Everything Loved in January

These are my new favorite shoes for the year, Mossimo's Vassie Snip Toe Pump. I have them in black and in the tan/brown color. I love the snake like print that the leather is made of. They are so cute and pretty comfortable for a heel. I got them at Target, love that store!!! I might just have to go buy another pair in the black because I have been wearing the heck out of them, LOL! Sorry the picture is blurry.

So we have been painting like crazy in our house these past several weeks and this product has saved my sanity, Premium XL Painting Accessory Pad. It is great! I got it at Sherwin Williams but they are sold at most other places that sell paint. It does wonders when painting the walls, around base boards, crown molding, bull nose edges, straight edges, corners and around nails. It is very smooth to use and easy to handle. I have hardly had to tape anything off because of this handy dandy rolling paint device.

My mom told about this glass cleaner and naturally I had to try it out for myself because my mom usually knows what she is talking about. It is wonderful!!! Hope's Perfect Glass Cleaner has a no-reside formula, is ammonia-free and 100% streak-free. It cleans glass and mirrors crystal clear and leaves my oven and microwave spotless! It can be bought at Bed, Bath and Beyond.And we can not forget about mine wonderful Wine Buffet that I scored on Sale this month and our awesome new Entertainment Center in our living room!

The Joys of Being a Patient Wifey...101

How to get candle wax out of carpet.....? Ohhh, this is the magic question that I was asking myself this past Sunday evening after my sweet, sweet husband accidentally knocked over our WoodWick candle that sits on the bar, onto the carpet in the living room. I tried my best to keep my composure.....but I still had 'that look' in my eyes (all of us women have 'that look', you know what I am talking about) that inside I was furious. I had been burning this candle for atleast 6 or 7 hours, so there was a lot of wax to say the least that was slowing sticking itself to the (what I still consider fairly new) carpet. The first thing that came to my mouth to say, well...I kept my mouth shut, then came the "Are you serious? How in the heck did you manage to do that? Ughhhh, you have got to be kidding me, you have had too many beers... and so on" speech. The hubs of course at this point was trying very diligently to get candle wax off of his hand and wedding ring, while I at the time am having not much remorse. Several minutes later came the guilt from my hubbs and the "I am so sorry, it's ok, I will clean it up, not sure how, but I will take care of it babe, don't worry". Yeah, I have heard that line before. So being the patient wife that I am, I know I have got to figure out how to get this wax out of the carpet. I tried to think back at my teenage years when I know this has happened before while having an all night chat sessions with the girls. Nothing came to mind...except the wonderful world of the internet and google. Here's what I learned and did: It worked too!

1. Let the wax harden (this should not take long). If you can, scrap off the excess wax with a dull knife.
2. Place part of a paper bag (any kind--shopping, grocery, sandwich) over the wax area. You can also use paper towels, a clean cloth or newspaper ( I used the paper bag method).
3. Using a warm iron (on low to medium heat) press gently on the paper bag. Be careful not to leave the iron in one place too long or you may burn the carpet fibers. Rub the area where the wax is and you will notice that the wax begins to melt and soak up onto the paper bag.
4. Continue to do step 3 until all the wax is melted up. You may use several paper bags depending on how much wax is spilled.
5. Rub your fingers over the spot where the wax was and if you still feel some wax on the carpet continue to do step 3 until it is all melted up.

To remove stains left from colored wax, try gently dabbing the stain with a rag dampened with rubbing alcohol. If the alcohol doesn't seem to work, try using dry cleaning solvent.

The hubs was very impressed with me getting the wax out of the carpet and was also very apologetic. I really was not mad at him just re-iterated to him to be just a little more aware, LOL! It's times like these when I think both spouses can appreciate the roles of husband and wife!

A Clean and Cozy Home makes for Happy Guest

You will soon come to notice and realize (once I post pictures--coming soon) that I am a complete neat freak, very clean and organized; everything has a place where it belongs kind of gal, it’s my OCD, I was born like that. So for me, it is very easy to keep a clean, organized and cozy home. There are just certain things that I do everyday in my home to keep it that way. For instance the bed is always made, the living room is always picked up and the kitchen is clean and clutter free. It really only takes a few minutes, fifteen minutes at most, each day do these easy task. I always want my home to be open and cozy to any and all family and friends that come to stay on a planned visit or just drop by un-announced. Here are some things that I do to make it a non-stressful time when company does comes over.

1. Don’t just clean your home for company

The title says it all. Don't wait to clean your home until you have company coming over. Come on now, you live there and you should be proud of your home, the way it looks and the way it feels. You are worth living in a clean environment; just do a room at a time if that is what works best for you. Then when your guest does come over, you are not running around mad crazy trying to clean the entire house at one time.

2. Leave a room picked up and clutter free

Pretty much put things back where they belong and leave a room as if it were a room in a model home. Don’t get me wrong, the hubs and I do get comfy in our home and ‘veg’ out on the couches with blankets, couch pillows, food and drinks scattered around the living room. We too want to enjoy our home as much as any guest. But I make it a priority to fold back blankets, pick up couch pillows and return all drink and dinnerware items to the kitchen before I go to bed at night. It makes me feel good to walk into a picked up room in my home and enjoy the way it looks. If we take just a few minutes to put everything back where it goes when we leave, we are not only ready for company but we should also be less stressed out.

3. Leave unused rooms "ready"

Most people have rooms in their home that aren't used daily also known as guest rooms. It seems that a lot of people use these rooms as extra storage space or ‘catch alls’. Designate a closet in the house for all ‘catch all’ items and keep your guest room, a Guest Room. This is actually one of the simplest things you can do to keep these rooms guest ready. Make sure the beds are made, have extra clean sheets, towels on the dresser or in guest bathroom, clear closet for guests hanging items, and have a place to lay luggage down on. When this is all done, you can be sure your guest rooms are ready with confidence!

4. Make a cleaning schedule

Now, I will admit, I am not as good at this as others are, but I do try. I do clean all living parts of my house every week, but I do not necessarily clean them on the same day every week. Try and make some type of schedule that is going to work for you. For instance, have a schedule Monday-Friday or even Saturday and do one room each day, or do certain tasks in each room on certain days and laundry on certain days. By doing this you are making cleaning not so much of a hassle and a drawn out process but instead a small daily task which ensures that your home does stay clean day end and day out.

5. Keep a stock of ‘Inventory’ items

There are just certain items that I make sure that I have on hand at all times. The most common stuff that comes to mind for me in our home are, toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, straws, bottled water, wine, guest toiletrie items in bathroom, extra candles, tea lights and the certain foods that I cook with all the time or easy meals. By having these inventory items, you never have to worry about having to rush to the store at the last minute or make your guest feel uncomfortable, non the less yourself.

6. Follow the 15min rule

I love this rule. Never have anything in your house that has to be done, cleaned or organized that is going to take more than fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes is just enough time to vacuum or wipe counter tops down or dust certain areas or make the bed, etc. Hopefully you will also have at least fifteen minutes notice before any guest arrives and if not, just simply say, “I was just finishing up tidying up this room…”

7. The Extras!

Fresh flowers, light candles, homemade goods or cooking are always a plus for any guest that comes to visit. If you get a chance, do any or all of them and your guest will be sure to feel very welcomed and happy!

8. Enjoy your guest

Be a happy hostess and enjoy the time you do have with your family and friends and be thankful that you have a home that people want to come to. And always make sure your guest are happy as well!