Easy Carpet Spot Remover

My daughter came to me this morning and mentioned that one of the animals (cats/dogs) had gotten sick on her carpet over night. Has this ever happened to you?

This happens every so often here. It's always easier to get a stain out if it is fresh and not soaked in a while.  Unfortunately, we can't always tackle a stain when it's new, so here is what I've found that gets stains out no matter how long they've been there.

You probably already have all the stuff you need already in your pantry.

     * Blue Original Dawn Dish Washing liquid
     * Hydrogen Peroxide
     * A Wet Washcloth or rag 

I literally squirted a bit of Dawn dish washing liquid on the stain. Next I pour a cap full or so of the hydrogen peroxide directly on the stain. Then I simply take a wet wash cloth or rag and scrub the spot until the stain is gone. 

It took me about 2 minutes to tackle that spot and another 10 minutes to find and clean all the rest of the stains in my house. Especially those old, stubborn ones that wouldn't come out for anything cleaned up without a problem. It worked great.

Save $$$ With DIY Appliance Repairs

For the past couple days I've been dealing with a really loud noise coming from my beloved vacuum cleaner.

I love my Dyson! I've had it for just over 5 years and have absolutely no complaints about the vacuum or the service from Dyson. By the way, I wasn't compensated in ANY way to say this - I just really like my vacuum.

Back story, since I've moved into this home I've had about 5 different vacuums. All broke within a year because we have 2 dogs, now 3 cats, 3 kids and a husband who works construction. Plus we live near the water, so we have sand everywhere. Oh and did I mention we have a massive static problem every winter.

Anyways, just over 5 years ago, we bought the Dyson DC-17 Animal vacuum. We've never had to pay for service or belts for the first 5 years. It was awesome.

Well around Christmas time, the vacuum started making a really loud noise - almost like a dying animal. I called Dyson service department and they walked me through fixing it myself. Saving me a boat load of money, because the alternative is a vacuum repair shop.

So...how does this help you.

Consult Your Owner's Manual
First and foremost, check the owner's manual. Hopefully you kept the owner's manual and are able to put your hands on it. If not, do a quick search online for it. Then you will be able to read it or print out to reference later.

Call Customer Service
Next time one of your appliances stops working correctly, call the company and ask for help. Sometimes they will point you in the right direction to repairing the problem and other times they will refer you to a repair company. It never hurts to ask what they think the problem may be.

Check out YouTube
Youtube.com has a large number of videos that can show you how to make small repairs to almost any appliance.  Watch more than one, if possible, to get as much information as you can.

Google It
When all else fails you can search online for the solution to your problem.

Please be careful you consider doing DIY projects for the first time. Obviously, make sure all appliances are unplugged, disconnected from power and water before you do anything else. Also, allocate extra time, so you have time to figure everything out and don't feel rushed.  Lastly, don't take on a project that you don't feel comfortable with - there is absolutely nothing wrong with hiring a professional to complete a job that is above your comfort level. Start small and you will learn as you go.

It's Time for Some End of the Season Cleaning

It's that time of year again. Time to get your home ready for the colder weather. It's an end to all the fun in the sun, swimming pools, gardens and running through the sprinkler.  At least until next summer.

The colder will be here soon and now is the time to get your home and your family ready for it.

Outside

Summer Water Toys
Time to cover the swimming pool and pack away all the summer toys. Any pool or water toys need to be deflated protected from the weather.

Gardens
The first frost is right around the corner and most of the vegetable plants aren't producing anymore. Time to take down the tomato cages and anything else that isn't permanently in place. This helps to keep your yard looking nice and helps insure your stuff doesn't blow away or break during a storm.

Grills
A well fitting cover for your grill will help protect it from the elements. Grill can be quite expensive and this is an easy fit to avoid a rusted out bottom.

Lawn Care
Now is the time to cut the grass on last time and then stow away your lawn mower, weed whacker and edger until spring. Just make sure to leave out the rake - there are plenty of leaves left to round up.

Snow Equipment
While it's still a little warm take your snow blower in to get a tune up to make sure it's in perfect working order for the first snow fall of the year.  Also move your snow shovels to a place that is easy to access.

Heating Unit
One thing you really should do is get your heater/furnace/boiler tuned up. Especially units inside the home because of the danger of carbon monoxide leaks. The earlier in the fall season you schedule a tune up the lower the price usually.

