tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67544531027918368842024-03-13T13:00:03.696-04:00From My Home to YoursLisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17955632440332747542noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6754453102791836884.post-36762243420748222242011-02-20T18:23:00.000-05:002011-02-20T18:23:58.003-05:00Freebies!!!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6pBDJVAORxvUfQtEebMI2h5yXu3nOvlL79a2HjOV9RyqnU00RsPaIVY10nMUnc_Ezt87dZhmg7g2HEahyvXfZvc4JZ_tSZor47dCz3VSsntHS_49rPCBWDchstLIczpbK8wdnO9Lr7U/s1600/DSC_9365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6pBDJVAORxvUfQtEebMI2h5yXu3nOvlL79a2HjOV9RyqnU00RsPaIVY10nMUnc_Ezt87dZhmg7g2HEahyvXfZvc4JZ_tSZor47dCz3VSsntHS_49rPCBWDchstLIczpbK8wdnO9Lr7U/s320/DSC_9365.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">These are all the FREE items (after rebates) I got from Staples today!!!</div><ul><li><div style="text-align: left;">2 reams of paper</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">2 packs mailing labels (can use these for a variety of things)</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">2 packs photo paper</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">1 12-pack sticky notes</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">1 5-pack pens</div></li>
</ul><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/186/27696877D27863EF3B27E56156578648.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17955632440332747542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6754453102791836884.post-9100341407060312392011-02-20T00:31:00.001-05:002011-02-20T00:37:17.287-05:00MissingFor some reason, I'm really missing times spent visiting my grandma as a child . I can't adequately explain it. We've always lived quite a distance from her and I always wondered what it might have been like to have grown up in her small town. There, the woods are thick. Land is not near as developed as it is here. It's quiet. It's peaceful. It smells good. It's true country living. A breath of fresh air. To walk the land wondering if anyone else stepped foot on that exact spot. Yes, I grew up in the country. But not like the country at my grandma's. Her house was nested among many wooded acres, and paths that led to the next house which belonged to my Aunt Jane. The chicken coupe and garden were among my favorite places to explore. The room we stayed in belonged to my grandpa, along with the bed in which we slept. If I close my eyes, I can still smell the scent of that house. I can feel the floor beneath my feet. In the winter, the only source of heat came from the wood stove which smelled like a campfire in the deep woods. Oh how I miss that place. The adventures with my cousins. The sound and smell of my grandma cooking. The wonder of what was inside the old trunk in the family room. And the decision over which rocker I would sit in. These things comforted me. And tonight, for some reason, I'm missing them more than usual. <br />
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Maybe it's the simplicity that I miss. We had more time for adventure. More time to dream. Just... more time. Things are often too busy today. We have too many TV's; too many electronics. My grandma had one TV and it was in the basement. It was peaceful, even with many visitors. Hearing family stories was much more interesting, espeically with the southern accent of those who told them. <br />
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I miss these days. I miss my grandma's old house. I miss walking through the woods. I miss my grandpa, even though I knew him for only a short 12 years. I miss my grandma, although still living, I don't see her enough. She is 99. Wow. Ninety-nine. I've always looked up to her. And I'll always love her.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/186/27696877D27863EF3B27E56156578648.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17955632440332747542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6754453102791836884.post-87614479748207203322010-07-08T11:19:00.001-04:002010-07-08T11:20:19.242-04:00Leftover PaintI figured out what to do with all these plastic peanut butter jars! Yes, I save most of them because with their wide mouth, they are nice to store left-over food. But honestly, how many do I possibly need?<br />
