My Friend E

Anyone that knows me well will tell you I am a little OCD. It’s true and I can admit it with pride. I label my shelves in the pantry, towels must be folded a certain way or I will re-do them even if I’m at someone else’s house. Chances are if I use the restroom in your house when I walk out it will be with very clean hands and your towels, hand towels, and washcloths will be refolded and left perfect. I have been known to refold towels at hotels as well.

 

I like to think of myself as Super nice and orderly. Everything in its place and a place for everything. I thought I was on top of my game until I meet my co-worker. Her paperclips are perfect, her binder clips leave me in awe. I secretly desire for her to come to my house and show me how she does it but I'd die of embarrassment if she saw the Chateau in its present state! Maybe back when it was nice and pretty as it was in 2006 before roof collapse and children.

 

We have 3 months before the move but I have already begun to pack and to organize the house. I dream and desire to be as organized with the move and my new home as my co-worker (I’ll call her E).

 

I started some excel sheets detailing the big and little object that need to be moved. I have them separated on days by importance and these are then tied to a color coded calendar with notes as to which trip of the day the items will be on.

 

Big Items to Move	Date to Move
King Bed	10/6/2011
Queen Bed	10/6/2011
Flat TV	10/6/2011
Big Screen TV	10/6/2011
Crib	10/6/2011
Computer	10/6/2011
dresser for Goo	10/8/2011
Dresser for Gouda	10/8/2011
Blu-ray	10/8/2011
dvd players	10/8/2011
Couch	10/9/2011
Grandpas table	10/9/2011
chairs	10/9/2011
toy cubby	10/9/2011
Washer	10/9/2011
Dryer	10/9/2011
Bookcase	10/16/2011
Alice Closet	10/16/2011
pack n play	10/16/2011
dish washer	10/23/2011
BBQ Grill	10/23/2011

 

Little Items	Date to Move
clothes in closet master	10/8/2011
clothes in closet kids	10/8/2011
toys	10/8/2011
hampers	10/9/2011
bedroom lamps	10/6/2011
front room lamps	10/6/2011
end tables
computer chair
books	10/16/2011
blanket chest
high chair
decorative shelf	10/16/2011
breakables	10/16/2011
dishes
utensils
pot n pan
baking dishes
extra cabinet	10/23/2011

 

 

 

I didn’t include the calendar as I thought it would make the post too long.

 Later on I will set up more excel sheets detailing where the item needs to go and which day it gets unpacked. I’m hoping that I am channeling a little bit of my friend E!

 

 

The Signing of the Lease

C and I sign our new house lease August 6^th, 2011. The new house is 1000 sq. ft. bigger and $300 a month cheaper than the Chateau Ghetto! We are getting a bit excited for it. I am trying to focus on only the positive!

 

 

A World Of Possibilities

My kids have never had a backyard. In the Chateau we have a concrete slab and a small dangerous balcony. There is no place for them to play outside. The new house has a backyard! The Landlord has agreed to remodel it so we can put in a swing set or a playhouse.

Goo picked out this one. He won’t be getting it because it’s $7000! The kid has good taste though.

 

How to Clean Mold out of a Mattress and Other Cleaning Tips

How To Clean A Mattress

 

It’s said that we spend 30% or more of our lives sleeping.

 

If this is true, you want one-third of your life to be spent somewhere that’s clean and comfortable! It’s important to do some maintenance cleaning to your mattress to keep it fresh for a long time to come.

 

In addition, any accidents that happen need to be cleaned properly to ensure that your mattress is as long-lasting as you would like.

 

Vacuum Away Dust Mites

 

One of the largest causes of a stale-smelling and allergy unfriendly mattress is dust mites.

 

They are simple to control, though. When you go to flip your mattress (as you should every 6-8 weeks), take a few moments to vacuum each face and the sides. Use the hose on your vacuum with its non-brush, hard surface attachment.

 

This regular upkeep will go a long way towards keeping your mattress clean and comfortable.

 

Dryer Sheets Keep Your Mattress Fresh

 

For a general fresh-smelling tip, be sure to place a few dryer sheets on the mattress before covering it with any bedding.

 

This will help the mattress smell as fresh as it did  from the store.

