One of the Messiest Jobs There Is

Drywall.

Need I say more?

Since this is in the bathroom, we are using greenboard.  Greenboard is for applications in wet areas.  Its a heavier than regular wallboard.  It's not as flexible either.  It IS just as messy though.  Thankfully, we don't have to do all the walls since we still have the existing outer walls.  There is some patching to do though from removing the tile and moving some plugs from the electrical/plumbing work.

Hanging drywall is pretty easy.  You want to cut out with a drywall knife for all electrical outlets, heat vents and plumbing.  I learned a super cool trick years ago for marking the areas.  Let's say you are marking for an electrical outlet.  Take an old lipstick and run on the edge of the outlet box.  Lift up the drywall where you want to install it and gently press against the box.  Pull the drywall away and on the back is the area that needs to be cut out marked in lipstick!  This can then be done easily with a drywall knife and you don't have to worry about sawing in a live electrical outlet.

You also want to run your screws down the stud to hold the drywall when installing.  Drywall comes in a standard 4' x 8' sheet.  It's easiest to run the drywall with the  4' going parallel to the floor.  That way you can see where the studs are.  Screws should be set about 2' apart.

Once the drywall is in place comes the fun part, mudding and taping.  This will help to hide the seam and if the drywall shrinks or swells it should help with cracking.  You want to put atleast 2 coats of mud on, sanding in between coats.  Make sure you cover anything that you don't want covered in dust.  It goes everywhere and is a royal pain to get off.  You also want to dry the mud fully inbetween coats and before sanding.

The new drywall/greenboard needs to be primed before painting.  That is where I step in.  Painting is my department.  

Now, to go and pick out colors....

Walls That Define You

Progress is coming along in the bathroom.  It seems slow since we are only able to work on it on the weekends though.  I am excited to get on to the "making it pretty" part.  For now though, we need some walls for privacy in the pooper.

Ta da!  You can still see the temporary kitchen on the other side of the walls.  The hard part was trying to build walls when you have no place to lay them out!  It was a bit of a wrestling match.  I'm not really a whole lot of help, so my poor hubby is doing the most of the work.  Next came the boooring part, HVAC, plumbing and electrical.

The heat vent is in.  It is going to be located on the wall between the toilet and vanity.  The electrical outlets are all GFI outlets.  The first cool little gadget is the light switch!  I love this part.  You never have to turn on/off the light.  When you walk into the room, the light automatically comes on and shuts off about 10 minutes if there is no movement.  GENIUS!  I want these on all the lights in the house!  The only place that these couldn't be used is in the bedroom.  The light would be going on and off all night from someone rolling over in bed.

This took us all weekend since our electrical is a hot mess in this house.  We are finding alot of hot messes though.  This did help to clean up some of it though.  We are replacing the greenfield wiring that is still in use here and upgrading the service to new wire.  The greenfield is a PITA to pull!  It's wire encased in flexible metal conduit and hard to pull out of the walls.

I won't even bore you with all the details of the electrical.  Besides, I didn't get a chance to take pics.  I was too busy handing tools anyways.

Next up, is drywall.  Funfunfun!

I do have a little project coming up this week though for all of you.  The first "Maggie" project in the bathroom.  I have been looking for the perfect light for this room without spending a ton of money.  I love what I have come up with and I hope you will also!  Until then....

Ciao Mon Ami!

Here We Go Again....

June 19th is the day for new boobs.  Yes, we have the surgery scheduled!  I was getting excited to get this done.

Was is the key word.

I needed to have a mammogram on the other side since they will not be able to mammograph it for one year.  Easy peasy, until they found something there.  Now comes the tests to see what "it" is.  Hopefully it turns out to be nothing and I can have the reconstruction surgery.

Otherwise, it is more waiting and possibly postponing surgery.

So for now I am told not to worry and wait.

I'm waiting....

Now You See It, Now You Don't....

I am so excited that we are FINALLY moving on this project!  I am kinda curious as to what we will find also.  Who knows in this old house.  To get started we needed to clear out the area for the new half-bath.

