Moving Highs and Lows

Isn’t moving fun?
No. Not really.

But there is good in it. Lots! Because of all the hard work that goes into getting a house ready to sell and getting your stuff ready to move, the good parts tend to get overlooked. Sure, it's all wonderful once you’re settled into a great new house. Think about how happy everyone looks at the end of those home-finder and home improvement shows...

So as I trudge through the muck of moving, I'll make us all feel better by sharing some of the bright spots...

1. the Great Purge - Are you always complaining about the junk you’ve collected? My hub does all the time! Well, moving requires you to finally tackle this procrastinated chore. First we have to clear the visible clutter for showings, then the major purge of all the stashed stuff for the actual move. Sort your items as you go: Bag it for donations or trash and box it for moving - just make sure you don’t mix up your piles...
• MOVING TIP: I got some great moving boxes from Petsmart and Target - just call ahead and they'll be happy to donate to your cause since they're just throwing their boxes away anyway!
2. Cleanliness! - Does your house always seem dirty? With messy boys and a dog, mine is never clean for more than five minutes. But with possible showings around every corner, we are on strict keep-it-clean mode! Surfaces must remain clutter-free and anything we use regularly has to have a hiding spot in a drawer or cabinet--even the toaster and toothbrushes! Since we are purging, this task gets easier. I just hope it doesn't take long to sell as I keep having to dig through some of the packed stuff! And when a showing does come, we work together to spiffy up the house - cleanest it's ever been!
• MOVING TIP: We rearranged furniture in some of the rooms to make them more "show-friendly" and those little indentations were all over the floors. I found if you hand vacuum with the hose on those spots, they blend better with the rest of the carpet.
3. Spreading Happiness - I mentioned donations above, but there's more to it than just giving away stuff we don't need. As the kids grow up and move on, we donate their clothes, but also books, movies, toys, and sports equipment. I usually give friends and neighbors first pick--it's great seeing first hand that it will be put to good use. We also donate to schools and churches. Then the rest we give to the Veterans and Good Will. We have lots of stuff for all!
• MOVING TIP: Since we are moving, we use trash bags for most of the donations and save the boxes for breakables. And I recommend having a portable dolly--it saves my back over and over. I got it for my book shows, but it comes in handy all the time!
4. Excellent Exercise - No time to work out? Cleaning, purging, and moving are terrific for making you sweat! I look for exercise in daily activities all the time. Housework, particularly vacuuming, is a great calorie burner. And since paying close attention to my eating habits is a low priority during this busy time, extra exercise comes in handy to cancel it out!
• MOVING TIP: Don't over do it! Listen to your body and treat it with respect. Lift things by bending your knees. Use "Moving Men" sliders for big pieces of furniture. And get help - don't move alone.

Hope your summer has been a good one! And if you have any moving tips, I'll take 'em!

What to Do with Stuff Post

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

Tis the season after Christmas when I ask myself where in the world can I stuff all the new stuff into drawers and closets already bulging with all the old stuff.

It's major stuff overload.
I could buy a bigger house, rent a storage unit, or build an outbuilding, but eventually, I'm sure we'd fill that up too.

So, the uncluttering begins. 

-It's a good rule of thumb that if you haven't used, or worn something in a year, you probably don't need it. Clear it out.
-If it doesn't fit, get rid of it. We all tell ourselves that we'll lose the weight one day, and hopefully we will. But instead of holding onto a bunch of stuff that depresses us and reminds us that we've gotten chubbier, I say toss it and when you lose the weight- buy new stuff. You deserve it.
-When you buy something new, get rid of something old it. Buy a new shirt? Out goes an old one. Get something new for the kitchen? Something in the cupboard has to go to make room. *I like this because it also slows down my impulse shopping.
-Clear things out when no one is home and they can't see what goes. This has obvious repercussions if someone misses an object within a year-- after a year, you can honestly say, "I got rid of that over a year ago and you never missed it."
-Use vacuum bags for items you'll be storing long term. (Also great for packing for a trip when there is limited room in the trunk!) I put all my boys' baby blankets in one and shrunk it to a few inches thick rather than a large stack.
-Take movies and video games out of their cases and put in multi-disc binders. That frees up a lot of space.
-Have a "re-gift" party. This year for Christmas, my extended family added re-gifts to the gift exchange, My niece had a set of Christmas dishes that were my mother's that she didn't need, but I did. Genius idea. I'm glad she thought of it.

Another way to make room is to find some incentive to purge. A friend of mine runs a charity that helps cancer fighters. They have a yearly auction and everything I get rid of helps raise money for a great cause.

And here's a site I found this summer that is helping shrink the closet clutter.

Swap.com is an online consignment shop where you can sell unwanted clothes and some other assorted household items like books, toys, etc. Make an account. Request a box. Fill it up. Mail it in. And they do the rest of the work. I've sent in two boxes full of stuff. It's taken about a month and a half for my items to be placed for sale, but I've been getting email notifications of which of my items are selling. The first $13 goes to pay for my shipping and then the sales are split with Swap.com.

