Make your kids shoes look like (almost) new again.

Back to school.  New clothes, new shoes.  Well, maybe.
The old shoes still fit.  Or, sometimes, a cool older kid will hand you down a pair.
But they look kid of dingy...
Easy fix.

All you need is an old toothbrush and a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

Obviously, what you can do depends on the shoe.  I have the best luck cleaning up Crocs and Sneakers.

All sneakers are different, but generally, leather, faux leather and canvas can all be cleaned well with an old toothbrush.  I use whatever cleanser is convenient - hand soap, dish soap, even toothpaste works.  Get the white rubber toes and edges clean with the Magic eraser.  It works wonderfully.  I still need to wash the shoe strings....

My daughter consistently picks light pink Crocks.  They get really dirty.
Scrub these down with a wet Magic Eraser.  I used the toothbrush and hand soap again here for the fleece lining, since you can't remove it to wash it.  Excellent results and EASY.

The favorite pairs get worn the most and look the worst the fastest.  Bring back the white.

Umm... I thought this was normal?

I never had any intentions of posting this tidbit because I figured everyone did this.  However, after it came up somehow (??) in conversation with my good friend, Lisa, I discovered that I may be wrong. 

Still, I wasn't going to post this.  

But after some very flattering words like "brilliant" and "amazing" (I may have made that one up... but they were flattering words...) and after much coercion, I decided I would indeed share this tip.  Just in case you don't already all know about this amazing time and sanity saver.  You really should.

But, there will be no photos.  Um, nope.  None.

I have been doing this forever.  I imagine it started one day when I had a "hand wash only" bra sitting by the bathroom sink, patiently waiting to be washed.  I hate hand washing bras - it makes a mess.  You have to use soap because of how close it is worn to your skin. So really it is 1) soak 2) soap 3) scrub 4)rinse 5) rinse again to really get the soap out 6) hang dry somewhere where all the dripping won't make a big mess.  

It's a total pain, you know it is.  

So, I imagine that I was getting in the shower and decided - what the heck - I'll just wash it while I'm in the shower anyway.  I already do swimsuits this way, after a chlorine soak at the pool.  

And you know?  It works fantastic.  I just use my shower gel and really give it a good hand cleaning. 

The mess is contained and then you can just leave it hanging in the shower to dry. 

So easy.  

Are you already doing this?  Or is it just me? 

Time to untangle

Like most women, I appreciate a beautiful piece of jewelry.
I totally get why that accessories store in the mall is named "Icing".
I figured out long ago that a pretty necklace with a nice belt and some heels can turn jeans and a t-shirt into presentable, even "you look good today" clothes! This is after all, my work uniform.

I have quite a few necklaces. Some were souvenirs of travel, some were gifts. I inherited several from my grandmothers and picked a few off estate sales from other people's grandmothers. I love a good 75% of them, but only wear the same three or four over and over. Why? Because despite my best efforts over the years, I always had a tangled up mess of chains and beads.

I have hung them on the backs of doors. I've laid them flat in drawers. I've tried jewlery boxes. Last, I used a "necklace tree". Nothing was perfect. Most attempts created a knotted mess. The necklace tree had two problems - it didn't hold enough AND it was too short, so the chains pooled at the bottom.

Lately, surfing Pinterest, I began feeling creative. A lot of people have the same problem and have soved it with a custom hanger. Right up my alley. I had been thinking for a while about using a cute multi-key hook I found, but it still didn't hold enough. Plus, I really like how those other clever pinners on Pintrest made theirs look like art.

After some pondering, here is my solution. It was easy and fits my needs perfectly.
 I used:
- one 11x18 picture frame with glass front.
- two pieces of scrap booking paper (but you could also use wall paper remnants, photos, etc).
- 15 Coomand brand removable mini- hooks.

In my mind, clear hooks were perfect, but I forgot about the white adhesive strip. So, I guess I could leave it as is and call it "adjustable for future needs", or now that I know where I want them, I could pull them off and super-glue them in place to get rid of the white strip. I'll think about it.

I hung the finished project and use it for my chain necklaces. I'm going to live with it for awhile with the ugly white strips.  Once I'm sure I have the spacing right for my necklaces, I'll go back and clean it up (see below).
The leftover "necklace tree" is perfect for bracelets and my shorter, chunkier granny bead necklaces.
I love it.

Follow up: 

After living with it awhile, I decided I did indeed have the spacing right for my necklaces.  I then went back, removed the ugly white strips and permanently adhered the hooks with some super glue.  

A much cleaner look. 

Queen of the unplanned projects.

That is me.  Queen of the unplanned projects.

Today was one of those days, when an unplanned (and totally not urgent) project got done.  I have to say it feels great to have it done, but I did overlook several other more urgent items on my to-do list to do this one. 

Let me explain.  I have a tendency to get side-tracked.  My wonderful husband just re-laquered the floor in our screen porch (it was all peel-y and ruined from water damage). I was putting the furniture back in place, now that the floor was dry.  I meant to keep that project going, but I didn't.

