Ask The Helpful Housewife

What Is Your Most Important Issue as a Homemaker?

I'm going to pose a question out here, and I really, really, really want you to leave a comment on this post! It's important! I'm looking for your input on this blog. You see, I have been analyzing the different ways people find their way to this site. My stats will show me where folks clicked in from when they get here.  It doesn't tell me who, or where, you are in the world. It just shows the last page you clicked onto a link to my page. That's all...don't panic about privacy! Seriously! I have no idea what you were doing, who you are, or anything else! It just tells me how you clicked to here...

Anyway, I have noticed that about 78% of those who come to my blog reach it from a GOOGLE or BING search for "routines, schedules for housewife" or similar search keywords.  That's right... 78%.  That's a staggering figure to me! There are obviously those who click in from feeds, blogrolls, other blogs who link to me, and other avenues.  But apparently everyone is really interested in how to maintain or develop a schedule for either cleaning or just plain managing their day. The second highest route to get here is a search for "laundry chart", or other such terms. That's around 13% of the search engine traffic.  That leaves only around 9% of the page views to other search terms or the traditional clicks I mentioned above.

So, here's the question: "What do you want to read about the most?" I want to know. Seriously. I want to make sure my content is useful for you, and makes clicking on the page worthwhile! Please tell me what you are looking for in the posts I publish out here.  Now, obviously, I started this because of my passion for all things housewife. Therefore, I've tried to write about all aspects of it, from grocery shopping to cleaning; from gardening to decorating. I enjoy all of these things, so it's not a chore to write! And of course, even though I'm looking for input, I will still post the things I feel compelled to share due to my excitement or interests.

But I want to know your thoughts.  If you are looking for certain topics, information, details, how-to's, tips, anything, I would like to be able to give you what you are looking for! So, if you've managed to read all the way through this post, please take a moment to leave your suggestions/requests in the comments. I promise I will read each and every one of them and take them to heart...

Finally - you get to decide! You may not get to choose when anything else happens today, since the world doesn't always cooperate, but here's something that you can control for a change! Take advantage! You never know when you'll get your own way again!  lol

A Photo To Prove It!

I hate my kitchen flooring.  That is no secret.  It is Armstrong Congoleum, and it simulates grouted tile, but it has tons of tiny grooves and lots of texture in  it.  In other words, it is a dirt and stain magnet.  I hate it.  It's designed to be a hard wearing, dirt hiding floor. It isn't.  I love that it isn't actual tile and grout (the only thing I hate worse!) but it shows the dirt horribly, and it is so hard to clean with all those microscopic crevices. Gosh, how I wish I had good old fashioned linoleum! That nice, smooth surface you could actually mop clean! Whatever happened to it? Now, if you want a smooth surface, it's wood that requires special care.  Sigh....

Anyway, I have tried EVERYTHING to clean this stinkin' floor.  I've used every floor cleaner on the market.  Every soap, detergent, mop, device.  You name it.  Nothing got it clean.  I've bought the expensive steam mops, the Hoover Floor Mate (don't bother -it's junk), and have even used a bristle brush on my hands and knees.  NOTHING worked. I even called the flooring manufacturer.  Know what they told me?  Use the Swiffer Wet Jet! Yeah, right....  I gave it a go.  What a joke! It didn't even get the surface dirt!  It works great on my hallway where there's wood flooring, but it's a smooth surface. 

So today I had enough.  I filled a bucket with hot water and a generous amount of Borax and stirred it in to dissolve.  Borax is pretty basic in ph (as in alkaline).  It will cut even the worst grease and dirt in other yucky jobs, so I thought, why not give it a go?

PRAISE THE LORD! Wanna see the difference between Borax and Swiffer Wet Jet?  Here's the photo:

 
On the left is where I simply wiped over it with the Borax solution with a rag.  To the right is where I was almost breaking the darn Swiffer Wet Jet apparatus by pushing down so hard and scrubbing with all my might when I mopped earlier in the day.  You have to click on the photo to open it in a larger view to really appreciate it.  I wish I were an actual photographer who could take a decent photo to really appreciate it.

Anyway, the old school, cheaper version won out.  I am going to save so much money on cleaning products from now on! As it is, I use baking soda and vinegar for most of my cleaning, along with a few products from some Eco lines to supplement for laundry.  But I always have Borax on hand as a laundry booster and a toilet cleaner/dishwasher detergent ingredient.  So yay! Win-win for me! But I still hate this flooring.... 

