Day 68: A Fear of Nails... and the Holes They Leave Behind!

I hate nails. No, not the kinds on the end of your fingers and toes (although, it IS pretty creepy when people grow them to obscene lengths!). I'm talking about the kind of nails you hang pictures on, the kind that leave lovely, flaky holes in the drywall... holes you have to repair if you ever have second thoughts about your decor... or if you decide to move.



At any rate, I wanted to share one easy thing you can do in a child's bedroom if you, too , have a fear of nails... or if you just want a fun way to display artwork and pictures!

I used this simple technique in my daughter's room, and it has been a big hit -- for years! It's cute. It's fun. And it can be changed year-to-year (or week-to-week if you are so inclined). AND... it only used TWO nails! ;)

Just select a wall space where you would like to show off some of your offspring's handiwork. Hammer in two nails (preferably nails with big heads!) on either side of the chosen space. Then tie on some string or twine, leaving a little bit of slack. (This string will serve as a "clothesline" for pictures, and it will hang down a bit in the middle, so be sure to calculate that in as you place those darn nails!)

Next, gather those works of art, and hang them up! I used some cute little decorative clothespins that I picked up at Ikea. Just about any little clip will do!


Arrange them however you'd like, and, voila! A neat -- but very cute and fun -- display!


Now, THAT's neat!

Day 67: Rethinking Laundry

See shirt.
Think shirt.
Red shirt.
Pink shirt.

Yep. I actually did it: I turned one of my husband's t-shirts pink! Agh! Thanks to my son's fire-engine-red onesie, a perfectly good, bright-white tee is now in the cabinet over my dryer. In the "scrap" pile.

This got me thinking about the way I do laundry. I have a great rolling sorter in our laundry room. It has a clothes bar and three separate mesh bags to catch whites, darks and delicates. Kind of like this one! (BTW, you can get these "laundry centers" for around $30.... or you can spend upwards of $200 for some suped-up models with ironing boards and drawers... bread makers... KIDDING on that one!)


Of course, currently, this handy sorter is being used as an extended closet for the above-mentioned baby boy. And the handy pouches are being used for 1. baby clothes that are too small, 2. clean crib sheets that need to be put away, and 3. whatever else happens to not have a home in the laundry room but ends up there anyway!

Hmmm... so maybe this organized-obsessed momma needs to get her neat freak on! :)

I don't know about y'all, but I tend to do about 3 to 4 large loads of laundry a week right now. Currently, I just dump all the clothes in the washer until it's near full! (Of course, I do put delicates in their own wash bag!) Then I dump in some liquid detergent and let 'er go! (Two rinses, please.)

When the wash cycle finishes, I do sort clothes before moving along to the dryer. (Maybe I am more picky about drying my clothes than washing them!?!?!) Delicates are hung up or spread out to dry. Pant legs and long-sleeves shirts are untangled. And I always use a dryer sheet and dryer balls.... you know, those bumpy, dog-toy-looking things? (The texture helps to separate clothes as they tumble around, which is supposed to cut down on dry time!)


So, what do YOU do? Bleach? No bleach? Sort? Don't sort? One big load? Several small ones? I am looking to improve my laundry skills, so bring on the tips and hints!


Now, THAT's neat!

Day 66: Beware! The Black Light is NOT your friend

My husband really enjoys decorating for Halloween. So, for a few days around October 31, each year, I try my very best to stay calm and ignore the scattered piles of pumpkins, straw, moss, plastic spiders and styrofoam tombstones that take over most of the kitchen and dining room as he prepares his frightful displays!

One of the items he uses for the ghoulish decor is a black light... and if you have ever watched CSI (or a similar show), you know that black lights can be used to see things that aren't visible to the naked eye. Of course, I have no need to search for blood or, uh... other possibly incriminating crime-scene-type fluids... BUT... since we have had two male dogs in our home, we thought it might be a good idea to check for urine.

Not a good idea. NOT good!

Not good if you really want to know how much your furry, 4-footed children might be messing up your seemingly clean home! And NOT good if you want to discover just how deep the layer of dust really is, despite countless hours of swiffering and vacuuming.

*sigh... I swore I wouldn't do this, but here is the evidence:

SCENE 1: Here is our lovely, striped, sage-green dining room rug in normal light.


And here, you can see me pointing to a lovely urine stain, softly glowing in the black light.


And here is another similar stain under the chair. But I'll spare you from the rest... {shudder} :)

SCENE 2: This is a shot of the baseboard and carpet in our master bedroom, right behind the door, in regular lighting.


And here is that same spot in the black light. Luckily the photo does not do it justice... because it showed a LOT of dust all a-glow along the baseboards and all over the carpet. ICK! (Either that or I spilled a bucket of glitter in my room!)


Looks like I have some cleaning to do....


Now, THAT's neat!

