The Maidens of Mulberry

Q & A

2010-02-08T09:43:00.000-08:00

I was hoping to do a post on what on earth the whole "go for the GOLD" daily schedule actually is (click that link or check the tab above as I did expand it quite a bit for you this morning!), but it was brought to my attention that some of you might have some questions for me.

So, if you do happen to have any questions, fire away! Ask as many questions as you please. Don't worry about me thinking your question is silly or stupid. Sometimes it's okay to ask those sorts of questions, anyway - especially if you really want to know the answers to them!!! I will do my best, either in the comment section of this post, or maybe even in a Q & A Part II post, to answer every. single. question. Be fair, though, please! Only PMB related questions allowed!

This should be fun. (I hope...)

For those of you who have absolutely NO questions about Project Mulberry Bush, here is some eye candy for you...

A pretty pair, indeed. This apron and matching gloves can be found here.

Today is laundry day. I got a head start late last night (I can't remember if I got through three or four full loads...), so I may actually get to all of the bathroom rugs, towels, and bedding today, too! Which would simply be miraculous, wouldn't it?

Blessings, Susan

Which is it?

2010-02-01T16:39:00.000-08:00

Regarding the welcoming in of yet another new month (are you also in shock that it's February already?!?) as well as the start of another week, my question for you is this:

Do you think on these quick as a whip time flying flash of months of the year and days of the week as a harsh and vicious circles, or simply as more and more opportunities in which to "get it right"?

For me, I say with confidence, "It's definitely simply the blessing of more opportunities to get it right!" Though when I'm feeling grumpy, I do admit that I can inwardly complain that these things can feel like vicious circles. I hope that you can also feel with confidence that these are the blessing of more opportunities to get things right.

And so it is with a smile that I say "hello!" to February of 2010 - the only February we'll have this year, and don't you forget it! - as well as to yet another Monday - which for me (and you, too, if you are trying to follow the PMB schedule found in the column to the right) means a serious laundry day.

May you do something amazing with your Monday, and your February! Here are some quotes on beginnings that I hope you find motivational - whatever your goal may be!

"You will never win if you never begin." ~ Helen Rowland

"Every day is a fresh beginning, Every morn is the world made new" ~ Sarah Chauncey Woolsey

"The journey of a thousand leagues begins with a single step. So we must never neglect any work of peace within our reach, however small." ~ Adlai E. Stevenson

Blessings,
Susan

Just a little reminder to use your time ironing wisely

2010-01-26T07:32:00.000-08:00

lovely ironing image found here
where a post about who irons and who doesn't was actually conducted!

(A Poem by Nan Keltie found here)

I can almost see her ironing oh-so-many years ago,
A laundry basket parked nearby, she's listening to the radio.

Her handy water bottle had a stopper-cap with holes,
She always sprinkled every piece before she pressed our clothes.

If ironing unlocks wrinkles, then my Mama was the key!
Our ruffled dresses came out crisp, and shirts were wrinkle-free.

I loved to watch my mother as she did this "work of art," Both hands busy, pressing, turning, smoothing every part.

I yearned to do it just like that, and begged to try that day,
So Mama gave me handkerchiefs and taught me the right way.

I soon moved up to Daddy's T-shirts, pillowcases, too,
We ironed everything back then; it was the thing to do.

My Mama's work of ironing was her way of loving us,
She did it with a joyful heart; we never heard her fuss.

Her old ironing board survived, though it has lost its pad.
It represents those years ago - the simpler life we had.

Back then when life was focused on your home and people there,
I think when Mama ironed for us, she prayed this little prayer:

"Dear Lord, I'm pressing clothes again! I know you will not mind,
There's something special I must ask. Would You please be so kind,

To bless our family of eight? I love each one, you see,
And ironing is my time for prayer, it works out perfectly."

I'm thankful for these memories, how Mama cared for us!
She did it with a joyful heart; I never heard her fuss.

After reading this poem this morning, I thought it would be nice to share it with you. I just love the heart of Nan's mother! What a woman! Ironing is one of my least favorite things to do - though I do love the outcome! - and this poem is a good reminder that time spent ironing can (and should) be used for so much more than simply ironing out wrinkles.

The last six stanzas are my favorite! I love that she irons with a joyful heart and never fusses. I love that her children know that she does this tedious chore out of love for them. I love the line that says, "Back then when life was focused on your home and people there." I love that this mother uses her time ironing to pray for her family of eight!!! (I try so hard to do this, too, and it works so much better at 6am, let me tell you!)

