Today’s tip is about laundry!

So. You know the stuff — that oxygen-packed powder that boosts your laundry loads, helping to coax out stains and making whites brighter.

It does work pretty well added to the wash, but here’s how I make my “OxiClean” work (better) for me:

Make an OxiClean concentrated paste.

I lay flat every stained item on the countertops in my laundry room (or on top of the washer and dryer). I mix together a paste of OxiClean powder and water (to make it the consistency of grainy peanut butter), then dab it directly on the stains.

I leave it for at least two hours — sometimes overnight. When I’m ready, I just toss it all into the wash and launder them as usual (in cold water). Nine times out of ten, the stains come out completely!

(**Of course, be sure to test for colorfastness. I have never had it take color out of clothing, but I mainly use it on cottons. Test in an inconspicuous place first if using on synthetic fabrics or bold colors.**)

Less to worry about, less water usage due to washing and re-washing, and more time to do — everything else! Works for me!

Check out other Works for Me Wednesday solutions at We Are THAT Family!

This week for WFMW, we’re supposed to link up to/tell about our favorite summertime recipes. I can’t wait to look at all of the recipes for summery fare.

Here are ours!

Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenderloin

Insalata Caprese

Giada’s Pasta Primavera


Chicken Bruschetta


Cherry Freezer Cream

Check out the other seasonal recipe links at We Are THAT Family — and happy summer cooking!

C’mon. Is there really anyone out there who actually enjoys washing dishes? Cleaning the countertops? Scouring the sink?

Well, thanks to a very feminine and fun addition to your kitchen cleaning repertoire, this repetitive task can at least become a bit more fashionable.

I call them my “fancy gloves.” They add a touch of whimsy to otherwise sterile-looking latex gloves. I have some of these DeLovely Dish Gloves from freshstudio’s shop on Etsy.

Doing dishes, daaahhhling, doesn’t have to be dull. ;)

Check out other WFMW ideas at We Are THAT Family!

I’m all about furniture rearranging. Love it. Winter, spring, summer, fall. I move furniture around in rooms just for a change of scenery, to create a breath of fresh air in a room that has gotten predictable and stagnant.

But recently I’ve been challenged on a bigger scale. Why does the furniture in a certain room have to stay in that room?

This has mainly come into play as I set up our homeschooling space for this fall. I’m trying my best to set up a learning space without having to buy even one piece of new furniture.

A bookshelf in the study could easily be a craft shelf (think baskets on the shelves to hide and organize small items). A desk in the office can easily become a vanity — with a coat of white paint and a pretty mirror. A wing-back in a forgotten about living room could be brought into the kitchen to create a cozy coffee spot.

I recently moved an entertainment center/armoire into our daughter’s room; it now serves as a toy cabinet.

(We put large baskets for stuffed animals where the television is supposed to go.)

My husband is currently upfitting an antique radio cabinet (that I scored at a yard sale 7 years ago for just $35) into a fully-functioning entertainment cabinet for our den.

And it’s a running joke that the very first piece of furniture we bought as a married couple, a $119 dollar kitchen cart on wheels, has lived in every single room in our house at one point or another (minus the bathroom).

When making any kind of room change — whether turning a baby room into a big-kid room or converting a playroom into a teen’s hang-out den — think beyond the furniture already in the room. Look in other rooms for pieces that may work better elsewhere. Let go and be creative! You’ll be amazed at what you can achieve without having to pay a cent.

Repurposing furniture works for me!

Skip on over to We Are THAT Family for more great WFMW ideas today!

This week’s Works for Me Wednesday focuses on the summer months — the time of year when we’re most likely to hear the words, “Mom, I’m bored!” come out of our children’s mouths. I am excited about sharing our ideas but even MORE excited about reading others’ ideas. So let’s get right to it!

I’ll start off with an over-arching idea: Summer door dots. We did this last year and it was a hit. A great way to get the kids to list what they’d like to do and see, and a fun, visual & colorful way to make those things happen!

Other fun boredom busters we’ve cranked up and/or created around here:

- Snail mail adventuring….Flat Stanley style

- Post office play

- Crayon wax art (needs adult supervision)

- Bottle bowling

- Driveway alphabet game

- Construct a cardboard factory (and more)

- Play Paper Cup Atari

- Photographic scavenger hunt

- Nostalgia fans: Host summer movies at home

- Whip up something frosty to drink

Thanks for stopping by! Don’t forget to read about the other fabulous boredom busting ideas this week at We Are THAT Family!

