Kid Art Display

Kids (all kids, I think) love to display the things they create. Heck, so do grown-ups! When the boys create something "artsy" they want to show it off. Our walls/fridge have served us well the past year of home schooling, but um, I realized we needed to make different arrangements when Spencer stapled (23 times) to the wall a piece of paper with a tiny bit of art on it.

Don't believe me? Think I'm exaggerating?

Exhibit A:

From August 2011

Overkill much?

So, I started combing the interwebz for options for "kids art displays" many featured frames and clothes pins and other lovely homey type things.

Then the thrift store came to my rescue. What's that? A giant, glass-less frame for 10 dollars? Don't mind if I do! Excuse me? Krylon spray paint? Oh, yes please! Clothes pins? I'll just rob ma clothes line! Wire? Home Depot, you got my back!

And thus the "kid art picture frame" was born. I just painted it, sanded it to make it look less, erm, nice. Cuz really, "nice" doesn't stand a chance around here. And then I attached a picture frame hanging kit three times to the back. It's pretty, and messed up a bit and uneven, and well, exactly as it should be.

Not too shabby. Just shabby enough to fit in around here. I had the boys draw me some stuff to put up for picture taking. They came through... kind of. "This is you when you're angry, Mom," says Henry.

Hmm.

Alas, can't win them all.

Here it is folks: $15 dollars.

From August 2011

Love the shadow-y phone pics. Sigh, my SD card for my camera is MIA

But, regardless of craptastic photography, I am in LOVE with it. LOVE!

So, there. Yup, I have no conclusion to this post.

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Hi Friends.

It's me. Morgan. How are you? How were your Christmas celebrations? Did you get a new Ipad? Hope not, cuz the next one comes out in like three months and it's got a video camera. How about that?

Anyway, sorry. We're not here to discuss Ipads.

 I'm here to tell you I'm retiring.

Okay, not really, but I am moving locales. See, I am finding that having 100 children is proving to be a bit like well, like the old woman who lived in the shoe, see? So, since I have so many children, I don't know what to do, and I don't believe in spanking, I'm forced to like, parent them and stuff.

This is hard for me.

And I am finding that since Erin had a baby and is working full time she's never around anymore.

And I don't want to just leave The Diet Coke Diet to die a quiet death, slipping into the night like a long forgotten PBandJ sandwich left on the dinner table. Ya feel me?

I know you do.

And while I have a lot ideas, I have no time to make them come to fruition. Like I said, 100 children is a lot.

Don't cry for me, Blog-friends. The truth is, I never left you. I've just been blogging primarily at my family's site. And I've decided to leave this space for a while, and take any and all how-to's I might create there with me.

I'm toying with importing this here blog into that there blog, but frankly I'm not entirely certain how that would work and it makes me mighty twitchy. Cuz I don't want to mess up EITHER blog's content or dating, or whatev.

So, for now, I'll not be updating here. Please PLEASE PLEASE join me at The -Ing Family if you haven't already. It's a bit more "kids" and "family" but like I said, I'm going to go ahead and start incorporating some how-to's there as well. To keep it all balanced.

Balance is important, I think.

Right?

Join me friends. It'll be fun.

And if/when my 100 children cease to be a huge demand on my time to the point where the only how-to's I am writing are "How to check and see if anyone has on clean underwear" I'll let you know. I promise. You'll be the first to know.

Come on over.

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How to Deodorize Cheaply

Okay, so there are like 1,456,754 products on the market to encourage our houses to smell nice, good, fruity, flowery, sugar n' spicy, you get the idea, right? Candles, sprays, gel beads, oh my! Your options are seriously endless. 

HOWEVER, when it comes to actual deodorizing, and by that I mean immediate neutralization of seriously bad smells, all of these FAIL. Why? Because they just mask the scent that is currently invading your home and your nostrils. Even products that claim to neutralize before they deodorize don't, from my personal experience. 

And can I just add that almost NOTHING smells better when it has been sprayed with a flowery aersol? NOTHING. Stinky fish + fruits of the forest is NOT better than stinky fish. I'm just sayin'. It's down right gag inducing.

So, feel free to use candles and sprays and whatnot whenever you want. 

EXCEPT for when you're dying because of an immediate stench. 

Stinky garbage? 

Inhuman bathroom conditions? 

