Recharge Your Life

It's the end of May and we have been plugging away around here.  Janene and I have both been too busy to even have a ten minute conversation over the past couple of weeks!  The last time we did talk we discussed what we plan to do for the blog over the summer months.  Up until now we have been posting nearly every day. Instead of running at the same pace our plans are to slow things down for the summer.  With eight kids between us we will be busy filling up our days with kid friendly boredom busting activities that are sure to pull us from the computer (but don't worry--we plan to share some of our fun with you!).  I'm looking forward to it myself. Not because I don't love blogging here and all of the wonderful people who read us and comment, but because we all need a recharge.

My recharge happens when I unplug from routine (and technology) and plug into life.  Playing games with the kids, taking more time for prayer and mediation, exercising, being out in the yard tending to the garden or sitting by a fire, walking the dog, evening talks with the mister--I plan to enjoy all of these things and more as summer rolls by.

One can only move at break neck speed for a short period of time before burning out.  It's time to recharge. So a short and sweet blog post is in order on this last day of May. I hope you all don't mind!

Today I challenge you to take a break (even a short break) from your normal routine. What will you do to recharge?

How to Talk So He Will Listen

I'll be honest with you - my husband and I don't always communicate as well as I would like us to.  There . . . I said it, we aren't perfect.  Whew . . . I feel better now.

Seriously, though, I get so frustrated with him when he doesn't listen to me that it drives me crazy.  One of our BIGGEST problems is that I will tell him something and he will get the details of what I told him wrong.   I can't tell you how many times he will come back from the store with something that is slightly wrong when I made it a point to stress to him what kind of whatever I wanted.  For example, I tell him to buy brown rice and he comes home with regular white rice.  He will swear until he is blue in the face that I DIDN'T say BROWN and I will assure him over and over that I did.

There are other times when I need his input or want his opinion and he asks like he doesn't care.  THEN when I make the decision on my own, he is upset with it and says we should have talked about it.

I know my husband loves me and isn't doing these things just to drive me even more insane . . . so, what gives?  What am I doing wrong?

I did a little homework on the subject and thought I'd pass some of these suggestions on to you - they really do help when there is something that you need to talk about and want to really make a lasting impression or get some REAL feedback!

1) Eliminate Distractions - Not only will it ensure that you are being heard and that nothing will prevent a response BUT it's just the polite thing to do!  Seriously, put the phone/iPad/Kindle/Laptop down and turn the TV off.  Talk to each other when the kids aren't around to bother you.  It might not be easy to find the perfect time but it will be worth the effort because it will be so much more effective.

2) Set a Time Limit - Women like to talk.  Men usually don't like to talk as much.  Therefore, setting a time limit (which you should stick to) makes it easier for your man to give you his undivided attention. Say to him, "Can we talk for 15 minutes or so?" and he knows that you respect his time and that you appreciate him giving some of it to you! (It wouldn't hurt to let him know that, either)

3) Share Some Good News - Don't bombard him off the bat with complaints or start asking him a million questions.  Tell him something funny the kids did or share some good news you got while talking to your mom or friend on the phone.  Ask him to share something good about his day, too.  Then LISTEN to the answer  . . . . 

4) Ask For What You Want and Say What You Mean - I've learned something about my husband . . . he doesn't pick up on hints and he doesn't understand hidden meanings.  If I want something, asking for it is the only way I will get it across to him.  I also can't expect him to read between the lines when I'm talking to him.  If I don't say what I mean then I can't get upset if he didn't "get it".

5) Stick to the Subject - Remember, you only have about 15 minutes . . . if that was your "time limit" . . . so stick to the subject and don't throw other questions or agendas into the discussion. I'm not saying don't "confuse" him . . . but don't confuse him.

6) LISTEN - I said listen before and I'll say it again because women are quick to complain they aren't listened to but they don't always listen . . . it's true.  You have to give your husband time to think and time to figure out what he's going to say.  You are ready for the talk and he needs a little bit of time to catch up so be patient and give him time to process!

