Cleaning

The question I am most frequently asked by guests is "How do you keep your house so clean?" I'm married to a veritable hoarder (you know, he NEEDS those VHS tapes of his high school sports teams), so it isn't always easy. However, it's necessary. I can't relax in a pigsty. My best advice is to multitask. A few times a week, while I'm in the shower, I hose it down w/cleanser. I finish my shower and then squeegee the walls. Every so often, I use a scouring pad to scrub it down--but you'd be surprised how frequently a little cleanser & steam do the trick. I keep cleaning supplies in every bathroom--if I notice something needs cleaning, I do it when I see it. Cleaning up little messes generally prevents BIG messes.

While I'm not the sort of homemaker who has a strict schedule (Monday is marketing, Tuesday is laundry, etc), I always clean the house on Friday and do a touch up on Monday. Dust, vacuum, mop & wipe down bathrooms. My favorite tools are a dusting wand, vacuum cleaner & bleach/baby wipes. I use baby wipes on everything from painted & upholstered furniture (test in an inconspicuous area) to walls and switchplates. They also work well on vinyl & ceramic tile floors. And they'll remove makeup in a pinch. My daughter is toilet trained, but I'm still buying them by the case!

Photography

Reflecting

Such a happy girl...

Stormy Lake

I like the composition of the first shot better, but Cassie's facial expression is cuter in the second shot. I'm still very much in beginner mode w/the new camera. The storm shot was taken in manual mode b/c the colors were washed out in auto. The others were taken in auto.

The first two shots of the kids were (obviously) candids. I love doing candids, but it is difficult to shoot them b/c the kids start hamming it up when they see the camera. I'm hoping for Photoshop next, then I could clean up the reflection shot of Chase...

Knitted scarves, the gray & black is in simple garter stitch. The black is in stockinette stitch.

The blanket I'm crocheting for a friend's new baby. Three strands of yarn together, single crochet with an S hook.

Nuts for Knitting

I whipped up three scarves in two days last week. 2 were made in (two) shades of grey & black Jiffy yarn, using a simple garter stitch. I finally mastered stockinette stitch and knit myself a super long scarf using black Thick & Quick. I knit it w/two skeins, holding two strands together. I love it! Hancock Fabrics had a HUGE yarn clearance, where I also picked up two sets of jumbo needles. I really enjoy using the super-sized needles--I love the texture of a nice heavy knit!

I'm currently crocheting a baby blanket for a friend--same pattern as the kids' blankies (3 strands together, single crochet w/a super sized hook) in Jiffy chili, camel & coffee. It is coming along nicely, but I'm looking forward to my next knitting project--perhaps a hat for my newest niece or a hoodie for Cassie...