If none of this motivates you, watch an episode of Hoarders, the tv documentary that chronicles the life of people who become consumed by their stuff. That always motivates me to purge.

Welcome 2018!

It's time to welcome in another new year!!

Tara and I are doing that by revamping the Really Real Housewives blog. We're changing things up and planning some extra fun and surprises, so stay tuned!

Since we're both busy writing books and raising boys, we're always trying to find the quickest and easiest ways to get the house stuff done, And we'll be sharing those cheats and maybe a few rants and whines here. Here's to 2018 being a year of blessings!

Now, for the official post:

                                                18 quick and easy tips for 2018

1. Got a leather purse that is losing its luster? Clean it with leather furniture wipes. You can buy them in the cleaning aisle of the grocery store.

2. Ink stain on your shirt? Spray it down with hair spray and wash in cold water.

3. Accidentally throw a red sock in the white wash and have a lot of pink clothes? Rewash in cold water adding a bottle of hairspray to the wash (empty a pump bottle, not an aerosol can...to save time  and the ozone layer ;)

4. A dash of vinegar in your pancake batter will make super fluffy pancakes without changing the flavor.

5. Tired of frying bacon? Bake it. Lay it out on a cookie sheet and pop it in the oven on about 350 degrees. Turn every 8-10 minutes until desired crispiness.

6. Dirty, stinky microwave? Heat up a cup of lemon water. Wipe down immediately. The steam from the water will loosen the crusty stuff and help eliminate odors.

7. Smelly hands after cutting onions and such? Wash hands in salty water or shake some salt on your hands and use it like a scrub.

8. Plastic drinking bottles smelling a little funky? Fill with water, vinegar, and salt...allow to sit over night then rinse.

9. Hard water building up in your tea kettle or coffee pot? Add a few ice cubes and salt, swirl around the bottom a bit then wash.

10. If you ever leave the men home alone for a few days and return to a kitchen with what appears to be dried up pancake batter on the counter tops...wet a paper towel and lay it over the spot. Allow to soften, wipe, and toss. Works well on upchucked fur balls too.

11. Tis the season for snow on the windshield. I drive a van and I'm also short, so reaching across the whole thing can be a pain, so my broom is the perfect snow removal tool.

12. Need a quick and easy heat pack? Make a pouch for rice out of a washcloth or a sock and secure with a rubber band. Throw it in a the microwave for 30 seconds and you now have a heat pack.

13. Food, blood, or grass stains on clothes? Pre-treat with dish detergent. Just squeeze a little on the spot and scrub it in and then wash.

14. To best get pre-treater or soap into the fabric, keep a hand held scrubber near the wash. Give stains a little scrub before washing and the stains come out easier.

15. Is your stain still there after a wash? Don't throw it in the dryer! Treat it again and toss back in the wash.

16. Winter static on your clothes? Rub them with a dryer sheet.

17. Getting static from your hairbrush? Hit it with a spritz of hairspray and the problem is solved.

18. I saved the best for last....a quick and easy recipe!

Pan Cookies

Grab a premade cookie mix. Follow the instructions, all but the butter...where it says to soften and add butter...melt the butter before adding it. This will make the batter a little moister. Pour it into a cake pan and spread it out. Bake for 15-20 minutes and you have a batch of pan cookies.

Cut, serve, and enjoy without any fuss.

Handy Dandy Sassy Tips

I know you're going to enjoy this week's guest, the super sassy Susan Swiderski!

It's a real honor to be here with y'all today, but before I share some appropriate (and okay... some inappropriate) handy-dandy tips with you, I feel it is my civic duty to issue a warning. One of the ladies who runs this blog is... now how shall I put this delicately?... a tad underhanded. (gasp!) I know. Shocking, isn't it? When inviting me to serve a stint as guest blogger here, Tammy called me... sassy. Yeah, sassy. Not saggy... sassy. How in the world could an old broad like me possibly say no when she threw a word like that at me, I ask you? It's been quite a few years since anyone associated that word with me, so I'm just gonna wrap it around me, and savor the feeling. Yep, that's me... classy, sassy, and a bit smart assy. Okay, not entirely true. But I am a bona fide smart ass, so you'd be wise to take what I'm about to tell you with a handful of salt.

Okay, ready for some nifty neat-o some-of-'em-even-work time-saving and money-saving tips?

