In your kitchen. It really is crucial you stay organized. Get your pantry together. Keep all the food in categories. I have a baking shelf, a dinner stuff shelf, a breakfast stuff shelf, a lunch stuff shelf, a snack shelf, and a when am I going to use this shelf. It makes it easy so you can know when you are running low on something. Clear your counters. Nothing makes a kitchen look more messy than counters full of coupons, school papers, and food. You can get a coupon organizer and keep it in your drawer. These are great so you don’t hand in expired ones. For school papers clear one drawer just for those. Also purchase one of those plastic filing cabinets and label it for homework, projects, reports, future assignments, artwork, sports, and limbo. I have a lot of stuff in limbo still trying to decide what I am going to do with it.

There is no need for a dirty house
My great grandmother had nine children, a two bedroom house without two dimes to rub together. Her home was always bright, cheerful and spotless. I cannot stand a dirty house. Hey I am not saying your home has to be perfect but it shouldn‘t look like the bathroom at Hess. If you can afford a cleaning woman, good for you. If you are like most of the moms on this site, get out your gloves and start scrubbing. I have had cleaning women come in and you know what? They clean around the middle of the room. When they left I redid it. If you follow my schedule your house will always be presentable. This is the what is important. That your home be inviting and presentable at any time. You don’t have to mop your floors every day but you do have to straighten out every day, sometimes two or three times. Keep up on it and you won’t fall behind. Remember though, before you do anything, make yourself look presentable!

Go to the store and pick up a notebook/binder. This will be your Holiday Guide. In this book you will have your guests list, menu, recipes, table settings, centerpieces, time line, dos and don’ts, and much more. This book is going to be a valuable resource every year. Eventually you will pass it down to your daughter or other member who takes over the holidays. Its your torch to pass! You can get very creative with this.

What you need

1. A three ring binder
2. Dividers

Thats it! Now you can decorate it anyway you like. If you scrapbook, this is a fabulous time to get your creative juices flowing. Use lace, and ribbon, or old pictures, anything that makes this personal and pretty.

Journal paper is also nice so you can jot down new recipes, traditions and even write down memories from that year. Not only will it be a guide for the holidays in the future, but a sacred keepsake full of memories and love!

Pick a room today and begin getting your life under control. When your home is clean and beautiful you feel better. I don’t care how many women can argue that they just don’t have time to clean, the fact is if you do a little each day you won’t feel so resentful of the job. And hey, like a friend of mine said when I was whining about doing the laundry, “what are you complaining about? You have a washer and dryer.” It was a simple statement and so true. We could be dragging the clothes to the laundromat or worse yet, dragging them around in a plastic bag on the streets. So, let’s be happy we’re not homeless and let’s get our houses together. I am not expecting you to be a slave to your home. In fact I know if you follow my schedule you will have the afternoons free to do what you want so what are you waiting for. Let’s get moving.

Before you can get on schedule you have to do a few things. Declutter and declutter. We collect so much junk over the years. Get rid of it. We hold on to clothes we know we will never wear again, get rid of it. We buy a lot of things we don’t need, get rid of it. Stop putting this off. Once your house is clean and organized you will feel a weight lifted off your shoulders.

• Select the best types of plants for your environment, water and feed them according to their needs, and prune them on a regular basis to make the blooms last longer. ▪ Purchase your plants when the threat of frost has passed and your nursery has what you’ve selected in stock.

• Buy your plants in ‘pony packs,’ plastic containers of seedlings. Place seedlings about six inches apart in each container. This closeness will force the plants to grow out, giving each pot a full lush look.
• Use annuals so you can easily replace them when the blooms are gone.
• For blooms with vibrant color and exquisite shapes, use plant bulbs such as amaryllis, begonia, and iris. Watered correctly, they’ll keep their color and shape for weeks on end.

This time of summer there’s a lot more eating your garden than just your family. Unwanted insects use your veggies as a 24/7 buffet making a mess of some plants and completely destroying others.

The best way to stay ahead of the little nasties is to take a walk through the garden every day, either early in the morning or in the evening, to look for telltale signs of insect damage. Here are a few of the most common culprits.

Japanese Beetles: If your leaves look like skeletons of themselves, particularly in the Eastern half of the country, it’s most likely Japanese beetles. There’s a debate whether the traps work very well, or simply draw in more beetles, but one sure-fire method is to pick off the beetles and drop them in water.