7) Don't talk if you should H.A.L.T. because someone is - Hungry Angry Loney or Tired  :)

Remember above all that you are on the same TEAM and you are in this together!

Good luck!  I know that I'll be using some of these to help me and DH talk a little more and get a little more accomplished!

May Book Club: The Peach Keeper

Well, my friends, another month passes with me not finishing the book club selection in time for the monthly book club post.  Today I am about 70% finished with The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen.  The Peach Keeper is the third novel that I have read by this writer.  One of the things I love about this novel and all of the stories I have read by Allen is how she weaves a silvery thread of ordinary magic into her books.

"The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper." ~ W. B. Yeats

Allen sharpens our senses so that the supernatural seems natural.  I personally like this about her work. 

Besides not meeting the deadline for finishing the book, I also did not make it to my monthly meeting!  I like to bring you a recap of our discussion and unfortunately I'm not able to do that this month. I can tell you that 11 book clubbers made it to the meeting and they all enjoyed the book and agreed that it was a perfect fit for our quest to find less depressing/heavy books to read.  Many said that The Peach Keeper was their favorite Allen novel.  So if you haven't had a chance to pick it up--add it to your wish list. You can find a copy in our shop.

There are a ton of interesting questions for discussion at the end of the novel. I am going to pick a few of my favorites and pose them here and if you have  read the book, or would like to offer your answers in the comments that would be lovely! I think many of the questions are great for sparking discussion:

1. What do you think the title The Peach Keeper means? Who is the peach keeper in the story?

2. Superstitions played a big part in Willa's grandmother's life, and in Willa's life, by extension. What superstitions did you grow up with? Why do you think superstitions exist?

3. Many of the characters in The Peach Keeper struggle with how people used to see them as opposed to how they are now. Who were you in high school? Do you miss that person? Or are you glad to leave that time in your life behind?

4. There's a wisp of something supernatural following the characters in the story, seemingly brought into their lives by the discovery of buried bones under a peach tree. What are your thoughts on the supernatural? Do you think disturbing a grave upsets the spiritual side of things? Have you ever had a paranormal experience?

5. Sarah Addison Allen's books usually have themes of forgiveness and food. Have you read her other books? How is The Peach Keeper similar? How is it a departure? Did you recognize the reference to the main characters in her debut novel, Garden Spells?

6. The theme of roots runs through the novel--from the peach tree, to Colin's work, to the characters struggling with there place in Walls of Water.  What about the town and its history draws people to it and entices them to put down roots? On the flip side, what about it causes others to deny their roots and move away? Have you had a similar experience with your hometown?

Finally, June's book club selection will be: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer -- you can find a copy in The More Than Mommies Shop at Amazon. 

Happy Reading!

Happy Memorial Day

I love Facebook.  I've been a Facebook addict for a few years now and it's gotten worse now that I can check it anytime I want on my phone.  The other day I was scrolling through news feed and I came across this picture:

It made me think about the long weekend I was so looking forward to and reminded me that I needed to take a minute to explain to my children why we were celebrating and how this day isn't just about a day off of school, picnics and swimming.  I thought about how best to tell a 5 and 6 year old what we were remembering.

I don't want to scare them.  I don't want to make them too sad but I do want to make sure that they understand that we are honoring men and women who gave their lives for us so that they can have all of the wonderful things that they have . . . all of the freedoms.  I want them to know that there are little kids in our country who aren't playing catch in the backyard with their daddy or being read a bedtime story from their mommy after a nice warm bath because their their parents fought and died in a war protecting our country.

I'm still not 100% sure how to talk to them about it but I know that the day will involve us pausing to say a few prayers for those who are responsible for making our lives a better place, for those who sacrificed everything and for their families who lost something irreplaceable.







Happy Memorial Day and Thank YOU to all the men and women who gave their lives for us.

