ONE BED AT A TIME

It is a beautiful day in the neighbourhood. The sun is shining and it was a perfect morning to go out into the garden.

I have not been active in the garden for some time and it really shows.  Too busy, too tired, too frustrated with the enormity of the whole job.

No good excuses.

I am taking it one small area at a time.

I went out this morning with the goal of cleaning out one small garden bed next to my front porch.
 The remains of my Sedum Autumn Joy, a perennial sweet pea, a lavender, geraniums, Lucifer Crocosmias, a lovely pink Gaura that deposits its pink petals on our legs when we go down the steps to the driveway.

Looks stark now, I know, but soon it will fill back in. For two years now we have had little chickadees nesting in that decorative bird house. We hear them peeping when we come in and out of the front door.

These shots are from previous years. There is hope and promise in gardening.

We have a ways to go before summer. I hope I have the rest of the garden beds cleaned up by then. Sigh.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG

Well I guess there is no putting this off any longer. Spring is on its way and for those of you who are so inclined….or court ordered…it is time for some Spring Cleaning.
I am a procrastinator and think a spotless house is just not my style. I like it clean but if there is something more fun or interesting to do then I am there.
Yikes. I just love it when the sun comes out and suddenly you see the filth on the windows.
So out went the call to all of you for your Spring Cleaning tips. I really sensed a common theme amongst you. I will add mine at the end.

 

• Beverly @ The Buzz sent me a link for a Spring Cleaning checklist on Pinterest. http://pinterest.com/pin/126663808239783531/ so I think this is a good place to start.
• Jane from Blondie’s Journal says:
What I love to do...one of my dirty little tricks, is after airing out the house, I turn on the ceiling fan and spray room freshener under it. It really spreads it around evenly and it smells SO good!

• Colleen from Vintage Home advise us:
numerous trips to the thrift store...to take stuff
change the duvet, cushion covers...switch out carpets
hundreds of hours in the garden!

• Diane @ Cozy Canadian Cottage writes:
What we do when the spring comes is get in our cars and goooooo! After months of being locked up in our home because we are afraid to go anywhere in case the weathers turned for the worse, once spring arrives, we leave on a short vacations here and there. Some times we go away for just the weekend and enjoy the sights are some times we go for an entire week. Cabin fever fits us bad her in southwestern ON.

• Sigrun, @ To Swatch or Not to Swatch advises: I still prefer vinegar/water or ammonia/water for washing windows. And nothing leaves a streak-free window like bunched up newspapers for drying the glass.Don't put away the winter stuff to early--it will snow again.

• Over at Living in France, Mimi says:
I ALWAYS ALWAYS have to clean my windows and window hangings. I take down the curtains, sheers, etc and wash those.
THEN, if I have mini blinds up (which I do in a couple rooms) I will take those down and take them outside and put them on a couple nails on the fence.
I'll make sure that the blinds are let all the way out to their fullest length then I spray them with 409 or Simple Green or something like that and then turn the hose on em. LOL I put the sprayer nozzle on the hose and just soak em down. You can see the brown water come off of them so you know they were dirty!
Then I take them down, turn em around and do the same to the other side.
If you drive past my house come spring cleaning (or fall too) we look super ghetto fabulous with our blinds hangin' on our fence!

• Keetha @ The Eclectic Company swears by baking soda. It cleans any smooth surface and cleans it well. I've had success using it on pots and pans, casserole dishes, stove tops, MY HAIR, and Fisherhubby even uses it to remove spatted on bugs and tar from the front of our cars.It is pure magic
•  
Had to hunt down Linda’s blog too since she didn’t leave me a link. Linsueray is her blog and she advises:
I use vinegar on just about everything I can...it freshens up dull tupperware, cleans glass and mirrors and I put some in a bag and use a rubber band to hold the bag on the shower nozzle...leave it overnight and the hard water build up is easily cleaned up.
I rarely use paper products and I save old towels and t shirts for cleaning...Old bath towels torn up make great dust mops for wood floors...T shirts are soft and they make wonderful dust rags...as do diapers but since I haven't had anyone in diapers for 30 years ...they are hard to come by these days!
In the garden...I collect seeds form the previous year and plant as many as I can for the next years garden...I put them in paper bags and mark what they are. Zinnias and violas give lots of seeds. Also you can cut some plants...tomatoes and impatiens and root those and keep them over the winter and just plant them in the Spring.
My house is small and the color scheme is pretty much the same in all the rooms so I can change out pictures and decorations to make it look different even though I didn't spend any money and a can of spray paint can be your best friend for changing things up like out dated picture frames...just about anything.

• Josette @ My Grandma’s Soul has 2 good tips:
One that comes to mind for me is using white vinegar as a rinse and softening agent in my washing machine. The clothes are sanitized with no odor and it help keep my machine clean.
Another thing I always do is put bars of soap in my dresser....unwrapped....they leave a heavenly smell and when soap is needed I just grab a bar.

• Shirley from Shirley’s World has lots of animals around her house so she should know a thing or two about how to clean a St. Bernard and a house.
For me, cleaning windows in the spring is the worse job. Not because of the windows because I have replacement windows that are easy to clean from the inside. It's the moving of the furniture and everything out of the way to do it. I, therefore, only do one room, not more than two windows at a time . Doesn't seem like such a big job then. When I'm done with that room, I move my window cleaning equipment to the next room that I'm going to do the next day or so and go sit down and have a flavored coffee. Pretty soon, within a week, they're all done : ))

• Alison is over in England but she is a Canadian girl. Her newest blog is Grumble Bug and she has the right idea:
  I always pick sunny days to Spring clean. It just seems appropriate to have some windows open while your getting the fug of Winter out of the house.
  
