Good Housekeeping Tip

A Maxine Tip...
Always keep several get well cards on the mantle... So if unexpected guests arrive, They will think you've been sick and unable to clean

Be A Follower!

As a thank you to those who read our blog, we're doing a little draw each month for our "followers"... If you haven't signed up yet, you can do so by clicking on the "follow" button at the right of this page.

May's draw will be a handy dandy springy little calendar/organizer.

We'll draw on June 1st, so if you haven't signed up yet, you still have a few days!!

Happy Monday everyone,
Dawn & Cheryl

Garage Sale Basics

Spring is almost over and hopefully your spring cleaning is almost done as well.

The good weather (that we almost have...can't you taste it?) always seems to motivate me to get at those things like the garage, the catch-all closets, the storage room and our bedrooms.

Weird but true.

It also brings things like robins, flowers and garage sales.



(photo source www.savingadvice.com)

I love a good garage sale.


It's kind of my version of going to the Casino. I start with $20 and see what happens.

If you are planning a garage sale this year, I have found a printable checklist online to help you on your way. As Dawn always says, checking off a box gives us great satisfaction. I hope it makes you feel the same way.




(checklist source www.organizedhome.com)

A couple of other quick tips to keep the kiddos busy:

• have them go through their rooms/playrooms with a box to fill of unused toys - depending on their ages they may be able to do this themselves, or may need a little help. I have found that if you let them keep the money from the proceeds of their items it is a great motivator. In fact, you may have to stop them from throwing TOO much stuff in the box depending on how much they like cash. Also, encourage them to donate a certain percentage to charity if that's something that works for your family, my son, the keeper, always is more willing to let go of "stuff" if it's going to a good cause.
• let them handle the "refreshment" side of things. Help them set up a lemonade stand or make rice krispie squares or some other inexpensive treat to give away or sell at your sale. A friend of mine used to help her kids make a huge batch of popcorn, bag it in brown lunch bags and sell that along with cans of cold pop at their annual street sale.
  
• let them help make the signs, then you can check off both "make signs" and "spent a bit of quality time with the rugrats"

Good luck!

Two for Tuesday

Here are a couple of quick and inexpensive tips for getting your baby's room organized.

A great way to add space to a closet, especially if you have children sharing a room, is to buy a tension bar (they are typically used as shower rods and can be found at Canadian Tire, Zellers, Walmart) and install it (tightly!) about 3 feet off the ground.

This gives you extra hanging space for those teeny-tiny baby clothes.

Another baby space tip, is to utilize one of those over the door shoe organizers, like this one:



Throw it over whatever door you have handy - whether it be the closet door or the door to the room and fill it will those little baby essentials that seem to get scattered about.

It's great for all those little toys, rattles, soothers, and even things like baby cream and baby powder (especially once those little ones are cruising - if you have experience a little one getting into a vat of vaseline or a large bottle of baby powder, you know what I'm talking about!)

Monday Quick Tip

Got a nasty microwave?

Don't be ashamed. (Unless you own the one above, in which case, go ahead and be ashamed.)

It's a little awkward getting in there sometimes to give it a clean, so try this:

Take a glass, microwave safe bowl/measuring cup/dish and put in it about 2 cups of water and 2 tbps of lemon juice. Microwave it on high for a couple of minutes and the lemony steam will soften all the... well... chunks. A quick wipe and you're good as new.

(Just be carefull removing the dish from the microwave.)

insert drumroll here

And the winner of our April give-away is.......

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

6 

Kari Eytcheson. 

Congratulations Kari!

I hope you find the perpetual calendar as helpful as I do!

Email us life-simplified@shaw.ca so we can figure out a way to get it to you!