Whether you do your ironing on Tuesdays or any day, I hope that you find joy in your work, and that you do it with the right perspective. And I hope that you, too, will use this time for so much more than simply getting those wrinkly items pressed to perfection.

Blessings, Susan

A bit of laundry day fun

2010-01-25T12:11:00.000-08:00

A long time ago, I'm not sure how many years, I somehow came across this video that made me scratch my head a bit, but ultimately be pretty gosh darn amazed. I'm certain that I must have said, "Wow!" or "How did she do that?!?" or most likely both reactions came out of my mouth.

While I do not fold any of the tees in this house this way (most of ours are hung in our closets), I do remember having to figure out how to do something similar to this during my days as a Charlotte Russe cashier and that involved a clipboard-like tool - far too complicated and clearly unnecessary if you know this simple pinch and fold trick.

Anyway. This video (you have to watch it via that link because the video could not be embedded here) is much easier to understand (not only is it in English, but it is done in a step by step fashion). Perhaps you will enjoy folding your laundry this way.

Fitted sheet image found here.

My all-time favorite laundry folding trick is still from Martha Stewart, though. I am pretty sure I discovered this sometime during the first year of my marriage. I could be wrong, though. In my book, she totally wins with this one!!!

Happy laundry day!

Blessings, Susan

"Try It Tuesday"

2010-01-19T14:21:00.000-08:00

How about something new? (And forget the fact that this entire blog is new!) I'm going to call Tuesdays "Try It Tuesdays". At least for today. Ha ha ha.

When my first child was born, I was able to use whatever in the world I wanted to use during bath times, for washing his laundry, for cleaning my home... I figured I'd had it totally made with a kid who it seemed couldn't be in any way bothered with allergic reactions to anything, and so on.

However, when my second little boy was born, my world turned upside down. His precious baby skin, which was much lighter in complexion and seemingly thinner than our first son's skin, couldn't handle Baby Magic baby wash, or laundry detergents or softeners with any fragrances... I had to change so much about how we washed things, including how we washed ourselves!

All in all, the change wasn't too bad, and life easily fell back into a normal groove, with only an occasional eczema patch. And yes, I also took into account his diet and my own.

When my daughter was born, though she seemed to have the same hardy skin as my first son, she had the same allergic reactions to products that my second son had. Fortunately, I'd just spent two years mastering the art of rash evasion, so all was well with us. And, now that I am very aware of the harm that many big name products pose, I am happy to say that we were a little ahead of the game as far as going more and more basic and natural in our home cleaning and self cleansing.

What I missed like crazy, though, was the smell of laundry fresh from the dryer that had been tumbled with a fabric softener sheet. I still had the soft laundry, because I used unscented softener sheets (though I don't even use them anymore for more than a few reasons), but I didn't have the fresh laundry smell.

Enter these babies:

Very recently, during a trip to Trader Joe's, I discovered these little bags of lovely scented lavender. Here are two other reviews on them (one by apartment therapy and one by green clean review who both use the same image I did so I'm not sure who used it first or where it really came from), but in short I will say that they may not completely scent my clothing and whatnot (I always use a low heat when I dry but I am guessing they'd be more effective on a higher heat setting), though my dryer and laundry room smell heavenly the whole time. (Update: adding two of the bags does, indeed, scent your clothing just perfectly - not too much, not too little) They are good for about 10 uses as far as I can tell and come in a pack of 4 for about $3.

If you don't want to buy from Trader Joe's for whatever reason (say you don't have one in town or you'd like to support someone who makes them at home or you want a different scent), how about trying these out:

I found these in lavender and mint on Etsy at a little shop called Soft & Cozy that wonderfully gives old clothing and bedding new purpose through items like these. I like the idea of the mint... At least I think so. They come in a variety of different colors and the seller has great feedback.

If you do try any of these things out - or if you already have - please let me know what you think.

Blessings on this rainy Tuesday afternoon,
Susan

Just ironing out a few things...

2010-01-05T11:17:00.000-08:00

Hi all :)

I hope that you are enjoying the new year and tackling your home projects and daily duties with a little extra oomph. I spent a lot of time yesterday washing and washing and washing some more - mostly clothing and dishes. Ever since Christmas Day we have been in and out of our home, with very rare opportunities to wash our clothes and really care for our home. Sadly, our apartment pretty much became a dumping ground and is only just recovering from two long trips and whatnot and whatfor and whatever.

On this eleventh day of Christmas I am happy to say that I am ready to face the new year with confidence about my homemaker/housekeeper role. This morning I woke up bright and early (actually, it was still dark outside, but you know what I mean) and ironed all of my hubby's dress shirts before anybody else was out of bed.

