Martha Stewart's Microfiber Cloths - My 2 Cents

My local Home Goods store recently got a nice shipment of cleaning supplies, which made my heart twitter and flutter because most of the cleaning products were my favorite, Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day. Imagine my delight! I also spotted a cleaning tool that I've been thinking of getting and during my recent shopping trip, I indulged.

Check it out, Martha Stewart's Microfiber Glass Cloths. I paid $6.99 for them at my local Home Goods. The suggested price on the back was $14.99.

I didn't pay a lot of attention at the store and was pleasantly surprised to find 3 cloths in the box. Yay me!

I had read about how great microfiber cloths are on a Christian mom's blog and was intrigued. Would they really make that much of a difference?

Note the glob of strawberry Colgate Kids toothpaste on the bowl of the sink. I took these photos before cleaning my bathroom.

I'm shameless.

Kind of.

Aren't these pretty? I'm not sure what Martha calls this blue. It reminds me of the blue boxes from Tiffany's.

After my wedding, I thought that blue would be beautiful for a wedding. I wish I had thought of it before my wedding. It's very likely my bridesmaids would've worn a dress this color.

Anyway....

Can I just say it?

I LOVE MARTHA'S MICROFIBER CLEANING CLOTHS!

Yeah, totally love 'em. I love how my mirror did not have streaks after I cleaned it. I really love how there was no white lint in one of the corners after cleaning. I also like how much more economical and earth-friendly it is to use cloths to clean, rather than paper towels. (How am I just now getting on the cloths for cleaning bandwagon?)

It's a week and a day from payday, or I'd totally go buy a box and host my first-ever give-away on this blog. Seriously. That is how much I love these and would love to share them with you. If you find some, please treat yourself.

A Month's Worth of Thoughts

On Cleaning Out and Organizing My Home

Oh, wow. I've been really busy this month. I've been doing my Fly Lady missions. I made HUGE progress in our master bedroom and Abbie's room. It's looking a lot better, but I still have a long way to go. I still say there is a black hole somewhere that spills out more stuff after I've cleaned out and given away those items. Seriously! :-) My goal is to completely declutter and clean out unused things, then paint and re-do it. I can hardly wait!

I've been trying to give myself these types of goals to keep myself motivated. The "reward" for getting a room completely uncluttered and cleared out is re-doing it. For example, in our formal living room, my reward will be new drapes (badly needed!), paint and new throw pillows for the sofa and love seat. The master bedroom needs it all: bedding, curtains, mini-blinds and paint. The TV room needs paint, curtains, new ceiling fan and, eventually, a new couch. Eventually, we need to replace the carpet in the entire house. Following Dave Ramsey's teaching, we are saving up for the couch and carpeting, rather than trying to finance the cost.

On Marriage

I've wanted to write about this for the entire month of February. But I've always hesitated because when you talk about stuff like this, you put yourself out there and I just don't want to deal with any possible drama. At the end of the day, I feel like the good of sharing what I've learned and gleaned this month outweighs the bad of a possible backlash.

Every marriage goes through seasons, ranging from times of more closeness to times of struggle. I learned that 80% of marriages that have a child with special needs end in divorce. That is a staggering statistic! I've learned why over the past 2 1/2 years and Abbie's issues are FAR from severe compared to the vast issues other children face. There's a lot of give and take and sacrifice on both a husband's and a wife's parts, and it can be easy for conflict to arise. Thankfully, we are getting to a point in Abbie's care that it's become a dance of sorts... we know when the tests for cancer screening are due, and the appointments for specialists are now down to once a year. It's gotten easier and the stress level has gone down for the most part.

There have been other issues that have caused the past 2 years to be really hard for us. I'm not going into those because they're personal and are our business to be discussed between the two of us. The month of February brought a turning point and I have to thank God for that. It's no coincidence that I was pretty much deluged with teaching, lessons, encouragement and points of view that helped me readjust my attitude, thoughts and feelings and allow forgiveness and healing.

From my church: Sermons my pastor has preached have really planted seeds in my heart. I'm thankful to have a shepherd who tells it like it is, who sheds light on the truth so that we may grow. Amen.

