The Frugal Housekeeper

I've used the fabric softener trick, and it works.

Here's another: If you have ceiling fans, put a pillow case over a blade, close the end, and wipe in one motion. All the dust will fall inside the pillowcase and not all over your furnishings.

I use a sock to dust the furniture. I dampen it with spray polish and start swiping. When it's full, I drop it in the laundry and grab another.

It's Library Card Month

Need I say more?

Equinox Cleaning

The Equinox Cleaning

Is this like spring cleaning? Yes. Spring cleaning was a necessity in historical times when the house remained closed up all winter, gathering soot and smoke from the fireplace as well as the accumulated mess made when people are cooped up inside for long periods of time.

That being said, we all need to do a thorough cleaning now and then. I recommend doing so at the equinoxes. In fall, we’re getting ready to shut our homes up for the winter and the holidays. Friends will visit, parties will be thrown, and of course we all want to show our homes off to the best advantage. In spring, we’re driven to open our homes to the warm spring breezes.

However, let’s be honest. Very few of us have the time to strip our rooms completely one by one, washing anything that holds still for it. However, a few things can be done in a very short period of time.

First things first! Take down the curtains, carpets, and throws. Dump them in the washer and/or load them in the car for a trip to the dry cleaners. (Don’t drive off, yet!)

Now bring in three cardboard boxes or three containers. One is labeled “Keep,” another “Put Away” and the third labeled “Give Away.” Take everything off of the horizontal surfaces. Throw away anything that doesn’t fit in the box categories. Think about your knick-knacks and decorations. Are they seasonally appropriate? Do you have so many you can’t dust without causing destruction? Put some away and keep only the ones you love and are seasonally appropriate. For instance, I have a lovely ocean blue pitcher and tray in my living room. They reflect the light and sparkle all summer, but in the winter they’re horribly out of place. I’ll put them away for the winter, and replace them with a more seasonal item like my ceramic crèche come Christmas. (Yes, I said Christmas. Please, let’s be real. I may not celebrate Jesus’ birthday, but I do put up a tree and enjoy the season.)

Put the Give Away box in the car only after you’re done cleaning for the day. Put the Put Away box where it will annoy you until you do put everything away where they belong. Bag up the trash and toss.

Now that all the horizontal surfaces are cleared, dust using a lamb’s wool duster, one of the electrostatic dusters, or even a used dryer softener sheet. Please, no feather dusters. They just flick it in the air to settle back down later. What’s the point of that? Start from the top and work your way down.

Take the Keep box and clean everything you can. Wipe down every knick-knack, the sides of the potted plants, the pictures, and even the remotes. Set them out to dry.

Now vacuum anything that holds still for it. The furniture, the carpets, the tables, and whatever else is left in the room. Yes, that’s what that duster brush attachment is for. Use it. Same for the upholstery attachment. Move what furniture you can, but don’t give yourself a backache trying to move the sofa unless you can do so easily.

Now grab your keys and take the stuff to the dry cleaner, and stop by any charity box or thrift store to drop off the contents of the Give Away box. When you come home, put your reduced collection of knick-knacks back on the shelves and rest in your revitalized room.

Tomorrow/next week, you can choose another room and repeat the process. Pick up what’s clean from the dry cleaners while you’re dropping off the next load. My curtains are mostly all washable, so I only take the comforter in. However, I’ve included two opportunities for those who must dry clean their curtains.

I do the Public Areas one week, the Kitchen the next, Bathrooms, and on the last week the Bedrooms. By spreading out the dry cleaning from Week One to Week Four, I don’t faint when I see the bill! LOL!

Polymer Pen Set for your BOS or Desk

First, let me give you the URL for a full set of instructions from the Carol Duvall show on HGTV.com. You will need to go print this out and see all the instructions.

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_clay_other/article/0,,HGTV_3239_1376361,00.html

IMHO, you should have a good pen dedicated to the task of writing in your BOS. (You do have a BOS, don't you? You aren't just gulping down anything you find on the net, are you? That sort of behavior will give your computer indigestion, and you don't learn anything that way.) Well, I'll assume for now that you have one.

