Happiness is...

When your planned entree is under control, but you don't really know what to serve with it, happiness is remembering you have a large supply of individually-wrapped twice-baked potatoes in the freezer!  Never fails to help me keep calm and carry on.  

Tonight I have a meatloaf in the oven, and potatoes defrosting in the microwave before putting in to bake too.

I know I've said this before; sorry to repeat myself.  I'm just such a big fan of putting in the work once and reaping the benefits over and over!  :)

Foaming hand soap refills...

The most oft used hand soap dispensers around the house were all empty or near empty.  Time to refill them.

First thing I do is boil a pan of water and let it cool.  Gather up all the dispensers from around the house.  Rinse them out well.  I added a little bit of the cooled boiled water, shook well and poured out...probably don't need to do that step, but I did.

While rinsing, and with containers in sink, fill with water, and add the pump back in and screw on.  The pump displaces more water than you might think.  Remove pump, and mark the level of the water, so that you will know where the maximum fill line is.  (The Dial dispensers in the front row of photo below already have the fill line marked.)

Then fill each of the clean dispensing bottles about 2/3 to 3/4 full of cooled, boiled water, then add liquid soap of your choice to the fill line.  (I've read that boiling the water, or using distilled, is important to keep contents from getting icky over time.)

The two left ones in the front row are cloudy.  They are ones that I used Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Liquid Soap to make.  Not sure why it makes a cloudy mix.  I would probably opt for another, clearer option, but Carey, who is not a fan of foaming soaps in general, likes the Dr. Bronner's hand feel better than others.  The one on the far right is clear, and I used a bottle of regular non-foaming hand soap to make that.  (I bought the non-foaming for its cute container, and I will try to convert its lid to a foaming dispenser when it is empty.)

This photo shows my dishwashing liquid on the left, and the newly filled foaming hand pump on the right.  I used the dishwashing liquid to make the foaming refill for this one.  The other day as I was pouring dishwashing liquid into my hand to help cut the cooking oil that was on them, it occurred to me that I should just use dishwashing liquid to make the refill for the kitchen's hand pump. 

So there's a little chore to mark off the list.  I figure I probably saved about $10 by not buying new pump dispensers, and I didn't have to leave the house.  Win/win.

Tip of the week...

I love pistachios.  When I was in high school, we used to walk across the street during lunch to a Gibson's store that had a nut counter to buy pistachios.  

In a bag of pistachios, most are easily opened, but then there is always the occasional tough one that you have to pry apart.  By the end of a pistachio snack, my thumb nails are usually a ragged mess.

Recently I picked up these Salt and Pepper Pistachios from Trader Joe's.  Mmmmm...really good.  

 And I caught myself using a tip that I read somewhere recently.  It worked like a charm, so of course I thought I should share it.

Start by eating some easily opened nuts.  Then when you get to one that is hard to open, grab a discarded empty half shell...work it's edge into the crack...and twist.

My thumbnails thanked me...especially that one that was already bruised from an unrelated injury.  :)

Carpet stain removal action...

 Here's one of those things that I have been intending to do for months:  carpet stains.  As usual, I forgot to take a before photo till I was almost done.  So you'll just have to take my word that I started with the worst stain, and it looked great after treating.  When I thought about taking a pic, all I had left to photo was the least noticeable stain.

Before

 

After

I've been checking out homemade carpet cleaner recipes for awhile now.  It seems like most of them suggest at least a little dish soap in the solution.  I've always heard that any kind of soap or detergent will clean the stain, but will leave residue that will actually attract more dirt over time, so it ends up looking worse.  Therefore, I nixed all the ones with soap/detergent.  

I ended up using one part white vinegar and two parts water.  I poured a little on the stain, rubbed it in with my fingertips.  Then I scrubbed it a bit with a white towel to absorb the excess liquid and dirt/stain.  I covered the area with a clean white rag, then with my iron on a medium setting I ironed over the area.  I continued rubbing with the clean white towel until as much liquid was absorbed as could be.

Yea, me!  The stains are off the carpet, off my to-do list, and off my conscience!  :)

Natural ant repellent...

Spring is on its way!  Insects are on the move!  

I've been staying in my friend's guest house for the past couple of months.  It is great...warm and cozy.

Now that it is starting to warm up just a bit, I've been seeing some ants in the kitchen.  I am not a fan of ants.  I keep the kitchen clean...really!  

I seemed to remember that peppermint oil would act as a repellent, so this morning I did an online search.  I found a recipe that sounded easy and  with the addition of citronella and lavender, I thought it was worth a try.  

