Ask The Helpful Housewife

An Ailing Refrigerator Has It's Benefits...

Our refrigerator died.  On the hottest day of the century.  Of course.  Thankfully we have an old 1950's Westinghouse model in the garage we use for extra gallons of milk, the odd soda, and other miscellaneous items.  (With four little kids, you tend to buy milk 6 gallons at a time!).  So what do you do when your frig goes out?  In this order:

1.  Curse KitchenAid.  (I can't stress enough at how miserable these appliances are... after 2 dishwashers, a microwave, a stove/oven, 2 coffee makers, a toaster, and now the frig, I am completely avoiding this brand as if it were the bubonic plague!)

2.  Call KitchenAid to schedule a repair visit.

3.  Curse KitchenAid while emptying said refrigerator.

4.  Clean it til it sparkles!!!!!

I know it's a pain to have to go through dealing with a dead refrigerator, but on the upside, it's a great opportunity to clean it out!  No condensation building up because it's still cool inside, no stuff in the way...  it's great!  Now I have the wonderfully clean appliance you see above!  Take note, those of you in Housekeeping 101 -- this is a valuable tidbit to file away for future reference!

The Linen Closet Corner of My Home

The linen closet is on our second floor between the girls' bedrooms.  It's a nice spot because all of the bedrooms are up there as well as all the bathrooms with showers/tubs.  I can keep the hand towels for the bathroom on the first floor in the cabinet down there, so it's no big deal.  I'm not posting these photos to show off or anything (although I am a little bit proud of my ability to organize while on maternity leave with my first kid! I felt so busy, and now I wonder how I wasn't bored stiff!) but I'm posting them to go along with the next lesson for Housekeeping 101.   Here is a photo of my linen closet (there are empty spots on the shelf because at the time I was doing laundry and needed to iron the sheets before putting them back):

Here is a close up of one of the labels I installed.  I purchased them from MarthaStewart.com back in spring 2002.  I think I have two extra sets around here somewhere.  If I can find them, I might be persuaded to part with them!  They have been a huge help in keeping me organized, and I recommend some type of labelling system for your own linen closet.

I have also designated a couple things just for guests.  One is a spot on the top shelf just for guest towels.  They are put together in sets and a ribbon is tied around each set so a guest can just grab a set and go without having to search for towels or washcloths on their own.  I also have a first aid kit and a guest toiletries kit labelled on the shelf below them.  That way we can always find the necessary items for boo-boos, and if a guest forgot their toothbrush or deodorant or razor, we have one for them.  We keep these very clearly labelled, and on a high shelf away from the kids.  We also keep Attie's asthma medication refills here since it is dark, cool, and a good central location.

If you, like me, like to use proper table linens such as placemats and cloth napkins, I have a good solution for storing them.  I keep the zip-up plastic pillowcase and curtain panel packages from past purchases.  An entire set of napkins will nicely fit inside one.  I have ironed all of the linens, and then simply folded the placemats in half within a group of the same style each, and laid them in the basket shown.  Then I placed the napkins in the plastic cases and set them on top.  All I have to do is grab a package of napkins and a set of placemats to set the table.  This keeps them organized and easy to use.  The stack next to them are a supply of dishtowels I've picked up on sale and keep on hand to replace the ones that wear out in the kitchen and get tossed in the rag pile.

Finally, don't forget to utilize the floor of your linen closet.  We buy our toilet paper in bulk packages, and I hate the plastic wrapping they come in.  So, I pull it all out of the package and store it in a basket here on the floor.  I can just grab a couple rolls on my way by the closet and place them in whichever bathroom needs to be refilled.  Ialso keep my extra boxes of tissues here as well as my unopened bottles of ironing water.  When the ironing water I am currently using is gone, I just grab a bottle from here.  I buy it several bottles at a time since I order it online.  I have very little storage space in my laundry room, so I don't want to clutter it up when I can just as easily store the extra here.  The clear bin holds one of my Great Grandmother's quilts that she made.  I placed it in here for now because it has a small tear to mend, and I want the rest of it protected until I can fix it.  Otherwise, there would be less on the floor here! 

I hope this helps give you some ideas for your linen closet organization.  I welcome any suggestions you may have for mine as well.  Mine is a work in progress, but I think it has a good start.  I get a lot of emails asking me how I manage to maintain my home and my housekeeping schedules/routines with four small kids running around.  This might help back up my answer:  I try to stay organized and ahead of the game so I don't get swallowed up by it all!  I have been diagnosed with mild Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and although I don't  wash my hands 10,000 times per day, I do need to have things in their place or I literally consume myself thinking about it.  If my house isn't clean, I get anxiety attacks.  So please don't think I'm actually Bree from Desperate Housewives!  I've just found a way to maintain the order in my home to keep myself from going crazy, and found systems that allow me to stick to my routine in order to have things at a standard that makes me satisfied and gives me lots of time to spend with my family instead of scrubbing imaginary spots off the walls! 