I don't know why I seem to take alot of pics of my hubby's butt.  It is a nice butt though!  He is doing most of the heavy lifting while I stand around, hand tools, take pics....  I really hated to see my painted countertops go.  I worked so hard on them!  That must mean something better is coming....

We spent the whole weekend gutting this part of the room and getting the temporary kitchen set up.  Why does everything seem to take soooo long?!  We left all these walls in place though, moved all the cabinets and stove and removed that gorgeous flooring.  I hated that flooring!  I was so glad to see it go.  I think I may have even done a bit of the happy dance! Five (yes 5!) layers of linoleum and two subfloors later and the floor was done!

Here is some of the GORGEOUS linoleum that we found under everything.  I am sure that once upon a time it was all the rage and very in style.  Its also alot thicker and sturdier than the linoleum that is used now.  This stuff would of definitely lasted a lifetime.

We still have to remove the electrical outlet and gas line on the floor that was for the stove.  The single outlet is going to stay, but the double outlet is going to be removed.  We did patch in the subfloor where the dishwasher was.

We have a little bit of drywall repair that needs to be done from pulling the stone backsplash off.  This is the area though that we are using for the half-bath and laundry/temporary shower.  The window is going to stay in the bathroom for natural light.

Next step is to put up some walls and run the electrical and plumbing.  For now though, I am off to pick out some paint colors....

Relay for Life

I started doing Relay for Life with the American Cancer Society 4 years ago.  Relay for Life is a 24 hour event that usually takes place on a track where teams walk for 24 hours raising money for cancer research and support.  My friend in crime Laura asked me to start a team with her and history was made!  Our team has grown each year.  The first year I was a team captain.  The second year I was a team captain and a committee member.  Last year I was the first Youth Engagement Chair in Hartland along with being a team captain.  This year I was team captain/Youth Engagement Chair/survivor.

I have never been quiet about my cancer.  I think just about everyone in Hartland got a chance to feel my tumor.  I decided to talk about it to raise awareness.  I was very surprised when other women in our community came forward saying they were also fighting breast cancer.

This year, being a survivor, brought home how much ACS does for cancer patients.  It brings hope.  Hope is so important to a cancer patient.  It also brought home how many people I have supporting me in my fight.  People I didn't even know were coming up and hugging me.  Telling me they were praying for me.

This year, I spoke at opening ceremonies as a survivor.  As much as I like to talk, that was the hardest speech to get through.

Thank god they got a pic of me crying and trying to talk in the paper!  Yikes!  Glad I had on my tiara that day....

How to Discomboobulate Your House....

I LOVE our house.  We first purchased the house in 2005.  The house, we thought, was built in 1890.  After a trip to the county courthouse though, there is a house on the property on the 1856 platt maps.  Part of the house is one story and the other half is two story.

After looking at the structure of the house, we think that the two story is original and built in 1856 or earlier.  The one story part was added on in 1890 putting it on the books for taxes.  So the house is old.... and built totally out of oak!  Yes, every part of the house is oak that is original.  It is even sheathed, inside and out, in oak.  On the inside someone put drywall over the oak lathe.

So what to do?

Like I said, I LOVE our house.  It is too small though and laid out badly.  The house was handed down and kept in the original family until about 1970.  Then it sat empty just waiting for someone to love.  The owner then, donated it to the local fire department for a training exercise.  The house wouldn't burn!  The old girl is stubborn!  So it was then donated to MSU's construction engineering department.  They went through and updated the whole thing and changed the floor plan.  The house changed owners a few times after that before we bought it.

We did a few small things to the house.  Minor changes.  The house was still small and had an awkward floor plan.  So we decided to get a little drastic.  We spent the winter trying to come up with a floor plan that the both of us liked.  Sounds easy, but it was not!  Finally, we came up with a plan that we both liked!

The next challenge was to break down the project in stages.  We would still be living in the house during the renovation and need it to function.  We also have kids, so it needs to be a safe place for them also.  We decided the place to start was to put in a new bathroom.