A pet who is out to kill you with his smell? 

Lingering smells from dishes you left from Thursday to Monday? 

The answer is so simple it's scary, and perhaps you already know what the answer is. 

Light a match. 

That's all. Lighters won't do it, Scentsy warmers won't do it. 

Just light a match or two, depending on the level of offense. Let it burn down a bit, but you know, use discretion and don't burn yourself.

Trust me on this. The smell from the match being lit lasts a few minutes, but the smell that was making you wish you were dead is GONE. 

Cheap, incredibly easy, and it works literally better than anything else, ever. 

Throw a box up high, away from the kids, in the kitchen and bathrooms. Encourage life partners to participate in your match-lighting program. 

You will thank me for this. Seriously. 

*photo from topheatingcooling.com*

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How to Make Laundry Powder

Well, Erin is in the throngs of relocation so you get to hear from ME again today. Aren't you just so so so lucky?

I was not really a huge proponent of really making my own laundry soap, UNTIL Henry (my four-year-old) developed this wicked weird rash and it didn't appear to be caused by his bath soap. So, rather than spend a fortune on pricey "free" laundry soap (you know, free of dyes, scents, etc.) I just decided to give the whole "homemade" idea a whirl.

And surprise surprise, it's EASY and okay, little bit FUN.

I had to search high and low for the type of laundry detergent I wanted. See, I saw no reason to create a liquid because, well, um, it was really just adding WATER to something. I thought that was a step I could skip. Most of the "make your own" ideas out there are liquid. Not my thing.

PLUS, I have this, like, phobia of stinky smells. I don't mean like body odor smells (that too though) I mean like, how some earthy, "organic" types of soaps have a weird "after-smell" to them. I am NOT describing it properly...). I needed something guaranteed not to smell weird to my overly-sensitive nose.

PLUS, I didn't trust myself to add my own "essential oils" for "scent." I am just no bueno at deciding when enough is enough. Ya know?

So, with all that in mind, I needed a POWDER that was either 100% scent-free (and smell-free) or that smelled GOOD and didn't require too much attention and thinking from myself.

I am a tough sell.

So, I found this recipe (and then promptly FORGOT where I found it and have spent a month searching it out on my hard drive again. I should have just re-googled it! Good grief.)

I'm reposting it exactly from Soulemama.com. However, I'll share my own variation and feelings on the matter.

Homemade Laundry Powder

(Makes approximately 5 cups)

2 cups (finely) grated castile soap

1 cup borax

1 cup baking soda

1 cup soda ash (washing soda)

From The Diet Coke Diet

I used her suggestion and ordered Dr. Bronner's organic soap. I ordered peppermint and his citrus orange. Both are fabulous. But citrus orange is our favorite. LOVE!

From The Diet Coke Diet

From The Diet Coke Diet

However, any castile soap will work. You can even make your own if you're feeling incredibly ambitious!

But, I was feeling overwhelmed with the prospect of making my own laundry soap, so I just bought some. I bought five bars (I think), and the shipping was free.

Step 1: Grate the bar of soap as finely as you can. (Don't let the kids eat it, they'll think it's cheese!)

From The Diet Coke Diet

Step 2: Measure the Borax, Washing Soda and Baking Soda all together.

Step 3: Add the grated soap, and stir. 

From The Diet Coke Diet

Please note the huge mess I was making. 

From The Diet Coke Diet

How it looks all stirred up:

From The Diet Coke Diet

 

From The Diet Coke Diet

Step Four: Store in an airtight container

From The Diet Coke Diet

I believe in recycling, so this is an orange juice container.

The grated soap does tend to settle so give it a shake before you add it.

Between 1/8-1/4 of a cup per load, depending on water-hardness and clothing's soil level. 

The original recipe said that it took 1 and a half bars of soap to get two cups of grated soap, but I found for my needs, that one bar alone is plenty. It makes about five cups and this lasts me about twenty minutes. Just kidding! This much lasts us about 2-3 weeks depending on how dirty my kids are being. 

Truth be told, it has NOT solved Henry's rash, which is a bummer, but I really REALLY like the smell, and for the price, it's a lot cheaper than buying a high-quality laundry soap, so we're sticking with the homemade kind. 

