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White Wizard is truly a wiz

Stains on carpets, stains on furniture, stains on draperies. I think of them like wrinkles on my face. Stains show that the house is getting lived in and enjoyed-whether by the dog, the kids, or guests. (And wrinkles show we have lived a full life!). White Wizard has been around for over 40 years and I have yet to find a product that works better. Always available at Always-Free-Shipping.

Sweater Season

I was reading Real Simple magazine this weekend and came across a full page ad for the Hamilton Beach Electric Sweater Dryer. I recognized it immediately as one of the newest Always-Free-Shipping items. It’s the newest concept in clothes drying. I know a few bloggers have mentioned it, but I really think it deserves another look, especially now that sweater season is here. No more shrunken sweaters! Now, don’t flinch at the price. Yes, it is over $100, but I consider it an investment. Add up dry cleaning costs or the cost of replacing sweaters and it makes it more than worth the price. Plus, AFS always seems to have a discount code you can use. Check it out!

Until next time… Ann

“Sweater, noun: a garment worn by a child when its mother is feeling chilly.”
- Ambrose Bierce

SOCK CLIPS SAVE THE DAY

I just read an article in my local newspaper from some “authority” that dryers do not eat socks. Baloney!I have been doing laundry for over 40 years and I have never had the sock count come out even. That is why sock clips exist.

Ironing Made Easy

I discovered something easy while sewing last night.

I’ve been re-making a cut velvet coat into a jacket, and it’s much too delicate for ironing. What to do? I took out my handy-dandy Hand Held Garment Steamer, and it worked like a charm. I’ve used the Garment Steamer for traveling and early morning “touch-ups”, but never thought of using it while I sew.

October is the perfect time to spruce-up your winter & holiday wardrobe… that gives me ”what to wear” peace of mind, when holiday “crunch-time” happens. If you like to “tailor” your own clothing, additional items I’d recommend having on hand are our Electric Dry Iron and Best Press Spray Starch. These are both HARD-TO-FIND, and so useful to have when you need them!

Cluttered Closets

My latest venture is organizing my messy walk-in closet. This is no small task mind you. Step one – new hangers, all in the same color. Step two: group clothes by color. Step three: get rid of clothes I never wear, don’t fit or that I will never fit into. Step four: admire the great job I did! Luckily for me, I can get my hangers and natural moth repellents from here. When I’m done, I might even post some pics – that’s how proud I will be! Wishing you luck in your own closet cleaning adventures!

Until next time… Ann

“Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the sidewalk before it stops snowing.”

-Phyllis Diller

Oven Cleaning – what a drag!

It’s pie season… time for me to stock up on new oven liners. There’s nothing I hate more than having to clean my oven… I know, I know… it says “self-cleaning” – HA! who are they kidding?

I recently discovered disposible oven liners…. those are the ones I like – no muss, no fuss. They are a thick foil, which slips right under the heating element, and lasts quite a long time, depending how much roasting & baking takes place… there are always messy drips happening. When the aluminum liner gets messy, I simply toss it away & slip in a new one.

I should mention the other customer favorite - our non-stick/washable oven liner … that works well too, if you don’t mind washing fruit pie drippings away. 

While we’re on the subject, the BEST cleaner for removing carbon & baked on grease from pots, pans, ovens, teflon, & more, is Sokoff Cleaner. It’s been used by the restaurant pro’s for about 50 years. Here’s the reason - no scraping, no scrubbing, no kidding.

A promise from Faultless Products

Faultless is one of those old-fashioned companies that have been making products for homemakers long before either you or I were born. And, best of all, they make them from a woman’s prospective. Ok, I know that sounds prejudice, but honestly, probably 90% of the ironing and laundry is done by women. For many years they have been making a product called Wrinkle Remover. It is a spray bottle that does something wonderful to clothes and eliminates the need to iron.  Thank you, Faultless.

Garbage bags come of age

I am not one to be anal about my garbage, but even garbage bags have changed in the last few years. Hefty, always a leader in plastics, has developed a new bag that has all the features of their classic drawstring bags but the flexibility in the plastic so they e-x-p-a-n-d as they fill up. Sounds silly, but if you have ever removed your bag from the wastebasket and watched it expand all over the floor, this is a big innovation! They are called Ultra- Flex and worth making the switch.

Garage Greatness, Take 2

I tackled cleaning my garage this weekend. I’ve done this before. Usually, I end up moving things from the garage to my shed. This back and forth had to stop. It was time to get tough and start sorting things to be given away, thrown out or donated. A lot of garage and garden items are oddly shaped. I wasted quite a few garbage bags until I decided to give the Hefty Ultra Flex Bags a try.These bags are 20% thicker than other bags,they hold more and best of all – they’re puncture proof! I highly recommend them. My garage is looking fabulous by the way.

Until next time… Ann

“Only in America do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage.” -author unknown

Bed Blocks raise the bar for shoe fanatics!

Shoe storage is a must for the shoe-a-holic! I’ve come up with plenty of ways to hide, I mean store, my addiction over the years. The problem is that if I can’t get to them easily, they become obsolete before I can truly enjoy them.  What’s the fun in that. I found these bed blocks, which allow me to easily store shoes, boots, etc. neatly under my bed, creating a whole area that had previously been untapped! Try them – you’ll love them!