The house didn't have an original bathroom.  This one was added to the foyer who knows when.  It has a tub surround, full vanity and of course the pooper.  It's not big by any means, but serves it's purpose.  For the main floor, we just want to add a half bath.  A half bath is a bathroom with no tub/shower.  Since this is also our only bathroom though, we need a shower or something.  Atleast temporary.

Our new plans has a half bath in the back half of the existing kitchen.  Do you see where this is going?  LOTS of work!  We also planned to have outside of the half bath a small laundry room with a stackable washer/dryer.  We decided that we would put a shower stall in the area where the washer/dryer stack is going to go temporarily until we have another full bath added upstairs.

Now the juggling act begins!

We need to cut the kitchen in half for the new bath while keeping a working kitchen.  (Insert googly eyes here).  Yup!  It's not that much of a change.  The table needs to come out of the kitchen and all the cabinets in the back half moved to that spot.  It does mean that the stove will be out of commission until the new kitchen is done.  So I am planning out a temporary kitchen.  I got a burner that you use for camping to cook what I would normally on top of the stove.  I also got a small countertop oven for baking and what not.  Now granted I am not going to be doing a few dozen cookies or anything, but hopefully we can get by.  With the nice weather we can also use the BBQ.  I also lost my dishwasher!  I can see doing dishes by hand as turning into a real PITA.

My husband is quicker on the demo than I am on the camera!  Here is the back half of the kitchen where the new bath is going to go.  The cupboards need to be moved, the light moved, the floor ripped up and the drywall cleaned up from removing the stone back splash.

I think I should help instead of just standing here taking pics!

Happy Memorial Day

Honoring those who served our country, paying for freedom with their lives.

So About That Porch....

Okay, I think I have kept you in suspense with the porch long enough.  Remember where we left off?

Yup, that's it!  My construction zone!  It got a little quiet in the "zone".  I am sure that the neighbors thought we had given up on it!  We were secretly working on a little pizzazz for the old girl.  A little "jewelry" so to speak.

We used store bought spindles and custom crafted the handrails and footrails for them to be framed on!  It may have taken a bit of time to do, but in the long run it was so worth it!

I liked my old door.  It was old and just fit the look.  I wanted to strip it and stain it though to match the new look.  In the end....

....we opted to get a new door.  Love this one!  We also changed the way that the door swings open to go with the rest of the remodel also.

We also widened out the steps too.  Before we had these very narrow steps.  These are a full 6 feet wide.

We also had to make a statement at the end of them too.  Love these newels that my husband created!  So nice to be married to someone so talented!

My turn now!  Paint.  Lots and lots of paint!  I was seriously starting to wonder if I would ever get it all done.  I did have help from a certain teenaged girl who loves to paint though.  There was so much that by the time we were done, even she was tired of painting!  We of course had to make it a little challenging too.  We added yellow and red touches to it. 

A little gingerbreading....

....a new light....

....and I do think that the old girl is starting to smile again!

We started to do some landscaping, but shortly after this it got COLD!  I couldn't believe the winter we had!  I do have to say though.....

....my porch made winter look good!

Linked to....



Anita @ Cedar Hill Farmhouse

Cancer Sucks!

Sorry I have been a little MIA, okay maybe alot.  I don't know if anyone is following this blog since it has been dead.  If you have, this is for you!

I have a good reason to be missing!  I swear!  Last year I started working, the kids went back to school, this is my daughter's senior year, the little one started first grade and life got HECTIC!  I found a little "bump" in my breast during the summer.  I kept putting it off thinking it was just a cyst and would go away.  By the time that the holidays rolled around I started to notice some changes in that breast.  I scheduled my annual slap and tickle exam with my OB/GYN a few weeks early.  He looked at it and scheduled a mammogram immediately.  I was starting to get a little nervous.  He said it could be nothing, but better safe than sorry.  I had the mammogram done and got the results on New Year's Eve, also the little one's birthday.  I have cancer.