• Most of the things you waste time worrying about never happen, so cut it out! Worrying causes stress, gives you wrinkles, and wastes valuable time you could be using to do something much more worthwhile, like eating ice cream or sucking face with your fella. Besides, worrying never changes a darned thing. Never.
• Clean up messes as they happen. I know it's tempting to ignore that mini-mountain of cereal you just knocked onto the kitchen floor, but don't. An even better alternative? Have at least one dog and one cat in your home. Believe you me, pets make an unbeatable clean-up team. Plus, cats with a propensity to arf provide you with the perfect incentive to clean your floors and carpets... one small area at a time.
• To cut down on mildew, wipe down your shower walls and tiles after each shower. If you have a shower curtain, give it a couple good whacks to knock off excess water, and then leave the curtain closed to allow it to dry more quickly. Better yet? Join a gym. Then you can take all of your showers there, and let somebody else worry about mildew. As an added bonus, you can even spend a minute or two exercising while you're there. Might as well. Or you could do it my way... I do lots of diddly squats around the house every day. 
• If you insist on wasting money and water by continuing to take your showers at home, rather than join a gym as I suggested, you may eventually notice the shower head isn't quite as squeaky clean as it used to be. I suppose you could go all Martha Stewart and scrub it with a toothbrush or something, but how about this? Secure a plastic baggy of vinegar over the head overnight, and ta-DA! Just like magic, all of the residue disappears. (Even though you want to be frugal and all that, I wouldn't recommend re-using that vinegar in your next salad... it's a tad on the soapy side.)
• When lemons and/or limes are on sale, buy extra. Squeeze the juice out of some of them and freeze it in ice cube trays. Once it's completely frozen, you can store the cubes in a plastic bag. One cube equals about a tablespoon of juice. 
• Some recipes call for buttermilk. I don't know about you, but we don't drink that stuff, so it'd be a waste of time and money to run to the store to buy it for a particular recipe, when I know the rest of it would just end up down the drain. No problem. I don't have to go to the store, and neither do you. Just add a tablespoon of vinegar per cup of good ol' normal milk. It's a perfect substitute.
• Planning a dinner party, but hate the idea of wasting money on fancy after-dinner mints? So don't! Freeze a colorful tube of toothpaste, and then cut the tube open, and slice the paste into wafer-thin treats. Instant fresh breath!  PLUS, everyone saves time by skipping the usual after-dinner tooth-brushing routine. Win-win!
• If you're in a hurry, or have somewhere you absolutely have to be, never ever make eye contact with your spouse while eating a banana. 
• Need to drop some pounds in a hurry? Eat raw pork or rancid tuna. You can lose up to twelve pounds in only two days, without having to fork over one red cent on any of those dangerous diet pills. 
• To save money on toilet paper, borrow it from work. Not whole, unopened rolls, mind you. Just rolls that have already been started. No one will ever notice. And, um, I'm using the word borrow facetiously. No need to return it. When you get down to the empty cardboard roll, you can put that to use, too. If you cut it lengthwise, you can put it around a roll of opened wrapping paper like a cuff. Keeps the rolls looking much neater. If you care about such things. If you don't, just throw it away. No skin off my nose.
• Wanta save big money on your electric bill? Turn off the lights. Yep, all of them. If everybody wears a miner's hat, there's absolutely no need to turn on a lamp.
• While we're saving money, here's another handy tip. Don't waste any money on one of those little address books for friends' addresses and phone numbers, either. Don't you get free phone directories? There ya go!  Just cross out the names of people you don't know. 
• Here's a reeeeeeally big money-saver. When you go out with friends, leave your wallet at home. You can save yourself a bundle! However, you may eventually have to find new friends. 
• And finally: be nice. Really. Going out of your way to be nice, especially to your spouse, will save a lot of time that might otherwise be wasted in argument. Most of the time, being kind is much more important than being right. (If all else fails, reach for a banana. Make eye contact at your own peril.)

Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

Best wishes from Susan, long-time housewife, and visiting SOB

(Sassy Old Broad)

Susan and her husband transferred from Maryland to Georgia in 1971, and have lived in the same so-called starter home ever since. (Too lazy to pack up all their stuff!) She was a stay-at-home mom, and after the kids all flew the coop, she was perfectly happy to continue being a kept woman full-time homemaker, as well as a perpetual you-name-it-and-she'll-do-it volunteer. Since her hubby Smarticus retired fifteen years ago, they've been enjoying plenty of spur-of-the-moment adventures. (With the right attitude, everything is an adventure!) She has written one novel, Hot Flashes and Cold Lemonade, and helped put together a poetry book for charity called Old Broads Waxing Poetic. She blogs most Fridays at I Think: Therefore, I Yam

Charts - Put them to work! #mondaymotivation

Have you noticed a decline of work ethic in the service industry lately? The last few times we've been out to eat or shop, there seems to be this unfriendly, put-upon attitude pervading the experience. Maybe it's just me.

Don't get me wrong, some of the younger generation are completely gung-ho workers and innovators, but others obviously don't want to be there or don't know what they're doing, so they give up trying. It makes me wonder if maybe some parents are so busy that they aren't making their kids do chores around the house which instill a sense of responsibility and a value and pride for getting work done. I know sometimes it's easier to do the chores yourself rather than monitor the kids to make sure it gets done right, buh-lieve me! But the time and aggravation are worth it in the long run. Here are a couple of my Lazy Housewife-isms...

Do a kid's chore, you get a lazy adult. Teach a kid a chore, you get a productive adult.

A little whining now equals a lot of thanks later.

So, to make assigning and keeping track of chores easier (which is what the Lazy Housewife does) I have a chart (I <3 charts!)

This first one is what I use. The top three chores rotate monthly. I mark a tally when they do a chore or enter an amount of money for specialty chores.