We’re getting ready to update the kids’ rooms. As much as it hurts this mom’s heart to do it, we’re morphing them into spaces that look a little less “nursery” and a little more “big kid.” (*sniff, sniff.*)

When re-doing a room, picking a paint hue is the most difficult decision for me. I am just not a person who can envision a space being a different color until it’s….well, a different color. And, once the room is painted, if that different color isn’t what I wanted, changing it is hard work (and expensive).

Enter my husband’s bright ideas. About many things, really, but in this instance, his unbelievable Photoshop skills and how they can apply to this quandary.

How would G’s room look….

if the walls were green?

And if I wanted R’s room to be….

a little more — bright?

If you (or anyone you know) are a Photoshop whiz/guru/user, here’s simple instructions on how to achieve this “try before you buy” paint color effect:

Using the polygon lasso tool, select all of the painted walls/areas. Press CTRL-J (CMD-J) to create a new layer with the wall selection. Apply a color fill layer style and set the blend mode of both the layer style AND the layer to (color). Change the color fill to adjust the color of the wall.

If you don’t have access to Photoshop, Glidden Paint has a fun, interactive “Room Painter” that achieves a similar “whole room painted” effect — helping you visualize your painting project a little easier!

Photoshopping paint colors (before I paint) works for me!

Check out the other WFMW ideas over at We Are THAT Family!

I always look forward to Works for Me Wednesday’s “Backwards Editions.” It’s a wonderful chance to ask everybody questions that have puzzled me for eons!

Okay. My dilemma today involves clothes shopping. For me.

I’m 31. I am beginning to grasp the fact that it’s probably not a good idea for me to shop in the junior section anymore. (Not just because it’s too “youthy,” but because I believe that junior clothes are becoming more and more, ahem, tight and somewhat, well, unladylike.)

I have a difficulty switching over to the misses departments, though, because I’m petite on top. (In every sense of the word.) Petite bottoms don’t fit because I’m not short. But most misses’ “small” tops and dresses hang on me (under the arms especially).

I am beginning to think that I am going to have to shop online at sites that offer true-to-size measurement guides. There are, surprisingly, several shops that carry modest (but still trendy) apparel in sizes that I am 99% sure would fit me. (Examples: Shade Clothing and DownEast Basics). I haven’t jumped in and ordered yet, though, simply because returns or exchanges via mail can be a hassle.

So: Upper body petite-framed gals — what are your favorite stores for finding cute, well-fitting, trendy, and reasonably-priced clothing? Online or offline? I’d love to hear your suggestions. :)

Thanks for dropping by! And don’t forget to check out everyone else’s WFMW requests for tips at We Are THAT Family — spread a little bit of wisdom!

There’s not much better than a warm buttermilk biscuit drizzled with honey.

After trying dozens of recipes, I’ve found the buttermilk biscuits that we love the most. Butter-based, all the way, meaning tender, flaky, and melt-in-your-mouth perfection.

I’ve turned to this recipe so many times in my Tastebook that the pages surrounding it are grainy with flour dust. :)

Here’s a complete tutorial with photos. Enjoy!

2 c. unsifted all-purpose, unbleached flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt
1/3 c. (5-1/3 T.) butter, cold, cut up (I use salted)
1 c. buttermilk (I use lowfat)

Combine the first four (dry) ingredients in a large bowl.

Measuring the butter is easy since most sticks have the 1/3 c. amount already marked:

Cut the butter into 1/2″ pieces and drop into the dry mixture:

Now it’s time to “cut” in the butter. (Here’s why it’s so important that the butter is cold.) The best tool is a biscuit blender, with blades, not wires. (Wires tend to bend and become misshapen.) If you don’t have one of these, you can use two butter knives or two forks.

After the butter is cut in, the dough will resemble pea-sized crumbs.

Slowly add the buttermilk. Mix this in with a single fork. Mix just until dough almost holds together. (Be gentle — over-mixing will make the biscuits tough.)

Fully incorporate the flour, if need be, by mixing dough with your hands. (Again, knead only until holds together so as to not make the biscuits tough.)

Roll dough out with a rolling pin (or smooth glass on its side) on a flat surface (lightly floured if sticks) to between 1/2″ and 3/4″ thick:

Cut out biscuits and twist gently to release from cookie cutter. (You can also use the open end of a drinking glass.) Re-roll dough and cut out more.

Place 1-1/2″ on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in a preheated oven (400 degrees) for 10-11 minutes, just until lightly golden on top and around bottom edges.

Serve warm with favorite toppings. Enjoy!