We're entering the traditional time of year when --in my trad at least-- things turn much more esoteric rather than practical. As the seasons change to the colder months, we spend much more time indoors, and our Craft takes a turn toward indoor activities now that there are fewer herbs to gather, and less to do outside. The last of the fruits from our gardens will be preserved and put away to bring a little summer into the winter months. The rows of pickles, jars of tomatoes and herbs, and the fruit preserves bring much joy and satisfaction to our lives.

Soon we'll do the second of our equinox cleaning/cleansing, and prepare to shut ourselves in for the winter. We'll also make our new corn dollies to protect our homes and absorb negativity, allowing them to also gather energy beneath the altars until Samhain, when we'll ritually burn the old ones to release that negativity from our lives.

We'll do one last "smelly arts" workshop, preparing incenses, oils, and soaps in the cool air of fall this October. This must be done outside, since some of the incenses are the "throw it on the brazier and run" protection and cleansing variety.

In November, we make the ritual candles we'll use all year on our altars, allowing them to charge out of sight under the altar until they're needed. Most of us have saved candle stubs and wax all year, just for this one event.

All these recipes and instructions must be written down, as will the lessons on rituals, history, divination, and spellcraft. Who could remember it all otherwise? Even I, who've been doing much of this since I could walk, can't remember everything, and I don't try. I write it down. I don't depend on the internet. Files become corrupted, hard drives fry, and websites go down with alarming frequency.

This year, I'll have a new pen to record our adventures with, the old one having sputtered its last recently. I've chosen a beautiful silver and blue this time. Should be lovely.

Lena

Personalize Your Picnic and Be Prepared

No pictures today, just great ideas.

1. Grab up a pair of storage totes with locking lids instead of a picnic basket and bulky cooler. If you can, get them in different colors. In one, you can dump a bag of ice and keep your drinks cool, and the other can stow all the "dry" supplies like paper plates, napkins, clear garbage bags (one for trash, one for dirty dishes and clear so you can tell which is which), condiments, utensils, can opener, swiss army knife (several jobs in one tool!) and a container of wet wipes for cleanup.

2. If you use plastic ware, consider using a Sharpie to mark each family member's name on their own personalized utensils, cups, and plates. This can cut down on confusion and sibling arguments. You'll save money and trees.

3. Grab an old tablecloth or sheet at the thrift store and decorate it to suit your personal tastes with fabric paint, buttons, and even embroidery if you're ambitious. Stick it in the "dry" tote and never have to worry about what to sit on again. If sibling rivalry is a serious problem, use a Sharpie to divide the table into each child's own "area." You can renew the marks as needed, and allow each child to decorate their area with handprints, their names, and other symbols of themselves. Long after they're gone, you'll have a lovely keepsake.

4. For outdoor rituals, don't hesitate to mark your cloth like an altar, noting where you'd like certain items to fit your trad. This really helps when you have others helping you set up.

Recipes- Winning Snacks

Healthy, portable snacks are important these days. Who needs those tasteless cardboard granola bars or the expensive teensy "power" bars with more preservatives than a morgue?

The Day Before Lammas

Let's do a fast inventory and prepare your altar in a stress-free manner.

1. Altar cloth
2. Candles
3. Incense
4. Salt
5. Cakes and Ale items and a platter/glasses for all.
6. Seasonal decorations

Do your make-aheads now. Bake the bread, and consider your drinks. If you're making the Slushy Punch, this is your last chance to get it frozen.

Do as much pre-prep as you can for tomorrow. Chop the vegetables and bag them, make the rice (if any), and mix any dry ingredients. Leave the butter out to soften tonight or early in the morning tomorrow, depending on when guests will arrive.

Set the table well in advance and have all the serving dishes, plates, glasses, and flatware laid out. Consider a large tub, cooler, or bowl of ice so guests don't have to keep opening the refrigerator.

Give the public areas of the house/covenstead a cleaning and asperge with lemon water to cleanse and freshen the area. Sprinkle new salt if things have been a bit stressful in your home of late. Don't forget the bathroom.

Are you traveling elsewhere to celebrate? What can you put in the car tonight to save time and worry tomorrow?