In the bottom section, I subtract any purchases they make from their allowance. At the end of a quarter, I add everything up and deposit most of what they make into savings, but also give them some spending money. It's visual and shows them the value of working and saving money if they want something big like cool new shoes. Sometimes they pool together for a new video game. I've been using this system for years with only minor adjustments.

For an added amount of responsibility, you could have them tally their chores themselves and even total up the money.

Here's a blank that's more versatile. You can let me know if you'd like the Excel file (makes totaling that much easier, if you know Excel) I know there are other templates out there online, too.

I know helping contribute to my family as a kid made me a better person - though I sure didn't know it at the time and hated my chores. But as I got older, I didn't mind so much and now I miss those times setting the table or doing dishes in the kitchen with my mom.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on chores & allowance. There's plenty of ways to work it!
Have a great week!

Hazy Headlights? Quick Fix

Last week, my husband and I picked up a "new to us" car for our sons at college.

Prior to this picture, "Great Deal, 30 day warranty" was written on the windows in white car-dealer paint. We weren't overly excited about driving down the road with the sale details written across the windows, so we were going to wipe it off with the numerous napkins we had left over from McDonald's.

The car dealer came out with a quicker, much simpler solution-- one that honestly, had I not seen it with my own eyes, I'd have not believed it.

Bug spray!!

He sprayed the paint with Cutter Bug spray (not sure if it has to be Cutter or if any bug spray will do) and wiped it off. Cleaned it off in a jif-- without leaving any residue!

Then he showed us how the same bug spray clears away foggy headlight film. There was an older model car on the lot with hazy headlights. He sprayed on some Cutter, then wiped it off. Clean and shiny!

I do love new, easy tricks!

*I do not know what the long term effects would be to finishes and paint, so I would use caution or tape off the painted area. I mean, it is bug spray...

Pink Stuff

We are very excited to have Jo Wake, one of our faithful friends at the House guest, join us to post this week! She has some sage advice and tidbits to share!

It was so kind of the Really Real Housewives to ask me to do some guest posts this week. I can claim Liz as a friend, but although I follow this blog, I don’t really know any of the other housewives. However, I have been a housewife for a lot longer than most of them so I have been learning to do things the easiest way for a few years now.

One Sunday afternoon I was sitting thinking I didn’t know what advice I could offer you when I looked at my carpet and thought I needed to do something about the spots on it. Lo and behold, I thought of something you might appreciate.

Many years ago, whilst living in the States, I bought some Pink Stuff – it’s actual name is Quick ‘n Brite – and I have been using it forever. It is the best thing I have ever come across for removing the spots and stains which occur through every day life. No, I am not being paid to recommend it, but I think it is wonderful stuff. Recently I visited our local Costco and found they were selling a similar product which the guy selling it actually called the Pink Stuff, although oddly enough it’s white. Something about the pink being from strawberries and people being allergic. I don’t think I believe that. I had loaned Quick ‘n Brite to the local bowling alley and they were impressed with it so the owner’s wife picked some up. I believe you can use it in a carpet cleaning machine these days. But for me, it will always be something I use as a spot cleaner. You can mix it with water or for really bad stains, use it undiluted.

Except for wine spills. Maybe you don’t drink wine, but I do and I found this tip a long time ago. If you spill any red wine on your carpet, don’t touch it; cover it with a thick layer of salt. Leave it for, maybe, 24 hours and then just vacuum it. Hey presto, no wine stain. I tried mopping it up with paper towel first. Big mistake. The salt does a wonderful job of absorbing the wine. Of course the moral of that is drink it don’t drop it.

That same Sunday I had to peel some garlic and I thought you might be interested to know that you can keep garlic forever in a Mason Jar once you have peeled it. I put a piece of paper towel in the jar to absorb any moisture.

Peeling the cloves is a pain and I used to be able to buy peeled garlic in the store but haven’t been able to do so for a while. I first started doing this when I bought huge jars of peeled garlic at Sam’s Club. Way more than you would have thought just two of us could cope with. Amazingly it keeps a very long time. I just wish I could still buy it peeled because peeling it myself is not my favourite job. I find a medium size Mason Jar holds three good sized bulbs of peeled garlic.

Jo Wake has been happily married for almost 44 years, originally from the UK, living in Canada now. She's interested in cooking, reading and wildlife conservation.

Her blog is "Jo on Food, Life and a Scent of Chocolate" When she first signed up with blogger, they would not accept her last name for some reason, so she used a family name.

If you need any more info about Jo, a friend wrote a blog post about her some time ago. Although it claims she's interested in gardening, she's not really. She likes to look at gardens, that’s all.

#MondayMotivation - Find Your Happy!

We have a special treat this week - our guest is Jolene Perry, long time blog friend and multi-talented mom. She has some great advice to share with us this week... Take it away, Jolene!