 

However, make sure that the dryer sheets that you choose have a scent that you don’t mind sleeping on every night; and if you find yourself developing a headache, it’s time to change scents.

 

Remove Urine from your Mattress

 

Unfortunately, accidents can and do happen. Whether it’s your young child or pet stains can be extremely frustrating to figure out just how to save the mattress.

 

The first step is to blot up as much of the wetness as possible with a dry towel. We recommend having the heaviest person in your house stand on the towel on the mattress to try to get as much urine as possible from as deep in the mattress as possible.

 

Next, spray (don’t pour) on a enzymatic cleaner designed especially for urine – these can be found at just about any grocery or home care store.

 

Repeat the blotting process over the enzymatic cleaner until the towels comes up dry and white (this may take several repetitions).

 

Finally, sprinkle baking soda over the entire area. The baking soda will help to eliminate any lingering orders and absorb remaining moisture. Leave the baking soda at least overnight, sometimes longer if the stain is larger. Then vacuum the baking soda from the mattress and use as normal.

 

Remove Mattress Mold and Mildew

 

A mattress that has had mold or mildew on it can seem impossible. If the mold and/or mildew covers more than 50% of the mattress and/or appears to be extremely deep in nature, we recommend a new mattress for your overall health. However, if there’s just a small area that has mildewed, you may be able to salvage the mattress.

 

Take the mattress outside on a dry, sunny day. Be sure you’re wearing a protective mask, and then vacuum the mattress with a garage vacuum (Shop Vac). Allow the mattress to sit in the sun for the rest of the day. If you want to leave the mattress for more than one day of sunning, be sure to bring it in before the dew settles for the night.

 

Remove Cigarette Odors

 

Cigarette smoking in bed is never recommended for obvious safety reasons.

 

However, if a mattress has been in a room with lots of smoke, it’s likely to have absorbed some of the cigarette odors. To remove these less-than-pleasant odors from your mattress, we recommend starting with taking the mattress outside on a sunny, dry day.

 

Spray the mattress with a fabric odor remover such as Febreeze, and let the sun naturally bake the mattress until it’s fresh. Then, bring the mattress inside and sprinkle baking soda on it. Allow the baking soda to sit overnight, and vacuum in the morning.

 

Removing Vomit

 

Recovering from an illness can seem to zap all of your strength, and then you’re left with the less-than-charming task of clean-up. If your mattress was the unfortunate recipient of vomit, it can be cleaned in much the same way as urine listed above.

 

Use an enzymatic cleaner as described above to remove the vomit stain from the mattress. Then, allow the mattress to sit in the sun and use the sun’s antibiotic properties to kill any remaining germs.

 

After all, this isn’t a cycle that you want to repeat any time soon!

 

By keeping your mattress fresh and clean, you’re not only helping yourself sleep well but you’re also helping to keep yourself healthy.

 

A mattress that is stale and filled with foreign substances such as mold, germs, and dust mite can cause long-reaching health problems. Keep your mattress clean with these simple tips, and you’ll breathe more cleanly each night as you sleep.

 

 

I'm Vinyl Obsessed

Goo is having a really hard time with the thought of leaving the only home he has ever known. When we talk about it he gets really upset, cries hysterically until he coughs and then pukes. (He’s a sensitive boy) C and I thought one of the ways we could ease the pain of the move was to promise him that he could decorate his new room  (he and Gouda get separate rooms now) anyway he wants.

He promptly decided he wants his room painted with Black and White stripes! Since we are going from a house we owned to a house we rent painting isn’t an option. I’m determined to make Goo as happy about this as possible. I poked around the Internet and I found this website called www.wallsneedlove.com

That is where the picture comes in. Those stripes are vinyl! No painting required. No damage to the walls. I can get 17 – 1 inch stripes (8ft length) in black for only $44.95 plus shipping and handling. How great is that! This site/store is by far the best vinyl decorating site I have found so far. It is monstrously cheaper than all the others and well.

Goo is almost 4 years old and I know he will change his mind a dozen times over the years on how he wants his room decorated and it will be so nice just to peel the stripes off the wall and not have to paint! I hate painting!

I can’t wait to get them and show Goo that everything will be alright he can have his white and black stripes! Momma has come through for him.