House & Home

Hello on this 66F rainy and very humid morning on the New Jersey seashore.

Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4

Let's share our home secrets with one another.   Maybe you have  some ideas other ladies would love to hear about.

1.   What household tool or appliance do you rely on a lot?

My washer and drier are wonderful tools.  I have gone without them for a time and that makes you appreciate them so much.

2.   Which laundry detergent, fabric softener, and dish detergent work best for you?

My favorite laundry detergent was always Oxydol but they don't have it anymore. Nothing got my whites cleaner.  Now I vary what I buy. Right now I have some Tide and a bottle of Gain.

I use Downy for fabric softener but I water it down as it clogs your washer.   

For dish washing I used to use Ivory or Joy.  Nothing beats Ivory. Mostly now I use Ajax. or Palmolive.

I used Dawn for a bit as it was advertised as cutting grease. Well, it doesn't cut grease anymore.  I think they change formulas after a while to save money and go on previous reputation to sell.  Sorry Dawn, you don't work well at all anymore so I won't buy you.    While I like the scents of Mrs. Meyers for winter and fall, it is super expensive for a tiny bit and if you don't have a dish washer its ridiculous.  So, right now I am using  Palmolive and Ajax.   Man, as a young wife I used to love using Joy!

My mother always used Dash and Cheer.. remember them? And you got glasses or towels in the boxes.

3.   What soap do you like to use?   Where do you have soap in your home... bathroom, kitchen, shower?

In the shower I have Dragon's Blood soap that I found at TJ Maxx. Its exfoliating and wonderful.   I am finishing up Pecksniff's Sugared Plum and Fig soap for hands at the bathroom sink.. Dove Derma Care is in the wings as Pecksniff's is down to just a couple of pumps.   I also use Pecksniff's soaps in the kitchen usually with seasonal scents though right now I have a Mrs. Meyers hand soap that I do not like.  Its gel and when you pump it onto your hands most of it falls into the sink.  I find Mrs. Meyers a waste of money.

4.   What is the secret to a clean home in your opinion?    

Clean as you go.  If you put things away, the house stays nicer.    I find that a great way to keep the kitchen in control while I am cooking too.  

Thanks for joining in for Tuesday 4.      Much appreciated.

Linens in January

t's snowing here in South Jersey.

Each week we offer 4 questions for you to ponder, think over, blog about or ignore if you like!  We keep up the tradition begun by Toni Taddeo!

Here are this week's..... all about January  Linens.

1. White month is in January when towels, sheets and household goods go on sale.  Do you replace old sheets and towels each year?  If not when?

I replaced recently because I bought a new bed. I buy sheets at discount prices but, always very good quality. I try to get them on sale and I look for the finest quality

2. How many sets of sheets  and towels do you feel a household need and how often should they be changed on the bed and on the bathroom towel rack?

I think you need 3 sets per bed which I would think most would think is a lot but I don't .  Sleeping on sheets gets them dirty quite quickly.  They absorb sweat, skin cells, dust etc and need changing often.  Their purpose is to protect the mattress and the blankets.  I change my sheets once a week most of the year and in summer sometimes a bit more often.        I also like  2 or 3 sets of towels for each person and a few sets of decorative towels.

3. Do you think the January sales are a bit too close to Christmas when people have spent their money? If you do, what month would be an ideal time to replace linens and things in the home?

They are a bit soon after the holidays but you can save money for what you need. No one needs to spend every last penny on Christmas, etc.   I don't like to blow too much on gifts.   I actually hate giving gifts. My mother would throw out anything I gave her. It made me hate giving her anything at all and left such an aversion that to this day I do not like to give gifts. I feel like its of no use since it won't be liked anyway.    I give them anyway, of course and I work on feeling better about it.    

I recently met a lady who buys new towels twice a year and her reasoning was convincing. She talked  about how she found them getting too stiff and not coming as clean anymore.

4. There is something so lovely about a linen closet with beautifully folded sheets, towels and blankets. Some place lavender in the closets for a relaxing beautiful scent.   What do you do to make your linens nice? Fabric softener? Lavender? Special folds? Of is you linen closet in serious need of some tender loving care right now? 

I like to have my linens and towels nicely folded.  I don't have much  room so I fold them so they will always fit and look nice.       I do use nice fabric softener and sprays for linens too. I try to keep them neat and organized because it just looks so much nicer than things thrown around as if no one cares at all,

I like a scent in all my closets and make that happen with lavender or candles stored there, and  gentle linen sprays.     I love the plug ins and use them all over the house.  I also love to store candles in cabinets where they collect the scents.   A welcoming home with hospitality means a lot to me. I love guests.        By the way, the pineapple is the symbol of welcome and hospitality. Even in Colonial times it was recognized when displayed in homes, inns and businesses.

