Month: April 2012

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Homemade Dryer Sheets

So I was surfing the net tonight after I put the kids to bed and I came across a really neat article that explains how to make your own homemade dryer sheets. I love making my own things when they actually work and can even save me a bit of money in the process.

To make your own dryer sheets there are only a few things you need: Liquid fabric softener, wash cloths or pieces of flannel fabric, a container to hold your dryer sheets. The article said to add 1/4 cup natural fabric softener to 3/4 cup warm/hot water and still it up.  Then add in your pieces of flannel and let them sit for at least an hour before using them.  Pull one out and add it to your wet clothes when you toss them in the dryer.  Dry your clothes as usual and they will come out smelling nice and static free.

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Cleaning Ceiling Fans

Dirty ceiling fans are really gross.  I hate how they collect dust and then just whirl it all around the air in my house.  They make products designed to help you clean ceiling fans.  Most of them are long poles with some sort of attachment.  I recently got a nifty Swifer type thing that helps me get the job done and I love it.

If you don’t have one of these fancy gadgets it’s still possible to clean your ceiling fans.  I’ve found that a chair and some damp paper towels work wonders for the lower ceiling fans.  But for the higher up fans you will need something to help you reach the distance.  I’ve used a broom in the past to help me knock off the dust.  It gets messy and dust goes everywhere.

I’ve also tried taking an old paper towel roll and slipping it on the end of the broom and bending it so that it has a right angle.  Then I cover it in damp power towels and use that to wipe off the fans. It’s not fancy but it definitely gets the job done.

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Dirty Carpets and Getting Them Clean

Dirty and stained carpets absolutely drive me nuts.  They are on one of my biggest pet peeves list. That’s why as soon as I spill something on the carpet or find a mess that someone else has left me I clean it up as soon as possible. I’m a firm believer that the longer the dirt and grim sit on the carpet the harder it will be to get out.

When I do get a hard to get out spot I like to call in the professionals to take care of the dirty work for me. Searching for round rock texas carpet cleaning services can give you options of places that can help you remove those unwanted stains.  When I find a company that I like that provide great service I always make sure to call them back again if I have a similar problem with my carpet.

Luckily for me I haven’t had to have my carpets professionally cleaned to remove a nasty stain in over a year.  However, I have had the professionals come out just to do a major deep cleaning of all of the carpets in the house to freshen everything up.  The carpets look great and I like to have them come out at least twice a year just for maintenance.

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Homemade Wind Chimes

The kids and I went for a walk this afternoon. We heard some of the most beautiful wind chimes. Hearing the lovely sounds and then seeing the creations behind them inspired me to want to make some of our own wind chimes at home.

I gathered fishing line, beads, seashells, a few nuts from my husband’s tool box, a bit of paint, paper plates and some plastic cups. I had the girls paint designs on the plates and cups. Then we punched holes in them and laced the fishing line in long strings through the holes. Finally we attached the beads, seashells, and nuts to the lines. Once everything was attached we spray painted the lines and decorations all the same color.

We hung them up on the patio and wiggled them around to listen to the items clank together. They didn’t sound nearly as beautiful as they looked but we all enjoyed making them.

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Choosing New Bathroom Sinks

So, my husband did some more looking into the kind of things we would like to add to our bathroom when we remodel it.  We are trying to narrow down our options for each area we want to freshen up.  My husband really would like to get his and her sinks.  He wants to be able to brush our teeth together and things like that without bumping elbows.  To be honest I’m excited about having my own sink and area in the bathroom.

I checked out some really gorgeous vessel sinks.  I saw such a variety that I think it’s going to making choosing my favorite pretty difficult.  The stone sinks look soo organic and natural. Some of the glass sinks looked like lava and were just stunning.  I like the straight forward, and clean cut looking sinks.  The sharp lines of the square and rectangle sinks look very modern and might be perfect.

However, if I want to relax in the bathroom I might choose the oval shaped stone sinks. The curved lines of those sinks make me think of flowing water and put my mind at ease. Renovating our bathroom and making all of these choices can be a little overwhelming at times, the least I could do is have a nice relaxing bathroom in the end when it’s all done.

