2013 Year in Review

It is hard to believe that another year has come and gone.
I decided to take a look back to see what all we have been up to here on the homestead.

January:
At the end of 2012, Todd and I decided to attempt to pay off half of our mortgage balance in 2013.  As of October, we succeeded!  After reading through this post of what our game plan was for the year, I am happy to report that we were able to live on half of our income without really cutting back our lifestyle.  We still completed a home-improvement project (updating the kitchen counters for $125) and we have another one in process as I type (new floor in the living room).

February:
In February, I made my own laundry detergent and to this day, we are still using the product!  We have another 2 1/2 gallons to go until it will be time to make another 5 gallon batch of concentrated detergent.  This recipe is a keeper, and we have all of the supplies needed to whip up another batch in the next few months.

March:
In March, I started to feel like we have way too much "stuff" and that our house is much more than what we need/want.  

April:
The first week of April, we had a family trip to Aruba with my mom and her husband to celebrate their 10 year wedding anniversary.  I could use a trip like this every year.

May:
May is always a special month for us because it is the month we married.  This year, for our 6th year of marriage, we took a short 3-day trip to Columbus, OH and had a blast.

June:
Every year around June, I wonder if I want to keep the blog going or to just let it sit.  This month, there was only one post about my internal battle to decide whether we should hire a housekeeper or if I should just do the housekeeping myself!

July:
July of this year was a busy one!  A yellow lab adopted us, my car turned 7 years old, and we started talking about downsizing our home.

August:
I gave up on gardening in August.  I realized that as much as I love to plan the garden every year and plant the seeds, my priority is not to see the garden through and make it all it could be.

September:
I documented some of the fun things Todd and I did over the summer for very little (or no) money at all.

October:
A new member of the family came to join us in October and I started a new cleaning routine that has been easy for me to keep up with!

November:
The only post in November included pictures of a covered bridge tour we did throughout October.

December:
In December, I now notice that we have come full circle realizing that we are not happy with the big house, all the possessions and all of the consumerism that takes place around us.  In December, we let out a big secret that Todd and I want to purchase an RV and travel the US.  Since deciding to do this back in early October, our plans have been evolving.  It went from selling it all and living on the road full-time to downsizing our home and possibly making it a duplex so that we can be with our families and have a home-base for a few months a year.  I am sure there will be a few posts on this in 2014.

So, there you have the entire year on Sparing-Change.  It has been a fun yet challenging year this year, as every year seems to be.  This year, we are learning that it doesn't take a lot of money (or any at all!) to have fun.  We have enjoyed going on many hikes with the puppies, and we really enjoy being out in nature.

We look forward to taking on whatever 2014 has to offer.

The Only Constant Thing in Life is Change

My aunt once told me that the only constant thing in life is change.  How true that statement is!  Though I try to avoid change as much as possible, Todd and I have been talking a lot lately about what is important to us.  We feel weighed down by our home and possessions and we have come to realize that home ownership is not that important to us. 

While we were traveling one weekend talking about our dreams and what we enjoy doing together, I thought that everything I need in life is in the vehicle with me: my husband and our two dogs.  We were traveling all over northeast Ohio to view the 18 covered bridges that are scattered throughout Ashtabula County.  We were doing what we loved: traveling and exploring with our fur-babies.  I mentioned to Todd how great it would be to do this more often: enjoying great views of landscapes around us as well as great conversation with one another.  It dawned on me: we could do this all the time if we weren’t tied to our home and jobs! 

I told Todd that we should purchase an RV and travel the United States.  Go to one location and see all there is to see in that location for several months until we get sick of it and decide to move on, boondock, use solar panels for electricity, and camp out wherever we choose.  Mind you, I have crazy ideas all the time, and Todd thought this was just another passing crazy idea.  As the day went on and we kept discussing it (Todd was discussing it just to pacify me) he said, “You now have me wanting to do this!”  As soon as we got home, we started looking at our options for RV’s

This may all seem far-fetched, and I will admit, it is!  We decided a few years back that we want to live life now instead of wait until the typical retirement age to explore our surroundings.  These plans to travel will not happen overnight.  It may actually take 12-18 months to accomplish, but this is what we are working toward right now.  

The Game-Plan:

• Pay off the mortgage by October 2014
• Fix up the house to prepare to sell spring 2015
• Save up money to purchase a used Class A (a motor home that looks like a big bus)
• Sell all of our belongings
• Start our journey

If all else fails, we will have a paid off house that we can live in and continue to do what we have been doing for the past 7 years (working and trying to keep up). 

What is a far-fetched “dream” you would like to make reality?

Are you taking any steps to make your dream a reality?