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We have a number of gallon size paint cans that have just a little paint left in them and they are sucking up valuable space on our shelf in the basement. So, guess what? Yep! I'm going to transfer the paint into the jars. Of course, I will not forget to label the jars with the type of paint it is and the room(s) I used it in.<br />
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What else can we use those nice jars for?<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/186/27696877D27863EF3B27E56156578648.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17955632440332747542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6754453102791836884.post-49710530159744021052010-07-05T00:16:00.000-04:002010-07-05T00:16:26.840-04:00Cleaning Lampshades<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlPWI7PLp7SyEAYvICw5HaVuoaNrCiDbQ2oMH5xWsjmE9A_zt05Uwa8KGokxjLv2uYyPdDLiU6qdwr9F_TkoAFP7r808TNWJSOU0mvL-1GoG8cq3kHst3_c0dNbRZHscmCRcMEXNFnAI/s1600/DSC_6369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlPWI7PLp7SyEAYvICw5HaVuoaNrCiDbQ2oMH5xWsjmE9A_zt05Uwa8KGokxjLv2uYyPdDLiU6qdwr9F_TkoAFP7r808TNWJSOU0mvL-1GoG8cq3kHst3_c0dNbRZHscmCRcMEXNFnAI/s320/DSC_6369.JPG" /></a></div>Two of the best ways I've found to dust lampshades are to:<br />
<br />
1. Use your vacuum hose, or<br />
2. Use a sticky tape lint roller (my new preferred method).<br />
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These things also work well for a quick cleaning of curtains, decorative placemats or table runners, and furniture. Yes, your furniture gets dusty even when it's sat on every single day! <br />
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Happy Cleaning!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/186/27696877D27863EF3B27E56156578648.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17955632440332747542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6754453102791836884.post-91206796874381122532010-06-02T11:15:00.003-04:002010-06-02T12:10:52.522-04:00Cleaning with VinegarNo more commercial cleaners for me! In fact, I needed a spray bottle to put my 50/50 mix of vinegar and water. So I searched through my cleaning products and found one that was full of some other type of cleaner. I smelled it and decided that this bottle would become the new home for my vinegar mixture. I poured the other stuff down the drain and nearly gagged as it went, thinking I should have worn a mask! The smell was so strong, surely that can't be healthy; especially with an asthmatic in the house.<br />
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I originally wanted the vinegar mixture to get rid of ants. Yes, ants! It kills them and removes their scent trail so that others can't find their way. Who knew? After I sprayed the ants and the area where I suspected their entry, I noticed a few stains on my carpet. I used to be devoted to Spot Shot for those "tough" stains. Let's be honest. I really don't know how tough they <em>really </em>were because I never tried to clean them with anything else. Well, today, I used the vinegar mixture and voila! Clean carpet once again!<br />
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Vinegar is safe to use on wood floors too. Just be sure to use white vinegar and I like to keep mine mixed 50/50 with water. Some use straight vinegar, but the scent is too strong for me and the mixture does the job just as well.<br />
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Realizing that vinegar is an age-old, all-purpose cleaner, I'm happy to have come to my senses to realize that commercial cleaners are harmful to pets and humans and release toxins into the atmosphere. Of course, many of them say they are "safe" but I've learned that their definition of safe differs from mine. You see, organizations are allowed to say that something is safe as long as the percentage of toxins is low enough to meat their standards.<br />
