Stingy ‘Green Cleanin’

When ‘being green’ was still attributed to Kermit the Frog, out of necessity, I came upon these homemade cleansers that cost pennies on the dollar.
And I have a theory, if I can eat it, then I can clean with it. This theory doesn’t work all that well when I come to vacuums…

“Ocean breeze will make you clean.” Name that Kermit movie and you’ll get a star.

If you have hair on your head like I have hair on my head, you need this recipe.

Green Drain Cleaner:
1/2 Cup Baking Soda
1/2 Cup White Vinegar
Boiling Water
Pour Baking Soda down the drain. Add white vinegar and cover the drain, if possible. Let set for 5 minutes. Pour the boiling water down the drain.

We are dusty people. We like to leave the doors open for fresh air, but then regret it when we wipe our fingers along the coffee table, leaving a stripe behind. You win some, you loose some.
This recipe has restored life to most of our vintage finds, too!

Green Furniture Polish and Cleaner:
3 Cups Olive Oil
1 Cup White Vinegar
Mix together in a jar and pour onto a soft cloth. Remix every so often by shaking the jar again.

If you restore old homes, or parts of old homes, this recipe is a must. I have removed years of gross crap off of fixtures, fireplaces and doorknobs.

Green Brass Cleaner:
Lemon Juice
Baking Soda
Make a paste the consistency of toothpaste. Rub onto brass with a soft cloth. Rinse with water and dry.

Lime and gunk will magically disappear. I use this on all of my faucets and chrome baking tins.

Green Chrome and Stainless Steel Cleanser:
1 Cup Vinegar
1/2 Cup Water
Mix in a recycled spray bottle. Spray solution on the chrome/stainless steel and let sit for a minute. Wipe off with damp sponge and dry with a soft cloth.

I know we don’t like to talk about toilets. Or their bowls. Or the funk that grows inside. But, you gotta clean it. Why not do it green style?

Green Toilet Bowl Cleaner:
Baking Soda
Vinegar
Sprinkle baking soda into toilet bowl. Add vinegar. Scrub ‘er down with a toilet brush.

The Difference Between Man & Wife and Windows

Biceps and I are organizers. The clothes in our closets are color coordinated. We face the labels out on our canned goods. We completely rinse every last crumb off of our dishes before putting them
in the dishwasher.
I would absolutely drive any other man crazy.

However, with all of that in common, we still have or freakish differences.
He loves the stage. I get sweaty palms, heart palpitations and loose all control of my appendages if I go near a stage.
I can also be quite careless from time to time.
I’ll fling my seatbelt behind me as I vacate the car, hopping out without looking below and usually step right into a puddle.
He situates things for five minutes before leaving the car. Mostly, he’s untangling my seatbelt. And not stepping into a puddle.
Biceps is careful, thoughtful and patient.
I am working on these attributes. Quickly.

Because of the reasons stated above, today became a landmark day for me. And for our marriage.
We have been scraping, glazing, caulking, and repairing our windows for the last several days.
Today, we started painting them. This is where it gets good.

Guess who’s window this is.

Now guess who’s this one was.

Window #1 again-this time a close up for some down and dirty comparison.

And Window #2 again-a close up for your scrutiny.
Who do think did what window?

Retro Refrigerator Dishes

I have an addiction. I can’t stop. My hubby has tried to get me to quit. But, I just can’t. I want to stop-mostly because I am running out of cabinet space.

But, how can you say no to these?

They’re bright, they’re fun, they stack on top of each other. You can’t argue with my logic here. And when I see them all alone at the flea market, the wallet starts to come out.

These dishes come from a time when Pyrex was still a trusted brand. A time when you knew they wouldn’t possibly explode in the microwave. A time when they made things in primary colors, just for fun.

And these two cute little dudes? They hold leftover veggies or sauces or whatever you need them to, even if it’s sauerkraut.
They are up for the challenge.

“Hey, Rebekah! Thanks for giving us a home. And we promise never to leach toxic chemicals into your food, like those plastic guys do.”-Mr. Pyrex Dish.
How sweet! He cares about toxins going into my food. What a kind dish.

“Hey, who are you calling toxic?!”-Mr. Plastic Tupperware.
“Hey, if the shoe fits, Plastic Boy…”-Mr. Pyrex Dish.
Oh, dear. This could get ugly. What’s Mr. Pyrex Dish doing? He’s coaxing Mr. Plastic Tupperware closer.

“Crunch, munch, slurp…”-Mr. Pyrex Dish.
I had no idea my glass dishes could be so protective.

“BURP!”-Mr. Pyrex Dish.
Oh my. That is something no one should ever have to see. I need to get back to some happier times.

Ah…that’s better. Serenity now.
And I don’t think there’s any hope of me changing anytime soon.

Photographing a Live Birth A Weird First for Me.

Having no children myself, I wasn’t sure what to expect when a good friend asked me to photograph her delivery. But, I sucked it up and said, ‘Sure’ and then cried myself to sleep the night before.

This is that good friend.

This is that good friend’s hubby and my hubby being guys just before delivery. Sweet, aren’t they?

There was a lot of this going on. No screaming, thank the Lord. But the woman across the hall seemed to be having a worse go of things and wanted everyone in the hospital to know about it.
I wonder what kind of woman I will be when it’s my turn. The screamer or the quiet one? I’d bank on ‘screamer’.

After a lot of pushing, suddenly, I saw her. My heart stopped beating for a moment. How beautiful is this?

She was perfect. I blacked out anything you shouldn’t be seeing. (This is a PG site, after all).

Daddy was able to catch the baby and hold her before anyone else did.
The doctor let the Daddy have his moment.

So precious!

This little girl was wild. Look at those flailing arms and legs. I predict she will be a gymnast, or a ballerina, or a soccer player, or a drummer for a rock band, or whatever she wants to be.
She has amazing parents that will support her no matter what. Give me a moment and a tissue.

She sees daddy for the first time. Now is the moment it is declared that she has her daddy’s dimples.
Sniff, sniff.

She isn’t thrilled about the separation from her brand new parents. Baby joins the woman across the hall screaming about their situations.

And continues to scream as this stranger turns her brand new little pink feet all black. There was a bit of clawing going on. This girl is feisty.

Finally, the new little girl was returned to her brand new owners. And all was right in the world.
I survived my first live birth. I think I deserve a glass of wine. Don’t you?