Spring Cleaning: the laundry room

I got another room done this past week--yahoo! The laundry room was thoroughly cleaned and organized, but I have future projects in store for this little space. I'll explain in a minute, but first, here's the list of things that were accomplished:

1. Cupboard was organized and shelves were wiped down.

2. Door was cleaned (not pictured).

3. Washing machine/dryer unit was cleaned inside and out.

4. Baseboards were wiped down.

5. Windows were washed.

6. Floor was swept and mopped.

7. A couple items were removed to make the room neater.

As for future projects, there is some wall space under the cupboard that I'd like to put a shelf to fold laundry on. I'd like to install it on hinges so that it can easily fold up when I'm done. I'd also like to paint some pretty flowers on the cupboard.

I recently put this curtain up. It covers the window part of the side door. When I want to let some light in, I just tie it with the ribbon. The valance in the kitchen is from the same curtain package that I bought several years ago.

Q and I bought this storage bench from a nearby thrift store for five dollars! It's been cleaned, but it needs a good paint job. It looks like it will be a project for the summer. We thought it would be a good place to sit and take off boots in the winter, as well as store winter items and other laundry things inside.

I've been wanting to buy a sign like this for a while, so when I went to Hobby Lobby yesterday and saw that signs were 50% off, I just had to buy it. I can't wait to place it on the wall.:)

How's your spring cleaning coming? Keep it up--you can do it! I've just got a few areas left...can't wait to be done.:)

Shampoo-free...and lovin' it!

This may be hard for some to believe, but I've been shampoo-free for eight months and it's going great! It's something I never thought I'd try, but now I have cleaner hair and better curls.

So why the change? It all started with a book I saw at the library about curly-haired girls. Since my early twenties, my hair has been thinning out and my curls have turned more into waves. I'd wash my hair with shampoo every day thinking I was getting it clean, when in reality, I was stripping my hair of its natural oils. I began following some advice in the book, but ended up with really greasy hair--yuk! Not long after that, I stumbled across a post on simple mom. This had the answer!:)

To wash my hair, I mix a teaspoon of baking soda to about a cup of warm water and shake it up in a spray bottle. (Simple mom suggests one tablespoon to a cup of water; just do what works for you.:) I give my hair a few squirts and run my fingers through it to make sure the mix has been evenly dispersed. I also massage my scalp.

To condition my hair I do either one of these things: I squeeze a few lemons and do a one to one ratio of water with the juice. I've also poured some apple cider vinegar in the bottle and add some water to it. (Simple mom does 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to one cup of water.) Both of these at full strength make my hair very greasy, so adding the water is a good thing. I prefer the smell of the lemon juice, but I seem to like the results better with the vinegar. By the way, make sure you keep the bottle in the fridge if you use the lemon juice so that it keeps fresh longer.

If you want to try this out, be patient during the first few weeks. Your hair will go through a greasy stage as it's getting used to this new way of cleaning it. After a while, I'm sure you could go a day or two without washing it with the baking soda-water. I haven't tried this yet as I put mousse in my hair just about every day and I want to clean it out.

I'm so happy I've got my curls back! I just finger comb my hair as soon as I get out of the shower. I don't shake it with the towel, as that would add some frizz to my hair. I let it air dry, too. When it's almost completely dry, I put some curly-hair mousse in it.

I like this hair cleaning routine because it's healthy and economical. My hairdresser says that my hair looks good and healthy.:) A mixture in each of those bottles can last several days. Lemons, apple cider vinegar and baking soda are cheap, too!

Have any of you tried a new way of cleaning your hair? If you've been looking for a healthy, economical way, perhaps the tips in this post will help you out.:)

"All about me" storytime

I did my last story time for the year earlier this week. It's been a fun adventure for me. The kids were great to work with and I loved presenting the story times each month. The theme this time was "all about me" so I looked at many books about feelings, getting bigger, babies, etc. to help me decide which ones I would use.

After our opening song, "When ducks get up in the morning," I read the book, BIGGER, by Daniel Kirk. The story is told from the view of a little boy from when he was in his mother's womb to when he is old enough to go to school and learn lots of things. I really liked this book!;)

Next, I read the poem, "Whistles" by Dorothy Aldis.

Whistles

I want to learn to whistle.

I've always wanted to.

I fix my mouth to do it but 

the whistle won't come through.

I think perhaps it's stuck, and so

I try it once again.

Can people swallow whistles?

Where is my whistle then?

The next book I read was From Head to Toe by Eric Carle. This colorful book compares the actions of what animals do to what we can do.

The kids did the actions as I read book, but then afterward, I pulled out a few animal puppets for them to do the actions with.

