I'm That Girl

I have a major crush on music. It's pretty much been like that for as long as I can remember. My family likes to remind me, especially while in public group settings, how when I was little I would line all of my stuffed animals up on the couch, pop in an Amy Grant tape, grab a pencil as my microphone, and crank that music up to give the performance of a lifetime. I danced. I sang. I worked that stuffed animal crowd like nobody's buisness. And it was a sold out performance every time.

Not much has changed in the 24 years since, except maybe the audience. Instead of stuffed animals I sing to real animals. Hunter happens to be one of my number one fans. My poor husband is subjected to my performances on every road trip. Bless his soul. Because you know I'm singing along to every song on our 5 hour drive down south- unless he's lucky and I fall asleep. (Love you Hunny!). And if he's really lucky, I don't just sing, but I dance too. Ya, I know, the talent I withhold is abounding.

Knowing my deep love of "bumping", Matt had an improved amp and subwoofer installed in my car after we got married. Thankfully, now I can include all of the Bay Area in my arena and audience. Because you know that if I'm driving along, and especially if it's a sunny day and I have the sunroof open, I am singing at the top of my lungs, feeling every beat, and even my seatbelt can't hold me back from dancing as I sit in traffic on 280 everyday. Yep, that's right. I'm that girl.

This is one of my new favorite songs, and the collection grows every week thanks to iTunes Free Download of the Week. So come on. Let your hair down. Throw off fear of public embarrassment. Give in to the beat and let it go. You know you wanna join me on tour. ;)

Snow Patrol "Just Say Yes" (click on the link for the YouTube song/video)

Buffalo, New York

Last weekend Matt made a quick trip home so we could fly to New York and attend our friends' wedding in Buffalo. We were so blessed to have Matt's mom offer to drive up and stay with Hunter for the weekend, which was also nice because we got to spend some extra time with her on Thursday, Sunday, and Monday. 

So Matt landed from China late on Wednesday night, went into work Thursday, and we flew out at 6am on Friday morning. We took part in the rehearsal and dinner, and headed to bed at 11pm where we slept soundly until 11am. Yup, twelve whole glorious hours of rock hard slumber. Matt ran out to grab lunch with some friends while I got ready to head to the church by 2pm. We were excited to be included in the service by giving the Offering for communion. Afterwards there were a couple of hours before the reception so we headed out with friends for coffee and drinks. By 6pm we were at the reception where we enjoyed more time with friends, eating, and celebrating Brandon and Julie! By 11:30pm we were headed back to bed to grab a few hours of sleep before getting on another early flight home to San Francisco. Poor Matt, by this time he had been in four different time zones in about 4 days, and he headed back to China again on Tuesday morning- yes, you read correctly. Not even a full week at home. As we figure, he's spent less than 10 nights in our bedroom since the spring. We can only hope his travel schedule slows down in the Fall and be grateful for the points and miles he's accrued which have allowed us to travel for free this summer and attend both weddings we were invited to. 

We'll also be using miles to travel to Cayman Island in about a week. We have rented an oceanfront villa with my parents and sister's family and cannot wait to unplug, snorkel, explore, and rest. You can be sure I'll be posting lots of pictures from that adventure! Until then, this is what I'm looking forward to!

Cayman Island

Rum Pointe, Cayman Island

Secrets of a Self-Confessed Neat Freak

Be prepared to have your mind blown. This self-confessed "neat freak" is about to share some of my Anti-Dirt Campaign secrets.

Now, I'm not an overly concerned organic or natural person, in truth, I'm more about a tight budget and results. I came to these findings via some research and experiments and thought I would share because they work so well for those who are thrifty spenders or chemically concerned.

When I started out, I researched using steam because so many people recommended it as a way to sanitize floors and surfaces. But it turns out that it's actually not a great idea to use steam on hard wood or laminate floors (such as Pergo) because it gets in the seams and can cause buckling over time. Mopping isn't good either because the puddles of water sitting on the seams can also cause damage. What I discovered was that spraying a solution on a surface and using a microfiber cloth was the best way to clean and prevent damage. Since the solution I came up with is natural, I can strip the cloth off of my mop and throw it in the laundry with my cleaning rags and I don't have to worry about staining other items. Here's the basics of what you'll need to have your whole house spic and span:

Spray Bottle: you can recycle an old, empty bottle or you can purchase a new one. They're easily found in a cleaning aisle at a local store, or sometimes even in the travel-sized bins for a buck or so. You might want a few depending on what you are going to make. You can label them with a Sharpie or stickers.
Vinegar: depending on your preference you can use white or apple cider. Either is a natural disinfectant and works to cut through grime and grease.
Baking Soda: all baking soda's are not made the same so I stick with Arm & Hammer and I buy a big box of it because it's going to go a long way, which is ultimately better on the budget.
Dish Soap: sometimes you need to boost your cleaning power. A little bit of dish soap will do the trick and I'm pretty sure everyone has some already next to their kitchen sink. Hopefully.
Natural Oil (optional): most people don't love the smell of vinegar (as noted by the lack of vinegar scented candles and sprays on the Glade and AirWick display shelves) but as you clean with this mixture you'll begin to associate it with a sense of cleanliness. Until then, you may want to add a few drops of a natural oil to your mixture. They come in scents such as Lavender, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Rosemary, and more.  You can buy them at specialty stores like Lassens/Whole Foods, or even Target/Walgreens/CVS. Because you're cleaning with it, it doesn't have to be top-of-the-line (that's more for putting on your skin) and a little bottle will last you quite awhile.
Water: a typical recipe ratio is 1 to 4, or 1 to 3. In your spray bottle you'll be mixing 1 part vinegar to 3 or 4 parts water.
Hydrogen Peroxide: weird, I know, but I'll get to this later and explain.

