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!

St. Patrick's {Cupcakes} Day

I'm a closet cupcake maker. I haven't really mentioned it before but I've made 1000's of cupcakes over the last few years. I make them for every holiday, friends weddings, family weddings, every birthday party, bridal showers, I've even made them for a bachelor party! It's something I LOVE to do!
So with it being St.Patrick's Day, I did the 'oh so predictable thing' and made cupcakes!
A simple Rainbow Sprinkle Cupcake, with a butter cream icing, and a little sugar 4 leaf clovers!

I iced them 2 different ways:
1) a simple spiral

2) a random spiky pattern (it kinds of looks like hydrangea leaves to me).

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

p.s I'm working on a cupcake decorating how to:, keep an eye out for it in the next few weeks!! :)

Spring Cleaning Outfit

I love March! It means it's time for Spring Cleaning. I've spent the last couple days knocking tasks off of the old "To Do" list. This weekend Lee's going to get around to his Spring "Honey Do" list and we should have a great spring cleaning post ready for you next week, but I thought today I'd share my GO TO spring cleaning outfit:

You can see the sources for these items HERE.

A pair of loose jeans, a striped tee and a pair of runners are my favorite spring cleaning tools. I wear a clean pair of runners around the house when I do a lot of chores, it's way easier on your feet then running around in sock feet with no support (I also have a pair of rubber soled slippers for the task too). A headband is a MUST HAVE, and a pair of good fitting rubber gloves are priceless!

Does anyone have a spring cleaning outfit must have??

Mason Bee's

Since we now have a mini orchard in our backyard (yes I am most definitely exaggerating), we needed to ensure good pollination, so that we actually have something to harvest in the fall. Since I'm no good with a paint brush, whether it's on a canvas or pollinating flowers I thought I'd hire some outside help.
Since we're DIYers at heart this was a difficult decision to make but in the end it's what's best for the orchard :). hehe
Welcome to Mason Bee Manor:

There are so many options out there for homes, if you had wood beams outside you could simply drill some holes into it and wait for the bees to come. You could take a block of un-treated wood and drill some holes in that, or you could buy a little Mason Bee Manor like ours for around $20.

Mason Bee's are different the honey bees, they don't create honey or wax. Every female is a 'Layer', there is no Queen. Mason Bee's are solitary bees, they build their own little nests, although they do like to build them near each other. As with all solitary bees they are gentle and shy, they do still have a stinger but only use it when they are in serious danger. They are not territorial at all, so you don't have to worry about getting too close to their Manor.
Mason bees are the superstars of Pollination. While a honey bee may land on 700 flowers a day, it will only pollinate 30 of them. A mason bee will land on 1500 flowers a day and pollinate almost all of them. Plus Mason Bees thrive in colder weather, so even on cold rainy spring days they're out and about, while the honey bees sit cozy in their hive.
AND Mason Bees are super easy maintenance, once a year you pull out the old paper tubes, put them near their home and put new paper tubes in. It's a tiny amount of work with for a huge payoff.

So I hope you'll consider a little Mason Bee Manor for your backyard! 
Here's the little tube we've had sitting in our Fridge for the past couple weeks :)

We bought our little fella's from our local nursery, they weren't hard to find, I only had to call one nursery and they had them. And on the way home we passed another nursery with a sign "Mason Bee's In Stock" so I think they're fairly easy to find this time of year. Although if you already have Mason Bees in your area all you'll need is a home for them. I wasn't sure if we had any in this area so I bought a little 10 pack just in case.
 In case you're interested here's a little bit more info about the little fella's:

• are one of many indigenous, solitary bees to the American continent They were pollinating fruit and flowers thousands of years before the first colonists brought the honey bee from Europe. 
• They are called "mason" because they construct nests with walled-off chambers for each egg. 
• They live for about 4-6 weeks in the late spring and early summer when the flowers and fruit trees start to bloom. 
• After emerging from their cocoon and mating, the female goes to work laying eggs and collecting nectar and pollen for the brood .
• They are a very good alternative for a back yard gardener that can do without all the work associated with the honey bee. 

Their Life cycle:

• The blooming of the orchards is the sign for the Mason Bees to emerge from their cocoons. 
• The male emerges first and the female a couple days later. After mating with the female the male dies and the female gets busy searching for a suitable nest. 
• Once found, she starts collecting nectar and pollen to ensure the survival of the brood. A mixture of nectar and pollen is placed at the back of the hole and a female egg is laid on it. Then a wall of mud is constructed to secure the cell. 
• She lays 4-5 female eggs in the same manner and in front a couple cells with males. 
• After a brief life span of 4-6 weeks during which she lays some 40 eggs the mason bee dies. 
• The larva start to feed and by the end of September the final moult has occurred and a complete adult bee rests in its own waterproof cocoon. 
• The Mason will thus hibernate the winter away and wait for the coming of spring.

Apple Tree/ Pear Tree LOVE!

Welcome to the worlds smallest backyard :) One thing about the area we live in, is it seems that everyone wanted HUGE houses (ours is 5 bedrooms) and teeny tiny backyards! Personally I'd rather something a little more balanced, but this is the area we really wanted to be in, and Lee reminded me that in our climate it's mostly raining so we'll spend most of our life indoors anyways :) LOGIC won and we are now the very proud owners of the smallest backyard in the world :) and we couldn't be any happier! I have a feeling the word SMALL is going to come up a lot over the next few minutes so I consulted our thesaurus too keep things from being repetitive, Welcome to our pint-sized yard.

