Tootsie Pop Ghosts

With both children in school, I have about 40-45 treat bags that I have to make and send into school each holiday. Halloween is my favorite holiday, by far, so I tend to go all out for it!

In this years Halloween treat bags, I'm making Tootsie Pop ghosts. I remember making these when I was younger. They are super easy to make and fairly cheap to make. Here is everything you need:

Tissues
Yarn
Tootsie pops (these are nut, gluten, and peanut free - however, they do contain soy and milk)
Scissors
Marker

All you do is wrap a tissue around the Tootsie pop, tie some yarn around it, and draw a face. See! Super easy, right? I'd suggest popping in a movie while making them. I watched Practical Magic while making mine.

Well, I'm off to finish making the rest of these treat bags. Have a spooky night!

*Oh, and those links to Tootsie pops and Practical Magic... those are my affiliate links. Thanks for clicking!

Spring Clean in 7 Days: Dining Room - Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of Spring Clean in 7 Days!

Today we will be cleaning the Dining Room. Gather all of your supplies (cleaners, boxes, and garbage bag), open your windows and turn on some music. Start from top to bottom in a room and remember, if you have a lot to declutter, get that done before beginning to clean.

Decluttering that could be done before beginning to clean should include:

• Sort through china cabinet (I keep my linens that are relevant to the kitchen and dining room inside the bottom part of mine)
• Sort through any shelves or cabinets

And onto the cleaning!

• Dust/wash any ceiling fans and lighting fixtures
• Dust away cobwebs in the corners of your ceiling
• Wash walls and trim
• Wash/dust any wall decor
  
• Remove and wash valances and curtains
  
• Wash windows and dust off window sills
• Take out any window screens and wash them
• Wash any doors and doorknobs
• Wash off switch plates
• Dust off (or wash depending on the condition) any shelves and furniture
• Dust off (or wash) any decor that was on the furniture you just cleaned (including everything inside your china cabinet)
• Remove and wash all table linens
  
• Wash down table and chairs (do not forget the legs and undersides)
• Clean chair pads/cushions
• Wash any heat registers and covers
• Clean any area rugs
• Sweep/wash any floors

Now, go put the items away that belong in other rooms, take the donation box out to your vehicle, and tie up the garbage bag and take it outside. You are doing an amazing job so far and I'm sure you're enjoying your clean living room and dining room!

Am I missing anything from this list? What would you add? Tomorrow is the Kitchen and Pantry Day! And don't forget the link up at the end of the 7 days!

Spring Clean in 7 Days: Living Room - Day 1

Welcome to Day 1 of Spring Clean in 7 Days!

Today we will begin in the Living Room and Entryway of your house. Gather all of your supplies (cleaners, boxes, and garbage bag), open your windows and turn on some music. Start from top to bottom in a room and remember, if you have a lot to declutter, get that done before beginning to clean.

Decluttering that could be done before beginning to clean should include:

• Sort through CD's or records, removing any that is no longer used or applicable to your family
• Sort through books and magazines, removing any that is no longer used or applicable to your family
• Sort through movies and games, removing any that is no longer used or applicable to your family
• Empty coat closet, removing clothing that is too small and out of season (don't forget to wash the walls, shelves and floors in here while doing the rest of the room)
• Sort through all desk drawers and paper clutter

Now, onto cleaning! Not all of these tasks will be applicable to your home, so just pick the ones that are and let's begin!

• Dust/wash any ceiling fans and lighting fixtures
• Dust away cobwebs in the corners of your ceiling
• Wash walls and trim
• Wash/dust any wall decor
  
• Remove and wash valances and curtains
  
• Wash windows and dust off window sills
• Take out any window screens and wash them
• Wash any doors and doorknobs
• Wash off switch plates
• Dust off (or wash depending on the condition) any shelves and furniture
• Dust off (or wash) any decor that was on the furniture you just cleaned
• Dust lamps and lampshades
• Dust any electronics (including TV, stereo, game systems, computer, etc)
• Vacuum couches and chairs
  
• Spot clean or wash couches and chairs (if you have a microfiber couch, try this trick from Chris & Robin's Nest)
• Remove and wash any throw blankets and pillows
• Wash any heat registers and covers
• Remove and clean any entry mats or area rugs
• Vacuum carpets with some deodorizing powder (if you don't have any lying around, try this homemade recipe from Homemade Mamas)
• Sweep/wash any floors (including your carpet)

Now that you're done with the cleaning in this room, put the items away that belong in other rooms, take the donation box out to your vehicle, and tie up the garbage bag and take it outside! Stand in the middle of the room and take a good look around... it should smell good and look good too! Feel proud of yourself for getting over this big feat, it's always the first step that is the hardest!

