Happy Friday

8 Surprising Household Deodorizers

Deodorize Your Clothes

Problem: Musty ClothesYour vintage woolens are back in style, but they bear stale odors picked up during their stint in fashion purgatory.

Solution: Sprits’ garments with a small amount of vodka (spot-test first). Straight vodka kills bacteria, but it doesn't leave a scent. Hang clothes to dry in a well-ventilated area.

Deodorize Your Kitchen Sink

Problem: Stinky SinkThe garbage disposal is great for keeping the dregs of dinner from lingering, but the resulting odors are more stubborn.

Solution: Give the disposal something nicer to chew on. Run hot water, drop orange peels down the hatch, and turn on the switch. Lemon, lime, and grapefruit rinds also do the trick.

Deodorize Your Freezer

Problem: Odor on IceThose UFOs (unidentified frozen objects) in the freezer make your piecrust smell like a substance from another planet.

Solution: Wipe the freezer with a cotton pad dampened with pure vanilla extract. Refrigerator shelves will benefit from a wipe-down with a 50-50 mix of white vinegar and water.

Deodorize Your Car

Problem: Car FumesYour car has been there for you through every trip to the vet, the recycling center, and fast-food joints, but you don't want to be reminded of that every time you get behind the wheel.

Solution: Drop a potpourri wax tart into a cup holder. The tarts, used in fragrance burners, are sold by candle makers.

Deodorize Food Storage Containers

Problem: Storage StenchSaving leftovers for lunch is virtuous; chucking containers because you can't get rid of the smell of vegetable curry isn't.

Solution: Soak plastic containers in warm water and baking soda overnight. Bathe glass jars in a mixture of one teaspoon powdered mustard and one quart warm water.

Deodorize Your Carpet

Problem: Scents UnderfootCarpets can collect unpleasant odors, particularly in high-traffic areas and in spots where pets like to nap.

Solution: Cordon off the zone and sprinkle liberally with baking soda, then vacuum up a few hours later. Can't keep everyone away that long? Do a quarter of the rug at a time.

Deodorize Your Pet's Bedding

Problem: Essence of RoverYour dog may be able to tell you're cooking hamburger from across the room, but you shouldn't be able to smell his favorite blanket from the same distance. Solution: Toss it in the dryer (for 30 minutes, set on medium heat) with a home-dry-cleaning bag and cloth from Dryel (dryel.com).

Deodorize Your Basement

Problem: Subterranean SmellsGuests wouldn't know that your beautifully appointed basement used to be a dank concrete bunker―until they take a whiff.

Solution: Cut an onion in half, place it on a plate, and leave it in the basement overnight. Once the initial salad-bar aroma dissipates, you'll have fresh (non-oniony) air. Like magic!

Fun with Food

Petite Watermelons
2 limes
1 small box of red Jello
mini chocolate chips

Cut both limes in half lengthwise. Scoop out all the fruit with a spoon. Place the limes in a muffin tin to keep them from tipping over. Make the box of Jello according to the Jiggler directions. Carefully spoon Jello into the limes halves. Chill until almost firm. Using a skewer push the mini chocolate chips into the Jello for "watermelon seeds." Chill until until firm, then cut into slices.

Bacon Caramel
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup butter
1 cup heavy cream, divided
1/4 cup maple syrup
Bacon fried to a crisp. The amount is up to you. I used 8-12 strips of thick-cut bacon. I REALLY love bacon.
Reserve 1/2 cup of the heavy cream. Combine all the other ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Stir to combine. Set on medium high heat. Stir occasionally and cook until 240*. The candy is now at firm-ball stage. Remove from the stove and carefully stir in the remaining 1/2 cup cream. Place back on the heat and continue to cook to 245*. Immediately remove from heat and stir in a portion of the crispy bacon. Pour the caramel into a buttered dish (the size depends on how thick you want your caramels. 8×8 = thick caramels 9×13 = thin caramels. You can also use a cookie sheet). Scatter the remaining bacon on top. Let set for at least 3 hours before cutting.

Grape Kabopsicles! :)

All you do is take some kabob sticks & poked some green/ purple grapes on to them & froze them in the freezer on a flat plate. Yeah, super hard recipe right?!! The frozen grapes really remind me of fruit Popsicles. :) Frozen grape have always been my favorite….they are a nice frozen treat without all the guilt!

A very proud wife

Life always seen to have a way of working itself out!
Adam just informed me that he went to drop off a resume and they hired him on the spot!! I couldn’t be more proud of him, not only is this new job 2 minutes from our house Adam also gets paid more per hour. I am a very happy and proud wife.
Thank you Adam for always being a hard worker and trying hard to never let your family down….xoxo

The normal week in the life of a Newlywed.....

My weekly to-do list!!

I am forever making a list of things I need to get done. Why is it when you check 1 thing off you always seem to add 20 more?
· Costco Run
· Grocery shopping
· Bank
· Clean the bathroom
· Vacuum
· Hang up clean clothes (probable the number 1 thing I dislike the most)
· Find something for dinner
· Unload the dishwasher
· Finish my Book on Blub.com
· Clean out Kingston’s Pool
· Get frames to finally hang up some wedding photos
· Pay bills (O’ wait I spoke to soon, this is my number 1 thing I dislike the most)
· Paint my toe nails….Yes I have to place this on my to-do list or it won’t get done!
· …ect!

My to-do list's are already so long with just the two/three (including Kingston) of us I can’t even imagine what they are going to look like after we have a baby.

Puppy Update

Kingston and his new mini friend (Cosmo). Tuesday night they played so hard they needed to cool off in the puppy pool.

Drinks of the Week

Homemade Ginger Ale

Ingredients
Ginger water1 cup peeled, finely chopped ginger2 cups waterSimple Syrup1 cup sugar1 cup waterClub soda, Lime juice, Lime wedges


Method
1.Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add ginger. Reduce heat to medium low and let ginger sit in the simmering water for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 20 minutes. Strain liquid through a fine mesh strainer. Discard ginger pieces.2. In a separate saucepan, make the Simple Syrup by dissolving 1 cup granulated sugar into 1 cup of boiling water. Set aside.3. Make individual (tall) glasses of ginger ale by mixing 1/2 cup of ginger water with 1/3 cup of Simple Syrup and 1/2 cup of club soda. Add a few drops of fresh lime juice and a lime wedge to each glass.
Makes 4 servings.



Cucumber and Lime Spritzer

Ingredients
2 12-ounce cans club sode
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 3 to 4 limes)
1 Cucumber, thinly slicedDirections

Method
1.In a pitcher, combine the club soda, lime juice, and cucumber. Serve over ice.
2. for an instant cocktail: Stir in 1/2 cup gin before serving.
Makes 4 servings