Yes!

Then, in hopes of "ironing out" a few other issues, I drove myself to the store before 9am (kids in tow - one in pajamas) and purchased a giant office desk calendar which I plan to use to keep me on track with my PMB duties and my trusty GOLD V.

Speaking of calendars... Have you seen this one??? I LOVE it so and wish that I could have one of my own. I saw it on Fallon's sweet blog and am wondering how on earth I could have possibly NOT known about it's Anthropologie origins until now. I totally thought that she - in all of her amazing house making skills - made it herself. Maybe I will step up my inner craftista and make some of my own.

I am mentally working out the changes I'd like to make to the PMB schedule, as well as to the GOLD V stuff. I'll share them soon. I hope you are doing well. Did anybody else have luck with their yellowed whites and the aspirin trick?

Blessings, Susan

An ode to Irving Berlin and Bing Crosby

2009-12-14T09:44:00.000-08:00

(I'm sure they'd be proud - ha ha ha)

I'm dreaming of truly white T-shirts
Just like the ones I used to know
Where no yellowing is present
No neckline stains to resent
To victoriously wash and feel like a pro...

Gap undershirts image found here

I know that I am not the only person who deals with this issue. While my white shirts don't suffer from crazy underarm stains - they have other issues: cooking oil stains, because I've failed to put on a protective apron, pasta sauce stains from when I'm just too tired to care if my shirt gets dirty and pull my daughter out of her high chair without wiping her hands and face first, and so on - my husband's white undershirts... Well, they - like the undershirts of most men, I'd wager - need some serious tender loving care. Especially if they've managed to last longer than a year.

I've tried various things.

I've soaked them for prolonged periods in Oxy Clean Versatile Stain Remover (the powdered and "free" version), which always does wonders for other staining issues, but does nothing for this underarm stain problem.

I've soaked them in hydrogen peroxide as recommended by Martha - pitiful results. It's a good thing that stuff isn't expensive!!!

I've scrubbed them by hand and attempted to use citrus and baking soda/borax combos... and so on.

One day, I don't remember when, an issue of Lucky magazine arrived in the mail. Little did I know that the answer to my troubles would be in this fashion/shopping magazine! While perusing through it, I happened upon a little mini article by Karen Reinitz and Abigale Levinson. They are the designers behind the line AKA New York, and according to the little snippet, they swore by a certain tip for freshening up yellowed T-shirts.

I ripped that page right out of the magazine... and then set it aside and completely forgot about it for a while. Anyway. I happened upon it again while trying to make sense of my bedroom, and wondered to myself how I could have possibly left this seemingly easy and cheap trick of the trade left untried. To make a long story short, I tried it and IT WORKED!!! I am not kidding around, my dears. (Important note: after some "study", I found that nifty trick also helps with any color shirt that has underarm issues like stiffness and so on)

My husband even recently put on one of his old shirts and said something like, "Hey. Didn't this used to have crazy stains???" And I was finally able to say, "Why, yes. Yes it did..." To which he replied, with a sly smile, something like, "Why? Did you try... aspirin???" He had clearly seen the article I left lying around. Rats! There goes my mysterious laundry wonder woman allure... Just kidding.

Back to the point of all of this... That's right, my friends. Aspirin! All the mysteries to my problem were answered with one tiny tablet of aspirin.

I personally used Target's aspirin, which is why I chose to picture it here.

I still find it unbelievable. I am still in shock, albeit thankful. Victory! Yes!

Here's what you'll need (this is about a $2.50 project if you don't already have aspirin somewhere in your house): One tablet of aspirin and a washing machine. Oh, and some nasty yellowed shirts, too. Don't forget about those.

Here's how the magic happens (and I am copying this directly from the magazine - thank you, Lucky, Karen, and Abigale!): "Put your discolored tees in the machine and let the water start streaming in (temperature doesn't matter*); add detergent as usual. Drop in one aspirin when the basin is filled with water, close the door, and let the cycle finish. 'White tees really do come out looking whiter than ever,' says Levinson."

Yes, indeed. They sure do! (Note: this is mainly for underarm yellowing issues but does help with other things. If yellowing is severe, wash a second time. Let me know if this works for you like it did for me!)

It's Monday again, and this is the way we wash our clothes :O)

Do you have any awesome laundry tips? Check out this Lucky link here, too. It has a super cheap and easy way to remove yellowing in the neckline of dress shirts and whatnot. I haven't tried it out, personally, but I'm really feeling... lucky right now...

Blessings,
Susan

*I used hot water.

Officially Official

2009-12-03T12:53:00.000-08:00

Hello there!