Inside

Chimney/Fireplace
It's important to make sure your chimney is clear and in good working order before you start using it each year. Make sure you have a good supply of wood or pellets on hand early in the season to avoid the higher prices mid-winter when the demand is higher.


Clothes
Time to put all the shorts and tank tops away for the season and pull out the sweaters and jackets. One big tip is to try the clothes on you or your family haven't worn in a while to make sure they still fit before you store them away.

Windows/Doors
Insulating the windows and doors help keep your heating costs lower. There are lots of ways to block out drafts of wind. Some are ways are easy and fairly inexpensive such as thermal curtains, hanging heavy quilts over your windows at night, draft stoppers for doors. While other methods are more expensive such as adding more insulation to your attic or installing better doors and windows.

Quilts/Blankets
Now is a great time to break out the quilts and blankets to put on your beds or just to cuddle with. This is especially nice when you can just use a quilt instead of turning on your heat when it's a little chilly first thing in the morning.

These are just a few of the ways to prepare your family and home for the colder months. Feel free to share any tips you or your family use during the winter to keep warm.

How to Clean Your Kitchen Cabinets

I'm a bit embarrassed to admit, but I haven't cleaned my kitchen cabinets in years. It's one of those things I kept putting off and putting off and somehow a couple years have past. It's sort of like the space behind the stove or under the refrigerator. I just forget about it. Out of sight - out of mind.

Don't get me wrong I clean up an spills, stains, etc., but to scrub every cabinet front - it's been a while. It took me about 2 hours to clean every cabinet in my kitchen and I don't have a big kitchen either. Now that it's done it looks fantastic and I feel proud that I'm taking care of my home.

I wanted to share what I use to clean my cabinets, because, if your like me, you want to keep your home clean, but don't want use anything that might remove the finish or damage the wood in any way.

The solution I use is really, really easy and inexpensive. I use 1 part white vinegar and 2 parts warm water. Really. That's all.

Either spray it on to the cabinets directly or fill a bucket or sink with the solution.  Then scrub with a rag and wipe dry with a clean cloth. 

It manages to get all the crud and grease off the cabinets which is pretty amazing because we cook in our kitchen everyday.

Don't get me wrong, you still need to scrub, but it comes off pretty quick using the vinegar/water solution.  Now my cabinets shine and look almost like new which is pretty good for them being over 10 years old.

If you use something different please leave a comment. I'd love to hear what work for you.

My Fave Tips of All Time

Here are a couple of my absolute favorite - most useful tips of all time. I hope they will help you as well.

1.  Salt Puts Out A Grease Fire In The Kitchen.
I've actually used this one. My hubby loves to cook bacon on the weekend. Unfortunately he tried to move the pan that had way too much cooking grease on it and some spilled onto the burner creating a fire. There were flames about 8-10 inches high.

Simply pouring regular table salt onto the flames is a simple and inexpensive way to put out a fire before it gets too large. Obviously use a fire extinguisher if you have one and if you don't and the fire spreads get out of the house and call the Fire Department.

2. Shaving Cream Takes Sharpie Marker Off Skin
I've mentioned before that I worked as a recess monitor a few years ago. At that time, I had a kid sneak a marker out to recess and decided to draw on themselves with it.  All over himself.

The teacher on duty, myself and another recess monitor all tried various things to get the marker off. Nothing would get the marker off. At home I was still trying to find something that would work and finally found out that regular cheap shaving cream took it off with a little rubbing.

3. Vinegar Gets Smells Out of Laundry
I use this one all the time. Simply put 1/4 cup or so in the wash during the rinse cycle. It takes out all smells including smoke, musty odors, sweat, etc.

4. Baby Oil to Clean Glass Shower Doors
Where I used to live we had glass shower doors in our bathroom. They were the hardest things to keep clean. They would become covered in soap scum, hard water stains and other gunk.

Here's how I cleaned them. Take a wash cloth and pour some baby oil on it. Rub the dampened wash cloth on the shower doors. It will remove all the gunk on the glass and become clear.

5. Rubbing Alcohol Cleans Mirrors and Windows
I haven't purchased a name brand window cleaner in years instead I use generic rubbing alcohol. Put some in a spray bottle and spray it onto the mirror or window and wipe off with a paper towel. No streaks are left behind. Much cheaper than name brand cleaners and works just as great.
 

