D+R Designs

Ha ha, just kidding! But Dan and I did make this cute shirt for Lily:

Dan designed and sketched the elephant, I traced and sewed. Lily will love it!

...But I'm Still Bossy.

1. An awesome notepad my mom got me:

(and don't worry - I am not afraid to use these!)
2. Here is my "medical file." I've been keeping track of all my tests, results, labs, dr's notes, good/bad days, etc. I found this folder at DI and knew we were meant to be together.

3. I hope you do this.

Seriously, if you don't clean your vacuum drum at least once a month, there is no point in vacuuming your floors. You have to take the whole thing apart, throw away all the crap, wash each piece, and clean out the filter. AND you probably didn't know that you're supposed to change the filter on your vacuum every 3 months.
Sick.
I am totally disgusted.
Go do it now.

I've Been Crafting...How Bout You?!

1. I bought these cute napkin holders at Pier 1 in the clearance section, knowing I would be able to turn them into something much more worth their weight in beads.

I used pliers to peel off their backs,

and hot glue to make cute hair clips!

2. I upgraded this DI tapestry into something a little more grown-up.
Before:

After:

3. I whipped up* this cute little skirt for Lily. It is totally soft and feminine (two things I am NOT) but that's why I like it so much!


4. A trip to the University Mall and a quick peek in Crazy 8, left me head-over-heels for their ice cream collection.
Inspiration:

My take on things:

(I of course realized afterward that it looks more like an ice cream cone filled with flowers, but as long as Lily's happy, I am too!)
5. Baby dress turned toddler skirt + flower.

Hope you're busily crafting too!

*Don't forget I'm saying "I whipped it up" just to sound cool. In all actuality, it probably took me hours.

Being a Nag is a Drag.

But that's part of a wife's job, right?! Okay, that's debatable. This is the reminder I keep in the bathroom for Dan, left in the nicest way conceivable. He does so great!

One-A-Week: Deep Cleaning

I love keeping things Pretty Clean. This is my master list of deep cleaning jobs -- I pick one item and do it every week on cleaning day. This way, slowly but surely, all my deep cleaning gets done along with the regular chores.
For those of you who don't share my high cleanliness standards:
1. How dare you.
2. I'm just kidding.
3. I've included ideas that "normal" people don't do on a "normal" cleaning day.

Here we go!

1. Organize pantry - empty & clean.
2. Wipe baseboards.
3. Dust and windex all picture frames.
4. Wipe wood cabinets.
5. Kitchen junk drawers - empty & clean.
6. Fridge - empty & clean.
7. Freezer - empty & clean.
8. Clean out vacuum drum.
9. Bathroom drawers - empty & clean.
10. Organize linen closet.
11. Clean doorknobs & light switches. (see here)
12. Couches - wipe down, remove cushions and vacuum.
13. Kids carseats - take apart, wipe and clean.
14. Inside and outside of washer and dryer.
15. Organize paper files/bills - shred unnecessary documents.
16. Bleach out garbage cans.
17. Wipe down doors - front and back.
18. Clean kids toys. (see here)
19. Remove and clean all light fixtures
20. Wipe and dust ceiling fans.
21. Put every piece of silverware in the dishwasher and clean out the tray.
22. Shake all rugs and vacuum underneath.
23. Wipe down cribs/headboards.
24. Clean inside & outside of your microwave. (see here)
25. Clean the inside & outside of your stove and oven. (see here)
26. Empty, vacuum and dust out your car.

I'm sure there is more to add to the list, but this is a good start. Do you have any good ideas??

Dirty Fantasy

Don't be scared, Molly Mormons...you can enjoy this post too! The title comes from an article by Parents Magazine entitled "Dirty Fantasy" from their Nov. 2009 issue. I loved it!
It discusses very real household duty issues.
Here are some highlights I wanted to share with you:

1. According to a recent poll of Parents readers, 61% of moms handle at least 80% of the household and child-care duties.

2. 4% of moms say their husbands do absolutely nothing to help around the house.


3. Does this sound familiar to anyone else?

4. The article encourages splitting these duties 50/50, but I think that seems awfully unrealistic. INSTEAD, here are some suggestions:

*If you think something, say something! He isn't a mind reader!
*Teach your children well. I try to teach Lily to clean-as-you-go.
*Give assignments. Dan has 2 assigned dish nights every week. And he knows they're there, they're not changing, and I can always count on him to get them done.

Rach's Words of Wisdom: (for the Molly's...hee hee)
Talk with your husband about your never-ending mental "to do" list. He probably has no idea! Assess the situation and be motivated to make positive changes TOGETHER!

