cleaning

I have a slight obsession, okay a big obsession with cleaning our home. It gets me into trouble sometimes because I can't relax or think straight until I have cleaned. It is not always easy to keep our home sparkling when we have two 100 pound dogs running around. Luckily, I grew up with a mom that is always buying into all the new cleaning products and cleaning ideas. Some may not view that as lucky, but I know that I do because when I walk into a cleaning supplies isle I am like a kid in a candy shop.

When Wyatt and Milton were puppies, my cleaning supplies obsession got a little out of control because I was determined to find the best and safest way to clean around animals. This could be a whole other blog post, which maybe I will take a 1/2 day and let you guys in on some secret puppy cleaning ways.

But, this post is the first of my cleaning advice and findings. I know it is not the most exciting of all blogs, but it is something I enjoy and if you enjoy it too, then you know how insane it is!

Today, Austin and I ventured out to Sam's Club and the grocery store. While at the grocery store I walked straight to the cleaning supplies isle to pick up some Woolite Oxygen Stain and Odor remover for pets. Exciting I know. In the meantime, Austin managed to pick up all the other necessities and then find me right where I started.

My number one must have cleaning supply right now is the Woolite Oxygen Stain and Odor remover for pets. You can spray it on your couch, pillows, carpet, rugs, dogs, okay not dogs, but pretty much whatever you want.




But, today I came across a new and exciting product. Arm and Hammer carpet booster with oxy clean. It comes in a big baking soda like box and it looks like baking soda too. It is user friendly too, you just shake it all over your carpet and let it sit for 15-30 minutes, then vacuum. I used it in our bedroom and closet and upstairs where the dog crates are. it worked really well. The only downside was that I used the whole box, but it only cost $1.80/ box. So, maybe I will stock up? I could see this being a staple in my cleaning organizer. Yes, I do have a cleaning organizer and yes Austin did buy it for me because he knows I love cleaning so much and he knew I would love it. It obviously does not take much to get me excited.



Does anyone else have pet cleaning advice?

New Beginnings

I realized this evening that it has been way too long since my last post. If I got a grade on how great of a blogger I am, I would score very low on whatever scale it is that the "blogger's judges" go by. But, here I am with a promise, to at least myself, that I will do a much better job of keeping up with this! I am very happy to say that we are now halfway into January of 2011 !! After the jam-packed year of 2010, I have a really good feeling about this new year. Austin and I did not make specific resolutions because we have spent the past nine months analyzing and thinking over way too many things. So, 2011 is a slow down! Here are some things that I am excited about...


1 less IS more (this can fall into many categories such as less spending, less home decorating, less clothes buying, etc)

2 being thankful for the little things (a roof over my head, a comfy couch, food in the pantry,etc.)

3 more spontaneous, less planning (this is hard for me because I like to have EVERYTHING planned out, but towards the end of 2010 I realized that I stress myself out way too much trying to plan every single detail that I am too exhausted to enjoy anything. I will most likely still plan everything out, but my goal is to continue to remind myself to slow down and enjoy each day because memories are more important than hours of planning, and also more fun!)

4 if you know me well then you know that I am pretty much all the time thinking about what else I can do to decorate our house. This is fun and all, but whenever I get an idea, I HAVE to have or do whatever it is I am thinking about. So, this year I only have a few things I am going to focus on, which I will get into those later!

5 adventure.

6 giving back. After such a humbling experience with the flood. I am forever grateful to family, friends, and the people of nashville who supported us and our neighbors.

7 of course, last but not least, spending more time having fun and spending quality time with Austin and Wyatt and Milton.


That's a long list for someone who doesn't have a resolution. But, these are things that I have learned about myself in the past year and that I want to continue to improve on.

So, I think 2011 is going to be a wonderful year! Or, we could have a million things happen at once and not get any rest for months in a row, but, if that is the case then we will continue to be blessed by the Lord.