It's a lot easier than you might think. You know me, if it ain't easy, I probably won't do it. ;)

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Preparing for an Emergency

There are a myriad of ways the important documents and possessions in our homes could be lost, stolen or damaged and it is really important to prepare for these events so that if (heaven forbid) the "worst" should happen, you are in the best position possible to pick up the pieces and move on. Unfortunately, a lot of people just don't even know where to start in order to get their houses/lives in order in case of emergency. Most of us recognize the wisdom of having a little food and water set aside, but how many of us have given a thought to what we would do if our homes were broken into? Or destroyed by fire? Well, here's my super simple "Getting Started" guide to preparing our homes for emergencies.

Step 1: Get homeowners/renters insurance! This is really, really important, even if you are a renter. When I moved away to college and started living with roommates, my parents insurance company offered a ridiculously low renter's insurance rate which I accepted and have kept (and upgraded) ever since. It's really only a small expense and can make a huge difference if there's ever an emergency. Example: shortly after I got married, my husband and I invested a small fortune (for us, at least...we were poor college students) in nice mountain bikes. About 3 months later my bike was stolen (I cried) from the bike racks of our apartment complex. Now, we had no way to replace my bike out of our own money, but I called my insurance company and the "personal property" part of my policy protected all my belongings (even my car to a certain degree) while on the rented property. So, I got a check for the value of my bike and soon was back on the trails.
Moral of the story: BE INSURED

Step 2: Protect your important documents. Most of us know exactly where we keep papers such as birth certificates, social security cards and insurance policies, but what would you do if  your home flooded or was destroyed by fire? Are your important documents protected? I (being a little paranoid) have 2 ways of preserving these vital papers. The first is to scan these documents and save them to a flashdrive/external memory device of your choice. More about where to keep those files in a minute. The second way is a fire proof box. You don't have a fireproof box, you say? WELL. They are super easy to find (your local office supply store will have basic models) and relatively inexpenive so GO GET ONE. Put the original copies of all your essential papers in this box and, if it's big enough, any small, irreplaceable possessions that are suseptable to fire/water damage. You'll feel lots better knowing that your vital documents are protected. :-)
As a side note: you may want to add "proof of purchase" information for large ticket items to this file of documents. Having the receipt for my bike, so I could prove the value meant that I received what I paid for it from the insurance company, rather than their standard "bike" reimbursment. Probably not as important as your birth certificate, but something to think about.

Step 3: Inventory your home. I know. I know. This sounds like a HUGE hassle. But, trust me. It's not that difficult and is worth your time. You want to be able to prove loss in case of a robbery or fire and, if you are anything like me, it might take you a while to notice certain things (like rarely worn jewelry) are missing. SO. Inventory your home. I think the easiest way to do this is through photographs. Get a dedicated memory card for your digital camera and go room to room, taking pictures of the whole room.  You could stand in the center and slowly rotate, but if there are small valuables (like an antique on a shelf) you'll want to be sure those are clearly identifiable, so just make sure everything is documented in the pictures. If you have valuable single items, take pictures of each item individually (like all the pieces of grandma's silver tea service). Then, for large items (like your television, computer etc...) take pictures of the identifying information (the serial number on the back, model number etc...). These numbers are really important for insurance claims and can help identify your property if it is ever recovered after a robbery, so make sure you have those too! Make sure these pictures are clear and easy to read. It doesn't make sense to take the time to take the pictures if later the serial number is so small you can't read it. Unless you are a millionaire and live in a giant mansion, I'll bet you could do this for your whole house and all your valuables in about an hour. Go! Take pictures! Save the pictures!

Now, what to do with your scanned, saved copies of important documents and your photo inventory? Well, you could do several things.
1. You could put them in your fireproof box. (Remember? You're going to go get one TODAY). This is fine, but there is the problem of "all your eggs in one basket".
2. You could put the flashdrives/memory card in a safe deposit box. This would work just fine, if you are willing to pay the monthly rental fee. Remember, though, if there's some sort of natural disaster (think Hurricane Katrina), it may be a while before you could get to said safe deposit box, so consider that when evaluating your options.
3. Put one copy of the files in your fire proof box and send another copy to a family member.  I recommend this option. You have everything in one place (your fireproof box) that is easily accessible and a "back up" system just in case you can't get into your home for some reason.

See! It's not too hard to get prepared and it doesn't require a great deal of time or money! Go for it!