First off, I’m soooo super stoked to take over this week *happy dance*
I’m gonna keep it simple today, and roll with a list. Becuase I like lists. They make me happy :-)

A RANDOM LIST OF THINGS THAT HAS MADE MY LIFE SO MUCH HAPPIER

#1 You are the boss of you. Don’t let someone tell you that you’re doing something wrong, if you’re happy, you’re doin’ it right. I add, tweak, and change bits of exercies, recipes, rules...

This one comes with a story - I gained a LOT of weight with my son. I threw up for all nine months, and the only way to not throw up and stay off of liquid IVs, was to be STILL. When I was still, I didn’t throw up as often.  ANYWAY. Nothing fit after he was born, of course, and so I told myself that I’d be allowed to get new clothes after I lost the weight. That was such a huge mistake. There is exactly zero motivation to lose weight when all you have are clothes you don’t like and don’t feel pretty in. Once I finally bought a few things that made me feel pretty, I found the motivation to get up and move again. #2 DO NOT WAIT UNTIL XXX BEFORE YOU DO SOMETHING NICE FOR YOURSELF.

Along with #2, #3 Don’t save your bigger clothes, just in case. Guess what? You’ll end up filling them again. And while we sometimes do gain weight back, don’t be prepared for it.

Because I live in Alaska, and we end up in the dark for so many months out of the year, I’m always looking for little tricks to make me feel happy when the world feels as if it’s trying to suffocate me. For me, that happy place is sometimes clothes, so just bear with me for a sec. Trade out your favorite hoodie with a killer cardigan. Trade out your worn running shoes for something with a teeny bit of style. #4 Just break outside of your norm dressing once in a while. Which goes with...

#5 Dress up to run errands once in a while. You know that skirt that makes you feel all sassy? Or those boots that make you feel like you could fight zombies? Or that blouse that makes you feel like Taylor Swift? (or something else that’s all yours). Just WEAR IT once in a while. You don’t need a purpose or a reason to dress up if you want to.

We need people. #6 FIND YOUR PEOPLE. Does this mean you have to put yourself out there? Yup. Is that terrifying? Definitely can be. Is it worth it? SO VERY WORTH IT. If you’re a knitter, there are a ton of knitters out there. Yoga your thing? SO many yoga groups. Sewing? Writing? Journaling? Genealogy? THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE FOR YOU. Local people. That you can meet with face to face. Find your people.

#7 Timers work wonders! I’m a weirdo about timers, but there’s a reason. A good friend of mine came to visit, and she was in the middle of setting timers for everything. I rolled my eyes, but we decided that we’d give ourselves 10 minutes to clean up my house. We seriously cleaned the main part of my tiny house in 10 minutes. Because we knew our time was limited, and because we knew we could just walk away when we finished, we hustled. I use timers for writing, and often, I still use timers for cleaning. Even when I’m miserably tired, I can usually manage 5 minutes. You’ll be amazed at how much you get done.

So many people don’t like this bit of advice, but I turn 40 this September, so I’m gonna give it to you anyway. #8 MOVE YOUR BODY. Yup. Exercise. BUT, do it your way. I used to do these really killer hard workouts. I was all about P90X, or Jillian Michaels or CrossFit. Some days I’d work out 3 times a day. At a certain point, I realized I wasn’t loving working out. Now I walk and I do yoga. And guess what? My body is stronger, and I’m happier than I’ve ever been. TRY a few things. If you’re happy, don’t be afraid of the rut. If you’re bored, try something new (and don’t be afraid to change it up for you).

Always remember that change can be a good thing.

#9 DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE WEIRD! I have people tell me ALL the time - I could never pull off those shoes, or I could never wear that haircut the way she does, or that outfit is too cool for me. STOP IT! If you love a haircut? DO IT! OWN IT! LOVE IT! And then someone else will look at you and say, I wish I could pull that off.

#10 TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF doing something you love. No mother or wife, or any person should feel guilty about taking time for herself, to do what she loves. I need my children to follow their passions, and I’d love for them to have less guilt about doing that than I sometimes do. It is important for your family to see you as a human, and not only MOM. Hey, don’t take that the wrong way - moms rock, we’re amazing, but we have things outside of being a mom that need to be part of our lives, for us, and for our family.

AND, that’s what I have today. Am I perfect? Nope. Do I take my own advice? Most of the time!! Can’t wait to see you all again Wednesday!!

Jolene Perry writes books for teens and lives in Alaska with her family, dog, cat, and tortoise.

I Tweet   I Facebook   I have an author Site   I Tumblr like a gymnast

Why You Should Sell Your House Right Now

Ahhh, the crisp smell of paint, lemon Pledge, Windex, and Lavender Fields Glade Plug-ins. Harken to the dust mop ever-swishing and the dishes ever washing. The gleam and sheen of counter and cabinet are rivaled only by the sparkling clean stove top. The refrigerator, you ask, blinded by the glow, can that possibly be real? But where the milk dripping down the back of the shelves, where the puddle of petrified BBQ sauce? You might even wonder if a fridge is still a fridge without the veggie drawer of death.

But don't stop there - have you seen my closets? Arranged by season and color, not a thing in the hamper, nary a sock on the floor. And with its empty counters and cabinets with nail polish lined like tin soldiers, my bathroom sometimes wonders if I even still live here.

