Wash Wednesday: Let Me Wash that Outfit!

Judah is in that stage where he dresses himself. And he takes after his dad....plaid shorts with print color shirt! But we can work on his fashion sense over time. I am just glad he is finally starting to pick out his own clothes and even put them on himself except for a little help with the sleeves or untwisting the bottoms. I even want to get him his own hook to learn to hang up his clothes to wear again.

What we really need to work on though is getting the clothes off to wash them. Every kid has that one outfit that they want to wear day after day over and over. Well ours right now happens to be of all things a pair of "Buzz, Buzz, Lightyear" $1.00 consignment pajamas tops and shorts.

Our next favorite is Judah's John Deere shirt and socks. As you can see in the picture he combined his two favorite outfits. Even so on Easter Judah had to wear his blue water shoes with his black suit and pink tie. Each time this happen it creates quite a stir and a memory (for the pictures).

So what do you do? You tell them you have to wash them because they wore them yesterday and then slept in them overnight. Then you tell them you have to wash them because they spilled lunch on them and they got muddy from playing outside.

Either way it is a battle. But I did manage to get them off this morning on the condition that I would wash them today...how about you?

Wash Wednesday: Silica Gel Packets for Freshness

So I am finally making my way through the loads of laundry that comes with a newborn. Actually, I must admit that my mom has helped us this week catch up and more importantly find the washer and dryer again underneath massive piles of dirty laundry.

I forgot how much laundry a tiny person can produce. The tiniest person in the house almost makes the most laundry and most certainly doubles your wash input. I find though that one of my favorite chores is to fold all the cute little clothes and put them away.

At least I had all her clothes washed and ready beforehand as recommended on the new baby checklist. I must have done at least a half dozen loads of just newborn clothes (all the clothes everyone was so gracious to give us), sheets, burp cloths, towels, and so on.

And I must have washed each of these loads twice beforehand due to unseen silica gel packet exploding in the wash. At first I was confused over these little beads that seemed to fall out of the clothes when I took them out of the dryer. I had my husband come over and look and he identified them as the freshness beads that come with new clothes. Yes, these beads had secretly made their way through the wash only to swell up and explode out of the packet. Unfortunately I did not discover them until I finished my second load of baby clothes.

After doing some research, I discovered that these beads can be irritable to the skin. When I read this I got mad that some company even considered putting something semi dangerous with infant clothes, causing potential harm to a newborn.

To solve this problem, I took some vinegar and washed out the washing machine on a hot cycle. I also ran the dryer and cleaned the lent trap. Then I rewashed all my infant clothes again to remove any unwanted particles from the clothes to keep them delicate to baby's skin.

So I am here to warn you once again, look through all your new clothes. Remove tags, clean out pockets, and beware of silica packets. It may take you a few extra minutes to do this but it will save you some time and money washing more loads of laundry. And at the very most, it will save your family members from breaking out from a potential hazardous material.

Wash Wednesday: Cleaning WITHOUT Chemicals

In yesterday's post, I explained how fresh lemons and limes can be used as decoration...but don't just toss them out! You can use them to clean! Yes, cleaning WITHOUT chemicals. It's the best. And since you've already bought the fruit for "decorations" it's a bonus. No other expensive chemicals to buy! And it's the best for your family (especially if you have small children)!

After the lemons lost their color and needed to be replaced, it was time for my kitchen sink to get a good scrub down. I plugged the sink and I cut up the lemons. I took the end pieces to scrub the gunk off of the sink (stuck on soap) and was amazed that the lemon rind was even taking the water spots off of the faucet. It took almost zero elbow grease to work up the stuck on stuff (the soap sticky under the dispenser) and smelled great.

When I was done, I put all of the lemon (and lime) rinds in the sink and boiled some water in my teapot. I poured the boiling water in the sink with the leftover decorations and scrubbers (aka lemons and limes) and let it sit. It made the whole house smell like fragrant citrus.

When the water had cooled, I picked the larger pieces out of the sink and put them in the garbage where they continued their work to make the trash actually smell good! With two in diapers, that is saying a lot!

I allowed the smaller rinds to go down the garbage disposal and it helped "unstink" the disposal as well.

While I haven't tried this, I did find that you can even use lemons to clean your bathtub!

So why buy chemicals (seriously, next time read the ingredients on your cleaner...you can choose that...or just lemons and hot water) that smell "like" lemons when you can use the REAL thing...and no harmful chemicals??

How have you used natural items for cleaning?? Please share in the comments!

