WFMW ~ Getting Rid of Those Horrid Hard Water Rings

The water down here in Southern California is harder than diamonds on the Mohs Hardness Scale:

(source)

Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, which has some of the softest water in the country, I had no idea what I was in for when I moved down here. Not only did I discover that the water tasted awful, but it made my hair dull and straw-like, dried out my skin, and left spots on pretty much anything it touched. I had no idea how to deal with it.

(source)

I tried CLR and all sorts of other chemical products (on my sinks, not on my hair and skin), mostly to no avail. The worst was in my toilet, as it left a nasty ring in the bowl, making it look dirty even when I had just cleaned it. It was embarrassing. Then I happened upon a lovely little blog called Rocks in My Dryer that had a fun carnival each week called Works for Me Wednesday. What a gold mine! One Wednesday a wonderful woman posted about how she got rid of her hard water stains in her toilet using drywall screen. (Sorry, it's been so long that I don't remember the blog.)

She said that all you had to do was scrub the stains with the screen and they would magically come off and not scratch the porcelain. I knew right then that I had to race down to Home Depot and buy it immediately.



Well, that saint of a woman was right. They did come off immediately and the bowl was perfectly clean within a few minutes! Bless you, whoever you are.

Just to show you how great this works, here's an example of my, uh, neighbor's toilet, yeah, 'cause I'd never let my toilet get this bad. I, uh, she first cleaned it and disinfected it so that you know that this is actually a clean toilet, but it still looks horrendous. (She also cleaned it since I have to stick my hands in it to do this. I'm quite thankful.)

Exhibit A
I had already started scrubbing a small part of it, but you can see how horrific it looks:

Again, this is CLEAN

Still scrubbing. The water gets cloudy from the minerals coming off as well as the screen bits that come off. The screen does start to disintegrate; if you don't have such a big job as this, you can probably use it a few times.

Done!

It took a while for this one, because it was in such bad shape, but usually it just takes a couple of minutes. I haven't tried the screen on other things yet, but I'm sure it will help on lots of things. I heard you can also use pumice stone in the toilet bowl, but you have to make sure it's always wet, as it can scratch the porcelain. The screen leaves absolutely no scratches!

So if you, like my neighbor and I, have hard water corroding your commode, get some drywall screen and get to work. Yeah, the Hope Depot guy might look at you funny when you tell him what it's for, but trust me. It's worth a bit of humiliation.

For more great tips and tricks, head to We Are THAT Family and check out other WFMW links.

A Spoonful of Sugar

Mary Poppins had the right idea when she said a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. Turns out, it also helps the hiccups go away. I've tried everything from holding my breath to drinking on the opposite side of a glass to having someone jump out and scare me; nothing worked. The only thing that works is what my mother used to do when I had the hiccups as a kid. Take a spoonful of sugar in your mouth and then wash it down with water. Works every time!

For more great tips, head to We Are THAT Family's Works for Me Wednesday carnival.

Faking a Winter Wonderland

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful warm.

Down here in Southern California we don't have snow outside our windows to remind us that it's winter. (Don't get too jealous; we'd love to see something other than palm trees and cactus.)

Since hell doesn't seem to be freezing over anytime soon (the only way we'd get frost), I have to fake it. Luckily, the fake stuff is almost as cheap as the real thing. Everything I either found at the Dollar Tree or I already had on hand.

I started off with a ragamuffin garland with some fabric scraps I'd had lying around. (I did see some silky cloth napkins at the Dollar Tree you could use for one of these.)

BTW, yes these are cubicle walls. I like to have something to look at and enjoy during my daily drudgery. I'm crazy like that.

I love the shimmery material and the satiny silver. Perfect wintery colors.



I purchased the snowflakes and put them around the garland as well. They are Styrofoam and really durable, unlike the paper ones.

Next up, Epsom salts! I've had a lot of fun with these this year. There are tutorials all over the blog world about how to roll candles in Epson salts to make them all shimmery. I did it with jars I had on hand (don't look at the top of that jar that I forgot to Mod Podge).






The salts seem to turn a bit chalky over time, but they still look nice. (I wonder if Kosher salt would work better?) I bought some of those flickering LED tea lights to put inside, and they really do look like the real thing!




I also used the salts with Mod Podge on some of the branches left over from our Christmas tree to make it look like they had snow on them.








The angel I purchased at the Dollar Tree last year, and was the perfect white to add to the wintery wonderland. The tulle I had lying around, but I think you can find some at the DT in the bridal section. I also used a scrap of snowflake fabric just to add a bit more "coolness" to the scene.