Welcome! I am so happy that you've chosen to visit!

This is a picture of me with my darling daughter, Eleanor. She is my homemaking assistant/apprentice, though sometimes she's more interested in making a mess than making a miracle happen. Regardless, I am so happy that she loves to follow me around as I carry out my daily duties. Her love, soft hugs, and sweet demeanor always help to remind me of why it is that I try to do what I do everyday.

Each of the posts which precede this one were originally posted on my other blog, when this was all just starting out as a sort of fun way to motivate and challenge myself as a homemaker.

What you will hopefully find from here on out are fun tips, lessons learned and shared, and a whole heck of a lot of cleaning and homemaking. I hope you will find encouragement, enjoyment, and your own personal homemaking victories, as you follow me along on my journey as a Maiden of Mulberry. Or do I get to be Queen of the Mulberry Maidens??? Because that sounds pretty fun...

Please be aware that posts are not likely to be numerous at this time as I've recently broken my right arm (a.k.a. my "good" arm) and typing and cleaning are not easily accomplished at this time.

Blessings, Susan

Project Mulberry Bush - Weekend Recap

2009-11-16T09:37:00.000-08:00

So, on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Project Mulberry Bush continued to press on - and it's still going strong this morning! Yay! I'll try to keep this recap brief. You know... In the off-chance that you are completely bored stiff with this PMB business. And, you know how good I am at being brief on this here blog...

Friday - "This is the way we sweep the house..."

Most of my sweeping was done on Wednesday, but honestly, I had never really planned on Friday being a "sweeping" sort of day - at least, not so much with a broom. Again, hurrah for modern conveniences! I had planned this day to be all about sweeping away any cobwebs and dust, and then vacuuming. And that's pretty much what happened. Pretty exciting, eh? I also cleaned out my vacuum even more thoroughly than usual. Sadly, I didn't notice any difference in its ability to really suck things up. Boo rats boo...

Lovely Hoover Ad found here.

Also, I noticed - and have been meaning to mention - that Trader Joe's has an awesome card with regard to vacuuming... You must check it out. I purchased a few and plan on sending them to friends who I think will get a kick out of it. If you haven't perused the Trader Joe greeting card selection, do check it out. They are only 99 cents each, usually vintage in feel, and generally pretty perfect.

Saturday - "This is the way we bake our bread..."

As I have been excitedly telling you, Saturday morning was spent in a 3.5 hour long cake decorating class. So, while I may not have actually baked anything on this day, I did spend the day around freshly baked breads (the Laguna Culinary Arts Institute has a little bistro of sorts as its entrance, and man, oh man, did those freshly baked sandwich breads look so delicious paired with those lovely thin slices of prociutto and tomatoes and cheeses and and and...) and working with some lovely baked vanilla cake (baked by my dear friend Colleen the afternoon before). We had a fun time learning the basics of cake decorating. I think my roses turned out pretty gosh golly gee whizzeroo adorable, but I'll let you be the judge of that when I post some pictures later on. Hopefully you won't classify me in the cake wrecks department...

Pretty frosting roses found here.

I would call what we learned "vintage decorating", as, nowadays, cakes are mostly decorated with fondant and marzipan and stenciling and ribbon, or with fresh flowers, fruits, and so on. HOWEVER, I think that I will really enjoy using what I learned in our class in the future. I am definitely loving the idea of creating giant icing roses on some cupcakes. Oh dear me! They are going to be too, too good.

After class I was in serious need of a hot lunch with absolutely NO SWEETNESS allowed (with the exception of the sweetness provided by the company that soon surrounded me - my kids seemed pretty happy to see me, and that is certainly something to savor). Colleen and I met up with my husband and kids, and my mother-in-law and sister and brother-in-law at the Irvine Spectrum, which is an Orange County fancy outdoor mall. We decided to eat at the Cheesecake Factory - ironic, I know, but I can never resist this place. 'Just so you know, we didn't have any dessert. We started out sharing an order of avocado eggrolls (so savory and good), and with a basket of their french and barley bread rolls. I chose to eat Renee's Special, which is a bowl of hot soup du jour (it was yummy - creamy artichoke and mushroom soup, filled with vegetables and a little bit of chicken breast), a chicken salad sandwich, and a side salad. My husband had the salad because I was so full already (our big group also shared an order of avocado eggrolls (I LOVE those things!), and he had ordered a steak that pretty much came with no veggies - unless you are the sort who has convinced yourself that french fries and onion rings are satisfactory vegetables. By the way, I am all in favor of eating french fries and onion rings (YUM), but I am a colorful vegetables person. With vegetables (and fruits), I believe that the more colorful they are and the more colors you can eat, the better!

