Clearing out the cluttter!

Whew! I can tell already this week is going to go fast. However, it seems, every week goes fast for me anymore. Today was a summer like day and I am loving it! There is much yard work to be done but instead I am busy getting more of my yard sale stuff around. There is still so much sorting and pricing to be done. Since I haven't been able to get in our shed yet because of bookcases and a roll top desk in the way, I worked on my storage room. I cannot believe how much I have accumulated this past year. It is no wonder I were having some difficulty finding stuff. I am not a hoarder by any means, but it sorta looks like it at the moment. It is only going to get worse if I don't do some serious liquidation! Stuff like toothpaste ect. will expire and I don't want that to happen. I almost got that room done and will work on my bedroom next. By then DH will have the furniture out of the shed so I can work on those tubs. My neighbor and best friend will be helping me. I am so thankful for all her help because this is one sale that is way too much for one person to handle. Because of all the work yet, I have decided to move my sale on the 22, 23, and 24. I hope and pray the weather will be kind to us.

It's just one of those days

Today was a very busy day as the weather has been so warm and nice and I was in the spring cleaning mode. The laundry was piling up and what I thought was going to be this productive day was definitely not. My first load of laundry was a nightmare as the washer decided to take a dump. Here I was with a full load of jeans and t-shirts that was soaking wet and I couldn't get the water out of the washer. I took them out wringing them out the best I could and hauled them to my best friend and neighbor who graciously let me use her washing machine and dryer. She also had me do all my laundry there so it would be done. She is such a kind woman. I tryed to work cleaning my house in between going back and forth to her house doing my laundry. Then my father showed up for coffee, thats okay because I love seeing my dad. Then my son showed up and that just about halted anymore cleaning. My DH said our washing machine was shot and if were a belt that broke he would've fixed it. So I guess we were going to have to get a new one. Ugh! I hate the thought spending the money right now but, hey, I will not go to the laundry mat! Our washing machine was a good little machine I bought it at a yard sale for $50 back in 2003, I would say we got our moneys worth out of it. So.... off we go to get a new washer and dryer and as I thought the salesman tries to sell us the more expensive high efficiency model. I don't need anything fancy i just need something that will wash our clothes. We found a nice set and it will be delivered Friday. Yep, It's just one of those days!

Fall cleaning

Spring isn't the only time for fall cleaning and sprucing up your home. Yesterday, I was in a fall..ish mood. I put out all of my fall decorations inside the house. I haven't started on the outside yet. The calendar says it's fall, but, the past week here in Indiana summer has been trying to hold on. The weather forecasters say it's going to cool down now. Yay!Anyways the beginning of fall signals season chores that need to be done to get our home ready for fall and winter. This is my checklist to do in the next few weeks.



1. A through window cleaning Ugh! I can't believe all the huge amount of dirt and grime. This will be a good time to check the weather stripping and seals around the windows to make sure no repairs needed.



2. Wipe down the outside of our exterior doors to remove moths worth of dirt.



3. Seasonal closet overhaul! The closet areas are overflowing with junk! Go through all the closets and pantry to remove clutter ad organize. Make sure seasonal clothing is stored properly.



4.This is important! Inspect furnace. Replace filter, clean vents.

5. Clean mini blinds, curtains, upholstery, carpeting and floors.

Spring cleaning seems to get most of the attention but, I think fall cleaning is really more important .....at least in cold climates. It readies your home for a new season.

Cleaning mood

Today I spent cleaning.You know how you sometimes get into one of those "CLEANING" moods on a rare occasion I get into one of those moods. I've been aching to clean up around the ceiling fan in our living room. The globes needed taken down and washed, the fan blades wiped down and so forth. Even though I had done this last spring, you could never tell. Yikes! the dust was awful and the fly specs ( you know, those little black or brown dots on the blade YUK!) It didn't take long and it is all clean again now. Next is behind the refrigerator... Not sure what I will find lurking behind there. I never got to this tackle in the spring so it could be scary. Never less it needs done. Let me tell you all kinds of things can be found under mine. Not only did I clean under and behind the fridge I also cleaned the outside and inside I used 2 Tbls. baking soda to 1 quart warm water to wash the inside of the fridge. Baking soda is a great sanitizer and odor remover and did I say cheap? I must say, it sure was overdue and now is so much better. So...next on the cleaning list?....the bathroom cupboard I suppose. It is in dire need of organization. I love days like this. Looking forward to another tomorrow.

refreshed, and a pontoon, It can't get any better than that!

Hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. As you know I took most of the week off. It was all getting very overwhelming for me so the break from it all felt really good plus, gave me the chance to get caught up on things. With 2 garage sales almost back to back it was very tiring and stressful. Our lake is having their annual Lake wide sales starting today through this weekend and for the first time since I have lived here I am forfieting in on it.. Anyways last Saturday was kinda a recoup day for me. Sunday afternoon we had the kids over here for a cookout. Monday was our 4th year anniviversy. For the first time in months I slept in. Ahhh...what a great feeling. Both of us stayed home and chilled. It felt good! Tuesday we bought a 24 ft pontoon with a 35 johnson outboard motor.Hubby has only wanted one for 4 yrs now.The price was right. It had to be fixed as the tube had too much pressure as you can see from the picture. oops! But, no biggie. It is being fixed and will be as good as new. It needs a bikini top also. This is also not a problem. We will buy one. We hope to do alot of fishing and cruising on the lake now. The rest of the week was spent cleaning. My floors are clean, the laundry is caught up, the grass is mowed, everything is put away now that needs to be. Dishes are done. It can't get any better than that!

Cutting back or ditching those paper towels

I used to buy, use and throw out paper towels like there was no tomorrow. I decided after the first of this year, I was going to switch over to more green living and cleaning. The change has been rather easy for my husband and I. We still have purchased paper towels but, a roll will last us 1 1/2 - 2 months now unlike every week -2 weeks before. This change has cut down on the grocery bill considerably. How do you do it you ask? It's simple, use cloth rags that are tossed out after one use, I use holey socks, t- shirts etc. that are in poor shape and unlikely to find a new home. So I cut them into rags. I use these rags to clean the bathroom and they are tossed out when I am finished, although not ideal, this is still more Eco friendly. We also use inexpensive cheapy dishrags and washcloths for wiping up most kitchen messes like cleaning the counter top and wiping down the table. These can be washed and reused. If you have a husband like mine who would rather reach for a paper towel to blow his nose with, because I'm told they are bigger and stronger than Kleenex. Consider buying the hubby handkerchiefs. They also can be washed and reused. My husband uses and loves them. If you prefer a more attractive replacement for paper towels check out http://www.hyenacart.com or http://www.etsy.com they both have links that sells all kinds of paper replacement products. Switching to cloth instead of paper towels doesn't have to be an all or nothing decision. I still keep a roll tucked away in the cupboard for those really messy messes like raw chicken juice or whatever. What about you? Are you a paper towel addict?

Cleaning the bedroom

Have you ever had one of those days that when you wake up you have all those things you want and need to get done that day? Today is one of those days for me. Today's focus room is the bedroom. I'm noticing a trend that hubby and I have of sprawling our clothes around and no, not in the dresser drawers or closets therefore, the piles of clothing in the bedroom is the first thing I needed to take care of. I made the bed then I managed to clean out the closet. It was a mess and I literally could not find anything in it anymore. I now can say I have a few more things to set back for my yard sale in the spring. I am determined to rid myself of all this useless junk once and for all! Last but not least I dusted and vacuumed the carpet. All done! I had time to make a pineapple upside down cake for supper tonight. Hubby can not wait to sample it. It has been a productive and tiring day.