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Crystal Vase Rest In Peace

One of my very favorite vases broke today.  It wasn’t anything fancy really.  It was just special to me.  It had a lot of sentimental value.  It was a large crystal vases with flowers all along the base.  I got it a a yard sale when I was living in my very first apartment.  I think it only cost me two dollars.

I know it won’t be the same but I really want to try and find another vase just like it.  It seemed to be just the right size to hold most any bouquet of flowers.  I think I’ll try finding a match online and maybe also check out my local thrift stores.

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Bathroom Remodeling Ideas

With news of my friend Nancy retiring and designing her own home, it made me think about wanting to redo more of our home. I looked up Atlanta Bathroom Remodeling and got some great ideas to show my husband. We’ve already been talking about doing a few things to the bathroom to improve it.

I started with the flooring. I really want to have nice tiles put into our bathroom. I’d like something in a warm tone but not something too dark. It also needs to have some texture to it so we don’t slip and fall easily. I’d also like to have a separate shower and bath tub installed. Right now we have one of the combination bath and showers. I really want to get one a luxurious bath tub that I can soak and relax in. Of course I wouldn’t mind if it had jets either.

I’m also thinking maybe we can have the toilet in it’s own little room.  I’ve been in plenty other homes to see these and appreciate them.  I don’t want to stare at my toilet while I’m relaxing in my tub. Separating it from the rest of the room would eliminate that problem. It would also provide extra protection from unpleasant odors that may arise.

I’m sure there are a few ideas that my husband will want to add too. He will probably want his own sink. He’s always wanted matching his and hers sinks. I wouldn’t mind having the extra counter space to myself either to be honest. Our bathroom isn’t huge as it is so we’ll definitely have to work with someone to see how we can get everything we want into the final design.

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Time To Clean Up the Grill

The weather is getting warmer and we’ve been using our patio a lot more often. We’ve enjoyed some lovely breakfasts and lunches outdoors. However, we haven’t had the chance to enjoy dinner on the patio. The main reason for this is because well the grill needs to be cleaned.

Neither my husband nor I like to do it.  It’s a dirty job yes, but it has do be done. We normally do an ok job after each time we use it, but it’s been soo long since it’s last use that everything is sort of caked on. To clean it up this year I’ve decided that I’m going to take out the grates and lay them on newspaper. Then, I’ll spray them with an oven cleaner and let it sit for about an hour. The oven cleaner should hopefully take all of the extra elbow grease out of the tough job. I can’t wait to enjoy the grill on the patio and eat some tasty grilled food again with my family.

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Designing My Dream Home For a Friend

One of my good friends is going to be retiring in the next year. She’s moving to Florida. Her and her husband are trying to decide if they want to buy a home or have one designed specifically for them. They looked up Boca Raton Architects and found a variety of places willing to work with them to make the choices that will be best for them.

It must be really exciting to design your own home. I know if I ever got to design my own home I would have a huge kitchen with space for every appliance I would need. Lots of cupboard space and storage throughout the home.  I hate not having everything have a place of it’s own. Of course I would want a large walk in closet for all of my clothes and shoes. A deluxe bathroom with walk in shower and over-sized, whirlpool bath tub would also be on the list. I would also want a place to entertain in the backyard. I love the new homes with almost a full kitchen built right in the back yard. I wouldn’t go too crazy but I would for sure want a grill, sink, and some type of refrigerator, along with nice counter tops for food preparation.

I’ll have to call Nancy and ask if she needs any help thinking of what she would like to have in her home. I bet I could help her come up with a few luxuries or necessities that she and her husband would love to have in their new home. When it’s finished I’m sure I’ll want to visit all of the time.

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Waiting for My Fruit to Grow

It’s been about a month and a half since I’ve put up the upside down planters in the garden. We are starting to see some growth. I can’t wait for the plants to start producing yummy fruits. I’m excited to be able to eat some of the strawberries this time around. Every other time we plant strawberries they are gone before I get any. This year we planted two strawberry plants. Maybe I’ll be lucky enough to get some this time. I’m also anxious to try out all of those tomato recipes that I have stockpiled over the past month.

I don’t think I have anything to worry about when it comes to getting my share of the peppers. It’s just me and my husband who will be eating those. I haven’t thought about finding recipes for all of the peppers. Maybe I need to start working on pepper recipes now too!