Cabbage Loopers: If your cabbage, broccoli, kale or cauliflower have holes and black feces (yick!) in the leaves and vegetables, it’s most likely the cabbage looper. Early prevention by covering the plants with a floating row cover to keep the butterflies from laying eggs on the plants works well, or you can dust with bT, an organic bacterial insecticide.

Tomato Hornworms: These are big, juicy caterpillars that are bright green and blend in very well to the tomato stems. They chew in the leaves of the tomatoes, and can seriously damage plants. While you can dust them with bT, it’s almost easier to pick them off by hand and cut them in half.

Aphids: I don’t know a gardener who hasn’t had these tiny sap suckers clustered underneath leaves and along the stems of plants. They’re like little vampires that will severely stress plants. For small groups, you can squish them with your fingers, but for larger infestations dose them with insecticidal soap spray. In a pinch you can use a couple of drops of dish detergent in a spray bottle.

Cucumber Beetles: While these tiny beetles might look pretty with either black stripes or spots, they can wreak havoc in the garden by boring through stems and spreading bacterial wilts and mosaic virus. Unfortunately, they don’t limit themselves to cucumbers, either. They’ll gladly munch on any vining plant – such as squash or pumpkins – as well as corn, tomatoes, beans and even some flowers. If you see cucumber beetles on any of your plants spray them with pyrethrum spray, and keep after them until they’re eliminated.

You can stay on top of what to do about unwanted critters in the garden by following me on “Pest Patrol” on www.plantersplace.com

Garage sales, also called rummage sales, and yard sales in certain parts of the country are a great way to clean up a cluttered home by getting rid of used and unwanted items while making a nifty profit on the side.

With the slumping economy garage sales have become an enviable place to shop for second hand goods at second hand prices and are recognized as the best place to find bargains on jewelry, furniture, clothes, hand bags, books, and childrens items.

To prepare to put on your own sale this spring or summer below are some helpful tips to get you started:

• Decide what you would like to sell and what you want to keep
• The more valuable items and better condition items are in the easier and more profitable they are when it comes to selling
• See if the neighbors would like to participate in the sale because multifamily sales always attract more visitors
• Check to make sure that you do not need a permit or any other legal documents from the city for the sale
• Set a date, time, and location (Saturdays and Sundays usually work best but in the summer it can be any day of the week) If you live in an army town than the first weekend of the month is the best time as that’s when payouts go through
• Once a date is picked you should start to advertise the sale either online at all the garage sales websites and make or purchase signs to put within a half a mile radius putting clearly how to get to the sale (this is key for the early bird weekend treasure hunters)
• Get tables and blankets so that you can neatly display items that are easy to be seen by those passing by
• Go to the bank and grab proper change that correlates with the sale price of your items
• Sell, Bargain, Haggle with your customers, and most importantly have fun!

This post was brought to you by Garage Sales Tracker. A website were users can post a garage sale for free as well as find all local yard sales, flea markets, and consignment shops in your community.

Here is a simple list of chores to be done in the spring. You may have more or less depending on your home and needs.

• At the end of each season, donate any clothes and shoes for that season that you didn’t wear.
• Make cleaning easier and home more organized by first getting rid of clutter and selling or donating any items you no longer want or need
• Clean items before putting them in storage so that they are ready to use when you remove them.
• Store all seasonal items together.
• Wash all pillows, blankets, and comforters
• Organize dresser drawers
• Clean and condition leather furnishings
• Empty and vacuum out kitchen cupboards and drawers.
• Wash curtains and draperies
• Clean carpets.
• Clean bookshelves and books
• Clean out financial files
• Move heavy furniture and large appliances and clean behind and underneath them
• Vacuum the refrigerator coils
• Wash any walls that need it.
• Replace heavy bedding with spring/summer bedding
• Wash windows inside and out
• Clean the tracks of any sliding doors
• Change the batteries in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors

Brass Polish
Apply ketchup or worcestershire sauce. Let stand a few minutes, then rinse. If an area doesn’t clean, there must be a build up of grease or dirt. Clean the residue off with paste of salt and vinegar, and then reapply the sauce. Or try a natural product called Citra-Solv, made from citrus peels.

Bug Spray
Mix 3 Tbs of liquid peppermint Castile soap with 16 ounces of water in a spray bottle. Spray directly on ants, and spiders to kill them.

Carpet Cleaner
1 part cornstarch
1 part 20 Mule Team Borax

Combine and sprinkle over carpet. Leave for one hour. Vacuum.

