Idea Queen Tips & News

I’m still trying to get back into the swing of things after a very crazy summer, so I apologize for the lack of posts. But I figured we can jump right back in with Tidy Tuesday to get things rolling.

This week is all about cleaning windows. Now if you are a good housekeeper (which I am NOT, but that’s alright), you probably clean your main windows almost every day. Ones like sliding glass doors, livingroom windows, etc. The windows which get fingerprints on them seconds after you walk away.

So for those of you who keep up with the daily stuff, your challenge this week is to clean up those windows you don’t see as often. This could be windows in a spare bedroom, windows you need a chair to see out of, ones hidden by curtains most the time, and so on. For the rest of us, the challenge is getting ALL the windows done, including the high traffic areas.

–>Side Tip: Use newspaper instead of paper towels to avoid streaks<—-

Feel free to leave a comment to brag about getting all your windows done this week!

Yesterday I picked up a pound of hamburger and sour cream for supper tonight. Now I’ve got two choices, since we have all the “other stuff” for both meals - tacos or beef stroganoff. Taco shells and egg noodles we almost always have on hand because they keep for so long (or as in the case of the taco shells, they keep if they aren’t opened).

Honestly I’m not quite sure what I want, and both are pretty easy to make. So I think I’ll just put it to a vote to see what the kids decide. Something tells me it will be tacos though, since it’s their favorite.

Do you ever put dinner to a vote in your house? And no, voting on which pizza to order doesn’t count. I mean homemade meals.  I’m interested to know!

Finally, the house is almost back in order from the remodeling. The last task that will be done in the next few weeks is laying the carpet. Since it’s being professionally installed, we’ll have people moving heavy items for us. However, as it stands right now, there would be an avalanche if someone attempted to move my desk.

So this week the focus will be on cleaning off my desk, including the top shelves and every single cubby. Not something I’m looking forward to, but it needs to be done. Unless I want a huge mess on my hands that is.

Post your progress come next Tuesday!

The first day of school is always bittersweet. I’m sad to give my kids up for the entire day and see they are growing up, yet at the same time I’m gaining a whole lot of freedom.

This year my youngest started kindergarten. That means no kids, at all, from 8am to 3pm.  Honestly, I don’t know what I’m going to do with all this time. I know I should use it wisely, and get some work done (including housework and “real” work). Although sometimes the silence is distracting.

It’s a good thing I’ve got some good CDs to get me through the day. So I guess today I’ll focus and what needs done with Pearl Jam in the background. Nobody is here to protest my choice of music, so why not?

Still, this feels weird.

There’s about a million and one things to do before school starts, and my calendar is just absolutely booked. While I might find a few minutes here and there to post a little something for everyone, I’ve decided to make the announcement that I will be taking a short vacation.

School here starts August 18th, so I expect to be back posting daily by the 19th. I’d really love a day of peace and quiet the minute they go back to school, but I’m not holding my breath. Since my son has some small behavior issues, there’s a pretty good chance I’ll be at school most the day getting him settled in.

Hope you enjoy your own summer vacations (especially since I’m giving you a break from Tidy Tuesday)!

A month or two ago, before they even started work on our house, my daughter found something of interest at the dollar store. It was a small wood hanging picture that says “Angel” on it. Very simple, very cheap (we were at the REAL dollar store, where everything is a dollar and no more)……yet it  made her so very happy. She decided it would go up on her wall as soon as they were done with her room.

Now that they are just about finished with her room, we’ll have to be on the look out for more things just like that. Even though she begged for pink walls, I decided they would be white and we’d decorate. I know from experience little girls don’t always like pink for long, so painting her walls pink would have been asking for trouble.

Some of the decoration we’ll be adding will be regular posters (like the ones you find at Walmart for a few bucks), more pictures like we found at the dollar store, and of course her own handmade decorations. Whatever can be easily removed later on. She’s also getting shelves built right into the wall, so I’m sure a few items will be displayed there too.

It’s not hard to please a 5 year old, and you can do it as cheap as possible if you know where to look.

I absolutely love these sales, and I love shopping from this store too. I got an email the other day stating the $1.95 shelf at Fabric.com
is fully stocked. Sweet! I peeked around a bit and there’s quite a bit to chose from. Really you can’t beat the price, and I’d chose this store over Walmart any day.

They’ve also got a nice deal for first orders. When you use the code “FIRST”, shipping is only $2.95. Since shipping costs are skyrocketing, you can’t beat flat rate shipping! Just be sure to make it worth the cost and order as much fabric as you can. With the holidays sneaking up on us here soon, now is a great time to stock up.

It seems my pizza sauce changes every time I make homemade pizza. Am I being creative? Nope, just making due. Once in a great while I’ll have a “real” sauce to use, but most of the time I use what I’ve got in the kitchen.

Pizza Sauce #1
This might sound a little weird, but sometimes I use mild salsa or spaghetti sauce. It really is quite good to use spaghetti sauce, and I did this for quite a few years before I learned how to make homemade sauce. Just use it like you would normal pizza sauce!
Pizza Sauce #2
Italian diced tomatoes or tomato paste straight from a can is what we’ve been using the most lately. The Italian version is a chunky sauce you don’t have to add anything to, but the plain tomato paste needs a few spices (I use garlic salt, basil, and oregano). Just don’t make the mistake I made last night and add too much garlic salt! A tsp of each spice is more than enough.
Pizza Sauce #3
The completely homemade version that requires tomatoes. Cut up your tomatoes and mush them up as good as you can.  Add your tomatoes and spices in a sauce pan, then bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and let simmer until you have a thicker paste. (The longer you boil it, the less juices you’ll have - I usually get tired of waiting and use it a bit on the chunky side).

So there you go! The next time you are making pizza and need sauce, you have several different options to chose from. Enjoy!

It’s a beautiful sunny day, but the kids are still in need of something to do. Luckily there’s quite a few options for summer activities, one being making bubbles.

This recipe comes from Free Kids Crafts, off the “recipes” page. You can also find other summer crafts and activities on the site as well.

Bubble Recipe
2 c. Dawn dishwashing detergent
6 c. water
Almost 1 c. Karo light corn syrup

Combine, shake, let settle 4 hours. Store covered in refrigerator to extend suds shelf life. Allow to warm before using. Costs about $1.50 per gallon.

Bubble Tips:
1. If foam develops scrape off with a stiff card.
2. Keep suds clean from dirt and grass.
3. Bubbles are best on humid days.
4. Protect suds from direct sun.

Have fun!

This week I’m giving you all a break. My house is still in pieces and it’s hard to do any “normal” tasks or organization right now. So instead I’m going to pass on a very quick and useful tip my mom taught me.

If you use SOS pads for any reason, you know how they can get pretty nasty sitting on a sink or counter. They just flat out don’t keep and will get rusted just sitting out in the open. Unless you put them back in the box.

Yes that’s right, you can save an SOS pad from getting rusted by simply putting it back in the box with the others. You would think it messes up the others in the box, but it doesn’t. They all keep just perfect in the box.

So there’s your quick tip for the day. Enjoy!