Dark Chocolate Peanut M&M's

Some of you may know of my husband's love for dark chocolate. He will chose that above most treats. M&M has been experimenting with dark chocolate and what it tastes good in. So far there is only 1 that we don't like. The Milky Way Midnight. It just doesn't work.
About a month ago we saw a commercial for Dark Chocolate Peanut M&Ms and Karl was excited about them. We kept an eye out the next few times we were at the store and didn't find any. I knew he was frustrated, so I called the company and asked them who sold them. They said the only store so far was Kmart on University Ave. So I went there and bought some. A few days later I was at Sams Club and found a really big bag. Karl's brother and wife were visiting and they helped us eat the whole bag.
Anyway, yesterday Karl and his brother were at Sams and bought another big bag. Karl asked me to make cookies with them on top, so we now have a bunch of cookies in our kitchen with peanut M&M's on top. They are really good, try it out.
Now they just need to make Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter M&Ms...

A new use for baby wipes

I found a new use for baby wipes today. They work well for cleaning up throw-up in the car. Along those lines, if you tell a child that Pepto Bismo is medicine then they refuse it. But if you tell them it is candy then they eat it and ask for more.

Stress Reliever

This week has been really stressful, and I've been thinking about stress relievers. Some that I've found are exercising, eating, talking, and cleaning. I think my personal favorite is spending time with my husband. Even if we're just cuddling while we watch a Jazz game, it helps to relieve the stress and help me get ready for the next day.

Real Women

This is a cool article of

Real women with real flaws.

I know whenever I look at magazines I feel less than perfect. This article was cool to read, and made me feel better.

Phone Calls

Last night I had a lot of organizing to do. We had to buy a new crib because our old one got broken, and the new crib was too big to go back in the same place as the old one. So when my friend Jordan called, I decided to work on the organizing while I was talking to her. It was amazing how fast the work went, and I got to talk to a good friend at the same time. Try it out some time.

Movies

Do you have a stack of movies on or next to your TV? Take a few minutes to put the DVD's or Tapes into the right boxes and then put them away. It shouldn't take too long, but will be worth the time spent.

Microwave Time

When you're making something in the microwave what do you do while you're waiting? This is an excellent time to wipe off the counter, or put a few dishes in the dishwasher. It's usually less than 3 minutes, but that's 3 minutes that aren't wasted.

15 Minutes 2

So after you've cleaned something for 15 minutes then what? If it is something that really needs to get finished then take a 15 minute break (don't forget to set a timer) and then get back to it. Another alternative is to use this method to clean your house. Spend 15 minutes in each room, alternating rooms until all the rooms are clean.
Some advantages to this are that you don't get bogged down in your cleaning, it keeps you moving, and there is more motivation to finish quickly.

15 Minutes

The 15 minute rule: You can do anything for 15 minutes. (As I was growing up the 15 minute rule was how long you could be out of your chair without someone else taking it.) This rule is different. When you have a job that needs to be done, but you don't want to do; remember 15 minutes. Set a timer and work on that one thing for 15 minutes. Don't get sidetracked, just work for that 15 minutes and you'll be surprised what you can accomplish

Dish Routine

I've already told about my bathroom routine, another routine I do is my dishes. Every night, I try to put all the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and wash the ones that don't fit in the dishwasher, then I wash out the sink and wipe down the counters and stove. If the dishwasher is full then I start it. If I have time I also sweep the floor and use my Wet-Jet mop on it.
This might sound intimidating, but when I do it everyday rarely takes more than 15 minutes. I would rather do that than spend 2 hours on Saturday cleaning it.
I'd suggest to figure out a routine that works for you and see how much it helps to do it everyday.

Routines

I've found that the secret to a clean house is routines. You can have routines for everything, the key is to do them on a regular basis, then your house stays in good shape and never gets out of control.
I like to keep my house no more than 15 minutes dirty. This means that hopefully if I get a call from a home teacher or a friend that is coming over then I can pick up the toys and things that are sitting around and have the house looking respectable by the time they arrive.
I have to admit this isn't always the case, but I try to do it and when I realize I'm out of the habit, I start again.

Cleaning the bathroom

I have a problem with cleaning the bathroom. I hate to do it. I would rather do almost any other chore than this. Unfortunately it still needs to be cleaned, so I have found a solution. When I realize that the sink is dirty, or has hair on it, out come the wipes. I have both Huggies wipes and Clorox wipes. I use 1 wipe ( or 2) to clean the sink. As I do so move the random hygiene items that didn't get put away. Then I use another 2 or 3 wipes to clean the toilet. Another few wipes for the floor (if I am really ambitious because I usually don't do the floor.) This cleaning process happens every 3-5 days and takes about 3 minutes.
On a Saturday when Karl is home I ask him to clean the bathroom. He does a really good job at this and gets all the little corners and the shower done. So my bathroom never gets very bad, and I don't have to really clean it. :)

Huggies Baby Wipes

There is a wonderful invention for cleaning: Baby Wipes. But not just any wipes, they have to be Huggies. These wipes will clean almost anything that needs to be cleaned. Other wipes can get some of the stuff, but just aren't as good. Some of the possible uses (that I or my sisters have found) are:
Cleaning the black stuff on doors from kids hands.
Cleaning doorknobs.
Cleaning grape juice stains off cupboard doors.
Cleaning stuff off phones.
Cleaning tiles that haven't been cleaned in forever (by previous renters) and nothing else will work. Tile on left was cleaned with a baby wipe, tile on right wasn't.
Cleaning computer mice, keyboards, screens and other various parts.
Cleaning kids faces, and other body parts.
Cleaning black magic marker off kids faces before the social worker comes. (Mr. Clean Magic Eraser also works for this, but leaves the skin looking a little raw.)
Cleaning steering wheel in cars.
Cleaning buckles on car seats.
Cleaning inside door handles on cars.
Cleaning anything in cars.
Cleaning hands after changing a flat tire.
Cleaning hands after checking oil.
Cleaning remote controls.
Cleaning desks and office equipment.
Cleaning out the gunk that collects on washers.

Cleaning appliances (especially fridge handles).
Cleaning sink area and handles in bathroom between deep cleanings.
Cleaning toilet and floor in bathroom between deep cleanings (But do NOT flush them).
Cleaning up "accidents" while potty-training.
Cleaning dirt off shoes.
Cleaning dirty coins.
Cleaning toys.
Cleaning outdoor furniture.
Cleaning dirt off the bottom of the slide that collected during the last rain storm.

More to follow. If you know of other uses, let me know.

Beds

One of the best tips I know for keeping your bedroom clean is to make your bed. If your bed is a mess, the room looks like a mess. But if the bed is made, the room looks clean. To help keep the bed made it helps to have the top sheet and covers tucked in well. If they are tucked in well then making the bed is just pulling up the sheet and covers, which takes less than 30 seconds.
A well placed teddy bear or decorative pillow next to the normal size pillow or pillows adds a lot too.

Icky Fridge Stuff

Many fridges have a habit of growing mold on things in them, but I have discovered a solution for it. Our trash gets picked up on Thursday morning, so on Wednesday night Karl takes out the trash. While he is working on this I go through the fridge and dump out anything that looks questionable or is outdated. Not only does it keep mold out of the fridge, but it keeps it emptier so I can find what I'm looking for.
The other problem I've noticed in my fridge is that I buy veggies and put them in the drawers in the fridge. I then forget about them until I'm cleaning out the fridge on Wednesday night. So I have started putting them on one of the shelves, where I can see them. Water and juice bottles go in the drawers. It's amazing how many more fresh veggies get eaten when I remember they're in the fridge...