If you do stuff, stuff gets done.......

If you do stuff, stuff gets done.......

Monday, February 13, 2012

Valentine boxes 2012

Years ago, maybe around 1994,  we started making and filling Valentine boxes at home.  
Bobby, Jimmy and Nina were all at home for homeschooling for 2 years ( they started school at public schools and graduated from public school but need some intense instruction in weak subjects so we homeschooled them.)

Anyway,  we stayed really busy and they did not miss much about public school but they did miss the school parties.  
So that first year of homeschool,  and most years since,  we have made and filled boxes for Valentines.  

Not every family member participated this year but those of us who did last night had a great time.  


all the boxes on the table with the pink tree
quite an assortment, huh?
Mine is on the far right - an oatmeal box covered with vintage fabric
Nina's is beside mine - it is a giant cupcake, a little hard to tell because the lid is askew
Jeff's is on the back left

Elizabeth's box is a panda bear, she likes the Kung Fu panda and calls all pandas "Po"

Nina put sweettart conversation heats in Starbucks coffee bottles - can you see mine sticking out of the top  of my box?

These next 3 pictures are SIL John's box
Isn't he funny, using that grumpy photo of Elizabeth?



this was on one end of John's box - I think he use paint prints of his feet and Elizabeth's hands.  

Jimmy's box
lots of google eyes
yummy fruit pizza that Nina brought for our dessert



Thats one of our family traditons- it's really fun,  not expensive the way we do it and something we look forward to every year.  








Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Valentine Decorating - use what you have


It's time to put out the Valentine decorations and since I don't like to shop,  I used what I had -

a small tub of Valentine decorations from years past,
a Christmas tree
lots of crocheted treasures from my Mom
a Christmas wreath 
and a cute little boy


this little pink tree is perfect for Valentines - most of the hearts were crocheted by my Mom
I made the felt and sequined ones. 

apothecary jars decorated with things from that tub
pink doilies from my Mom
and a cute little boy


the living room



the dining room 

frog candy dish
he wishes  he was filled with candy
thrift store cupid dish
and little cherubs that Nina used to collect




this may look silly to some people but I really like it.
This is the evergreen my brother made in December
It is still fresh and hanging by our entry way.
I found these cute red cupids in the tub and hot-glued them to the wreath.
so now,  it is a Valentine wreath!


 Do you have Valentine decorations in your home?
Please tell me in a comment , I would love to come to take a look.   


Monday, February 6, 2012

dishwasher woes and fixes


Good morning everyone!
My dishwasher has not been consistently cleaning the dishes all the way for a few months and I had just about quit using it.  
But last Sunday afternoon,  we had a lot of dirty dishes and I was tired so I loaded up the dishwasher, then  I sat down in the living room with my son and husband.  A little while later,  I went in the kitchen for a drink and saw that the kitchen floor was covered with water that was coming out of the dishwasher.
Thankfully my son helped dry up the water and my husband got the water shut off.

The appliance repairman came Monday morning, ordered a part and then replaced in on Weds morning - pretty fast service!
Anyway,  the water inlet valve was ruined as it was just full of alum that is in our water and it had corroded the fittings too.  That  part was so clogged, it was not letting enough water in the dishwasher 
After the repairman fixed the broken part,  I asked him about the not-clean-enough dishes.  

He told me several things to do and now,  I can happily report that the dishwasher is working right and yields very clean dishes!


clean dishes!

Lemi-shine ( bought mine at Walmart with the dishwasher detergents for about $3.

The appliance man said that all phospates were removed from dishwasher products about 2 years ago.  Phosphates are bad for the environment but were good for cleaning dishes and keeping the inside of appliances clean and free of buildup.
He told me to get some LemiShine.
I followed the directions on the back of the LemiShine.
First,  I ran the dishwasher, empty, on a hot long cycle with a full dispenser cup of LemiShine to clean the inside and all the spray holes, etc.
Then I ran a load of dirty dishes, again following the LemiShine directions.  I put detergent in the first cup, LemiShine in the second cup.
Those steps resulted in a really clean load of dishes.  yea!

I've been handwashing dishes lately and I think I mostly prefer anyway.  It is much quieter and does not take that long unless there are really a lot of dishes.
Even though my hand have been in dishwater a lot,  they are soft and not dry.
I think it is because of this  cream I found at Dollar Tree.
The tubes are big,  10 ounces,  and like everything at Dollar Tree,  they cost $1.  

Dermasil cream from Dollar Tree - $1 for 10 ounces!

I used to like that Blue Spa hand parrafin stuff from Bath and Body Works,  at about $12 for a little tube.
But I really think this Dermasil works much better.
I've bought 3 tubes to keep one in the kitchen, one in my bedroom and one in the living room.
And if I got back to Dollar Tree and they still have it,  I just might buy a few more tubes to have for later.


Another tip from the appliance repairman - he said any dishwasher or washing machine,  no matter the age or brand, could malfunction and flood your house during a cycle.  He said they should never be left running attended - either when we leave the house or go to bed.  I am taking his advice on this one.