This blew my mind!!!

KA-BOOM!
Maybe as we get older we get more skeptical but I thought there was NO WAY this was going to work. Here's how it went down:

Our new table for Carson had some scratches on it. I thought about picking up one of those stain pens or using a crayon . . . but then I remembered something about rubbing a walnut on the scratch ? ? . . . I was seriously skeptical, I grab a walnut out of the pantry and started rubbing the leg of the table.

I stopped dead, and started screaming for Lee (a little over dramatic in hindsight). Lee came running thinking I had just hurt myself or the house was on fire. Honestly he was a little angry I yelled so loud over nothing but I showed him what I was doing and how well it worked and he was so AMAZED, he forgot all about being mad at me.

We Rubbed the entire table with walnuts and there are NO MORE SCRATCHES at all!!! It was seriously amazing to me!
Here's the before and afters:

Isn't that amazing, we just rubbed it with a piece of walnut! I don't think I have ever impressed Lee more then I did that day! haha
Here's a close up:

There you have it . . . I hope you mind is sufficiently Blown! I'm not kidding I am still amazed! I think it has something to do with the oil in the nut . . . but I just chalk it up to MAGIC!!! Ta Da!

Besides the magical aspect of the walnut, I think I am so excited about this because it is such a natural way to get out scratches, no stain, no VOC's. It's as green as you can get!!!

Spring Cleaning Playlist

Just a quick weekend post!!!
In our Big Spring Cleaning post last week I mentioned I need some great* music to clean to.
*Great music in my opinion, my friends generally agree I have terrible taste in music.
I received a ton of emails (actually it was 3) asking for my Spring Cleaning Playlist, so here it is.
I LOVE country music (go ahead and judge me), and I love oldies (mostly Motown). I alternate between the two most of the time, with the occasional . . . oh so shameful . . . Backstreet Boys or TLC thrown in, a little Montel Jordan's "This is how we do it" never hurt anybody either ;).
Here's some of my favorite selections this year:

Spring Clean Check List { & Homemade Linen Spray}

Oh it's that time of year! I LOVE to spring clean. I love the way the house feels after I'm done.
So here's my Inside Spring Cleaning Guide (it's still WAY to cold to Spring Clean outside).

Spring Cleaning Must Haves:

• OXO Brushes, I love these brushes. I bought them at Target a couple of years ago and I use them all the time. They are way better then using an old toothbrush, the angled bristles and pointy rubber end come in handy cleaning everything, but especially the bathroom drains and around the faucet.

• Lemons
• Rubber Gloves (so important).
• Beeswax Wood Polish

• Homemade Cleaners

• Baking Soda
• Vinegar
• Vacuum (with attachments) 

 HOMEMADE LINEN SPRAY: 

-3 Tablespoons Vodka

-20-25 drops of essential oils (in any combination you choose) 

-Distilled Water (around a cup to a cup and a half).

Spring Cleaning To Do's:

Everywhere: 

• Windows . . . the bane of every spring cleaners existence. All the windows, and the windows sills.
• Floors, all the floors! ugg. . .that's mean, taking area rugs outside, sweeping and mopping all stone and wood floors. I remove all the furniture that can be moved by me, if Lee's home I'll get him to move some of the larger pieces around. Bonus Points awarded for cleaning under large pieces like the couch.
•  Dusting!! Double UGG . . . I always "dust" with the vacuum. I have some icky dust allergies to dusting the old fashioned way does not agree with me. I use the brush attachment and the upholstery attachment to dust everything!
• Use the brush attachment on your vacuum to clean your baseboards. 
• Wipe down all light switches with damp cloth and a bit of rubbing alcohol if your worried about germs.
• Wash all window treatments . . . I don't wash them though, I just run them over with the upholstery attachment on the vacuum, then give them a spritz of linen spray!
• Clean ,and re-pot if necessary, houseplants. I use a damp cloth and wipe the dust off the leaves.
• Change the batteries in the smoke detectors

Living Room: 

• Vacuum your couch, inside and out. Seriously get in there! 
• Clean slipcovers
• Clean fireplace glass
• Dust Picture Frames (I do that with a damp cloth).
• Apply wax to coffee table.

Kitchen: For a more detailed list, check out last years Kitchen Spring Cleaning Checklist found here.