Now for the big freakout!  Cancer?!  Seriously?!  Thankfully I chose the best person to be married to!  He is truly my rock!  He called and got me an appointment at Cancer Treatments Center.  We left to have all my testing done and the results in 3 days which turned into 2 weeks.  I did find out it was definitely cancer.  Invasive Lobular Carcinoma of the breast.  The "little bump" was 3.8 cm, which staged it as Stage 2 almost Stage 3.  It was recommended that I have a double masectomy.  Talk about being crushed!  I didn't want this!  Why is this happening to me?  It's not fair!

We went back home to think things over.  I had scheduled surgery for end of January.  It was all just happening too fast!  Thankfully, I have an awesome support system in my friends!  I talked to some who went through breast cancer, some going through it and some who had found out they had the BRCA gene mutation and opted for a double masectomy.  They are all gorgeous!  They look great!  I can do this!  In talking to them though, I decided I wanted to have the surgery closer to home for recovery reasons.  CTCA is an 8 hour drive from our house.  My OB/GYN was wonderful in putting me in touch with a friend of his who is also the director of women's breast health in the state of Michigan.

Enter Dr Stull!  Love love love this woman!  Yes I could have a lumpectomy.  Yes I could have a single masectomy.  No there was no reason for a double.  The lumpectomy would remove about half of the breast, which would mean a reduction on the other side.  A single masectomy would mean I could keep my breast size.  The vain part of me chose the masectomy.  The plastic surgeon recommended I go a little bigger though so they could do a lift on the other side to make them match.  Woohoo!  A booby prize!  Finally!

The surgery is done now.  The decision to go with the masectomy was the right one.  When they did the pathology on the tissue they removed, they found a second cancer forming.  If I had gone with a lumpectomy, I would of had to have had chemo and more than likely been back next year for a masectomy anyways.  My test scores weren't high enough to warrant having chemo, but I do have to be on estrogen/progesterone blockers for 7 years to attempt to keep the cancer from coming back.

So, now that I am "on the mend" I will have lots of time to post the little projects we have going on around the farmhouse here.  I still have yet to finish all the posts about the porch, which I LOVE!  Wait til you see the final product!  Of course, that sparked my husband to remodel the ENTIRE house now!  Future posts will be about living in a house while you are remodeling it.  Talk about a juggling act!  Yeesh.....

The first of MANY projects!

So, the roof project has grown....

The one thing we always thought the front of the house needed was a porch.  Right now we have a deck with a silly little overhang over the door.  I always imagined a gorgeous covered porch that we can sit on.  It would be so wonderful to curl up in an afghan and read out here.  Since we are doing the roof anyways, why not?!

The overhang and railing came off.

The posts and header went in.

The rafters came next.

Then the decking.  I even got on a ladder to help lay the decking!  It's starting to come together now.

I feel for our neighbors though since this took about a week for us to do ourselves.  They probably got tired of looking at this mess!  Especially since the next week it seemed that we were not working on it at all.

What were we up to?

I guess you have to wait and see....

Fiddling On The Roof

What have I been up to?  Well..... besides no good, not much except getting ready to rip apart the house and start over again.  It started off innocently enough.  We needed a new roof.  The old one was shot!  Last winter we started to get shingles blowing off in the storms.  Not good.  So my husband had a few weeks off and we decided to spend it putting on a new roof.

We had to strip off the old shingles because, A-nothing is ever easy and B-we had 3 layers on the roof already.  We did find, what we thought at the time, was a nice surprise though.

The original roof which is cedar shake.  It would be really cool if we could find a product to coat the shake with to make it weather tight.

Rustoleum has introduced a new product called Deck Restore.  It's a thick paint made for decks and concrete.  It was great for filling in the gaps and nail holes in the shake.  Just what we were looking for.  Bad news is it made the shake look like flat pieces of plywood on the roof.  We would have had to put shadows and highlights to get the look of the cedar shake back, so we ended up scrapping that idea.

We took off the black shingles and the green shingles and the even uglier green shingles under them and replaced with a dark brown.  It made such a huge change on the house too.

It also sparked the project bug in my hubby and led to another project that needed to be done BADLY!

Any guesses what that could be?