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How To: A Perpetual Calendar (Now with Pictures!)

Well, better late than never, that's what I always say...

Anyway! We are talking about a really nifty tool today: A Perpetual Calendar. I don't know about you, but I am incapable of remembering people's birthdays (including my own), anniversaries etc..These dates never change and yet; I just can't seem to stay on top of them. I want to be good about remembering these things, but alas, I am just not naturally on that "wavelength". But, I have discovered a way to help me keep track of all of those recurring, important dates! My perpetual calendar even helps me remember when my water bill is due: it is a beautiful thing.

I first encountered a perpetual calendar at my Grandmother's house. We have a gigantic family and yet my grandmother always, always, always remembered birthdays and other special days with cards and phone calls. I wondered for a long time how she did this, until I noticed a large, poster sized wall hanging on the inside door of one of her kitchen cabinets; this was her perpetual calendar. It showed every month and had lines to write in recurring events. Grandma had written in every single important date; this way she could simply glance at the calendar and always know what events were coming up. And this was reusable year after year! I thought it was just brilliant. After unsuccessfully looking all over for a similar calendar and finding nothing (unless I was willing to pay an obscene amount of money) I made my own!

It was super easy and now I'm sharing with you. There are actually a couple ways to do this. The one I found that I liked best (but didn't want to pay for) was a small binder style and so that's what I made; you can make whatever style works best for you.

Here's what I did.

Binder Style Perpetual Calendar in 3 Easy Steps:

You'll need: a computer and printer, a small 1/2 in. binder, 12 tabbed binder folders

1. Create a 2 column x 31 row table on your computer. Number the 1st column with the days of the month (you can print out a bunch that are 30 days and then add 31 and print out a bunch of these) and leave the second column blank. I made my first column really skinny and the second column much wider, to give myself room to write. You can type in a heading for the specific month if you'd like.

2. I bought 12 folders with tabs made specifically for binders. These can be kind of expensive, so I waited until I found them on sale at an office supply store. I glued each month onto a separate tab; now I had 12 folders with calendars. The folders are where I put cards, envelopes for bills etc...

3. Fill in the calendars with the events you want to remember (I also add birth years and anniverary years so I can remember ages/number of years married etc...I admit, I have a terrible memory for such things) and keep the calendar someplace you can and will check it frequently.

That's it! So easy! And now, I am doing a much better job of keeping up with birthdays, anniversaries and when my account is going to be debited for the cell phone! All in all, keeping track of dates on paper is a much better system than trying to remember.

Go forth! Make a calendar! Make everyone jealous with your amazing ability to remember even the most obscure holidays and anniversaries! Give your husband a place he can look, just in case he can't remember if your anniversary is the 14th or the 15th! You'll be everyone's favorite.

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Getting Organized: Spring Cleaning Edition

One of my most favorite things to do, in the whole wide world, is to create order out of chaos. Seriously. Organizing stuff makes me happy; so much so that at one point in my life I considered becoming a professional organizer and opening my own business. That didn't happen, but because I care about you and your sanity, I will now share some of my favorite techniques for becoming organized.
You're welcome.

A Disclaimer: This is not a "getting organized the easy way" type post. The fact is, organizing your life is going to take time and effort and staying organized is probably going to require even more effort (but not a lot of time, thankfully). Anyone who claims anything else is being dishonest. Because organizing your home, life and time is a lot of work, we are going to break it down in to several, manageable chunks. It won't be easy, but I promise you'll like the results.

Finding the Motivation
I have heard every reason in the world for leaving things messy and disorganized. I have probably used every excuse in the world, however I truly believe, that there is no good excuse not to be organized. "I just don't have time" is a popular excuse and in this post we'll talk about how to overcome that (incidentally, remaining organized is a great way to catch lost time in your day, but I digress". Another popular excuse is "I'm just not an organized person." Pish posh. All that means, you aren't organized yet not that it is impossible to ever become organized and efficient. Case in point: I am not "naturally" organized; I am naturally a little bit flighty, truth be told. But, I know this about myself and so I work really hard to over come that part of my personality. As I recently told a co-worker, "I am far to flakey to be disorganized." I imagine the same is true for many of us; without careful organization, we'd lose things, forget appointments and generally live very stressful lives. An organized home and life means you can spend time focusing on the most important things. A well organized home and life will save you money and stress. Make this your mantra: "Time and effort now will save me time, energy, money and stress later. " Repeat as necessary until you feel motivated to do the hard work. In the meantime, do the hard work anyway. :-)