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To sum it all up, I'm thrilled with my vinegar spray bottle and plan to use it for many purposes, including cleaning my floors, countertops, sinks.... even for killing ants!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/186/27696877D27863EF3B27E56156578648.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17955632440332747542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6754453102791836884.post-34025413472016434522010-03-06T00:38:00.000-05:002010-03-06T00:38:15.532-05:00Webkinz TagsHow do you keep from losing or accidentally throwing away these little Webkinz tags? The best solution I found (photo to come) is to put them in a binder. I happened to already have some plastic trading card binder sheets and we just slip the tags right into the pockets. Two will fit into each pocket easily so that you can easily see the type of Webkin it's for.<br />
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I tagged one sheet for each child. If you want to take it a step further, you can create a sheet for tags that have not yet been entered on-line. If you're like me, I try to hold the kids off as long as possible since a new pet must be entered within a year to maintain the account.<br />
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We also put other tags and certificates in this binder - for special dolls like Cabbage Patch and American Girl. It really helps to keep this stuff organized and protected!Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17955632440332747542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6754453102791836884.post-41829794258100441182009-10-04T22:41:00.004-04:002009-10-04T22:50:58.658-04:00New BuffetAfter spending too much time in search for a cabinet or buffet, we finally settled on this one. Yes, it's from Ikea! I promise, I do not work for this company! They just have affordable items that fit well in our house.<br />This wall in our kitchen has been an eye sore for quite some time. I'm glad to finally have something there that looks nice and is functional. And it costs way less than adding more cabinetry!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZT7Q_Ob9lL5q5L0htoswaNmuXX1URUK07H1kxeDQUOgI7V5Rg034hSSJuMed4mWhgMzW3ka_1tKhUqPCWkK4P5pD26KD0yrJh2XZtrsKn87PdxEiEZzOWsY_Bp9Qe9JqSAyE9AJJQmA/s1600-h/DSC_3587.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388942274671308674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZT7Q_Ob9lL5q5L0htoswaNmuXX1URUK07H1kxeDQUOgI7V5Rg034hSSJuMed4mWhgMzW3ka_1tKhUqPCWkK4P5pD26KD0yrJh2XZtrsKn87PdxEiEZzOWsY_Bp9Qe9JqSAyE9AJJQmA/s320/DSC_3587.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJU_8llmOWtM9LfP2fzeHmLM6GKMSpQg4XfzDX2-dXrPEGHqt5BeVA5XBE3SBqsirI6Rz2opY7O6K0aIL9tQhRYvH-Mv0sR7G4P7Z3D5Ckv8MIEqwydgz8PxqGfgh1h8-IfKrFKf9UYIQ/s1600-h/DSC_3582.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388942267078492050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJU_8llmOWtM9LfP2fzeHmLM6GKMSpQg4XfzDX2-dXrPEGHqt5BeVA5XBE3SBqsirI6Rz2opY7O6K0aIL9tQhRYvH-Mv0sR7G4P7Z3D5Ckv8MIEqwydgz8PxqGfgh1h8-IfKrFKf9UYIQ/s320/DSC_3582.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div> </div><br /><br /><div></div></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17955632440332747542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6754453102791836884.post-16038787985520512442009-09-14T12:43:00.003-04:002009-09-14T13:41:54.438-04:00New Desks from IkeaWe had a 5-foot brown folding table in our classroom and replaced it with two smaller white desks that we purchased from Ikea. They match the main desk and bookshelves, which makes them a perfect fit. Having two desks is much better for the kids to each have their own space and because they are smaller, we have more floor space.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGU7Ch8eVQ0cSI14WRYZbHhEEKhNukmJAaKVatMHvCCLoLJpoAC-fxLru7Xbjnc7ndtd8QwUP0LgvhHGY2tod_rX3B5VwiIHb94pIraO2hBE_RJv8bHoyNxJguJPEm4ueAwW4VSz9Rg0/s1600-h/DSC_3553.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381375384811255986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGU7Ch8eVQ0cSI14WRYZbHhEEKhNukmJAaKVatMHvCCLoLJpoAC-fxLru7Xbjnc7ndtd8QwUP0LgvhHGY2tod_rX3B5VwiIHb94pIraO2hBE_RJv8bHoyNxJguJPEm4ueAwW4VSz9Rg0/s320/DSC_3553.