Crockpot Basics

I love my slow cookers!  I have 3 that I use on a regular basis.  One is a large one for big items, like a whole chicken or turkey.  One is a all-in-one that also is a deep fryer.  The only downfall about it is that the liner is not removable.  The one above is the that gets used the most.  It has been a real lifesaver on those days when I have 3 things going on at the same time.

There are a few things to consider before purchasing a slow cooker.

• Size.  Make sure you buy a slow cooker that will be large enough to cook the meals you want to in it.  It is recommended to not fill your cooker more than 2/3 full.
• Shape.  Something that is overlooked and should be considered.  Shape of the slow cooker is important.  Round ones are great for soups and such.  If you are planning on cooking roasts and such in one, consider an oval.  You will get more length in your cooking surface.
• Liner.  I didn't realize until I bought my first crockpot, the all-in-one, how handy the removable liner is.  If you are going to be putting together your ingredients the night before, a removable liner is the way to go.  I find it handy to prepare things as much as possible the night before in the liner and keep it in the fridge overnight.  In the morning, I pull it out and let it get to room temp before setting the liner in the heating unit to cook.
• Temperature.  According to how you want to cook in your slow cooker, you will want to look at temperature settings.  My all-in-one cooks by degrees, where my everyday one is a low or high setting.  My low setting is about 170 degrees and high is 210 degrees approximately.  I also have a "warm" setting which is great for keeping food warm in case dinner is delayed or the food cooks faster than I planned.
• Lids.  Check out your lid before cooking.  Most slow cookers come with a see through lid which helps in keeping an eye on the cooking process.  My larger slow cooker does not and it is really hard sometimes to resist the urge to lift the lid to take a peek.  They say, removing the lid during cooking adds about 20 minutes each time to the cooking time.

Cooking with a slow cooker is really easy and a great time saver.  Most slow cooker recipes will explain when to add items that do not take as long, like some vegetables and pasta, to the cooker.  You will want to keep an eye on the amount of liquid.  Do not let the liquid escape from the slow cooker.

Slow cookers are great for less expensive and tougher cuts of meat.  Cooking at the lower temps can make them more tender and appealing. 

Now, for a recipe!  This one is my own invention.  I thought of it one day when wanting something different for dinner and out of ideas.

Shredded Beef Stew over Mashed Potatoes

1-3lb roast
2 cups + 3 Tablespoons water
1 cup sliced carrots
Bay leaf
1 Tablespoon corn starch
Salt and pepper to taste
Mashed potatoes

In a slow cooker, add the beef, 2 cups of water and bay leaf.  Cook on low about 6 hours or high about 3-1/2 hours.  Remove meat from cooker after cooking and shred with two forks.  Once shredded, add back to slow cooker with carrots.  If water looks a bit low, add more.  In a small glass mix cornstarch and 3 Tablespoons of cold water.  Mix until cornstarch is dissolved.  Add to slow cooker and stir.  Cook on low for another 1/2 hour.  Serve over mashed potatoes.

Can't get any easier than that!  It is one of my kids favorites and usually requested atleast once a month.  You can also add more vegetables as desired.  My kids prefer just carrots with this.

Hope these tips make your day a little easier!

Spring Cleaning

You may think that it is a little early to talk about spring cleaning.  It is still winter you may exclaim.  Nothing makes me feel better than having a squeaky clean house to start the New Year off right though!  This isn't about how to clean your house, rather than what to clean your house with.

It seems that every time you turn around they are coming out with some new and improved product to clean with.  I know I have spent a fortune trying to find products that I liked and actually worked.  Plus, it always seemed like a large cleaning project was always proceeded by a trip to the store for supplies.  What a pain!  With a little bit of investment and time, you can make your own cleaning products for a lot less.  IMO, they do a better job of cleaning also.

The internet is a great source for finding "recipes" for cleaning products, or anything else for that matter.  These I have found online and use them in my own home.

Laundry Detergent

LOVE this stuff!  My clothes come out clean without a whole lot of pretreating.  It takes a few minutes to make a bucket of, which last a long time.
*Tip - if you ask at your local bakery they are more than willing to give you a bucket and lid for free.  Just takes a bit of washing out before use.  They also are only 4 gallons, but it is okay.