 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

In Mrs. Lincoln's Kitchen

From Miss Eliza Leslie's Cookbook, used by Mary Lincoln, wife of Abraham Lincoln, a
commentary on how to make some excellent food.

         Fried Cauliflower  

Miss Leslie

Having laid a fine cauliflower in cold water for an hour, put it into a pot of boiling water that has been slightly salted, (milk and water will be still better,) and boil it twenty-five minutes, or till the large stalk is perfectly tender. Then divide it, equally, into small tufts, and spread it on a dish to cool. Prepare a sufficient quantity of batter made in the proportion of a table-spoonful of flour, and two table-spoonfuls of milk to each egg. Beat the eggs very light, then stir into them the flour and milk alternately; a spoonful of flour, and two spoonfuls of milk at a time. When the cauliflower is cold, have ready some fresh butter in a frying-pan over a clear fire. When it has come to a boil and has done bubbling, dip each 

tuft of cauliflower twice into the pan of  and fry them a light brown. Send them to table hot.

Broccoli may be fried in this manner.

This cookbook is available on Project Gutenberg if you are interested and there are hundreds of wonderful recipes.  I find it to be a treasure for great meals. Her directions are plain and easy to follow if you know how to cook. Some of her commentary is fun to read. She has very definite opinions.

Clearing Out The Clutter

H ow can you keep your home organized and clean?
I use the McDonald's crew method which is to clean as you go.
It really works!
Cleaning as you go involves putting things away the second you are done with them. As you cook, wash the utensils you are done with. Don't wait til the entire job is done. It will look overwhelming and be harder to manage for you.
 It takes a few seconds only to clean as you go.
Wipe up spills as they happen. Keep the stove top clean as you cook by wiping immediately if possible.

 Teach Kids

Teach children to play with one toy at a time and to put it away when they take out another.
Never let them develop poor habits like leaving blocks, books and game parts all over the house.  It will reflect on their personality and work habits later on.
Parenting is hard work.
Work with them because they have no clue how to clean up and it can seem overwhelming to little ones. They are smart though and catch on very fast!
Teach them pride in an orderly and neat room.
Don't allow them to play from room to room without cleaning as they go.
Best of all set them an example.

  Hang Your Clothing Up!

When you change clothing hang it up immediately or put it in the hamper right away.
Never leave clothing lying around. You paid good hard earned money for it. Show it some respect.
Do your laundry regularly and daily if you have a big enough family.

Learn how to fold things properly.  You Tube has videos to show you the best methods of folding everything!  It saves space and to me gives such a great feeling of satisfaction to have things neat and clean and well organized.
I feel good when I look in my neat and organized drawers. Things are always easy to find and look so nice.
Fold things as soon as they leave the dryer or the clothes line.

 Put your shoes away.

Have a shoe bag or a shoe cabinet and keep your shoes in them. Don't let them litter the floor.
Even a basket in the closet is preferable to loose shoes all over the place.

On the left is one is one I would love to have from Ikea.
 I would put it by my front door for shoes and the top drawer can hold keys and glasses, etc
Saving up for it now as a matter of fact.
These achievements are like medicine to the mind.

Over the door shoe bags are great for hanging anywhere you need extra storage and not just for shoes.
Put them in a pantry to hold small food packages or spices. They will hold your kitchen cleansers, extra dish soap, etc.
In the bathroom they can hold sponges, soaps, brushes, washcloths, etc.
They will hold small tools too.
I use one in my laundry room to hold screw drivers, electrical cords, and other little things.

Pick Up your Junk

 Never leave things on the floor. Pick them up and put them away immediately.
Have a specific place for your keys, purse, coats, shoes and put them there each and every time you use them without exception, without fail. Right there your home will always be tidy.

Remember Where You Put Things

If you have trouble recalling where you put things, put them down and say out loud where you are putting it.  For instance, as you put your book on the hall table say, "I am placing this book on the hall table."
It does work for anyone who is busy enough to be forgetful and it especially helpful for senior citizens.  I have seen it work wonders for  kids especially!   

Be MINDFUL. Don't do things without thinking. It is a terrible way to live. Think about what you are doing as you do it.  You will never regret becoming thoughtful and mindful.

Don't give yourself excuses

Proverbs 26: The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!     There is a lion in the streets!”  