• Re-seal grout
• Re-seal Granite
• If you have an older fridge that has uncovered coils you should definitely pull out your fridge and vacuum the dust off of the coils. 
• Take everything off of the counters and clean them (then re-seal them if they are stone).
• Clean your stove top, I use a mild dish detergent and a sponge with a scrubby on the back. 
• Clean your oven (hopefully it's self clean). 
• Take everything out of the Fridge and clean everything, every bin, every shelf. Bonus points for cleaning off the bottles of sauce.
• Disinfect the garbage bin, a cap full of bleach and some warm water should do it.
• Wipe down Pendant lights, and any other surface that grease can land on.
• Clean Microwave inside and out. (a bowl of water with Lemon slices, microwave for 30 seconds, and leave to steam in the microwave for 5 min, then wipe out with a damp sponge). 
• Polish all stainless steel and the chrome faucet!

Bedrooms:

• Wash all bed linen. 
• Vacuum Mattress
• Flip Mattress
• If your pillows are machine washable . . . wash them. If they aren't throw them into the dryer for 10 min or so to kill all the dust mites. Bonus Points for a quick spritz of linen spray before putting them into the dryer.
• Vacuum under the bed!

Bathrooms:

• Use the little OXO Brush to clean around the faucets and the drains. 
• Clean the mirrors.
• Clean the Toilet
• and the best tip I've ever found . . . to get all of the soap scum off of the shower glass, use a bounce sheet!!! Wet the shower walls and scrub with a bounce sheet, all the soap scum and water marks come off! It's amazing! But make sure to use gloves! 

So there it is! Our Spring Cleaning Checklist!

& Don't forget to Spring Clean the dog ;) A fresh groom and haircut was needed for Max!

SOY vs. Paraffin Wax Candles!

** Warning: This Post Smells . . . . . great!! **

Since we're trying to keep things green around here we've banned all room sprays and home air fresheners.

 I read an article that tested 14 different air fresheners , the study concluded that many contained chemicals that could cause developmental and reproductive problems, especially for infants. It highlighted the presence of phthalates, chemicals that manufacturers use as plastic softeners and to hold fragrances. California and Washington have banned the sale of children's toys containing phthalates because of their link to hormonal disruptions and I find it highly questionable that they wouldn't also ban air fresheners that contain the exact same chemical.

So no home air fresheners for us! Opening all the windows and doors is still my number one tip for scenting our home (no scent at all is the best scent for me). But during the Winter months opening all the windows for an hour or so isn't going to happen, so we needed to find a way to naturally scent our home without all the chemicals. In a perfect world I would bake a pie everyday and make our home smell like pie all the time, but I have neither the time, nor the waistline for that! 

Moving on, (mmmmmmmm . . . pie)

A few months ago I did some research on the subject and found that SOY candles are the best way to scent your home without all the chemicals.  Off on a mission I went looking for SOY candles and I found that . . . . . SOY candles are EXPENSIVE!! I had no idea. Paraffin Candles are remarkably cheaper than soy candles so I grabbed a $4 Paraffin Wax candles and came home content in the money I saved.

I smugly thought to myself "why would you spend twice as much for a soy candle?" So like the researcher I am, I looked it up!

Turns out there are A LOT of reasons to spend more on SOY!

SOY

• Soy wax is made from soybeans and vegetables, both renewable resources.
• Soy wax burns much cleaner and purer as it is all natural, non-toxic, and non-hazardous.
• This wax is biodegradable leading to reduced landfills.
• Soy wax residue can be washed away with warm water and soap.
• Purchasing soy products supports the soy farmers of America, which stimulates our economy and lessens dependence on international resources.

PARAFFIN

• Derived from petroleum, a limited resource
• The burning of paraffin wax contributes to indoor air contamination by emitting petro-chemicals causing soot deposits and carcinogenic particulate matter.
• This wax contains petroleum by-products and additives that inhibit biodegradability.
• Paraffin wax residue is quite troublesome, often impossible, to remove.
• Purchasing paraffin products not only supports our dependence on this crude oil but also supports an industry riddled with environmental faux pas.

So back to the store with my Paraffin Candle and receipt in hand to return my candle, and start the search again, this time for a soy candles at a reasonable price . . . I was the Goldilocks of Soy Candles for about a week straight. One smelt great but was too expensive, one was cheap but smelled awful, until finally a reasonably priced soy candle that smelt great, and I found it at HOMESENSE (Homegoods in the US) aaaahhhhhh . . . just right.

