We’ve had flannel wipes in our home for quite some time now.  Purchased during a “green moment” they’re one of my  little contributions toward saving the planet and all that.  They are incredibly soft and surprisingly easy to use and maintain once you know few tricks.

Trick #1 - Stain Removal

I keep a bucket near my washer filled with water and a scoop of OxiClean.  Since I don’t use bleach for anything (which is a whole different post) any super soiled items go here to soak overnight before washing.  This includes soiled wipes.  I read about this tip here and like her, I’ve not had any trouble with staining.

Trick #2 - Wipes On the Go

Sometimes I need wipes when I’m out and about since I don’t want to throw away my flannel investment I carry two small sandwich bags in my diaper bag/purse.  In one I place a few moistened wipes.  The other is empty and clearly marked “for soiled wipes only.”  After using a wipe I simply store it in the “soiled” bag until I get home where I drop it in my wash bucket. (see Trick #1)  If you use cloth diapers you probably already have a wet bag that works the same way.

Trick #3 - The “Wet” Part of Wet Wipes

For a while I ran a wipe under water when I needed one which worked well enough but recently I whipped up this solution (It took about 3 minutes.) and poured it over my wipes so they are all pre-moistened.

2 cups water

1/8 cup baby oil

1/8 cup shampoo (The original recipe calls for baby shampoo but I use this.)

3 drops tea tree oil

Place all ingredients in a sealed jar and shake until mixed.  You could put this in a sprayer for use each time or you could do what I did and place your wipes in an airtight container then pour the solution over them.  I only used about half of the mixture.  The rest I’ve labeled and stored away for future use.

Trick #4 - Dispensing

I have an old Pampers wipe container that was designed for pop up’s so this is how I fold my wipes before I put them in.

Continue folding this way until you run out of wipes then place them in the container and use just like disposable pop ups.

Trick #5 - Making Your Own?

I didn’t do this but it occurs to me that if you have any sewing ability at all it would be no problem to make your own.  The ones I have are rectangular pieces of flannel that are simply serged around the edges.  If you’re like me and you work best from instructions check these out.  This lady seems to be an old pro.  Imagine all the cute designs you could have by making your own.  Sadly, mine are just plain white.  If you make cut ones let me know!  I’ll try not to be jealous.

For some time now (since the Sister can’t sleep phase) we’ve had a family bedroom.  I don’t have a picture of it but sufficed to say it was cramped.  Here is a picture that will simulate the feeling.

It’s not a bedroom at all.  It’s our den and it substituted as our family bedroom while the real thing was being deconstructed.  We didn’t really have a plan so how could I know when we started our bedroom switch-a-roo project that it would not only end in more privacy for the parents. (And angels descended from heaven singing, “Glory to God in the highest.”) but also result in my fabuloso craft room.  I am blessed.

Here’s a before picture not from the very beginning but about halfway through when the room was actually starting to take shape.  Both beds had to be disassembled, moved from another room and reassembled here.  Fun times.

Both beds are 3/4 bunk height so the children each have a special hideaway space of their own underneath.  Sister got creative this week and pulled out one of our car DVD players.  “Look, Mom!  Now my hideout has cable!”  She has plans to install a water gun security system and to train Serafina as a guard cat.  Also, I have a sneaking suspicion she might know where all the extra granola bars are hiding.  She’s nothing if not prepared.

I know closets are not that interesting but you will understand the significance if I first explain that since we have lived in this house (almost a year!) I have had to go to no less than 2 rooms every morning to gather all my clothing.  At certain points in that year Will has gone to as many as 3 rooms to get what he needs.  Ridiculous I know but closet rod space was at a premium so we did what we could.  The picture above represents the first step toward closet normalcy.