The Sunday Sip: Fill Up Your Cup with Samantha at The Peanuts Gang

Welcome to The Sunday Sip: a weekly feature introducing you to some of our favorite bloggers. We love making new friends in the blogosphere and The Sunday Sip gives us a chance to get to know them better. Get to know all of our feature bloggers HERE. 


If you are interested in being featured in one of our Sunday posts, It is as simple as sending us a  quick email to let us know. We would love to be introduced to your blog and introduce you to our readers.  We hope to hear from you today!


This week we are featuring Samantha at The Peanuts Gang and we invite you to grab your java and join us!






First off, Samantha, Hello! What are you drinking this morning?


--Mocha Blast from Dunkin Donuts


Tell us a little more about you:


I'm a mom of all trades that married her high school sweetheart and is currently in the throes of raising two little men (Charlie, 3, and Jack, 1). Parenthood is the most wonderful (but hardest) thing I have ever undertaken. When I'm not blogging, you can find me at the law office (where I work part-time), in a classroom (as an adjunct college professor), or spending time blogging for The Peanuts Gang, Chicago Parent & The Momsay.




You are busy, busy lady!  How did you come up with the title of the blog? Why did you choose "The Peanuts Gang?" (It wouldn't have anything to do with your last name, would it?)

Shucks! You caught me!  By complete coincidence, we named our first son, Charles. Hence, Charles Schultz. We have a small love affair with the cartoon - The Peanuts Gang - and from there, the blog name grew! I definitely love it and it defines us to a T! I like to think that when Charlie was born, so was our blog!

What is one post that you want everyone who comes to your blog to read and what was your inspiration for writing that post?

Where It All Began - the story of our struggle to have a family. Between Charlie and Jack, I suffered my third miscarriage and found myself pregnant just one cycle after that. Our journey to have a family has truly been miraculous.


Right now, we see your blog as a place to read about your family and adventures. I love your party planning series! I am so not the theme party type of gal, although I aspire to be, so I just love browsing through all of your ideas. You have a such a sweet little family too! Why did you start blogging, and Where do you see your blog going and growing to in the future?

I originally started blogging when I was still pregnant. I had such a hard time staying pregnant (three total miscarriages -  2 before kids, 1 between) and it was a way to document everything. Once we started our family with Charlie, I loved the idea of keeping a virtual scrapbook.

In the past few months, I've slowly begun to transition the blog to incorporate more posts about parenting, crafting, recipes along with places we go as a family. It's a great resource for other moms, but it also brings me a level of personal fulfillment. I love sharing our life in such a unique way! I'm even going to be featured on television tomorrow for outdoor entertaining products!

It's so exciting to see "Mommy Bloggers" shine. Good luck with your TV Spot!  Beyond the blog, what makes you "More than a Mommy"?

I went to law school and am actually a licensed attorney, but not practicing! I've slowly fallen in love with the virtual world and PR, but I doubt I'll pursue that. I really enjoy teaching and it's an opportunity to take off my mommy hat for a time. I love catching up on my favorite shows, reading (when I can) and crafting (when I feel up to it!) haha



Samantha, thank you so much for sitting down with us today. I can't wait to head over to your blog and dig in! We loved having you here. 


Why not join me over at The Peanuts Gang  now and send Samantha some More Than Mommies love? Follow her blog and leave her a comment letting her know that More Than Mommies sent ya!


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If you are a new visitor or popping over from The Peanuts Gang, Welcome to More Than Mommies.  Please subscribe to our RSS Feed, Like us on Facebook, Tweet with us, Pin with us at Pinterest, and tell a few friends who are More Than Mommies too so you won't miss any of the great bloggers we have coming up on The Sunday Sip!

Best Day EVER (this week) # 13

If you are looking for a spot to link up your best post of the week:You found the place! Welcome to The BEST day EVER (this week): A carnival brought to you by the gals behind More Than Mommies. So anything is fair game for the link up--as long as it's your best of the week! 