Wash Wednesday: Keeping The Cold Germs Away

It's spring (well, not officially) but with the last couple of nice days we've had, it sure feels like it. And it seems that everyone is dealing with the colds. My husband had a sinus infection a couple of weeks ago, and a 10 day treatment of antibiotics took care of it.

Thankfully none of my kids fell terribly ill this winter/spring and I attribute it to being able to control the temperature of our home. Yes, you can kill germs with Lysol and Clorox wipes, but why let them grow?

When we lived at our apartment, it would get WAY too hot, thus incubating the germs and we were sick more often. There were nights, even when it was snowing out, that I'd have the heat off and a window open. Because I know that heat allows bacteria and viruses to grow. Cold slows them down. Think about it. Your refrigerator is cold, right? Because cold temperatures slow the growth of bacteria and viruses.

My house thermostat never gets set above 72 degrees. That's a rule. If you're cold, you put on a blanket. Our house uses geothermal heat and we've got it set to go to 62 at night. You're under blankets anyway, right? Why have it so hot in the house? It's just incubating germs. Studies have shown that your body falls into a deeper, more restful sleep when you're cooler as well. Deeper sleep also helps your immune system. Win, win, win.

Lower your thermostat. Save a little green in both heating and Doctor bills (and save the environment while you're at it). And don't be afraid to open the windows. As my mom says, "A little fresh air never killed anyone."

Wash Wednesday: Protecting Carpet Under your Child's Chair

Oh yeah, you guessed it. Someone poured his Magic Mud onto the chair before I caught him. That is when I grabbed the camera instead to take a picture.

So what do you do for those messy meals or craft projects when you have carpet underneath the dinner table?

Unfortunately our town home came with carpet of all things in the dining area. This is totally not kid proof if you have a child old enough to eat. Kids throw food both on purpose and sometimes surprisingly not on purpose. Food always ends up on the floor and messes happen. It is a part of having kids. We talk about replacing the carpet with hardwood but until then we needed a interim solution.

It was my husband who came up with the idea as soon as Judah moved to the high chair to use a clear office floor mat to protect the carpet. One can hardly tell that this classy mat sits underneath his chair. There it sits though protecting the area from just about every mess, fluid, and concoction imaginable. And on a day like this, it sure came in handy serving its purpose as all I had to do was wipe it down with rag and sweep the remains.

If you need to protect your carpet, try using a clear plastic office floor mat underneath the high chair.

By the way, if you have not had an opportunity to play with Magic Mud, green slime, check it out here. It makes a great indoor activity on these winter days.

Wash Wednesday: Washing Toys

Washing toys can be a fun chore. I remember the time when I was five and my mom set me up outside with a bucket of soapy water and a bucket of rinse water. I proceeded to wash my doll clothes and then hung them on a clothesline on my level. I was not only cleaning the doll clothes but pretending laundry day. I was learning lifetime skills. And I still think that was one of my most favorite activities and memories of my childhood.

We badly needed to clean the play dough tools this morning from dried, old play dough that had caked on. So I put an apron on Judah and gave him a bucket of soapy water and a bucket of rinse water. He had as much fun washing them as he does playing with the play dough. And we did our share of splashing!

Then later this afternoon we made a fresh batch of play dough and got out the toys to play with. Again, my child was entertained by the same toy but a different activity today.

Chores do not have to be boring. Make them into games and activities special for your age child. Have fun cleaning and pretending in the process. Washing our toys also teaches them to be responsible and take care of our toys which is certain a valuable lesson to learn.

What chores do you share with your kids?

Wash Wednesday: Getting Moisture in the House....FOR FREE

I know I posted about this last year but I wanted to write a reminder. With the recent snow storm (?) upon us, it's dry in the house. Lately, I've been using my drying rack more and that has sure cut down on my husband and the cat's nose bleeds. Yes. Our cat gets nose bleeds. And it's gross.

I have a wooden drying rack that I hang jeans on and if an item usually ends up on a hanger, I take half of the work out of it all and put it on the hanger to dry right out of the washer. Once dry, I just put it in the closet. Easy-peasy.

Almost anything can be used as a place to dry items that are on hangers. That being said, if you visit my home, don't be surprised to see shirts, sweaters and hoodies hanging from door knobs, backs of chairs and even the chandelier. I get creative.

Here's to having a warm and humid home. And it cuts down on the electricity used to run the dryer!

Wash Wednesday: Laundry for Packing!

Laundry is always something that has to be done before you can finish packing your suitcases. Today I did just that with washing over five loads of laundry to get caught up on clean clothes so that we can leave town later this week.