Extreme Couponing: Let's Get Real

Have you seen the new show on TLC, "Extreme Couponing"? I've watched a couple episodes, and honestly I just can't watch anymore.  It just is not realistic.  First of all, it is promoting a hoarder's mentality.  Really, what are you going to do with 150 yogurts? And why do you have 75 2-liters of Mountain Dew in your closet instead of your clothing? Come on, people! Second of all, if you are someone who uses coupons faithfully you know that this show HAS to be scripted because stores have coupon policies in place that would never allow these situations to exist! I would love to see a store that lets you use 35 of the same coupon, all worth over $1.00 off, and then double all of them?  Yeah, right....  in whose alternate universe is that happening in?

So, let's get real about it.  Right here, right now.  Full disclosure on my part: I've read several of the books out there on using coupons, and there are some GREAT tips to follow.  But all of these books give you the cardinal rule up front: follow the stores' coupon policies.  Learn them, know them, memorize them.  Keep up to date on changes to them.  AND these books are also quite honest in that they say you'll probably save 30-60% off your grocery bill on average over time.  That is more realistic. And the results I've had are about that when I average it out.

I've been able to find my own system, and I will try to put it in a nutshell here for you.  Obviously, everyone has to find something that works for them, but this is what I have found works the best for me.  The results have been good: last week my total bill was $358 at Kroger, but I only spent $91 when all was said and done.  No, I didn't have over $1000 in products in my cart and only spend $1.38.  Does anyone even believe that? Anyway, here's how I do it.

Each week, when my Sunday paper comes, I go straight for the coupon flyers.  If they have a good selection, I will go out and buy 5 or 6 more newspapers.  Never any more than that, because there are limits on the number of coupons you can even use in the first place.  For example, at our Meijer store, only the first 2 coupons double, and after that each coupon is only good for face value.  And those that double are only doubled up to 50 cents.  At a Kroger about 20 miles away (each Kroger has it's own coupon policy - you need to check with each one to find out what it is), they double manufacturer coupons up to $1.00 everyday, but only the first 3.  After that, they are only good for face value, and you can only use 5 max.  Cellfire is an online tool that lets you load coupons onto your store loyalty cards, but Meijer is not a partner, and even though Kroger is a partner, I DO NOT USE THEM, because they changed their policy.  If you scan your loyalty card, the cellfire coupons will count before your regular coupons and you can't use the regular ones.  And cellfire coupons are usually very low value anyway.

So, I go through my coupons, and cut all of them out.  YES, I cut ALL of them out.  I then put them into a three ring binder, organized by section of the grocery store, and stored in the plastic pages that are used for trading cards.  Once they are organized and put away, it's easy to find them when I need them.

As I then go through each sale flyer, I match up every item on sale to a coupon.  If it isn't on sale, and doesn't have a coupon, it doesn't go on the list.  Simple as that.  It has to  be both. This maximizes the savings.  I try to use the larger value coupons at Kroger, since they double a higher value. If a coupon is valued over $1.00, I use it wherever the item is on sale.

Once I have my list of items on sale that have coupons, I put those coupons in an envelope with the list, grab my binder and head off to the stores.  I take the binder, because often there are unadvertised sales, and you never know when you'll have a coupon for one of those items!

Here's an example of how I made it work on some of the more expensive items I buy on a recent trip:

I had 7 coupons for $1.00 off any Colgate variety toothpaste, 4.0 oz or larger. Kroger had their 6.4 oz Colgate marked down from 2.98 to 1.98 with Kroger card.  I also had 6 coupons for .75 off any Colgate toothpaste, same conditions.  Since only 3 coupons double at a time, I had to split my order up to maximize it.  This ultimately created 3 transactions, but worth it since 7 tubes ended up being free, and 6 of them were only .48 each!   A total of 13 tubes for about $3 - the regular price of one tube of toothpaste!. With 4 kids, we go through a lot of toothpaste, so that was a great deal.

That same trip, they had Bounty paper towels on sale - an 8 pack, normally 10.19, was 5.99 with Kroger card.  I had 6 coupons for $1.00 off any multipack.  So, with two transactions to get the maximum doubling of coupons, I ended up getting them for 3.99 each.  Savings of 6.20 per package!

Laundry detergent is another big expense in our house.  Kroger had the 50 load liquid Tide, all varieties, on sale with card for $3.99 each. HUGE DEAL without the coupons! But I had 8 coupons for $1.00 off any Tide detergent.  So, three transactions later, I had purchased them for $1.99 each.

I had a total of 3 transactions for all my coupons in groceries, cleaning supplies, etc.  One cart, but well organized.  I did find a few items on sale that were 10 for $10, get 11th free that I had coupons for as well.  These are great deals to watch for.  It takes some time to develop your own system, and be able to recognize the deals and savings.  At first it would take me 3 hours to shop; now I am in and out in no time at all because it has become second nature to me.