They did an awesome job as they stomped their feet like the elephant, arched their back like a cat, bent their knees like a camel, raised their shoulders like a buffalo, clapped their hands like a seal, and thumped their chest like a gorilla.

The last book I read was Here are my hands by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault. It's a short and simple book about the things you can do with your hands, feet, eyes, ears, etc.

I pulled out the gorilla from my bag and played a game of "Gorilla says..." (like "Simon says") with the kids. They had to move quickly as the gorilla told them to touch their head, touch their toes, jump, turn around, etc. They really seemed to enjoy this a lot!

We talked about shadows and how they are made before reading the classic poem called, "My Shadow" by Robert Louis Stevenson.

My Shadow

I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,

And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.

He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;

And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.

The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow--

Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;

For he sometimes shoots up taller like an India-rubber ball,

And he sometimes gets so little that there's none of him at all.

He hasn't got a notion of how children ought to play,

And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.

He stays so close beside me, he's a coward you can see;

I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!

One morning, very early, before the sun was up,

I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;

But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,

Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.

We sang "The Goodbye Song" with the gorilla and then it was time for me to leave. I had a great time with these kids and I hope I can do it again next year!:)

The Quest for Character

The book, The Quest for Character, by Charles Swindoll, is a great book of encouragement. Even though I've read the book before, it still made an impact in my heart. In today's society, there is so much out there to look just right, to own what everyone else has, and to be in the know about entertainment. But that's not what God sees as important. We must know God's Word and make wise decisions based upon what is right. Building godly character in our lives is far more important than any movie or pop star. 

The author divides the book into two sections: "guard your heart" and "give your heart." Each chapter focuses on a different character quality and gives a passage of Scripture to read. Great story examples are woven throughout, giving the reader better understanding of the topic for that chapter.

This book is a good one to add for your daily quiet time. I highly recommend it, as it is one of my favorite devotional books. 

Godly character is so important in our Christian lives. Let's live it today.

What book have you read recently that was an encouragement to your heart? I'd love to hear about it!:)

Spring cleaning: the kitchen

I was so glad to finally get another room organized and deep-cleaned. The kitchen took a few hours on a couple different days.

Here's what I got done in the kitchen:

1. Walls were were wiped down with all-purpose cleaner.

2. Cupboards were cleaned and contents were organized.

3. Oven was cleaned inside and out.

4. The refrigerator was cleaned and organized.

5. The pantry was wiped down and organized.

6. The floor was swept and mopped.

7. The trash can was washed.

8. Small appliances were cleaned thoroughly.

The open pantry holds canned and dry goods as well as my cookbooks. 

How's your spring cleaning coming? I'm on a roll now...hope to get done before summer is here!;)

Birthday week

I'll be celebrating my birthday this week, so I've got a few things planned...

Several years ago, a friend of mine told me about a great idea you can do during your birthday week. You basically choose one thing to do each day for the few days surrounding your birthday. Your birthday can be at the beginning, middle or end of the week. I will start my week tomorrow and will end it on Saturday. I've got most of my things planned for each day. I chose things that I either haven't done in a long time or have never done. They don't require a lot of time, but they're all fun and will make my week special.

So, you want to know what's on my list? You'll have to wait to find out what I did. It may give you some ideas for your birthday week.

In the meantime, here are a couple gifts I've already received in the mail from family:

My in-laws sent me this Lenox candy dish. It sits in our dining/living area for guests to enjoy. The only thing I need to do is fill it with sweets!;)

My sister-in-law, Abigail, sent me this book that we saw at a craft store during my trip to CA. I promised to make her an apron in the near future. No doubt, I'll be making one for myself, too! They are so cute.

Stay tuned for more on my birthday week...

Full of blooms Mother's Day card

This year's Mother's Day card is not only a card, but a gift as well. I made five of these and sent them to family members. Inside each card is a packet of wildflower seeds.

I cut out the flower on the front with a craft knife. Then using watercolor pencils, I painted the rest of the flower and grass.

To make the seed packets, I cut out small pieces of vinyl, folded them in half then stitched around them with my sewing machine. I left a small opening to fill them with seeds, then stitched it closed.

To adhere the packet onto the back of the flower cut out, I used a hot glue gun and placed just a few dots of glue. I suppose you could also use small pieces of tape. You just want to make sure that it's strong enough to hold it well, but not impossible to remove by the recipient.

On the left hand side of the inside of the card, I wrote out the directions for planting the seeds.

On the other side, I glued on this fabric flower and wrote the message above. This was a fun and sweet card to make! 

Happy Mother's Day!