Organizing the Perfect Picnic

What could be more romantic than a picnic with the sweetie? Besides this, I'll try to dig up my Bread Basket for Picnics. Yes, it's a basket made of bread you can eat. In the meantime...

Planning the Perfect Picnic
When you think of a picnic, do you conjure up idyllic visions of wicker baskets, red-checked tablecloths, and a baguette, cheese board and bottle of wine arranged artfully beside you while you lounge peacefully by the side of a lake? In reality, your last picnic may have involved bug bites, squashed peanut butter sandwiches, and collapsing paper plates. Take heart, though -- you really can have a storybook-perfect picnic! All it takes is a little planning.

* The Picturesque Picnic. A picnic just isn't a picnic without a charming cloth to spread out on the ground. A colorful, inexpensive tablecloth, sheet or blanket will make your picnic a delight to the senses, not to mention more comfortable, as you enjoy your cloth's wonderful ability to keep dirt and bugs off of you and out of the food. Instead of dragging along that boring old paper ware on your picnic, pick up a set of nice-looking, reusable plastic plates and cups. If you don't have a wicker picnic basket, let the kids decorate a large, sturdy box with contact paper and markers. Keep your tablecloth and special plates in your basket so you'll be ready to picnic whenever the sunshine and green grass call to you. Better yet, get one or two of those plastic storage boxes. One can be a “dry” box for the food and utensils, the other can hold ice and the drinks.
* Be Picnic-Equipped. One of the most indispensable gadgets to bring along on a picnic is a deluxe pocketknife. In addition to a knife blade, it should have scissors, a corkscrew and a can opener. When armed with one of these, you can handle any food or drink that needs slicing, peeling, trimming or prying open. If you do somehow find yourself stranded in the great outdoors with a lovely chunk of Cheddar and no knife to cut it with, just whip out your wallet: any plastic card can double as an impromptu cheese knife! For convenient cleanup of hands and faces, bring baby wipes or dampen several paper towels and put them in a resealable plastic bag. You'll also be glad you remembered a couple of extra plastic bags for garbage and dirty dishes (just don't get them mixed up! Use the clear trash bags.). Save money by saving all those little packets of ketchup, mustard, salt, pepper, and sweeteners in a resealable plastic bag. Clever food storage companies have also lately come out with disposable plastic storage containers that stack neatly. No more lugging home the Tupperware and spending an hour at the sink washing it all. It may seem silly and not very elegant, but a milk jug with a bit of water in the bottom frozen in the freezer will keep beverages chilled, lessen the chance of spills, and the small closeable opening keeps insects at bay.
· Perfect Picnic Food. Choose foods that don't require many utensils for serving or eating once you're settled onto your picnic blanket. Ideally, you should be able to eat most picnic foods with your hands, although we do advocate grabbing a few plastic forks to enjoy your favorite salad. There is certainly something very charming about a blanket holding a cheese knife and a tiny cutting board arranged with wedges of brie and gorgonzola. For all the other food, though, try to do most of the necessary slicing at home -- it's much easier to do in your kitchen (or to have the deli do it) than to attempt slicing meat, cheese, bread and watermelon for 6 people using a pocketknife. Desserts are best when already in individual portions, like cookies, brownies and cupcakes. Just remember that all sweet foods including fruits attract stinging insects.
· Emergency Kit. Choose and pack in the same stackable storage containers a few simple first aid supplies, like bandaids, insect sting ointments, sunburn sprays, sunscreen, and the like. If anyone is allergic to common outdoor items like bee stings, make sure you carry the appropriate remedy like benedryl or epi-pens.
· Getting Fancy about it. Believe it or not, you really can afford to get elegant with your picnic. The so-called dining pavilions available in Kmart or other similar stores are a worthwhile investment, with some minor changes you can make at home. Get the cheap ones without all that mosquito netting. Use old white sheets you can pick up in thrift stores and a box of safety pins or even clothespins to create your own side “walls”. A few spare clothespins to tie back the walls you want to open to catch a breeze are more than adequate. Should one of those summer showers threaten, you can still be cozy and dry while you finish your picnic. Take it from me, these really do work and are worth the trouble.

