Wordless Wednesday

Visitor on our fence this morning!

Poems by Brett

Brett’s February book report project was to write some poems.  I love the three he wrote.

Acrostic Poem

Stormy

So soft

Too sweet

Our cat

Roams the house at night

My sugar bear or my tiger

You would love him!

------------------------------------------------------

Alphabet Poem

A boy was taking a spelling test at school.

Boy, did he get a lot of hard words wrong.

Could his Mom give him spelling tests?

-----------------------------------------------------

Shape poem

Finally, a snowman!

He was well liked! I never know what to use for making the mouth. This time I grabbed a red marker. It worked great!  The black buttons/eyes and plastic carrot nose are part of a snowman kit that I got in the Target Dollar section but the I felt the hat was too small. Our theme is “It’s a Small World” this month so we used one of our multicultural hats for Mr. Snowman.

Cancel the Mold Show in Your Bathroom

Mold? It’s inevitable, especially in the bathroom. In reality, 100% of homes have mold. Of course most cleaners remove visible dirt but Tilex products are created especially to attack mold and mildew. We all know mold and mildew grows in moist areas, but also room temperature areas. Mold is also often found in window sills, refrigerator seals and under the kitchen sink or in air registers and entryways. Mildew isn’t just unattractive, it’s a living fungus. It grows due to a lack of ventilation and present food sources like soap scum and body oils cause it to grow. Not only is it unattractive, it's unhealthy.

To reduce mold and mildew growth in my home:

• I use a mixture of bleach and water to clean the sink, toilet and other surfaces. Tilex also contains Clorox Bleach and kills 99.9% of household mold and mildew. It eliminates mold and mildew without scrubbing.
• To eliminate mold, ventilation must be improved. My bathroom currently needs a new ventilation fan. Mildew grows in more places than I’d like to admit…we have a problem with mildew on the window in the adjoining bedroom. Keeping the vent fan running until the shower is dry will help eliminate mold growth. 
• Keep your ventilation fan clean. Ours was very dusty! If it's clean, it can be more efficient.
• I use automatic toilet bowl cleaner tabs to keep mildew away in one of our bathrooms.
• Pull shower curtain closed to allow it to dry. If you have a shower door, using a squeegee to or wiping it down will help dry things up.
• Invest in a heavy duty shower curtain liner. Wash your shower curtain liner in the washing machine with hot water and bleach. Throwing in an old towel along with it will help clean the liner. If you use an inexpensive one, replace it often.
• Hang up towels with enough room to dry or remove them from the bathroom completely to eliminate extra dampness.
• If you’re dedicated you can use a daily shower spray. Tilex Fresh Shower Once-A-Day Shower Spray prevents soap scum and hard water build up without rinsing, wiping or scrubbing. That sounds easy!
• I don't have grout, but I hear it's difficult to keep clean. Tilex has a product for that too, the Tilex Tile & Grout Pen.It's a gel pen with two tips - one fine point and one that scrubs. It also contains Clorox Bleach to whiten and remove stains mold and mildew leave behind.
• Regular cleaning keeps mildew growth to a minimum. Don't wait until you can see it!

Keep your home mold and mildew free!  Use Tilex products to rid your bathroom and anywhere mold and mildew might be a problem. Make every surface Tilex clean.

Now I want to go clean! 

Check out Sonny Mold and Frankie Mildew, the Tilex® mold and mildew trouble-making stars. Use Tilex to rid these mischievous, uninvited guests from your bathroom. 

To celebrate the new Tilex lineup, Tilex is hosting an exciting sweepstakes with lots of cool prizes! Enter on the Tilex Facebook page and you will have a chance to win one of three 40” flat screen TVs, or one of ten Netflix subscriptions. Also, if you share the news about the sweepstakes with your friends, you’ll receive an additional entry for each friend you invite.

Entries must be submitted by 3/16/12. Click here to enter and for more info.    

About Tilex® Mold Stain & Mildew Stain Remover, Refreshing Breeze:

 

The cleaning power you expect, a new fresh scent you'll love. Tilex® Mold Stain & Mildew Stain Remover, Refreshing Breeze packs all the dirt-destroying power you demand, attacks mold stains and mildew stains and leaves a refreshing scent to keep your bathroom smelling as clean as it looks.

More info on Tilex® Mold Stain & Mildew Stain Remover: http://www.tilex.com/mildew-stain-remover/

 

*Reynolds, K.A., S. Boone, K. Bright, C.P. Gerba. Survey of Indoor Mold in the Home Environment and Efficacy of a Hypochlorite Disinfectant.