I probably gave too much information in this post that you all didn't want to read, but I guess you had to find out eventually!  I'm not Martha Stewart after all...  but then again, I don't have a prison record either!!!  Yay!!!!!

Small Corner of our Home

This is a really little corner, but I love it.  It had been a long time since my last post of a corner here at the Roman Empire, but this one is dear to me and I wanted to put it out here.  I'm in a nostalgic and sentimental kind of mood today... you'll see why in my post tomorrow!

Anyway, this is a photo of a grouping of Demdaco Willow Tree figures on top of my mantle.  This is our family, at least as I see them, in the form of someone's artwork.  I love these figurines but I have limited myself to just these 4.  It's hard not to buy them all up, every single one of them, but I don't like dusting knick-knacks!  My parents bought us the nativity set for Christmas two years ago, and I put that out for the holidays, but these are the only ones I have that stay out year round.  They were given to me by my family...  I love them!

New Address

The new official email address for this site is:  thehelpfulhousewife@hotmail.com

All future emails and questions should be sent to this address.  Since typepad won't allow me to change the previous email link to this address, I simply removed that link from the sidebar and will be sure to include this email link in the closing portion of each post.  That way it is always accessible to click on it!  Be sure to add it to your address book!

Question Time With the Vintage Housekeeper!

In the most recent mailing of the Vintage Housekeeper's Digest, Alison asked us to answer these questions and post them.  Well, here goes! 

1. Tell us about your house:   It's a suburban cookie cutter home in a new subdivision.  The standard 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 3 car garage spec home.
2. Who lives in it? The Roman Empire!  Andy, Leanne, Attie, Annika, Aelin, and Andrew.
3. Are you running your house or is it running you? I'm running the house, but the kids are running me!
4. Ironing: love it or hate it?  I adore it.  It's so relaxing.
5. Who's your favorite Domestic Goddess. Why?  Reese Witherspoon.  This girl, even though she makes millions acting in movies, has a down to earth lifestyle.  She does her own cooking, housework, and is a true mom to her kids.  No nannies for her!  And she just looks darn cute doing it.  I love her dresses!  She has iconic style!
6. Most hated domestic task?  Keeping the junk-mail clutter at bay on the kitchen counter!
7. Do you stick to a routine or fire-fight on a daily basis?  I try to stick to a routine, but sometimes you have to get out the fireman's helmet...
8. Any dirty secrets...?  If I told you, they wouldn't be secrets anymore, would they?
9. How green are you?  I recycle everything that we have the ability to, I try to use only natural cleaners, we are organic food lovers, we purchase organic beef from a local farmer, and we try not to drive too much.  If they made a vehicle large enough for 4 car seats that was eco-friendly we would have one. 
10. Favorite housekeeping music, vintage website and soap powder.  Music:  anything upbeat and turned up high.  Usually some Sara Evans, Paul Vassar, or KISS, depending on my day.  Vintage Website:  Vintage Pretty and Brocante Home of course!  Soap Powder:  My favorites are Caldrea or Williams-Sonoma brands but I usually buy what's on sale at the market.
11. Best ever vintage find?  My great-grandmother's piano music box.  It's priceless to me.
12. What time do you go to bed? Whats your evening routine like?  Whenever I collapse.  My routine has gone out the window with baby #4 so I need to get one again.
13. Favorite waste of time?  Watching Boston Legal or searching crafting weblogs.
14. Secret vintage hunting ground?  Jewell's Antiques & Treasures (Oops, there goes a secret!)
15. Do you get much help around the house?  YES!!!!!
16. One of the local yummy mummies calls to say she is on her way
round, but the house is a mess. Quick fixes?  "I was just on my way out, can we meet tomorrow instead?"
17. Your signature housekeeping scent?  It's a tie between Peony, Lavender, Sweet Pea and Cherry Blossom
18. No-fail emergency dinner party menu...  light salad, chicken & wild rice casserole (it's more gourmet than it sounds!), steamed vegetables, rolls, and cannoli for dessert.
19. Dream home?  The house from the movie "Something's Gotta Give".  I just love the classic style and decor.  And all the windows!!!!
20. Martha Stewart: ogre or genius?  Ogre.  I don't care how much genius she has to create her empire -- she is too cold and bitter to like her.  PLUS, she did lie. Under oath.  That was pretty stupid, not very genius-like.  And she has made an entire generation of women feel inadequate.

There you have it! 