• Reflections From the Fence is Carol’s blog and she pretty much laughed at my suggestion that she give some cleaning tips for Spring but then she came back with her tips for their home away from home on wheels.
Baby wipes! Will clean just about anything. Not only baby butts, but, fur kid butts, adult butts and MORE! I dust with them, I will clean floors with them. They are very useful when we are traveling and may or may not have access to running water in the rig. Very useful when we are traveling in the winter months. I have cleaned dishes with them to remove the food, and when we finally get water I wash them with soap and hot water, but, in the meantime they don't smell snarly. I have cleaned sinks, toilets and counter tops with them. I really love dusting with them, dust does not float away.

• Linda from A Classy Diva says:
Make your spray cleaner. Fill a spray bottle with 3 Tablespoons ammonia, 1 tablespoon vinegar & the reminder with water.
Use newspaper to clean your windows....very inexpensive, since most of us have newspaper around.
Wall cleaner - mix 1/2 cup ammonia, 1/4 cup white vinegar, and 1/4 cup of baking soda to 1 gal. of warm water
Use pledge polish to shine Granite counters, and shine Stainless steel appliances.

• Score another one for the windows from the Impulsive Addict:I've had to really think about this. The only thing I do in the spring is clean my windows (inside and out) with Windex and newspapers. It works perfectly for that no streak shine!!
• Kasia’s blog is Chatelet and she has some interesting natural tips here:
• I use mostly Vinegar for my cleaning and when I need soap, I make it myself :) Some castille soap and essential oils and voila! LOL But for a tip? Lets see.... well, instead of using windex for windows and mirrors (which is ammonia) I used dark brewed tea (not sweetened) It works great! Also, if you have scratches on your woodwork, grab a freshly cracked walnut and rub it on the crack, it makes it almost invisible! :) I dont know if this works too, but instead of toothpaste, I have a cup of baking soda to which I add a few drops of essential oil (tea tree oil) And I sprinkle in some ground cloves and keep this in a jar, then with a tiny spoon you drop some on your palm and scoop it up with a toothbrush. In short, you have no chemicals and all the cleaning/whitening power and goodness of natural products! :)
  Vicki @ The Universe Smiles says:  With all the wind we’re getting in New Mexico, try opening all the doors of the house and let the wind blow out all the dust and ash.
  OK, that was stupid. Now I have pollen and I’m sneezing!
  I’ll pay my daughter to come clean my house.
• I am so sorry Valerie Linley because I can’t find your blog. I have hundreds in my list. I know you are in Ontario but other than that I can’t find a link but your tip is great:
  In my area of southern Ontario there is occasions of late frost until early June. I caution those gardeners eager to get out in the garden and expose the new growth to take their time to clean up the flower beds and not rush it. Tender emerging plants can be killed off or severely harmed if their nice warm environment is disturbed too soon. Let the emerging plants do so at their own speed only taking off the dead debris and weeds around them when those late frosts have ended.
• A quick tip from tapdancer@frontiernet.net  but I don’t think the fire hose is a good idea:
  I usually open all the doors and windows and hose my house out. Wish I had a fire hose.
• Betty @Just Thoughts on a Blog is an organized woman:
  Every time I start my Spring cleaning I think about the three pile rule when I clean a closet or drawer or room out. 1. The keep pile
  2. The donate pile
  3. The trash pile
  Then look at your keep pile again and ask yourself if you used that in the last three years. If you haven't it's time to move to the donate pile.
  You will be surprised to see how much clutter you can get rid of. I have never been a hoarder of junk . It's getting that time again to start our Spring cleaning and I think your blog post is a great idea to give us tips on cleaning house.
So what I see the most here is we can’t wait to get some fresh into our homes and that is sometimes the incentive we  need to clean.

Now for my tips:
1. Cotton balls in the fingertips of rubber gloves stops them from tearing from your fingernails
2. Start from the top of a room and work downwards.
3. Keep a set of cleaning supplies in each room.
4. Change or clean your furnace filter.
5. CHANGE YOUR SMOKE DETECTOR BATTERIES
6. Pour yourself a big glass of wine and put your feet up because you deserve it!
Thanks for all your help with this ladies. It is nice to know we are all in the same boat so to speak.

LEAP INTO SPRING

Just a reminder that Spring is coming, even if it is snowing near where we live…..don’t forget to send me your Spring Cleaning tips and tricks for my next post. I have some great ones already.
I will link your hints to your blog. Don’t delay.Click on the email icon below to send me your tip. Make sure you include your blog info.

 

TELL ME YOUR BEST IDEAS

Spring is coming and we know what that means don’t we.

 

It is time to get ready for the better weather. Time to throw open the windows and air out our homes..okay I know some of you still have blowing winds and snow. Time to clean out those closets, shine up the windows and pressure wash the patios.
So here is my request. TELL ME YOUR BEST IDEAS for Spring cleaning. What is on your must do Spring list?

NO, DON’T TELL ME HERE!!!!! 

Email me with your ideas and tips. I will put together a post of all your ideas in March. C’mon, don’t hold out on us. Lets get a big old list together of your best tips and tricks. I will link your tip to your blog if you have one.

REMEMBER, DON’T PUT IT IN YOUR COMMENTS. EMAIL IT TO ME BY CLICKING ON THE ENVELOPE PICTURE BELOW.
 

TABLESCAPE THURSDAY - SPRING IS COMING

 

I am joining Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday. I rarely join in but this week I happened to have set the table in a spring motif. I usually have artichokes in this centerpiece but the store didn't have any nice ones. 

Make sure you say hi in a comment before you rush off to see all the other beautiful tablescapes at Susan's. 

 

Did you like a post? Click on the SU button to Stumble it. Thanks.