Fret not, though, my friends! You, too, can have a house as sparkling clean as ours. And it's so easy to do...

All you have to do is sell it. 

Then spend weeks packing, painting, finishing projects like flagstone patios, patching walls, updating fixtures, scouring baseboards, cleaning like a mad-woman. And, of course, you have to live there like you don't live there at all. If you get something out, it goes up immediately. If you see a speck of dust, panic, then grab the dust mop. Forget your favorite china; your place settings now all say "Solo" and come in red or blue. Make your bed every day and carry a Clorox wipe with you everywhere you go in the house... just in case. And definitely forget having a social life while it's on the market. Because you have to go home and clean the few hours worth of dust that settled while you were working.

Simple, right? On one hand, when we listed our house on 5/11, our house had never been cleaner and felt more soothing to live in (albeit living in very carefully). On the other hand, when we accepted an offer on the 19th, we breathed a HUGE sigh of relief and beer cans, junk mail, and socks magically started appearing all over the house again. The sparkling fridge? Well, it was nice for the week or two it lasted, but face it; that's basically going against nature.

So there you have it: If you want a perfect house you should absolutely put it on the market right now. You just have to give up all sense of comfort, privacy, free time, and sanity, but it's totally worth it, right? Right.

V: Visitors

Welcome Visitors! It's V Day. And my house is the cleanest when I have visitors coming. So come on over for a visit. Just give me some advanced warning...





Why I love to have VISITORS (once in a while.)

1. As I said before, the house is cleaner - things get extra scrubbing when visitors are coming like the microwave, the basement, the dog...
2. I get to try out new recipes - I like following recipes (and improvising) especially on an appreciative audience of visitors!
3. Visitors are more appreciative than the local denizens - ah, I just said that, but it's a definite bonus. they notice the cleanliness and effort of being a hostess (and mom)
4. We do more fun stuff with visitors - we do touristy things, we go to movies, we eat out, and we play games - yay!
5. My family usually behaves better when visitors are around.
6. My puppy gets more attention, which he deserves.
7. I love to catch up, visitors bring interesting conversations - not much of that around my house full of closed-mouthed (yet loud and obnoxious) boys!

my favorite visitors!!

Do you do anything special when you're expecting visitors?

You can visit other blogs from the A to Z challenge HERE.

U: Under

Use Caution! This post might be horrifying - BEWARE! Don't Look UNDER There!!

Yes, it's U Day. And I was serious about this post being horrific! Today I'm talking about the places Around the House we dread to look UNDER...

the Bed. Dust bunnies or fuzz monsters? I find clumps of dog toy stuffing, stray strings, dog hair tufts (everywhere...) and miscellaneous odds and ends we thought were lost.

the Rugs. A rug is not a barrier to keep dirt off the floor, unfortunately... It's sneaky and mysterious. I don't know how, but dirt manages to find it's way under the rug and hides there until I lift it up.

the Couch. Similar to the bed, but worse. Usually crumbs and small toys or game pieces are found as well. Keep the vacuum handy and try not to get sick with disgust.

the Silverware/Tray. How often do you clean yours? This one is another mystery. How do crumbs get in there? Silverware goes in clean and comes out clean. Yet somehow the tray collects tiny crumbs. Eerie.

the Fridge. No. I won't look. Eww! Dusty, linty, moldy, often unrecognizable food! Or an innocent fallen pen, photo, or magnet, now laid to waste covered in gunk and dusted with dog hair - Blech!

So what are you afraid to look UNDER in your house?
You can visit other blogs from the A to Z challenge HERE.

S: Storage Solutions

Happy Friday, y'all!

Today I'm going to harp on one of my favorite topics: STORAGE! Being both a sailor with limited cabin space and a Tiny House lover, finding simple and genius storage hacks is a minor obsession of mine. Especially considering my closets and drawers would probably explode if left to my otherwise messy nature (don't mention my make-up drawer to my husband!).

You can follow my Storage Solutions board on Pinterest if you want to keep up with all the cool ways I'm trying to halt the chaos in my cabinets, but here are a few of my favs to get you started.

1. Magazine Holder for Kitchen Boxes - My personal favorite right here up top. THIS is what keeps the pantry stacks from falling on your head. It never fails - regardless of whether I need the foil, wax paper, plastic wrap, or baking sheets... it's ALWAYS on the bottom of the stack.  

2. Hair Tool Holder out of PVC - Craft your way to a gorgeous solution for jumbled styling tools and cords! I can't tell you how many times I've had to stop with my hair in a towel trying to untangle the hair dryer from the curling iron.

3. Stop the stinky drawer! There's always that one drawer that somehow stays musty. This is a great way to combat the stink.

4. Jewelry Saver for Trips - I've actually thrown away necklaces on trips because I got sick of trying to unknot them. This is great for keeping other small loose items together, too. Taking apart a piece of furniture with lots of tiny screws? Never lose them again while you're working. 

Check out some of the other ideas from some seriously creative geniuses below. What are your favorite storage hacks?