Carpet Freshener
4 cups baking soda or cornstarch
35 drops Eucalyptus essential oil
30 drops Lavender essential oil
25 drops Rosewood essential oil
or any combination of your favorite essentail oils

Measure 4 cups of baking soda into a bowl, add essential oils. Break up any clumps that form, stir until well mixed. Before vacuuming sprinkle powder from a shaker type can or jar. Let it sit on the carpet for about 15 minutes then vacuum.

Carpet Freshener – Herbal
1 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup lavender flowers
Crush the lavender flowers to release their scent. Mix well with baking soda and sprinkle liberally on carpets. Vacuum after 30 minutes.

Carpet Odor
Sprinkle baking soda on carpet and leave over night. Vacuum.

Carpets/Upholstery

1) A great non-toxic carpet stain remover is club soda. Soak spot immediately with soda and blot until the stain is gone.
2) Pet Urine on Carpets: Dab area with toweling to absorb as much as possible, wash spot with liquid dish detergent, and rinse with 1/2 cup vinegar diluted in 1 qt warm water. Lay towels or paper towels over the spot and weight down to absorb excess moisture. Let stand 4 to 6 hours, then remove toweling, brush up nap and allow to dry completely. Use an electric fan to speed drying.
3) Red wine stains can be removed from carpet by rubbing baking soda in and vacuuming.
4) Sprinkle cornstarch onto carpet, vacuum.
5) To remove grease spots from carpets, first sop up the liquid with a sponge, then rub a liberal amount of baking soda into the spot. Let it absorb overnight. Next day, remove the excess and vacuum the area.
6) To remove grease spots from carpets, first absorb excess with a sponge, then rub a liberal amount of corn starch into the spot. Let sit overnight, then vacuum.
7) Dry cornstarch sprinkled on rug and vacuumed.

Copper cleaner
(white vinegar, water and salt)

Mix equal parts of vinegar and salt (a tablespoon of each) and apply to the surface with a rag. Be sure to rinse thoroughly with water afterwards, otherwise it will corrode. Don’t use this cleaner on lacquered finishes!
Use these green cleaning recipes to create homemade cleaners that are safe for you, your children and the environment.

Copper Polish
Coat the surface with ketchup. Let sit for a few minutes, then rinse off. Rub with a soft cloth to dry.

Disinfectant Cleaner
Mix 15 drops of grapefruit seed extract with 2 cups of warm water. Pour the solution into a spray bottle. Grapefruit seed extract also whitens sinks, tubs, and tiles.

Drain Cleaner #1
1/4 cup baking soda
1/2 c vinegar

Pour baking soda in drain. Pour vinegar in drain. Tightly close the drain. Let rest a few minutes. Then flush with boiling water. Repeat until clear. To keep the drain free of buildup, weekly flush with 1/4 cup salt, then boiling water. (an Alka-Seltzer also works well in place of the baking soda)

Drain cleaner #2
(baking soda, white vinegar and boiling water)

Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain first, then 1/2 cup vinegar. Let it fizz for a few minutes. Then pour down a teakettle full of boiling water. Repeat if needed. If the clog is stubborn, use a plunger. For very stubborn clogs, use a mechanical snake. This recipe will free minor clogs and helps to prevent future clogs.

Flea Spray
Score and slice a lemon, place it in a bowl, and pour 1cup of boiling water over it. Allow to sit overnight, and then spray or sponge the citric solution onto your pet.

Furniture Polish
1 part lemon juice
2 parts vegetable or olive oil

Hard Water Buildup
Put equal parts vinegar and water inside a tea kettle or vase that has mineral buildup. Let sit for at least a half hour. Then scrub out the minerals

Linoleum floor cleaner
(white vinegar and water)
Mop with a mixture of 1/2 cup vinegar in a bucket of warm water. The vinegar odor will dissipate shortly after the floor dries.

Oven cleaner #1
(baking soda and water)

Mix 1 cup of baking soda with enough water to make a paste. Apply the paste to oven surfaces and let it stand a little while. Use the scouring pad for scrubbing most surfaces. A spatula or a bread knife is effective to get under large food deposits. This recipe will require more scrubbing effort, but it is nontoxic for you, your children and the environment. Commercial oven cleaners contain severe irritants. Do not use this cleaner recipe on self-cleaning ovens!

Oven Cleaner #2
When the spill is still warm, sprinkle with salt and scrub

Porcelain Cleaner
Rub porcelain with cream of tartar and a damp soft rag.

Silver Polish
Make a paste with 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 1/2 T water. Apply with a damp sponge. Rub, then rinse and buff dry. Or put the baking soda in enough boiling water to cover the silverware. Let sit 10 minutes, then polish.

