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Archive for the ‘Everyday’ Category

The Best Bath Ever

Posted in Everyday, tagged , , , , , on March 25, 2013| Leave a Comment »

The outdoor temperature got up to a balmy forty degrees (and then some) and it’s the end of March.  Do you know what that means?  Spring Cleaning!  There used to be a time when I thought all spring cleaning tasks had to be done within a week or two.  I don’t put as much pressure on myself anymore, especially as I have a day job that takes up a lot of daylight hours.

This weekend I decided to tackle the master bathroom and devoted all of Friday (considered part of the weekend because my time at the day job ends at 10:00 a.m. on Fridays) to the task.  I started with washing the walls.  I’m going to take the liberty to share my mom’s miracle recipe for wall washing solution.  It works wonderfully!

2 gallons water

1/2 cup baking soda

2 cups ammonia

1 cup vinegar

Sorry Mom, your secret is out.  But the friends of the internet will be forever grateful.

After washing the walls I washed the woodwork.  My favorite product for cleaning woodwork is Murphy’s Oil Soap.  It takes away those grimy fingerprints from cabinets, drawers and doors, and gives the wood a nice glow with the oil in the soap.  Plus it smells kind of good too.

I also use Murphy’s on my vinyl floors.  Not all the time, but when I want to get them really clean I use a little bit of the soap.  It worked beautifully for the deep cleaning of the bathroom floor.  Believe it or not I was actually on my hands and knees getting behind the toilet and in all of those edges and corners a sponge mop fails to reach.

The window also got a good washing, and the cafe curtains on the window were vacuumed.  The toilet was sanitized with bleach as were the jets of the whirlpool.

The tile was cleaned, the tub was cleaned, the shower stall was cleaned.  Every little nook and cranny, every piece of ornamentation, every candlestick, every soap dish was cleaned.  By the time I finished the job I felt really good, the bathroom looked bright and fresh, but I worked up quite a sweat and my back was killing me.

That’s when it happened.  I drew a bath of the perfect temperature and soaked in it for a while.  I couldn’t believe how luxurious it felt.  The bath itself wasn’t any different from any other, but soaking my sore muscles in a tubful of hot water in an amazingly clean bathroom felt phenomenal.

As Mary Poppins says, “Once begun is half done.”  Now that I’ve begun my spring cleaning I hope I can keep up to momentum and continue to give my abode the deep cleanliness it deserves, which in turn will give me the satisfaction and relaxation I deserve.  Happy cleaning!

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Kicking Off The Weekend

Posted in Everyday, tagged , , , on March 22, 2013| 8 Comments »

Hooray for a free weekend!  I have no social engagements this weekend so I get to cozy up in my own little house, protected from the cold outdoors, and do all the things I need to get done.

Yesterday I did a little bit of shopping at my favorite bead supplier Stormcloud Trading and stocked up on a bunch of beads for making charms.  I love shopping there, mostly because of the superb and friendly customer service.  I also went to Micheal’s to pick up a few things.  I like going there because they have great coupons which I use whenever I can to keep the costs of my finished products low.  Of course I pass on those savings to my customers.

With all of my craft supplies and a house in need of some spring cleaning I’ll be keeping very occupied throughout the weekend.  I might even take to the kitchen and make some Easter treats for next week.

I hope everyone is looking forward to the next couple of days as much as I am.  Remember, the busier you are, the more leisure time you have.  Enjoy!

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From The Recesses

Posted in Everyday, Nostalgia, tagged , , , , , , on March 15, 2013| 6 Comments »

Nostalgia. Sometimes I think I’d rather live in the past instead of now, but then I think of Norma Desmond on Sunset Boulevard and how living in the past isn’t such a good idea after all.

I can’t help feeling nostalgic when I hear music from my past. I was sitting at the table working on my bottle cap magnets and Husby sat down at the computer and started playing around on YouTube. He was finding all sorts of songs from the ’70s and ’80s and playing them for me while I worked. After a few of his favorites he started taking requests. Out of the recesses of my mind came a tune and I blurted out, “Stephen Bishop, On And On.” I forgot all about that song until that moment; funny what feeling nostalgic makes you remember.

Now the song is stuck in my head. That’s not a bad thing because 1) I loved the song when it first came out and 2) now that it’s unburied I love it again. Do you remember On And On? If so, here’s your blast from the past.

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The Trumpet Lives

Posted in Everyday, tagged , , , , , , , on March 11, 2013| Leave a Comment »

It’s no secret that I have a crush on Mr. Capecchi, the man who powers all of the music coming out of DeLaSalle High School.  His enthusiasm for music and devotion to the students are inspirational.  Husby and I have been fortunate to be able to attend all of the DeLaSalle fall and spring concerts since 2006 as both of our nephews, Paenney and Fojo, play or have played in Mr. Capecchi’s concert band and pep band.

Husby recently made the decision to donate his high school trumpet to the DeLaSalle music department.  It served him well back in the day and he’s kept good care of it all these years but hasn’t played it in decades.  He took a drive down to the school and met with Mr. Capecchi, showed him the trumpet (case included) and asked if the old instrument could be of use to the music program.  Mr. Capecchi gave the trumpet the once over and said it was in very good shape and would be available to anyone who wanted to join the band but didn’t have an instrument.  Husby was glad his trumpet would be put to use and given a second life.

This past weekend I got to see the DeLaSalle spring musical, Anything Goes.  I can’t even tell you how enjoyable it was.  The kids were all very talented and as adorable as can be.  It was a production fit for Broadway.  Fojo, now a senior at De, played with fourteen other musicians in the band for the play.  He plays a saxophone in the concert band, but for this production he took to the drums, something he taught himself over a period of a few years.  I was pretty impressed with his performance and think it’s cool that Mr. Capecchi lets the students play instruments besides those they play in the concert band.

Mr. Capecchi didn’t direct the musicians for the play, he was actually in the band.  And what instrument was he playing?  Husby’s old trumpet.  It was too bad Husby wasn’t able to attend the play; he was sick and felt like he had ice picks stabbing his ears.  So I went up to the band pit before the play started and asked Mr. Capecchi if I could have a picture of him with Husby’s trumpet.  Of course he was very gracious and even stood by Fojo and his bass-playing buddy Noah for a nice group picture.

“Ice Man” (bass), “Gump” (drums), & “Baby Face” (trumpet)

Fojo will graduate this spring and we’ll miss going to the concerts and plays and I’ll miss watching Mr. Capecchi direct the choir, orchestra, and band. Husby’s trumpet has a whole new life at DeLaSalle and will no doubt be pressed into service by many new students in the years to come and I’m sure Mr. Capecchi will continue to inspire kids with his devotion and passion for music.

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Make A Wish

Posted in Everyday, tagged , , on March 1, 2013| 4 Comments »

One day a while ago my Mom and Charlotte were in my bedroom for the first time in a long time.  They were curious about some of the things they saw.  One of those things was a glass jar containing feathers.

They weren’t sure what to make of the jar of feathers.  I explained to them that I have a featherbed and also feather pillows and sometimes those feathers make their way out of their casings.  When I find them on the floor I don’t leave them for the vacuum cleaner, I pick them up and put them in the jar.

Each time I put a feather in the jar I make a wish.  They’re light and soft wishes, just like the feathers.  Because they aren’t unreasonable wishes, they nearly always come true.

There’s something really nice about seeing that jar filled with wishes that have come true.

Today I’ll be cleaning the bedroom and will most likely find a feather or two somewhere on the floor.  I’ll put the feathers in the jar and wish a happy birthday for my brother-in-law Pinky, and a happy weekend for you.  Be ready, because my feather wishes rarely fail me.

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