At home, I put the rest of the salts in a vase I had, and stuck some branches inside. I had some leftover icicles (also from DT) that I put on the branches.

Notice the DT sundae glass and plate I used to make a cake stand.

I love the way the icicles sparkle in the sunlight.



So there you have it; my "fake" SoCal winter, all for just a few bucks. For other creative ideas, tips, and tricks, head over to We Are THAT Family and check out her Works For Me Wednesday posts.

Easy Peasy Fabric Pumpkins

My favorite season of the year is Autumn. I love a bit of chill in the air, the leaves changing their glorious colors, the apple cider and pumpkin pie. My only problem? Southern California doesn’t have seasons. Well, not the kind that the rest of the country has. I live in the desert, and this past week it has still been over 100° each day. The only leaves changing are the ones that are turning brown from lack of rain. So what’s a girl to do?

Fake it.

One project I’ve recently discovered is how to make fabric pumpkins. Hope Studios has an awesome tutorial, and I fashioned mine the same way she did. This is similar to the paper bag pumpkins we’ve all made, but much less messy and quite frankly, a whole lot cuter.

The only materials you need are
the following:

• toilet paper or paper towel rolls
• plastic bags
• sticks
• fabric
(I have raffia shown because I was thinking of using it for a bow but ended up not using it.)



For a full-sized roll (for smaller pumpkins, I used half a toilet-paper roll), I cut a square of fabric roughly 12 inches on each side. You could actually use less than this.


Take a toilet paper roll and wrap about 3-4 plastic bags around it. (For smaller pumpkins, you only need one or two.)


The other tutorial shows the bags just poofed up around the roll; I actually think that might be better as their pumpkins look more plump.

Now take the corners of the fabric and tuck them inside the top of the toilet paper roll.


Once all the corners are tucked in, fold in any fabric edges that may still be sticking out.


Place a stick inside the roll to make a stem (and to keep the fabric in place). If you want it to be more secure, you can glue the fabric inside the roll.


I also added a piece of a plant to make it look like it was from a vine, but you can also use leaves or anything else to dress it up.



On this pumpkin, I used rolled-up paper to make a stem.


You’ll notice I also didn’t stick to a typical pumpkin color. I like to mix it up! (Plus, I didn't have any orange until a coworker of mine saw my non-pumpkin-colored pumpkins in my cubicle and offered her supply.)




These are a fun, colorful, thrifty way to add a bit of fall decor, as well as using recycled materials in a non-traditional way. That works for me!

For other cool ideas, check out We Are THAT Family for this week's WFMW carnival.

Organizing for Lazy uh... Busy People

When I first read that Kristen was having an organizing-tips WFMW, I thought, "Well, I can't contribute a #@$!%& thing. I am organizationally challenged, to say the least. But looking around the house, I noticed that there were a few things that I've implemented that have managed to save me time and effort.

The best rule for me to remember is to KNOW THYSELF. I know that I am super lazy and disorganized, so I will never be able to implement an intricate, multi-step process. I need to KISS anything like that goodbye.

Keep It Simple Stupid.

This is best demonstrated in my filing system. I HATE to file. I mean, I have a physical aversion to it. I would rather lick the kitchen floor than have to organize and file all the paperwork that piles up on a daily basis. That said, I take the easy way out: I only use one file a month.

Yup, I throw everything into one file. Actually, I'm even too lazy to have that file in a filing cabinet where I would actually have to spend the time looking for it. I've had to place an expanding file above my computer that I can literally throw papers in:

sorry for the poor quality pics; I was too lazy to get better ones...

In here, I throw everything from bills, to receipts, to instruction manuals, to financial papers. At the end of the month, I put the papers in a file with the month name on it and put it in a filing cabinet. That's it.

Now for those of you who are obsessive about filing, I'm sure your eyes are bleeding right now from reading this. But you know what? Somehow it works! I've learned that, since I'm horrible with paperwork, I really shouldn't keep too much of it around. Receipts? Only for big stuff. Coupons for a certain restaurant? Yeah, with a family of five, we don't eat out much. Fliers for fun-sounding events that we might go to? If it's that important, we'll put it on the calendar. Otherwise, toss.

You might be screaming at your screen, "But what about the Important Info?" I only have to look through a few files to find it. "What about Taxes??" In the April folder, where else? I've actually been able to put my hands on pretty much any important paperwork I need, since I try not to keep too much crap in the first place.