Go read other terrific WFMW ideas at We Are THAT Family!

Remember a time when you had to actually find and open a phone book to locate an address or telephone number?

Or a time when the only way your kids could learn about or write a report about the history of Brazil would be to open an encyclopedia?

The internet sure has changed things.

I am old enough to remember the first time I ever dialed up to the internet. I had my own Geocities page (remember that?) when I was 15. (Not so sure I’m proud of that fact, though….)

It’s hard to remember a time without the internet. Now, I use it every day: To browse recipes and plan menus. To balance the checkbook. To book a vacation. To read reviews on appliances.

I don’t think I’ve ever done this…at least not in one post. I’m going to give you an exhaustive list of the greatest things the internet has to offer me and my family.

Many you’ve probably already visited. Maybe some of them will be new to you. But the existence of these particular websites is the reason that I go into Five Alarm Panic Mode whenever our cable connection line has a local (or widespread) outage. (Kind of sad, isn’t it? But I guarantee I’m not alone in this.)

Digital media
~ Flickr ~ Where I upload most of my photos before I use them in a blog post. It’s easier to adjust the size and scale, plus it keeps space free on my blog’s server. The free account allows you to upload 100MB’s worth of photos each month. I also subscribe to various Flickr pools (like-minded groups that lots of people contribute to) just for fun: Like vintage Barbie doll illustrations and vintage children’s books.

~ Picnik, Tilt Shift Generator, and Polaroin ~ Though I load and store all of my photos in Picasa, I use these three sites’ online tools to spiff up selected shots and create some not-so-ordinary effects for fun.

~ stock.xchng ~ A free-to-join stock exchange community. Rarely unable to find an image here that I’m seeking.

“Things to make my blog and desktop pretty & stuff”

~ The Cutest Blog on the Block ~ The template and background of both of my blogs came from this site. It may be a little girly to some, but there is a wide selection here.

~ Pixelgirl ~ A “kawaii” site for desktop backgrounds. There’s enough here to let you have a new wallpaper every day for a year.

~ SketchBook ~ A wispy, springy selection of artful desktops. (Click on “Gallery.”)

Frugal and money-minded:

~ Money Saving Mom ~ She takes out all of the old links and red-taped deals and gives you the best of the best, every day.

~ Free Sample Freak ~ Pretty self-explanatory. :)

~ RetailMeNot ~ I check here EVERY time before I make an online purchase. 9 times out of 10, it saves me cash.

Sometimes-used sites and sites I visit when I have extra time on my hands (Ha ha ha…Huh?)

~ Gift Elephant ~ This site keeps track of every gift I receive, every gift I give, and in the “notes” section, ideas for everyone on my gift list. When I see a good gift idea that’s just perfect for that certain someone, I just log in and write it in. Christmas should be a lot easier this year.

~ Plugged In Online ~ Focus on the Family’s movie, television, and video game review site, a terrific resource for parents.

Sites I’m about to delve into to see what all the hype is about:

~ Examen.me ~ An online quiet time tool. Not so sure my non-iPhone-toting self would benefit from it, but I’m going to try it out.

~ Ancestry.com ~ Though most of my family’s ancestry is known and recorded, that doesn’t mean a curious gal can’t dig some more! Researching of any kind gets me giddy — researching family history? Positively slaphappy.

What websites work for you? Where do you go daily for information, stats, amusement, and inspiration? I’d love to hear.

Go on over to We Are THAT Family to read more brilliant submitted WFMW solutions!

Kids are funny. They say funny things. And pretty soon, you’ll fill up the baby book. You’ll start writing down the funny things they say on tiny pieces of paper. And you’ll inevitably lose those pieces of paper — or go insane trying to corral them, not lose them….much less put them in chronological order.

My husband, the genius, told me to start recording the kids’ funny quips electronically.

Or more specifically, Twitter them.

Now, I know most everyone uses Twitter as it’s mainly intended to be used…..to let everyone know when we have a headache, what kind of sandwich we had for lunch, and what we saw when driving down the highway yesterday morning.

But Twitter can be an excellent momento saver! I can easily get to the computer or my phone to text in something funny minutes after it comes out of the witty mouths of the shortest two in our household! They each have their own (private) Twitter accounts….and their clever sayings (and very cute questions) are easily documented as they happen.

(And worriers like me, have no fear. There are free services out there for backing up your tweets for posterity’s sake….or you can always copy and paste them monthly into a Google Doc.)

Twittering what our kids say works for me!

Head over to We Are THAT Family for more WFMW tips.