Moment of the Week

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

This is really great

I just got this link from Redbook for speed cleaning tips.  I think the tips are all really great.  Here they are!


In the kitchen:



Every night, take 5 minutes after dinner to:

■ Wipe down counter and stovetop (2 minutes).

Run a damp cleanser-treated microfiber cloth across the counter using horizontal overlapping strokes, and spot-clean spills and grease on the stove (including under the burner rings) and in the microwave.

■ Sweep the floor (3 minutes).

Look around: If you spot coffee grounds, cookie crumbs, or pet hair balls on the floor, grab a hand vacuum or flat Swiffer-style sweeper and give the floor a quick once-over, starting in the farthest corner and working out toward the door. Wipe wet spills with a dampened paper towel.



Every 2 weeks, take 13 minutes to:

■ Dust walls and cupboards (4 minutes).

Use a half-damp microfiber cloth (Dellutri says H2O and microfiber are all you need to tackle 90 percent of household surfaces) to spot-dust walls and cupboards as well as door and window frames.

■ Clean out the fridge (2 minutes).

Spot-clean mysterious spills on shelves and inside drawers with a damp microfiber cloth.

■ Wipe down surfaces (3 minutes).

With a cleanser-treated cloth, wipe down the counter, sink, stove, and fridge (including handle) using overlapping horizontal strokes (no redundant circles!). A grout brush and lime-scale remover will nip grit and grime around the faucet.

■ Clean baseboards and floors (4 minutes).

Sweep baseboards with a Swiffer or dry microfiber mop, then sweep the floor, starting in the farthest corner and working out of the room. Spray cleanser on the mop for an I've-been-mopping- all-day shine.


In the bathroom:


Every day, take 3 minutes after you shower to:

■ Spray tub, tile, and shower curtain/doors (30 seconds).

Let a shower spray fight all-over scum while you get on with your day.

■ Spruce up the sink (30 seconds).

Grab a paper towel from under the sink and run it across the vanity and sink bowl to clean up toothpaste, powder bronzer, or whatever you may have left behind.

■ Wipe down the toilet (1 minute).

If the toilet is showing telltale signs of messy aim, use a disposable disinfecting wipe to give the throne a royal wiping-down.

■ Spot-clean the floors (1 minute).

Use a paper towel or rag to wipe around the tub and toilet, and below the sink where dust and drips gather.



Every 2 weeks, take 14 minutes to:

■ Disinfect the toilet (1 minute).

Maximize the disinfectant in your multisurface spray by letting the cleanser fight germs and bacteria while you work the room. Spray the toilet — from the commode (don't forget the flusher) to the base.

■ Clean the sink (2 minutes).

Again bucking the "spray your cloth" rule, spray sink fixtures and surfaces. Let the cleanser disinfect while you spray a microfiber cloth and clean the bathroom mirror using horizontal overlapping strokes to prevent streaks. Then, use the cloth to wipe down the sink.

■ Shape up the shower (5 minutes).

Spray tile with multisurface cleanser. Let it eat away lingering soap scum while you quickly scrub the tub (target the sides and the floor) with a scrub pad and a dab of cream cleanser (like Soft Scrub). Wipe shower tiles with a clean, damp microfiber flat mop, then clean shower door with a microfiber cloth.

■ Finish cleaning the toilet (3 minutes).

Sprinkle a mild powder cleanser inside the bowl. (Never mix cleansers in the bowl or on surfaces — this may cause noxious fumes.) Use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe away the cleanser and buildup on the surfaces you sprayed seven minutes ago. Now, grab your brush — the two minutes you spent shining up the john just shaved off half your scrubbing time.

■ Sweep and mop floor (3 minutes).

Tackle dirt in hard-to-reach areas — behind the toilet, under the sink — with a microfiber cloth. On entire floor, do a dry, then a wet, once-over with a flat microfiber mop. No scrubbing necessary!


In the living room:


Every night, take 3 minutes before bed to:

■ Clear away clutter (2 minutes).

Tie up newspapers for recycling; stash magazines and remotes.

■ Spot-clean the floor (1 minute).

If the day brought tracks of debris through the room (leaves, pretzel crumbs), use a hand vac to get rid of messes.



Every 2 weeks, take 12 minutes to:

■ Dust ceiling fans, bookshelves, walls, and windowsills (2 minutes).

Use a microfiber extendable duster or an ostrich-feather duster (ostrich feathers are dirt-trappers too) to dust ceiling fans, blinds, light fixtures, and bookshelves. Then swipe walls and windowsills with a damp microfiber cloth.

■ Tidy the tables (5 minutes).

Swipe coffee tables and other surfaces with a damp microfiber cloth. (Keep a dusting cloth tucked away in a drawer in an entertainment center or an end table so it's easy to find.) Straighten surfaces as you go; whenever you pick up an item, dust the surface where it sat, then the spot that you're moving it to, before you set it down.