Totally Random Stuff

Today is a miscellany type day. I've included a couple interesting sites I've found over the past couple days. Totally random stuff. Enjoy!

Chip It by Sherwin-Williams

I think this is a really neat site. You upload a photo and it will tell you what colors of paint you would need to match the photo. The photo above is one I took of my daughter's room and the colors that the site said would match. This site makes a nice tool for any home improvement or craft project.

World's Biggest Lego Set
My little guy still loves his Legos and when we saw this online I had to share. It's huge! With the announcement that they will be making more Star Wars movies I guess Lego went all out and made a life size (or bigger) model.  Have fun visiting the link and searching through all their Lego Star Wars creations.

Roof Top Storage that Doubles as a Boat
This looked really cool and handy if you are a prepper. It's a roof-top storage container that doubles as a dingy. It's really pricey at $1500 or so, but helpful if you live in flood prone areas. Just a neat idea. Great invention.

So those were my random picks for today. Have a great day and see you tomorrow!

Tidy Tuesday - Cleaning Up the Yard

This winter was a bear! There's no disputing that one. 

Here on the East Coast we had A LOT of snow.  All that snow piled on top of everything - trees, shrubs, bushes, cars, houses, everything.  It left a lot of mess long after the snow was gone. There were gutters to be repaired. There were fallen trees that need to be cut up and taken away. Plus landscaping to repair all the damage done by the much needed snowplows.

This is all on top of the normal landscaping like cutting the grass, weeding flowerbeds, planting flowers and planning a garden. 

Tackling one project at a time is the easiest way to get it all done. Create a list and break projects into smaller chunks is helpful. Then when you have a little free time, like on the weekends, work on one of the smaller chunk projects at a time.

Here is an example. This is part of my list:

* Move landscaping rocks back into place in front flowerbed (moved by snowplow) - ask hubby to help

* Plan and start planting my garden - buy seeds, turn over dirt, plant seeds, water garden

* Rake up our yard - front and back, bag and take to dump

* Plant gladiolus bulbs on side of house

* Remove remaining dead tree branches - cut them up and take to dump

Some quick and easy tricks to clean up your yard in a hurry.

1. Rake leaves and twigs into piles all around your yard. Bag up. It's saves a lot of energy as opposed to raking from one edge to the other - dragging the leaves over the entire yard.
2. Enlist the help of others - kids and hubby, siblings or neighbor kids.
3. Rent a chipper, mulcher, cultivator, etc. from your local hardware store or rental shop.

 Hopefully these little tips will help you finish your yardwork quickly so you can enjoy the warmer weather of Spring.

Tidy Tuesday - The Balancing Act

Anyone who has a checking account knows the importance of keeping it balanced.

Each month when you're bank statement arrives in the mail break out your check book register, a calculator and a pen or pencil.

Nowadays, most banks offer online access to your checking account, so you are able to view all the transactions every day, every week or whenever you wish.

To balance your account you will need a current list of all the transactions from the account, your check register, a calculator and a pen or pencil.

To start off go through your bank statement and check off everything in your check register that is listed on the statement making sure the amount of the transaction are the same.

After you've checked off everything you can. Go back and add in everything you forgot to add into the register that was on the statement. Everything the bank says came out of your account that you didn't already have in the check register.

Next, try to reconcile your account. Usually there is a form on the back of your statement to help you with this. If not, you list the ending balance or current balance of your account according to the bank. Now you add any deposits or credits the bank haven't included yet. Add the numbers together. Take the total and subtract any debits/payments that the bank hasn't taken or cleared yet. This would be any uncleared checks, debit payments that haven't been deducted or maybe even tips that weren't processed yet. Subtract and you should have the same total that is listed in your checkbook.

If your amounts don't match you will need to go back through your checkbook register to see if your addition/subtraction is correct. Also check to make sure everything was added and subtracted correctly when reconciling your bank statement.

It may not be a fun task, but I'm sure you would hate to have to pay over the limit fees. What's worse is getting up to the cash register only to find out you have no money left in your account. Ugh! It only takes a little while to keep your account up to date and it can save you a lot of headaches and embarrassment.

Tidy Tuesday - Dogs, Cats and Kids Oh My

My house is home to 2 adults, 3 kids, 2 medium to large sized dogs and 2 very furry cats. My home gets messy pretty quick.