Link up with us and Tell a Friend to do the same. We can't wait see what everyone has been up to this week. Please remember to grab our button for your post or sidebar so blog hoppers will know where you've been and where to go next. This is a low key hop, but the more links, the more fun! We will follow everyone who links up and we ask that you leave some comment love for the blog in front of you and behind. If you have time to visit more--by all means do it! Please link to a specific post!  


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This week I thought I would share some pics that tell the story of my week. If you've been following along at all you know that end-of-the-school-year-stuff has my head spinning and because the weeks have been jam packed lately it would be extremely difficult to choose a best day. The camera is getting quite the work out!

Also, I want to congratulate my little sister and her fiance who are getting married this weekend. Can't wait to party it up!

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Just like Christine, I've been having a busy/crazy week!  I already wrote about my BEST day this week but I had a few really great days, too!

Wednesday, I took the twins and Danika to see Nate in his Spring Program.  We lasted the whole time the Kindergarten was on stage . . . then, when the Kindergarten was headed back to their classroom, the twins flipped because they wanted to go with Nate - so, we left.

Yesterday, Thursday, I was at the park all day with the boys and Danika.  It was technically a work day for me - we were having our end of the year picnic with my preschoolers - but it was a lot of fun!  EXHAUSTING and FRUSTRATING at times because there is one of me and two of the two year olds I'm responsible for . . . even with all of the wonderful coworkers and the parents helping me keep an eye on them, there were times when they were being two and just wanted Mommy to fix what was wrong.  They had fun, though . . . and that's what counts!  We are actually headed back there for a few hours today so Danika can say goodbye to her classmates!

So - there you have it!  Crazy/Buzy and EXHAUSTING but I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Have an amazing holiday weekend!

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Link up below!  We would LOVE to hear about your BEST Day EVER (. . . this week)!

We promise to visit (and follow) every one who links up - so keep us busy!  We can't wait to meet you!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Even though we have had a garden in some shape or form for a few years and I witnessed gardens being tended and cared for since I was a young girl I still feel like a newbie when it comes to the art and science of gardening. I think the problem lies in the fact that when it comes to gardening the amount of choices involved make it more of an art than an exact science.

Every aspect of gardening involves a choice and for someone as indecisive as I can sometimes be the choice between raised beds and regular beds, heirloom tomatoes and cherry tomatoes, to compost or not to compost, types of soil, plant choice, and garden layout could paralyze me into inactivity.

The basics come down to getting one's hands dirty: digging into the soil, placing a seed or seedling there and tending to it. And in the garden my motto must become "just keep sowing."  When the decisions crop up, The Mister and I make them democratically and move on. Have we recreated my dream garden in this fashion? No, but my dream garden is just that--a dream (think garden of Eden).  We have to work with what we've got in terms of space and budget and hardiness zone. So when I make some off the wall suggestion--we are reigned in by those parameters.

I feel like we are late to the game this year because our garden is not in the ground yet.  But this weekend--after my sister gets married--we have plans to put one in. This year we are keeping things simple: zuchs, tomatoes and peppers. Maybe I can talk Jim into putting in an eggplant...

I really do love having a garden. Nothing tastes better than food that you toiled for. Sure, our garden may not be watered from a rain barrel or be covered with compost from our old coffee grounds and such...but it will be ours.

Is your green thumb itching? Tell us about your garden plans for the year.  How do you make decisions about what to plant and how to plant it? --every garden has a story and I'd love to hear yours!

Beginnings and Endings

Change is hard.  I dread it when I see it coming and when it sneaks up on me I panic and try to fight it.  Either way, in the end it usually ends up with me crying either happy or sad tears (often both).  Yesterday was a lot tougher than I thought it was going to be for a lot of reasons.

When Danika was a year old, I put together this video:




I remember making it and watching it over and over and thinking how cute she was and how much I loved her and wanted to just snuggle her all the time.