The Pantry Is NOT A Mushroom

Good morning, darling Housewives!  Now that our refrigerators are sparkling and pretty inside, it's time to move on to our next task.  We are going to tackle the pantry now.  And in case you were wondering why in the world I could admonish everyone by saying the pantry is NOT a mushroom, it is because most people treat the pantry that way.  They keep it in the dark and it's covered in dirt!  I know that us Housewives don't do that, but you would be surprised to peek into the pantries of those who are homekeeping-phobic or those who would love to be an efficient homemaker but have no idea where to start or what to do.  Pantries tend to be neglected more than any other area of the home with exception of the utility closet, but most use their pantries as a utility closet as well. 

I'm going to tackle this as if your pantry is a multi-purpose area.  If you are fortunate enough to have separate closets for brooms and paper/cleaning goods, and the like, then only take out the points that would pertain to you.  Let's get started!

To keep foods fresh and to prevent pest infestation, we need to keep the pantry clean and dry at all times.  This doesn't mean filling a bucket with bleach water and scrubbing it down everyday.  You can maintain a high level of cleanliness with afew simple preventative measures.  But a good, thorough initial cleaning is in order, as well as at least one per year thereafter.  Here are the steps to take for that initial scrub-down:

1. Remove everything from the pantry.  Every can, box, bag, crumb of food.  Remove all cleaning supplies or paper products that you may have stored there.  The pantry should be completely empty. 
2. Sort through the items you pulled off the shelves/hooks and discard anything that's past it's prime.  If you have items that are still good and you don't plan to use them, DON'T TOSS THEM OUT!   Set aside a box of these items to deliver to your local food pantry, shelter, or church for those less fortunate.  These places are always in need of donations and every little bit helps.  Any cleaning product that you are going to get rid of need to be properly taken care of.  Be sure to read labels for disposal guidelines.  Most can be flushed down the drain with lots of water and the container recycled.  If you have some things that are a little stronger and require different disposal techniques, be sure to do so appropriately.  Contact your local waste management company for advice or instructions on where to take these things.
3. Now that you have room to work, it's time to clean.  First, dry dust the shelves and walls to remove any dust and crumbs.  Sweep the floor to prevent any dirt/dust from becoming wet and hard to clean up.  This way any drips from the cleaning will not create a bigger mess. 
4. FIll a bucket with warm water and a drop of two of a gentle dishsoap or an all-natural cleanser.  (I really like Dr. Bronner's liquid soaps for this type of job. The peppermint or eucalyptus scents work especially well, although any of them are perfect for this project.)  Grab about 6 cleaning cloths from your rag bin stash and lets get to work.
5. Wash down each shelf.  As your cloth gets too dirty to continue, toss it in your washing machine and grab a clean one.  Keep going until all shelves have been cleaned.  Next, wipe down the walls.  Start at the top and work your way down.  If any drips get on your clean shelves, simply wipe them away. 
6. Using a spray bottle, lightly mist your shelves with a very weak vinegar and water solution.  This will help to ensure a thorough rinsing of any residue, and will also act as an antiseptic for anything that may have  been setting up home in your pantry.
7. All that is left to scrub is the floor.  This is one of the times that I encourage a little bleach in your water.  This will ensure that no pests decide to meander on in and make themselves comfortable.  Give the floor a good scrub with a natural bristle brush and rinse thoroughly.  Leave the door open to air and dry the pantry while you go on to the next step.
8. Now I want you to wipe down any jars or cans that will go into your pantry.  Dust off any boxes that will be returned to the shelves or, ideally, empty the contents of the boxes into airtight glass or plastic containers. 
9. When placing items back in the pantry, place like items together.  Heavier items go toward the bottom and lighter items at the top.  Place all cleaning products on the bottom shelf or on the floor so that there is no chance of contamination of the food items.  If you have small children, you are probably thinking this is absolutely insane for childproofing reasons.  It really isn't.  In our main floor pantry, we keep snack foods, cereals and cleaning products, while the bulk of our items are in our basement pantry.  We simply put a hook-and-eye latch on the door at our eye level.  This keeps the children out of the pantry and away from the cleaning supplies.
10. Using your vacuum, clean the bristles of your broom and the strings of your dust mop.  Hang the mops/brooms back on their hooks (don't stand them up in a corner--this ruins the bristles) and place any bucket or cleaning caddies on the floor beneath them.  This is also where I hang our plastic grocery bag catch-all and my cleaning smocks/aprons.  TIP:  to cut down on the massive collection of plastic grocery bags, ask for paper bags the next time you go to the market.  You can always plant another tree, but we can't always create another landfill, that's my motto.  I've found that paper bags are easier to  manage when putting them in the car.  They fit side by side very neatly.  I usually bring my own canvas and oilcloth totes to use.  When I'm low on paper bags for holding my recycling items and newpapers on trash day, I will ask for paper at the market.  When I am low on plastic bags that I use for changing the litter box, lining the utility room wastebaskets, or containing dirty diapers while away from home, then I ask for plastic bags at the market.  But for me to get any type of disposable bag from the market, it has to serve a dual purpose later. 
11. Step back and admire your clean and organized pantry!  To maintain this work of art, all you have to do is remember to rotate out your items that you keep in there, wipe up any spills or crumbs immediately, and vacuum the floor every week or so to keep any dust bunnies at bay.  Occasionally wipe a mop over the floor to maintain, but with proper attention to the pantry on a minimal daily level, the floor should stay clean for longer periods.