I ended up giving some of the laundry detergent and toothpaste to our church for the personal needs closet portion of our food pantry.  Along with a bunch of B1G1 deodorants that I had purchased with coupons.  I also gave my mom some of the paper towels.  So I don't have stacks and stacks of stuff in my house like a hoarder.  I spread the savings to others.  But I still don't have to pay a ton at the store for essentials. 

The concepts I gave above work the same with any item.  Pasta, canned goods, coffee, you name it.  If you have coupons, use them! 

For more in depth help, try these two books:  "The Coupon Mom's Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half" by Stephenie Nelson (love this one), or "How to Shop For Free" by Kathy Spencer (another good resource). 

It takes some work, but not 40 hours a week cutting coupons and building on an addition just for your filing cabinets and extra storage! Like I said before, let's get real.  The television show is not realistic, and is not promoting responsible consumerism. And sometimes what people do to get the "too good to be true" deal is actually illegal.  Both books I mentioned cover this as well...

Good luck!  I know this was pretty vague, but a blog post isn't nearly enough space to really detail it!

A New Product Review: A Blender This Time!

Andy brought home a new blender the other night.  We used to have a Kitchen Aid blender, but it fell apart. Literally.  DON'T get me started on KitchenAid brand products..... oy vey! We've had nothing but disastrous luck with them. 

Anyway, he was so proud of himself! I was a little nervous, because kitchen appliances are usually my area, but he took the initiative so I just smiled. He purchased a Hamilton Beach Wave Station Express.  It is a dispensing blender that supposedly will mix anything.  It retails for around $24.95 and is available for purchase at www.hamiltonbeach.com directly from the manufacturer.  He bought it for $17, but I can't remember if he said he got it at Walmart, Lowe's or Menard's.... he rattled off a bunch of places he had gone.  Here's the info from the website:

Wave Station® Express - Black

PRICE: $24.99       MODEL: 54615

Dispense with messy pouring. The Wave Station® Express Dispensing Blender makes drips and dribbles a thing of the past. 

PRODUCT FEATURES

• Wave-Action™ system continuously pulls mixture down into the blades for smooth results
• Convenient spout cap replaces the dispenser for traditional blending
• 48 oz. dishwasher safe DuraBlend™ jar
• Patented stainless steel Ice Sabre™ blades
• 4 speeds plus pulse
• 500 Watts peak power
• 3 year warranty

 **********************

I tried it out on Monday by making strawberry milkshakes for Andrew and his friend.  At first I was a little bit irate and ready to throw it out.  It is loud, and the ice cream was NOT even beginning to blend.  But once I pushed it down a little with a spatula? HOLY COW! It whizzed right up and in seconds I was dispensing the most perfectly blended shakes! The dispenser feature is a real bonus that I would have completely ignored had I been shopping for a blender.  I highly recommend that.  It's easy to clean. It really blended everything completely and smoothly - not a single lump or chunk of strawberry.

I have yet to test it on ice, and that's the real feat of strength, but hopefully it can handle it.  But for now, I am sold on this blender for it's ability to mix the frozen stuff.  I can see lots of smoothies in our future!

Ratings (scale of 1 to 5, 5 being best):

Ease of Use: 4

Clean Up: 5

Noise: 3

Finished Product: 4.5 *

Price: 5

VERDICT: 4.3 = Good Buy!
*need to test on ice yet....

Dinner Dilemma? SOLVED!

Once again, it is unbearably hot outside.  This is not weather conducive to cooking.  I don't even want to THINK about meal prep in this heat! This is usually when I start wishing for a magic wand or a fairy godmother to come and take care of this duty for me.  But we all know what happens: wish in one hand and want in the other; see which fills up first!

Over the years I have perfected my 'go-to' menu selections for occasions where cooking is either A) not within time constraints, or B) not within my desire constraints. We've all read the articles and have heard the advice about having your own no-fail recipes to fall back on in times when you need a quick dinner.  Well, turns out it is good advice after all.  I've relied heavily on my menus over the years as my kids have gotten older and we've gotten busier.

In the winter, they involve a lot of crock pot use, but it is much to warm to get into those. Maybe in September I'll revisit that concept! But in the summer, I tend to rely on my husband's love of the grill for a lot of our meals.  I just have to supply the rest of the fare.  Men always love to feel that rush of being in control of an open flame, scorching meat and bragging about their BBQ prowess.  I say let them! Keeps the house cooler anyway, and less pots and pans to wash.

I try to keep chicken on hand for nights such as tonight.  We buy freezer beef, so we always have a steady supply of burger patties, steaks, and such in the freezer to grill. And I stock up on brats and hot dogs and freeze them as well.  Tonight, I will have hubby toss some boneless, skinless chicken thighs on the grill and coat them with barbeque sauce.  My kids love this! And I found the thighs on sale for $1/lb a while ago and loaded up on them.  I pulled a package out of the freezer this morning, and we'll be good to go.