I like to allow myself a couple of days in advance to do laundry. And I try to get every last bit done so that I can leave an empty laundry room to dump dirty clothes in when we get back. As I fold it, I lay out what we need and put the rest away in the proper drawers. I then start packing with the items laying out which saves me a step of putting everything away.

My laundry room is now clean but I know I will end up with more clothes that we want to take since we are doing multiple Christmas celebrations. Most of the time, we wear clothes we know we are not taking. Even so, I always end up with enough at the last minute that need washed. So I will rewash a load in a couple of days right before we leave.

How do you tackle packing the clothes for your family?

Wash Wednesday: A Kid Proof Tablecloth

I remember my brothers when they were little pushing their match box cars back and forth on the wooden furniture at home. You can still see the skids (scratch) marks on the wood of the now beat up piano in the living room. You can also see the spots on the dining room table from bangs, dents, and remains of craft/school projects. Kids are very hard on wooden furniture.

Now it is my turn to find that out. Our dining room oak table (with up to three leaves) and six matching chairs is the one piece of furniture that is nice in our house. I always wanted a very big table to house every family member for the holidays and family meals. I even collected 100% linen tablecloths for these special occasions to decorate the table.

With a kid though, keeping that table and chairs looking nice is definitely a challenge. And I know that it will come out on the other side with some ding ups which will only reflect on fond memories (I hope). But how do I keep it looking nice longer.

At first, I tried regular fabric table cloths but soon found out that I was washing the crumbs out everyday adding to my laundry pile. Then once we moved into the finger paint stage, I tried a plastic tablecloth that would be easy to wipe and clean. Finally we moved into the poke your fork into the table cloth stage and so I had to find something heavier.

That is when I implemented this wonderful idea from my sister-in-law. Her antique family-heirloom dining room table is covered with a real piece of heavy vinyl from the fabric store. First she laid down a regular small table covering exactly the size of the tabletop to help with moisture. Next, she laid down a piece of black vinyl just slightly larger than the table. Then she took safety pins and pinned up the corners of the vinyl around the edges underneath of the table so that the cloth did not get removed. The tablecloth has become the permanent table top.

I got my piece of red vinyl on sale at the local fabric store. And we have used it all fall on our table. I must admit it looks classy enough to decorate the table and to keep there for company. It is very easy to care and wipe clean with even throwing it in the clothes wash every so often. What most impresses me though is that it acts as a kid proof cloth against spills, paints, and scratches. We certainly have continued our everyday lifestyle on it.

Now I just need to do something about the chairs.

Wash Wednesday: New Downy Unstopables--A Review---Again!

I ran out of Downy Unstopables. It was the end of the laundry world in my household as we know it.

It wasn't until AFTER I ran a few loads without that my husband said, "Why don't my clothes smell as good?"

Thanks, Dear.

It was then that he told me he has received comments from co-workers and even blood donors who have said that his clothes smell so good.

And even though I didn't want to do it, I went to Dahls. And paid full price. No coupon.

The things we do for good smelling laundry.

Wash Wednesday: Reuse Home Items for Cleaning

Sometimes I find that certain household items work better or even more better for other things other than what they were intended. Then I also find that being resourceful with what you have around the house can solve several other household problems eliminating the need for an expensive alternative.

What I am trying to get at is that I find that certain cleaning tools simply do not work. Too big, too awkward, too scratchy, too clumsy...nothing frustrates you more than not having the correct tools to get the job done. With experience I tried other items you would not normally think to use for cleaning but you soon realize they are more efficient and thorough. And I know we all like a clean house (even though it is unheard of with kids, right?).

Here are some examples of some items you would not normally think of using as cleaning tools.

Toothbrushes. First, I like to recycle our old, worn toothbrushes for those hard to reach, small cracks that need to be clean. A good example is scrubbing the toothbrush back and forth underneath the bathroom sink faucet to remove soap scum. I have also used the toothbrush to aid in cleaning food spills among the cracks around the stove top and oven. Just make sure that once used to clean, the toothbrush is not used on the teeth.

Kitchen Handled Scrub Brushes. Second, I like to recycle our long handled kitchen brushes to scrub the toilets. The handles are smaller for my hand making it easier to handle. The brushes are tougher and just the right size to reach under the lip of the toilet bowl getting those hard to reach bacteria infestations.

Automotive Sponges. Third, I like to buy automotive sponges you use to wash a car. What for? The larger surface of the sponge helps to clean the shower and tub faster with less the amount of elbow grease needed with a regular sponge. And if the sponge is safe on a car, it should be safe on the shower surface.

