It Coming........Spring!!!

I know I have said it before, but it feels more real each and every day. The last few days I have started waking up to birds chirping.Then last evening as I was making dinner, the birds were chirping again. I love that sounds. Not when they are the annoying, wont leave you alone chirping, but the excited the day is starting and it feels so good out here chirps.

I have to apologize a little for having such a gap in my posting. We have had a lot of things going on at home lately, and I was questioning if a blog was really something I wanted to take on. After a lot of thought and prayer I decided that it was. I have known for a while I have wanted to blog about everything I have running through my head from home-life to balancing work & home. This blog may help some, it may not. This is more my place to share my ideas and thoughts on life & motherhood/wifehood (is that even a title?) with anyone that is interested.

I have also posted that I LOVE spring cleaning. Everything just feels so new & clean and fresh. Hope on over to Renew Your Space for some amazing tips on spring cleaning. This is a site I visit regularly and they are amazing at offering ideas for keeping you home clean and tidy.

Some things she shared that we all should be doing for spring cleaningare:

• Find a couple of large boxes & label them: “Donate” and “Repair” – As you’re going through your house, toss things in right on the spot.
• Empty your closet of winter clothes and store them away for Fall – Anything that doesn’t fit properly or is in disrepair, toss into those boxes.
• Flip and disinfect your mattresses with Lysol spray to kill all of those winter germs.
• Launder your pillows every 3 months (read your tags), or if not recommended, spot clean with sudsy warm water & baking soda then air dry.
• Replace your old shower liners, or give them a good scrubbing with a solution of 10 parts water & 1 part chlorine bleach with a plastic-bristled brush.
• Consider renting a carpet cleaner to hit those ugly stains on the stairs and entryways - These are very reasonable to rent & you will be amazed by how new your carpet will look when it’s clean.
• Get your family into the habit of closing the toilet lids when flushing – Did you know when toilets are flushed, moisture and bacteria are released into the air? By closing the lid, you will reduce household mold and mildew from developing in the bathroom.
• Disinfect your dishwasher by using baking soda or white vinegar – Measure out one cup, and throw into the bottom of your dishwasher. Run a short cycle on hot and notice the difference in the smell.
• Run white vinegar through your coffee maker or French press – let it sit and steam for a while and the stains should lift right off. For stubborn stains, scrub gently with baking soda & pour a little vinegar over it – this will create an impressive bubbling foam.
• Clean up grout with a little Spray N’ Wash – It’s not a cure all, but great for a quick fix.
• Sprinkle baby powder on a mildewy floor overnight – Sweep it up and mop over the next day.
• Designate a Cleaning Closet – Consolidate all of those bottles and take back your space.
• Convert from using furniture polish and change over to a feather duster – You will save time, money & the environment.
• Use socks which have lost their mates to polish furniture or to wash the car.
• Buy a wax furniture crayon in a few popular colors to fill in any chipped paint or scuffs on wood.
• Rub out marks from your leather furniture with a pencil eraser.
• Test your smoke alarms & replace the batteries.
• Buy new filters for your air conditioner
• Check the glove compartment of your car to make sure your insurance & registration are up to date.
• To avoid stress, create a file specifically for next year’s taxes – Label it’2010 Taxes’ and throw any receipts or documents in there throughout the year.
• Defragment & back up your computers.
• Remember that summer is coming - Clean & repair your patio furniture / locate all summer sports and swimming equipment.

 I know there are some things on this list that I hadn't even thought about, or knew you could do!

Hope you are all enjoying this time getting ready for spring & then the most wonderful time....summer!!

How fast they grow......

Last night was a wake up call just how fast my 2 boys are growing. I can see it in lots of little things they do but last night they were trying to play together, but it just wasn't working out. Big B is VERY much into motocross and BMX. Little B has taken a HUGE interest in baseball and everything associated with it. Like I said in an earlier post, his FAVORITE movie right now The Sandlot. Well last night Big B was riding his "motocycle" (a pillow from our couch he rides around) and doing jumps and flip. Little B wanted to play baseball with his plastic bat and foam ball. It didn't go over so well with Little Man that his older brother didn't want to play baseball with him.

To me this was the first flashing sign that my kids are off and into their own different interests. They are not gonna stay little forever and will soon have totally separate interests, friends, lives, etc. They will always love and cherish each other, and I do with my siblings, but they are growing into their own little lives slowly but surely. Think I am gonna spend tonight snuggling them and cherishing the moment in the young lives.

March 1st is here

We are all so close to spring. Today is the 1st day of March and I have to admit I love this month. This is the month that I can actually say winter is coming to an end and spring is knocking on our doorsteps. I also love St. Patrick's Day as well. My kids love the holiday and talk about "Leprechaun Day" all year long. I will be sharing St. Patrick's Day ideas in the days to come. One of my favorite things on St. Patrick's Day is when the Leprechauns come to our house at night why we are sleeping and play tricks on us. Every year they have turned our milk green, left green streamers in the boy's room, and much more.

I also wanted to share a picture from last weekend. Usually we spend every night sitting at the table together eating dinner. Saturday night I thought it would be fun to have a "picnic" in our living room. We had hot dogs, pasta, salad and sushi. Yum Yum! It is such a fun and simple thing to do as a family.Get a big blanket that you don't care whether or not it gets food dropped on it. Grab your plates, put on a movie (our's was "The Sandlot". It's one of Little B's FAVORITE movies right now) and enjoy a fun and different way to eat dinner.

Here is a peak at my disaster of a bathroom closet. I actually accomplished a lot last night, and getting this mostly cleaned and organized was one of them. I will try and take a picture tomorrow to post. There still seems to be a LOT of stuff still in it, even though I swear I tossed a bag full of stuff as well, but not it looks more organized and that's all that matters.

What is an area that you need to get cleaned? I challenge you to tackle just 1 area this week. It could be anywhere from a junk drawer to the top of the fridge to a closet in your house. Good luck! By the end of this year we can all be organized!