We also saw the movie Where the Wild Things Are. I loved it. And my kids (9 years old, 3 years old, and 1 year old) all loved it, too - yes indeedy. Eleanor, who I had hoped would stay asleep through it, woke up anyway, but she was so sweet. She watched it intently, and whenever someone in the movie was funny she sort of giggled a bit, or if someone would be sad, she would whisper, "sad..." And when they were being wild, she would make a bit of a shocked face with her lips in a constant "uh oh". I love her so much. I'm not saying that the kids understood it completely, but they did enjoy it.

You can find this poster image everywhere, but I found it easiest to access here.

And we ended the evening with pizza and friends. See? Lots of baked goodness going on... Okay. Maybe I'll do better next Saturday...

Sunday - "This is the way we go to church..."

And, go to church we did. And it was heaven on earth.

And that brings us back to Monday - Wash Day. Here we go 'round indeed...

This adorable little image was found here in a very cute vintage Etsy shop called goodlookin.

A final note, I won't be posting my Project Mulberry Bush recaps here anymore. I have started a blog for it, but I am not sure exactly how it will work altogether, so I'm keeping it private for now. I'll let you know in the future when and if it is up and ready to be shared, so if you're interested in following, just watch in the future for that update. I am making a few changes to PMB, and I hope that you will like them and will choose to follow along later.

Have a great day! It's the start of a new week, so get out there and do some work that you can be proud of!

Blessings, Susan

Project Mulberry Bush - Thursday's recap

2009-11-13T11:46:00.000-08:00

Project Mulberry Bush, Thursday - Mending Day recap:

This Painting is by Winslow Homer. He called it Mending the Nets. You can find it here.

So Thursday was mending day. I believe the song says, "this is the way we mend our clothes...", but the only clothing we have that needs mending requires the use of black thread, which, on Thursday morning, I came to realize that I am fresh out of. I am also out of money for the most part right now, so I decided to spend the day mending other broken or undone things around the house as much as I could. That's a fair trade of duties, right? This is also the reason I chose Homer's Mending the Nets painting, instead of a picture of someone mending an item of clothing.

I am pretty happy with the outcome of yesterday's endeavors, I must say.

I actually got a head start on Wednesday afternoon by picking up one of my favorite new things right now - you must check it out - from the Container Store. Part of what I try to do each day for PMB is to prepare for the next day's duties, too. Forget about me failing to be sure I had black thread. Who ever runs out of black thread??? Anyway. I had a new spool of leftover ribbon and wrapping paper that I never used so I took it in to make an exchange for things that were needed. With the aid of this nifty little item I was able to repair a picture frame whose nail hanger had broken off. I plan to buy a number of these discs in the future - some of which will actually be used to hang some very pretty plates I've been wanting to display in my kitchen. Oh, adhesive disc creator, you are a genius! I have never liked wire plate hangers so I am thrilled with this find.

My refrigerator is on its last leg and needs desperately to be replaced by the owners of our apartment. However, as of late, it has become a tad ickier than I would like to admit. Let's put it this way... At some point, and I won't say when that point was to save myself at least a small amount of dignity, a jar of olives (whose lid wasn't fully tightened) tipped over and proceeded to spill from the top shelf (we have wire shelving) all of the way to the bottom. These were premium olives, so there was some major oiliness to be taken care of. Also, a small container of kid yogurt (one of the kinds with a foil top) was smashed open and it's contents splattered and dripped - and, most unfortunately dried - in a colorful mess along the back of the refrigerator wall - nice! And, for the final blow of disgustingness (a new word), a recent purchase of beef decided it wanted to shower its "juice" through its package and leave a small but disturbing puddle for me to clean up. This puddle was calling my name to clean it ASAP. I admit that this is the main reason I wanted to get this job done. I have a fear of meat "juice". Especially if I know that one of my kids will disobey my rules and go into the refrigerator without permission. Anyway, before I alert the owners that "I will be needing a new refrigerator, please", I wanted to get it all cleaned up. So, hurrah! While cooking dinner, I got this job done. HA! How's that for multitasking?

Other things that were "mended" were a few books that belong to my kids, some hall walls and a prominent door that needed to be freed from recent red crayon markings (generic Mr. Clean sponge, I love you!), amongst other things.

Did you choose to mend anything yesterday???

Today is Friday, which, according to the song is "sweep the house" day. I'll be doing a spin on this, and I'll let you know how it goes! If you don't hear back from me, it's because I'm busy preparing for my exciting morning cake decorating class in Laguna tomorrow. Yay!