  Follow Ashley's board Storage Solutions on Pinterest.

Q: Queen

Are you the Queen of your castle? You should be. The answer is, Yes you are!

It's Q day, and I want to celebrate all the housewives out there - women married to their families, no matter the status, even single women who take care of their homes. This blog is for us all! And here is my salutatory poem for you!



The Queen of the House

The caregiver, the meal maker, the mess cleaner,
The grime gouger, the organizer, the bill payer,
The homework helper, the etiquette exampler, the punishment doler,
The primary diaper changer, the boo-boo kisser,
The frantic worrier, the tough-love sufferer, the chore distributor,
The praise extoller, the great embarrasser, the proud crower,
The never-enough-hugger, the number one encourager, the safety-net holder,
The best face-(speaks-louder-than-words)-maker,
The last resort picker-upper, the insect warrior, the menace protector,
The dog walker, the main driver, the overtime-practice waiter,
The healthy talker, the outside sender, the video-time monitor,
The school lunch preparer, the deal no-taker, the excuse disclaimer,
The dress code enforcer, the problem fixer, the wrong-done denouncer,
The tear wiper, the silent bystander, the when-necessary blame taker,
The self-sacrificer, the last-in-line taker, the first defender,
The love bestower, the kind-but-firm discipliner, the reassurer,
The nest nudger, the advice distributor, the final decider,
The go-to, smartest-in-the-land, all-knowing, all-seeing, making-magic-happen
QUEEN OF THE HOUSE!

Every woman out there is the Queen of the House - and we deserve the utmost respect! Here at the RRHA, our goal is to help each other be the best Queens of the House we can be!

I bet you could add something to the list and I'd love to hear it!

You can visit other blogs from the A to Z challenge HERE.

C: Closets

Welcome to C day!

As we CONTINUE our A to Z journey through the house, I bet you were expecting some cleaning tips, eh? Well, we give cleaning tips throughout the year, so I chose to talk about CLOSETS.



CLOTHES closets, foyer closets, storage closets, linen closets! No matter which closet you open, it's probably overflowing with CLUTTER!

Well, here are my tips for Clearing your Closets!

• PURGE! It may take a whole day, but it must be done. We usually clean out the clothes closets twice a year - Spring and Fall. This helps us get rid of outgrown clothes and see what we need to shop for!
• During the year, I tell my kids to throw stuff they don't wear anymore onto the TOP SHELF. This helps with the purge process and is a good indicator of when it's time to donate!
• The KIDS MUST HELP! Not only do they identify toys and things to purge, they could use the experience! (Small blessing to a future spouse!)
• Invest in HOOKS, SHELVES, and BINS, then messy closets look a little neater between purges.
• And a couple of extra little organizational tidbits for Mom's Closet:
• I keep my CLOTHES COLOR COORDINATED. It helps me when I'm choosing outfits.
• In addition to the purge, I switch seasonal clothes with unseasonal items in a spare closet (my youngest doesn't use half his closet space)
• My Rule for Removal is if I haven't worn it in 2 years. Yours might be shorter...

Well, with spring sneaking in, I think it's time for a purge! Happy Closet Cleaning! 

And be sure to visit some of the other A to Z ers!

I don't need to clean my house

Welcome, welcome, welcome - S.K. Anthony!
The title of this post alone makes me feel even closer to her. So without more of my nonsense, here is S.K.'s guest post for Monday...

Let me tell you, I just hate cleaning . . . so I don't. Go ahead and judge me, I'll wait. 

*Files nails* 

Done? ;) Okay, so here goes: I hate the idea of "I have to clean" so I avoid it at all costs. Instead, I've brainwashed myself into thinking I've formed daily habits that—unless I stick to—I will gain ten pounds overnight. So far so good.

And I'm honest with myself. I know that being fully organized just isn't going to happen overnight. Come on, Ladies, that's unrealistic (unlike gaining a ton of weight overnight). But keeping up with a routine and being consistent is key to at least look like you have your . . . umm, "stuff" together. 

So, if you are trying to get into a cleaning habit but are struggling with the daily clutter, here are some of my tips:

* If you take something out, put it away! *STAT*

This is something that doesn't and shouldn't have to wait. Most importantly, get your kids and spouse into the same habit. Tell them it's way easier to do it right away than spending hours trying to put EVERYTHING away in one shot. Also, remind them that if you have to do it they might be murdered, so really? It's a "stay alive" habit and they need to get with it.

*Everyday, something needs to be tackled—ten minutes is all you need. Getting it ALL done in one day just screams FAILURE. Take one minute to make your bed, have your kids make theirs, the other nine minutes? Well, pick up clothes and/or toys from the floor one day, dust the next, vacuum, scrub your kitchen sink, etc. Small things that ultimately add up . . . and don't tell me you can't find ten minutes for these little things. You totally got it. I believe in you.

*Deal with your counters. 