Did I miss anything or do you feel I should add something to this list? Leave me a comment and let me know. Tomorrow we will be moving onto the dining room! And don't forget about the link-up at the end of the 7 days!

Spring Clean in 7 Days!

With Easter right around the corner (and my first time cooking Easter dinner!! **squeal**) , I feel today is the perfect day to start Spring Cleaning! Today is the first day of Spring after all! It may not seem it from this post, but I truly despise cleaning. If I ever come into a large sum of money, the first thing I plan on doing is getting a maid (just don't tell hubby!!!) However, I have a few amazing reasons to get my house in tip-top shape... like Easter dinner with the family and new furniture coming!

So, I'm giving myself 7 days to completely deep clean my house, including trying to declutter as much as I can! I'm going to start in the room that is most seen by our guests (the living room) and end in the rooms that are the least seen by guests (the bedrooms and the basement). I am extremely determined to get this done!

I'll start off today by giving you my tips and tricks to make Spring cleaning easier (even if it's only a little bit easier!) and start tomorrow off with Day 1's checklist on how to deep clean the living room.

1. Set aside a good amount of time depending on how much you have to do in your home. For me, this is a week, but it all depends on your circumstances.

2. Move from top to bottom in a room. This way you are not wiping dust off the top of the fridge onto the nice clean floor.

3. Work in one room at a time (and do not move to a different room until it's finished!)

4. Use 2 boxes and 1 black garbage bag. Mark the 2 boxes (donate and stuff for other rooms) and use the garbage bag for trash. Using a black bag will help keep the garbage from somehow making it's way out of the bag. Immediately after you are done with the room you are working on, take the box of stuff for other rooms to their 'homes'. Do not procrastinate because it just makes for more cleanup at a later time.

5. Declutter first, clean last! It's easier to get rid of stuff before cleaning, that way you don't have to continually move around the clutter in order to dust.

6. Only touch everything once. It saves time and energy to handle something once instead of repeatedly moving it from place to place.

7. Keep all your cleaning supplies together (and gather them before you begin). It takes more motivation, time and energy to continually go into the kitchen to get cleaners that you need for the upstairs bathroom.

8. Open the windows to air the house out while you clean. After a few months of having the windows closed due to cold weather, the house will have some sort of 'stank' to it...

9. Play that funky music! I've learned that blasting some fun music helps the time go by quicker. Go turn Pandora on to your favorite station and have some fun!

Keep checking back over the next 7 days for more checklists to Spring cleaning each room of your house! At the end of the 7 days, I will post a link-up for you to post your progress as well (and you can always post progress in the comments)!

• Day 1: Living Room/Entryway
• Day 2: Dining Room
• Day 3: Kitchen/Pantry
• Day 4: Bathroom/Linen Closet
• Day 5: Kids Bedrooms, Toy Rooms and Closets
• Day 6: Master Bedroom and Closets
• Day 7: Basement/Attic
• Link-Up Day!!!!!

Paper Chains and Countdowns

*Photo credit: CraftElf.com

My kids are always asking me about how far it is until a birthday or upcoming holiday... and it gets a little frustrating when I've already answered the same question multiple times in one day.

I remember making paper chains as a kid; they were always so fun and helped me remember when something was coming up. With all the birthdays and holidays in the near future, I thought it might be helpful to make up some paper chains with the kids, in hopes of getting them to stop asking me the same questions over and over again learn a sense of time.

When I was at A.C. Moore a few weeks ago, I bought a huge 500 pack of multi-colored construction paper with a 50% off coupon (YAY for coupons!) After cutting them into 1" strips (and deciding that I need to buy a paper cutter...), the kids had plenty of fun helping me gluing the ends together. Now, they can remove one chain link every day and they'll be one more day towards whatever holiday or birthday is coming up.

We'll see if this curbs their questions, but it was still a fun thing to do! I think we'll have to do this new tradition with all the upcoming holidays.