WASH – my washing machine?! Sounds interesting don’t you think? I saw this on Pinterest and finally decided to try it. I had realized that my sister’s clean laundry smelled so nice and fresh. I tried buying her same detergent and same dryer sheets, but that didn’t do it. What was I missing? Well I probably should have done this ages ago, but better late than never! I gave my washing machine a cleaning.
Isn’t this the most disgusting picture ever? No wonder my laundry wasn’t coming out smelling fresh, and instead coming out with a bit of a smell. (not a terrible smell, but enough to notice)
Quite a simple process and SUCH good results! Here’s how YOU can do it!
All you need is:
1 Qt Chlorine Bleach & 1 Qt Distilled White Vinegar
1.Fill up your washing machine with HOT water for a large load and add the bleach.
2.Let your machine start for one minute, then open the lid and let it sit for one hour.
3.After an hour, let your machine run through it’s normal cycle.
 4.Right after it is done, fill your washer with HOT water again on it’s large load cycle. Add the vinegar.
5.Just as before, let your machine start working for one minute, then let the water sit for one hour.
6.Before running your machine through it’s cycle again, take a rag and wipe down your machine inside and out using the vinegar water.
(Make sure to clean up inside all the spots you can reach, I was surprised to find clumps of lint, dirt, etc… up in the ring.
7.After the cycle is through, you are done and ready to throw in a load!
BEFORE - GROSS
AFTER - SWEETNESS
 Here's an after from the first picture, I had to show you that it is no longer disgusting!
I was excited to try my first load and so I threw in our towels. Even after just opening the lid of the washer after its cycle I could tell a difference! I smelled and smelled…NOTHING! Now that’s great right? But at first I was wondering, where is that fresh scent smell?! Then I remembered that my detergent is non-scented..duh! But even NO smell is better than a musty smell!
I will definitely have to do this again - the post I read said to do it twice a year!
Now my next project is to make my own dryer balls and add essential oils to add a nice scent to my clothes. I am trying to use natural cleaners, are there any you have found that you like?
Growing up, my Thanksgiving had a very large assortment of dishes, and having these items year after year just became tradition and Thanksgiving wouldn't quite feel the same if certain dishes were missing, do you know what I mean?
Well over the years, while I can still remember my plate back from home as a kid, a few other items have made their way into the Thanksgiving day plate.
Boston Market Sweet Potato Casserole & Lime-Pear Jello
I had this potato casserole a few years ago and just had to make it for the following Thanksgiving - and it was a hit. Even for my husband, and he is not a vegetable man. This casserole is border line candy!
 Pop 5-6 sweet potatoes into a 400º oven and let them bake for about an hour, until soft.  I like baking the potatoes as opposed to steaming because once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, the skins peel right off! Measure out 6 cups and beat with a mixer. Mix-in brown sugar, heavy cream, butter, cinnamon and salt.
*After mixing, I covered and put it in our fridge until the next day.  To make the streusel topping, grind the oatmeal (I used my hand held blender) and then add the butter. Cut in using a pastry blender. (I got to use my new Pampered Chef one!)  Sprinkle the streusel on top and pop in the oven for 70-80 minutes until the streusel starts to brown.  Top with marshmallows! If the mallows don't melt from the heat of the potatoes you can put it back in the oven for a few minutes. Onto the Lime-Pear Jello! My husband's mom used to make this dish, and since being married, I have become the lime-pear jello bringer. This is practically a dessert and very simple!  I have double the ingredients because I am making two batches. You'll need one box of lime jell-o, one box cream cheese and a can of pears.  This pale-green bowl of jell-o mush may not look like much, but give it a try for yourself! You may end up like my husband and eat it straight from the bowl - making it ALL his! Sweet Potato Casserole 6 cups mashed sweet potatoes (5 to 6 potatoes)
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups mini marshmallows
Oatmeal Streusel:
1/4 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons cold butter
Bake potatoes in a preheated 400 degree oven for 60 to 70 minutes or until they are tender. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel off the skins. Measure 6 cups into a large bowl.
Mix on high speed to beat the potatoes until they are mashed and smooth. Add 3/4 cup brown sugar, heavy cream, melted butter, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt into the sweet potatoes and mix well with Pour into a baking dish (roughly 8x8)Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Make the oatmeal streusel by grinding the rolled oats to a fine flour using a food processor. A blender will also work.
Combine the oat flour with 2 tablespoons brown sugar, all-purpose flour, and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut the cold butter into the dry mixture using a pastry cutter or a fork. You should have a crumbly mixture with pea-size bits. Sprinkle this oatmeal streusel over the sweet potato mixture and pop it into the oven for 70 to 80 minutes or until the top begins to brown slightly.
When you remove the casserole from the oven immediately spread the marshmallows over the top. Let this sit for about 10 minutes. The heat from the casserole will melt the marshmallows, and then it's ready to serve.
| Lime-Pear Jell-o 1 large can of pear halves
1 regular tub of cool-whip
1-8 oz cream cheese
1 small package lime jell-o
Whip one package of cream cheese with an electric mixer.
Boil 1 cup of pear juice and then dissolve one package of lime jell-o in it. Add this to the mixer and beat well.
Pour into a bowl and put in the freezer for 45 minutes until firm.
Pull out of the freezer and beat this with the tub of cool-whip and can of pears.
Store in the fridge until ready to serve. | What items can't YOU leave out on Thanksgiving day?
Found this image on google search and liked it! (alicexz.deviantart.com) Yep, saw it opening weekend. Not that I needed to, it just worked out that way. I was a bit hesitant to see it actually, with Argo & Lincoln in theaters I thought perhaps we should spend our "one-movie-a-year" on one of those. My husband and I are not Twihards by any means, but we read the books and have seen the past three films, so we thought we'd finish it off right.