This one takes more effort than I care to admit, but it could be simple . . . I think. First, let's begin with the kitchen counter—I don't want to overwhelm you. After dinner? Just wipe the thing down. WIPE IT! And show it who is boss! Once that's second nature to "what happens after dinner", move on to he bathroom counters too. What's a second quick wipe going to do to you? Kill you? No. No it won't. Pinky swear!

On that note . . .

*Umm, wash your dishes. I'll be honest, I don't always thrive here. And I know you're wondering about that overnight weight gain. Well, I keep it to—at most—three pounds when I don't do the dishes. How? I, umm, convince myself they need soaking and so that's kind of taking care of it. Other than that, all I can say is when you get up the next morning you will be so glad you didn't procrastinate on it. Loading & unloading your dishwasher and/or doing dishes by hand is easier for me when I think of it as "mommy break" . . . I shall think and meditate while it happens. If that fails, well, I make up a Cinderella-type story in my head as I play the victim :P

*Sort your mail daily. The first thing I do as I walk from the mail box and into the kitchen, is grab the spam mail & flyers and throw them out (yes, in the recycle bin. Don't stress out!). Then I put the rest of the stack down and let it rest until I'm making dinner . . . because that's how I role. But you have to come up with your own system on that. I have a couple small baskets (I'm obsessed with bins and baskets) so I sort them out into bills to pay, important paperwork that needs further filing, shred the bills already taken cared of, etc. 

So yes, I don't really clean. I just take care of these dreaded tasks quickly so I don't have to even think about them later. And they really only take a couple minutes! Don't put it off! But if you do . . . and you have unexpected visitors? Here's my BONUS TIP:

S. K. Anthony is a writer, a reader and a make-stuff-up-er who lives in New York with her husband and toddler twins. She is a wine connoisseur, which just really means she knows she loves it, and a caffeine addict. When she isn’t busy with her family, she finds herself being transported into the world of imagination. Well, either that or running away from spiders . . . she is convinced they are out to get her!

Winter Break Activities!

Oh no. School's out for two weeks! Time to entertain the kids - or let them play on their electronic brain-scramblers. Unfortunately both of those options are not good!

Here are some suggestions to keep those little brains active over the break:

• Crafts - you can find many easy Christmas/Winter crafts in magazines and online
• Volunteer - most kids don't have any idea that others are suffering in the world. We need to show them how good they have it and that we need to give back.
• Read! - Any time is a good time to read.
• Help Decorate - also a nice time to reminisce when the old decorations they made as little ones come out, especially the ones with their cute little faces on them.
• Help Bake - always fun and they get to lick the bowl.
• Help Clean - not fun, but necessary and they should earn their screen time!
• Play board games - I love playing board and card games. Lots of laughter and good times.
• Family movie nights - cozy, cocoa, cookies, and camaraderie.
• Hide the Pickle - a tradition to find the pickle on the tree each day, friendly competition, ha!
• Make a movie - my boys get wild creative hairs once in a while and want to record their inventiveness... dummies on film to enjoy in perpetuity. Harmless hilarity.
• Thank yous - make sure they thank their relatives for gifts!

We are all open to suggestions if you have any to add! Keeping it merry and bright!

I Can't Live Without White Vinegar

The emergency supply cabinet for Really Real Housewives must include white distilled vinegar. I always have at least a gallon on hand. Why? Because it’s inexpensive, non-toxic, and can be used for lots of household chores. It also substitutes for things that I’m out of and am too lazy to go into town for. 

Got Gum in your carpet or on your upholstery? If you have kids, you just might. Put white vinegar on a sponge or on a cloth and apply it to that sticky mess. Let it soak a few minutes, the when it’s loosened, wipe it off. 

How about unwanted decals and bumper stickers? 

Got those, too? Spray them with full-strength white distilled vinegar and let it stay on for about an hour. You might have to repeat a couple of times, but while you’re waiting, read your romance novel or write it. 

Any haze on the inside of your windows? Here’s a number for a great window-washer . . .just kidding. While you’re waiting for those decals to shrivel, use some of that vinegar spray on those windows and they’ll sparkle.

How about too many cukes in next summer's garden? White vinegar to the rescue. Here's a quick recipe for white vinegar brine: 

• 1 cup White Vinegar 
• ½ cup water 
• 1 tablespoon sugar 
• ½ tablespoon salt

I’d much rather grab my handy container of vinegar, than troll the cleaning supply aisle with a shopping cart. Just call me Lazy! But better yet call me Real.

C. Lee McKenzie

In Lee's writing, she takes on modern issues that today's teens face in their daily lives. Her first young adult novel, Sliding on the Edge, which dealt with cutting and suicide was published in 2009. Her second, titled The Princess of Las Pulgas, dealing with a family who loses everything and must rebuild their lives came out in 2010. Double Negative (2014) was her third young adult novel. Researching it turned her into a literacy advocate. Her fourth YA, Sudden Secrets came out in December 2014.

When she really wants to have fun, she writes middle grade books. Alligators Overhead was her first published book for readers age 8-12, and the sequel, The Great Time Lock Disaster, is now out.

Lee's website

Great big cookie thanks to Lee for helping add flavor and offer solutions for us housewives!