Spring Cleaning Part 3 - The Bathroom

This is the next part in my Spring Cleaning Series. Click here for the Kitchen Checklist and here for the Living Room Checklist.

We have only one small bathroom in our house for six people. I would love to have another bathroom, but one positive is that I only have one to worry about cleaning. Organization is a necessity with tight spaces. (We are not the most organized people on the planet.) We do try, though.

1) Empty, clean, and reorganize the linen closet. This closet holds towels, sheet sets, trash bags, cleaning supplies, extra shampoo and soap, razors, tooth paste, tooth brushes, etc. At this time, it's a good idea to throw out expired products, things we will never use, and empty packages (it never fails that there will be an empty package for light bulbs in there). After all that stuff is gone, it is easy to reorganize the shelves. They never stay that way for long, but I can only imagine how bad it would get if I never did this. I do the same thing with the under-the-sink cabinet and the over-the-toilet cabinet.

2) Remove items from shelves, clean, and reorganize. It's Kat's job to clean the bathroom every week. She does a really good job, but clutter still manages to accumulate on the shelves of the over-the-toilet cabinet. This is a great time to declutter, clean, and reorganize.

3) Wash the walls and dust anything on them. With a small bathroom, I don't have a great deal of space for items to hang on the walls, but I know that others do. This type of dusting is more in depth than the weekly dusting things get. Things need to be removed and wiped down with a soft cloth before replacing them.

4) Clean mirror. We use Windex and paper towels to clean our mirrors. Others like to use vinegar and newspaper. I've read of some using coffee-filter papers to clean mirrors because it won't leave anything behind. An interesting tip I read in "How Clean is Your House?" by Kim Woodburn and Aggie MacKenzie is to rub a little shaving foam all over the mirror and wipe off. Supposedly, the mirror won't steam up next time. I might give this a try!

5) Clean sink and fixtures. Again, these are cleaned every week, but this is a great time to work on built up limescale that has been ignored. You can use lemon juice to remove this from non plated faucets. Just rub on, leave for a few minutes and then remove thoroughly. (This is also from "How Clean is Your House?")

6) Clean toilet inside and out. Work on those hard to reach places that sometimes get overlooked. (Especially by teenage daughters ready to get done.)

7) Remove, wash, and replace shower curtains. Plastic liners can be washed in the washing machine. Just hang them back up in the shower wet. I like to wash and dry my cloth liner with my towels.

8) Clean tub and fixtures. You can use the same method for limescale in the bathroom as you can in the kitchen. I like to use Tilex to help fight the mildew. Ugh!

9) Sweep and mop floors. After everything else has been washed there will be dust and debris that has fallen to the floor. The last thing to do is sweep or vacuum it up and then mop with a good sanitizing mop solution. I really like Mr. Clean Liquid Muscle with Febreeze. It smells wonderful!!!!

I wish you good luck with your Spring Cleaning! I am beginning to think I won't be done with mine until Summer, but better late than never, I guess. Hahaha! To print a PDF checklist for the bathroom, move your mouse over the picture below and then click on the square with the arrow in it.

Free Printable Kindergarten Memories Book

Jay graduates Kindergarten in a few weeks. We will be participating in a ceremony with our Homeschool group. I'm really looking forward to it! While searching for cute graduation poems, I came across an idea that I couldn't pass up. A Kindergarten Memories book! How cute is that? I put together one for Jay to work on these next few weeks. I thought I would share. Let me know what you think!

Click on the PDF below to print!

Toddler Lunch Ideas

Baby Jay had her first birthday in April. She has always been a "good eater". You know, one of those babies that will eat whatever you give them. She has really enjoyed the baby food pouches. (So have I!) I think it's time, though, to rely less on those pouches and more on foods that she can pick up and feed herself. Especially since she doesn't always want to eat them anymore. My goal is to give her a good healthy variety of foods so that she gets all the vitamins and other good stuff that she needs.

