Spring Clean Tip

It's that wonderful time of year...Spring Cleaning Time.  What does that mean to you?  To me it is a an awesome opportunity to rearrange, organize, redecorate, and reduce the items in our home that aren't being used.  Oh and clean, clean, clean.  It is a great chance to make a list of what you want to accomplish and begin to prioritize your goals of your home.  For myself the kitchen is a biggie.  First I take out things that I haven't used in and could live without.  You could start a pile for a garage sale and earn a few bucks off your unwanted stuff.   This prompts me to organize and maximize the space.  Then I begin to clean.  I pull out the stove, fridge, and go to town scrubbing.  Take things out of drawers and cabinets and clean them inside and out.  I still have to say my most favorite cleaning solution is the faithful homemade solution of vinegar/water/borax and dish soap.  Lately, I have used straight vinegar and water, then the other homemade solution.  I know the smell of vinegar is completely overwhelming, but that is where a scentsy comes in so handy!  Last I redecorate the space and viola you have a super clean, new, organized, refreshing springy space.  I guess I have no super secret tip on how to spring clean but this is what I like to do to re-energize a space in my house to make it new.

It would be so wonderful if my appliances were not such a lovely color white. Maybe if I go through enough stuff I don't use in my house I will have one heck of a garage sale and replace the appliances. Until that happens please overlook the appliances along with the counter tops that maybe one day will be butcher block.  Oh and the fab sink, that to is on the never ending wish list to be a big, deep, farm sink. 

Isn't it fun to have a wish list?!

6 Ways to Like Your Home More Today

I was reading through the blogs that I love to read and I ran across this from Our Suburban Cottage.  I think this will begin to inspire you in the start of the Spring Clean Process.  This is an amazing blog filled with great ideas and much more, hope you enjoy. 

taken from Our Suburban Cottage...

6 Easy Ways to Like Your Home More Today

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Photo Credit: My Home Ideas

6 EASY WAYS TO LIKE YOUR HOME MORE TODAY

1) CLEAN SOMETHING: You don’t have to clean the whole house, just pick one area (i.e. a shelf, the floors in the living room) and clean it. Or set the clock for 15 or 30 minutes and see how much you can get done before the timer goes off. You’ll instantly feel better.

2) FIX ONE THING: Is there a light bulb that’s been out for a while? A piece of trim that needs 30 seconds with a glue gun? A button that needs to be sewn on? Choose one thing and do it.

3) MAKE YOUR HOUSE SMELL GOOD: Open a window (unless it’s 30 degrees outside), light a scented candle, spray some Febreeze on the upholstery (…and in your teenage son’s bedroom), bake cookies (well…you know…those pre-made ones from the deli case…I’m not asking you to clean AND bake real cookies!)

4) SHAKE IT UP BY SHOPPING THE HOUSE: Could the throw pillows on the sofa look nice on your bed?…or vice versa? Would that vase on your dresser be the perfect solution for your mantel with a handful of branches in it? Take a few minutes and experiment.

5) FIND SOMETHING TO PAINT!: Can you breathe new life into that old frame?, those ugly candlesticks?, or those boring oak stools? Think about it, and remember that a quart of paint or a can of spray paint is CHEAP.

6) DO SOMETHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY: Listen to music while you cook, light a few candles and “dine” over mac n’ cheese, eat on the good plates (that doesn’t have to include your 3 year old). Doing something out of the ordinary instantly makes things feel special.

Welcome Change

Remember this table I fell in love with that I found on Craigslist and sold our table so we could purchase it?

This was our kitchen table before I sold it...

 Now it looks like this:

 

I love the finished result, and how the round table changed the entire mood of the space.  I shopped the house moving things all around allowing new decorations in this space without spending any money.  Although the rug is a new purchase.  It was on sale at Lowe's for less than $50.00!  If you have priced rugs before you will be running out the door to Lowe's to pick one up for yourself.  Shopping the house is a great alternative to going out to buy something new.  Things you thought would never look good moved, just might.  Who says things always have to stay the same?  Try moving something to a new spot and see how you welcome the change.  Starting projects always makes me want to do more, so it was a busy weekend of rearranging, cleaning, and organizing.  The prefect thing to energize me for some spring clean action, how about you?