Part of the reason I like using these products is because with pets you can't use ammonia and most people with children prefer not to use bleach. It's also great because most of these are items you already have in your home so you can try it without purchasing a thing!

For general cleaning of floors and counters, use a ratio of either 1 part vinegar to 3 or 4 parts water. Add a few drops of dish soap and sprinkle in some baking soda (you may want to use a funnel). Beware! The baking soda will react and begin bubbling! This is perfectly safe but can be messy so leave room in the bottle and add it a little at a time, preferably over the sink. You can add as many drops of oil as you wish depending on how strong you want it to smell. All that's left is to gently mix it, start spraying, and wipe! I use old dish towels but paper towels are fine as well.

You can use the items individually as well. Baking soda on its own is wonderful to sprinkle in a sink or tub as a scrub instead of Comet or Soft Scrub. An old dish sponge will do the trick and then rinse it down. I've also heard of people using baking soda to clean their toilets! A big pan of boiling water and baking soda will clean grease right off your stove vent/filter. Putting a few drops of natural oil on the inside of your toilet paper roll will release a nice scent every time you use it.

Carpet stains = Yuck! When we moved in to our apartment there was a huge, blue stain from where a bottle of Downey was dropped on the carpet. Even the professional cleaners couldn't get all the blue out, but I found a simple solution that made it disappear. In a spray bottle I mixed hydrogen peroxide (see, told you I'd explain) and baking soda. I sprayed it on the stain, blotted with a towel, and like magic the stain is GONE! Even my friend commented, "Hey, what happened to the big blue spot?!" Hunter has vomited on the couch while we were out and, while I can wash the cover, I couldn't wash the cushion. I found this solution worked on the stain and smell in the cushion as well. This same combination can be used to clean old baking sheets and bring them back to looking like new. This magic potion also works to unclog drains. Impressive, right? You can water down the solution if you like, too.

As if these weren't amazing enough, I have more. Want to freshen up your vinegar but don't want to run to the store for a natural oil? Peel an orange or lemon and throw the rinds in your vinegar and over time it will take on the citrus smell! You still want more?! Fine, but now you're getting greedy. Soak your laundry in a solution of water, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide. Then wash them to get out impossible stains.

I bet you're so glad I've enlightened you to the world of natural home cleaning on a budget. You may be thinking that you can buy products for all these uses at only a few bucks a piece, and yes, that's true. However, some of you prefer to not use chemicals or would like something that, overall, is a lot cheaper. You may spend $10 to $20 upfront for these items but they will last you such a long time and work for so many things that overall they end up being a better value.

Of course, as with anything, PLEASE test a small portion before you clean a whole area. You never know exactly how something will react and it's better to be safe than sorry. Happy cleaning!

A SLO Weekend

I'll always remember the first time I met my friend Kristi. 

Matt and I were in SLO and he had planned for us to go to sushi with some of his friends. I was a little nervous but, of course, willing to give it a go. Then I found out that Matt's friend was bringing his girlfriend, which sounded great- right up until Matt added, "and oh yeah, she's super athletic. You're gonna love her!" 

Uhhh, super athletic??? Do you know me??? While I appreciate a good workout, I am in no way "super athletic." 

"Oh great," I'm thinking. "She's gonna be super buff, wear nike shorts, probably a sports related men's t-shirt, walk like a football player, and we're going to have NOTHING to talk about. AWKWARD." And that's right about the time she walked up. 

Next to Matt's friend was this petite, slender, beautiful- no, make that, stunning- brown haired girl with these big eyes and an even bigger smile. And she just radiated this warmth, sincerity, positivity, and friendship. And I loved her just like that. 

Dang it. Matt was right. 

While we don't get to talk a lot, and we've actually only hung out a handful of times, I would absolutely say she is one of my dearest friends. I can tell her anything and know confidentiality is a given. She is always uplifting and yet somehow also knows just when to be empathetic. No matter how much time goes by between our visits, it feels like only days have gone by when we see one another again. Kristi is really one-of-a-kind. 

So a few weeks ago, when she invited Matt and I to come visit, I quickly found a date on the calendar that worked and booked it. Unfortunately Matt had to go to China shortly before the trip, so Hunter and I packed up and hit the road. We arrived and settled in on her couch to chat and catch up. 

Later that night we headed out with Paul, Kristi's seriously sweetie-pie boyfriend, to downtown San Luis Obispo. Our plan was to attend a free concert in the plaza, grab some dinner and drinks, and stop in at Art After Dark which is a wine and art event held at a local jewelry store. To our surprise, the Damon Castillo Band was playing! Score for us! I also ran into one of my old FCNI and SLO friends, Matt, at the concert and grabbed a quick hello hug! We enjoyed the concert, some fire brick pizza, wine, cookie ice cream sandwiches, and pet inspired art. We ended the night by renting a movie and then headed to bed. The rest of the weekend we did a little wine tasting, thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at the Wine Shed, stuffed ourselves at Black Sheep (where I have a serious addiction to their mac n cheese), and spent more time chatting and laughing. Before heading out this morning, we grabbed muffins and coffee at Black Horse Coffee, and then I loaded up the car and left with a good hug. 

It means so much to have good friends. Sincere, sweet, and positive friends. People that I cherish and appreciate more than I can express. I'm looking forward to the next time we get together and thankfully, since she's also my coach now, I know we'll get to talk often!