloth when necessary. This was the method I was forced to use since I couldn’t find a spray bottle. I found that it worked just fine, although I still had issues with dust falling back down to the areas I had dusted within about an hour. (Which is still an issue I have with commercial spray as well.)
I also located several home-made cleaner methods. But alas, I cannot say how well any of these recipes worked or didn’t work, although I aim to find out in the coming weeks.
*Oil & Vinegar Recipe (found on eHow.com)
Combine ½ tsp. light olive oil with ¼ cup white vinegar in a 1-quart container, filling the remainder of the container with water. Shake well to combine all ingredients. You may need to shake the container throughout the dusting process to prevent separation.
*Lemon Oil (found on eartheasy.com)
Combine a few drops of lemon oil with ½ cup of warm water in a spray bottle. Shake well to combine ingredients. Use to dust and polish varnished furniture.
*The Dust Sock (found on thedietcokediet.com)
Take an athletic sock, preferably one that no longer has a mate or will not be missed by any family members) turn it inside out and place on your hand. Mist the outside of the sock so it is damp on the outside, but not wet on the inside. Rotate the sock to the clean side as needed during regular dusting.
*Liquid Fabric Softener (found on thrifty fun.com)
Mix 1 part liquid fabric softener to 4 parts water in a spray bottle. Spray directly to dust rag; dust in your usual way.
*Mineral or Plant Oils
Mineral Oil and Plant Oils, such as orange or lemon oil, can also be used to polish wood.
Cheryl Mendelson mentions that you can put a drop or two of lemon or mineral oil on your dust cloth to be used on wood possessions, being careful not to allow it to leave an oily film, as dust is attracted to oily films. (Maybe this was my problem with commercial sprays?)
*Vinegar (found on greenyour.com)
Use a rag dipped in vinegar to clean plastic surfaces, ceiling fan blades, and dust collecting areas such as the tops of fridges and vent hoods.
*Furniture Polish (also found on greenyour.com)
Equal parts white vinegar (or lemon juice) and olive oil shaken together make an excellent wood polish, use similar to Old English by buffing on to the surface with a clean rag until absorbed and wiping off excess with a second clean rag to remove any residue.
While I was able to sufficiently do the job today with just a damp cloth, and I can usually buy my commercial dust spray for little or nothing. I am very interested in trying each of these methods to see which method will help repel dust rather than just let it settle back down again. I am also interested in any feedback you, my readers, have with regards to methods you use and what you find works best for you!
*Methods I have not tried as of Aug 15, 2011 and cannot attest to their usefulness at this point.
Monday is my weekly dusting and bed-clothes changing day. I feel it sets the tone for the week. We spend longer amounts of time in the house during the weekend. Between my husband’s hectic work-week schedule and my need for serious down-time on the weekends, we tend to “hang out” together, have game and movie nights, and things like that. I’ve come to the conclusion that if I spend time daily on particular weekly tasks, rather than attempt to fully clean various rooms in the house in a day, I’ll not only save time, but I’ll be less likely to decide that any-given room can wait until another week.
Last week I ran myself out of dusting spray. Then while I made a killing on grocery shopping, I couldn’t find the brand of spray that I had a coupon for. So I went on a search this morning to find the best way to dust without a commercial dust spray. I found several options, one of which I could use this week because I couldn’t find my spare spray bottle. I will share my finds, but I would also like to ask for feedback, because I am struggling with what is the best way to reduce the amount of dust that hangs around after the act of dusting. So please, any thoughts??
The first method I was able to locate was The Damp Cloth method. I found this method straight out of my favorite book, Home Comforts: The Art & Science of Keeping House by Cheryl Mendelson. Take a clean rag made of natural fibers, wet it slightly with tap water (distilled water is recommended for valuable antiques) ring it out until the cloth is barely wet and leaves no trace of water when wiped across any surfaces. Proceed to dust top to bottom all dustable surfaces in the usual way, folding the cloth to new clean areas and getting a new cloth when necessary. This was the method I was forced to use since I couldn’t find a spray bottle. I found that it worked just fine, although I still had issues with dust falling back down to the areas I had dusted within about an hour. (Which is still an issue I have with commercial spray as well.)
I also located several home-made cleaner methods. But alas, I cannot say how well any of these recipes worked or didn’t work, although I aim to find out in the coming weeks.
*Oil & Vinegar Recipe (found on eHow.com)
Combine ½ tsp. light olive oil with ¼ cup white vinegar in a 1-quart container, filling the remainder of the container with water. Shake well to combine all ingredients. You may need to shake the container throughout the dusting process to prevent separation.
*Lemon Oil (found on eartheasy.com)
Combine a few drops of lemon oil with ½ cup of warm water in a spray bottle. Shake well to combine ingredients. Use to dust and polish varnished furniture.
*The Dust Sock (found on thedietcokediet.com)
Take an athletic sock, preferably one that no longer has a mate or will not be missed by any family members) turn it inside out and place on your hand. Mist the outside of the sock so it is damp on the outside, but not wet on the inside. Rotate the sock to the clean side as needed during regular dusting.