All that's needed is:

• a small fine-mist spray bottle
• 15 drops of Peppermint essential oil
•   5 drops of citronella essential oil
•   5 drops of lavender essential oil
• 1.5 ounces of rubbing alcohol
• 1.5 ounces of distilled water

Just put all the ingredients in the spray bottle, and shake before each use.

I've sprayed along the window frame which seemed like it might be their entry point, as well as along the back splash and around the sink.  I didn't expect it to be lethal to them, but the ones that were in the aim of my spray (which, let's be honest, was every single ant I saw) dropped dead pretty much immediately.  Now the ant traffic has slowed dramatically, and I hope that it will continue to.

The peppermint smells really good as does the lavender.  I'm not crazy about the scent of citronella, but I like it better than ants!

Making it Monday...

photo credit:  makezine.com

When Jared was little, he went through the knees of jeans in the blink of an eye.  A dear friend and quilting/sewing mentor taught me how to mend blue jeans as shown above (click link for a great tutorial).  It probably saved me many hundreds of dollars before he outgrew that stage.  I haven't thought about this particular skill in over twenty years.

But last night Bobby brought me a pair of cargo shorts that had been ripped when he jumped over a fence, and he asked me if I could repair them.  Tonight after work, I got out the machine and set to work.

I should have taken a photo of the repair that I actually did, but I forgot in the moment, and now the boys are in bed, and it is a school night after all, so I guess I'll let them sleep.  Suffice it to say, it all came back to me...just like riding a bicycle.  :)

An apple a day...

I haven't been writing much, because I have been tired...exhausted...fatigued...pooped!  All week last week, I came home from work, went directly into the bath tub, and then straight to bed.  My previous weekend of non-stop cleaning and bargain hunting just about did me in.  (I've said it before, and I'll say it again..."Housework [not to mention tax season] is hazardous to your health!")  Anyway, I was feeling so awful, that I made an appointment to see my doctor.  She will, of course, tell me that I need to lose weight.  Duh.

So Sunday, when I finally started feeling better, I decided to spend some of my energy stocking up on healthy foods.  

What better way to start the week than with an apple a day.  Yes, I hear you.  "Why do you have a rubber band around your apple, Kathleen?"  Well, it's an awesome little tip I came across...probably on Pinterest...and thought worthy of sharing.

I'm always looking for ways to eliminate morning tasks.  If I try to add one little thing to my morning routine, it WILL be skipped in favor of one more slap to the snooze button.  Therefore, I am ALWAYS looking for ways to do things the night before.

Take breakfast for example.  I'm not really a breakfast person, but I like an apple with almond butter once I get to work.  Kind of hard to eat a whole apple at my desk...and REALLY messy to try to dip it in almond butter.

Enter my trusty apple slicer...

Sunday night, I sliced my apple, but instead of taking it apart, just kept it together and slid a rubber band around it.  I popped the whole thing into a ziplock baggie, and then into my lunchbox in the refrigerator.

Ta-da!  This is how it looked when I got to work this morning...hardly any browning at all.  Crisp and perfect slices for dipping.

The salad in a jar I posted about a couple of weeks ago worked great.  Sunday, I also made up enough to last me through another week.  This week's salad didn't look as pretty in the jar...not colorful enough.  The tomatoes are hiding in the bottom, and all the other ingredients...baby corn cobs, celery, mushrooms, roasted chicken, lettuce mix...all kind of blend into one another colorwise.  (Good move, Kath, forgot to put in the shredded carrot and radish...sheesh.)

As for the doctor, I will keep my Friday appointment.  I will take my lecture.  I will ask about a sleep study.  I will discuss rescheduling some tests.  I will act on her advice.

Calendar girl...

For quite a few years, I have made my own calendars, I know.  OCD.  But I want my calendars to have large squares with lines to write in appointments neatly.  It has to be on a non-glossy paper, so I can write with pencil...you know, 'cause I don't like how messy it looks to scratch out.  I also like to have room to write notes.  Thanks to Microsoft Publisher, I have been making them to my exact needs, and printing them out on cardstock.  Added benefit is that the 3-hole punched pages can go in a binder to refer back to things like oh, doctor appointments etc.

 

But it's kind a pain to check and double check to make sure you get all the dates and holidays correct.  It could be disastrous if you get off by a day.  Especially since I also made a duplicate for a friend who somehow convinced me that I needed to keep her on track and on schedule.  :)

 

Then last fall I happened to come across a commercially made calendar that ticked almost every single box on my 'needs' list.  The paper is a little glossy, but a pencil writes on it just fine, so it's good.  It has some cute artwork, but it doesn't waste the whole top half...there's plenty of room for the large squares...with lines...and a place to write notes. 