As for keeping up with paperwork in other ways, another thing I know about myself is "Out of sight, out of mind." Literally. Hence, my bills:

I literally have them staring me in my face every time I look at my desk. It's my way of nagging reminding myself that this needs to get done. If I didn't have them hanging there, I'd put them in some pile somewhere and promptly forget about them until it's too late to save myself a late fee.

Another area I keep things in sight and in mind is in the pantry:


I'm pretty short, so this is my view of the upper shelves. I keep everything right on the edge of the shelf, so I can see exactly what I have without having to move stuff out of the way or getting a stool to get a better view. Yes, there is stuff behind this, but it's stuff I hardly ever use; I think of it as extra storage. Definitely nothing that's used on a regular basis.

Also in the kitchen are the inevitable junk drawers. I actually have four of them. Terrible I know. In order to keep some semblance of order, I cut food boxes and place them inside to corral some of the junk:


Yes, they're still messy, but at least I can find the pens without having to dump out the whole drawer.

Another thing I'm trying to implement is labels. It's a very slow process, labeling, but hopefully it will save time eventually. The boys empty the dishwasher as part of their chores, which means that kitchen items can end up anywhere. So I'm trying to be very specific with what should go on each shelf:



Again, this does take a while, but I only do a few shelves at a time. Plus, the boys for some reason LOVE to make labels with the label maker. (This sounds like it would make my life easier, but I have to write everything down for them so they know how to spell it. Oh well.)

Speaking of boys, I know that they are all about easy access as well. They leave boxes of food all in a jumble if they can't put it away easily. Therefore, I've eliminated that step for them whenever I can by simply ripping off the top of the box. Notice the popcorn box:


Also, whenever I can, I put non-sealed stuff in tupperware (like the lovely mismatched one next to the popcorn) so they can just reach their hand in, grab, and go. I also take fruit out of the plastic produce bags and throw it all into one drawer in the fridge, as it's apparently too much effort for the the boys to take it out of the plastic bag. Otherwise, they'll let it sit in the bags and rot.

Also in the kitchen, I try to corral things in baskets whenever I can, such all the condiments the boys like:


Still looks messy, but better than just having them all over the counter.

I also use baskets for all my little crafty bits:


Again, it still looks pretty cluttered, but definitely better than if I tried to keep them organized any other way. Putting them neatly in a box or drawer? Fuggedabout it. I need to just toss and go.


I do try to show the boys some type of organization when it comes to school stuff. Since we do homework at the dining room table, I set up this pegboard on one of the dining room walls:

I try to have everything they need on it, so they don't have to go searching, and it's easy to put everything away. For myself, I try to keep all their school paperwork in one spot so I don't randomly assign it a pile and then forget about it.



Other little things:

• Towels are easy to organize because I'm a towel Nazi. I give the boys only two towels each in the linen closet. Why? Because otherwise they'd use a towel once, leave it on their bedroom floor, and get another one. Lots of towels, lots of laundry. The boys have their initials on their own towel so I know who's left theirs on the bathroom floor. The other towels I keep hidden in my closet. That keeps the linen closet available for other storage.

• I have a box on the stairs to put stuff that goes upstairs. I'm too lazy to walk up and down all the time.

• I have a large bucket in the laundry room as a dumping bin for cleaning rags, napkins, etc. that need to be washed. At least all that stuff isn't thrown on the floor like it used to be.

• I delegate. The boys are old enough to do just about any type of cleaning/organizing. Even though they don't do it all that well (purposely or not), stuff still gets done. A sloppily-organized dresser is better than a never-organized one.

• I purposely have spots to hide stuff. In the living room, I have a small side table with a drawer underneath. In it are tons of photos that need to be put in albums. At least they're all in the same place. I have my toiletries in small plastic buckets under my vanity; the buckets get messy a lot. I have a small tension rod hung with dishtowel "drapes" underneath the vanity to cover the unsightly mess. My craft cabinets are a disaster, but I always make sure they're not so full that I can't close the doors to hide it all.

• I put my make-up brushes, Q-tips, and other things I use each day in drinking glasses on my vanity. (I have really shallow drawers underneath so I can't put much in them.) The glasses at least keep like things with like, and keep things from just piling up.

• I hang my necklaces on nails on my wall. I could never take the time to put them away in their separate little pouches and they'd always get tangled up.

• Lastly, when I need some motivation to get organized, I get one small space done so I can see how great it looks. Often, the "organizing" is done by me putting everything cluttering up that spot into a large bag out of sight. I know it's prolonging the inevitable, but sometimes you just need to see a clean desk in order to know that it can be done. By any means necessary.