Hot Rod- Over the Stove Utensil Rack for under $20

This idea is so simple, it's almost scary. For instance, I found this towel bar for $10 at Home Depot.

http://contractorservices.homedepot.com/StoreProducts/ProductInfo.aspx?cid=1008257&pid=3dee4a24-1e09-411a-a043-8c35de083ac8 .

For those with more room, a stainless steel rod on brackets is ideal. Hey, could you even hang towels on it? LOL!!

Kid's Bench made Fast

This is almost cheating, it's so easy. Stock upper kitchen cabinets can be about $100 or less, so it pays to shop around.

Gardening- A Perky Pot Filter

I've been "caught" plenty of times without my landscaping fabric, which is stored in a shed far from where I do my potting work. That big old roll is a monster to lug anyway, so this is a wonderful alternative.

By the way, my friends! Now is the time to get out the file and sharpen up those shovels. It will soon be time to dig bulbs for the winter and separate your perennials that have crowded each other to death.

Mark your calendars now with your first frost date and be prepared! Start saving those onion bags and old nylon stockings to hang your bulbs safely for winter storage in a cool, dry place.

While you're at it, start putting aside money for that bag of fall fertilizer. It's almost time for that final fall feeding in the Zones north of 6. You'll want to do this soon, if your first frost date is looming. Don't make your garden friends starve this winter because you were lazy.

Need More Storage? Look Up

This is one trick I know and use. When you need more storage space, look up. Use the wasted space above windows and doors for shelves and cabinets.

I've often used the space above my bathroom door to store items in baskets, providing easy access. A basket hides those feminine supplies out of sight, and I didn't risk them getting wet under the sink. Rolled up towels that matched my bathroom decor also were kept handy in a very pretty way.

Now here's an added trick: Go buy those inexpensive stacking cubes or shoe racks like this one:

http://www.target.com/Storage-Cube-set-2/dp/B0015E7RQK/sr=1-8/qid=1215721910/ref=sr_1_8/601-3760784-7702548?ie=UTF8&index=target&rh=k%3Acube%20storage&page=1

or this one:

http://www.target.com/itso-1x2-Cube-Shelf-Maple/dp/B0013TNRTS/qid=1215722099/ref=br_1_14/601-3760784-7702548?ie=UTF8&node=677485011&frombrowse=1&rh=&page=1

Screw them into the studs or on a ledger board which is screwed into the studs and you have a fast and easy storage system above anywhere. Paint them if you like to match your walls. Instant storage anywhere!

Customizing and Organizing Your Kitchen CHEAP

I've always used the inside of my kitchen cabinet doors to keep my measurement conversion charts and most-used recipes handy. However, the sticky residue left by the tape always bugged me. These ideas offer alternatives with even more uses.

First we have the pegboard idea. Love this! If you haven't seen all the toys and storage ideas available for pegboards, pop by your local mega-hardware store and prepare to be amazed. You can even get jars to store your most-used spices this way! Bins for holding small items like those often lost gravy packets, and hooks for your favorite small utensils. No more frantic searches for the pastry brush. Woohoo!

Next is the chalkboard. I've done this before using a pantry door, but the inside of a cabinet door would work just as well. Note the eraser and chalk are stored in a small wire basket as well. (Or, perhaps in the pegboard cabinet door?)

Then there's the cork board door. Now that's a real treasure for pinning up the favorite recipes, coupons, tickets, paint chips, and other items. Handy and out of sight. Love it.

Finally, there's the option for those who can use magnets. While my kids are grown and gone, there are certain things that still end up needing a magnet until my refrigerator is a crowded eyesore.

Time to clean up that mess using wasted space. I'm digging out that chalkboard paint this weekend.

Tip Talk -- Cleaning House

House Cleaning Checklist

Have you ever wondered how those maid services manage to make a house look spotless in only an hour or two? My foster mother owns a house cleaning service. This list is very similar to hers. Did you know each room can take less than 15 minutes, and all the cleaning products fit in a plastic tote? One glass cleaner, one sanitizing cleaner, one furniture cleaner, paper towels, trash bags are in the tote. The maid deliberately wears a waitress apron with pockets for small items and the keys to her car. She uses a big binder clip to attach a kitchen-sized trash bag to the side of her apron. That’s where the room trash goes. When it’s full, she ties it off and places it outside the front door, then replaces the bag at her side.