 

And the best calendar tip I ever learned was from flylady who taught me to hang your calendar where you actually see it first thing in the morning and last thing at night...the bathroom!  TMI?  :)

 

Another helpful tip found on Pinterest...

Found this tip on cleaning your bathtub jets from wikihow.com.

 

Run HOT water until it is about two inches above the hightest jets.  Pour in about 1/2 cup of bleach and 1 Tablespoon of powdered dishwashing detergent.

 

 

Turn on the jets for 15 minutes

 

 

At the end of the 15 minutes  turn off the jets and observe the gunk.  Hey!  They promised gunk.  I got no gunk!  Oh well.  Drain tub.

 

 

Refill the tub with COLD water, and turn the jets back on for another 10 minutes to rinse all cleaner and residue from the jets..

 

 

At the end of the 10 minutes, empty the water from the tub, and clean the interior if it needs it.

 

I suppose I should be HAPPY that there was no gunk.  That means I haven't been bathing in a dirty tub, right?  I never really wanted a jetted tub for the very reason that the jets might be filled with hidden ickiness.  Knowing an easy way to clean them occassionally makes me feel a tad better.  Which is good, because I have become addicted to this here tub. 

Marking another one off the list...

Here's something that has been on the old to-do list for far too long.  And why?  It only takes maybe five minutes.

 And don't get excited, that's not my toothbrush there in the middle.  I use that extra soft toothbrush to give a final brush to my eyebrows after I fill them in...kind of softens up any hard lines.  The other brushes are all from Bare Minerals.  I love their brushes and their makeup. It goes on so quickly, and in the South Texas heat and humidity it doesn't sweat right off. 

When I first started using makeup brushes, I heard that you should wash them with baby shampoo.  I tried that, but after sudsing and rinsing several times, they still didn't seem really clean.  So I got out my bottle of Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile liquid soap.  I use a drop (literally) in the palm of my hand and suds up the brush in a circular motion in my hand and then rinse well.  They are miraculously clean in no time.  Now I never use anything but Dr. Bronner's on them. (It's good for cleaning all kinds of other things too, so I buy it in the BIG bottle, but they have small bottles too.  It lasts forever.  I've had the bottle above for years.)

I dry the brushes by rubbing the bristles well on a clean wash cloth. Then I lay them out on another clean and dry wash cloth to air dry.

Ahhh.  Don't they look nice and clean? I forgot that the eye shadow and eyeliner brushes were supposed to have white tips.  :) 

You don't bring me flours...anymore...

Okay, I'll admit it.  I used to have weevils in my pantry occasionally.  In the flour, or baking mixes, etc.  But years and years ago I read that if you bring those kinds of things home from the store and immediately put them in the freezer for a few days, the freezing temperature will kill off any larvae that may be in the package, and they will never hatch into adult bugs.

I've done just that ever since, and I can't remember the last time I've seen a weevil in the house.

I guess we've been eating some larvae...but I'm okay with being in denial about things like that.

Thank you Borge Madsen...

 Oh, the temptation!

I am reading such a good book on my Kindle, and SO wanted to take it in the bath with me last night.  But after dunking a paper-and-ink book in the bath water a week or so ago, I just couldn't risk it.

That's when I received a little whisper of inspiration.  "You could read the screen and operate the buttons through a Ziploc."

Oh, the genius of a plastic-zippered bag!  Thank you Borge Madsen for inventing the plastic zipper, and all those with the vision to see what a marketing home run it could be (not to mention a gift to mankind!).

And thank you little voice of inspiration.

For what it's worth...

Here's a crazy little household tip for you.

Why do I keep empty toilet paper tubes in my laundry cabinet, you might ask.  Well it's for a very good reason that I stumbled upon when I was making firestarters as a Christmas gift.  I was trying to collect as much lint as quickly as possible and stuff it into the empty tubes so that I could wrap them up and put them under the tree.

I accidentally discovered that holding the tube perpendicular to the filter and running its open end over the filter would remove even the smallest amount of lint.  The photo above is the lint from a load of towels...that's easy to get off with just your hand...but there are some loads that produce very little lint, and this tip works like a charm on those.  (Yes, I follow the manufacturers' direction to clean the filter after every dryer load.)

Since I've never heard this tip anywhere before, I decided to share it here.

In the summer I toss the tubes in the trash when they are full of lint. In the winter they can be kept near your fireplace to use when building a fire.