This morning I was taking Danika to work with me at the preschool she also attends.  We were headed to her preschool graduation.  I was looking in the rear view mirror at her sitting in the back with her pretty dress on and new earrings on . . . and what comes on the radio?  Hey There Delilah.  I immediately thought of this video and started to tear up.  I couldn't turn it off but I didn't want to listen to it . . . I wanted to run from the change that I was driving towards.

It went well.  Danika did awesome.  Her preschool friends were awesome.  Her teachers glowed with pride and I didn't cry . . . until right after this picture was taken:

Right after that picture was taken she came over to me and hugged me and kissed me on the cheek and  told me that she loved me and I cried, again.

It took me a while to calm down and really stop sobbing.  I walked into the hall where we were having cookies and punch and tears were still streaming down my face.  I just couldn't stop them!

I can usually keep it together but I didn't today.  A few of my coworkers were in there getting things ready and I'm pretty sure I made them cry, too. I did have one of them say, "You just wait, Janene.  Wait until you drop her off at college!" That didn't really help much.  I did eventually stop in time for me to get through the two preschool programs I was in charge of . . . went through the rest of my day okay.  Then I talked to my mom in the evening about how my day went and started crying again.

I plan on enjoying my summer as much as I can because I know when the time comes to put 2 of my kiddos on the bus next year I'm not going to do as well as I did when it was only Nate.

I guess yesterday was just one of those days when it hits me how much they've grown . . . and how much I have no control over this change and fighting it isn't going to do any good.  I better just hold on for the ride and try to embrace all of the beginnings and endings.

I Want Off This Ride!

I got up this morning thinking about The Wondrous Boat Ride scene in my old favorite: Willie Wonka. That scene truly frightened me as a child.

This past month has been absolutely, non-stop, one thing after another and shows no signs of stopping! I guess somewhere along the way I knew that as the girls get older, things will get busier. Between end of the year activities at school, a month full of birthdays, communion parties and a wedding, I have barely been able to pause and catch my breath.

We are coming off a busy weekend hosting a First Holy Communion Party at the house and yesterday I chaperoned Potato's field trip.  I had to miss my book club meeting last night which makes me very sad, but it had to be. Today, the older girls have a folk festival at school, I have grocery shopping to do, my faith sharing group is meeting for the last time before Summer break, AND it's the Mister's birthday today! Not to mention, I'm two days behind on my Insanity workout.

My little baby turns two this weekend! Ack! How did that happen? As I type this I can hear her talking upstairs and she is saying "Oh no! Not again!" I'm a little nervous to go up and see what that actually means but I would like to talk to the person responsible for switching out my chubby, babbling baby with the verbal, on-the-go little girl who is now singing from her crib.

I am enjoying all of the activities. Everything has been fun, but we are moving at the speed of light and if I think about it too much things start to get a little frightening--much like The Wondrous Boat Ride scene. I don't want things to stop. I just want to press pause for a bit.

Lyrics to Willie Wonka's Wondrous Boat Ride (or, as I like to call it: May 2012):

Round the world and home again 

That's the sailor's way. 

Faster faster, faster faster 

There's no earthly way of knowing 

Which direction we are going.

There's no knowing where we're rowing 

Or which way the river's flowing.

Is it raining? Is it snowing?

Is a hurricane a-blowing?

Not a speck of light is showing,

So the danger must be growing.

Are the fires of Hell a-glowing? 

Is the grisly reaper mowing?

Yes, the danger must be growing, 

For the rowers keep on rowing 

And they're certainly not showing 

Any signs that they are slowing!

Fun Read-Aloud Books

I LOVE children's books.  I have always loved children's books.  I want to write a children's book someday.  In the meantime . . . one of my favorite things to do is to read books to children, my own and my preschoolers.  I thought that I would give you a list of some of my favorite books to read.  The actual list is WAY too long to put on here but I will add them to our Amazon Store so you can check them out if you are in need of a good book to read to your kiddos or a good book to give to someone as a present.  Books make AWESOME presents!