Do not be limited by the use of a tool. Think outside the box about what works for you and gets the job done. And let me hear your ideas on being more efficient with the right tools.

Wash Wednesday: Washing those Hands Away

Tis the season for dry hands. And if you are a mom with small kids, you are washing your hands constantly.....after dirty diapers, wet spit up, filthy dishes, germ filled laundry, muddy shoes, runny noses, unkind cleaning supplies, and the list goes on.

My hands are naturally dry to begin with. Every year at this time, my hands literally crack and bleed because they are so dry. My knuckles and wrists become wrinkled while my nails sport hang nails.

And then you add on top life of a mom. Hands tell a lot about your work ethic. When I am with my grandma, I always wonder all the things her wrinkled hands accomplished to care for her family.

Well, let's just say being a mom is hard on your hands. And pausing to take care of yourself is about as abnormal as soft hands. And at the end of the day, your bleeding knuckles look horrible and hurt even more. And hand sanitizer usually adds to the sting.

So what do we do? I have been trying to come up with ways to squeeze some time into my already packed schedule just to take care of my hands. I would appreciate any ideas you may have fellow moms.

In the meantime, I have placed my favorite Aveeno therapy lotions at each sink so that after each wash I grab a little bit. At my husbands request, I also put hand soap at each sink instead of using dish soap to wash my hands. I try to dry thoroughly with a soft towel especially around the wrist area to prevent chapped hands. I also have started carrying my chap stick around for constant use.

Speaking of, I better go put on some lotion now. Good luck hands! After all, you do a lot!

Wash Wednesday: When They "Try" To Help

I'm blessed, I know it. And I need to be thankful when my kids want to help out with cleaning...but sometimes they make more of a mess.

Our new house has mostly wood floors, except for the bedrooms which are carpet and the bathrooms are tile.

I've been using a Swiffer Wet Jet on the wood floors (cleaning suggestions are appreciated). The other day while I was changing the baby's diaper, I found the toddler had accessed my swiffer, with no pad, and was SCRAPING the wood floor. No good.

I know he was copying what he sees and is trying to help...but man. It took everything in me not to pull my hair out!

Wednesday: Preparing your House and Vehicle for Winter.

The snow last night brought a friendly reminder that we need to make our winter preparations to winterize our house and vehicle. After all, the furnace will run constantly now all winter long making our winter utility bill crazy and we will be traveling out in the snow.

Here are a few steps that we take to winterize our house to save money. Also, taking these precautions increases health and well-being while reducing risk in dangerous situations.

1. Furnace Maintenance - We had the furnace cleaned this year. Routine cleaning and maintenance on the furnace every year (or every other year) lowers your risk for allergies and allows the system to run more efficiently.

2. Vent Cleaning - We had our dryer vent cleaned last year. Cleaning your dryer vent every year (or every other year) prevents fires hazards.

3. Seal the windows - Every year we seal the windows with plastic. Sealing leaky windows minimizes air flow into the house and keeps the utility bill down by keeping the furnace from running constantly to warm square footage.

4. Vehicle Maintenance - Routine inspection of your vehicle with rotating your tires prepares your vehicle for winter travel on the roads.

5. Winter First Aid - Equipping your car with supplies keeps you safe on the road for long Holiday trips. Make sure to outfit your car with sand, a shovel, food and water, and a blanket among many others.

Be safe and stay warm this winter! And keep your bills down!

Wash Wednesday: Winter Clothes

I couldn't believe it. I even had to check the local news website. Still didn't believe it. So I checked out the Weather Channel. Yep. Snow was in the forecast.

So I find myself pulling out the snow pants, heavy coats, gloves and hats. I know I washed them before I put them away...but they just...smell.

So what did other mom's do so you're not re-washing the winter gear before it hits? We don't have a smoker in the house and other than our handi-cat who doesn't get into the tote, what can do you do make it not smell--for lack of a better word, icky.

Wash Wednesday: To Wash...Or Not To Wash

We're planning for the big move. And while we are moving to a different town and County, it's only about 20 minutes from our current home. And yes, I'm worried about laundry. Lame, I know.

But after stripping the beds, should I wash the sheets here, or at the new place. Honestly nothing feels better after a long day of hauling boxes is a nice set of clean sheets...but do I pack them up and clean them there? Or run a load here, and take the clean sheets over?

I do know to clean/dust everything BEFORE I pack it, as I don't want to be hauling and unpacking dust at the new house...and this may sound "silly" or really frugal, but I think I'll be washing my sheets at the current house, and hauling clean sheets over.