Toddler Lunch Ideas for My One Year Old

I work part-time 5 days a week. I'm very blessed that I can take the kids to their grandparents' house rather than a Daycare. (Not to offend anyone that takes their children to a Daycare. We do what we have to do.) I like to send breakfast and lunch for them so that it's not a hardship on their grandparents to feed them. They do provide the snacks, though, because one of their favorite things to do is spoil the Grandkids with goodies.

I really enjoyed packing Baby Jay's first lunch last night! It's the little things in life, right?

Baby Jay's First Packed Lunch

I put left over fajita chicken, cooked carrots, cheese stick, and cooked diced fruit (all cut into small pieces) into cute mini GladWare storage containers that have SpongeBob on them. Again...the little things...

Toddler Lunch Cups

In the future, I plan on sending mini sandwiches made with peanut butter and jelly, tuna salad, chicken salad, and egg salad. She likes lunch meat cut into small bites, soft vegetables and fruits, and goldfish. I will send any leftovers that are appropriate for her age. She obviously couldn't eat a fajita, but she could eat some of the chicken. The other night she enjoyed Cheesy Spaghetti Squash with us. (Spaghetti made with spaghetti squash instead of noodles with mozzarella cheese melted on top).  There are so many ideas for us out there.

Here are a few links that I found helpful:

Chaos and the Kitchen: 100 Finger Foods for Infants
The Eyes of a Boy: Quick & Healthy Toddler Meal & Snack Ideas
The Culinary Couple: Eating with a Purpose

For more ideas check out my Pinterest board Toddler Meals.

If you have any ideas please share!

Spring Cleaning Part 2 - The Living Room

I am almost finished spring cleaning the Kitchen! For that checklist click here. It's taking a while because I'm doing a little bit at a time rather than spending my entire day off working on it. I'm on vacation this week, though, so I plan on finishing it and some of the other rooms, too. The next room on my list is the Living Room.

1) Declutter - I live in a 950 square foot house with 6 people. A little clutter feels like a lot here. My first step will be to put things where they belong. If something doesn't have a home then now is the time to make one for it.

2) Dust - It is 6 year old Jay's job to dust every week. She uses a Swiffer type duster and does a good job, but I'm going to do a little extra. I will be using a dusting spray and microfiber cloth. I will also dust things on the walls and get all of the hard to reach places that she sometimes misses. The curtains will come down and get fluffed up in the dryer. This usually knocks all the dust off. The ceiling fan will also get a good dusting.

3) Wash Walls - Just like in the Kitchen, my walls could use repainting, but we will start with a good washing. I'm going to use an all-purpose Mr. Clean solution that smells wonderful.

4) Clean Electronics - My desktop computer is in the Living Room. I will vacuum out the keyboard, declutter the desk, and dust everything really well. The other electronics in the room will get dusted as well.

5) Clean Furniture - My couches collect things. I don't really know how this happens, but when I lift a cushion I can usually find pencils or toys. After removing items, I will vacuum under the cushions, the cushions themselves, and the rest of the upholstery. The wood portion of the couches will be cleaned with a wood cleaner.

6) Wash Windows - I worked with a woman once that told me vinegar and newspaper worked the best for washing windows. I might try it. I also might use paper towels and Window Cleaner. Do you have any good tips for washing windows?

7) Clean Floors - We have hardwood laminate with an area rug. I will be moving furniture out so that I can sweep and mop all the places that we don't usually get to.

It feels good to get all the extra cleaning done now. It won't be too much longer before I run out of time to get it all done. Pretty soon, the outside world will need to be taken care of just as much as the inside world. Click on the image below to print out The Living Room Checklist.

How to Make an Erupting Volcano

 After learning about volcanoes for Science, I decided that CJ should make his own erupting volcano. He did the research and this is how he made it.