*coming soon when I get around to it:  “The Parents’ Get a Room of Their Own”

Today it rained and rained.  Then the sun gave up trying to come out and it rained some more.  We don’t actually live in the flood zone part of our city but with all this wetness it sure looks as if we do.  Sister has the sniffles so even though I typically let the children go out with boots and ‘brellas in weather like this, today was an indoor day.  All of us… indoors … all. day. long.  More fun than a barrel of monkeys, I tell you.  Actually it was rather like being indoors with a barrel of monkeys but that is neither here nor there.  What I wanted to tell you about was a non-monkey problem and how I solved it.

Most mommies will recall how the first trimester of pregnancy introduces a host of changes not the least of which is a heightened sense of smell.  By which, of course , I mean Mount Everest heightened.  This is a delightful asset as the flowers of spring begin to bud but not so delightful when one’s house is shut up by the rain and someone has dumped leftover taco meat into the trash and someone else failed to run the disposal after draining old milk into the sink and still another someone hasn’t quite got the hang of this potty training thing.  I took out the trash, ran lemons in the disposal and changed jr.  Still, random aromas persisted underlined by a subtle mustiness that comes of too much damp and not enough sunshine.  Between the waves of nausea I pondered my dilemma.  If only I had a good smell that would cover it all up.  This recipe for crockpot potpurri would work nicely… if only I had the ingredients.  A scented candle perhaps?  Pity the last one in the house was down to a nub with not even enough wick to temp a flame.  Think, woman! [insert nauseous wave] Think!

In an act of desperation and pulling inspiration from those hot plate looking candle warmers, I hacked up the last of my wickless candle and tossed the pieces into an empty glass jar.  The jar was placed in a small crockpot and left to ruminate with the lid off.  I waited … and hoped.

As the smell of pumpkin spice wafted through each room my nausea subsided and I knew this idea must be shared.

A couple of closing thoughts:  It occurs to me that a scented candle already in a jar could be placed directly in the crockpot.  Also, hubby suggested adding a bit of water in the bottom of the crockpot to keep the jar from getting too hot and breaking.  I didn’t have any trouble with breakage but it’s worth considering.

A non-Newtonian fluid is “a liquid that does not abide by any of Sir Isaac Newton’s laws on how liquids behave. Quicksand, gelatin, and ketchup are all non-Newtonian fluids.” And though I’d very much like for you to think of me as a genius-mom who can spew all sorts of facts and resources out at a moment’s notice, I must confess that this particular bit of information came from Joey Green who also provided the following super-fun recipe for slime.  (When your done here click on over for some slimy facts.)

Green Slime

What You Need

• 4-ounce bottle of Elmer’s Glue-All
• Two large glass bowls
• Water
• Green food coloring
• Large spoon
• Measuring cup
• 1 teaspoon 20 Mule Team Borax
• Ziploc Storage Bag or airtight container

What to Do
Empty the bottle of Elmer’s Glue-All into the first bowl. Fill the empty glue bottle with water and then pour it into the bowl of glue. Add ten drops of food coloring and stir well.

In the second bowl, mix the borax with 1 cup water. Stir until the powder dissolves.

Slowly pour the colored glue into the bowl containing the borax solution, stirring as you do so. Remove the thick glob that forms, and knead the glob with your hands until it feels smooth and dry. Discard the excess water remaining in the bowl. Store the Green Slime in the Ziploc bag or airtight container.

What Happens
The resulting soft, pliable, rubbery glob snaps if pulled quickly, stretches if pulled slowly, and slowly oozes to the floor if placed over the edge of a table.

Why It Works
The polyvinylacetate molecules in the glue act like invisible bicycle chains drifting around the water. The borax molecules (sodium tetraborate) act like little padlocks, locking the chain links together wherever they touch the chain. The locks and chains form a interconnected “fishnet,” and the water molecules act like fish trapped in the net.

We didn’t have food coloring to make it green but even so the children had a blast and remained occupied for almost an hour.  Pretty good toy if you ask me.

On a similar note, I came by Joey’s slime via a search for Borax uses of which there are many.  If you don’t have box of this stuff in your house I highly suggest you get some.  Oh and this link is great too … if you’d like to know where borax comes from.