4 cups + 5 gallons hot water
1 bar Fels Naptha soap
1 cup Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax

In a pot, heat the water to almost boiling over medium heat.  Grate the Fels Naptha soap and slowly add to the water, stirring until melted.

Fill a 5 gallon bucket with hot tap water.  Add washing soda and borax and stir til dissolved.  Add the melted Fels Naptha soap.

  Stir.  Place lid on bucket and let sit overnight to thicken up.

You will use this diluted with water.  It is easier to save a few milk cartons to fill.  Fill container half with warm water and half with soap.  Before using, always give the container a good shake!
Cost for 10 gallons of laundry detergent = $3.00 approximately

Now, don't stop there!  An inexpensive fabric softener that really works, maybe too well, is suprisingly white vinegar!  Plain, old white vinegar.  The problem with it is, it takes ALL smell out of your laundry.  The strangest thing is pulling out your laundry and there is NO smell at ALL!  A gallon jug of white distilled vinegar is just pennies compared to fabric softener.  You can dab some essential oils on a bit of cloth and throw in the dryer if you miss a smell.  Lavender smells wonderful.

Dishwasher Detergent

This stuff is awesome!  I won't ever go back to using store bought again.  My dishes come out looking and feeling clean, which is a challenge for white dishes.  I also do not have to buy all the other additives that I used with store bought products.

16 cups of hot water
1-1/2 cups Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
1 cup Borax
1/2 cup Dr Bronner's Liquid Castile Soap

Bring half of the water to a boil.  Add soda, borax and soap.  Stir til dissolved.  Add remaining water and let cool.  When cool, pour into a clean, 1 gallon milk jug.  Allow to set overnight to gel up.

When using, you only need 1 tablespoon of this soap.  You can, of course, alter this according to your needs.  Once again, white distilled vinegar makes a great rinse agent in your dishwasher.  I have tried a variety of powdered detergents for dishwashers and did not care for them.  I find, if you don't place them in an airtight container they tend to clump into a hard rock.  I also use white vinegar as a rinse agent in the dishwasher.  Works just as well as the store products at a bigger saving!
Cost for 1 gallon of dishwasher detergent = $3.50

Bleach Alternative

This one is super easy to make!  Works too without the gagging bleach smell.  I have used it on my kids clothes when they were babies.  My son also has eczema and this doesn't seem to bother him.  I also use this around the house for cleaning since I hate the smell of bleach.

12 cups water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup Hydrogen Peroxide

Mix together.  Use 2 cups per load of wash.

Multi-Purpose Cleaner

Once you try this stuff, you will be hooked!  So easy to mix up also!

1/2 cup white distilled vinegar
1/2-2/3 cup rubbing alcohol (Use the larger amount for use on windows)
Essential Oils
Water

In a spray bottle, add the vinegar and alcohol.  If you like a "nice" smell, add a few drops of essential oils.  You can add a few drops of Tea Tree Oil to make a great anti-bacterial cleaner.  Fill the bottle up with water and shake well.
Cost for sprayer bottle of cleaner = $.50

Furniture Polish

Mix equal parts of white vinegar and lemon juice in a bottle.  Pour a bit on a clean cloth and rub onto furniture.  Buff with another clean cloth.

There ya go!  Some simple cleaning products that are safe around kids without harmful chemicals.  There are lots more out there that can be found in a simple search.  You would be surprised at how many you can find.  It may take awhile to find the ones that you like, but it is well worth the effort.  I will be posting more in the future.  Some I am not so thrilled with and looking for better ones.  These are the ones that I have had lots of success with so far.

Here's to Spring Cleaning!

Out With The Old....

I love the New Year.  It means starting afresh to me.  Everyone is so busy making resolutions at this time.  I gave up on making those years ago.  Starting off the year feeling like a failure is not a good way to start.  I do try to make changes though.  Changes for the better.

The new year always puts me in the mood for spring cleaning.  Getting rid of the old and bringing in the new to the house is such a good feeling.  It is also good busy work for the cold winter months here in Michigan.  If you are going to be stuck in the house, why not freshen it up a bit?!