The kids and dogs track in the dirt and sand from our backyard. The dogs and cats both shed no matter how many times we brush them. The kids and dogs both have toys all over the house.  I'm still working on training the dogs to pick up their own toys and put them away. When I do - I'll let you know ;-)

To help keep my home somewhat presentable here are some simple tasks I do routinely every month. If I didn't do these small jobs on a regular basis my home would get really dirty - really fast. Here they are:

Daily
* Sweep the floors and stairs
* Vacuum the floors and sofas
* Take out the garbage
* Wash the dishes
* Make the beds

Weekly
* Change the kitty litter
* Wash the bed linens
* Do laundry

Monthly
* Scrub the bathrooms
* Scrub the floors
* Wipe down commonly handled areas with bleach water - doorknobs, light switches, railings, and dirty spots I've missed throughout the month.

There are probably more, but I don't even notice anymore they are just second-nature. My point is taking the time to do these little chores on a regular basis - I have a nice looking home and it didn't take me long to clean it. :)  Do the same for your home by creating a routine that fits your lifestyle and stick to it.

HMAH Tip # 14 Spring is in the Air

Here in Maryland it's 62 degrees today. I'm getting spring fever and have already started dreaming of my garden this year.

Well, on my trip to Wal-Mart on Friday I noticed they are starting to put out the gardening supplies. Each year I spend all of $20 on seeds, potting mix and Miracle Grow fertilizer. That $20 gets me, my family, and neighbors $$$ in fresh vegetables each year. You can save that kind of money too.

No Excuses! It doesn't matter if you have a large plot of land, a small back yard or a really small balcony; you can grow your own fresh vegetables in containers. You don't need a lot of money either. I use .20 package of seeds from Wal-Mart each year not some expensive brand that costs $5 per package. Lastly, you don't need to have a green thumb. Simply add water and sunlight and remove the weeds :) So...no more excuses!

Have fun dreaming of the warm weather that's soon to come!

HMAH Tip #5 Cheap Way to Clean Windows

Today's tip is to use rubbing alcohol to clean your windows and mirrors. It's both cheaper and works just as good as the more expensive glass cleaners.

First go to any Dollar Store or your grocery store and buy a plain bottle of rubbing alcohol and an empty squirt bottle. Fill the squirt bottle with the alcohol and start cleaning. Both items together will cost about $2 which is much less than the almost $4 for Windex or similar items.

In addition to costing less rubbing alcohol also works just as good as the name brand window cleaners. Just spray onto your windows or mirrors and wipe off. Plus, no streaks. It works great with paper towels, rags or even newspaper.

This is just another way to save a little bit of money and keep your house clean.

Great Find at KB Toy Store

I found this plastic sled at KB Toys for $1.49 originally $5.99. While it would work just fine as a sled, I plan to use it for collecting leaves in the fall. If you've ever had to rake leaves by yourself you know it's a little difficult to hold a lawn and leaf bag open and put leaves inside at the same time. Well, a friend let me borrow his plastic sled this fall and here's what he told me.

Unroll the sled a little and slip it into the lawn and leaf bag. Make as large of a circle as you can with the sled and use clips to hold it in position. The sled holds the bag upright and open. Simply drop the leaves in and pull the sled out when the bag is full.

It sounds really simple and it is, but it cut my raking time in half. Try it and see for yourself.

It's Cold Out There Campers!

We just got our power restored Thursday after 1 1/2 days without it. I know that doesn't seem very long, but it sure felt like a long time. Our house thermometer read 21 degrees. We spent all day searching for a generator or kerosene heater, but every place was sold out.

The kids and I stayed the night over my parents' house on Wednesday. They didn't have power either, but they had a fire in the fireplace and water. We have a well and without electricity the pump doesn't work. So...no electricity or water. My husband roughed it at home with our pets (2 dogs and 2 cats) and made sure the water pipes didn't break.

To top of the eventful week, we found out this morning something did break in our water system. An ever growing pool of water was collecting in our front yard. It was bubbling out of the ground. We have to dig up the line and see what went wrong. Thank God my husband is handy and has connections. Situations like this always make me appreciate the stuff I normally would take for granted. Heat, Water, Warmth, etc.

A little tip in case you didn't know. When your toilet doesn't flush (not backed up just no water pressure). You can take a bucket of water and dump in in the toilet real fast after you've finished using it. It must be dumped in all at once from a bucket or bowl not from a gallon jug which empties too slow. This will flush everything down the toilet. It helps to be married to a plumber :)