  I love a burning candle - the soft glow of a flickering flame, a light scent wafting through my home.  My kids love candles too.  At least they like blowing out my candles when they think I’m not looking. :)  I used to be a candle Scrooge, for lack of a better term.  I would buy candles galore or receive them as gifts and never burn them.  Happily I’ve mended my ways and discovered a few tips in the process. 

*Trimming the wick to 1/4″ before lighting is critical to candle life and prevents smoking but if you can’t (or don’t want to) buy one of these, use a spare pair of toenail clippers instead.

*A coffee cup turned upside down makes a good enough snuffer.  Of course you can always blow out your candles but watch for flying wax.  A wick dipper is the best choice for candle snuffing and you don’t even have to buy one if you have a wire hanger and a little imagination.

*Candles have a memory of sorts and will “tunnel” unless you let them burn long enough to create a pool of wax to the outer edge.  Also, most the the scent release comes from the melted wax so doing this can provide a stronger fragrance.

*Save yourself time searching for matches by placing small boxes or matchbooks near each of the candles you light most often.  (I use the candle on my piano almost every night so I’ve hidden a box of matches behind the sheet music stand.)

 *Candles made with paraffin are essentially made with petroleum and burning them releases carcinogens into your home.  Yuck!! Soy or beeswax candles are a cleaner (and healthier choice.)

*Soy candles though more expensive combine more readily with scents and will add fragance to a room even when they are not burning. 

*Beeswax candles though more expensive tend to burn longer and cleaner than any others and make the best choice for an emergency kit.

Other candle resources:

http://www.naturalhealthweb.com/articles/Nelson6.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeswax

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soy_candle

http://www.candles.org/about_tips.html

Click here for more Works-For-Me-Wednesday ideas.

If you have a young child (or two) your carpet may resemble this:

If at least one of those children is artistic and has access to a green crayon part of your carpet may look like this:

But if you have Arm n Hammer Washing Soda and a washcloth handy, then within a few minutes your carpets will look like this:

Not only will your carpets be clean but you’ll have peace of mind knowing that you didn’t get them that way with chemicals that would kill a canary.

Oh, and you can use this stuff in your laundry too but please note that washing soda is not the same thing as baking soda.)

Jennifer at Gathering Grace asked the question, “What’s in your cabinets?” several days ago and many fine ladies opened their doors to share.  It saddened me to no end that my cabinets were empty at the time; all of their possible contents stuffed in ugly brown boxes.  But now… now … joy of joys … my contribution at last.

Starting along the top, I keep my sweet baking goods (caramels, chocolate chips, etc.) stored in baskets above the microwave.  The baskets make it easy to get everything down to see while the height keeps them away from grabby little hands. (mine as well as those of my children.)

The next cabinet over houses other baking goods on the first level, my out of control tea collection on the second and small appliances on top.  The teas are in a hanging basket that just slides onto the cabinet above.  These won’t work for everyone because of their large size but fit just fine in my cabinets and help me take advantage of otherwise wasted space.

Small Appliance row continues on the next shelf with sections below for boxed items, canned goods, rices ’n pastas and miscellany like PB, nuts, popcorn and such. (That blank spot in the first basket is where our mac & cheese usually lives.  Did you know Kraft makes an organic version now?  My kids actually prefer it to the radioactive-orange kind.)

Next comes the breakfast shelf with chips above.  Will loves! tortilla chips while I’m more of a Frito girl.  Both of these I store in a large sealed containers.  I find we end up with fewer broken pieces and the chips stay fresher longer.

Dinnerware, my storage bowls and other glass stuff are all together just past the sink and over the dishwasher.  I have fallen in love with these glass storage containers from Pyrex.  Sure the top is plastic but the glass bottom means I can put leftovers directly in the microwave (or oven) without dirty-ing another dish first.