 

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Tilex blogging program, for 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.” (make sure you link to http://tilex.socialmoms.com)

SodaStream Review & Giveaway on Mess for Less

I’ve entered the SodaStream review and giveaway on Mess for Less and wanted to share it with you.

I’d love to win a SodaStream mostly because of the memories I have of making soda at home when I was growing up.

SodaStream isn’t the first soda maker – there may have been others, but we used to have the Schwan’s “pop maker” when we were kids. It was a similar machine with a carbonation tank, flavored syrups, and glass bottles. We loved to make our own! I think I can still taste orange and strawberry pop from a glass bottle.  I’m kind of surprised my mom bought that for us. I remember making crazy flavors with our cousins on a warm summer night.

I would totally have one if they were still available! So, I’ve ben wanting on of these for a while. We don’t drink a lot of “pop” {as we call it in Wisconsin!} but it would be a fun thing to do once in a while when Brett would have friends over, etc.

Check out the giveaway on Mess for Less:  SodaStream Review & Giveaway

Strawberry Crush Valentines

I just loved the valentine display on Shindig Parties To Go & her idea for Strawberry Crush in bottles. They make such festive drinks! I added the sticker to the back to help hold the tulle in place & since it coordinated so well. See the rest of her great valentine ideas here: Shindig Parties To Go Valentine Table

I found Strawberry Crush in bottles at Walmart. I cut the heart shapes on my Silhouette and attached them with the tulle and double stick tape. I tied the straws on with twine {from Michael’s} I bought the straws from Smidge & Pinch.

One of these went to Brett’s teacher, two to friends, and three for us with dinner tonight. Mostly I enjoyed making them!

Seven-Minute Frosting

I just can’t do canned frosting. This is one of my favorites and really it’s so easy. I guess it’s not as fast as buying a can of frosting but it sure tastes a lot better!

Seven-Minute Frosting

• 2 egg whites
• 1 1/2 c. white sugar
• 1/3 c. cold water
• 1 1/2 tsp. light corn syrup
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Put egg whites, sugar, water and syrup in top of double boiler. Beat until mixed well. Place over rapidly boiling water. Beat constantly with electric beater while it cooks for 7 minutes or until whites stand in peaks when beater is raised. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Beat. Fills and frosts 2 layer cake, 8” or 9”.

Just One Friend

Another project I’ve wanted to work on for a while & it seemed appropriate for today! I bought the frame off one of those online garage sales sites. Love it but the off white color was too yellow so I spray painted it. The poem is special, but I’m unsure of the original author & was unable to find a source.

Digitally “scrapped” with Creative Memories Storybook Creator using Wild Love & Gracie from the Shabby Shoppe.  Font is Blackjack.

Felt Heart Garland

This was a quick & inexpensive project that I just wanted to do so I found a spot for it here.

I found these felt ornaments 90% off after Christmas at Target.  I always look at the clearance wondering if there’s anything I can use or create something with. I figured I could come up with something with hearts. 10 cents for 3 felt hearts!

I tied it together with tulle ribbon from the dollar bin at Michaels. ♥

Heart Full of Love {Handprint Valentines}

Valentine, YOU RULE!

Here are the valentines I made for Brett’s class. I cut the hearts on my Silhouette, ran a piece of “measuring tape” tape {the kind you find in a teacher’s store for student’s desks, etc.} diagonally & wrapped it around the back. attached the saying & a little button pin. Brett wrote each child’s name & his on the back and picked out a pin for each one. So quick!

True Love Is…

This was my status update on Facebook this morning:

True love is.... shoveling the driveway and sprinkling ice melt early in the morning before work so your wife doesn't have to...picking up a gallon of ice cream & making valentines for a class party for your son... getting up early to go to the grocery store and get last minute items to make a nice dinner for your family. As much as we'd enjoy a fancy dinner, flowers, a weekend away or a day of special surprises, maybe there will be time for that that some other day. : ) Happy Valentine's Day {my husband}! I know we're some of the lucky ones.

And as much as I believe that’s true, I am all for celebrating Valentine’s Day. I’m aware there’s plenty of arguments not to but how can you argue with celebrating love? You can never have too much love.

It’s going to be a busy night – Brett gets a tooth filled at the dentist, dinner, 4-H meeting. Somehow we actually had appointments for an interview, haircut, dentist, 4-H, and one at State Farm scheduled, all on the same night! Had to shift almost all of it…

Life is busy but it’s full of love.