Thrift Store Finds

We purchase the majority of our clothing from a thrift store in Akron, OH.  This place is enormous and it’s {nearly} impossible to walk out empty-handed.  We like the quality, assortment and prices offered on their clothing.  They also have shoes, household items, seasonal items and even some new clothing available; however, we focus on the gently used clothing.  I try to make the trek twice a year to update my wardrobe (or to replace the items that are worn out or have stains on them because I cant seem to eat without getting food on me!) and it just so happens that we were able to get there this past Sunday before our 3^rd (and final) Thanksgiving celebration with family.

What we walked out with:  6 shirts for me, 2 light jackets (one is a London Fog that looks brand new) and a camo shirt for Todd.  The total cost: $17.88.  Less than $20 and I have new shirts for work and play!

In years past, I had to try on clothing in the corner of the store to ensure they fit.  It is hard to tell how a piece of clothing will fit when having to try it on over another piece of clothing which led to purchasing a couple of items on each trip that really did not fit well and therefore went straight into the donate pile of clothing.  Now, the thrift store has dressing rooms!  Out of the 14 items I tried on, only 6 pieces fit properly. 

This is what I got:

 

 

Before washing and putting away my new clothing, I decided to go through my closet and purge the items that I don’t like, don’t fit and I don’t wear. 

I decided to get rid of all of my t-shirts except for 3 of them which I will use as pajamas, to work around the house and to exercise in.  It really kills me to get rid of clothing that I’ve never worn: I’m not sure why I decided to purchase the shirts as souvenirs in the first place because I have always looked horrible in them.  Now, someone else can enjoy them.  I was able to purge 15 items before adding my new thrift store finds to the rotation.  The clothing I purchased is {mainly} short sleeved.  I have a grey sweater, two black sweaters and a tan sweater I can wear over them to stay warm through the winter months.  I would like to invest in a couple of halftees (beige and black) so that I can wear my clothing spring, winter and fall.  

I wear the same clothing week in and week out.  It has been a constant struggle  process to try to downsize my wardrobe.  Even though I still have more than I need this is something I am consciously working on.

Do you shop at the thrift store?

What has been your experience?

Are you able use the one-in, one-out rule?

Fall Fun on a Dime

Early in October, Todd and I took the Covered Bridge Tour a county north of us.  There are 18 covered bridges in the county, and we had a blast taking the pups to go explore them on two different days.  The first day, we were only able to get bridges 1-13 complete, but two weeks later, we were able to see the rest of them.  There are only 18 true covered bridges, but one of them that we saw was on flat land (#6) which is why we have pictures of 19 covered bridges.

Of all the bridges, this one was my favorite...the last one of the bunch:

We have lived in this area for nearly 7 years now and we had no idea at the beauty that was surrounding us.  I enjoy finding these jems and experiencing them together.  We had a blast over two days of touring these covered bridges and it only cost us the price of gas.  We had great conversation, many laughs and made a lot of memories.  Really, that's what life is all about, isn't it?

Over the Shoulder Boulder Holder

A month back, Jeni at Ponderings of a Pastor’s Wife  wrote about how she feels like a new woman because she has finally been properly fitted for a new bra!  After reading her post, I thought about my own personal experience being properly fitted for a bra for the first time in my life at the age of 30!  Why did I never share my experience?  If I can help just one woman to treat herself to a bra that fits the way it should, it is worth sharing my experience (in my opinion).

I will start out by stating that I’ve had a large chest for as long as I can remember.  I have always wanted to be part of the itty bitty…well, you know what committee I’m referring to, but that’s just not going to happen unless I have surgery (and that’s not ever going to happen).  I’m not sure how my mom determined my bra size growing up, but I know that in high school after losing some weight I was wearing a 38C.  I am not sure if this was the correct size for me, but I refused to believe my chest was any bigger than that. 

Fast forward 10 years, and I was still attempting to wear 38C’s…unsuccessfully.  I had gained weight in that time but I refused to believe my bust got any bigger.  My bras dug into my shoulders to the point that it left scars, I had a constant muffin top, the clasps rode up my back so high it was uncomfortable and I was always tugging it back down into place where it should have been.  After years of promising my mother I’d get properly fitted, I was invited to a bra party at my step-mom’s workplace.  The company is called Essential Body Wear and I absolutely love their product line!  It is perfect for big-busted women like me.  A consultant takes you into a room and fits you, gets you the size bra you need to try on, and you can either walk out the door with the proper bra size or they can be ordered for you!  The consultant was so happy with my results (I actually DO have a waist! Who knew?), she let me keep the bra I had tried on.  I was amazed at how good I felt with this bra on!  When I looked down, I could only see my cleavage because I had such boost!  Was that where my breasts were supposed to be when I wore a bra? 

Here are a few tips that I learned from the bra lady (as she liked to be called):

The Magic Number: 3

You should be fitted and purchase 3 new bras each and every year (and dispose of the old, worn out, ill-fitting bras you had been wearing).

