Spring Cleaning Recipes

OK, so you should actually use these all year, not just for spring cleaning. But we’ve had above-zero temperatures for THREE consecutive days, so I am officially in spring-cleaning mode.

Not only are these recipes quick and easy — and effective! — but they are definitely cheaper. And they leave your house smelling fresh and clean… not like funky blue cleaner.

Basic Ingredients:

• Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap
• Baking Soda (look for the big, generic box of it at the grocery store. You’ll use lots.)
• Vinegar
• Washing Soda (look in the laundry aisle)
• Borax
• essential oils (optional; I use mostly Lavendar, Lemon, and Tea Tree Oil)
• some spray bottles, rags, and a sponge (look for spray bottles in the plant section of your department store, or at a dollar-store location. You could recycle them from other spray products, but since most of those contain the toxins we’re trying to avoid, it might not be the best option.)

Soft Scrubber: In a small bowl, combine about 1/2 cup of baking soda with a squirt or two of Dr. Bronner’s and just a little bit of water (add water by the tbsp until it’s the consistency you want.) Scoop some up on a sponge and use it to clean the tub, shower, sink, etc. Rinse well. (If you need more heavy-duty scrubbing action, use 1/4 cup borax and 1/4 cup baking soda.) Obviously, you can mix this in any amount and consistency you want…figure out what works for you.

All Purpose/Glass Cleaner: In a spray bottle, combine equal amounts water and vinegar. Spray on windows and wipe off with rag. (If windows are really dirty, you can add a few drops of Dr. B’s to the mix. If there is a lot of mineral-buildup, use more vinegar and less water.) I keep a bottle of this in the kitchen and use it to clean counter tops, the table, highchairs, etc. Vinegar is a natural germ-buster.

Dirt Buster Spray: A fantastic recipe over at Care2 – check it out! Works great on stuff like stovetops, fridge door handles, etc.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Sprinkle borax over the water in the bowl (I do two shakes and a shimmy, AKA 1/4 cup), use a brush to clean bowl, then let it sit for 1/2 hr or so. Cleans great, deodorizes, and doesn’t turn your water blue.

Stinky Carpets or Couches: For mild stinkiness, sprinkle with baking soda, let it sit for at least 15 minutes, and vacuum. For mustiness or serious stinkiness (hey, if you have kids, you know not to ask) use borax in the same way, but let it sit overnight if you can.

Linoleum Floors: For a sinkful of HOT water, add a couple squirts of Dr. B’s and a glub of vinegar. Use a mop.

Laundry Boosters: Add washing soda to whites and towels — it does wonders on stains and odors. Use vinegar instead of fabric softener to remove detergent residue. For fresh-smelling clothes without chemicals, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil on a small rag and toss it in the dryer.

Linen Spray: Combine 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup vodka in a spray bottle, add 15-20 drops of lavender essential oil. Spritz over beds and let dry before making up.

Migraine-free ‘breeze: Combine 1/4 cup vodka and 1 cup water in a spray bottle. Add EO’s as desired. (I like 10 drops lavender with 10 peppermint for a fresh scent, or mandarin and clove bud for a holiday scent.)

Pot Luck: If you have a glass, ceramic or stainless steel pot or casserole — fill with HOT water, sprinkle with washing soda, and let it sit overnight. All the baked-on crud will come right off in the morning.

That’s all I can think of off the top of my head. Happy cleaning!

No, really. It’s spring. Clean those windows, let the sunshine in, and enjoy the fact that a) you’re not hurting the planet b) you’re not hurting your health c) you’re not hurting your kid’s health and d) you saved money. See? Almost makes it fun, doesn’t it?

Room Tour: The Twinbits

It’s finished! And it’s a hit. My “babies” love their big-kid bedroom, and I’m pretty pleased with it myself. Other than the paint (“Daydream” by Debbie Travis) and a bit of fabric for the chair, the rest of the items were found or made. It’s decor on a dime — enjoy your tour!

E’s Bed — the quilt on the headboard was made by Great-Aunt Karen. The large crocheted blanket by friend Christina, the small one by myself. The chenille bedspread was a thrift-store-score.

Both bed frames were rescued and painted by Nana.

C’s Bed –  the spread was a gift from Nana, and the picture frames  handpainted by  C&E’s brothers and uncles.  Gingerbread men climber from my childhood. Crochet blanket by me, quilt by Great-Aunt Karen.

Bookcase (and matching miniature furniture in room) were built by the twinbit’s Great-Granddad Martin. They were originally in Aunt Emily & Aunt Elyse’s room, and have passed along to us.

Rocking chair was recovered by me. (First attempt, be kind. ) Crochet blanket by a family friend.

I really love the window treatment. I sewed a simple valance, and then we made paper pinwheels using the instructions here — the paper is pages from an old book I found in a thrift store (“An Edwardian Lady’s Country Diary”) and instead of pins, I used some lonely stud earrings that had lost their mates or weren’t being worn any more.

And on the window sill, to tie it together, we put one more pinwheel.

Carriage and toyhouse built by Great-Granddad, latch-hook rug by a family friend.

Simple Goals

Well, the holidays are over. In a blur of last-minute baking, visiting, white-knuckling it through snow squalls and icy roads to get together with family…add in a 15 hour power shortage, school break, and a hubby working over-over-time, and you have the reason for the blogging lapse.

So, happy 2009! May it be an amazing year for you.

I am actually a big fan of the New Years Resolution. In years past, it has been the impetus I needed to overcome the post-holiday-dark-dreary-winter-day blahs. The key to making resolutions work for you is simply to pick things that matter to you — and are reasonable, simple goals.

I would love to be a runner…I gaze in admiration at the faithful who run down my street, daily, in minus-ouch weather. But jumping into a jogging routine in frigid January, kids in tow? Not likely to happen! That would be a foolish resolution, and would only set me up for failure. However, if I continue with my recent exercise routine, then I could likely start a walking-then-running routine come spring.

So, my goals for the year are as follows:

a) Continue to exercise for at least 15 minutes a day. (Small and consistent pays off.)

b) Knit through Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitter’s Almanac. I adore these patterns, and knitting through the book will be a great motivation to tackle a few skills I’ve been avoiding getting serious with (hello, colorwork!).

So go ahead, pick something simple, and DO IT. You’ll thank yourself.

Tutorial: Knitterly Ivy

I kept singing that old nursery rhyme while I made this…remember? Mares eat oats, and does eat oats, and little lambs eat ivy. A kid’ll eat ivy too, wouldn’t you?” Seems to me that “Knitterly Ivy” flows off the tongue nearly as smoothly.

Here’s what you’ll need to make this ivy trellis:

• an ivy plant in need of something to grow up
• some assorted knitting needles (I used some that the kids tried fencing with and subsequently bent — but I think this would look adorable in some funky vintage colors. Most thrift stores carry old knitting needles for about $0.25 a pair.)
• A bit of yarn or string
• Scissors

To Assemble:

Play with the design and choose how you want the finished trellis to look. Then use your yarn or string to securely tie it together, wrapping and tyeing in an “X”. Trim the ends short. Insert carefully into the ivy pot, gently wrap the ivy ends up around the trellis, and enjoy!