Therepe Fresh        Sunwashed Linen! It smells lovely, not too much scent but just enough. And it burns evenly there is nothing I hate more than a candle that burns a hole straight down leaving walls of un-burnt candles wax . . . what a waste. But this one burnt all the wax up!

And remember that expensive but amazing smelling Soy Candle . . . it's from KISS MY FACE and it smells so amazing I could eat it. It is a bit pricey at $15 a candle. But still, I could smell it for dinner, seriously no dinner just candle smell! :)

If anyone has any suggestions on where to find well priced soy candles I'm all ears!! Share the smelly savings!! :)

I was in no way paid or perk'd for this post I just LOVE these candles.

Homemade Cleaners: Green Cleaning Recipes

Since we started making our own Laundry Soap it only seemed natural to start making our own cleaners too. Not only for the natural aspect of it, but for the savings. Homemade cleaners can be up to 95% cheaper than store bought cleaners. Savings also come from getting the best efficiency from your appliances, you must keep them clean and in good working order. 

When we moved last October I picked up some of Martha Stewart's cleaners. They worked great but at over $5 a bottle I thought I could do better. Now we make our own and funnel it into Martha's Spray Bottles because they are the perfect shape, they are tall and slim and take up very little space.

Homemade Cleaning Supplies:

• Vinegar
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Baking Soda
• Borax
• Washing Soda
• Castile Soap (Dr.Brommers)
• Dish Soap
• WATER
• Citrus
• Olive Oil
• Tea Tree Oil

The Manor's All Purpose Cleaner:
1/2 cup Warm Water
1/2 cup Vinegar
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
15 drops Tea Tree Oil
The Tea Tree oil makes this cleaner a germicide, fungicide and anti bacterial. It's great for wiping down counters, and is especially useful during the cold and flu season, I squirt a cloth with it, then go around the house wiping down door knobs and light switches.
or
1 tsp Borax
2 Tbsp Vinegar
1/2 tsp Washing Soda
1/2 tsp Castile Soap
20 drops Tea Tree Oil
2 Cups Hot Water
We've used both recipes, I just like the top one because it's easier to make. I like this second recipe for cleaning shelves in the fridge or dirty sinks, anything in need a little more power (I sound like Tim Allen, "More Power")

Grease Cutter:
2 Cups warm water
1/4 Cup Castile Soap (we use Dr.Brommers)
10 Drops essential oil, we use Lemon
Mix together in a spray bottle and spray on surface, let sit for a few seconds then wipe off with a damp sponge.

Garbage Disposal Deodorizer:
After we use a lemon we cut it into strips, then cut the pulp out, and throw it down the garborator, with a sprinkle of baking soda and a dash of vinegar, works like a charm!

Microwave Cleaner: (you've probably heard this one before but it works amazingly well)
A bowl of warm water, with lemon slices. Put the bowl in the microwave and cook it for 1 minute. After it's done 'cooking' Let it sit in the microwave for 3 more minutes, then wipe it out with a damp sponge, the steam makes it so easy to clean!!

Toilet Bowl Cleaner:
1 Cup Borax
1/4 Cup Vinegar
Mix together in a cup then pour into toilet. Let sit for 15 min, then scrub. Works great, I've also used plain old liquid dish detergent and it worked fine too, the borax give you a bit more scrubbing power!

Window Cleaner:
I haven't been able to find a glass cleaner that works as well as commercial glass cleaners, so I still buy my glass cleaner. I usually buy Seventh Generation (I still decant it into the Martha Stewart Cleaner bottles).
For the outside of windows, about 3 times a year we mix up a batch of
2 cups Water
3 Tbsp Vinegar
1/2 tsp Liquid Dish Detergent
Mix it all together in a bucket, use a sponge to scrub the windows, and hose off!

Carpet Stain Remover:
First try to get as much up as possible, and any "chunks"
Next, sprinkle corn starch or baking soda on the spot to absorb some of the stain
Combine 1Tbsp Clear Dish washing Liquid, with 2 tbsps Vinegar, add 2 cups warm water, and blot stain. It's simple but it works just as well as any store bought carpet cleaner!

Carpet Re-Fresher:
About once a month, I sprinkle baking soda all over the carpet, leave it for about 30 minutes then vacuum it up. It pulls out any smells, and leaves the carpet nice and fresh!