Now that you are ready to get started, you may be wondering what to do first. The biggest mistake anyone can make is trying to do everything all at once. You will run out of time, energy and motivation long before you are finished and then you'll be left with the same or a bigger mess than before. So. Step number 1 is:

START SMALL
Choose 1 closet, 1 drawer, or even 1 bookshelf and start there. If you are really, really committed and have a whole day (or more) to devote, you could start with 1 room. But announcing to your family "This Saturday we are organizing this house!" is a recipe for disaster. Start small!

SORT
Trust me on this one. Do not begin by going to the Container Store and buying a bunch of baskets. I know, I know. That's the fun part, but if you do that before you know exactly what you need, you'll end up wasting time and money. So resist the urge to shop. Start by sorting. I choose to sort by type. For example, if I was trying to organize my books I'd start by sorting by type/genre. I'm a nerd, so I'd also sort by subcategory (non-fiction biographies etc...) but you don't have to be that picky. Same goes for toys, movies, clothes etc... Establish categories and everything into piles. 2 of your categories MUST be "Donate" and "Toss". Sort, sort, sort, sort. Be brutal. If you haven't used it in several months you can probably donate/toss it. If you have an emotional attachment but don't use it anymore, take a picture. Use this time to get rid of excess stuff! It will be time well spent.


EVALUATE
What's left? How will it be used? How often will it be used? Who uses it? Where will it be used? How best to store each item? These questions are important because they will help you to decide where and how to store your items. Things that you or family members will use frequently should be easily accessible, things that are used only rarely can be put away out of sight (that one should be a no-brainer, right?). Who will use something also determines where it goes; your kids toys should probably not be in your bedroom or in the formal dining room because that isn't where they'll be used. So. Ask and answer these questions about each and every item. As you evaluate, consider the types of containers you may need; sizes, shapes etc... MAKE A LIST so that you can purchase the correct items (or find them in your house).

EVERYTHING HAS A HOME
Now that you have sorted your things and evaluated how and where to store everything, give each item a home. Everything must have a home. Nothing goes "where ever" Everything has a home. This is a second mantra to add to the first. Ensuring that everything has a home will make it much easier to stay organized. Everything has a home. Put things away. Labels will help if you have other people in your house who are not as committed to the new, organized environment as you. Say it with me now: Everything has a home.

Congratulations! You are well on your way to getting and staying organized. Keep at it. Tackle another space soon; keep the momentum up! You can do this! You are an organized person! Hooray!

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Dusting without Chemicals

Several years ago, I decided that I wanted to make dusting significantly easier, quicker and chemical-free. I suffer from terrible allergies, so I dust several times a week (so I can breath) and I was tired of spending money on dustcloths, dusters (feather, synthetic, you name it, I tried it), vacuum attachments for dusters etc... Plus, I really didn't want to use chemical dusting agents, if I could help it. So. I went on a quest. And, in short order, I discovered the easiest, least expensive, chemical free dusting system ever. I give you....

THE DUST SOCK

The best part about the dust sock is that you already have it! Hooray! You don't have to spend any money!
Go to your husbands sock drawer. Find the holey pair of gym socks he insists on keeping "just in case" he runs out of his other socks and swipe them. Or, when a lonely sock comes out of the dryer, DON'T THROW IT AWAY. This is a gift from the Dust Sock Gods. The sock should be of the thick, athletic type, but doesn't have to be white. Now, how do you use the dust sock? 

Step 1: Turn the sock inside out

Step 2: Put the sock on your preferred hand like a glove

Step 3: Go to the bathroom and get the spray bottle you use to wet your hair or your daughter's hair when it has dried to resemble Medusa on a bad hair day.

Step 4: Lightly mist the sock. It should feel damp when you touch it, but not wet on the inside where your hand is.

Step 5: Proceed to dust. I dust a lot and rather thoroughly so about halfway through my dusting I rotate the sock so the dirty side is on top and the clean side is on my palm. You can get into tiny, tiny spaces using your fingers inside the dust sock glove.

I use this system for EVERY dustable surface in my house; television and computer included. If you are worried about the moisture on your TV or computer screen, you could just use the dry side to do those things.

