Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Saturday, January 14, 2017

Nasty Weather Inspiration

Although the weather is better now, it was nasty a few days ago.  This was a "small" rain shower.  We had thunderstorms and 50 degree weather most of the day.  It was a swamp.   Nasty weather is always a welcoming reason to deep clean and then treat myself to crochet time.


...or baking time.

 I've been a bit lazy getting breakfast made with greens lately.  I just love the home canned cherry jam I canned last year.  LOVE IT!  It's on the list of restocking this summer.


 A large container of homemade hot chocolate has been restocked.

...it's also a good day to restock supplies like dishwasher detergent.  My laundry detergent needs restocked too.

I started my 30-minute per day/per area cleaning/clutter clean up challenge.  Now that the blanket is done, I have time to get my home in order.  It's the first thing we see when we wake up and the last when we go to bed.  It's important for me to keep it clutter free, while teaching the kids to clean up too.
  

I cleaned off my nightstand.  However, as I put lip balm and pens into the drawer, I quickly dumped the drawer.  I checked all the pens and highlighters (I write, so I have a ton), discarded the moldy cat treats that somehow fell way back in the drawer, discarded the sticky candy (why adults should never, ever stash sweets from their kids, ha ha!), wiped it out and washed my doilies on the nightstand.  I dusted the lamps, discarded anything not used, moved the medications/bandaids and whatnot to it's rightful home.  In the process I found a pen that I could use to glue a magnet to.


The scoop on the pen and magnet.  Way back in October of 2014, I decorated a small clipboard for my shopping list(s).  I glued a magnet to a pen and put all of it on the side of the fridge.  While I was in the hospital recently, my pen (that lasted this long and still had ink in it, and was never lost), became lost.  Boom!  Gone.  No one knows where it went.  I put the magnet on it to prevent the kids from stealing it.  Well, since we never found it, I walked a pen to the kitchen, along with a new magnet and proper glue.  In the process, I dug through a container on my computer desk, looking for something to hold the end of the pen up while it dried.  In the container, I found our 17 year-old's long lost thumb drive (one she lost many years ago.  Lose something - find something.  Funny how that works.

I've cleaned up several areas in my own bedroom, along with a few complete kitchen cupboards.  Either a mouse is trying to annoy me, or God is telling me to deep clean every cupboard in the kitchen this winter.  I caught one mouse, but he/she must have made "rounds" before landing in the trap.  It's just frustrating.  We have cats and they are not helping me.  I guess we'll be sanitized, cleaned and ready for spring very soon.  I have two more cupboards that need a complete cleaning, but I'm giving them the trap first.  If I don't catch anything, then I'll clean.  No one wants to do this sort of cleaning more than once.

What's next?  More of the kitchen, my roll top desk (that will take a few days), and the very old wallpaper trim that needs removed from a small room (we failed at removing it 8-9 years ago, and sort of let it go).  I need a steamer I think, so I may be looking to see if anyone has one to borrow.  The spray and scraper did not work too well. 

 









6 comments:

Kim said...

I have had some success with spraying and using a hot hairdryer.

Sam I Am...... said...

I had to laugh when you said you were going to treat yourself and then the next thing I saw was the bottle of Jim Beam! LOL! I would get yourself some bait stations...that way you don't have the mess of the traps and the other animals can't get into them. Terminex puts mine around but you could get your own at Tractor Supply or somewhere near you.
I'm trying to deep clean but have decided to just straighten up first and make it neat so it will not be such a big deal when I do "deep clean" and shampoo carpets etc. I'm doing like you; returning items to where they belong and dusting and vacuuming but no drawers or cupboards yet. I am piling up things in the basement for a sale this Spring. Winter is a good time for this!

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Kim, thanks, I never thought of using the hair dryer.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Sam I Am, I'm inspiring my husband to clean. He is impressed, but has a few messes of his own to clean up, ha ha!

RB said...

Sounds like you've really been busy. I hope you're remembering to rest too.
Got off from work Sunday, and was so sore and pooped, I just went to bed and stayed there. Later in the evening, I developed a headache (2nd one in 2 days), so I wrapped my head in a heating pad and went back to sleep. Not sure why that works to help me sleep with a headache, but it does, even though the headache is usually back when I wake up again.
Prayers everyone has a great week, and a safe one too.
Remember if the weather/roads get bad, "If you can't walk on it, you can't drive on it either" (our Dad use to say) and stay put.
God bless.
RB
<><

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

RB, I've been having headaches here. Peppermint tea helps soothe it. I think it's the weather for me.