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10 Things to Clean This Month

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I’m a recovering neat freak. If you look around my house today you will see crap everywhere.  Stuff on the floor.  Stuff on the counters. Unmade beds. Nine years ago, this would have drove me crazy.  Now, to be honest, I just don’t care.  Well, I shouldn’t say that.  I do care. I just don’t care enough with all the stuff going on in my life right now.  Priorities right?  However, I still have time to clean those little pesky things that are easily forgotten.  They are usually quick and not part of your everyday cleaning routine.

So here are my 10 things you need to clean.  Do it right now!

1. Stove top Knobs.  I clean the oven, I clean the stove top, but sometimes the knobs themselves get missed.

2. The back splash in the kitchen.  Honesty, mine never looks dirty enough to clean.  However, upon closer inspection there are several tomato sauce splatters (spots) that needed attending to. So take a closer look everyone, there might be a few teeny, tiny items that need some love.

3. The tops of picture frames.  They are always dusty.

4. When was the last time you went through your sock drawer? Get rid of the socks that have seen better days.  Get rid of the ones that don’t have a mate.  Let it go.

5. Wipe out your makeup drawer or makeup case.  Have you ever cleaned it?

6. Wash your brushes too while your at it.

7. Replace your toothbrush.  Well, we are in the bathroom at the moment.

8. Have you wiped off your scale ever?

9. Clean your rings.  Is your engagement ring getting a little grimy?  Take it in to get clean and checked to give it a clean yourself.

10.  Floor lamps.  Give them a little dusting.  The bases and the shades always hold dust.

Happy Cleaning!

Clothing

10 Fashion Terms to Know

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Fashion has so many terms to know.  There are whole encyclopedias devoted to it. Each month I list 10 new fashion terms for you to know.  Some are common, others obscure.  This monthly feature is designed to be a fun, informative read. I hope you enjoy!

Adaptation: A term used for a interpretation of an expensive designer/couture garment into a less expensive style, not a direct copy.

Adelaide Wool: A merino wool from Southern Australia that is considered high quality.

Backstitch: A term from sewing which means to reverse the stitch on a sewing machine. Used to secure thread.

Balaclava: A hood that covers the head and shoulders while revealing the face.  Named after the battle of Balaklava during the Crimean War.

Chou Rouge: A deep reddish-purple color.

Christening Dress: A long, detailed dress which may contain beads, lace, and embroidery worn by babies during  a baptism ceremony.

Diamante: A sparkle effect. Like the effect of a reflection of gemstones.  French term meaning “made of diamonds.”

Drape: The hang of fabric in a garment.  A quality of a garment.

Down (feathers): A term for a soft fluffy feathers from ducks or geese. Used as lining or fill for insulation in vests, jackets and coats.

Genuine Pearls: Pearls taken from saltwater oysters which were made by a grain of sand in the oyster.  Expensive and rare.

Enjoy your month!

 

 

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10 Clutter Items to Toss

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Clutter, clutter everywhere.  We always read articles about reducing clutter.  We watch TV shows and listen to podcasts on it.  When it come time for us to do it we are paralyzed with fear. Will we need the item? We paid a lot for that.  Where should we start first?  All of these things run through our mind before we start.  This inner dialogue slows us down and prevents us from moving forward.  To help alleviate this backlog of crap I’ve written 10 things you can throw away today.

  1. Old magnets.  Do you really need 30 magnets to commemorate every road trip?  Clear that clutter by keeping only the ones you use or really like.
  2. Cleaning Supplies. How many buy 3 get one free sales have you shopped? Maybe it’s time to pare down and streamline.
  3. Recipe Books. Recipe books are wonderful. They do take up a lot of room.  How many recipes do you use from each book? In each recipe book, I have had maybe three or four recipes that I look up.  The rest I never use.  I finally got to the point where I photocopied all the recipes out of each book that I used.  What I was left with was a small stack of paper that I could store easily.
  4. Files. Everyone stores paperwork don’t they? How often have you gone through those files?  Sort through them now and toss what you are done with. Paperwork piles up.
  5. Old Spices. This is one area of the house where things pile up for me. I buy Dill for one recipe and never use it again. Spices do have an expiration date.  Check them out.
  6. Mugs.  All those novelty mugs need to go. Enough said.
  7. Condiment Packages. All those extra Chicken McNugget sauce packets or ketchup packages you have are garbage.
  8. Flat Pillows.  Have an old pillow that is flat?  One you constantly fold and scrunch to get comfortable. Get rid of them.  It’s okay to replace them or just let them go.
  9. Old Candles. How many half burned candles do you have lying around your house?  Unless you burn them on a regular basis get rid of them.  All those candle nubs?  Let them go.
  10. Pet Toys. Is your pet fickle?  Mine is.  I have bought her several different types of dog toys and all she wants to do is play with a stuffed duck.  She has gone through 25 stuffed ducks since we have had her.  I got rid of the rest of the toys.
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5 Ways To Save Money

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Saving money, saving money.  Those words often keep running through my head. When I was young I thought that I”d have a ton of money.  I would be able to own amazing  things and never worry about bills.  So young, so naive.  To be realistic, saving money is part of the plan. Always.  Often ways of saving money mean you have to nickel and dime it. Below are some ideas to help you along the way.