From Joyce Meyer: When you are hurt, you feel that someone has to pay. And you keep feeling that someone has to pay and start feeling entitled to being angry until someone pays. The truth is, Jesus died for everyone's sins. Holding on to that entitlement means you don't accept that Jesus' blood covered those sins. It's not faith. It's feeling like your pain is more than the blood. (My paraphrase, except the first sentence. It was a POWERFUL message that I still have saved on our DVR so I can go back and listen to it again.)

From Blogs: Blog posts have really given me a lot of insight. I have read and read and read this month. Some of the nuggets of wisdom I have found are....

This first link had a profound impact on me:
http://www.incourage.me/2010/02/he-wants-more-than-love.html

http://www.brookemcglothlin.com/2010/01/year-of-prayer-husbands_12.html

http://todayshousewife.blogspot.com/2010/02/praying-from-head-to-toe.html

http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/02/what-to-do-when-you-feel-like-hes-just.html

http://momsinneedofmercy.blogspot.com/2010/01/even-though-your-husbands-big-boy-he.html

http://www.incourage.me/2010/02/fanning-the-flames-of-friendship.html

Maybe marriage and relationships were a hot topic because Valentine's Day is in February and people have been doing a lot of soul searching on the topics. Or maybe there are a lot of us out here who are wanting to cultivate marriages that are truly loving, Christian marriages that are marked with the fruits they should be. If people aren't learning and growing and actually acting like Christians in their marriages, what's the point, right? Because we're no better than "the world" when we don't step up to the plate and actually practice what we preach; we're worse if we say one thing and live another. It's called hypocrisy. I'm not trying to say that there isn't grace when we make mistakes because I know that no one is perfect. What I'm saying is, once we have made mistakes, we need to learn from them, grow and move on.

And people, I have to confess that I have been stuck in a a rut and mired in mud and muck for two years. Yep. Two. Long. Years.

I have held on to hurt and anger and this entitlement to being as hurt and angry as I wanted to be because I was wounded. Thankfully, God has debried the wounds of my heart and spirit.

As simple as it sounds, one of the major things that has helped bring healing to my heart has been praying for my husband. Do you know how embarrassed I am to write that? Do you know how much I hate to confess that for most of our marriage, I have not prayed for my husband like I should? Yeah, I'd pray for him here or there, but not consistently. But by starting out as simply as just thanking God for my husband began a work in my heart. Then I pray that he has a good day at work. I mean, how simple is that? But, friends, I wasn't an armor bearer for my husband, the head of my household. Now I know to do better. Now I know how important it is to pray for my partner and the father of my daughters.

Ever notice how much love grows in your heart when you are praying for a person?

It's easy to pray for your children or for those who haven't significantly hurt you. The Bible says even heathens will be good to those who are good to them. But praying for those who have wounded you / your enemies... that is what we are called to do.

What happens, really, is that you change. My Valentine's Month lesson has been that I should ask God to change my heart. All this time, I've asked Him to change the hearts of others around me. What I've decided to do now is pray for them, yes, but not to be changed in the ways I think they should be changed. Rather, bless them and change my heart towards them.

They say that charity starts at home. Well, a LOT of things start at home. Like, growing. Healing. Loving more and nagging less. And prayer.

FLYlady is kicking my butt.

Have you ever heard of FLYlady? If not, cruise on over to her website, www.flylady.net . It's worth a peek.

She may very well be my saving grace when it comes to finally getting my house clutter free.

I'll probably still need the services of my friend at www.sortmyspace.com for organizational purposes . She is AWWWWESOME. You should give her site a peek, too.

But first, I need to get rid of stuff. And as I have said here time and time again, there is a black hole is a closet or wall somewhere in my house. No matter how much I clean out, there is yet--still--MORE to clean out. Ugh. It's exhausting.

But FlyLady is helping me when my friend a Sort My Space isn't here. FlyLady is free and although the services offered by SMS are invaluable, I haven't been working since the end of October, so that means no "Mommy Mad Money" is available for those kinds of projects.

FlyLady is structured so that a person following the "program," if you could call it that, takes on one room a week, focusing on de-cluttering and deep cleaning that room, while also cleaning and keeping tidy the other rooms in the house.