I hope you've had a productive week!

Hugs, Susan

Project Mulberry Bush - Wednesday's recap

2009-11-13T10:37:00.000-08:00

Okay... Wednesday was "scrub the floor" day.

Am I totally boring everybody with this Project Mulberry Bush stuff, or should I trudge on in my recapping???
I immediately went to work on our bathroom floors. I swept them, then I scrubbed them the old fashioned way (I decided not to use the Swiffer type thingy), and then, to finish them off, I went over them with some disinfecting wipes (I love those things!). In addition to scrubbing those floors, I figured I might as well get some other scrubbing in, too. So, the toilets and the bathtubs received a rub down, as well, and the walls and door. I clean the bathrooms on an almost daily basis (each night when my little ones are in the tub so I can keep an eye on them AND get some work done), so none of these things was anything too crazy or time consuming.

Then I moved on to the kitchen. My laundry room is connected to my kitchen, but I already cleaned that floor space on Monday for "wash the clothes day", so I was able to skip that and work solely on the kitchen floor. I got down on my knees and scrubbed it and convinced myself that I was getting a mini workout and burning some calories - yay! (Too bad there's so much candy around here that I am having a hard time resisting right now, or I might be losing some weight!) Then I used the disinfecting wipes again. I also decided that now was the time to wipe down all of the cupboards, too. Why not, right?

And so, that concludes my recap of Wednesday's "scrub the floor day" success. I didn't think at the time about how "scrubbing the floor" should include carpet stains, but I will definitely remember that for next week. Unfortunately, I have my work cut out for me - in giant heaps! - in that area... Why must apartments always come with light creamy colored carpeting??? And why must non-spill juice cups never fail to do what they promise they won't do???

Before I finish this post, I must take a minute to discuss household cleaners.

There was a time in my life when I would practically kill myself every time I tried to clean the bathroom/kitchen sink/mirrors, etc. I used the best brand name cleaners (to my knowledge), and used them on a regular basis, but the problem was that the chemical fumes that filled the air would practically suffocate me. So, to combat this, and I am about to share a humiliating but true fact of my life, I would run in and out of the bathroom taking huge breaths of air and holding them in as long as I could over and over and over again until everything was clean.

I thank God above for finally helping me to wise up and for learning all about the beauty - and especially the safety!!! - of natural cleaning products. I cannot tell you how much they've changed my life.
I used to squirt into the toilet a now unmentionable toilet cleaner (and leave it to set for several minutes as directed), then return to the bathroom (holding my breath) to scrub that puppy to a sparkling shine. Inevitably I would get a headache, watery eyes, and what seemed like a shortness of breath from the fumes that stuck to my clothing (trust me, it wasn't from holding my breath) and the bathroom would smell of chemicals for at least an hour afterward, no matter what.

Now, I very happily smile down upon my bottle of J.R. WATKINS lemon toilet bowl cleanser - or seventh GENERATION's emerald cypress & fir Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner from time to time, though I prefer the J.R. WATKINS brand, honestly - and squeeze away. Then I take a shower or scrub the sink or whatever else with other J.R. WATKINS Natural HOME CARE products. They smell delightful and the list of ingredients is so simple and harmless. But, best of all, I can breathe freely!!! And I don't freak out if my children want to be in the bathroom with me while I'm cleaning anymore.

The way I see it, spending a little extra money (and it really isn't that much more) for my family's health and safety, as well as for being kinder to God's creation, is totally worth it.

I have to admit that, when I was originally looking to "go natural" with my cleaning products, I chose J.R. WATKINS products for their fancy, feminine, and vintage labels (what can I say, I'm a sucker for a good label and I'm not afraid to admit it!), but now I absolutely love them because they work!!!

This is a really great post done recently by Young House Love that promotes home made natural cleaners - and you know that "do-it-yourself" can often save you a ton of money. I've been thinking about this for a while but just haven't taken the leap. My mom always used to tell me to use water and vinegar as I'd be gasping for breath and breaking out in hives while using windex on our windows. I should have listened way back then...

I'm interested to know what your cleaning product preferences are - do tell! Big name brand chemical cleaners may be cheaper and they may even work, but I do not think they are the best deal in the long run - especially when it comes to health and environment.

Up next is my post about Thursday's PMB recap - mending day!!! I know that you are just on the edge of your seats for it - ha ha ha... (will somebody please tell me if I'm absolutely boring everyone to death with my tales of house cleaning???)

