Spring Into Fun!

I always forget how much I truly love Springtime. I don't know if this is because winter tends to get so cold in Indiana that I long for Summer, but whenever Spring comes around I am always in awe. I love watching the grass, trees, flowers, etc., come back to life and blossom before our very eyes. This is turning out to be an especially nice Spring here in Indiana so far. We actually had a pretty mild winter as Indiana winters go. We have had temperatures in the 70s and 80s here, and with the spring breeze it has been so WONDERFUL! Gods beauty surrounds us in so many ways and forms, and spring is just one of those proofs.

But with Spring also comes one task that I often find myself having mixed feelings about:

SPRING CLEANING

I always find myself having mixed feelings about Spring Cleaning. I am eager to get started on it, and yet I dread it at the same time. It seems impossible to me that every single year I find stuff stored away in a cabinet or closet that we haven't used all year or have no use for. There's clothes that I've held onto that just don't fit and probably never will again. I find broken toys that I have held on either for nostalgia's sake or because I tell myself that I will fix it. Of course it never happens, and I find it sitting on a shelf forgotten about until I finally throw it away. Why I don't just do these things in the first place I will never know, but every year history repeats itself. So this year I already have an entire closet of stuff that I am donating to Goodwill. Clothes we have all outgrown, toys the boys NEVER play with, items we have no use for, etc.

And then there's the cleaning aspect. Cleaning all the ceilings, blinds, walls, cabinets, crevices, etc,. I always dread getting started on these Spring cleaning tasks, and yet I remind myself how much better I will feel once it is all accomplished. One main thing I have to remind myself of so I don't procrastinate is there is no rush in doing these things. Because in addition to my spring cleaning chores are my regular everyday chores. So a tip from me to you if you are planning some spring cleaning is pace yourself. One day clean the cabinets in addition to your everyday chores, the next day do the blinds and windows, etc. It's so much easier this way instead of feeling as if you have to accomplish everything in one day. This will inevitably stress you out and thus cause procrastination. There's a lot of helpful tips on the web as well. I found some great sites with great tools and tips:

http://housekeeping.about.com/cs/cleaning101/a/springclnngguid.html

http://www.marthastewart.com/267295/spring-cleaning-checklist 

And here's a great site if you want to customize and print out your own personal Spring Cleaning Checklist:

http://www.eprintablecalendars.com/lists/spring-cleaning/ 

And here is one of my favorite sites I found:

Mane and Chic- Spring Cleaning Challenge

There are also a LOT of Spring Cleaning challenges going on right now. I have found a few through google. There's TONS of giveaways for those who participate in these challenges. This is what I found from searching google:

$50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway- Passionate Penny Pincher's Spring Cleaning Challenge

Amy's Finer Things Spring Cleaning Challenge- Win an HE Washer/Dryer Set, DIY Easy Track Deluxe Closet Organizer, and a Professional Steam Pocket Mop

I'm sure there are others out there, but I wanted to make sure to share with you readers some of the things going on out there. Just search and find.

Today in addition to my other chores I am tackling Toys and Books! I find that there are so many books (both my husband's, mine, and the boys) and toys that don't get any use. No sense in keeping them and cluttering up the apartment even more so it's time to purge. I can't wait to have everything all ready for the rest of spring and summer. Just remember to take time away to enjoy Springtime because there is just so much outside to enjoy! Here's some of what we have been up to on the nice days:

Covered Bridge Leading to the trails we walked on

The trails along the river

The river beside the trails

Looking off the bridge, capturing the blossoming trees and flowing water

I love these blossoms! These trees are just beautiful!

Reflection of the sky on the water. It looks just like a painting.

We are planning a family picnic which I cannot wait for. This really is the perfect time of year for picnics. Warm temperatures with a cool breeze makes being outside amazing. I will make sure to come back and share pictures. What have you been up to so far this spring? Any spring cleaning goals your setting for yourself? How do you tackle spring cleaning?

Sincerely,

Tori

P.S. If you haven't entered into my Harlequin Romance Book Giveaway make sure to enter. 9 Days Left. The book is Enticed By His Forgotton Lover -by: Maya Banks

Magid Glove is Pure Magic!

When asked to review Flock-Lined Yellow Latex Gloves Magid® Comfort Flex® 620  I was actually pretty excited. The usage of latex gloves is high in my house. I for one am constantly cleaning, and with two boys and it being the fall season I am constantly disinfecting everything. Here's a few of my personal examples:

For one thing I have a dishwasher, but I basically use it as a drying rack. I prefer to hand scrub my dishes making sure I get everything cleaned thoroughly. One thing is I prefer to wash my dishes in pure hot water so it kills all the germs. I like to use latex gloves for this so I don’t burn my hands, but usually I still feel a lot of the burn and it makes it uncomfortable. My hands get all splotchy and I am using lotion constantly so my hands don't crack.