This skinny cabinet I love, love, love.  I have never had one of these before but it is so handy for storing trays, cookie sheets and muffin tins.

Zippy bags, foil and saran wrap find themselves next to the stove just above baskets of onions and potatoes with potholders in between.

And lest you think I don’t have any plasticware, here’s our kid cabinet.  Plastic plates, bowls and cups galore.  All lids and stoppers go in the bottom basket with their matches stored just above.  The cups at the back don’t have lids.  Our previous kitchen didn’t allow space for a kid cabinet which meant I was constantly hearing, ”Mama, would you get this?”  “Mama, would you get that?”  Now the children (well, Sister at least) can get many things on her own.

That’s it, almost.  (I skipped a couple of cabinets but you know, who’s counting?).  The Tour de Kitchen is over.  Check back often because when my next order from Amazon arrives I’ll really have some organizational excitement to share.

This is a skill that I guess I take for granted because I am always surprised when people ask, “How did you do that?”

This is your fitted sheet waiting to be folded.  (Not that you would throw your clean sheets on the floor intentionally but if you had a little boy that liked to pretend to be a superhero or a little girl that loved making tents and such … or if you were taking pictures for your blog, then this is the way your sheet would look.)

Step1:  Find a corner of the sheet and slip it over your arm (inside out) until your index finger is in the corner.

Step 2:  Repeat with the opposite corner.

Step 3:  Bring the two corners together.  Your index fingers will be touching on the inside of the sheet.

Step 4: Allow one side to slip off your arm and over onto the other arm.  You should now be looking at one corner (right side out) inside the other.

Repeat Steps 1 to 4 with the remaining two corners.  You will need to drop your first set to do this but don’t worry: they will stay together. 

Step 5: Once you have two corner sets slip one set onto each arm. 

Step 6: As in Step 3, bring the two corner sets together until your index fingers touch from the inside.

Step 7:  And then, as before, Allow one corner set to slip off your arm and over onto the other arm.  You will now have all the corners tucked neatly into one another and hanging from one arm.

Step 8:  You can run your opposite hand down the edges or give the whole thing a little shake to smooth out any strangeness before the next step.

Step 9:  Lay your sheet on a flat surface like so.

Step 10:  Fold the top third down (Don’t worry that it’s a little bumpy.)

Step 11:  Fold the bottom third up. (You’re in the home stretch now!)

Step 12:  Fold the right third in….

Step 13:  and then the left.

 Isn’t it lovely? … Ok, maybe “lovely” is a stretch but it works for me. 

Skip on over to Shannon’s for more Works-For-Me-Wednesday tips.

Also - Sister took most of my pictures for me… Didn’t she do a great job?

Well, easier at least.  I am a firm believer in having the right tools for a given job.  Sure I could use the handle of a screwdriver as a hammer but it is so much more effective to actually use a hammer.  For this reason, I am always looking for better tools to help with the housework.  Especially with those tasks I don’t particularly enjoy.  Mopping is one of those.  It didn’t used to be a problem.  At our old house only the kitchen and bathrooms required mopping but here it’s different.  Except for the few rugs I have scattered here and there every floor is tile and therefore must be mopped.  At first I tried to use my traditional mopping method.  I’d fill the sink with water & soap.  Then… Dip mop.  Hand ring mop.  Swipe mop over floor.  Repeat.  This is fine if the only floor you’re cleaning is small and right next to the sink but the WHOLE house?!?  There had to be a better way.  I longed to get one of these:

but the price and the bulk of it nixed that thought.  Then lightning struck.  I replaced my old, gunky string mop with this wringer version from Vileda, added a bucket I already owned and an unused plant stand from our garage.  Voila, my very own mop bucket on the cheap.

And do you want to know the best part?  Okay, actually there’s two best parts.  First, it can easily be dissasembled and the parts used for other purposes and who doesn’t like a multi-tasking tool?  And second, now my kids seem to think mopping is fun and want to pitch in.

Check out more tips over at Shannon’s place.