Day 65: A "Case" Study

I am not a fan of folding sheets... especially the dreaded fitted sheet. Why in the world does that darn thing have to be so difficult to fold!?!? I mean, it comes folded, in a nice, neat package. But that's the FIRST and the LAST time I ever see a fitted sheet look so neat! And, believe me, I have tried just about every fitted-sheet-folding method and tutorial out there. Nothing is fool proof. However, I have learned a few things along the way.... So, feel free to follow along for a few tips... and perhaps a little surprise! (**Neat freak cheat sheet ALERT!**)

1. Put your clean sheets on your bed. (No sense spreading them all over the floor and getting them dirty again, right?!?!)

2. After folding the flat sheet (no tutorial here, folks.... just grab corners, fold, fold, fold, fold.... and you're done!), spread out your fitted sheet and pull the fitted corners tight.

3. Bring the corners together on both ends by folding the sheet in half. Keep those corners tight, and match them up as best as you can!


4. Now, fold the sheet in thirds.


It should look somewhat like this:


5. Fold in half, longways.


6. And fold in thirds again!


7. That's about all for that darn fitted sheet. Oh, but we aren't quite through.... here's a little neat freak cheat sheet tip: Stack your fitted sheet, flat sheet and ONE pillow case in a nice, neat pile.


8. Slip the entire pile into the SECOND pillow case.


9. Fold the pillow case tightly and neatly around the sheet pile.

10. Fold again until you get a VERY neat sheet package!


And... now you're ready to put your clean, folded sheets (hidden snuggly inside your pillow case) on a shelf or in a drawer!


Now, THAT's neat!

Day 64: A Cleaner Crock Pot

I already love my crock pot. I don't have an unhealthy obsession with it or anything, but I LOVE to use it and try out new -- and easy -- recipes! I mean, what's better for a busy, overworked neat freak than the opportunity to dump a bunch of ingredients into a slow cooker before an overly full day... and come home to a ready-to-eat meal!?!? *sigh....

That being said, I was talking with a friend the other day about crock pot recipes, and she reminded me of a perfectly neat product I have been meaning to try: crock pot liners!

That's right, there are LINERS you can put IN your crock pot so it's easier to clean up when you are done! I used Reynolds slow cooker liners, as pictured here.


And, boy, was it simple! Just place the liner in your crock pot (as directed) before adding ingredients. And after all is said and done (and your delicious meal has been devoured by a grateful family), pull the liner out and toss it away (or, keep everything intact and store it as is in your plastic container of choice!).

I loved not having to scrub and scrape off baked-on food bits! I simply rinsed out and wiped off my crock pot and put it right back into the cabinet! These liners are such a savings of time, energy and sanity! :)


Now, THAT's neat!

Day 63: Robots in da' house

We live in a world of advanced technology.

We have robot pool cleaners (hey -- watch out for that tail thingie whipping around!).


We even have robot vacuum cleaners (oops, there goes the dog's meaty treat again) AND floor cleaners (much like the circular vacuum just mentioned, but made for hardwoods and tile).


Of course, we don't have a pool at my house, and with all the stuff all over our floors these days (thanks, mostly, to our 10-month-old son), a robot vacuum or a robot floor cleaner might do a fantastic job... on a 3-foot radius!

What I need is a robot kitchen and bathroom cleaner... and a robot laundry folder... and a robot kids' rooms straightener....

Of course, there is THIS thing:



What is it?

It's ETRI's new ROMI bot, the cleaning robot (made in Korea). It's kind of a cute little guy, and, supposedly, it can clean floors with the best of 'em... all while taking commands via WiFi, recording video with its big camera eyes AND vocalizing via a speech synthesizer. Boop-bop-beep-boop-bop-bop-boop....

According to myth and legend (OK, not really "myth" or "legend," since we're talking about futuristic-type stuff, here!), this little robot basically allows you to sit on the couch all day telling it what to clean. (PLUS, the ROMI could pretty much beat up any average, antiquated, ole' robot vacuum, while hurling insults at it!) Wow. That sounds pretty good to me!

I'm not running out to purchase my own Jetson-esque little robot maid, however. I'm not falling for the hype. Just yet. I might need a little proof. And perhaps some robot insurance! (*SNL joke) I mean... you never know. Robots are taking over the world.




Now, THAT's neat!

Day 62: Potholders ...Useful in More than Just the Kitchen

I recently had to go on a little business trip, and as I was packing, I was reminded that one of the last items I usually end up adding to my suitcase -- before smooshing it closed and zipping it up -- is either my hair dryer or my curling iron... or both! Of course, this usually means that those two things were in use immediately before flying out the door to get from point "A" to point "B," so these items are always HOT... which makes it a bit awkward for packing! This typically results in the frantic blowing off and waving around of said electronic heating gadget... or a quick trip to the refrigerator... or, worse yet, the hanging-out-the-window-on-the-way-to-the-airport method so it's cool enough to stuff in your bag at the last minute!

Enter the potholder.


Yes, the potholder... in just about any size, shape or color. (*Neat freak cheat sheet alert!) This handy, heat-handling, anti-hand-burning kitchen tool is quite useful for packing hot items in your suitcase. Like curling irons, flat irons... or a just-used hairdryer!

Simply slip the not-quite-cool-yet electronic gadget into the potholder, and then you can pack it safely and snuggly without worrying that your suitcase might burst into flames at any moment! ;)

Now, THAT's neat!