Alternate Bras

You should never wear the same bra two days in a row.  The bra needs at least 24 hours to return back to its normal shape and elasticity.  If you wear the bra two days in a row, it will become stretched out much quicker than if you were to give it time to re-shape itself. 

Wear the Bra 2-3 Times between Washes

You should wear your bra 2-3 times between washes.  Because 3 is the magic number, this means you only need to wash your bras every week to week and a half.

When Washing: Put in a Garment Bag

I went out and purchased an inexpensive garment bag at the dollar store.  This keeps the bras in a small space which helps to prevent them from stretching.  I generally put the garment bag in the wash when I have a load of work clothes or a small load of towels to be washed.

Never Put Bras in the Dryer

When you wash your bras, hang them to dry.  This is where the 3^rd bra can save the day while waiting for the others to dry.

In Jeni’s experience, she went to Dillard’s and was able to obtain the same results with a professional bra-fitter.  I’m not sure how expensive the bras are at Dillard’s compared to Essential Body Wear, but whatever the cost, it’s worth it!  And only having to purchase 3 a year won’t break the bank!  Even me, the cheapest  most frugal person in the world, can dole out $120 for bras each year.  Especially when they make me feel so good about myself in my own clothes!  It has been a couple of years since I purchased my Essential Body Wear bras (I purchased 8 of them); however, it’s time for me to go get re-fitted.  My bras have become stretched out, one of them has a large rip, and most of them have clasps that are misshapen and hard to hook. 

When was the last time you purchased a new bra?

How do they fit?

Do you get fitted every year?

A New Member of the Family

I wrote a list of New Year aspirations at the end of last year as I do every year.  One of the things I did NOT want to do this year is to take in any new pets.  We were (what we thought) maxed out with one dog, four cats and chickens at the end of last year.  June came around and there was a dog that showed up at our back step and adopted us.  After trying to find his owners and a home for over a week, we fell in love with him and kept him.  I told Todd, “no more!” 

Fast forward to Monday, October 7^th when two gentlemen I work with come up to my desk in a tizzy saying I have to come to the warehouse immediately.  I was busy and I was going to miss some deadlines if I ran to the back, so I asked if it could wait. In unison, they said, “NO!”  I go to the warehouse to find a teeny tiny kitten in a box that was rescued from in between two pieces of metal on our loading dock.  Apparently, he had been crying all day but it wasn’t until the end of the day that the Shipping Manager realized it wasn’t just a bird squawking in the trees.  As soon as I picked the little fur-ball up and warmed him up under my chin, I declared that I’d take him home (after clearing it with Todd, who is a sucker for kittens.)

I took the little kitten home and warmed him up while Todd picked up kitten formula on his way home from work.  The kitten had no teeth, and I knew he was really young because he could barely walk.  It took us a week and a half to name the little guy (I think it’s a boy: we have tried to sex several kittens in the past and we have been wrong half the time!).  Originally, we called him Dock, but it didn’t really stick.  Then, we tried Smudge because he has an orange smudge on his forehead – that didn’t stick.  We started calling him Ewok because he looks like an Ewok, and that name didn’t stick.  The only name that stuck was Romeo.  Why would we call this cat Romeo?   Because he is a little lover boy.

We still have no idea how old Romeo is.  He may have been less than a week old when he was rescued from the loading dock at work.  Kittens are supposed to start using the litter box at 20 days old; however, Romeo just finally started to walk without toppling over a few days ago.  We have had to use cotton swabs on his bum to make him go to the bathroom 3-4 times a day.  He now has most of his teeth, so we are trying kitten food along with his bottle, but so far, he hasn’t eaten any of it.  We are also working on litter box training.

It is definitely fun to have a little kitten around, but oh my goodness, the laundry!  I was doing a load of towels every other day because he was soiling them when he slept!  It is so much fun now that he is starting to explore and he is growing out of his sea legs.  He will be neutered and up to date on his shots by the New Year, and he is definitely a keeper. 

I have a weakness for animals, especially cute fuzzy ones (they are all cute and fuzzy to me by the way.)

I believe we are completely maxed out on animals now with 2 dogs, 5 cats and some chickens.  However, if there is a helpless animal that cannot fend for itself, I’m sure we’d take him in a heartbeat.  I am so thankful my husband understands my need to help these critters. 

Celebrating a Make Believe Holiday

When my family moved to Ohio from Buffalo, NY back in 1996, there were two things that were foreign to us: JoJo’s and Sweetest Day.

Here in northeast Ohio, where Hallmark’s headquarters are located and some of the best chocolate I’ve ever tasted (Harry London’s in Canton, OH), we have a make believe holiday called Sweetest Day the 3^rd Saturday of every October. 