Happy Valentine’s Day!…

…to you if you’re reading this.

I love to blog and thanks for enjoying it with me!

Meringue Drops

Meringue Drops

from The Great Cookie Book by Nordic Ware

Prep time: 15 min

Baking time 2 hours 30 min

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites, at room temperature
• 2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 drop food coloring, if desired (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200*F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a metal or glass mixing bowl, whip egg whites with an electric mixer, until foamy. Gradually add in sugar, while containing to whip at medium speed. When stiff peaks form, add in the vanilla and whip until just incorporated. Divide meringue if you choose to use more than one food coloring for color variation. Transfer mixture to a large pastry bag. Pipe the meringue out onto the lined baking sheet using a large star tip, space 1-inch apart.
3. Place the meringues in the oven with the oven door ajar (place a wooden spoon handle in the door to keep it from closing). Bake for 2 1/2 hours, or until the meringues are set and ry. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container. meringue cookies work best when baked on a day with low humidity.

Blackberry Almond Sandwich Cookies

I made these last year and have been anxious to make them again. I decided to make them heart shaped this time and substituted the raspberry jam for blackberry. If there's anything better than raspberry it's blackberry.


Blackberry (Raspberry) Almond Sandwich Cookies
from The Great Cookie Book by Nordic Ware
Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, (2 sticks) chilled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup raspberry jam 

Method1. Adjust oven racks to upper middle and lower middle positions. Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper (I didn’t).
2.  In a food processor, finely grind 1 cup flour and 1 1/2 cup almonds. Add 1/2 cup sugar and remaining flour and continue to process until combined. Add chilled butter and vanilla and pulse until dough forms.
3. Roll out dough to 1/2-inch thickness, on a lightly floured work surface. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out cookies, rerolling and using any left over pieces. Arrange cookies, 2-inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, or until light brown around the edges. Switch and rotate the cookies sheets half way through the baking process for even baking. Cool for 5 minutes on the sheets. Transfer to wire rack.
4. Place the remaining sugar in a bowl. Quickly, spread 1 teaspoon of raspberry jam on the bottom half of warm cookie, top with cookie to form a sandwich. Roll cookie in sugar. Place back on wire rack to cool completely.

Valentine Rice Sensory Bin

Our Valentine sensory bin includes: red, purple, pink and silver metallic colored rice {all colored with liquid watercolors except the red I used food coloring}. Recipe: 4 cups of rice, 2 TBS of coloring and 2 TBS of rubbing alcohol. Previously I used slightly more alcohol on the Rainbow Rice, but really I thought 1:1 was fine. Pour all into a Ziploc bag and mix until fully colored. Pour the rice out onto a tray and leave to dry in the sun or in the oven on low for a few minutes until it is completely dry.
Also included: heart shaped cookie cutters, foam heart shapes and heart jewels, pieces of stringed beads, bowls, long handled spoons, tongs & heart shaped boxes {from the dollar store}, heart ice cube tray, measuring tray and some small valentine take out boxes.


No, the color does not come off on the kids hands.


 

“Convenient, clean, easy ….color” {just laugh}

I‘m sharing my messy moment for the chance to win prizes from TidyMom as part of Clorox’s Bleach It Away campaign . 

I have an in home family day care so I know all about messes. Big messes made by little people. Or in this case, a big mess by a big person. ME.

The picture above really doesn't accurately portray the mess made from one little dot painter bottle! See the carton on the counter? It says "A convenient, clean and easy way for kids to play with color..."

DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT EVER squeeze a dot painter! LOL Paint was not coming out so I squeezed it firmly while pressing it down on a paper towel in attempt to get it going, and purple paint hit all three kids so I had to wash their faces, hair, two walls, the floor, the table, the booster chair, the kids' chairs, the rugs, the stove, my clothes, the counter. We all were in shock, like someone got shot and we were splattered. The kids just looked at me like "what just happened??"  Thankfully there were no tears but I did have some explaining to parents at pick up time about "the mess that Stacy made". What a mess! But it was so funny!

What wasn't funny was the streaks left by the bright purple paint on my light green walls. I use spray bottles with soapy water and one with bleach every day so that's what I used to clean up this mess.

I do have to admit this took place in September and while I was cleaning recently, I found some similar looking purple paint on one of the lower cabinets....

Thankfully Clorox and Clorox Wipes make my continual cleaning a lot easier.