Another thing is I use a lot of bleach when cleaning in the bathroom. I clean my tub, toilet, and sinks with Clorox bleach. I have had a problem with a lot of my rubber gloves that when exposed to bleach the powder stuff inside will come off onto my hands and make it uncomfortable. And sometimes the case has even been that the gloves just aren’t sturdy enough to withstand the bleach/water combination I make to clean with. My hands get all red and splotchy.

With Flock-Lined Yellow Latex Gloves Magid® Comfort Flex® 620  I didn’t have any of those problems. They were spectacular! I used them when washing dishes and the water didn’t burn me at all. As a matter of fact I couldn’t even tell that I was indeed doing my dishes in scalding hot water. I had to test the water with my elbow to make sure the hot hadn’t run out on me. In the process I burned my elbow, but was so pleased at how well the gloves were holding up that I didn’t even notice. The grip is fantastic and there is nothing cumbersome about them at all. Absolutely no bulk and I have quite thin fingers and wrists.
Then I used them while cleaning and scrubbing the tub, toilet, sinks, etc., they were amazing! The powder didn’t come off in my hand and nothing ate away at the gloves! They withstood the bleach water, and they slid off as easy as they went on. I could grip my scrub brushes easily and didn’t drop them once as I usually do with other gloves.
They literally fit me like a glove, (no pun intended), and I had no trouble at all with any extra bulk you usually get with many other latex gloves.
I was so impressed with these gloves I told my husband all about them adding that they are chemical resistant gloves after all. He usually takes no interest in my cleaning products, but this time he did and wondered if he could use them at work. He works in a factory and has to clean up oil spills from the machines a lot of the time. I agreed, eager to share this new find with him. He was amazed. He said they didn’t slip off his hands, he had good grip, and he was able to keep the oil off his hands. He hates when oil imbeds itself in his fingernails and he spends forever scrubbing it out. While his work does provide gloves to use they don't really hold up well so they ARE allowed to bring in their own if they don't like what is provided. He didn’t have any problems with these latex Magid Comfort Flex Gloves! He is so excited he can’t wait to spread the word at his work. He said he got many comments on the gloves with others who were impressed.
We are both so impressed I think from now on this will be the only latex glove we use! I encourage you to check it out! The price is definitely affordable for those on a budget. You can get a dozen for $10.63 which is actually just about 0.89 cents a glove! You can get them here:


Here's a bit more about Flock-Lined Yellow Latex Gloves Magid® Comfort Flex® 620:

Description

Magid's Comfort Flex® 620 is a yellow latex glove, perfect for any household task. This style features an embossed finish, providing superior grip on wet or dry surfaces. The 620 is also fully liquid-proof, making it perfect when dealing with household chemicals, as well as certain mild abrasives. This glove comes with a flock lining that enables it to come on and off with ease. The Comfort Flex® 620 is a big step up from your average disposable, featuring .018 gauge thickness and 12" length. Caution: products containing natural rubber latex may cause allergic reactions in some individuals.

• Flock-lined latex glove
• Embossed finish for fantastic grip
• Stands up well to everyday chemicals
• Comes on and off with ease
• .018" gauge thickness, 12" long

Disclaimer: I was given this product for free in the hopes that I would post a review on my blog. All opinions expressed are solely mine alone.

Manic Monday

Welcome to Manic Mondays! Today is a gorgeous day in my area. A bit windy, but I am definetely going to take advantage and spend the day doing some yard work.

Craft I'm working on this week:
Crocheted Twin size boys blanket (blue and white, will post pics soon)

On the menu tonight: Teriyaki stir-fry

Book I'm Reading:
The Final Summit by: Andy Andrews (review upcoming)

Today's To Do List:
Laundry, Sweep & Mop floors, re-organize boys room, Yard, clean windows work

Weekly Tip:
To clean your windows mix water and about 4% vinegar in a spray bottle, spray on windows, ball up a newspaper wad and wipe windows in up and down motions.
A trick I learned from my Nanny at a very young age it cleans windows like no other and with no smears! It creates a crystal clear view! and the newspaper ink does not smear by the way. Also the vinegar smell fades in about 10 minutes. Its all worth it for crystal clear windows though.