My Cleaning Tips

Over at http//www.kellyskornerblog.com you can get a million cleaning tips, these are all I can think of right now, I'll add more as they come to me.

1. Use a shower head with a handle it, it only takes 20 seconds or so to rinse off the shower walls and door/curtain after every shower. You don't get slime built up and the ledges get rinsed off daily.

2. Clean up as you go, the messes are so much easier to clean when fresh, like when your cooking.

3. Speaking about cooking...use non-stick pots and pans, but if you must use the other kind and you have a big stuck on mess, just let it soak a while, don't stress over the mess, come back to it after it "soaks off"

4. When your making potatoes, rinse the beaters in cold water a.s.a.p. (it runs right off, same with the pan).

5. Invest in some baby wipes, you can use these for simple counter or bathroom cleaning every other day until you get busy with the heavy duty cleaning.

6. Get the tunes going, and blare them as loud as you can.

7. Take advantage of the sunshine, who doesn't feel like they can do anything on a bright, bright sun shinny day!!!??? Oh, and try to get the cleaning done before it's too hot and you don't want to do anything.

What are some of your cleaning tips?

One of My Charieties

Kelly over at http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/ is asking us to list our charity(s) so let me talk about Matthew25 Ministries. They're my latest charity, they collect, sort and distribute donations around the country and WORLD when disaster strikes, Haiti, Hurricane Katrina, and so many other places. This is copied from their website http://www.m25ministries.org/ :

The mission of Matthew 25:Ministries is to fulfill Matthew 25:34-40 of the New Testament by providing nutritional food to the hungry, clean water to the thirsty, clothing to the naked, affordable shelter to the homeless, medical care to the ill, and humanitarian supplies to prisoners.
The people we help are not receiving a handout, but a helping hand. It is only when a person’s most basic needs are met, that one can become self reliant. Because of this belief, Matthew 25: Ministries has always placed an emphasis on education, job creation and providing aid to children.

The pictures below are some I took when a friend and I took 2 large van loads over there collected by our wonderful church families:

Above you see a makeshift hut (home) with a cardboard woman, (looks real) this is a one room home with dirt floors and the kitchen too. You can see a couple hamocks hanging.

another... "backyard" they collect water it's dripping off the leaves of the plant into the barrel. You see the various items they use for "sidding"

Nothing goes to waste, this chair would be tossed in the dumpster at most anybodys home here in the U.S.A. they found a way to use it by putting a block under the leg, almost as good as new.

Cintas donated a LOT of clothing to M25, here they are folding it and passing it on.

I am heading over there today to help out a while. I'll be back with details of my visit. What is the charity your passionate about?

P.S. the next post is about my trip to volunteer. (the one dated Monday March 15)

My Collections...Dreamsicles and Pandas

Click on the images to enlarge them. Me in the back of my glass curio cabinet w/a few of my panda statues. This is a San Francisco Music Box Company statue Sam got me for some occasion some years ago.
This is my little "MOM" corner of dreamsicles Jennifer got me. This is Jennifers' hand print she gave me some years ago.

Lot's more Dreamsicles and some pandas.

Plenty of Dreamsicles, all my music boxes and globes are from the San Francisco Music Box Company. I got them for birthdays, Christmas's and anniversary's and just because's. (is that even a word?)

My Collections...PANDAS!!!!

Here I am a few years back on my birthday, notice my shirt?
Isn't that pretty clever, a cupcake cake...I love it!

OK, so I collect dreamsicles too, just not as crazy about them anymore, I still like them tho:-)


A better picture of my special message build a bear from my dear husband.

My dear, dear friend drew and painted me that panda picture. I've got the border and comforter too.

The 3 8x10's on the wall were ones we took at the Memphis, TN zoo.

This is my profile picture, I'm not REALLY touching the mural with my lips, don't worry. This was taken at the San Diego, CA zoo last year. We even bought matching shirts. We have 2 more zoo's to tour...Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, GA.

Over at http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/ everyone is linking up with their collections today. These are what I collect and make me smile when I see them. This one I got in Florida on vacation many years ago. He swings above the t.v. in the living room, so I see him everyday:-)
Our bedroom, they guy with the safari hat has a special message my husband recorded at the Build a Bear store. You can't see it very well but the curtains have pandas too, and the valance has bamboo.

from one of my Sanfran music statues

This rock weighs 35 pounds and came from my parents, they brought it all the way to Ohio from PA. My sister has an armadillo (she collects them) and my brother has a groundhog (he was born on groundhog day) I've had it for about 15 years, it's been thru 5 moves! Talk about a back breaker.

My Favorite Vacation Spots

Over at Kelly's Korner http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/ we're all showing our favorite vacation spots so I hope after you leave me a comment you head over there and find a great vacation idea for your next one.

You can click on any picture to enlarge it, I hope you enjoy our vacation spots:-)

Gulf Shores, AlabamaOne of my favorite things to do when there is get up early and walk the beach, looking for whatever might have washed up over night. Plus of course enjoy the sunrise.
I found this pole and enjoyed poking around and drawing, I was using the net to capture crabs, just to look at them:-)
They're really fast and I kept taking shot after shot seeing how close I could get before he ran into his hole.

The beach is long and private, we go after the summer rush is over but still lovely weather.

The two-tone building is where we stay, we're on the 4th floor toward the middle.

This place is neat, a friend told us we needed to go to Lambert's they throw rolls at you if you want one you catch it. They come around with huge pots of mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, cole slaw, they keep filling you up till you tell them to stop.

ERIE,PAa view of the public dock, I could sit here all day on a hot day, the breeze is wicked!
One of my favorite things to do is walk the beach and find beach glass, shell, and stones for "skipping", that's what I'm doing.

They had these frogs all over the place one year, companies sponsored them and painted or jazzed 'em up, they were everywhere. Another year they did it with pigs!

CANADA/NEW YORK/NIAGARA FALLS

A view of the American Falls, click to enlarge, you can see the walkway and get kissed by the falls on your walk!

This is the magnificent view out our hotel window!!

Across the to the American side, shot from our room, on the Canadian side.
ERIE,PA (my home town)

A favorite to bring home from Erie, PA are Smith's hot dogs. They have natural casings, a light garlic flavor and a crunch to their bite, we always make sure to bring several back and freeze. An amazing WOODEN roller coaster at Waldameer Amusement Park. The roller coaster was new Summer of '08. (You get an amazing view of Lake Erie, that is, only if you keep your eyes open). This place has been in business for decades! You can get a ride-a-ramma or purchase tickets per ride, great for a few rides or all day.

Here is my dad and I standing on the dock of Presque Isle.

FLORIDA (SIESTA KEY)

Here is our granddaughter getting a feel of the sand, she enjoyed it so much and we want to take them back this fall.

Sam and Blake feeding the seagulls. Totally kay-osk (sp)

Blake and Seth having a great time.

Blake at sunset in Ruskin, Florida.