For more information on a sparkly pantry, you can go to the following places for some great tips, ideas and instructions:  Real Simple Magazine, Home Comforts : The Art and Science of Keeping House, Keeping House: Hints and Tips for a Beautifully Clean Home , and of course, Alison has the most wonderful site on all things housekeeping vintage-style!

A New Corner Post

It's been a while since I posted the kitchen as a corner entry, so I thought I throw another one out here.  Since this is the cleanest room in the house at the moment, and also the prettiest, I'll give you a glimpse into Attie's room...

All of the bedrooms in our house are odd because there is this little built in desk area in each of them (except the master bedroom).  When we bought the house, it was one thing I already knew I wanted to change, but we haven't yet.  They came in handy as built in changing tables for babies!!!

Originally I had planned to decorate her room in a Dick Jane & Sally theme, and even framed some prints to hang in her room.  They ended up in this little alcove, athough, because I fell in love with something else for a decor. 

   

The Dick and Jane idea was really cute, but then I spotted this set one day when out shopping and knew that I was going to end up going with the pretty, floral, feminine look she could grow up with:

   

You gotta love Rachel Ashwell!  (Especially when it's affordable for a change!)  I had an old book case that was falling apart and rebuilt it/updated it to give the room a little girl's feel.  That way the floral wouldn't feel too much  like an old lady's room!

I lined the back inner panel with a dainty floral fabric and then gave the whole thing a coat of fresh white paint. 

   

Then I took craft paints and put little designs on the top and a tree swing scene on the side.  It took all of a half hour when I did it.  (Minus the time for the coats of paint to dry!)

 

Now, I just have to do something with our bedroom!  The girls' rooms are all done for the most part -- Annika's and Aelin's room needs some wall decor, and the nursery is done until Andrew is big enough to be out of the John Lennon stage.  Our bedroom is the only one we haven't done anything with.  We don't even have matching furniture, so I may never ever ever put it out here!

The Kitchen Project...

Well, I've decided I'm happy with the results of my little project!  A week ago, I decided to line all of my cabinets and drawers in the kitchen with shelf paper.  I wasn't sure if I would like it or not, but now every time I open a door or a drawer, I'm even more in love with it!  Isn't it funny how the little things can make the mundane become beautiful?  My kitchen has stayed spotless this week because I'm thoroughly enjoying being in there, more so than usual.  The underlying bonus of the shelf lining adventure is that my cabinets were given a thorough cleaning and now they are organized again.  Don't they look inviting with everything in it's place? 

In fact, I even got out my copy of "Tiffany's Table Manners for Teenagers" and put it back on the shelf over the sink.  Such a pretty kitchen needs a touch of elegance!  I need to order the newer edition, as it has the trademark Tiffany blue cover.  My edition is older, and has the original cover to it.  That makes it more valuable to book collectors, but I'm into the Tiffany blue boxes!  I've saved every single one that I've received over the years, no matter what was in it. One large box held our champagne glasses that were a wedding gift from my parents, and one of my smaller boxes held a beautiful cross that Andy gave me for a birthday gift the first year we were married.  No matter what was in any of them, I treasure the trinkets for who gave them to me and because I just LOVE Tiffany's!!!

And since the new wonderful thing to do is share the corners of our homes with each other, I'll just start with my kitchen for this week's glimpse at a corner of our home.  To top off all of the scrumptious frills recently added, I popped a flower into a cute little lemonade bottle and put it on my enamelware tray that holds our coffee, tea, and toast complimentaries to brighten our morning beverage time.  And our oldest daughter Attie really wanted some flowers when she went to the store with Dad last night, in order to properly prepare for her wedding that she is elaborately planning every moment of the day!  I had to convince her that they needed to be in water to live to see the big moment--oh to be 3 again!  So we popped them into a cute little green vase and set them on my flower tea tray that I use to carry my teapot and teacup to wherever I may be taking my cup of relaxation.  And of course, laid out on the kitchen island for wearing as soon as we start our day?  All of the girls aprons, of course!  One for me, and one for each of my girls.  Aren't they sweet?  Mine is from April Cornell, but the girls' aprons are from cath kidston.  Just perfect for them!