The origin of Sweetest Day has always been suspect. Most believe it to be a "made up" holiday strictly for big business to reap profits at the expense of perpetrating romance. Of the twelve Cleveland committeemen who planned Cleveland's Sweetest Day (pictured above) eleven directly profited from the sale of greeting cards or candy. Three were on the Board of Directors for Hallmark, four on the boards of various candy companies and four owned card and candy shops in the Cleveland area.  (Source)

It truly is a dumb holiday that I don’t always remember until my husband comes home with a box of chocolates or when I see signs the week before to pick up carnations for your loved one.  Instead of being a fuddy-duddy, I decided to take this day and make it special for me and my love.  We do not like crowds and we are frugal, so battling to get a table at a restaurant was out of the picture.  Instead, we spent the day with one another relaxing, exploring, did some shopping in Amish country and ate a nice meal (at home)!

An old abandoned house we went through.

A second old house we went through.

The loot from Amish Salvage Store: $40.35
That includes a large jug of EVOO ($16.99), 13 boxes of cous cous ($0.49/bx), grits, coconut milk, french onion soup (2), and several other items.  We go twice a year and I am always amazed at the deals we find.

We don’t eat steak very often, but I decided I wanted to have a nice meal with Todd for Sweetest Day.  Steaks, scallops, sweet potato fries and broccoli was the main course and pumpkin pie ice cream was for dessert.  It was delicious!!

Even though it was a make believe holiday, it is nice to splurge once in a while for one another, and truly enjoy each other’s company.

What did you do this past Saturday?

Did you know it was Sweetest Day?

Compassion International

Over the past two years, my husband and I have sponsored a child named Anabel from Bolivia through Compassion International.  Interacting with Anabel has put many things into perspective for me over the years and I have come to enjoy our correspondences back and forth.  The donation is $38/month to help Anabel with her schooling, food (and clean drinking water), medical care, teaching her about Jesus and anything else she may be in need of.  Do you remember when you had a pen pal back in Elementary School and would get excited to see a letter in the mail from them?  That’s me when I get a letter from Compassion International with the words, “Message From Your Sponsored Child” on the front of the envelope.  My spirits are instantly lifted, and I look forward to what Anabel has written, drawn and/or colored for me.  I receive letters from Anabel’s tutor at school as well as from her mother.  I get great encouragement from these women! 

A Letter I Received 10/12/13

  

Anabel has a baby brother who was born almost a year ago.  I recently learned that when he is registered into the Compassion International system, Todd and I will have the opportunity to sponsor him as well.  I did not know this until recently, but we are able to purchase gifts through Compassion's Gift Catalog and they will be given to Anabel and her family.  We are having a hard time deciding what they may need so we may just give the family a monetary gift.  The best part is that when we give money as a gift to Anabel and her family, 100% of the money goes to them - no administrative fees are taken out.  

The reason I am writing this post is because the cutoff for a child to be guaranteed to receive a Christmas gift through Compassion is October 31^st.  What greater gift for these children than to learn that they are prayed for, thought of and loved!  When I think about $38/month, I can’t help but think about how many children we could sponsor with the money we waste each month on going out to eat, gasoline for vehicles for unnecessary driving, not to mention “stuff” we don’t need.  $38 will make a huge impact on a child living in poverty.  I ask that you consider sponsoring one (or more!) of these amazing children, help a family become sufficient enough to grow their own food by donating seed packs or donating livestock so that a family can eat, breed and barter the animals. 

I cannot tell you how humbling it is to learn about and love one of these children.  Todd and I look forward to sponsoring Anabel’s brother (Juan Daniel) and more children in the very near future.  

Cleaning Routine: Friday, Saturday and Sunday (Relax)

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, I relax with one day (mostly Sundays) of doing absolutely nothing whatsoever!  On Saturdays, I like to try to do a little bit of catch-up work like cleaning the microwave, stove, washing comforters and sheets, getting items ready to sell or donate, working on the living room and spare bedroom.  These tasks don’t require a lot of time, but I like the fact that I don’t feel pressured to get anything done if I don’t feel like it.

When Monday rolls around, the kitchen is usually a complete and utter mess and that is fine.  By Monday, I’m ready to find my clean home again within all the dust, pet hair, water spots and cluttered counters!

I am going to be completely honest with you, I am not a perfectionist by any stretch of the imagination.  As I'm sure you can see in the photos I've taken, many of the pictures are dark.  That is because I work with very little light.  That being said, when I clean, "good enough" is good enough for me.  If there is a stray hair in the sink or a smudge on a newly dusted dresser, I don't sweat it.  It will get cleaned next week.  