Blessings, Susan

Project Mulberry Bush - Tuesday's recap

2009-11-11T16:12:00.000-08:00

Hi all :O)

This recap will be short as I have to get on with other things and the day has already been so very full of outside commitments (a church service) and errand running (library drop-off, grocery shopping - I still have to keep up with GOLD V afterall - a quick stop at the park to allow the kids to get their energy out a bit - didn't do much, but they were cheerier afterward, a pop into TARGET to pick up a few things and return some as well, and so on and so forth. Phew! I'm tired just recapping it all!).

Yesterday - Ironing day - included NO ACTUAL IRONING. Disgraceful, I know.

HOWEVER!!! I did clean my iron, and I washed my ironing board cover, and I purchased the purified/distilled water I needed to refill my iron with.

So, early this morning, I grabbed each of the remaining unironed dress shirts in my husband's area of the closet and went to town ironing them. And I finished them all.

Woo to the who!!!

I am thrilled with this little project's progress. Now, I'll admit that there is still other clothing to be ironed - some of my things, my boys' dress clothes, some of Eleanor's special care dresses, and my husband's dress pants, too... Sheesh! But I will leave them for next Tuesday.

Anyway. Today is Wednesday. And Wednesday is floor scrubbing day. Since it's already almost 4:30pm, I'd better get moving! Of course, other chores have been or will have to be done as well today...

Blessings,
Susan

Project Mulberry Bush - Monday's recap

2009-11-10T10:27:00.000-08:00

I promised to try to give a little recap on my day yesterday with regard to "Project Mulberry Bush"...

Washing Day image found here.

I am in awe of the women of the past... God bless them. They worked so very, very hard, everyday. My husband and I have often commented on how actually doing housework the hard way/the old way would be like a daily workout in and of itself - no need for a gym pass! Just imagine washing laundry without the aid of a washer and dryer. I think we often forget how easy we have it. Not that modern conveniences aren't awesome. I am ever thankful for them!

Anyway. Back to the recap. Yesterday was all about laundry for us - I mean... ME. Happily, I can say that just about everything that needed to be washed was washed - including my comforter. I even dropped off things that needed to be dry cleaned, AND I completely cleaned up my laundry room. I even busted out the generic "Mr. Clean" sponge and wiped down my washer and dryer - they've never looked better! If you've never used one of these sponges, you simply must try them out. They never cease to amaze me.

The first time I used those sponges - in attempt to clean crayon scribblings off of one of our walls - I didn't read the instructions and just assumed that it was meant to be used dry because water really never works with crayon and all. DUH... I totally thought they didn't work and was so bummed that I'd wasted my money. Then, of course, I read the instructions and realized that it was meant to be used wet... As if sponges are very often ever used dry, right??? It was definitely a "DOH!" moment for me. I use Target's generic version now and they are absolutely just as good as the originals - and at a much better price.

I still have all of the rest of our bed sheets to wash today, and one dry load to fold and put away, but otherwise, I'm off to start my "PMB" Tuesday chore - IRONING.

Ironing Day image found here.

...sigh...

Again, I am ever thankful for modern conveniences. Could you imagine having to heat up your iron on a stove or over a fire, et cetera??? Well, the sooner I start, the sooner I'll be done, right???

Have a great Tuesday!

Susan

Here we go 'round the mulberry bush

2009-11-09T02:06:00.000-08:00

I hope that you had a wonderful weekend.

Mine was pretty great. We didn't do anything much, but we were able to spend some time with loved ones and friends, and we had a special celebration brunch at church yesterday which was very nice. Also, I found out that next weekend, I will be spending Saturday morning here with a sweet-as-a-peach dear friend, taking a Cake Decorating 101 class. I am very excited!

I'm sure our cakes will look just like these... Ha ha ha :O) Just kidding. I am thinking we'll be learning more about making pretty vintage style flowers and such. And, darlin'. That's alright by me.

Image of these pretty cakes by Tallant House and gorgeous cake stands by Clara French Ceramics found here.

Anyway. The weekend was a lot of fun, but now it's time to get back to work.

I don't know about you, but I find that no matter how much time I spend cleaning my house... Things eventually (and I say 'eventually' with a roll of my eyes as this occurs pretty quickly) end up a big fat giant disaster all over again. Now, having three children and way too much of what I like to call "schtuff" certainly contributes to this in giant ways, of course. And, I will admit that I certainly don't clean all day long or anything like that... But. I do clean, and cook, and wash, and straighten, and organize... Oh, Second law of thermodynamics... Why do you hate me so?

