Caring for My Chaos

We all know what this is. And I hope you clean it every time that you put a load of laundry in your dryer. But did you know that lint gathers at the opening on the outside of your house? And inside your dryer? You would be surprised how much is there. And this is a serious fire hazard. Every month, you should be inspecting the opening on the outside of your house and cleaning it. You can get a lint brush for only a few dollars at any store. I got mine at Ollie's for I think 3$. These are what they look like I have the rounder looking one. The long one is better if you have the kind of lint filter that is inside the drum. Mine is like the one pictured on top of the post. Also, about twice a year you should detach the duct from the back of your dryer and clean that out completely. All of this will also help prolong the life of your dryer! It won't have to work as hard to dry everything. So go clean out those filters and ducts!

This is what all my spoons, spatulas, tongs, etc were housed in. The utensils were falling out or my kids would just shove them on top because they were filled to the brim. I had decided I wanted to find a bigger thing to house it all in, but wanted it to match my kitchen that I had just finished redecorating in June. I had painted it pink and off white and covered the outlet covers and switch covers like this-- I covered them with shelf paper that I had found at the Dollar Tree. Well, I got an idea this afternoon to find a big coffee can and cover it to match the covers. Well, I had no big coffee can, which was surprising since I drink A LOT of coffee. I had only little ones. But then, I found this-- I had bought a big bucket of cookie cutters a while ago but the top broke to it and the bucket was just sitting there. So I put all the cutters in a big Ziploc bag, which was better to keep the dust off anyways, cleaned out the bucket and cut the shelf paper big enough to wrap aro...

I know this has been on Pinterest a long time but I thought it was worth sharing. I have used this solution on numerous occasions and it works on just about anything! And doesn't hurt fabrics! I swear blue Dawn is the miracle cleaner! You simply use 1 part blue Dawn to 2 parts hydrogen peroxide. I add a little bit of water to it too. Simply pour it on the stain, scrub and voila! I've used it on couches, rugs, carpet, clothes, you name it. I have seen where others have added baking soda to the mix for added scrubbing power. I would think also for the added odor removal. This even works on red dirt stains, which we have a lot of here! Keep this in your cleaning arsenal!

You know your vent over your stove? Have you ever taken the screen down and cleaned it? I mean deep cleaned? I bet you haven't. And you should. You will be shocked at the amount of dirt and grease that you will get off that thing. And thanks to handy dandy Pinterest, I have the easiest way to clean it for you, no scrubbing needed! First, remove your screen. Find your biggest pot that the screen will fit into. I had to do mine one side at a time since it wouldn't fit all the way under the water. Fill that pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. Once boiling, add 1/2 cup of baking soda SLOWLY. 1 tablespoon at a time. If you don't, the water will boil over EVERYWHERE! Then you have to clean your stove and that does involve scrubbing. Once all the baking soda is in the water, dip your screen into the water and let set a minute or two. You will be shocked at how much gunk comes off of it. Remove from the water and let dry. Then simply replace the screen to it's origi...

Since I did a list of some of the many uses of baking soda, I thought it was only fitting to do a list of vinegar's many uses!

This is the all-time best way to clean the microwave and it's natural too! It uses ingredients that you probably already have around the house and it leaves it smelling good too! First gather your ingredients: Water Lemon juice Vinegar Use about 1 cup of water, 1/3 c vinegar and about 1/4 c lemon juice. Combine in a microwave safe bowl. Set in the oven and cook on high 3-4 minutes. The bowl will be VERY hot so use care when removing. Now grab your rag and just wipe the inside of the oven down. The cooked on, baked on splatters will come right off. The steam from your mixture releases them with no scrubbing! Do this about once a week and your microwave will be happy!

Maybe it's just a problem in my house.

**I received product in exchange for my 100% honest review. All opinions are my own.** I don't think I have ever seen another product that is so versatile as this.

Are you ready to get your house in top condition this spring? This is the secret weapon you need!

Who else does Spring cleaning? When you clean just about everything in the house, top to bottom. You air out the bedding, vacuum everything, you know the kind!

Who hates clutter? I do. Who has clutter? Everyone. Now, since moving, I have trimmed down on the amount of clutter we have, but it's still there. You should have seen the amount I got rid of when we were packing. You accumulate a lot of stuff when you live somewhere 15 years.

Since we have moved, I have made a promise that I would make a conscious effort to have a stricter cleaning schedule.

In our new home, we only have 2 rooms with carpeting. I'm extremely happy with that.

Even though we were late getting the decorations up this year due to the move, I was still ready to take them down by the day after Christmas!

If you know what this picture is of, you know the ickiness that I dealt with today. I decided to start deep cleaning my kitchen today. I didn't realize how many spider webs there were and how nasty my stove hood filter was. I had read on Pinterest, my favorite website, that the best and easiest way to clean that filter is to boil a big pan of water. When your water is boiling, SLOWLY, that's the key, slowly add 1/2 cup of baking soda. When I say slowly, I mean like a teaspoon at a time. That stuff bubbles up and everywhere. I had to clean my stove afterward since I didn't heed that recommendation. After the baking soda is added, dip your filter in. I could only get half at a time. Let set in the water for a few minutes. When you pull it out, you will be shocked at the amount of grease that is in the water. Let filter dry and replace. Easy. I also cleaned out 3 cabinets, one that I think hasn't been touched since we moved here 10 years ago. Here's a peek- ...

This is often an overlooked place that you need to clean!

When you wash your towels, how do you wash them? Do you wash them in hot or cold water? Do you use fabric softener? Did you know there is a right and a wrong way to wash towels?

Now, although today's heat index is going to be almost 100 here in VA, our schools start on Monday. This makes my mind wander to Fall and the cooler temperatures.Which I love. I would so take cold over hot any day.

I just found this recipe on Pinterest and I do believe I'm going to make some of these today. The recipe is on  Kitchen Kneads  if you want to check it out there. I like this idea better than just plain old baking soda in the fridge. In their recipe, they use an essential oil blend called Purify. I don't have that kind, I just have single essential oils like peppermint, lemon, lavender, rosemary, etc. So, I think when I make them, I'm going to use the lemon scent. The recipe is easy and only uses 3 ingredients! 1 1/4 cups baking soda 1/4-1/2 cup water 8 drops essential oil (Like I said, they call for Purify essential oil blend.) silicone mold Combine baking soda, water and oil in bowl. Add more water until a thick paste forms. Put in silicone molds and let dry 2-3 days or until completely hardened. Carefully remove and place 2-3 small ones in the back of your fridge. These will last up to a month. Store the others in an airtight container until ready to use.

My son plays baseball. He has since he was about five. For those of you who don't live in Virginia, you are not acquainted with the lovely red clay that we have here. I grew up in New York where we have brown dirt, so I didn't have any experience with this clay when I had children and had to learn to get these stains out. These two glorious things pictured are a Godsend. I have found the combination of spraying the stain well with Shout and then rubbing it with Fels Naptha takes ANY stain out! If you have not discovered Fels Naptha, you must go to your laundry aisle right now! It has been around since 1893, but I hadn't heard of it until I did a Pinterest experiment where I made my own laundry detergent. (That experiment did not work out so well by the way.) It is available in most grocery stores and for about 2$ a bar. A bar lasts me forever! I looked it up and it is said that Fels Naptha is good for getting out chocolate, baby formula and perspiration stains. I have fou...