If you are looking for a better source to walk you through simplifying and cleaning your home each and every day for an entire month, I highly suggest 31 Days to Living Intentionally Simple.  At this point, I am happy with the cleaning routine I have outlined over the past several days.  Because I have the same morning and evening routines, it is easy for me to know what to do and to get to it without dawdling or procrastinating.  Knowing that it only takes 30 minutes to an hour each evening helps me to get motivated to complete each task.  It is also motivating to be able to come home to a clean home on Friday night and not have to worry about anything but enjoying the weekend with the ones I love.

Related Posts:

Cleaning Routine: Monday (Bathroom)

Cleaning Routine: Tuesday (Dusting)

Cleaning Routine: Wednesday (Sweeping)

Cleaning Routine: Thursday (Mopping)

Do you have a cleaning routine?

I’d love to hear about it!

Cleaning Routine: Thursday (Mopping)

This is where I start to get lax and cruise into the weekend.  I will be honest and tell you that I don’t mop every week.  I’m not sure I can even call it mopping: it is Swiffering the floors.  Whether or not I mop, I still follow my morning and evening routines.

Morning Routine

(I have an hour and a half from the time I wake up until the time I have to leave for work in the mornings.)

• Laundry (3-4 days/week)
• Make the Bed (3 days/wk)
• Dishes: If the dishes were done the night before, I unload them in the morning.  Otherwise, I put the dishes from breakfast into the dishwasher.

On this particular morning, I woke up to an 85 lb dog yacking all over the bed.  So...I had 2 loads of laundry to do first thing in the morning, and the bed did not get made.  This is how I left it for the day:

Evening Routine

• Mop
• Kitchen
• Bathroom
• Bedroom
• Family Room

• Kitchen
• Wipe down dining room table
• Dishes either washed or put into dishwasher to wait for a full load
• Put everything on the countertops in its proper place
• Wipe down counters
• Clean the top of the stove
• Empty recycle bin (if needed)
• Take out the trash (if needed)
• Laundry
• Put away clean clothes

When I got home from work, I came home to this:

A wet, muddy dog because of a downpour we had...

...and muddy floors

There was no point in mopping the floors on this day.  It can wait until this weekend when things are supposed to dry up in our area. 

On Thursdays, I take a look around at the hard work I completed throughout the week and really appreciate being able to read a book or watch a movie with my husband and fur-babies.  Everything has been taken care of, and I wouldn’t be too terribly embarrassed if someone where to stop by on a spur of the moment (even though no one ever does).  Also, it seems like on Thursday evenings, I begin to get run down from my week at work, so it is nice to just come home and relax after the evening routine.

Related Posts:

Cleaning Routine: Monday (Bathroom)

Cleaning Routine: Tuesday (Dusting)

Cleaning Routine: Wednesday (Sweeping)

Cleaning Routine: Wednesday (Sweeping)

Ahhhh…it’s so nice to wake up to a house that is not only picked up, but dust-free too!  I start to feel accomplished by this point and relaxed in my surroundings.  Today, we continue the general maintenance of our home by keeping up with the dishes, laundry, and today, we sweep the floors!

Morning Routine

(I have an hour and a half from the time I wake up until the time I have to leave for work in the mornings.)

• Laundry (3-4 days/week)
• Make the Bed (3 days/wk)
• Dishes: If the dishes were done the night before, I unload them in the morning.  Otherwise, I put the dishes from breakfast into the dishwasher.

Day 2 the bed is made!

Dishes Unloaded

Evening Routine

• Sweep all floors
• Vacuum rugs
• Kitchen
• Wipe down dining room table
• Dishes either washed or put into dishwasher to wait for a full load
• Put everything on the countertops in its proper place
• Wipe down counters
• Clean the top of the stove
• Empty recycle bin (if needed)
• Take out the trash (if needed)
• Laundry
• Put away clean clothes

Time to complete sweeping & vacuuming: 35 minutes

Time to complete kitchen: 10 minutes

Time to fold and put away towels: 5 minutes

This is how much was swept up off the bedroom floor.  Ick!

A Clean Floor!

I don’t mind sweeping but I really don’t like to vacuum.  Many weeks, Todd vacuums as I sweep the floors.  Again, we will have more square footage to sweep once the living room and spare bedroom are complete.  It is amazing how much dirt is swept off of the floors each week.  That’s what happens when you have 2 dogs, 4 cats and a productive hubby running in and out of the house pretty much all day long.  Of course, our animals are a kaleidoscope of colors: black, white, gray, red, brown and blonde.  I like to see results and I definitely see results each time I sweep the floors.

This is what happened after having the floor swept and vacuumed for a whole 5 minutes:
sunflower seeds fell all over the floor.  *sigh*  

Related Posts:

Cleaning Routine: Monday (Bathroom)

Cleaning Routine: Tuesday (Dusting)

Cleaning Routine: Tuesday (Dusting)

I like waking up to a clean kitchen and bathroom on Tuesday morning!  It makes my routine so much easier by getting these two tasks done first thing in the week.  Today, I will show you my Tuesday routine.