As for the rest of the meal?  Here's an easy side dish for you:

Cook up some pasta (any old shape - the more fun, the better for the kids). Add in about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of frozen peas & carrots just at the end of cooking the pasta to get them hot and tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.  In a large bowl, mix together a large dollop (about a 1/2 cup) of mayo with an envelope of ranch dressing mix.  Add in the pasta & vegetable mixture and some bacon pieces. Mix well.  Top generously with diced tomatoes and serve up a yummy pasta salad!

You can also grill asparagus easily.  Simply trim the woody ends, place in a large ziploc bag with a bit of olive oil and shake to coat lightly.  Spread them on the grill and sprinkle with a dash of salt and pepper.  Cook for a couple minutes, until hot but still crunchy. Healthy alternative to french fries!

It also helps to have extra items cooked ahead.  Many times when we cook chicken breasts on the grill, I will cook a couple extra, slice them up thinly, and then freeze. I keep hard boiled eggs in the frig all the time as a healthy snack, so when it's hot like today, I can just make salads for everyone and top them with the egg, chicken, some shredded cheese, various veggies, and we've got a nice, cool, healthy dinner that took about 5 minutes to toss together.

Stir fry is a great dinner as well.  You can use a wok on the grill and keep the house cool! But if you choose to make it inside, it is still very fast to prepare and uses only one pan.  Even easier if you buy the veggies pre-cut and skip the rice. Toss in some of the leftover chicken or steak from a previous meal, and it's even more substantial, but still super simple.

As for dessert, there is NO NEED to bake in this heat. (Pun intended! ) Kids love fresh fruit like seedless watermelon, grapes, pineapple... simply serve some cut up on a platter and let everyone help themselves. Even popsicles can be a great dessert.  Or try putting some fruit punch in the freezer for a while to get it nice and slushy for a dessert drink.  Quick, easy, healthy, and cool.

Trust me, I don't want to have my oven on in this heat! And I'm using paper plates tonight, too, so the dishwasher doesn't even have to make the house any warmer!

 

More Clutter Control Tips...

I thought I would pass along a couple things that have worked for me in the war on excess household "stuff". I am not great at the whole 'minimalist' lifestyle, as there are lots of things we do use on a regular basis that many professional organizers would probably throw a fit over us having in this house! Maybe someday I can be ultra streamlined! But I'm realistic, and we have found a happy medium for our family.

First, if you are a music lover like my husband and I, it really makes sense to invest in an external hard drive or a separate server.  We copied all of our cd's onto our NAS server in mp3 format.  Now we can stream them through our wireless router to the Blue-ray system in the family room, to the tv in our bedroom, or play them on any computer in the house.  We can also download them to any mp3 player, and to our vehicles.  I took it a step further and sold all of my cd's at a garage sale; he still has his in bins in the basement. But it's nice not to have cd's lying around the house! A HUGE space and clutter saver!

Secondly, I am a big book lover.  I still buy my knitting books, because the patterns are easier to read and follow when they are full size.  Plus I can write notes in the margins, etc.  But as for the rest of my books? I now download them onto my Nook 3G/Wireless.  I didn't bother with the color because my books are all in black and white typeface anyway! lol  But what a spacesaver that has been!  I did hang on to a few favorites, and a couple books that are very special to me. And, of course, our Bibles! But the rest were sold, or donated. Now I get books on my Nook.  And since my Mom also has one, she and I can "lend" each other books to read.  Although she still hasn't used her Nook - my Dad has commandeered it! He loves it, and has begun to fill it up with books he has read, including the Steig Larssen series.  Go Dad!

Third, for an easy way to store cloth napkins, save the plastic zippered cases that sheets/pillowcases come in!  You can simply pop the entire set inside and they stay folded and wrinkle free, and remain all together.  You don't have to search for the missing napkin at dinner time.  If you have a set of matched placemats and napkins, they will even fit inside a larger zip case from a blanket.  These set well on a linen closet shelf or even in a drawer.  It's perfect organization!  I also use these zippered cases when we travel.  I pack all of my clothing and the kids' clothes in one large case; each of us get our own zippered case for undies and socks, and one zippered case for toothbrushes and toothpaste to prevent the icky mess on everything. These zippered cases have a million uses.  I'm sure you can come up with your own!