Simplified Cleaning

I have been so busy lately with mommy duties, potty training, preschool, work, crafting, etc. that I realized I need to simplify my cleaning routine. I haven't lowered my standards per se - just rearranged them. Here is my new schedule:

No more daily vacuuming, bathtub scrubbing, kitchen floor obsessing, or crumb picking. My house will stay clean without me going crazy!
(Well, that's the goal anyway. I'll let you know how things go!)

My Hero!

I haven't used any furniture polish for almost 2 years now. It would give me a headache every time I used it - without fail. I finally realized what the problem was and switched to dusting with damp microfiber cloths.
THEN...

Endust was born. Born all over my house. And it's never looked better - headache free.

Surprise, Surprise: I'm a NAG.

Do wives nag their husbands? YES.
Do I nag mine more than usual? Probably.

I always give Dan a hard time about leaving his wet towel on the bed. (Eww!) So yesterday, as I hurried off to preschool in the morning, Dan sent me a picture of THIS:

My own wet towel sprawled across the bed! Okay Dan, I owe you big time!

In the Kitchen...

Trying to bake is not fun for me...but what else was I supposed to do with that huge zucchini!?
Here is what my kitchen looked like:

And here is Lily "helping" me do the dishes:

Ummm...yeah, she got just a little bit wet.


We ended the night sopping wet, but with 2 loaves of zucchini bread & a batch of zucchini apple muffins. Oh, and some great mommy/daughter time.

Tell The Truth.

Am I totally white trash because I line my stove elements with tin foil?? Feel free to be brutally honest.

Laundry Day

I wish my laundry room were as cute and colorful as this ad from 1959...doesn't it just make you want to slap on an apron and high heels and do something domestic!!?

Anal...or AWESOME!?!

Because it's pre-flu season and since I have been babysitting so many kids, I decided it's time to DISINFECT.

dis·in·fect: (dis′in fekt′)
transitive verb
to destroy the harmful bacteria, viruses, etc. in or on; sterilize

This means I rallied every single toy in the house and cleaned it. Here are the steps I took:
1. Collected toys to be cleaned and sanitized in the dishwasher.

2. Dried toys thoroughly, then wiped with Clorox wipes, and sprayed with bleach.


3. Some toys/books cannot go through the dishwasher, so they were sprayed with antibacterial cleaner, then sprayed with bleach.


4. Did 1 full load of laundry, including stuffed animals, plush toys, doll clothes, etc.

5. Hung items to dry, then sprayed with antibacterial cleaner.

Not only do I feel great, but I feel even better about kids coming over to play!
SO LET'S PARTY!

I'm A Total Freak...

...and I need your help! Do you keep your hand soap on the RIGHT side of the sink or the LEFT side of your sink?? Is there a proper way to do this? Are lefties offended when they come over or do right-handers feel out of place??

Currently, the hand soap is on the left side of my bathroom sink, but the right side of my kitchen sink...I obviously need some help.

My house is totally clean right now.

Crazy or Not??

Everyone knows I am a clean freak. Although it's never meant as a compliment, I never take it as an insult, because it's a good thing to be clean!
So am I crazy for sanitizing my library books after I check them out??

I don't know...what do you think?

Oh Bliss!

Tonight I:
~completed sewing 8 projects
~made dinner
~made and froze purees
~vacuumed the apartment
~mopped the kitchen floor
~did a load of laundry
~and took a shower.
It's 10:00 and I am ready for BED!

HELP!

Am I the only mom in the world who finds motherhood lonely and depressing!?! I feel like I'm the only mom who has more bad days than good, the only mom who can't find time to shower, the only mom who feels like nothing I do is ever good enough. Why can't we be open and honest with each other here?? Instead, I feel like I'm going crazy because not every minute of my life is filled with camera-worthy moments or God-given blessings. My life is a lot of lonely with a side of no one to talk to. And I'm sure now I sound ungrateful for all the wonderful people in my life, but that's not what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to be honest. It's painful to admit that motherhood is not all it's cracked up to be. It breaks my heart that it sucks so bad. Do the small moments of greatness really make up for the rest??

POOP FIASCO

Today was a dream. This was Lily this morning:

What an angel.

And this was Lily when I walked into her room after her nap:


Yes my friends, she is covered in poop. Her shirt, pants, hands, feet, and crib. We've been putting onesies on her for about a month (for this very reason) and today I foolishly thought we could sneak by without one.

I will never make that mistake again.

My Dream Vacuum

Remember how I fell in love with the Magic Eraser a few months ago? Well, now I'm in love all over again. I have been absolutely swept off my feet by...
...my parent's vacuum!!
It is the Dyson DC18 model, and you would not believe how it maneuvers around chairs, nooks, under the cabinets, etc. And you can go straight from the carpet to hardwood floors. It is amazing!

And it only costs $499.99! (yikes!)
Someday I will own it, or it's brother model, Dyson's very best, the DC17. Again, get yours now for only $699.99. Someday!! For now, I will just keep dreaming.