Morning Routine

(I have an hour and a half from the time I wake up until the time I have to leave for work in the mornings.)

• Laundry (3-4 days/week)
• Make the Bed (3 days/wk)
• Dishes: If the dishes were done the night before, I unload them in the morning.  Otherwise, I put the dishes from breakfast into the dishwasher.

 

The bed was made!!

Evening Routine

• Dusting*
• Bedroom
• Family Room
• Dining Room
• Kitchen
• Wipe down dining room table
• Dishes either washed or put into dishwasher to wait for a full load
• Put everything on the counter-tops in its proper place
• Wipe down counters
• Empty recycle bin (if needed)
• Take out the trash (if needed)
• Clean the top of the stove
• Laundry
• Put away clean clothes 

*We have a living room that is currently under construction.  We also have a spare bedroom that is in complete disarray right now.  When these two rooms get put back together, they will be added to my dusting routine.

Time to complete dusting: 20

Time to complete kitchen: 10

Time to clear miscellaneous surfaces: 20 minutes

Do you see how much dust accumulates in our house after just 1 week?!?
(I dusted the edge of the amoire to show you.)

The first few weeks, I focused on just the flat surfaces to dust.  After getting into a routine, I was able to blow through these rooms in no time.  I then started to dust the tchotchkes, picture frames, lamp-shades and getting cobwebs out of the corners of the ceiling!  I cannot believe how much dust accumulates in our home within a week!  Because dusting does not take that long, I use this time to try to pick up the rooms a little bit and put items in their proper places.

On this particular cleaning day, I dusted the air intake vent which has needed dusted for a long time (as you can see).  I also cleaned up the table next to the couch where I sit and the fireplace.  I have been trying to get our important paperwork filed, but everything just sat there by the fireplace for weeks!  

Related Posts:

Cleaning Routine: Monday (Bathroom)

Cleaning Routine: Monday (Bathroom)

Over the past month and a half, for the first time in my adult life I have been able to keep up with the (basic) cleaning around the house!  This includes keeping up with the dishes, laundry, bathroom, dusting, sweeping and mopping.  I cannot say that I enjoy cleaning but I can say that I really like the results after I’m done!

I will be posting my list along with before and after pictures of what my cleaning routine looks like each day of the week and how long it takes each day to complete.  Your times may vary depending on how many rooms you have to complete.  For me, I focus on the main living areas that we use.

Morning Routine

I have an hour and a half from the time I wake up until the time I have to leave for work in the mornings.  That being said, my morning routine is extremely laid back.

• Laundry: I throw in a load of laundry 3-4 times a week within 15 minutes of waking so that it will be ready to be hung on the line, drying racks or put into the dryer before work (hubby’s clothes only).
• Make the Bed: I would be lying if I told you that the bed is made daily.  I would say a fair number of days the bed is made per week would be 3 days.
• Dishes: If the dishes were done the night before, I unload them in the morning.  Otherwise, I put the dishes from breakfast into the dishwasher.

Because we didn't clean up at all throughout the weekend, this is what Monday morning looked like.  It took 20 minutes to clean up the kitchen a little bit before work and load the dishwasher to run before I left for work.  (There were so many dishes, there were some left in the sink for later in the evening.)

Evening Routine

• Bathroom
• Wipe down mirror, light fixture and pictures
• Clean counter-top
• Wipe down soap dish, q-tip holder, and toothbrush holders
• Wipe down walls
• Clean toilet
• Wipe down baseboards
• Sweep the floor
• Shower (Confession #1: this gets done once every 2-3 weeks! Confession#2: by Todd!)
• Kitchen
• Wipe down dining room table
• Dishes either washed or put into dishwasher to wait for a full load
• Put everything on the counter-tops in its proper place
• My purse and lunchbox goes into the baker’s rack
• Books go into the bedroom
• Sale flyers get put onto the fridge with a magnet
• Hubby’s wallet is put away
• Wipe down counters
• Clean the top of the stove
• Empty recycle bin (if needed)
• Take out the trash (if needed)
• Sweep the floor (it usually needs it after the weekend!)
• Laundry
• Put away clean clothes

Time to complete bathroom: 10 minutes

Time to complete kitchen: 40 minutes
Time to fold clothing and put away: 5 minutes

Oh, you don't have dog bones all over the place in your bathroom?
Hmmm.  That's odd...

The bathroom surfaces didn't need much work this week - just wiped down.

Phew!

For me, Mondays take some time but I also see the biggest difference on this day and it makes the rest of the cleaning schedule easy-peasy for the next 3 days!