Of all the great things I have read on the FlyLady website, there is one thing that has spoken to me more than anything else:

Housework, even done imperfectly, blesses your family and your home.

I am a textbook "SHE" (Sidetracked Home Executive). I have perfectionist tendencies, and when there is SO much to do, as there is here, I often shut down and procrastinate. If I can't get the entire job done, and done perfectly, I don't want to do it. What I am learning from FlyLady--and what Rita at SMS tried to teach me as well--is to take these projects one thing at a time. If I take one baby step, then another and another, after a while, those baby steps add up and, Viola! A room is cleaned out, de-cluttered and organized.

My oldest daughter's room is pretty much finished with this process. I completely cleaned my kitchen, literally from ceiling to floor and everywhere and everything in between. But the Master Bedroom is the worst. Oh, mercy, if I can get that room finished, I'm well on my way to FLYing.

In the meantime, I'm still overwhelmed by all the STUFF. I'm very much looking forward to a consignment sale the first weekend in March. I've decided that whatever doesn't sell HAS to be donated to charity after this sell and am determined to not let it back in the house.

Because I want to get so much accomplished this year, I really need to get some things done inside so I can focus on my pet projects for this Spring and Summer: plant and raise a garden, paint the exterior of the house, paint the interior of the house, remodel the half bathroom.

On my way to being a FLYbaby... come join me!

P.S.: I've found a few gems among blogs out there and have added them to my blogroll. To your right, please see Annie Blogs, Chickens in the Road, and Little Cabin in the Woods.

Working with the organizer... again...

The professional organizer I hired last summer is coming back today.

*sigh*

It's not her; it's me. Actually, we didn't get our projects finished, and between crazy work for me and what not, we haven't met since September or October. Today will be pretty much us starting over.

I hate that I "need" someone to help me get my home the way I want it.

I wish I was a little OCD about my house. But, my pendulum swings the other way... not to mention that I am related to a hoarder and that kind of stuff is genetic (really! Someone told me that hoarding is on the same spectrum as OCD... long, long explanation as to why, but in short, people can get a bit overwhelmed with wanting to categorize all their stuff (the OCD part of it), so they just kind of shut down and do nothing... there are many other components to it, as well.. too much to list here).

But I'm not going to say it's necessarily in my genes. For me, my M.O. has always been that when things are really rough, I shut down a bit. I kind of wallow in a depressive state for a while, but when I finally want to dig my way out (literally and metaphorically), I get overwhelmed. I hate that about me.

I'm trying to re-frame the organizing thing... trying to look at is as "life coaching," because that's what it is. But I have to admit, I feel pretty pathetic about it. In a way, it's kind of like hiring a professional personal trainer. In a way, it's like hiring a maid, only on a much bigger scale. It's kind of like joining Weight Watchers. All these things help you reshape your life and improve your life.

In many ways, I want to reshape and improve my life. Those areas are my weight, my health, my relationships and my home. Wanting better is a good thing and I know that getting help in any of those areas really is a good thing.

But why do I still feel like a loser?

Busy IRL (In Real Life)

I remember the early days of chatting when people talked about their "real" lives, and we referred to it as IRL. Do people do that anymore? I haven't chatted in forever.

Anyway, Angie over at Not in Kansas has been posting some good stuff. I was particularly struck by something she wrote in this post (it's a short post, so worth the few minutes it takes to read):

"It’s like this (as an example): If I want to be a person who has clean baseboards, I have to come to a DEEP realization that they’re not going to magically get (or stay) clean! SOMEONE has to clean them, and have a plan for WHEN and HOW they’re going to be cleaned."

In the comments section, I told her that we must be living parallel lives, because I'm in the same boat.

Last week, I began my Spring Cleaning. Not an easy feat with two little "helpers" running around, but slowly but surely, I'm getting there. Last week, I focused on the kitchen. I washed walls and cabinets. I cleaned out old medicine that had expired. I still have a few little projects, one being cleaning out the fridge, that didn't get finished because I was out of commission thanks to a mild migraine.