  1.  Don’t save credit card info on your computer/iphone.  Make yourself get up and get that card.  Even that tiny act of waiting can make you think about whether or not you really need something.
  2. Get your books from the library.  Ok, I’m really guilty of not doing this.  I justify my expenses because I love to read obscure books.  I rarely get best sellers or common reads.  However, I really need to consider this next time I am in the bookstore.  Thank God for iphone photos.  If I want a book I can just snap a photo and next time I am at the library I can look it up.
  3. Meatless Meal Nights.  Everyone knows about meatless Mondays.  How about instead of just Monday, you do meatless Monday, and Wednesday?  Or Monday, Wednesday, and Friday? Meat is expensive.  Eat in season veggies.
  4. Batch your errands together. It not only saves gas, but also time!
  5. Do your laundry in cold water.  It costs money to heat up water for the wash cycle. Your clothes will still get clean.

There’s you 5 for this month.  Happy saving.

Journaling

Art Journal Prompts To Do This Weekend

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Get your crayons, colored pencils, paints, or markers ready!  Try to do these quick art journal prompts in your journal.  Use any materials you want.  Enjoy!

  1. It’s the nation’s birth month. Do a patriotism spread using symbols of America.
  2. Make a collage for the beach.
  3. For a week, cut out the top news headline and incorporate them all into your journal.
  4. Do a boarder based on your favorite animal.
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5 Ways To Help The Environment You Can Try Right Now!

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Trying to be environmentally friendly but don’t know where to start?  Here are five quick tips that you can incorporate into your everyday life.  Which ones are you going to try?

  1. Reusable containers. We all know about storing leftovers right?  You can also use these containers to carry you lunch, thus eliminating the need for both plastic and paper bags.  If you are going to a restaurant that loves to give large portions take a reusable container for the leftover.  Styrofoam never biodegrades! You can also use these containers for craft items, office supplies and storage for a variety of things.
  2. Tote Bags.  I can remember a time when no one bought reusable bags to the grocery store. Now it is common place. Just remember to keep the bags close at hand.  It doesn’t help if you forget to bring the bags with you.
  3. Don’t use beauty products with microbeads. Microbeads are micro plastic beads used to exfoliate the skin.  These plastic products like their bag counterparts don’t biodegrade and end up in our water supply. Yum!
  4. Save water.  There are many ways you can save on water usage.  You can install low flow toilets and shower heads. Update your appliances to make them energy efficient.  Turn off the water when you brush your teeth.  Plant a rain garden or use a water tank/barrel outside. Even take a shorter shower!
  5. Use paperclips instead of staples.  Paperclips can be used more than once!

What are some of your favorite ways to help the environment?

Journaling

The Different Types of Journals You Can Keep

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Do you journal? I love to journal.  I have kept a journal since I was 8 years old.  I have kept all my old journals since I was 11 years old. To me journaling is a great hobby.  It’s a good way to work out thoughts and ideas as well as reflect and document your lift.  The beauty of a journal is it can be whatever you want it to.

These days many journalers, myself included, use their journals for a variety of purposes.  I like to use my journal not only to record the days events, but to document personal growth, make lists, and plan future events.  I also love to sketch in it too.  It’s a great way to relax for me.  See below for a list of ideas of different types of journals.  Have a separate journal for each or create some sort of combination to suit you.

Reading Journal- A journal used to keep track of what you read, the  plot and characters, and what you thought of the book.

Specific Topic or Specific Time Journal-A journal for a specific purpose like your college years, your first year in the army, you home remodel etc.

Travel journal-A journal you create when you travel to remember what you have done.  Can include tickets, brochures and maps as well.  It can also take on scrapbooking qualities.

Dream Journal-A journal of what you dream at night.

Prayer/Bible Journal- A way to keep track of your bible studies.

Scrapbook- In this type of journal you combine written content with photos and ephemera.

Bullet-The most popular journaling type right now.  It really is a great to do list.  This is a great way to plan and put them into action. Check out Instagram for some examples.

Daily-This is the traditional type of journal.  One where you write what is going on in your day to day life.

Art- An art journal involves art work instead of words to express what you are feeling.

Garden- A great way to keep track of what you have planted, where you planted it and how well it did.

Gratitude- A journal where you write what you are grateful for, and why.

This is by no means a complete list of every single journal type you can have.  Really the only thing that can limit you in journaling is you.  There is something about the written word on a page that makes things so much more meaningful.  Try different styles and see which one you like the best.  Feel free to leave comments on your own type of journaling style.

Be sure to check back on my blog for monthly journaling prompts.  I will be adding art journaling prompts soon.