Among other reasons for not using Commercial Air Fresheners, they are full of phthalates, chemicals that manufacturers use as plastic softeners and to hold fragrances. California and Washington have banned the sale of children's toys containing phthalates because of their link to hormonal disruptions in additional studies on animals. Which raises concerns for me over why phthalates weren't banned from air fresheners too??? Solid Air Fresheners contain pollutants that can damage the lungs is inhaled in higher concentrations, and if ingested by children or pets, they can be poisonous and even fatal.

Homemade Room Spray:
3/4 cup Filtered Water
2/3 cup either rubbing alcohol or vodka (use the cheap stuff :)
15 drops scented oil (we use lavender) (or Vanilla)
12 drops complimenting scented oil (grapefruit is good) (or Orange extract)
Shake it all together in a spray bottle (a plant mister works even better).

Wow that was A LOT of information. I hope you found that useful!
Cleaning with natural solutions keeps your homes connection to nature, just like we resonate with natural materials when we decorate, it's the same idea when we clean with natural solutions, it just feels right, and good! There's a reason we don't feel cozy and warm at the public pool . . . too many chemicals (and old men in speedos hehe)

My Towel Philosophy!

I'm working on our Homemade Cleaners Post! It's almost ready :) It'll be up tomorrow!

In the meantime, I thought I'd share my philosophy on towels. Only a Housewife would have a philosophy on towels (or this housewife does anyways).
We use to have multiple colors of towels, yellow, green, blue, turq. Some with decorative trim, some with fancy stitching, none of them matching.
And since it's not good to wash towels with clothes (all the shedding fluff) I was having to wash small little loads of towels at a time, until I gave up and started washing all the towels together regardless of color and trim, a melting pot of towels as it were.
Pretty soon, i.e. after one wash, the colors all bled into each other and the dark towels ended up covered in white fluff, and the light towels ended up tie dyed.
After living with the consequences of my actions for a week I cut everyone up (rags for Lee in the garage) and bought all new towels, WHITE towels!
Now I can throw all the bath towels, face cloths, and hand towels, from every bathroom together in one load. I wash them in HOT water and even add a touch of bleach once or twice a year, worry free.

(Ignore the iron in the picture, I don't iron my towels, that's crazy!!!)

It sounds like a lot of thought for something as simple as towels, but it's the little things that make HUGE differences in our day to day life and washing towels was one of those things that was driving me crazy! It's been a full two years since I went on a towel chopping rampage and I've never looked back. Having all white towels has made laundry day a lot easier.
And there's something so serene about a bathroom full of freshly washed, and folded white towels.

The Towels we use around The Manor are the $2+ towels from Walmart. You know the super cheap $2 towels on their stands, those are our towels. Don't let their scratchy exterior fool you, once you get them home and in the wash with a little vinegar as a fabric softener, they are the Perfect towel!
Not too big, not too small, not too soft, not too hard, just right. That's right I'm the goldilocks of towels :)
I don't like big bath towels because I can't wrap one around my hair, and if you do get it to stay it's super heavy and hurts your neck!
I also can't stand big squishy towels that don't absorb anthing, and just push water around while you try to dry off.
If you sound like me Buy one, give it a try, if you hate it your only out $2. But I think you'll like 'em!

And that's my Towel Philosophy! All White makes for easy laundry!

PINK Shelf Liner and One more Organized Cabinet!

It's pretty obvious that Lee's the one who picked out our self liner for under the sink! Just Kidding!
But what a great husband who takes the time to install his wife's PINK shelf liner :)

He even took the time to install is around the pipes, I would have just cut a big circle around it and called it a day.

I think that shelf  liner is great for the messy area under the sink. We keep our recycling under there and sometimes sticky pop cans leave their residue on the shelf, messy cleaners and dishwasher detergent ends up on there too. So to protect the shelf and add a cute pop of color shelf liner was our solution!
This pretty pink liner came from Michaels, on sale for $2.50 a roll!

Lee installed the recycling bin, it's from Ikea and it pulls out on rollers for easier access. It's awesome, it makes getting the recycling in and out a breeze. Because of our awkward corner cabinet it was a bit of a chore before. 

The we added an adjustable under the sink organizer. In my opinion it's the best way to organize under the sink, it has removable slats so that you can fit it around sink pipes or in our case the garburator!  It makes the best use of space under there!