Spot Remover (General)
Dissolve 1/4 cup Borax in 2 cups of cold water. Sponge on and let dry. Wash garment or fabric as recommended. This solution works on blood, chocolate, coffee, mildew and mud.

Spot Remover (Ink)
Wet the fabric with water, then apply a paste of cream of tartar and lemon juice. Let sit for an hour, then wash as directed. You can also try spraying the garment with hair spray just before washing.

Spot Remover (“washable” Color Makers)
Rinse stain in cold water until it runs clear. Then wet the stain with rubbing alcohol. Blot with another cloth until the color is removed. Was in hottest water allowed for fabric.

Spot Remover (Poster Paints and Watercolors (on Garments))
Apply rubbing alcohol to the stain and blot with another cloth until no more color comes off. Line dry. If stain remains, soak garment in one quart of warm water, one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid, and one tablespoon of vinegar. Wash in hottest water temperature the fabric can tolerate.

Spot Remover (Poster Paint. Finger Paint and Watercolors (on Carpeting or clothing))
First remove as much of the paint as possible by applying a paste of baking soda and water to the stain. When the paste is dry, vacuum the spot. To remove what remains, soak a sponge in rubbing alcohol and blot stain until no more color comes off on the sponge (stand on the sponge to encourage the paint to soak up). If some stain still remains, blot again with sponge soaked in ammonia.

Tile and floor Cleaner
Scrub with Paste of 20 Mule Team Borax and water

Toilet Bowl #1
Sprinkle with baking soda, the pour in a little vinegar. Scrub with a brush. For tougher stains, make a paste and lemon juice and let it remain on the stain over night.

Toilet Bowl #2
(baking soda and liquid soap)
Sprinkle baking soda inside the bowl as you would any scouring powder. Add a couple drops of liquid soap as well. Scrub with a toilet bowl brush and finish the outside surfaces with a rag sprinkled with baking soda.

Tub and sink cleaner
(baking soda and liquid soap)
Sprinkle baking soda on the porcelain fixtures. Rub with wet rag. Add a few drops of the liquid, Murphy’s soap to the rag for more cleaning power. Rinse well to avoid leaving a hazy film.

Upholstery Cleaner
1/4 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
1 T dishwashing liquid
1 C warm water

Rub Surface with a soft cloth that has been dipped in this solution.

Wall Cleaner
1 gal. hot water
1/2 c borax

Window Cleaner #1
(white vinegar and water)
Put 1/4 cup of white vinegar in a spray bottle and fill to the top with water. Spray on the surface. Rub with a lint-free cotton rag. For outdoor windows, use a sponge and wash with warm water and a few drops of liquid Murphy’s or castile soap in it. Rinse well and squeegee dry.

Window Cleaner #2
2 c water
2 T ammonia

Window Cleaner #3
1 c vinegar
2 c water

This does a great job cleaning windows and mirrors.

Miscellaneous:

Chewing Gum in Hair
Slather peanut butter on the gum. It will dissolve it. Then comb it out. Keep doing this until all the gum is removed. You can also try freezing it as with the silly putty above.

Lipstick

Rub with shortening(not margarine- this has yellow dye in it) and clean with washing soda

Play Dough on Carpeting
Remove larger pieces while dough is still pliable. Let the rest dry over night into the carpet. Make a solution of warm water with some dish washing liquid. Use a stiff brush dipped in the water to work the rest of the dough out.

Silly Putty on Carpeting or Garments
My mom says that when I left silly putty on the carpet, she froze it by applying ice. It becomes brittle and peeled right off

A few light dishes, bunnies, or signs can give your home a quick spring lift. In you china buffet add some pink or green dishes that you can pick up for a dime at the Homegoods or TJMaxx.

Set your Easter table with a pastel tablecloth and napkins. White dishes if you have. And a great trick is to make your Easter cake your centerpiece.

Throw jelly beans around the table with some Easter grass. Leave a few empty areas where you will place your food.

Generations of consumers have washed clothes with the idea that more soap means cleaner laundry. But the sudsy habits are creating messy problems from dingy clothing to worn machines.

Making matters worse, the latest generation of detergents are concentrated and so require users to use less product-per-washload than ever before. And more consumers are buying high-efficiency washers, which need far less water than older models. It’s a combination begging for more careful measuring—something Americans stubbornly resist.

Read the rest of this story on the Wall Street Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703808904575025021214910714.html