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Domestic

Spring Cleaning – Don’t Forget!

May 1, 2014

I used to think my college living scenario was clean until my mom came to visit. Somehow she could spend a day scrubbing what I thought to be a clean space. As I’ve come to take care of my own home (and learned from her cleaning sessions along the way), is the most most used/obvious areas in your home, often are the ones that don’t get cleaned. Yes, we remember to “clean the toilet,” “mop the floors,” etc. but I have a few tips of the places you forget to think of (unless you’re my mom)…

NationalGeographic.com

Door Knobs: Just clean them with antibacterial wipes. Also, while we are on the topic of knobs, don’t forget to clean your stove knobs (sorry for that HORRIBLE segue). Just pop them off, wash them in soapy, warm water, let dry and put back on!

BHG.com

Cutting Boards: If I am cutting meat I ALWAYS pop it in the dishwasher afterwards. No matter what you are cutting make sure to wash it with hot soapy water and rinse. Also a disinfecting spray (ie bleach solution) is great to spritz on after each use. If your cutting board has too many deep grooves/cut marks in it – get rid of it (bacteria harbors in there and it is not pretty).

Flickr.com

Ice Maker: Ice absorbs odors, so once a month it is recommended that you empty the bin and start a fresh batch.

Love Vintage Finds

Pillows: I have a confession. I don’t wash my pillows. Well I didn’t. When I started researching/brainstorming for the post, I realized I have a million “How to Wash Your Pillow” pins on Pintrest and never once used them. That being said… I had to give it a go – for the blogs sake! Apparently if you can fold your pillow and half and it stays, it is time to wash it. Some say twice a year… either way, wash 2 pillows at a time (helps with balancing your machine?!) with mild liquid detergent (no powder!). Dry on low (not high heat) with tennis balls in socks (or just clean tennis balls) to help fluff them up. Note: I do wash my pillow case on a weekly basis.

TheGadgetFlow.com

Faucets: Another easy fix for a potentially destructive germ-harboring zone = antibacterial wipes. If you haven’t realized this, I’m a huge proponent of them. You can buy them in bulk at Costco, or here. Just stock up on them… they make kitchen clean up SO much easier.

Domestic

Spring Cleaning – How to Clean a Cooking Sheet

April 24, 2014

I am going to start a little series called “Spring Cleaning” (original huh?) with some of my favorite cleaning tips I’ve picked up along the way… First up? How to de-gunk your baking sheets.

I always forget to line my baking sheet with foil, thus eliminating the need to clean it 99% of the time. So if you are like me, your cooking sheets may be a little grimy if you’ve had them awhile…

Have no fear! In a few easy steps you can have your sheets (almost) like new!

Place gunky baking sheet in sink.
Top with a Bounce dryer sheet and fill with warm water.
Let soak overnight.
Remove dryer sheet and wipe clean with a sponge.
Rinse well.

*Note: You don’t want your sheets looking like how they did when you bought them… a well seasoned baking sheet is important, but that being said chunks of food (for lack of a better phrase), or stubborn stains can be off putting, so this method helps with getting rid of some surface stains without removing the yummy seasoning you have worked hard to create!

Click here and here for more cleaning tips!

Domestic

DIY Ombre Art

February 27, 2014

I have grown to realize I have this obsession with artwork, or things that can be turned into artwork. I love framing cards and magazine ads, browsing for emerging artists on ETSY is a favorite pastime, and one of my favorite gifts is this gorgeous columned ombre piece my sister made for me. The issue with this little art obsession, is it can get a bit pricey (which is laughable to any one who is a real art collector), but at $30-50 a print, then $20-50 a frame, matting… you get the deal, these things add up!

So when Aaron Brothers was having their half off canvas sale, I had to jump on it! I bought this giant canvas, and finally wanted to give a little love to the giant blank space above my kitchen table… I have had this idea pinned for FOREVER, and felt it was finally time to pull the trigger!

Here was you need to make a (what I think is) beautiful piece of artwork… for under $50!

Canvas (I did a larger size, but any size will do)
Paint Brush
Acrylic Paints (1 color, 1 black, 1 white)
Water Cup
Rag

Using your colored paint, paint a stripe at the edge of your canvas (I went from left to right, you could also work your way out to in as they did here). I tried to make the brush stroke at the top relatively straight across, but preferred to leave the bottom of the stripe imperfect. Rinse and dry your brush.
Mix a drop of white into your color and add another stripe, slightly overlapping the first. Rinse and dry your brush again.
Add a drop or so of white paint for each stripe. The color will continue to get lighter as you move across the canvas.

Remember to space out your stripes so that you get to your desired lightened color at the end… You can always overlap a little more or less, depending on your spacing situation towards the end 🙂