Make it Do

I have a favorite quote that I’ve heard stated two ways:

1.)    “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without.”

2.)    “Buy it used, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

I like the second version best and this mantra is always going through my head every time my husband wants to purchase a new item.

As I walk around our home, I am constantly reminded about how we “make it do” from room to room.

For instance, our house needs the electricity rewired.  I cannot run the dishwasher and the bedroom air conditioning at the same time without blowing a circuit.  Nor can I use our small convection oven (I use this in the warmer months so that we don’t heat up the whole kitchen using the oven!) and the microwave at the same time due to this same reason.  We have plans to fix the wiring, but it is not high priority right now.  These are just minor inconveniences in my view.

Todd has wanted a king size bed for a little over a year now as our fur-family has grown.  We share our bed with 150 lbs of dogs and sometimes three 6+lb cats!  Add to that two overweight adults and I will admit it gets a bit cramped.  Please note that all the animals tend to take over my side of the bed – which leaves Todd able to sleep with his legs outstretched as I wake up curled in a ball most mornings trying to dodge animals (if you are contemplating letting an animal sleep in your bed – please keep this visual in mind!)    I keep trying to put off the purchase of a king sized bed because we purchased a nice locally made mattress just 4 ½ years ago.  I really like our sleigh-bed that Todd brought into the marriage and the mattress we have is extremely comfortable!  No matter how many times he shows me California king sized beds on Craigslist and how inexpensive they are, I am not budging on this issue until it is time for us to get a new mattress.

Case in point: Hubby is all sprawled out while I'm in the corner with 2 large dogs on my side of the bed!

We came to a compromise recently when we purchased a {used} ottoman from Craigslist for $35.  The ottoman is 48” long by 27” wide: plenty of room for a pup (or both!) and a few cats if they so choose to snuggle up with the dogs.  We realized within an hour of owning the ottoman that the color choice was not the best (beige) for animals, so we are using a camo throw on top of it to hide black dog hair and dirty paw-prints!  Voila.  Hubby is happy that he gets even more space in bed, and he has his precious Lana right there next to him at all times during the night.  Buddy, on the other hand, still chooses to sprawl out on my side of the bed, but luckily he likes to sleep at the foot of the bed, so it’s not too much of a bother.

I have a laptop that is 3 years old.  It’s big and clunky compared to what is out there in the market (and what everyone else seems to be using right now) but it does what I need it to do.  I asked Todd to do something on it for me (yes, I’m the one with a degree in Computers & Information Systems but I have to ask my husband to fix my computer!) and he said, “I don’t know how you work on that thing! We can go and get you another one.”  No, thank you.  I cannot justify getting a new one until this one dies on us.  Let is also be known that I don’t do well with change and I finally figured out how to use this laptop!

I believe we (mainly me) will always have a “make it do” mentality, but we will definitely be replacing the breaker-box in the near future as well as getting a new bed in the next 5-7 years.  We are strategically putting purchases of little importance off to continue our focus on paying down the mortgage.  Right now, we are on track to have the mortgage paid in full by October 2014!!  This goal helps us to keep our spending in line because we can only imagine the freedom we will have in one short year when we own our home free and clear.

Do you “make it do” around your home?

I’d love to hear about it!

  

Updating the Kitchen for $125

My husband and I purchased our home in 2007 at auction fully aware that it was a complete fixer-upper.  We liked the fact that we could make the home into what we wanted it to be and were prepared for it take several years to complete.  We did not have a conventional mortgage: instead, we had a personal loan with a bank that was just enough to pay for the home.  Our plans were to fix up the home so that we would qualify for a conventional mortgage.  After shelling out a lot of money for a new roof, the next task was to update the kitchen and bathroom and paint all the walls so that the house would appraise for what we needed to install a new septic system that was required within 12 months of purchasing the home (side note: a new septic in our area is the price of a brand new car! Ridicules!!).  The goal was to complete these renovations as quickly and as inexpensively as possible. 

This is a photo of the original kitchen and cabinets (please note: that is carpet on the kitchen floor!):

This is the kitchen with some extra cabinets installed, new appliances, and a buffet area that now houses our microwave and gives us great storage!

We had these beautiful new cabinets, but we needed counter-tops for them.  To save money, we used stick-on tiles that appeared fancy schmancy, stripped the grey exterior paint from the disgusting cabinets and replaced the doors with more modern cabinet doors from a salvage home improvement store.  We found out after year 2 or 3 that the stick-on tiles were not the best option because they warped and started to turn up at the edges. Unfortunately, I do not have a photo of what the kitchen has looked like for the past 5 years.