And last, but not least, some nice woven baskets are great for holding the kids' books in.  I have a lovely woven basket in my family room that we can just toss the random kid books in when they are done reading.  It fits the decor, but keeps reading material handy to encourage them to pick up a book. Of course, when they get older, they can enjoy the benefits of an e-reader. But for now, we love that they are diving into the stories they have.  And this keeps everything corralled.

Hope these tips are helpful.  Perhaps I'll make this a regular thing on Sunday nights?  Maybe each week I'll post some organizational tips? Hmmm.... guess I better get organized to do that!

Finicky Felines

What a lovely Sunday morning. (You'll have to read this with a sarcastic tone, by the way!) Everyone was up by 9:00 am.  The music of children screaming at one another wafting up the stairs to gently rouse the parents from their slumber.  PLENTY of time to have a leisurely breakfast and get ready for church services at 11:00 am. Uhhhhhh..... huh?

At 10:17 am, one adult was finally getting into the shower as the last child was done yelling about having a third english muffin.  Eventually, everyone was dressed and in the car, driving down the street, at 10:51.  It takes 12 minutes just to get there, mind you! And, ironically, we get stuck behind a Sunday driver busy chatting on a cell phone!  Yeah, off to a great start.  Then this:

Me: "Honey, do you smell cat pee?"

Andy: "No."

A few minutes later, Me: "I swear I smell cat pee. This car stinks!"

Andy: "There are no smells in this car."

Me: "But it reeks of cat pee! I'm not kidding!"

Andy: "Maybe it's you? Maybe the cat peed on your shirt or something?"

Me: "I just took this shirt out of the dryer this morning, idiot.  It's not the shirt!"

Andy: "Well, maybe the cat figured out how to get in the dryer? I don't know! You're nuts!"

Me, looking down: "Oh crap! It's my pants! LOOK AT THE FREAKING STAIN ON THE HEM OF MY PANTS!!!!! THE DAMN CAT PEED MY PANTS!" (yes, I realize the irony of that  statement)

Andy: "No one is going to notice.  Deal with it."

Yeah, right.  Except that I noticed.  And it smelled so awful.  And the cat had probably done it on Wednesday when I had washed and folded those pants and left the laundry basket in our room.  Son of a gun! We got to church and I made it all of 5 minutes and grabbed the car keys to drive home and change.  I made it back in time for communion, but there was no way I was going to sit through services smelling like a litter box.

I can only assume that on Wednesday evening the cat was too terrified to come downstairs to use the litterbox due to all of the kid commotion going on in our home.  We had playmates over and all kinds of activity in the house, and our older cat gets skittish around large groups of people.  She probably felt trapped and needed to go potty, felt safest staying in our room, and used the nearest laundry basket.  Lovely.  I can't be angry with her for it, but I am anyway.

So, now I am re-washing the entire load of laundry.  And I am adding some "Bac-Out" by BioKleen to the load.  It is a great enzyme based cleaner that will eliminate the odor and completely clean the urine out of the laundry.  But lesson learned? Make sure the cats are all out of the bedrooms when we have company, that way they have to be brave and come down to the litterbox anyway! And not pee my pants!

 

There's a Place In the Sun...

I love that song by Stevie Wonder.  It's so happy, and upbeat.  It puts a smile on my face every time I hear it.  It's even a favorite among my kids, who are all now of the opinion that Mom and Dad are totally "uncool" when it comes to music! It's just such a universal favorite, though.

This morning it occurred to me that, att our house, we all have our "place in the sun". Mine is out on the deck.

 
Right now it needs a bit of attention, such as powerwashing and picking up all the towels and junk left out from the kids invading the pool last night, but it is still an oasis for me.  I love sitting out here in the mornings before the heat becomes unbearable.  It is a great place to enjoy the morning sun with a fresh cup of coffee, collect my thoughts, do my morning devotions, and make my list of things to accomplish for the day.  Birds are always singing, and when there is a light breeze, it almost feels like being away at a nice resort. 

Even our cats, Pippi and Charlotte "Itty-Bitty" have their own place in the sun!

 I plant cat grass in a large, flat pan for them to enjoy.  Turns out, it's large enough that they can lay in it and pretend they are brave kitties out in the wild peeking out at the world through the long grass!  They love to lay here and soak up the sun from the deck, too.  You can tell, by how matted down it is, and this is a fresh batch of grass. 

