Spring Cleaning

I feel much, much better today. Nearly perfect, as a matter of fact, and I'm appreciating every non-snotty moment of being well! Even as I woke up last night for the fifth time to go to the bathroom, popped a Tums before getting back in bed and readjusted my pillows to ease a hip pain, I was actually grateful to be back to having just my familiar old ailments. No congestion or sore throat or phlegm or throwing up to go with them. So today, being all well and so incredibly happy about it- I set out first thing deep cleaning my house. And I don't mean my typical cleaning where I get everything straightened up then clean the dirt that one can see using the Swiffer and some Clorox wipes. This was not the usual wiping down of everything...this was all out scrubbing. Yes, this was super cleaning...cleaning like my Mom cleans (and if you knew the supercleaner my Mom is you'd understand the seriousness of my cleaning spree!) I moved furniture (don't worry- nothing I couldn't slide), washed rugs, took everything off my shelves and dusted, I swept, dust busted, then vacuumed and mopped. I scrubbed the sink and stove and burners with SOS pads until they shone! As I thought about how proud my Mom would be of this superb cleansing (though she might disapprove of how often, or seldom rather, such in-depth cleaning occurs) I realized that this is something I'd have to remember as a parent. When Soda is old enough to understand and help clean house I must remember not to always cut corners like pulling out my Clorox wipes and not cleaning that space between the washer and dryer so that he'll know what good house cleaning is. I may not always practice it, and he might not either, but I was taught how to do it right...and I should definitely pass that on. Soda might complain, but one day my daughter-in-law will thank me!

**TIP FOR TODAY:)** As I mentioned, I am a master at corner cutting when it comes to housecleaning. I want things to be clean...and neat, but the faster I can make things feel that way the better (usually). I am a big fan of wipes. I have Clorox wipes, Refrigerator and Microwave wipes, Pledge dusting wipes, stainless steel wipes, Windex wipes...and those are all helpful for in between the times you deep clean. I have to try not to rely on them so much. There are two things I do find easier and better for every time I clean. The first is one of those toilet wands- you just throw the end away after you scrub and it has a release on its handle so you never even have to touch it. Very sanitary...I like it alot. The second is my mopping method- which as I was doing it today, I decided was a pretty good method if I may say so myself and I decided to share. I use a swiffer. Just a plain old swiffer. Because mops are bacteria traps and give me the willies. I have the same weird phobia about sponges and toilet bowl brushes (hence the wipes and the toilet wands). ANYWAY- I use dry generic brand swiffer cloths (because the wet ones, besides being expensive, run out of juice way too fast). Then I use this Method All Floor One floor cleaner (comes from Target). I buy it for several reasons: it's non-toxic so I don't have to worry about Gatsby licking something off the floor, walking in it when it's wet and then licking his paw...you know, stuff like that; it comes in this great lemon-ginger scent; and it comes in an excellent bottle. It's flat with a lid like a Dawn bottle so it's easy to hold in one hand and squirt along the floor in front of you. I do this for all my flooring- the wood and the linoleum. It's incredibly effective. It's like carrying your mop water with you- squirting as you go! And this fabulous bottle squirts out just enough...no puddling. Periodically, I stop and change my swiffer pad, then keep going. If you don't like this cleaner, you should at least buy some for the bottle. Once it's empty you can refill it with whatever you'd prefer to use on your floor (I remixed my own "green" floor cleaner-think vinegar and water- and put it back in this bottle).Something else positive that came out of my not feeling well is this- my latest project. Burp cloths!! Here are my first two:I enjoyed the sewing projects I made for the baby shower hostess gifts (see All's Well On The Creative Front at sweetly, happily, artfully) so much, I decided to continue. Like painting, I find it very relaxing (everything's handsewn because I don't have a sewing machine and wouldn't know what to do with one if I did), but unlike painting, sewing is something I can do anywhere (like the sofa) and no matter what I'm wearing (like anything but my paint clothes!) Since you have to buy these cloth diapers in a pack of twelve...I see many more in my future...

Happy Friday and Happy May Day!!