So yes, I'm lazy and always want to take the easy way out. But I'm also really busy and know that in order to make it work for me, organization has to be simple and quick. As much as I would love to be that person who has all matching pretty containers perfectly lined up on the shelves without even a paper clip out of place, I know this is not my reality.

Hopefully I've helped some of you other disorganized super-duper-crazy-busy ladies. I can't wait to read the rest of the entries for this WFMW. Who knows? Maybe I'll find something that even I can implement! Head over to We Are That Family for this much-needed Works For Me Wednesday edition.

School Tips From a Teacher

* I missed the deadline for last week's back-to-school tips, so I'm re-posting it today.*

It's that time of year again. All the stores have declared open season and the school supplies are flooding the isles. It always seems to come too soon! My youngest stepson started school YESTERDAY because he's year-round. Ugh.

Last week, I wrote about teacher gifts that they really want and need. This week, I'll tell you about the best way to prepare your child for the big day, from a teacher's point of view. Most of these are common sense, but they bear repeating.

* Make sure your child gets enough sleep.

Duh. We all know how it feels when we are sleep- deprived, and a room full of cranky kids is not exactly my idea of a good time. Also, kids need to be alert to be an active participant in their learning. I never taught really young kids, but I remember the first-grade teachers always sent a letter to parents before school started reminding them that the first-grade day was longer than kindergarten. That can be a big adjustment for your child, so start getting into a routine ahead of time. Which brings me to the next tip:


* Work on routines. (No, not the talent show kind.)

It's good to get your child slowly back into the routine of waking up early, sitting and doing quiet work/art, etc. Talk with them about what the school day will be like, how long it will take to get to school, how they should act in class, how to use appropriate behavior on the playground. Granted, all teachers go over rules the first day(s), but talking with your child ahead of time will help them connect with what the teacher is discussing on the first day. Also discuss bus routines, time for homework, new bedtime hours, etc., so that it isn't all a big surprise on the first day. This is especially helpful for students who are nervous about school.


* Yes, we really do need you to fill out all those pieces of paper.

Yes, it's a pain. Yes, you've already filled them out for the past five years. Yes, it should all be computerized so that you only have to do it once. But school districts dictate that there are certain forms that must be updated every year, and it helps when they are turned in on time so that the teacher/office assistant doesn't have to chase down every parent who doesn't return them. There are actually things your child will be restricted from doing if we never get the paper, such as internet use (for reports, etc.) and certainly going on field trips if the permission slip isn't returned. Sometimes schools will even keep children from participating in school-wide events if not all paperwork is turned in. Sad, but true. Sometimes it's the only way they can force the parent to bring them.


* Don't overwhelm the teacher upon first meeting them.

We LOVE it when parents come to school with their children on the first day (or anytime, really). It's fun to see parents walking on campus with their children, sharing in the first-day experience. We love to meet you, really we do. We do not, however, like it when you decide to share every accomplishment/allergy/learning disability/phobia/social grace/friend and/or enemy your child has ever had or will have two minutes before the bell rings. We have up to 35 other nervous children and parents we need to greet and it rattles us a bit when you take 25 minutes to describe why we should really challenge your child in math this year. There is time for that later. I promise. A simple, "It's nice to meet you. Bobby is really happy he has you for a teacher this year. I look forward to hearing about all the great activities he'll do in second grade," is plenty.

Oh yeah, this also goes for Back-To-School Night.


* Make your child eats something before school.

Some kids are just not breakfast eaters. I understand. But recess/lunch is a long time off, and food is a must to kick-start the brain. (Remember, they're not drinking coffee yet. I hope.) I don't care if it's the healthiest breakfast in the world or the half-eaten pop tart found on the floor of the car, just give them something. Maybe buy a box of granola bars to keep in the car for those days when everyone's running late. I used to keep some in my classroom for days like that. For me or the kids.


* Breathe. Relax. Tell yourself everything will be okay.

Even if you're extremely nervous about your child's first day, it's important that they see you viewing it as a new adventure. Believe me, once the kids get in the classroom and start the day, the routine takes over and they relax. Don't get them stressed out for nothing.


* Talk with your child and review the day.

Push them to tell you more about their day than "Nothing," when you ask what they did. Ask about friends, recess, assignments. Regularly go through their binder/folders with them to check if there is any homework/papers to sign that have somehow gotten buried with everything else. It's also a good way to see what's being studied in class.


Just doing the little things help so much to make your child's experience a successful one. For more tips to get your child set for school, head over to We Are THAT Family's Works For Me Wednesday.



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