I remember on a whim, we went to opening night of Eclipse and said we would never do that again. We were surrounded by a full theater of teenagers who enjoyed commenting out loud about Jacob and Edward's appearance. Oh dear!
So! Since I didn't really care for Part One (perhaps a bit too much Edward & Bella - if you know what I mean) I didn't really know what to expect from Part Two. But I loved it! I enjoyed Bella the best in this film compared to all the others. (No more sulking around the forest crying about Edward)
I also was caught off guard by the ending of the film (which I won't go into detail about). But it was a good one, it kept me on my toes and I actually felt like I was able to share in some of the emotions. And of course at the very end, when the Christina Perri song kicks in, the softy in ME kicks in and I start to lose it. But don't worry I held it together.
This is how we worked out going to a movie BTW - since we don't live by a lot of family and haven't started getting a sitter OTHER than family, my sister and I swapped kids back to back. After church our family went to her house and watched her two girls while they went to a movie, then when they got back Tim and I went while they were on kid duty.
Mini-matinee dates! It's so nice to get a little time just one on one with the hubs. Driving back from the theater for those few minutes in the car was so quiet! So weird remembering how it used to be when it was just the TWO of us!
Oh! and I topped it off by getting my first Starbucks Peppermint Mocha of the season! mmmMMM!
Are any of you "post-teenagers" into this series? Or perhaps a different series that you KNOW is a big teenie bopper film?
| You all know what I’m talking about.
Today’s episode was a little surprising though. There are times when you just know that it is going to be a messy clean-up, and then there are others – like today – when you think maybe he needs a diaper change, and then you start pulling the pants down, and there is a nice trail from bottom to toe!
I know some of you might be thinking that this is so gross to be telling, and believe me, before I was a mom; I think I would have thought the same thing. But this is reality people, and it is good to know that we are not alone in this adventure!
So, getting back to today’s adventure! This was not going to be an easy clean up so I quickly maneuvered an awkward pick-up and away we went to the bathroom. Right to the tub, clothes on and all. I continued to shower my 11-month old down and as much as I try to get away with not getting dirty myself, sometimes it’s just not possible.
Despite having just given my little sweetie a bath last night, he got all cleaned up again and smelled so fresh while I rocked him for his nap shortly after his surprise morning bath.
Sometimes I wish I had someone taking pictures throughout the day today so I could re-count all of this for my husband when he comes home, because I know throughout the day we will have more adventures and this morning one will start to fade away and by this evening I will have to remember (which is becoming hard to do these days).
And let me just add, emergency baths don’t come when you are sitting around with nothing to do…
No – these baths happen when you are all bundled up and about to walk out the door, or while your French toast needs to come off the stove!
I love being a mom of two boys, but before I was one, I don’t think I could understand all that it would include!
So hang in there mamas! We are not alone in all this, and one day we will look back and have some great memories and good laughs. – Hopefully.
Can anyone relate?
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 My husband and I got married in 2006, 2-weeks after I graduated Bethel University in MN. We had met there and all four years I knew I wanted to marry him.
We moved to central Wisconsin so my home -town and two years later I was pregnant with our first. I was 24 years old and all this was new to me. None of my friends has been through this, and neither did my sister(whom I’m extremely close to). My husband and I were very excited and I started going to my doctor visits. Week 13 came and Tim (my husband) and I got to see our little gymnast spinning around and turning on the little monitor. It was amazing! We could see the little hands and legs, and we got this precious picture.
When week 17 came around I didn’t know that I was going to hear the heart beat, but the nurse said we would record it on a tape so I could take it home. This was good because we hadn’t heard the heartbeat before, and I alone on this visit. While the nurse was looking for the heartbeat she couldn’t seem to find it. (I tend to worry, I always have, and being alone was not helpful.) I stayed calm as the nurse went to get the doctor. The doctor I had was a very kind man, he came in and searched for the heartbeat as well. He used a monitor so he could see the baby as well and he did not see a heartbeat or movement. He did not have a very promising look on his face and was very saddened to tell me the news. I was horrified. Here I was all alone, my first pregnancy, what do I do?!
He sent me to get an ultrasound on the big machines. I took my cell phone outside and called my husband at work and told him to come to the hospital, he was about 4 minutes from me at the time, so I was already in the ultrasound room by the time he got there, but he was a great support. I also called my dad so he could pray for a miracle. In the ultrasound room I couldn’t bare to look at the screen, but I know Tim did which I’m sure was hard. We kept praying for a miracle, praying for the baby to move and for a heartbeat to be found, maybe there was some mistake.
But we were told that our baby’s heartbeat could not be found and that it didn’t grow past 13 ½ weeks.
It was VERY tough news to hear. I had a life in me for almost the half-way mark, had felt many pregnancy symptoms, and then after this one regular visit (and not having symptoms of a miscarriage) it was as if someone took this baby from me. I didn’t understand, I thought of what I could have done different, or wondered if I had done something to cause it.
…He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5:45
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him...Romans 8:28
Time really does help heal, and while I don’t understand why these sad things need to occur in life, my faith helped me get through some tough times. I know that since going through what I did, I have been able to offer empathy to those going through similar experiences. And I know that it is encouraging to have someone you can talk to who has gone through something similar to your own, when I went through it I didn’t have someone I was close to that I was able to talk to who really understood.
With all that being said, today in 2012, I am truly blessed to have two little boys. I had Raef in 2009 and Christian in 2011. And I believe our precious first is in heaven. I believe God created this special child and I keep this picture on my desk to remember him.
I do not take being pregnant for granted and I think each little babe is such a gift from above. Cherish your little babes today!
♥ Evie
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