Here's the break down of what we have under there:

1. Palmolive Eco Dish Detergent: It's really affordable, works well and is phosphate free so it doesn't pollute rivers and streams.
2. Fruit and Veggie Wash from Nature Clean.
3. Our Martha Stewart Cleaner Bottles. When we first moved in I bought some of Martha's new cleaning products from Home Depot. Once we ran out I started refilling them with Homemade solutions. The bottles are fantastic they are super thin so they line up together perfectly and don't take up a ton of room! I'll definitely be keeping these bottles and refilling them month after month!
Look for our post on Homemade Cleaning Products later this week.
4. Dawn Pure Essentials, I had a coupon for Dawn and their pure essentials line is free of extra ingredients like dyes, and their bottle is made with 25% post consumer recycled material.
5. My Houseplant care kit! I keep a set of scissors, fertilizer, gnat fly traps, little measuring spoons for fertilizer, a microfiber cloth for wiping dust off of leaves.
6. Baking Soda!!! I keep it in a little mason jar to avoid the half opened box sitting under the sink waiting to get knocked over every time you go in there.

We also have a little dustpan under there, it's from the Dollar Store (Dollarama if your  in BC) and we used a 3M hook to hang it from the cabinet door.

And that our newly organized . . . I should say finally organized cabinet. We squeezed every bit of storage out of that awkward corner cabinet.

**All opinions on products are my own I was in no way compensated for this post, these are the products I use, and wanted to share with you!

Cleaning Schedule

First, THANK YOU so much for all of your input on yesterday's post, I was blown away by the feedback! It was super helpful! I think at this point I'm going to sew the quilt then decide where to go from there, but I can guarantee they'll be some color!

One of the questions I get asked the most is about my cleaning schedule.
.
Short answer: Yes I do, but it's not set in stone. It's fluid, if something doesn't get done on the day it should it just gets moved to the next day. What's that they say "A clean house is a sure sign of a wasted life" I don't believe that! But I'm also not going to turn down a shopping day with the girls because I had it written on the calendar that today I'm going to vacuum the steps!

The Daily Grind:
~ Load the dishwasher
~ Wipe down the counters
~ Tidy the living room, fluff the pillows
~ Make the bed (most days :)
~ Pick up Lee's dirty clothes from beside the laundry bin (seriously . . . right beside the bin)
~ Walk the dog, poop patrol in the backyard.
~ Water the garden
~ and a million other things that seem to pop up everyday!

Here is how I organize my days:

Monday:
Clean out the fridge and figure out what we need from the grocery store.
Grocery Shop!
Clean up from the weekend. I do the bare minimum on the weekends, just dishes. So by the time that Monday comes the house could use a little TLC. I walk around picking up all the empty booze bottles off the floor and clean liquor off the counters from all the weekend body shots . . . just kidding! Monday usually involves picking up rouge socks from the floor and washing guest room sheets from weekend visitors.
Monday is also my day to tend to houseplants. I water them, wipe down their leaves, fertilize them every two weeks, and clip off dead foliage.
Monday is also bill paying day.

Tuesday:
Main floor cleaning day. Vacuum the living room and library,  sweep and mop all wood and stone flooring.
Wipe down kitchen cupboard doors, clean all the stainless steel in the kitchen (fridge, stove, dishwasher) Deodorize the garbage disposal (a little bit of lemon does wonders).
Remove everything from Kitchen counters, and wipe down. Clean Stove top.
Dust main floor.
Clean Main floor bathroom.

Wednesday:
LAUNDRY
Ironing, folding etc . . .
Wednesday's is also the day I tackle what ever monthly chores there are (i.e. windows, gardening, seasonal things)
Wednesday's are also the chance I have to tackle sewing, knitting or organizing projects, or just catch up on blog work.
Most importantly Wednesday is the day that I bake, usually it's bread and something yummy for dessert!

Thursday:
Upstairs cleaning day.  Just like Tuesday is our main floor cleaning day, Thursday is our upper floor cleaning day.
The sheets get pulled off and washed, all the carpets get vacuumed including the stairs and everything gets dusted.
Both the upstairs bathrooms get cleaned. All the laundry from Wednesday gets put away, and both of our closets get a tidy!

Friday:
Back to the main floor for a 'surface clean' because heaven knows it's messy already. Then the rest of Friday is spent getting ready for the weekend. If we're having people over it's spent preparing food and guest rooms, if we're going away for the weekend it's spent packing suitcases and making food for the trip.