I don’t know about you, but when I know the maid is coming, I do some of the work before she arrives. I remove the shoes and socks from the living room, throw away old magazines and junk mail, and generally remove what doesn’t belong. Call me silly, but I can’t stand the idea of letting the maid see what a slob my family is. Use this philosophy to your advantage. If someone else was coming to clean your house, what would you tackle so she doesn’t think you’re a slob? Do this first, but do clip the trash bag to your waist. You’ll need it.

ALL ROOMS
Furniture dusted and polished
Clean glass doors
General dusting
Dust walls and hangings
Vacuum all carpets
Floors mopped
Remove trash
General pickup and straighten
General items organized, like pillows, chairs, blankets
Overall appearance of the room neat and tidy
Freshen Air
ALL BEDROOMS
Beds made and linens changed (if left out on bed)
Furniture dusted and polished
Vacuum under beds
General dusting
Overall appearance of room neat and tidy
KITCHEN
Cabinet door exteriors wiped
Outside of appliances wiped
Sink cleaned and sanitized
Countertop and back splash cleaned and sanitized (all items removed and replaced)
Kitchen floor mopped
Dishwasher loaded and run
ALL BATHROOMS
Clean and sanitize shower, tub, sink counter, and toilet
Tiles and chrome cleaned
Mirror, pictures, and vanity tops cleaned
All floors mopped.

Sure, the first few times you do this, it’ll take you longer than 15 minutes each but soon enough the tasks become more efficient with practice.

The Practical Pagan- Sabbat Boxes

Do you ever find yourself wondering where you put your Sabbat decorations? Have you even bothered with a collection to use from year to year because it's too much trouble? Stacking Sabbat boxes with drawers are the way to go! They fit neatly in a closet or storage area and keep you from going overboard.

I invested in large plastic storage boxes a while back, and each is labeled with a different Sabbat. I got the ones that stack and have clear plastic drawers. They cost less than $10 each. By using a brand the store keeps in stock at all times, you can go back every couple of months to pick up one or two until you have enough.

All my decorations, recipes and flea market finds appropriate to each Sabbat are stored there. As soon as one Sabbat is done, in the box it goes and the next Sabbat's stuff is out and ready.

I take my books and mark each recipe that is appropriate then spend a few minutes in Kinko's with a friendly copier. Afterwards, the recipes can be put in a binder and stuffed in the appropriate Sabbat box.

If last month's issue of Better Homes and Gardens is still around, cut out the recipes and stuff it in the Eostar box for great recipes and crafts for next year.

I highly recommend subscribing to magazines that offer seasonal things to do. Bon Appetit, Southern Living, and even Good Housekeeping or Woman's Day are good starts and well worth the money spent. You will never run out of great ideas this way.

Those ubiquitous stuffed and ceramic bunnies are on sale in the spring. Grab them and put them in the Eostar box. Don't put perishables like candy in there, but canned goods are fine. Haven't you ever wandered by a sale table and thought, "That would be great for X Sabbat!" Well, grab it if you have the cash. I saw a red goblet one year that was perfect for Mabon (since red is one of the main colors for Mabon) for a mere 50 cents. From the change at the bottom of my purse, I had a great goblet for my Mabon altar!

Another great place to spend a buck or two is the fabric store. I'll go into detail on this later, but you don't have to know how to sew to make great altar cloths. Just look at the seasonal fabrics and grab one yard. Now wander to the notions aisle and pick up a product called Stitch Witch in a roll. With an ironing board and a bit of time, you can have seasonal altar cloths to fit every Sabbat, moon, and special event.

There are Bride books out all the time for Beltane. Grab them and spend time cutting out all those great decorating ideas and recipes. Try those you can and stuff them all in your Beltane box for "goodies" for next year.

The next time you go to the flea market, think Sabbats. Bet you find things like grape-shaped jello molds for Mabon, platters with wheat sheaves for Lammas, and a crazy-looking sunflower vase for Litha. Think about it...

Do this month-by-month and watch your decorating ideas and recipes grow with good seasonal things to eat and do!