I also have half of the TV/Play room's walls wiped down, but that room needs some intense, deep cleaning, as it's where we spend the majority of our time. Toys need to be gone through and purged. Everything needs to be dusted and I need another package of Magic Eraser to get some scuffs and crayon markings off the walls.

Last night, I watched "Clean House" on the Style Network to inspire me. Nothing gets me inspired to clean and purge like that show! Wowza!

**********

Apart from the cleaning, other things have been keeping us busy. Abbie had her yearly check-ups in Cincinnati a couple of weeks ago. Everything is great! Praise God! I tell you, I'm just so thankful what He has done in her life. When I think of what might have been and what is, it's just overwhelming.

Also, my oldest "baby" graduated from preschool this week. Having helped in the planning, setting up and tearing down of the reception, I am pretty much worn out. I also have a pretty good idea of how it will be when she's in school and how few parents want to help with stuff. While I realize that everyone is busy and short on money, if we all did a little bit, the burden wouldn't fall on a few. A mom can hope, can't she?

So, here's to cleaning and purging! And a wonderful summer before the official First Day of School! I hope everyone is finding something to enjoy.

As soon as I can, I'll write more... 'till then, enjoy an iced tea or lemonade!

Random Wish Lists

Some things are on the horizon, but I can't talk about them yet. Mostly, a lot of maybe's and hope so's. Lots of prayers have been said and now there's nothing we can do but wait. In the meantime, I've been thinking of things I'd like or things I'd like to do, or changes that I'd like to make around our home. It feels like things have been On Hold for such a long time, especially with this house, that I'm ready and raring to go to make some long- and much-needed changes.

These are some of the things I've been thinking about...


Things I'd Like to Have for our Home

1. Deep Freezer. In addition to having zero storage space in our teeny weeny kitchen, we don't have a lot of freezer space, either. I'd like to buy meat in bulk, but currently have no where to put it.

2. A vegetable garden (am hoping/planning for next year). I think there's nothing like fresh veggies.

3. A pressure washer. Hubby borrowed his dad's and it's a little addictive. You start finding all the things that need a good scrub.

4. A large capacity washer and dryer. I have 2 kids. Need I say more?



Things I'd Like to Do/Finish/Learn How to Do

1. Finish the Garage and start/finish the house (which will be done as soon as I can afford to bring the organizer back).

2. Can veggies. This is something my mom and grandmother are doing in earnest this summer and I'd love to know how to do this.

3. Take a photography class. I've wanted to do this since high school, but my schedule never allowed it. Then, the class at my college was always full. I'd have to call now to try to get in for the spring semester.

4. Clean out toys. Hannah has duplicates of many toys and I'm planning this for mid-September, when my parents can take her. It's an impossible chore to do with her around, as she retrieves things from the toss/donate pile.



Projects that need finished or started and finished around our home

1. The Bathroom. It started almost 2 months ago, and still needs to be finished. I'm tired of plastic sheets surrounding the tub. I want a pretty bathroom, and I've never had one in the 8 years we've been married.

2. Carpet. The house desperately needs new carpet throughout. It's about 20 years old, light in color (not good with kids), and is just plain old.

3. Paint. Inside and out, our house needs to be painted. I think I know the perfect color for inside, thanks to our neighbor's recommendation. I already know what I want to use for outside. I doubt that the outside will be painted before winter. I'd love to have the house painted before the fall/winter, but I'm not sure if that can be done yet. We'll see.

4. Landscaping. We have an overgrown tree that needs to be cut back, pronto. (Estimates to have it cut back are around $1000. Anyone know someone who will do it for cheaper than that?) There are bushes and shrubs that need a good hair cut, too.


Things I'd like to do just for me

1. Join Weight Watchers. I'm tired of the intertube around my midsection. I'm tired of not being able to wear any of my clothes and I've held off buying bigger sizes because I don't want to get comfortable at this weight. It's not just the number on the scale, it's how I feel, overall. And my cholesterol.

2. Join a yoga and a pilates class. Again, I hate to pay money for (weight loss/exercise/house organization), but it's a challenge to try to exercise with a video with the kiddos around. The little one's nap schedule is erratic (I think she's trying to change from 2 naps a day to 1). I need the accountability.