Yes,the slacker always has an excuse for not doing something.

The successful person never has excuses but gets to work making things happen!
 Clutter is really postponed decisions.
 Get to work and do the job without using kids, jobs, age,  etc. as excuses.
As Solomon said, "whatever your hand finds to do,do it with all of your might".
It works and it develops character. Work as hard as you can for your age and limitations, but work hard.
The universe is designed with order, not chaos. Everything is in order. We should follow that design in our lives.
Another good tip is to 'make hay while the sun shines'.
That expression comes from farming.  You have to bale hay while the sun is shining or it will get moldy.  So you 'make hay" on sunny days rounding the top to ward off the rain.  
If you are disabled, working, have little kids, etc, but sure to make very good use of what time you have and that way nothing gets out of hand.
Clear out the clutter! Clutter is in your mind. The more cluttered your home, the more tired you feel, the more scattered your thoughts, the less productive you will be.

And Clutter is a sin... did you realize that?
Ecclesiastes 3:6   
A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
Psalm 44:15  "I live in confusion all day long,
and my face is covered with shame"
 I found these  online too and they fit so well:
For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. – 1 Corinthians 14:33
But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way. – 1 Corinthians 14:40

The famous housekeeper of the 1800's Mrs Beeton said, " a place for everything, and everything in it's place" Confucius said, "I hear and I forget. I see and I rememeber. I do and I understand.
Ah.. there it is.. doing brings understanding. When leaven is cleared out in the passover why is it done? Leaven or chametz is a type of idol worship ( Maimonides, in his famous work The Guide to the Perplexed (3:46), suggests that the Torah forbids the offering of chametz on the Temple altar because it is too similar to the pagan idolatrous practices of the time.).
Try wiping up crumbs in a toaster. They seem to multiply as you do it! Now you will understand why evil is so hard to get rid of.. But only once you do it!  Being diligent to clean out chametz is very important for your education it seems!
Can you see the connection between disorder, too much stuff and idolatry? 
Confusion is clutter, clutter is confusion. A religious person must not live in confusion or chaos.

Benefits

Air in a cluttered home is not healthy. It is filled with dust mites and pollutants that are harming you and your family.  Every surface in your home does NOT need to be filled with objects.
It can represent a mind set of hoarding or greed, lust for the material things of life, rightly or wrongly, but as a religious person are also not to present a picture of wrong doing to the world.
Get rid of the excess sentimental stuff too. If you don't your heirs will and they won't care where it goes. So dispose of it yourself and feel better about it. Keep one or two things that are sentimental but, honestly , how much do you need?
You won't miss what you hardly ever see.  And why are you hanging onto the past? What are you afraid of?

You rarely need more than one of most things so get rid of duplicates. Donate them.  You do not need 200 pencils in a mason jar. You don't need 25 mugs if you aren't a restaurant. 

Clean out books and magazines. Keep only what you truly love and give the rest away to someone who may want them or even need them!

                   No More Junk Drawers!
 
Get rid of a 'junk drawer'.  You don't need junk in your life Everything in that drawer can be put in a proper place and what can't is junk and belongs in the trash bin.
 Keep what you have organized and neat.
If you keep scissors, tape and etc in a drawer then call it a craft drawer but dump the bottle caps, used screws, and other miscellaneous things you will never use in a million years.
                                  

                                                         Peace and Satisfaction

You can do it. and you will be glad you did when you see what peace it produces in your life.
Orderly neatness in your surroundings, inside and outside the house,  promote  a healthy way of thinking .

 
  

Scents of the Seasons

I found a Friday Five meme online for livejournal bloggers and thought they probably would not mind if I absconded with it for us to use as well. 

1. What's your favourite smell in nature?
 Cedar and Pine trees, flowers in spring and

The smell of a freshly cleaned house

summer.

2. What smell makes you nostalgic, and why?
Salt air because of the many happy hours spent by the sea since childhood. Pipe tobacco and men's after shave.

 3. What smell(s) makes you happy?
Flowers, perfume, salt air,food cooking in the kitchen,fresh air and a freshly cleaned house.

4. What do the seasons smell of?
Spring smells of apple, plum and cherry blossom. Mock Orange and Bridal Wreath.
Fall smells of leaves and smoke and cinnamon, brandy, pumpkin and apples.
Winter smells of crisp, cold air and wood fires,

 5. What is the last thing you actively remember smelling?
 Wood fires burning in fireplaces and wood stoves in my neighborhood today and last night.

What scents do you enjoy?