Here are some GREAT ones to start off a new baby's library or give as 1st, 2nd or even 3rd birthday present:

Not only is this a fun book to read but the pictures are great, too!  Wonderfully illustrated and great for  any little one who wants a rainbow of their own.

This is SO much fun to read!  It has a rhythm to it and repeats so that after a few reads your little ones will be able to read along!

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? is one of the books by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle.  You can be highly interactive while reading this book with your kids.  You can ask your kids what animal is next and ask them what animals they see! 

Chicka Chicka books are not only fun to read but they also help to teach your kids letters and/or numbers!

Good Night, Gorilla is a really fun book for kids to hear read aloud  because they get to watch the naughty little gorilla unlock cages and sneak around past bed time.   

This book is a cute way to remind your kiddos that even when you aren't together you still love them! 

We LOVE this book!  Llama Llama books are awesome and  we  enjoy all of them.  I don't know who was more excited me or the kids when Llama Llama Holiday Drama came out last year!

Who doesn't love If You Give a Mouse a Cookie? We have this treasury that also features a bunch of other Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond books!  

This is another book that has beautiful illustrations and is a beautiful story!

This book was given to my daughter Danika at her Kindergarten registration and it has quickly become a favorite  in our house and we now read it all the time!

I did a project on this book when I was getting my Master's and I still LOVE it!  I read it when I was little and have read it to my kids, too!

I actually didn't read this book until I started teaching and I really enjoy reading it to the kids.  

The coolest thing about this book is the magic ribbons in the middle.  Seriously, LOVE this book!  You should check it out because your kids will LOVE it as much as I do - it's a blast!

This is a classic book and since Maurice Sendak has recently passed away we read this book last week and I remembered how much I love reading this book.

 This list is by no means finished and I would love to hear what books you would add to the list!  You can find these books and others that we love at our Amazon store:

Excellent Read Aloud books!

Thanks for stopping by and have an amazing Monday!

The Sunday Sip: Refill Your Cup with our Sunday Sippers

This week we would like to thank every blogger that has sat down and shared a cup with us on Sunday morning!  We thought that we would recap the great bloggers that we have shared with you so far and again extend the invitation to all bloggers to join this wonderful group!

So without further ado - here are the Sunday Sip bloggers that have been featured so far on More Than Mommies!

Sarah at The Spoon Fed Baby -  Sarah is a stay-at-home mom who was a Kindergarten teacher before she decided to take a break to stay home with her little guy.  She writes a lot about making homemade food for your baby and the one post that she wants everyone to read is her post about The Top 10: Homemade Baby Food Safety.  If you are at the point in raising your kiddos where you are feeding them baby food you HAVE to check her out!  If you aren't you should still head over and read some of her posts!  The one she wrote about taking that leap into finger foods has GREAT tips for moms headed into that stage (especially for the first time - it can be super scary!)

Delilah at Confessions of a Semi-Domesticated Mama - Delilah is a stay-at-home mom to 5 kiddos.  She describes her job as the Domestic Engineer and CEO of The Semi-Domesticated Household.  She is HYSTERICAL and definitely worth checking out!  Not only does she make me laugh in a lot of her posts but she can also touch me in a way that I can relate to - like in her post, Reveling the Girl Behind the PPD Mask.  You have to read this post, I Used to Be the Perfect Mom! makes perfect sense!

Amber at The Browsing Brunette - Amber's official job is Stay at Home Mom to Carter, Presley and her little doxies Layla and Cash.  She's also married to Dave and LOVES to shop!  She loves designer shoes/purses, shopping, and music!  You can read all about her favorite post about shopping in the Tory Burch store in Chicago!  She recently became a Thirty-One consultant and I LOVE Thirty-One!!!

Meredith at Mom of the Year - Meredith is a SAHM (or SWTKM) and writes about all of her adventures with her kids and things that she enjoys!  She is very honest in the post that she would like you to read entitled: A Day in the Life . . . we've all had these days!  A more resent post about Cleaning makes even MORE sense to me!!!  :)  You have to check it out!