3. Take a weekend vacation. Sounds crazy, I know, but I'd really like to get away from it all, all by myself. Yes, I'd like to go away with my husband, too, but I'm really feeling the need for some alone time. But I'd love to go to Lewisburg and stay in a bed & breakfast, and just chill out for a couple of days.

Anyone else out there been thinking, hoping and dreaming of anything in particular?

Whew! (aka June-July Recap)

I have had numerous posts swimming around in my brain for the past, oh... couple of months. But, as I've hinted, we've been pretty busy and there hasn't been a lot of time for posting long, thoughtful messages, so I've kept them on the shelf. It's time to unload, so here goes. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and let's sit a spell and catch up.

June 2008

Another Milestone

The beginning of June marked the first anniversary of another Abbie/BWS milestone, when we went to the Fetal Care Center in Cincinnati. I was at my parents' house on the actual day (June 6) and it was pretty emotional. I've found that this summer, I get pretty emotional as each anniversary rolls around (odd to call them that, but what other word should I use? Those were pretty important days during my pregnancy with Abbie). My thought is that, last summer, I was trying to get through each day, each week, the best I could so that Abbie wouldn't be stressed and that I'd stay pregnant for as long as possible.

Because what I can say now, but couldn't say then, was that while we were at the FCC, we were told that if Abbie was born before 32 weeks, she would die. Even if we made it to the 32 week mark, she could still die. And so, I felt a tremendous weight on my shoulders for the remainder of the pregnancy. We learned that 50% of all babies prenatally diagnosed with BWS are stillborn. Even if I did everything my incredible team of doctors told me to do, we could still lose her. And those words, so stark and scary.... I couldn't even say the words last summer. I couldn't type them, either. I just could not put those words out into the universe and even give thought to the chance that I could lose the child I had so desperately wanted and had tried for over a year to conceive. I just Could Not Do That. I had to hope. I had to push on, praying more and harder than I ever had that God's hand would be on us both and that she would be born alive and that I wouldn't have a seizure or stroke from the pre-eclampsia.

I was a lot sicker than I let on, and looking back, I was a lot sicker than even I realized.

Funny how hindsight is 20/20, isn't it?

The milestone of June 6 is one that is intensely personal and private, and for the most part, I will keep it that way, sharing it with Abbie when she is old enough to understand the concept of the amazing miracle she is. I will say, though, that I sincerely love the staff at FCC, I love each and every doctor who lent his or her knowledge and expertise to help Abbie get here safe and sound, and I love each and every doctor, nurse and therapist who help nurture and guide her once she was here. My appreciation, gratitude and love for them is so much more than I can articulate and I will always think of them, my heart swollen with thankfulness.

A trip to Florida

Also in June, we took Abbie to Lakeland, Florida. If you haven't heard, there is an on-going revival there. I still haven't decided what to think or say about the experience. Until I do, there's nothing I can share that will make any sense.

July 2008

I cannot understand how this month has gone by so quickly. How is it that I am typing this on July 21? It seems that just a few days ago, we were celebrating Independence Day. This month has been pretty busy, with the middle of the month being occupied by our first Family Vacation. My cousin was married at Myrtle Beach on July 12th at sunset, and since we were using a travel gift certificate to go there for the wedding, we decided to stay a week and enjoy it. After all, it makes no sense to me to drive 8 hours one way to just stay a few days. Both girls enjoyed the sand and the ocean so much that my mom is deeming them both Beach Bums.

I wasn't sure how either girl would take to the sand, but I can report that both loved playing in/with it, running or crawling on it, and they pretty much spent the entire time covered with it. Hannah, taking after her dad, had to rinse off the sand immediately once she was finished with any particular sand castle or digging. Abbie didn't mind it at all, to the point that she boldly crawled around without being fussy and didn't even complain too much when her diapers were filled with it.

The ocean was Hannah's favorite part and each day, she grew bolder and bolder, venturing out a little further. The first day, she was brave enough for wet toes and feet, and by the time we left, she was ok with being in up to her knees. Abbie enjoyed the ocean as well, splashing about in the water and holding her breath when a wave splashed her face. She is fearless and this trip has shown me that there is no end to her bravery and that the next few years will keep me very busy.