It's a vicious circle sometimes, isn't it? Clean to dirty to clean to dirty to clean to dirty... And just when you think you're completely finished with, let's say, every last little piece of laundry, another day comes to an end, and there you are, with everybody now in their warm and comfy (and clean!) pajamas, and yet another basket full of laundry. You know where it came from, but, golly gee whiz... And wouldn't it be nice if you could just stick it all in as ONE LOAD and just be done with it? But, no. There are colors to separate and this and that to be hand washed or dry cleaned... I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining at all. I willingly and happily accept the duties which have been given to me, and I choose to serve my family and my God in this way without any hesitation. But I also understand that that doesn't mean that things will be any easier work-wise.

I have tried to come up with various ways to combat this daily dirt dragon and all of his dastardly deeds (dirty laundry, floors, dishes, windows, disheveled drawers and cupboards...). Everyday, for example, I go through a mental list that I like to call "Plan GOLD V".

G - groceries (make sure I have the things I need for breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day)

O - organize at least one space (this is my favorite part!), meaning clean a bathroom, or a bedroom, or what-have-you, as well as one small space, meaning clean a drawer or cupboard.

L - laundry - at least one complete load (meaning wash, dry, AND put away)

D - dishes - I hate this letter in the plan... sigh... Anyway, the goal is to have a clean sink (ha ha ha), and if not that (and it's usually not that, to be perfectly honest), at least a complete loading and unloading of the dishwasher every day.

V - This isn't meant to be a Roman numeral and represent the number 5, as you may have guessed, though I'm sure that could be worked in somehow. You know, 5 little jobs like taking out the trash, Rather, the letter "V" represents vacuuming at least one room in the house. I have a fully carpeted apartment (outside of the tiled bathrooms and kitchen), otherwise I might have chosen the letter "S" and very cutely could have said, "These are my GOLDS (instead of GOALS) for the day", but, alas, GOLD V it is.

This has worked for me pretty well, but, I confess, it is really only meant to maintain a space that is starting from a perfect state. So, in order for me to really feel like things are going well, I have to at least double my efforts everyday (with the exception of the groceries part).

A long while back I purchased - I think from Target's $1 section - a CD full of old kids' songs. Many of them I remembered from when I was a little girl. One, especially, has been speaking directly to me lately. I'm sure you've heard it before. It's an oldie but a goodie, as they say. It's by Walter Crane from his very famous book (wouldn't you just love to own it??? I would!) The Baby's Opera (find it in amazing viewable pages here) and it goes like this:

Walter Crane's beautiful drawing found here (as well as where I mentioned already above).

Here we go 'round the mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush.
Here we go 'round the mulberry bush, so early in the morning.

This is the way we wash our clothes,
We wash our clothes, we wash our clothes.
This is the way we wash our clothes, so early Monday morning.

This is the way we iron our clothes,
We iron our clothes, we iron our clothes.
This is the way we iron our clothes, so early Tuesday morning.

This is the way we scrub the floor,
We scrub the floor, we scrub the floor.
This is the way we scrub the floor, so early Wednesday morning.

This is the way we mend our clothes,
We mend our clothes, we mend our clothes.
This is the way we mend our clothes, so early Thursday morning.

This is the way we sweep the house,
We sweep the house, we sweep the house.
This is the way we sweep the house, so early Friday morning.

This is the way we bake our bread,
We bake our bread, we bake our bread.
This is the way we bake our bread, so early Saturday morning.

This is the way we go to church, We go to church, we go to church. This is the way we go to church, so early Sunday morning.

I'm not sure how well I'll do with the "so early in the morning" part, but it occurred to me the other day that there was a very good reason why women used to stick to such a strict schedule. It works! DUH, right? I am going to try it out for this week at the very least. Monday, wash the clothes. Tuesday, iron the clothes (my husband will be thrilled with this one, as I am more of a "quick, pull it out of the dryer and keep it as wrinkle free as possible" sort of ironer... What a dear he has been. Not that I've never ironed his clothes. I just don't like ironing. At all.). Wednesday, scrub the floor. And so on and so forth.

So, I am off to put what I am from here on out calling "Project Mulberry Bush" into action. We'll see how it goes - I will do my best to report back here as well. Please understand that some things, like the fact that I don't actually have to actively participate in the scrubbing of the clothing, et cetera, will certainly be taken into account and balanced out in one way or another. If you are interested in joining me as I face the tasks involved in "PMB", do let me know! Misery loves company, after all. Actually, I think this is going to make me a lot more happy than miserable, and that already has me feeling a little more victorious.

Gorgeous vintage laundry day image found here (sadly).

Wish me luck and have a lovely, and productive Monday!

Blessings, Susan