*Liquid Fabric Softener (found on thrifty fun.com)
Mix 1 part liquid fabric softener to 4 parts water in a spray bottle. Spray directly to dust rag; dust in your usual way.
*Mineral or Plant Oils
Mineral Oil and Plant Oils, such as orange or lemon oil, can also be used to polish wood.
Cheryl Mendelson mentions that you can put a drop or two of lemon or mineral oil on your dust cloth to be used on wood possessions, being careful not to allow it to leave an oily film, as dust is attracted to oily films. (Maybe this was my problem with commercial sprays?)
*Vinegar (found on greenyour.com)
Use a rag dipped in vinegar to clean plastic surfaces, ceiling fan blades, and dust collecting areas such as the tops of fridges and vent hoods.
*Furniture Polish (also found on greenyour.com)
Equal parts white vinegar (or lemon juice) and olive oil shaken together make an excellent wood polish, use similar to Old English by buffing on to the surface with a clean rag until absorbed and wiping off excess with a second clean rag to remove any residue.
While I was able to sufficiently do the job today with just a damp cloth, and I can usually buy my commercial dust spray for little or nothing. I am very interested in trying each of these methods to see which method will help repel dust rather than just let it settle back down again. I am also interested in any feedback you, my readers, have with regards to methods you use and what you find works best for you!
*Methods I have not tried as of Aug 15, 2011 and cannot attest to their usefulness at this point.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
What a week!
One week down with my new schedule. Let’s just say it needs a little more tweaking! For the most part, the weekly and monthly schedules fell into place fairly easily. I completely forgot about couponing, so I wound up “stealing” the better share of a whole day doing both couponing and planning our shopping trip. So I’ll need to actually schedule both tasks, rather than leave that up to chance. (On a side note, my couponing this week actually cut my grocery bill by about 46%. Pretty excited to see the cupboards and freezer so full and know that a little research and planning really can go a long way!! Excited to do it all over again next time around!!)
Carpet cleaning was my quarterly task that was difficult to fully complete according to my schedule. I’m not sure if it’s the level of “clean” that we got the house in, my slowing-pregnant body, or my zealous methods (I run the carpet cleaner with just water after I shampoo so it takes 2x as long), but most likely a combination of the three. Regardless, I’ll make adjustments to compensate for these issues going forward.
On a more fun note, I picked up and pre-washed the fabric for the girls’ room curtains. Both panels are ready to sew. The curtains are fairly simple. I’m not using a pattern. But as I finish them up, I’ll post basic instructions and pictures on Sunday.
Until later,
Carpet cleaning was my quarterly task that was difficult to fully complete according to my schedule. I’m not sure if it’s the level of “clean” that we got the house in, my slowing-pregnant body, or my zealous methods (I run the carpet cleaner with just water after I shampoo so it takes 2x as long), but most likely a combination of the three. Regardless, I’ll make adjustments to compensate for these issues going forward.
On a more fun note, I picked up and pre-washed the fabric for the girls’ room curtains. Both panels are ready to sew. The curtains are fairly simple. I’m not using a pattern. But as I finish them up, I’ll post basic instructions and pictures on Sunday.
Until later,
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Getting back into a routine
Here it is the end of the weekend and I have accomplished what I set out to accomplish! Hooray! I finished both painting projects I was working on and have placed each project in its rightful home. Here are some pictures of what I’ve been working on. Now to get back on track with the house and start my curtain projects!
One of my favorite books about homemaking is Home Comforts: The Art & Science of Keeping House by Cheryl Mendelson. Now, I have to admit that I’m still reading through the book front-to-back for the first time, but I have revisited different sections on more than one occasion, and have skipped forward and backward to various sections. I really enjoy how Cheryl gives a history of the hows and whys with her recommendations and methods. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone!
One of the topics she covers early on is easing into a schedule. Now that I have been without one for so long, too long really, her methods and lists have helped me compile a schedule and lists of my own. Since we‘ve moved, there are a few items that necessitate change in my schedule. Our home here is a lot bigger than it was at our last place! Nearly twice as big, it seems. So that means more to clean, and requires better cleaning schedule management. My husband’s daily work uniform has changed, which changes my laundry schedule requirements. And I’ve discovered certain energy conservation tips that I would like to incorporate into my schedule as well. Essentially, I had to completely revamp my schedule.
I’m still working out timing issues and will link to my schedules for anyone interested as I get them finished up. In the mean time, I will link to my overall household cleaning schedule that shows all items to be done and the daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly/seasonally rotation I keep for those items. Home Cleaning Schedule And I have also uploaded a couple of pictures of my finished painting projects for you to enjoy.
Have a fabulous day!!
Until later,
I've sponge painted matching dresser, book shelf, 2 wall shelves, and diaper changer for the girls' room. We also have a sizeable entryway now, so I painted our last name in individual letters to hang on the wall, here is a sampling.