Everyone deserves their own little place in the sun, even our kitties.  I wanted to remind you of that today.  When you go about your routines, contemplate where your place to go relax is located.  Do you have one?  It doesn't have to be anything grand.  If you live in the city, and all you have is a lawn chair on a rooftop, that counts and you should treasure it!  Part of being a happy, organized, and productive modern domestic engineer is providing yourself a spot to sit down for a minute or 30 to recharge and collect your thoughts.  By no means am I encouraging laziness, and trying to breed you to become a muu-muu wearing slob who does nothing.  It's just that this week it occurred to me that the only posts I have ever put on this blog have always been about the productivity factor.  HOW to do things.  WHEN to do things.  WHERE to put things.  WHY, WHAT, etc....  I've never addressed the fact that we all need a few moments in our day to reflect on our thoughts, or simply just "be" in order to maintain mental health.  This is why I start my day the way I do - out on the deck, in peace, taking care of me before my rat race day begins with 1 husband, 4 kids, 2 cats, 50 chores, and 1000 errands.  Staying centered and calm and peaceful is such a help in my life. And I would not be a very 'Helpful Housewife' if I didn't share that wisdom with you!

What Time Is It?

Child (any, pick one!): "What time is it?"

Me: "7:30."

Child: "Oh. What time is that?"

Me: "Halfway between 7:00 and 8:00."

Child: "What's 8:00?"

Me: "It's bathtime! Stop asking me questions about the clock!!!"

Child, running off to siblings: "It's bath time!"

See, there is a benefit to having a schedule!  It really shortens THOSE conversations.  Until kids are old enough to comprehend time, say, at about 33 years old and they are late for work, they just don't understand what anyone means when they tell them the actual TIME. And when you have a set schedule, it's just easier to tell them "It's bath time" or "it's time for lunch" or "it's quiet time, because Mommy is about to break into the vodka if we don't have quiet time."

I get so many emails asking me about routines and schedules. I get more hits on the link to the routines posted here than on any other part of the site!  Apparently, this is an area that is a quandry for so many people.  And it's easy to see why.  There is a mindset that once you set a schedule, that's it.  It's written in stone, and it needs to be followed.  That's just not realistic, folks!  I know I have my detailed schedule that I posted out here, but it isn't a letter of the law document!  If something comes up, then the schedule gets tossed out the window until we can come back to it.  And it's more of a general guideline anyway, to keep me progressing through my day.  I don't walk around with a stopwatch! (Unless the kids are brushing their teeth or cleaning up the play room!)

So, you want a schedule of your own. But where do you start?  It's kind of like the analogy of filling the jar with stones and sand to make them all fit.  You start with the biggest and end with the smallest, with the small filling in all the crevices.  To get an idea of how your day can be laid out, you first need to identify those things that you HAVE to do.  They are scheduled FOR you by others, or by needs you/others have.   And the things I'm talking about are daily things, not once a year events... employment would probably top that list!  Getting the kids to school might also be a non-negotiable????

Then you add in things like meal times, nap times (for kids), carpool schedules, practices, etc. Starting to look full, isn't it?  But you can still find those blocks of time that are open.  That's where you fill in the other stuff.  For example, up until today I had Monday through Thursday afternoons to myself while Andrew was at school.  From 12:15 to 3:15, I was on my own!  This is when I scheduled in the things I didn't want to do with kids in tow, such as grocery shopping, errands, and other things.  I made all of my doctor appointments during this time frame, and tried to get as much done as possible that would be easiest without the tribe.  Things like laundry and vacuuming and housework?  Those I can do anytime!  So I would fill in regular time slots on the calendar just to make sure I stayed on top of it.  But it didn't matter if everyone was home!  I can fold towels while the family has movie night.  I can vacuum and dust while the kids are working on art projects or playing outside. 

But if something comes up and I have a regular item  on my schedule?  Who cares!  I'll get to it the next go round! It's called flexibility.  And it's available BECAUSE of the schedule.  If you use a schedule to stay on top of everything, when you do have to break routine it won't completely disrupt your life.  You'll be ready for whatever life throws at you...

 

Need some Housewife gear? Now available!!!

If interested, just check out The Housewife goods here....  I've got my Christmas list taken care of now!  lol

Musty Linens Must Get Clean

I had the incredible fortune of buying several vintage quilts for only $10 each.  I don't think the seller knew their worth?!  Usually these quality of vintage quilts go for a couple hundred dollars or more. 

Anyway, they all had that old musty smell to them.  They smelled of dust and damp, like an old attic.  And I really wanted to keep them out with my collection of other vintage quilts.  But with the smell, I just wouldn't be able to!  So, I got to work.  And they are now smelling fresh and lovely!  This method can be used for just about any fabric that needs to be rid of unwanted "old" smells.  If it is dry clean only, then DON"T do this, take it to a professional.  But if it is a washable fabric, then by all means give it a whirl!  For especially stinky fabrics it may take 2 or 3 times through the process to really get the ick out.

Fill the bathtub with cool (not cold or warm) water. 

Add about an 1/8th of a cup of a mild detergent, such as Ivory or Dreft, and slowly swirl it into the water to disperse it well.