Our last evening at the beach, we had a professional photography shoot, our first family photo. I can't believe that our oldest child is 4 1/2 and we've never had one done, but I thought that it was high time we had a family photo made and the info on the website was more than I could take, so I scheduled a session. The wind was fierce, as a tropical storm was brewing off the North Carolina coast, so she had to take 80 shots. There are so many good ones that we're planning on buying the CD. You'll understand why when you see the photos. But that might be a while, because the CD is going to cost around $150-$170 and we need to recuperate financially from the vacation before doing anything extra. Such is life when you live paycheck to paycheck.

Though it probably wasn't the wisest choice to go to the beach until we had saved more money,I wonder how long it would've taken us to finally make the decision and action to go. Does that make sense? I'm not sure how a lot of people live, but it seems for us, we hope for "one of these days," "one day" or "some day." My oldest baby will be going to Kindergarten in a year, and I don't want her childhood to slip by without making these kinds of memories, no matter what we have to sacrifice.

Looking Ahead

Speaking of finances, I am trying to figure out what to do. I have wanted to do a program that would allow me to work from home, making as much as $14 an hour. It requires a $200 investment, which we don't have. Even with our former home finally sold, we still don't have extra and coast along on fumes a lot during the week before payday. The perfect situation would allow me to stay at home with the girls indefinitely; however, I have this awful feeling in the pit of my stomach that says that I'm going to have to go back to work, at least part-time, just so we can keep our heads above water.

As I've mentioned before, I am thinking of getting my teaching certificate and perhaps even my Master's, in education. But that takes money, a commodity in short supply since we moved to the house in which we now live, tried to and finally sold the former home and were sued. (Long, long story that I cannot legally get into on a public blog).

At Hannah's dance class, I met a woman who works at a local children's clothing store. It sounds like a great answer for our present needs and may be the answer to prayers in providing extra income to allow me to either get the teaching certificate or do the work-from-home business.

While browsing the classifieds this morning, I came across an ad for a copy writer, which would be a dream job for me. It would be full-time and would require putting both girls in daycare. I would love to have this kind of opportunity, and yet wonder what kind of impact it would have on my children. Mother's guilt never ends, does it?

I do plan on getting back to finishing the garage. Right now, there are bathroom and plumbing tools and parts scattered everywhere, in addition to all the things that already needed to be purged or organized. I told Paul this morning that I strongly feel that the garage project and hopefully, the house, should be cleaned out and organized before Abbie's FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY in roughly 6 weeks (can you believe it?!??!?). That, too, will require money for a babysitter and for the organizer to come back and lend her help and get-up-and-go. How I hope I can find the momentum I previously had! And how I hope Paul finishes the bathroom (no, it was never finished.... only the bath tub was installed. My house is still in complete and utter chaos).

Looking ahead, I have a LOT to do, to plan for and I hope to accomplish most of my goals. But mostly, I just want to enjoy my girls, the summer and plan for the future ahead of us.

Still Working On It

I'm still working on the garage. Yes, it was/is that bad. Rather, it was that bad, and is getting better. Hubby went through some of his stuff over the weekend, and it's a great feeling to have less stuff. Unused, unwanted stuff... we often keep that kind of stuff in our homes, cars and even in our hearts. I've been thinking of some things, but don't have sufficient time to share.

We are leaving on Tuesday for a few days, and then I'm hoping to wrap up things in the garage next week. I'm not sure which room in the house I'm going to tackle first. We'll see.

I'm hoping to having photos posted of the fruits of my labor by around July 4th.

* * * * * * * * * *
Special shout out to Mo over at "How Far Can Happy Go?" over in my links/blogs section. You guys should really check her out. Please do, ok? Leave a comment, even. And, Mo, I really wish I lived nearby so you could peel my skin and I could clean for you. lol. Ok, maybe I wouldn't let you peel my skin (though I know how much you love it). But I so wish I was there to lend a helping hand. Take care, dear friend.