Since our yard is so minuscule, we needed to be smart about what we planted. First thing was first and we needed to block the view into our alley. As much as we like our new neighbors, we don't love looking directly at their garage doors :S
So we planted some trees, but we figured if we're going to plant trees in our tiny backyard, they're going to need to work double time, meaning they need to block the view and give us some fruit!!!
We planted two trees, but in a weird way we actually planted 9 trees. Because of the humble size of our yard, we were not able to plant multiple varieties of fruit trees needed for optimum pollination. So we choose, semi-dwarf graphed trees, meaning they grafted multiple branches from different varieties on to one tree! Long story short we'll have 5 different varieties of apples from one tree and 4 different varieties of pears from the other tree :)

 In case you're wondering the grafted tree cost us a little bit more, around $59.99 but it really suits our needs best so we didn't mind shelling out the extra $20 per tree.

These trees are great for wee yards like ours, they only grow to a height of 18-20 feet, they make pollination easy!! and they provide you with lots of variety with out having to plant 5 trees, because in case I haven't mentioned it, our yard is a bit cramped.

Here's how to plant a Tree:
~Buy a Tree :) Put some serious thought into this step, depending on you climate, yard size, proximity to your foundation, your view, there's a tree out there for you!
~Dig a hole! Fairly simple, Make sure to dig the hole twice the size of the pot your tree came in.

~Spread some Bone Meal in the hole, and add some compost or manure.
~Put tree in hole :)
~Depending on your tree and your wind conditions, stake it!
~Spread some mulch on top, keeping it clear of the base of the trunk, the trunk likes a little breathing room!

~Water!!! Tree's would prefer a very heavy watering's infrequently as opposed to frequent light watering's, which promote shallow root growth.
~Sit back, relax and look smug in your recent contribution to the betterment of the earth :) *not that we did that >:)



 Bonus Picture:
Max joined us in the yard . . .  Just ignore Lee in the background Digging the hole, it was definitely me who dug the hole, I would never just pose beside the hole, making it look like I dug it :0
Who Me? . . . . NEVER!

Spring Table

Spring is here and we're having our first little dinner party of the season, so out came the bright spring dishes and the new spring napkins.

Since Spring  seems like a simple season to me (Winter seems much more formal, I don't know why, maybe it's because of all the roasts and big heavy meals, and spring is full of salads and BBQ so I guess that's why I think Spring seems less formal), the table has only one knife and fork, a simple white dinner plate and, as always, a little patterned side plate on top.

I LOVE these little plates, I saw them at Homesense (they're made by TAG) and they screamed SPRING to me so I grabbed four at $2.99 they were well worth it :)

The Napkins are made from Fabric found at Jo-Ann fabrics, it also screamed SPRING to me :) (Spring is a loud season for me :) At $7.97 a meter it was a great price because I made 4 napkins out of one meter and there's no way I could find such funky napkins for cheaper then $2.00!
When I sew napkins I do a double fold and a mitered corner, the mitered corner makes all the difference! and it's just as easy to do, I followed this TUTORIAL! 

The little spring table makes me smile! I'm very glad we went super neutral in the dining room, it makes it really easy for us to do crazy bright table like this, or for more formal occasions go back to my default WHITE flowers with WHITE dishes :)
I hope you like our little Spring Table, and we'll come join us tomorrow for a spring-y flowers on Friday!

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=New Sheets

I love white sheets, sadly they don't love my husband :) After one short year, lets just say they aren't so white anymore. But It's not the end of the world, usually the top sheet is in good condition so I can use it for a future quilting project. And the fitted sheet and pillow cases get cut up to be used as rags in the garage (we try re-use as much as possible around here).
Long Story short, off to Target to buy another set of Organic White Cotton Sheets. If you've been following this blog for a while you would have caught our last spring post about these sheets. I can't stop singing their praises. Organic Sheet Set for . . . .$44.99 for a King Size set WOW! I went to a specialty bedding store last month, I couldn't buy an organic pillowcase for that price! They're soft (Make sure to throw a bit of white vinegar into the machine, to naturally soften 'em up), they're affordable and they're simple, no fancy embroidery or pattern just simple plain white sheets. In case you can't tell I'm a HUGE fan!
Here are some of the benefits organic sheets offer:
-Organic Cotton is farmed without chemicals and pesticides that are harmful to the environment and your health
-Organic cotton fibers provide greater comfort then man made fabrics that do not breathe
-Organic Cotton absorbs moisture better then polyester bedding, therefore preventing Night sweats, athlete's foot and other fungal infections.
-Organic bedding is Hypo-allergetic
-The cotton fibers are stronger then commerically grown cotton fibers
-Organic Cotton is safer for cotton farmers health and the health of their families

Spring Cleaning: Time again to Vacuum the Mattress!
Warning, if you're squeamish you might want to skip this part. haha
I can't believe I'm sharing this AGAIN for the second time, frankly I can't believe I shared it the first time. Vacuuming the mattress is VERY important, you hear a lot about flipping and rotating it but not a lot about vacuuming it.
Preferably you'll be doing this with a spinning brush, but If you don't have one an upholstery attachment will do.

This is the part I can't believe I'm sharing, but hey, all for the greater good . . .  right?
This is what comes out! and we do this every six months!

We use the Dyson Animal Vacuum, It has a rotating brush attachment which gets the maximum amount out, I've done it with the upholstery attachment and got less, but It still worked~!

So there you have it, I'm going to die of embarrassment now :) haha

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!

First Day of Spring!

It's officially SPRING!!!! I can't wait to get my BUM outdoors to add some much needed curb appeal :)
As well as, possibly, the worlds smallest vegetable garden and some other fun outside projects! More on those later ;)
But before any of that can happen we needs to do somes SPRING CLEANING!!
This week will be dedicated to this much anticipated, and much loved ritual! (loved by me at least).

Here's how Max likes to spend the First Day of Spring . . . . sleeping in the sun :)