Add about 1/8th cup of Arm & Hammer washing soda and dissolve by stirring.

Add in 1 cup of vinegar.  (The smell will dissipate, I promise!)

Gently lay the quilt, blanket, etc. into the water.  Using your hands, softly press it into the water, pressing in different areas each time.  Slowly turn it over to the other side and repeat.  Let it sit for an hour or so.

Drain the water from the tub, and refill with cool plain water.  Then repeat the process above with the quilt, pressing the suds out of it into the plain water.    Repeat until the water is  clear, and no more suds come out of the fabric.

Roll the quilt tightly while still in the tub to squeeze out excess water.  Then take it outside into the sunshine and hang it to dry.  Over a railing will do if you don't have a clothesline. 

The combination of the vinegar, washing soda and the fresh air should remove the musty smell and leave it fresh and bright.  The soap and washing soda will remove any dirt or dust that is keeping the odor in.  And the washing soda will leave it nice and soft.

Tie a String on Your Finger

Don't forget to sign up for HK101.... begins on June 7th!

Low-VOC Is the Way to Go!

What on earth is VOC you ask?  Volatile Organic Compound.  And just because the word "organic" is in the middle, does NOT mean that it's good!  Chlorine is organic.  But it's very caustic and toxic.  Heck, in my organic chemistry class in college, we made all kinds of concoctions!  But just because any basic element is natural and organic, does not mean it's safe.  Ammonia and Chlorine are two examples I can give you off the top of my head.  Ammonia is used commony as a cleaner, as well as Chlorine.  Both occur in nature.  But if you combine them?  BIG TROUBLE!  Deadly fumes can kill you in even moderate amounts. 

When talking about VOC's, it's usually the result of combining different elements.  And when it comes to your home, it is the fumes that are being singled out.  Off gassing is the problem being targeted whenever the term VOC comes up.  Have you ever been in a home with new carpeting or paint?  Then you are familiar with the "new paint" smell!  It is the offgassing of the chemicals in the carpeting and paint.  And although I don't believe anyone has died from them (I haven't gone that far in my research), many people get severe headaches and nausea from it.  I know that I do! 

Thankfully, today we can combat this with new products on the market.  Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams both make low-VOC or VOC-free paints.  You can even buy a product called "Milk Paint" that is completely environmentally safe and works beautifully!  Some carpet manufacturers are getting on board and have low-VOC options.  Although an even better option is an environmentally friendly floor such as bamboo, cork, or other highly sustainable product.  Just be sure that the glue (if needed) for installation is also non-toxic.

Even after 9 years of being in our home, we still have this problem.  Our home was a new-build, and a spec home to boot.  If I had any choice, we would have requested the more friendly  materials, but the house was already completed when we purchased it.  When we go away for a long weekend or more, the house stays closed up the entire time.  When we return, it has a strange chemical smell to it.  It is the offgassing of the carpets, paint, and other items like cabinets, etc. 

Easy remedy?  Open all the windows for a day!  Fresh air does wonders!  And when it becomes time to replace our flooring, or repaint, or remodel our kitchen, you can bet I will be getting the non-VOC materials to do so!

I'm sick of headaches....  aren't you?  You can force the manufacturers to change by voting with your dollars.  If we all buy the non-VOC or low-VOC items, and leave the others on the shelf, they will get the message and completely switch over.  Isn't it about time? 

A Generation Lost

The email I get in my inbox never ceases to amaze me.  So many of them begin with a phrase similar to "My mother never really taught me how to keep house...." and go on to detail how they have no idea how to do even the simplest tasks or when to do them.  So many emails are just pleas for help on getting started making a home!

It has become apparent to me that our current social climate is not conducive to homekeeping.  With the need for more and more women to work outside of the home (a perfectly wonderful thing!), there is a lot less emphasis on learning the things that used to be second nature in bringing up the next generations.  I should probably interject here and state for the record that this should NOT inherently be a female arena.  Men should be learning how to take care of themselves as well, and fathers are just as important in passing along information to daughters and sons alike.  But for the most part, this has been a feminine area.

I am only 35 years old.  So I am part of this generation that has never been exposed to homecare lessons.  We were not given the home-ec curriculum in school, as it was already being phased out in the 80's and 90's.  Our parents were dual-income earners, and therefore there wasn't time at the end of a workday to fit these lessons in.  As it were, they didn't have as extensive a background as their parents did!  Along came the concept of the "cleaning lady".  Even though there have been maids and cooks in wealthier homes across the spans of time, the idea of having someone come into your home on a weekly or biweekly basis was relatively new.  And at first it was a luxury for only the most affluent.  But as time went on, it became more commonplace.