If you try to polish your wood furniture while you dust but you don't want to buy Pledge or some other aerosol product, try to find wood polishing products that are mineral oil or plant oil (orange and lemon oil are popular). You'll want to read the label very, very carefully to be sure it is safe for your type of wood and finish. If mineral oil products are safe on your furniture, you can purchase pure mineral oil in a pharmacy and mix 1/2 cup with 4-5 tablespoons of lemon juice to make your own polish/dusting stuff. I wouldn't recommend putting this in a spray bottle, though. Just pour a little bit onto your dry dust sock and polish away.

Now! Go forth! Save and reuse your rejected socks! Dust! 

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How to Go Paperless--Paper Towel Edition

Okay you guys. Don't freak out. Going "Paperless" does not mean going without paper products of any kind.

That would be massive silliness. We only support small amounts of silliness at a time here at The Diet Coke Diet.

So, since I'm the Bob to your Larry (if you get that reference, you are AWESOME), I am here to talk about using LESS paper not NO paper. (I'm not sure if the grammar in that sentence is correct.)

Now, there is so much paper-waste in this country it is ghastly. 40% of the solid waste in landfills is paper and paper goods . That is a huge amount. Now, do not lecture me about trees being a renewable resource. I KNOW. That is less the point than the filling our landfills with paper. I am a wee bit on the granola-crunchy side of things, so I support efforts to lower waste. I have guilt when I throw things away. I recycle. I like love the earth, Dude.

So, combine a tree-hugging hobby with serious amounts of NO money, and enter: MORGAN'S PAPERLESS QUEST!

It all started four years ago when I had Henry. And I am continuing to streamline my efforts.

Today, we are going PAPERLESS by undoing our addictions to PAPER TOWELS!

Oh, paper towels. How we LOVE THEM! They are quick, absorbent and on a roll. A ROLL for crying out loud. What's not to love?

Well. Nothing, except that there are ways to cut down on them, or eliminate them entirely.

How?

Laundry.

Calm down. It's okay. The small amount of laundry that will be added to your weekly tally will be nearly unnoticeable.

So, go to the store, Target, or Walmart, or wherever, and buy a dozen or so washcloths. They even come in very cheap packs of 12 (or maybe 10, what do I know?) They do NOT cost a lot. DO NOT buy the fancy bathroom washcloths that are all thick and soft and spongy. NO! They need to be the super cheap ones that are a bit scratchy and are all bundled in a piece of paper. Do you know what I'm referring to? CHEAP!

 Some people (my mother) feel strongly that kitchen dish rags are different than wash cloths. They are. Dish rags suck and washcloths are quite helpful. Do not waste money on dish rags, they absorb nothing. NOTHING, I say.

Woah, I got a little excited there. I always get worked up when my opinion differs from my mother's. It's like going against nature.

So, now, when babies' faces are messy, instead of a paper towel, reach for a washcloth.

Kitchen spill? Baby vomit? WASHCLOTH WASHCLOTH WASHCLOTH!

And I absolutely do not approve of using paper towels as napkins. NO! That is forbidden. I mean it. We'll talk about napkins another day. I don't want to overwhelm you.

Keep your washcloths in the cupboard under the sink or in a drawer. If you're seriously short on space, get a cute little basket, and keep them on the counter top. (Oh, that would be SO cute!)

I usually use TWO in the kitchen at once. A KITCHEN cloth and a PERSON cloth. It's easy, just hang the PERSON cloth on the back of the high chair.

The PERSON cloth is for baby faces, or sticky fingers. The KITCHEN cloth is for a counter-top, table or floor issue. The twain should NEVER meet.

I do NOT agree with gross, slimy and smelly cloths. EW EW EW. So, if you're skeeved out like I am, use a new one every day. Okay, even if you're NOT skeeved out, use a new one every single day. It's ONE or TWO a day. It's a TINY amount of laundry.

In fact, it's totally okay if you use MORE than one a day, you're still not using paper towels.

All you need to do it hang it to dry on the oven door, or if you have a little hanging bar in your cupboard, somewhere so it can lay flat and dry, do NOT leave it all bunchy in the sink. The cloth will smell sumfin' awful in just a couple of hours. EW!