It's Spring Cleaning Time! Part 1 - The Kitchen

I have been inspired! At the Library, I get to do all of our seasonal decorating. I try to do something new every few weeks. This month, it's all about Spring, of course. One area gets the gardening books display, another gets some Chick Lit, and another gets the cleaning and organizing books display. This last one has inspired me the most. I checked out a book called "How Clean Is Your House?" Kim Woodburn and Aggie MacKenzie had a show by the same name on LifeTime that I enjoyed watching. I'm going to share some of their tips (and my own), as well as my free printable checklists for Spring Cleaning one room at a time. 

Today is all about Spring Cleaning the Kitchen.

 

Step 1: Remove clutter from surfaces. I don't know how it happens. I always have good intentions to keep my counters clear, but things seem to magically appear. Why is there a toothbrush? Where did those ink pens come from? There are also extra appliances that I can put in a drawer or cabinet. I don't use the George Foreman Grill or my toaster every day. There are some baby items that I can give away, too. We don't need the bottle warmer or bottle rack any more. (sigh) Once the clutter is gone, it will be easy to wipe every thing clean.

Step 2: Clean refrigerator and freezers. I try to empty out my refrigerator weekly when I get groceries, but I don't do the deep cleaning that needs to be done every now and then. My plan is to take everything out, clean the shelves, drawers, and walls and put everything back in an orderly way. Plus I will get rid of anything that is outdated that I've missed in my weekly clean. I will also clean the top and sides of the refrigerator. The top has become a storage area of baby items that I can now give away. (another sigh - my baby turned 1 today.) There are things in my freezer that either need to be thrown out or used right away. I have strawberries and blackberries to make into jam, for example. Another month, and they will be over their use by date. One of my freezers is self-defrosting. The other is still fairly new so it doesn't need to be defrosted yet.

Step 3: Clean oven and hood. I have a self-cleaning oven. I'm very thankful for that, but it sure will stink the house up! I don't really have a hood. It's an over-the-stove microwave. The filter needs cleaning and any built up grease needs to go.

Step 4: Wash walls. I have a confession. My poor walls need more than washing, but it will be the first step. One wall still needs painting for the first time and the other walls need repainting. That is on the list, but it will have to wait a few weeks at the least.

Step 5: Empty, clean, and reorganize the cabinets and pantry. I will not only clean the inside, but also the sides and top. This will be a good time to get rid of outdated food and items that are stale or half empty. I try to do this every so often, but it's time to do it again. I have deep shelves in my pantry. I would love to purchase rolling inserts so that it will be easy to use all the space. I also want to get some new containers to hold food items like sugar, flour, cornmeal, tea bags, etc. that will make organizing easier. If you have any suggestions please comment below.

Step 6: Empty, clean, and reorganize the drawers. I don't know about you, but my drawers collect junk that I really need to get rid of! Lids to jars I don't even have, the medicine cups that come with Children's Tylenol, utensils that I don't (and never will) use, and you get the idea, I'm sure. I will also lay down new liners before I put stuff back in. I'm thinking about getting drawer organizer trays like the one I have for the silverware. I haven't decided yet.

Step 7: Clean dishwasher. I will run it with only a cup of vinegar on the top rack, then wipe down the inside and outside of the dishwasher, and clean out the food trap on the bottom (this has to be done often).

Step 8: Clean small appliances. The toaster, the coffee maker, and the George Foreman Grill get used fairly often. They collect crumbs, smears, grease, etc. This will be when I take the time to do more than a quick clean. I will empty the crumbs out of the toaster and wipe it down. Our coffee maker tells me when it's time to clean it so I will just wipe it down. I clean the griddles of the George Foreman grill after using it every time, but the outside of it will need wiping down.

You will have different needs in your kitchen than I do, but I hope I have inspired you to do the old-fashioned Spring Cleaning like I have been. Next up: The Living Room.

Stuffed Chicken Bacon Ranch Shells

My friend made this recipe the other night and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Try it and let us know what you think!

Stuffed Chicken Bacon Ranch Shells

by Kaitlyn Watson