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoIg3_aPJTFAHp0JA4lNOxLNge9NdPI7iLUfCu9eJKzZS3qlvAMoCqZZ6xL-p7hTE5xu4fDoDQFM_qxfh5cNTB0y1TjuBFPIeIA3GZ0DdVCgSjPspaHutieIQgdceqsVpL06TCAFd1LA/s1600-h/DSC_3550.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381375369764014194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoIg3_aPJTFAHp0JA4lNOxLNge9NdPI7iLUfCu9eJKzZS3qlvAMoCqZZ6xL-p7hTE5xu4fDoDQFM_qxfh5cNTB0y1TjuBFPIeIA3GZ0DdVCgSjPspaHutieIQgdceqsVpL06TCAFd1LA/s320/DSC_3550.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17955632440332747542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6754453102791836884.post-85376427714514675212009-09-02T11:34:00.006-04:002009-09-02T11:52:10.671-04:00Chalkboard IdeasI'm looking for a place to hang or paint a chalkboard in the classroom. Any ideas? We were going to hang cabinets above our square cubbies, but realized that it just didn't look right. So, now I'm thinking about hanging a picture frame on that wall and painting the wall inside of it with chalkboard paint. Another option would be to chalk-paint a lightweight board to fit inside the picture frame for a smoother surface.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgD1WAYKd0WuDJsGvc2TM4BiLTg3rWH_qouNwbqD5VhuSKIAdYEN26_2FM1O7CUX3SrLQxaKAHr49DO2BFhKcj0Zs2BB3W9kBe3_pZrcf41ke0syjIw3KfebxRb2L-T0QR-WKsY0yezAA/s1600-h/DSC_3419.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376895919531396434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgD1WAYKd0WuDJsGvc2TM4BiLTg3rWH_qouNwbqD5VhuSKIAdYEN26_2FM1O7CUX3SrLQxaKAHr49DO2BFhKcj0Zs2BB3W9kBe3_pZrcf41ke0syjIw3KfebxRb2L-T0QR-WKsY0yezAA/s320/DSC_3419.JPG" border="0" /></a>I realize that the space looks a bit out of sorts, but it really is functional. The aqua baskets (from Wal-Mart) inside the cubbies (Ikea) are for our library books; one for each child and one for "returns." Each basket has a label on the front and handles on each side that makes them easy to pull out.Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17955632440332747542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6754453102791836884.post-31988227467719394962009-09-02T01:31:00.000-04:002009-09-02T01:42:34.229-04:00Clean Sweep!Ok. Let's get this out of the way first. Before and after pictures of our home office/classroom.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9RJsnDHsJQ-obt-Eww-U5mde_gGjs8nOokg2OlZrxz65YZjDOcfq6Tf3JzCSBusSBi1vk71NH7chFlMP5XMp75RZ1bLbLyhhMmua3iTUjUO8p3S6LK8QRZVmLefWjJ2w6Gnn1VtDRYlM/s1600-h/DSC_3298.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376740645504530210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9RJsnDHsJQ-obt-Eww-U5mde_gGjs8nOokg2OlZrxz65YZjDOcfq6Tf3JzCSBusSBi1vk71NH7chFlMP5XMp75RZ1bLbLyhhMmua3iTUjUO8p3S6LK8QRZVmLefWjJ2w6Gnn1VtDRYlM/s320/DSC_3298.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikh6GP6UvIDIeN9kbkMET7h4XCdJMz0F1MJ8nZr7C-9WrVD2aR_dyxwLa_UGGHhpmIZ0-scQqXkXcmdH9h-jEaYNcjzmDYpp1pBgz7FfZqhTtcstlAZtGiBJMlsSlk0xz5Fllib2CPNJ8/s1600-h/DSC_3300.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376740298982709762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikh6GP6UvIDIeN9kbkMET7h4XCdJMz0F1MJ8nZr7C-9WrVD2aR_dyxwLa_UGGHhpmIZ0-scQqXkXcmdH9h-jEaYNcjzmDYpp1pBgz7FfZqhTtcstlAZtGiBJMlsSlk0xz5Fllib2CPNJ8/s320/DSC_3300.JPG" border="0" /></a>I know that these photos may not look much different, but look closely. We got rid of the old brown desk that was falling apart and replaced it with a wonderful new (and smaller) desk from Ikea. Because the desk is smaller, we had just enough room for a drawer unit (also Ikea) to the left of the desk. So far, I love it and have managed to keep things tidy.<br /><br /><div> </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLb1G8hPv0fTg5Q7bggqf5m8NH_SebXG2uK74MMhDpMozBJdzQbNmhXbXDDZAI1NBZZtT6cG_UTFf0LwohQZcbZc5d5wDypw7WPcqBPT4qZX46oNfGbhZh1citNPpuwFfqsjTESngutA/s1600-h/DSC_3298.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Lisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17955632440332747542noreply@blogger.com0