I hope that was helpful, this cleaning system really works for me. This way I'm not doing the same thing over and over again. I clean the kitchen cabinets once a week so if I see a little smudge on the door I don't drop what I'm doing to clean it because I know that on Tuesday that will get clean. I don't worry about the full laundry bins because I know that Wednesday it gets done!

When my house is clean, I feel calm and in control. When my house is messy I feel like a mess. The schedule keeps me sane and my house clean!  It doesn't have to be my schedule but I think a cleaning system is a neccessity, try it out, it makes a huge difference!

btw ~ I've recently started making my own cleaners so if you're interested look for a post on that
Next Week!

Spring Cleaning: The never ending saga continues

Spring cleaning is still happening around The Manor this week, with the house being twice the size of our old house it's taking me three times as long as the old house (I never was any good at Math).
This is the LAST week of spring cleaning!
Finally finished the Kitchen:

• The stainless has been polished, the cupboards washed down, the fridge is clean and organized, the counters have been re-sealed (to read more about sealing granite follow the link). The floors have been scrubbed, and the stove taken apart and cleaned inside and out, the last thing to do is polish the pots and pans, Look for that post tomorrow!

• The Living Room coffee table was in desperate need of some wax, so he got waxed today :) We use Clapham's Beeswax Polish, it works great!!!

• I tore apart the couch to vacuum under the cushions. We pulled the couch off the wall and vacuumed behind it! 

• We cleaned the TV screen. Our TV is an LCD model and to clean the screen safely and effectively we make a solution of 50% rubbing alcohol, and 50% distilled water, put it into a spray bottle, spray it on to a lint free cloth (we use an old t-shirt) and clean your screen. Don't spray it directly onto the screen because it will run down!

• I spent the better part of an afternoon cleaning the leaves of our houseplants. It's important to clean the leaves because a layer of dust on the leaves blocks the sun and makes it hard for the plant to photosynthesize. You should do it as often as needed, it all depends on how much dust you have in your house. 
• For our rubber tree I use a clean cloth and a spray bottle full of water, I spray each leaf and wipe it down, it's super time consuming but rubber plants seem to get super dirty.

• For the rest of the houseplants they get put into the tub and given a nice relaxing shower, they Love getting cleaned, they love getting watered and the Love the humidity it creates. I usually leave them in the tub for a couple extra hours with the shower curtain closed.

• And last we didn't have to do this but, if we were in our old house I would definitely be doing it right now, we would be pulling out our washer and dryer to vacuum the lint out from behind. Here's a picture from behind our old washer and dryer after one year: 

So happy Spring cleaning if you're still tackling it like us, or if you haven't started it yet or I suppose it's a very happy spring cleaning for those of you who have already finished :)

Spring Cleaning: Kitchen

I've always started spring cleaning in the kitchen.
Here's our list:

• Clear everything off the counters and disinfect.
• Seal grout again . . . since our counters are brand new we have to seal them again, 6 months after we originally sealed them (read more about that here.)
• Wipe down cabinet fronts with a damp cloth.
• Sweep and Mop Kitchen Floor. 
• Clean Oven and stove top.
• Wipe down pendant lights.
• Clean Microwave (microwave a bowl of hot water with slices of lemon for 30 seconds. then wipe down).
• Throw the Lemon slices, from the microwave, down the garburator (a great way to freshen the garburator). 
• Take garbage can out side and wash out the bin with dish soap and water.

Since we just moved in 6 months ago, there are a few things we won't have to do this year. For example:

• Pull the fridge out and vacuum the coils. (if your fridge has covered coils there's still a little open part at the bottom and those will still need vacuuming), you should vacuum the refrigerator coils once a year to keep your fridge running in tip top shape. 
• Pull the stove out and sweep and mop underneath. 

The one thing we HAD to tackle was the Fridge. Here's the clean fridge and here's how we organized it:

1.  Eggs- We get our eggs from a local vendor, well actually it's a house a couple dozen blocks away. I bought these little ceramic egg cartons to hold the eggs.
2. Herb Keeper- This thing is GREAT, I once kept a bunch of cilantro for a month in this! It also stores Green Onions and keeps them fresh, crisp and slime free. I'll definitely be investing in another one!

     3. This Tupperware container is fabulous! It's from Ikea, the plastic is BPA free. It has two chambers the perfect size and shape to keep deli meats in. We slice it then store it in layers, one layer for ham, one layer for turkey, one layer for cheese, it's like a sandwich in a container. It comes with two levels, but you can buy additional levels at Ikea and they all fit together for an air tight seal (no more slimey deli meat).