■ Sweep baseboards; vacuum or sweep floor (5 minutes).

Run a dry microfiber mop along baseboards to remove dust and pet hair. Continue sweeping noncarpeted floors with the microfiber mop. For carpets, vacuum the room. Employ the golden cornrowing rule: Push the vacuum all the way up one side of the room, turn, and walk back down the next row — it covers more carpet area in less time.



In the bedroom:



Every day, follow basic living-room maintenance plus take less than 2 more minutes to:

■ Make the bed (1 minute).

Pull up the covers and fluff the pillows.

■ Unclutter the dresser or bureau (30 seconds).

Straighten up dresser top, then use a microfiber cloth to pick up any errant dust or hair.



Every 2 weeks, take 6 minutes to:

■ Change the bedding (3 minutes).

Wash sheets in at least 130-degree water (set dial to "hot") or pour in a detergent additive (Dellutri recommends De-Mite Laundry Additive, $13.99, natlallergy.com) to kill invisible dust mites lurking in your linens.

■ Vacuum or sweep the floor (3 minutes).


THE FIVE GOLDEN RULES OF SPEED CLEANING


1. Spend 5 minutes a day tidying the main rooms of your home. A day's worth of dirt is easier to tackle than a week's accumulated mess. Then, every two weeks, do a quick, deep clean.



2. Keep your cleaners handy and organized. Stash a set of tools and cleaners under the bathroom and kitchen sinks, so you don't have to lug them around for quick touch-ups.



3. Embrace microfiber technology. The intricately woven fibers trap fine dirt and liquid — rather than pushing it around like other cloths.



4. Work efficiently. Apply cleansers to your mop or cloth, rather than directly to floors or counters, so you don't spend more time cleaning up product than spills. And use long side-to-side strokes (cornrowing) with your mop, vacuum, or cloth on floors and surfaces to avoid repeat cleaning (which happens when you move in circles), says Dellutri.



5. Clean each room from top to bottom, dry to wet. Knock dust and dirt from high places down to low places. And always dust before mopping and drywipe before cleansing. (You'll just be moving debris around if you wet-clean first.)




The Redbook site is really neat.  There is always something fun to read about check it out...Redbook speedy cleaning tips


Woof What a DAY!

Today was a busy day for me.Image  We got the keys to our new outdoor shed today and I started right in moving our crap out there.  We have a storage room inside our building but it wasn't large enough to hold all of our stuff.Image  So now all the camping/fishing/gardening stuff is in the shed and I was able to move a bunch of my crafting stuff to our storage room.  It took me  5 HOURS! Image I did it all on my own (Dave was sleepingImage) and I must say that it looks pretty spiffy out there. Image  I have to move some junk around our spare bedroom closets now then our house will be much roomier!!  I had planned to start my Fall "Spring" cleaning tomorrow anyways so everything worked out perfect.  Image

After I finished with the storage room and shed I was inspired to clean our fans for some reason.  I cleaned our three ceiling fans, what a nasty job.Image   Then I cleaned out table top fans.  I took off the front grates and washed them in the tub.  Then I wiped the fan blades really well.  I didn't do that last fall and when we got the fans out this summer they were really gross.  Image  SO next summer I can look forward to already clean fans!!Image  How do they get so dusty and gross?? Image  Dave took a picture of me washing the fan grates.  Wendy was really interested in what was going on.  It was funny.  She is always amusing. Image

After all that work I am too tired to cook tonight.  I am going to have leftovers from last night.  Image Take care all!  Happy Hump Day!Image

Monday, October 9, 2006

its whats for dinner....

Its  another week already.  I did my shopping this morning.  This weeks is pretty relaxed. Here is what I have planned.  If anything sounds yummy to you let me know and I will give you the recipe.

Monday-  LEFTOVERS

Tuesday- Rachel Ray's Mac and Cheese with Broccoli, and  biscuits*new recipe*

Wednesday- Black Bean Stoup and Monte Cristos.* new recipe*

Thursday- Perogies with Roasted butternut squash

Friday- Tex- Mex Lasagna

Saturday- EATING OUT (yippie  2 nights off in one week!)

Sunday- McCormick Bag'n Season Chicken Italian Herb Dish.  Garlic bread, green beans.

I am really looking forward to trying the two new recipes this week.

Sunday, October 8, 2006

Scrap-cabinet

I was able to finish cleaning out my scrapbooking stuff this weekend.  I am so happy with it.  I went through my paper and embellishments and took out all of the stuff I will never use.  I am thinking that Melissa might be able to use some of the stuff.  I hate to throw it all away.  I still have plenty of 'stuff' leftover as  you can tell.  I have more scrapbooking to do this week.  I am still working on the Family Fun Facts Book.  I am sure working will be easier now that my supplies are organized better.