One of my favorite books about homemaking is Home Comforts: The Art & Science of Keeping House by Cheryl Mendelson. Now, I have to admit that I’m still reading through the book front-to-back for the first time, but I have revisited different sections on more than one occasion, and have skipped forward and backward to various sections. I really enjoy how Cheryl gives a history of the hows and whys with her recommendations and methods. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone!
One of the topics she covers early on is easing into a schedule. Now that I have been without one for so long, too long really, her methods and lists have helped me compile a schedule and lists of my own. Since we‘ve moved, there are a few items that necessitate change in my schedule. Our home here is a lot bigger than it was at our last place! Nearly twice as big, it seems. So that means more to clean, and requires better cleaning schedule management. My husband’s daily work uniform has changed, which changes my laundry schedule requirements. And I’ve discovered certain energy conservation tips that I would like to incorporate into my schedule as well. Essentially, I had to completely revamp my schedule.
I’m still working out timing issues and will link to my schedules for anyone interested as I get them finished up. In the mean time, I will link to my overall household cleaning schedule that shows all items to be done and the daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly/seasonally rotation I keep for those items. Home Cleaning Schedule And I have also uploaded a couple of pictures of my finished painting projects for you to enjoy.
Have a fabulous day!!
Until later,
I've sponge painted matching dresser, book shelf, 2 wall shelves, and diaper changer for the girls' room. We also have a sizeable entryway now, so I painted our last name in individual letters to hang on the wall, here is a sampling.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Homemaker Hullabaloo is exactly what it is!!!
I love my job as a homemaker. I'm not always the best at it, but I do try to stay regular with the day to day of laundry, cleaning, and the like. I chose the blog name Homemaker Hullabaloo, because I so much of our family’s daily life seems to exude the very essence of the word “hullabaloo”. Yes! Our daily lives tend to be a lot of “commotion”, no matter how hard I try to infuse a regular routine. I definitely fall prey to odd jobs, errands, and little projects far too easily! Which in turn really mess with my routine efforts in the home. Sometimes I feel like my own worst enemy.
We're not terribly far away from the new baby arriving, so I've got lots of little projects going to prepare our home for her addition. Meanwhile, we've recently moved, and I have lots more space to decorate in this house, so I find myself needing to subscribe to Hobby Lobby Anonymous very easily! Then, of course, there are the normal errands, grocery shopping, doctor appointments, errands for my husband, and the like that wreak havoc with my schedule. I'm dying to get my household-schedule normalized again. Before we moved I had certain tasks I would do daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonally. Now, even though for the most part we’re settled, I just can’t get us or my homemaker tasks into a routine to save my life!!
I desperately need to finish up my painting projects, so I can move onto a couple of sewing projects…I’m very excited about those! Curtains for our room and the girls’ and bedding for the new baby’s crib. I’ll be finished with my painting projects by the end of the weekend, and sewing projects are so much easier to set aside than painting projects. I’ll finish off this week with a couple pictures of my finished products and next week my blog will consist of my adventures in getting back into a routine and regular domestic schedule. This should prove to be fairly interesting!
Until later,
We're not terribly far away from the new baby arriving, so I've got lots of little projects going to prepare our home for her addition. Meanwhile, we've recently moved, and I have lots more space to decorate in this house, so I find myself needing to subscribe to Hobby Lobby Anonymous very easily! Then, of course, there are the normal errands, grocery shopping, doctor appointments, errands for my husband, and the like that wreak havoc with my schedule. I'm dying to get my household-schedule normalized again. Before we moved I had certain tasks I would do daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonally. Now, even though for the most part we’re settled, I just can’t get us or my homemaker tasks into a routine to save my life!!
I desperately need to finish up my painting projects, so I can move onto a couple of sewing projects…I’m very excited about those! Curtains for our room and the girls’ and bedding for the new baby’s crib. I’ll be finished with my painting projects by the end of the weekend, and sewing projects are so much easier to set aside than painting projects. I’ll finish off this week with a couple pictures of my finished products and next week my blog will consist of my adventures in getting back into a routine and regular domestic schedule. This should prove to be fairly interesting!
Until later,
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Day One...
It's the end (well, close to the end) of my first blog day, and I feel somewhat accomplished. I'm a couple colors closer to being finished with the shelves and toy bins for the girls' room. (Which also puts my husband a day closer to "seeing the counter" again...I've hijacked the area for my crafts!) Ran some errands and made those delicious homemade chicken nuggets I saw on Gina's website http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/04/healthy-baked-chicken-nuggets.html OOOH LA LA!!! They were SO yummy!! I believe I'll use the same breading for chicken strips to use in some sandwich wraps.
Now it is time to relax and enjoy the little time I get with hubby in the evening.
Now it is time to relax and enjoy the little time I get with hubby in the evening.
My first blog post!
Well, I don't have much time right now, but I figured I should get something out on my blog. Now that I have one! Been a very busy day so far. Sissy was up early and I've been painting pieces to go in the girls' room. On our way out to errands and appointments. And tonight, it's homemade chicken nuggets!! I'll post more on that later...hopefully it will be a success story!!
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