Now, practically everyone I know has a cleaning service that comes on a regular basis.  Hey, I'm all for it!  If you can afford it, and it gives you more time for family activities, then more power to you!  But shouldn't we all know the basics?  What happens when the cleaning service is no longer affordable?  And what about the kids that are going to be heading out on their own, with low-paying, entry level jobs who can't afford this?  Shouldn't they know basic homekeeping to keep them afloat?

We have become a society of convenience.  We rely on computers, cell phones, ATM's, and the like for our daily activities.  There are a plethora of gadgets and gizmos on the market that promise to make things easier and faster.  A microwave is no longer a status symbol; it is an expectation.  And with all of these changes, homekeeping has become even more of a 'life sucker'.  No one wants to spend the time on it because it takes too long, isn't "fun", and never seems to really be complete.

So now I belong to a generation that has no idea how to do even the most simple tasks.  And has no ability to even schedule their day.  One woman actually emailed me, asking me when she should take her shower because she had a new baby and didn't know how to even fit that into her day!  My answer was simple:  when the baby sleeps, jump on in and soap up!  And if the baby wakes and starts crying, it will still be OK, because you'll be out in a minute anyway. 

My mother did not teach me how to keep house.  In fact, my mother loathed housework.  Now that she is retired, she seems to like it a LITTLE more, but while I was growing up it wasn't exactly a lesson a day atmosphere.  Don't get me wrong- our home was cozy and clean and we had home made dinners almost every night.  But I don't recall her ever taking me aside and showing me how to do laundry or clean a toilet or vacuum.  You just figured it out.  I learned by osmosis, I guess.  To this day, we still tease her, though, about the refrigerator experiments!  Poor mom!

But when I moved into my first apartment, I fell in love with housework.  Every Saturday, I would move the frig out away from the wall and scrub the floor and vacuum the condenser coils.  I would polish and shine every surface, and wash every stitch of fabric.  The smell of clean was something I wanted to bottle as a perfume!  I don't know where this love of all things domestic came from.... perhaps it's the association with the family dinners and the cozy house we lived in as kids.  Or perhaps it was the newfound sense of responsibility and excitement of having my own little abode. 

But not everyone has had that same infatuation with housework that I have.  Some would like to; others just want to be able to keep their heads above water and move on.   And this generation is very ill prepared for homekeeping.  The even scarier part?  The next generation will be even worse off! 

Perhaps the best way to solve this problem is to change our viewpoint of the dreaded housework into one of pleasure.  Instead of looking at it as a "chore", or "timewaster", maybe it needs to be looked at as a chance to unwind and renew.  I know that cleaning the shower isn't exactly glamourous, but why not focus on how it gleams when you are done?  And while you are scrubbing away, it can be very calming and soothing.  I think this is why I love housework so much: I tend to do my best thinking while in the middle of mucking out a mess.  I am able to take that time to be reflective and meditative while still being productive.  I lose myself in my thoughts, and by the time the jobs are done, my head is clear and I feel renewed.  And when I come out of that state of mind, I snap back into a reality of sparkling clean and calm! 

Once we change our mindset, the learning process becomes fun and easy.  Then the implementation of those skills becomes enjoyable.  Even rewarding.

So, please keep sending me those emails.  I will continue to answer all of them.  And I will never ridicule anyone for any reason.  It's not anyone's fault that we don't have the tools and information we need.  But we can bring society back to home base.  Let's all just slow down a little, cook dinner for our families once in a while, and enjoy the fact that some things take a little more time to complete. 
 

HK101 Sign Ups Going on NOW!!!!

I have finally declared a start day for Housekeeping 101:  June 7th!  If it begins that Monday, it will finish just in time for the Fourth of July weekend, and your home will be ready for patriotic fun and games.

Here's how to join in the fun, and get signed up for the course....

Please send me an email to [email protected] and in the subject line, type "Summer 2010 HK101".  All I need is your email address for the course.  Please submit it NO LATER than Friday, June 4th.  Then, beginning on Monday the 7th, you will receive a daily email with your lesson for that day.  Simple as that!  Each day will have a new topic/lesson for you to complete.  Once you have completed all 20 of them, you will be armed and ready to care for your home.  I send the emails daily, Monday through Friday, for four weeks.  You get the weekends off to play and spend time doing whatever you like!

I hope you will enjoy it - the interest in this has been very high again, and I predict another record breaking enrollment.  Let's have fun, and remember, this is only for enjoyment.  You won't have to turn in homework or send in anything.... it's all for you to do IF YOU CHOOSE.  But I have had enormous numbers of past participants tell me it was a lot of fun, and that they actually learned a lot along the way. 

So, get those emails in to me ASAP!