Memorial Day weekend, Todd and I went out shopping for real tiles to replace our kitchen counters.  We found a great deal on neutral colored tiles at Lowe’s for $0.57/sq ft!  For $60, we purchased enough tiles to redo our counters.  We purchased mortar and grout for pennies on the dollar thanks to damaged bags at Lowe’s (original price was over $23/bag: we got for $3/bag).  The only other expense was a tool to cut the tiles that cost $50.  So for less than $125 and a lot of physical labor, this is what our kitchen looks like today.

I absolutely love the way the kitchen turned out.  Everything that used to be on the counters (convection oven, toaster, can opener, bread box, flour/sugar jars, etc.) are now housed on either the baker’s rack or in the cupboards (thanks to some major decluttering!). 

I enjoy our kitchen so much more now than I ever have before.  We have learned one very valuable lesson with this house: quality is better than trying to do something as inexpensively as possible!  Because we did not do this when we first moved into the home, we have already had to redo our bathroom (in 2010)  and now our kitchen.  We know better now for upcoming home improvements to spend a little bit more money and make improvements that will last a long time! 

It just so happens that this improvement was inexpensive to complete and we got great deals on the supplies needed!  Win-Win!

I Can Do It Myself

 I am the first to admit that I am selfish.  Always have been - Always will be. 

The problem is that I have used the last 7+ years with my husband to become more selfish and lazy at his expense.  I always thought: “He gets 15 days off a month – he can do this.”

This thought process is not fair.  My poor husband does have 15 days off each month because of his rotating schedule; however, the days he works, he works 12 hour days!  I cannot imagine leaving for work at 4AM and getting home at 6:45 in the evenings.  No wonder he is always so tired.  He needs those “extra” days to re-coop: not for me to create a never-ending honey-do list!

Even though I feel loved most when getting help from my husband (my love language is acts of service), I have been requiring too much from him.  Every week, there was a list on the white-board of things for him to accomplish.  One day, I erased them all.  Clean shower?  I guess I better get to it. (I hate cleaning the shower – I will do toilets, counter-tops and wipe down the walls every day if I have to, just don’t ask me to do the shower!)  Clip puppy nails?  I just started taking over this task about a month ago.  Come to find out, it isn’t as difficult as I thought it would be (Lana’s nails are jet black and there is no telling where the quick is so I cut her nails a little every week to keep them under control.)  Clean upthe house a little every night?  I’m on it!  The dog’s water dish needs refilled?  I’ll take care of it!  Call cell phone company for credit – I got it! (I have more patience with customer service reps than hubby does.) 

It was the menial little tasks I did not feel like doing that I put Todd in charge of.  It never occurred to me he did not enjoy doing them either!

As of late, I have been trying to take over as much of these silly little tasks as possible in an effort to keep Todd’s stress down so he can focus on chores that really need completed (and I prefer not to do) such as: mow the lawn, clean up the garage, install new flooring in the living room and cut wood for winter.

I always told myself that I didn’t need a man – I could do everything I wanted to do by myself.  That is not necessarily true.  It’s nice to have a husband who can do home improvements, cook and even clean! However, it is liberating knowing that I can do many tasks myself without his help.  The problem was that I was just too lazy and selfish to do them myself!

Summer Fun on a Dime

I am a cheapskate.  There, I said it.  It is no surprise to most of you, because you know me.  I am always looking for ways to cut our spending.  I have noticed this year that we are doing more fun things together that don’t require money.  I love me a good fair (and fair food!), but the prices are becoming outrageous at $7+/person, plus $6 for a sandwich, $3 for a bottle of water…you get the gist.  When all is said and done, a few hours at the county fair became a $50 ordeal!

Instead, we have been doing the following this summer:

Scenery

Mill Creek State Park 

Mill Creek State Park 

Nelson Ledges

Nelson Ledges

Big Creek State Park

Happy Puppies: Salt Fork State Park

Stony Brook State Park (New York)

Stony Brook State Park (New York)

Stony Brook State Park (New York)

Pool

We don’t actually own a pool, but we got out a few times with the pups to go swimming!  Our Buddy boy just loves the water!  The pups love to swim, and we get a great laugh at watching our little otters in the water having a good ‘ole time.

Big Creek State Park

Salt Fork State Park

Salt Fork State Park

Car Show and Petting Zoo at a Local Festival

(We spent $3 total to get into the petting zoo and to feed the animals – it was worth it!)

Celebrating

4th of July Fireworks 

4th of July Fireworks

Cousin's Wedding Out of State

Camping Weekend with Family

Making Memories with Niece

Exploring

I’m sad that summer is officially over; however, I look forward to the leaves changing and the cooler temperatures.  We have plans of enjoying another season (fall) on a dime by going on hikes with the pups at surrounding state parks, taking a road-trip through the county north of ours that has 18 covered bridges, and getting away to Cook Forest in western Pennsylvania the first week of November

What have you been up to this summer?