     4. The Rubbermaid Produce Saver- it really does keep your produce fresh. We bring home heads of lettuce, cut them up into salad sized pieces, and store them in the produce saver. That way making a salad is super quick, or I can just grab a couple pieces and throw them on to a sandwich for Lee's lunch. You can buy the produce savers at any big box store (Target, Walmart etc. . . )
     5. Bottle of Vodka, everyone needs one of these in their freezer :) Just in case!

A couple other things in our fridge:
-The Large plastic Lemon at the top left of the fridge, is a Lemon Keeper, you can slice up a lemon or lime and put it in the container and they stay juicy for up to a week.
-The carrots and celery chopped up on the middle left. Right from the grocery store we chop up the carrots and celery and put them into little bags or containers for quick snacks (if I don't have something quick and easy to grab I end up getting something not very good for me).
-The Cucumbers in the middle container! A delicious concoction my Mom came up with (recipe to follow later today).
-And last at the top is some cut up pineapple, yum!!
and that's our fridge! Why do I feel like I was just on MTV's Cribs? haha

Meet you back here tomorrow for some more Spring Cleaning from around the Manor!

If you liked it then you should have put some sealer on it!

Sealer is to Granite Counters,  what urethane is to Wood Floors!

I went to the local do it yourself store, and had a moment of cheapness, not thrifty-ness, not frugal-ness but pure unadulterated cheapness. I saw the $50 granite sealer, I picked it up, read the label and then promptly put it down for the $12 granite sealer beside it. Well, the $12 granite sealer . . . . . sucked. It was smelly, and it changed the color of our granite a little bit. Thank goodness we tested a small hidden spot before we did the entire counter. ALWAYS TEST!

So with 12 fewer dollars in my pocket I went back to the store and bought the "good stuff",. Polished Granite Sealer, again we tested in a small spot, It was fine and after the 24 hour wait period to make sure the sealer didn't adversely affect the stone I was ready to seal!

 

Here's what I learnt:

• First you'll want to administer The "Paper Towel Test". Wet a paper towel, put the wet sheet of paper towel on the granite, if after a few minutes the granite is darker under the paper towel, your granite needs to be sealed! 
• Buy the good sealer, aka buy the expensive sealer. After our first blunder I did some research, the concensus was to buck up, after all it could end up costing you a fortune down the road!
• Clean your counters, dust is the enemy!
• Spray the sealer on, working in small sections, unless you have very little counter space you won't be able to seal the entire counter in one go. Work in Small sections.

•  Once it's sprayed on use a dry cloth or sponge (we used sponge) and rub into the granite for about 5 min. making sure the counter stays wet with sealer, if it absorbs it all spray on some more.

• Once your done rubbing, let it sit for a few more min then wipe off any excess with a different dry cloth (we used a bar towel). Make sure to wipe off the excess before it dries (it's just way harder to get off if it's dry)!
• Some sealers may require a second coat a couple days later but ours did not! 

 That's about it!

• Don't clean it for 24 hours.
• After 24 hours do a test, drop some water on to the counter top and if it beads up, it's sealed!

Disclaimer: These instructions are based off of our particular sealers directions, every sealer will vary and you should read the instructions on the back! Just in case :)

Now, just because the granite is sealed doesn't mean that you can just drop what ever you want onto it. Granite Sealer can never fully seal the counter. It's meant to block the stain long enough for you to clean it up. So by all means if you drop beet juice onto your counter clean it up right away!

Also, be careful putting hot pots and pans directly onto your counter top. It's true that a hot pot can't hurt granite, it can however burn the sealer. And if the sealer gets burnt it will require a professional to come and restore it!

And don't forget to repeat the "Paper Towel" test every year to make sure the counters are sealed! Giving an exact time frame on when you'll need to re-seal your counters is impossible as it varies so much depending on the stone, the color of the stone, how many times the counter had been sealed already. That's why it's just a good idea to administer the Paper Towel test at least once a year, it only takes a second and it could save your counters.

I liked it so I put some sealer on it! Woah oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh oh, Woah oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

Taking Care of Business!!!

Not the most exciting post ever, but like the title says, we're taking care of business. Meaning, we are ensuring that our floors are protected, and Clean before we start loading them up with furniture!