Seriously. It does not have to be a pain in the tushie to NOT buy paper towels. I haven't purchased a single roll in three years. I do not miss them.

So, your challenge? This week, NO MORE PAPER TOWELS.

Go spend $2 on washcloths and free yourself. You'll be FREE I tell you. FREEEEEEE!!!!

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How to Clean Your House

HAHAHAH! Search Engines are gonna LOVE me for this one.

So, we had all kinds of family visiting over the long weekend, which truth be told turned into almost a week. And since we were having so much fun, my house kinda got... neglected.

It was pretty bad. I did dishes thrice between Thursday and today. Yeah it was bad.

And I realized that when you ignore the little things, they pile on and upwards until you feel as though you live in  a trash pit of despair. And something HAS to be done about that.

So without further ado (I am SO ashamed!) I give you my trash pit of despair:

From The Diet Coke Diet

From The Diet Coke Diet

From The Diet Coke Diet

From The Diet Coke Diet

From The Diet Coke Diet

I know.

I know!

So, then, it was time to UNDO the weekend of fun.

(There are few websites floating around today that give GREAT advice about how to clean your house, and keep it that way. You might want to ignore me entirely and go Google those... who knows?)

 I fully admit to not being perfect. (You did see the above photographic evidence, yes?) And since I'm not perfect I have various techniques that help me get in control.

1. The "Touch it Once" principal
My dad taught me the idea of handling items the fewest times humanly possible as I clean/put things away. He taught me this because I used to unload the dishwasher onto the counter and then proceed to put all the dishes away. That was a WASTE OF TIME! Put it straight into the cupboard!

And I have applied that sound logic (thanks Dad!) to my own housekeeping.

For example: What is the point of moving a stack of papers I'm going to trash out of my way or onto the floor just to put something away underneath it? Instead, I bring an empty trash sack around as I clean, so there is no excuse for OVER-handling things. Is this making sense?? It is a time saver.

To paint it another way:
Why would make a pile of books that need to be put on the shelf right next to the shelf? Just put 'em away! Keep moving!!!

2. Throw crap away.

I won't even explain this one.

3. Dishes and Laundry
They are NEVER ending. So it makes little sense to ignore them. (Don't look in my room right now.) It's MUCH MUCH easier to run a load or two of laundry every single day than to wait until you have no clean underpants.

4. Things that are neatly piled look much nicer than things that aren't.
See my desk for example?

From The Diet Coke Diet

Much better than the before. MUCH. A messy stack of papers looks like uncleanliness. But a nicely stowed, neatly organized stack on a shelf looks like ORGANIZATION! Nice, eh?

5. Dust and vacuum frequently.
If I am being honest (which it seems I can't help but be, regardless of how bad it makes me look) I need to vacuum my living/office area daily. But I don't. I'm too lazy. I do manage to whip out the ole Dyson 3x a week. And the difference it makes is astounding! I dust probably weekly and living in the dry desert, it could be done twice a week, but I'm just not gonna do that.

But look how pretty!

From The Diet Coke Diet

AHHHH order. SO much better than disorder.

My word of advice after literally doing NOTHING to maintain my household for five days is don't be like me. Take a bit of time each day to straighten, throw away, and put away.

I didn't even touch on the kitchen because this post is too long. Or the upstairs. (Oh upstairs how you taunt me!)

Are we still friends after seeing my house look that way?

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TGIF Tidbits

That has a ring to it, no?

Anyway, here are the tips to send you off into the weekend with:

First, going back to vinegar as a deodorizer, you know how after you cut up fresh garlic and/or onions, the smell lingers on your hands, even after you wash 'em? Rinse them in white vinegar first. Then wash.

No more smell.

And finally, so, yesterday I cleaned the bathrooms, right? Well, this tidbit works well for mirrors, windows, any glass surface really.

Newspaper.

What?

Newspaper.

See?

From The Diet Coke Diet

Use it instead of a cloth or a paper towel. It is AMAZING how well it cleans. NO smudges.

It even works on metal fixtures:

From The Diet Coke Diet

So shiny!

It does not work on counter tops, or toilets.  (It smudges.)

It's a miracle. Give it a try. NO fuzzies or fibers left behind. I've used newpaper that was printed and I've used blank clean newsprint from packing boxes one of the 14 times we've moved. Both work equally well.

NO CLUE why.

But it's amazing.

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