First of all, water here is free. We'll have to pay for water at the new house. Secondly, I'm not going to tease myself. It's going to take more than one trailer load to get all of our stuff. So I can run the washer, run a load to the new place, come back and put it in the dryer, go to the new place, come back for yet another load and bring the clean sheets to the new house.

What do you think...am I over thinking all of this??

Wash Wednesday: Miscellaneous Containers in your Ktichen Cupboard.

I think every kitchen has that cupboard full of miscellaneous storage containers. I am talking about the cupboard that no seems to keep organized and when you open the door every lid and Ziplock/Glad/Tupperware container falls out.

For someone as organized like me, this cupboard is my nemesis in life. I cannot stand the mess the cupboard easily creates even after you clean it out. And if you keep it clean, I guarantee that other family members just throw the containers and lids into the cupboard when unloading the dishwasher. Then when you open the cupboard to retrieve a container and matching lid, you cringe from the disaster as well as disgusted and easily annoyed at the time spent in finding what you want. Knowing this is the only cupboard that is untidy drives you crazy as all the plates are stacked neatly away and the wine glasses are hanging in an orderly fashion. Even the pantry has a rack for the back of the door full of canned goods.

My mom's kitchen had this cupboard growing up. She even attempted to keep it organized like I am trying to do now. To no avail. Most often, I give up knowing that I would literally have to unload the dishwasher every time if I want it looking perfect. But then I reach that point where I just cannot stand it anymore or cannot find what I am looking for.

So Judah and I attempted once again to tackle the cupboard this morning. I even had him pull all the containers and lids out for me so I would not have to bend over to mess with it. We matched the lids to the containers. Then we threw out extra or old containers.

Now I face the problem of putting them back away. For the bigger lids I place in racks nailed on the cupboard doors. But what about the smaller containers and lids that seem to multiply?

In the past I have left the correct lid on each container and stacked them neatly. This does not last, however, as family members fail to follow protocol. I have used bigger containers to store smaller lids and containers. Again though, this does not last as items are just thrown into the cupboard.

Currently, my containers are sitting on top of the counter waiting for my decision. I wanted to get your thoughts though on tackling this problem. Moms, how have you solved this problem?

Wash Wednesday: New Downy Unstopables--A Review

A few weeks ago I requested a free sample for the Downy Unstopables. Just like their facebook page and request yours.

I was somewhat bummed, when I did get the sample, that there wasn't a coupon included in it. I mean, if I really liked it, a coupon would seal the deal. Then again, I still have I coupon I clipped a few weeks ago.

My sample was the green fresh scent. See image below.

So it was time to try it. They smelled pretty good so I put it in with the sheets. I could smell it when it was washing...in the dryer and when making the beds. And when I crawled in to bed, totally exhausted, it helped me fall asleep right away.

Yes, I will be buying these today during my errands. It smelled sooo good. But I might just save it for sheets/towels. And when I wash items to store away for the season.

Wash Wednesday: Not All Laundry Detergents Are Created Equal

In my effort to save money, I made a horrible mistake. I bought "cheap" laundry detergent. It is made for washing clothes, right? So how bad could it be?

I was wrong. So VERY wrong. Not only did my clothes not get clean, they seemed to be dirtier than they were when I put them in! How is that even possible?

But like I say, if you learn from it, it really wasn't a mistake. So please, learn from me. I tried saving a few pennies and ended up spending even more in energy costs, water and additional detergent.

Not all laundry detergents are created equal.

Wash Wednesday: Gain Laundry Detergent

I was not endorsed or given a free product for this review. I just love it so much I had to write about it!

I had a coupon (who is surprised by that) and decided to try the Gain (original scent) detergent that was on sale at Walgreens. I first used it with our towels and I noticed, unlike my usual detergent, I didn't need a WHOLE capful of detergent...it was still a little sudsy after my rinse cycle. I rinsed it again and made a mental note NOT to use a whole capful.

After I took the towels out of the dryer, they smelled SO good. I felt silly, but just like the people in the commercials, I was sniffing my laundry.

But what really impressed me? My mother in law commented on it. I had washed a few of the boys clothes in it and a few days later she inquired, "What do you wash the boys clothes in? They smell SO good!!"

Yes. My stinky, sticky boys smelled so good my mother in law complimented me on it!!

I washed our sheets in it this weekened and again, caught myself sniffing the laundry. I also love the way it makes the laundry room smell while it's washing. And that's where the cat's litter box is located!!

So if you're looking for a good smelling laundry detergent (that DOES get stains out), try Gain. I'm impressed.