When we moved into this home 2 1/2 years ago, we inherited some bits and pieces from the previous owners.  One of those things was a very heavy solid brass planter. It was pretty cool, but dingy.  We keep it in the porch.  When I was moving it from point A to point B I started wondering what I would need to buy to polish it up (I have never polished brass in my life...).   Naturally, I stopped all work to consult Pinterest. Turns out, you just need to make a simple paste out of common kitchen staples!  I have these ingredients and I have the time (If you ignore the fact that I wasn't done with my original project)!

I decided to give it a try.  Here is how it went:
1) Completely wash grime off planter in the shower.
2) Make paste.
3) Cover table with newspapers.
4) Start scrubbing planter with paste in just a small area.

Wow!  Works great!  It just makes sense to finish it now. The paste is made, the table is covered and I've already made a mess.
5) Take before photo so I can show my husband...

Brass planter - Before.

6) Get out old toothbrush to get the fancy handles and feet polished, too.
7) More scrubbing and more scrubbing.
8) Rinse clean in shower and dry.

At least 45 minutes later (it IS large), the planter looks great.
9) Quick Google what it will take to keep it from tarnishing again.
10) Depression sets in when I realize that nothing keeps this big thing from tarnishing again!
11) Take an after picture to preserve the planter in it's glory because I doubt I'll be doing this again anytime soon.

Brass planter - After.

Lessons learned:
1) I can polish brass with a homemade paste - no expensive, harmful cleaner needed!
2) Polishing brass takes a bit of "elbow grease" and my brass planter is... big.
3) Polished brass is much more beautiful than the dingy tarnished brass (it's not at all pretty like copper.)
4) Next time it's someone else's turn (read: "it will never get done again").
5) I'd recommend it for smaller brass objects.

I guess I'll finish the screen porch tomorrow.  Unless another project pops up.

If you want to try it:
Fill a small bowl with about 1/2-3/4 cup vinegar.
Mix in equal parts flour and salt for the abrasive.  You want less of this than the vinegar.
(I used a couple tablespoons of each).
Rub on with soft cloth and or old toothbrush.
Rinse clean.

Uncluttered you mailbox....

The biggest source of clutter in our home is likely the same as in yours.
Paper.

Seems like the first thought most people have is to organize it.  Put it in it's place.
That is a good thought.  But, let's leave that for our second line of defense.  For the things you do want and must have.
Your first line of defense is to stop the paper from arriving in the first place.

I'm not going to tell you something you haven't heard before.  I'm going to encourage you to take 10 minutes to do it - and save yourself hours of sorting, purging and piling for  years to come.  And I'll make it easy by supplying you the links you need to do it as fast as possible.

In our home, there are two big culprits in building the paper monster.
The school and our mailbox.

Lets tackle school first.
A few years ago our school went "paperless".  SOOOO Glad.  Prior to this, our oldest child would routinely come home from school with is folder overstuffed with newsletters, notices, announcements and other "important information".  It came from community ed, outside organizations and the school itself.  Each and every important notice would use an entire sheet of paper - maybe just to let me know that there was a play at the high school or that Karate instruction was available through community education.  Most of the notices didn't even pertain to us.  Yet, they sucked my time.
Now, almost all of the notices and newsletters are available once a week in an email.  I can pick and choose which to read and then delete it when I've read it.  Amazing.
I know that not all schools have this option - but if they don't yet, they will soon.  But,don't assume your school doesn't do this.  It's worth noting that our school requires us to "opt in", meaning we have to request this paperless option.  So call your children's school office today and find out!

The mailbox.
I have a love/hate relationship with my mailbox. Usually it just brings me things I really don't want.  (With the exception of December, when the Christmas cards start rolling in! I love getting the mail then!) Somedays I don't even bother to get the mail.  It's just a box of things to do.  Yuck.
Did you know you can stop much of this junk?

The obvious first choice is to start getting your bills electronically.  Each time a paper bill arrives, when you go to pay it, also elect to have the next one emailed to you - or better yet - auto billed.  Less paper AND less work - two for one!

Step two - stop all the other junk.
Here are some links to make it easy and quick for you.
For credit card and insurance solicitations (5 years or permanently):
       www.optoutprescreen.com
For all other unwanted junk mail (5 years):
       www.dmachoice.org
For catalogs (this is not a blanket opt-out, you get to pick and choose):
       www.catalogchoice.org

We cannot overlook magazines and newspapers.
The newspaper.
Do you have a subscription each and everyday of the week "because it doesn't cost anymore than getting it just on the weekends?"  If you do, how many of those days do you read it?  If it is you read it less days than you don't read it - it's time to examine your subscription.  On those days that you do not read it, you still have to retrieve it, and recycle it.  Waste of time, bigger waste of paper.
Try just getting the paper on the weekends.  I love to read the Saturday and Sunday newspaper.  This is worth it for me.  But would it be for you?  Would you read it on Sunday?
If you already just have a weekend subscription and you aren't getting that read either, it's time to cut the cord.  But what about the coupons????  Really?  You are spending more on the paper than you are saving in with the coupons. Or I'll give you mine.  Even if I take the time to cut them out, I rarely remember to use them.
You can always read the paper online - and if you don't have time, you won't feel guilty like you do now.
Save a tree.  Unsubscribe.