We went to Hach today like I had hoped.  Nice to get out of Misawa.  We stopped at the Statue of Liberty and took some pictures.  I posted a new photo album.  Check it out. 


Take Care.  Hope your Monday is great!!


Saturday, October 7, 2006

My Step-Sister's Wedding

So my step-sister Jamie was married yesterday.  We had planned to take a trip home but Dave's leave was cancelled.  I was really bummed.  I really wish we could have made it home.  I really hate missing things like this.   I guess today I am feeling pretty crummy.  I get really homesick sometimes.  It is so frustrating knowing that we are pretty much going to continue missing everything for the next 15 years.  It is days like today that I don't think I can stick out 20 years in the Air Force.  I will probably spend the next few days trying to convince Dave that the military 'isn't for us'.  Then in another week I will be back to thinking 'this isn't so terrible'. 


The one great thing is that Dave's mom went to my sister's shower and wedding so she took pictures and sends them to me through IM the next day!  Talk about convenient!  If I had to wait for pictures from my mom I would be waiting for months.   It is nice.  When Dave's brother was married in July we got pictures the next day.  I couldn't live without my IM connection to the real world.  LOL.


Well, that's all I got for now.  Dave has tomorrow off.  Thank you Christopher Columbus!  Hoping to get out of Misawa for the afternoon. Maybe drive to Hachinohe to go to Lapia Mall.  Maybe they will have a movie there we want to see.  We haven't tried watching a movie off-base with Japanese subtitles.  I'll let you know how that goes.     


Thursday, October 5, 2006

Rainy Day

Its Saturday already I cannot believe it!  This week went fast!!  I did some scrapbooking this week and I am really happy with what I got done.  I am planning to clean out my scrapbooking supplies and organize everything.   I sorted my scraps last night.  Man what a chore!! 

It has been raining here.  It rained all day yesterday, today and tomorrow are supposed to be more of the same.   There is a typhoon nearby and it is dumping a lot of rain on us.  Windy too.  The windows are whistling.  Yesterday was a great day to curl up with a book.  So that's what I did after I cleaned house.

Today we plan to run up to the bazaar and hopefully finish our Christmas shopping.  (Yippie.  We only have a couple people left to buy for. ) Tonight is Bean Night.  I woke up early to get them in the oven.  I had too cups of coffee and so far my 6 hours of sleep seem to be enough.  Dave has a cold, I feel bad for him.  Crossing my fingers I won't get it. 

Today is my step-sister's wedding day!!!  I am so sad that we are missing it.  I hate missing stuff like that. I'll try not to think about it.  Well, this has been a boring entry eh.  I'll end it quick.  Take Care!!  Have a great weekend!!

Tuesday, October 3, 2006

The Past Year

So a year ago I wasn't much of a reader.  I never had time and when I did pick up a book I was never able to get into it.  Then  a year ago a friend gave me a book to read.  It was so good and I really enjoyed giving myself the time to read.  I told my mother in law Melissa about the book and she picked it up at her library and loved it too.  Then we decided to read another book, and another.  Now that I am not working I have plenty of time to read.  There are so many I want to read.  I realized the other day that it was last October I started reading.  I have been keeping a list of the books I read and when I looked over it I was amazed at how many books I have read.  I laughed at how you can tell when I quit working because the number of books I read a month jumped. 

Here is the list:

Books read 2005

Lovely Bones  by Alice Sebold(oct)

Lucky  by Alice Sebold(oct)

Icy Sparks   by Gwen Hyman Rubio(nov)

The Four Agreements by 

Books read 2006


Mine Are Spectacular! by Janice Kaplan & Lynn Schnurnberger(read alone)(mar)

Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik (apr)

A Girl Named Zippy  by Haven Kimmel (read alone)(apr)

The Pilots Wife by Anita Shreve (apr)

Vinegar Hill by A. Manette Ansay (may)

Citizen Girl by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus (read alone) (may)

The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford (may)

Dying for Chocolate by Diane Mott Davidson (jun)

Gap Creek by Robert Morgan (read alone) (jun)

One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus (jun)

Love Smart by Dr Phil (read alone) (jun)

The Group by Mary McCarthny (july)

Cheat and Charmer by Elizabeth Frank ( july )

Poisonwood Bible by Barbra Kingslover (read alone) ( July )

Crazy Ladies by Michael Lee West ( Aug )    

Patty Jane's House of Curl by Lorna Landvik (aug)

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich(aug)

The Freedom Writers Diary by The Freedom Writers and Erin Gruwell(aug)

The Tall Pine Polka by Lorna Landvik (aug)

Two For  The Dough by Janet Evanovich (sept)

She Got Up Off the Couch by Haven Kimmel (sept)

The Clothes They Stood Up In and The Lady In The Van by Alan Bennett (sept)

If Melissa posted a list of all the books she has read in the past year I bet it would be even longer.   We only plan to read two books a month but we always end up having time for atleast one extra. It works out great.