So in case you were wondering here's what we are using to care for our new Hardwood Floors.
BONA you can find it at BED BATH and BEYOND (I guess it's part of their Beyond section hehe).
It's what the professionals recommend. I went to two different flooring stores and after faking interest in purchasing new hardwood floors, I was let in on the secret and apparently it's BONA (it was really expensive at the flooring store, but I found it for much cheaper at BB&B).

We purchased the ultimate Hardwood Care Floor kit!
It comes with the washable, reusable cleaning, dusting and polishing pads! Much better then throwing out the swiffer pads every time we mop the floor!

Another reason we chose Bona is because it is a  non-toxic waterborne solution which is super safe for kids and pets!! Seriously if you drank the entire bottle of cleaner the recommendation on the back is to drink a glass of water to dilute it.

So that's what's been going on here this week, making sure our floors are ready for all the furniture we'll be putting on them :)

Come back tomorrow for the First FLOWERS on Friday from the new Manor!!

Getting Ready for Fall: Terracotta Pot Storage

Our deck is very small and on the second level, so all of our greenery is grown in containers. Terracotta containers to be exact. There's something so rustic and Italian about terracotta pots. I can't wait to have a set of front stairs to run a group of terracotta pots filled with red geraniums.
I've never been a huge fan of the burnt orange hue. But once they grow the green algae on the outside I'm in love. Although Lee can't understand why I don't clean it off (to be fair he's use to cleaning our fish tank and the whole point is to get rid of the algae).

There are somethings you can do to ensure good storage and therefore an easy spring.
First
Make sure to wash and disinfect your terracotta pots. Washing them year to year helps prevent fungi, bacteria and viruses.
-Remove all loose debris using a hard bristle scrubber or some steel wool.

-Wash inside each pot with soap and water.

Second
-Kill bacteria, there are two ways of doing this
a) Heat your oven to 220 degrees F and heat each pot in the oven for 1 hour. This is a very effective, natural way, albeit stinky way. Seriously it smells so bad.
b) wash out or soak the pots (your choice) with a ratio of 10:1 Water to Bleach. We wash out the pots instead of soaking them because, like I mentioned before, I like the green algae on the outside.

Third
Try not to Store terracotta pots within each other, they might get stuck and you'll crack them trying to get them apart. We do however store smaller pots inside of larger pots. Pack newspaper around the pots and store indoors if possible, or in a cool dry place.

If you have neither of these options available to you, store close to the house, far away from winds and extreme weather.

Another Item done and checked off the fall to do list.

Note:
         The white build up on the sides on terracotta pots, is a fertilizer build up, to get it off, make a       paste out of water and baking soda and scrub off, if you like it keep it.
         The green build up is algae, it doesn't hurt the plant so it's fine to leave it, I love it, but if you don't use the same baking soda, paste and scrub to remove.

Getting Ready for Fall: Storing Outdoor Cushions

 Just this week we'll be doing our practical chores in order to have an easy transition into Fall.You might have seen our first installment of getting ready for fall or our second post Fall towels near entrances for dirty little paws.
For our next installment, we'll be storing our deck cushions, we've had a big rain storm recently and it became clear that we would have to store them a little before schedule.
We simply store them in our attic, but it's what we do before we store them, that keeps them looking new year after year.

Two words, CLEAN & DRY.
First make sure they are clean and dry before you store them. You should take a peek at the washing instructions label, but if your cushions are like ours they don't have a washing instructions label.
So what we do is:
1)Take a bucket of hot water and some soap, we use Dr. Brommers pure castile soap, we don't measure how much just a couple of squirts to a liter of water.

 2)Take a hard bristle brush and scrub the cushions, until they are clean. Let sit for 10 minutes.
 3)Then simply hose off the soap, making sure that all the soap is gone (otherwise you'll end up with soapy residue when they dry).
We wait for a sunny day to clean our outdoor furniture, so that the cushions can dry out completely in the sun.
 I've never tried to wash them in the washing machine, I didn't want to risk shrinking them. But that's  an option too :) Always check your labels!

The next CLEAN & DRY part is to STORE them somewhere Clean and Dry. We are lucky to have an attic space, it's very clean and very dry.  Dry is probably the key word, because you could always clean them later but if you put them away wet, you'll get mildew and well. . . . .  mildew is bad.

So one item on my check list is complete, on to the next.