Magazines.
Magazines stress me out.  Let me explain.
They arrive so crisp and beautiful.  So full of interesting good ideas!  Pages of them!  And, let's not forget that I chose them.   I paid for them to come to my house.  I imagined lounging around, paging through them and enjoying them at my leisure.  Yah right.  Now I'm not going to say this never happens, but it's rare.  And often out of guilt.  "I guess I'll take this huge stack of unread magazines along for the car ride and try to get through them...."
To be honest, once the kids are in bed for the night, you are much more likely to be sitting with a glass of red wine in front of the television, watching a good show.  Not reading a magazine.
So instead, when they arrive, I stack them somewhere until the day I have time to read them.
When I finally do read them, I find myself folding over bunches of corners (remember all those good ideas???) and tearing out recipes I'll never get around to trying.   Do you see where this is leading?  Now I have read the magazines - finally - and I still can't recycle them because they are filled with all those good ideas I want to try or do!  That just adds to my guilt.  Great things we aren't doing! Great projects we are trying!  Great recipes no one is making!  Ugh.
If you have a magazine you get, love and read - by all means keep enjoying.  But, if you are like me and have several subscriptions that are just making my paper pile bigger, cut the cord.  Many magazines are sneaky and automatically re-subscribe you.  You will have to call them.  And they will try to entice you with an even better deal.  Don't take the bait!  Unsubscribe!

Ahhh.... don't you feel better now? Maybe someone will send me a card today.  :-)

Give your Peace Lily a shower.

Why didn't I think of this before???

I only have a couple of house plants. I'm more of an "outdoorsy plant" kind of girl. I love gardening, in fact. But when it comes to house plants, well... I lose interest. But I do have a couple plants - all gifts - and the gardener in me can't bear to let them die. In the spring, summer and fall, my house plants thrive because I set them outside. In the winter, my house plants ... survive. They get kind of anemic and dusty. Probably because they just get barely enough water to make it (I empty the kids' water bottles in my plants).

 But, I feel bad.

 My plants need a boost. Then, I remembered my aunt saying she gives her plants a shower now and then. And you know what? It works like a good summer rain. Just set the plant in the shower, turn on the cold water for a couple of minutes and come back later.

 Ta-da! Clean, happy plant.

(To those of  you with a keen eye: yes, there is a dead leaf in the center of my plant.  There were quite a few underneath as well! I thought it gave it character....)

Custom made rug on a Target budget

What is the first thing you - or anyone else sees when they come through the door?

The entry is not the most glamorous room in a home - it usually gets no billing at all unless we are talking "mudroom" organization.  We don't have a mudroom (Oh, to dream!).  The mud/dirt/leaves etc. all come in through the front door of our home.

Prior to this Fall, all of the above landed on an ill-fitting rug over white tile (what crazy person purposely puts white tile in front of an exterior door???).   It looked filthy all the time - summer it was dirt and grime. Fall it was dirt, grime and leaves.  But, oh the winter.  That was the worst.  Wet, sloppy, salty boots entered and had no place to go.

The problem that vexed me, was the size and shape of the space.  When the door was opened, you had only one choice - go forward.  The space is rectangular.  Much larger than a 4x6' rug and slightly smaller than an 5x8' rug.  These are standard sizes.  I could find plenty of rugs I loved at a decent cost but none of them fit!  A small rug only accommodated EITHER the footsteps into the room from outside OR a place to put the wet boots.  Not both.  A large rug ran up the walls.  (Did I mention the room ends in a diagonal cut?)   I spent way to much time searching online for a perfect sized rug - they didn't exist.  Custom made rugs are out of the question- too expensive.  I had tried the "boot trays", but they were ugly, messy and kept getting walked all over and bumped around.  And even with those, the surrounding floor was still always sloppy.

Finally, the lightning bolt struck and I had the answer.  It's so easy - you have to try this for problem floor spaces.

I bought the rug I really wanted in the "too big" 5x7' size from Target.  Dark brown to hide dirt, easy to vacuum, durable, relatively inexpensive compared to everything else.  I turned it over and drew out my perfect sized and shaped rug on the back with a permanent marker.  Then I brought it to a local binding company.  They charge a small fee, normally, for each cut (in my case only two - one to make it shorter and one to make it narrower) and another fee for each liner foot of binding.  They matched the existing two sides perfectly.  In one week, I had a custom made rug for a fraction of the cost of any other.

In my area, I found Bob's Binding & Serging in Golden Valley (http://www.bobsbinding.com/) but this is a common business across the country.  (Who knew?) As of this Fall they charged  $10 to cut off the excess and $1.90 per liner foot of binding.  Since my project was small, I think they waived the cut cost and I paid only around $75 for the whole process.   For around $200, I had a new custom-made rug for the entryway of our home.  Now you can come in the door, use the closet and set your boots anywhere you want and it will still be dry and look clean.  Even when it's not.  ;-)