Brynne at Femme Frugality - Brynne isn't only a mama but she is also a full time student!  I can't imagine how she does it!  She also writes about saving money on her blog - and she's local to us!  She'd like you to read the post about how to find unclaimed money (which I did a while ago and found some money for my aunt - she gave me a  "finder's fee" :)  You have to read this post: 5 Things I Refuse to Splurge On.  

Jennifer at Life on the Mamarific Merry-Go-Round -  Jennifer  works part-time as an Advertising Consultant and feels lucky  to be able to work from home and still take care of her kids, who are 7 and 1 1/2.  Her blog is hysterical and her post about how her sweet little one turns from Gizmo to Gremlin cracked me up!  When we interviewed Jennifer she talked about a post she loved called: Separation Anxiety Attack.  You should also read the Mother's Day post she wrote - it's amazing!  

Lastly - Jamie at Laughter Ever After - We love Jamie's blog name and the fact that it was her hubby who came up with it!  Jamie is a professional writer who is taking a break to stay at home and raise her son, Owen.  You should really check out how much fun they had at the beach in this post!  Jamie would also like you to check out this post about how we should stop judging one another - Life is Like a Box of Cupcakes!  

Hope you enjoy meeting some of these gals and that you stop by and tell them that More Than Mommies sent you!

If you are a blogger and you are interested in being featured in The Sunday Sip, we would LOVE to hear from you.  Just shoot us an email at morethanmommies@gmail.com

Have a fantastic Sunday!

It IS a miracle: Carpet Stain Remover!

...If you consider erasing set in who-knows-what-they-are-or-how-long-they-have-been-there-stains from your carpet to be a miracle -- And I do -- then you need to read on!

Last week while I was scrolling through Pinterest, I came across this Pin:

Source: Pinterest via One Good Thing by Jillee

Well I just had to try it! Despite our best efforts to ban shoes and food and drinks from the living room after we spent lots of time and energy renting a steam cleaner and going to town on the job one day, months later stains seemed to reappear.  I guess you can't ban the girls from throwing up blueberry waffle all over the carpet. I know gross, but I just had to over share my mommy misery about sick days. Believe me I got at that mess RIGHT away and I thought I did a pretty good job, but once the carpet dried the tell tale pale purple blotch was still there.

I was set to just ignore these stains and pray everyone else would suddenly be struck down with the same blindness that sets in when you live with something for long enough.  You know, it just fades into the background and no one notices...But I'm kidding myself, these stains are glaring and VERY disgusting. 

Did you know that sweat leaves a stain? I have been dripping puddles of sweat doing Insanity and yep, ruining my carpet, until I got smart --that is, my husband reminded me to get smart--and I started pulling out the gym mat and laying towels down. The damage was done, however. 

So I gathered up my supplies:

Here is what you need: White towels, A hot Iron, Ammonia, HOT water, and a spray bottle.

Open up the windows to ventilate your room.

Mix 1 part ammonia with 1 part hot water in a spray bottle

Locate your stain:

It's a small one, but it is there!

Spray the stain liberally with the ammonia solution.

Cover the stain with your white towel and pray to the cleaning gods. You don't really need to send up any prayers--just run your hot iron over the towel. Steer clear. Try not to breath in that steam!

When you lift the towel here is what you see--or what you DON'T see:

Gone, but not forgotten:

I did most of my carpet stain cleaning last night. I was so amazed and excited to see the blueberry-tinged-vomit-stain disappear that I forgot to grab the camera for the glorious before and after shots...but trust me when I say that the stain is gone!   So pardon the sad little demonstration with the only small stain I had left to try this morning--the larger stains were much  more dramatic. 

I just had to share the idea with all of you because the Mister doesn't get as excited and amazed as I need him to be. He still doesn't get the whole Pinterest phenomenon. He's happy that the stains are gone, I am sure, because we've both been complaining about them for a while, but sleep was a more pressing need for him at 11pm last night! 

So tell me you are amazed!