The first of the year is always a good time to schedule things.  By that, I mean it is a good time to replace those neglected items.  The ones that you take for granted and may forget to check.

• Batteries - Don't forget to check your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors!  They are an important part of your house and often forgotten.  Now is a good time to swap out the old batteries with new ones.  Double check after replacing the batteries to make sure they work also.  The detector itself may need to be replaced.  Check with your local fire department to see if they have an exchange program for them.  Some will exchange a broken detector for a new one.  This is also a good time to replace the batteries in alarm clocks (used during a power failure) and programmable entry doors, including garage doors.  Nothing like being late for work AND locked out when you least expect it.
• Filters - I used to change out the furnace filter in the spring and fall.  I found that it was hard to remember to do this 3 minute task though.  My solution was to do it in January and June.  I found that this helped me to remember!  It is quite simple to do.  Simply pull out the old filter, which is usually located in an accessible spot and slip in the new filter.  Choosing a filter for your family needs is essential, ie allergies, pets, etc.  If you choose to go green, there are filters out there that you simply wash out and reinstall.  They are a little bit of an investment though and pricier than the throw away filters.  If you are on a well system for water, this is also a good time to replace your water filters also. Don't forget those vacuum cleaner filters either!  I find my indicator light goes on on mine about twice a year and it is more convenient for me to rinse it out when I have time instead of when I am in a rush getting ready for company.  Washers and dryers also need to have their filters cleaned and checked.  Even though you may clean the dryer vent with each use, make sure there is not another harder to get to spot that can collect a build up of lint.  A shop vac and/or a toothbrush is good for these spots.
• Linens - Once a year, I replace all the pillows and sheets.  Washing takes a toll on sheets and they tend to get a bit dingy after all the weekly washings.  Once every 3 months, I do pack up all the pillows, blankets and comforters and head to the laundromat to wash them.  
• Carpets - Businesses are usually slow after the bustle of Christmas.  Usually you can find good deals on whole house carpet cleaning.  If this wasn't done for guests during the Christmas season, now is a good time to get it done.  I have found that it is cheaper and, believe it or not, easier to roll up area rugs and take them to be cleaned.  Even with occasional home cleaning, a good thorough cleaning will make your house feel and smell fresher.
• Curtains - Once a year it is good to take down curtains and drapes and have them cleaned.  Don't forget about blinds either.  Even if they get a weekly/monthly dusting, now is a good time to give them a thorough cleaning.  Since the curtains are down, now is perfect to also clean windows and sills.  You would be surprised at the dust that can collect on them.
• Junk Drawers - The dreaded junk drawer.  I think everyone has one in there house.  It is where all the little trinkets, found screws, extra pens and whatnot goes for lack of a better place.  Purging this spot once a year is not really all that bad though.
• Cupboards - Canned foods and medications have expiration dates on them. I know when I go to grab them, rarely do I check the expiration dates. Anything that has expired, pitch it and make a list of things that need to be replaced.  
• Calendars and address books - This one is kind of a no-brainer.  Who doesn't change out their calendar at the 1st of the year?  Remember though, before you throw it out, to mark any important yearly dates, ie anniversaries, birthdays, etc...  Saving the envelopes from Christmas cards received is a great way to update your address book.  If you find alot of outdated entries, it might be time to replace your book with a new one.  The binder type of books are great as you can add and replace pages as needed.

It really feels good to get some tasks accomplished at the first of the year.  Who needs resolutions when you have a "To Do List"?

Have a great New Year!

Happy New Year!

The festivities are all done and hopefully, the kids are back in school.  Now is a great time to get a fresh start!

All this month will be about getting back to basics.  All the basic things that you may or may not know.  There will be recipes, tutorials and basic how to's to make your life a little simpler, like....

How to make your own cleaning products

How to use a sewing machine

Basics of a crockpot

Recipes to save yourself time and money

Plus, tips that will make your house and life run a little smoother!

So hang on!  It's going to be a great month!