Weekend Project

Well, I know it isn't exactly the weekend yet, but I have started my weekend project.  The goal is to accomplish my project so I will be able to Spring Clean next week and blog all about it.
Several months ago I painted my cabinets in the kitchen black.  Since then I have really, really wanted a black circular table and I have been searching high and low for exactly what I had in mind.  The problem was that I  loved my square table and didn't want to sell it.  Then I found exactly what I was looking for and had to sell my square table to be able to get the circle table.  It did go to a great home!

                                Good-bye old table I will miss you!

 

                       New table that I found on Craigslist.

 

When I get the project completed I will ask my dear sweet neighbor once again to come over and take pictures so I can show and tell you all about how the weekend project went.  We will see if this project gets completed before the weekend is over. What projects will you be working on over the weekend?  I would love to hear from you!

Giveaway is Closed...and the winners are...

First, thank you all so much for participating in the first ever giveaway on this blog.  Thank you for being so kind and patient as I learn how the blogging world works.  There were some great suggestions for future post that already have my mind turning so next week watch for several posts on Spring Time Clean.  Also thank you so much Emilee for teaming up with this blog to continue to offer many more exciting things to come with Scentsy! Without further rambling we will let random.org do its thing......

Here are your random numbers:

3 13 20

CONGRATULATIONS...

KIMBERLY, SARAH8, AND MANDA RAE!!!!!

(winners watch for an e-mail today to get information for your Scentsy prize, sarah8 we need your e-mail)

First Winner comment number 3
Kimberly said...

I would love to try the Pineapple Paradise scent. I have mochadoodle and vanilla and like them both. 

Second Winner comment number 13 

sarah8_24 said... 

My favorite Scentsy fragrance is Enchanted Mist. The aroma lingers and last forever. 

I would love to see a blog with Spring Cleaning tips and ideas.

Cleanest room has to be living room or downstairs bathroom. These are the most visited by guests.

Third Winner comment number 20
MandaRae said...
I'm interested in smelling these scents - they sure do sound yummy!
The cleanest room in my house is the living room, but with that said - I have a lot of cleaning to do. That is why I've started reading this blog. LaNelle, you have a beautiful home!

Thanks everyone for your comments they all were greatly appreciated.  If you didn't win this time, don't worry there will be more fun giveaways to come!

 

Giveaway Day

The following is a guest post from Emilee a Star Consultant for Scentsy.  We have known each other for a very long time and are thrilled to offer you some exciting giveaways today and in the future!  Thanks Emilee for such a wonderful opportunity for us all, this will definitely make our hearts happy!
 

 "First of all, I just want to say that I love your blog.  It inspires me to clean, or at least think about cleaning.  There is nothing better than a house that smells wonderful. I began selling Scentsy in July of 2009 and have been going strong ever since.  With Scentsy warmers, there’s no flame, no smoke, and no lead - so no worries! Instead, each beautifully designed ceramic Scentsy Warmer houses a low-watt light bulb that slowly melts a specially formulated wickless Scentsy Bar, releasing delicious, long-lasting fragrances in any of your favorite spaces.  Scentsy also has wonderful products like room sprays, travel tins, and hanging fresheners (car candles) that come in over 80 scents!  I love this product so much that I thought I would share it with the readers of Having a Happy Heart."

  1st winner will receive a hanging freshener

 

  2nd winner will receive a travel tin

  3rd winner will win a room spray

https://emileewills.scentsy.us/Home

Okay there you have it, 3 on the go giveaways!!!  WOW, thank you so much Emilee you are awesome! I can't wait to see what you will do in April!  Now all you have to do for your chance to win is this:

To be eligible to win you must leave a comment answering one of the three questions listed...

 

1.  What smell would you pick from Scentsy?

2.  What subject would you like Happy Heart to Blog about?

3. What is the cleanest room in your house?

** please include an e-mail so you can be notified if you win** 

we will choose at random 3 different winners

 GIVEAWAY WILL ONLY BE OPEN UNTIL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT!

 

 

Smelly Goods

When my house smells good I feel great!  Don't you?  I love to walk in to a great smelling house, it makes me feel so comfortable.  Today is one of those days when I want to turn on my Scentsy and feel great without cleaning anything.  Here is what my scentsy looks like:

 These are great.  All you do is turn it on put some wax in it and let it go to work smelling your house for you!  Tomorrow there will be a guest post from Mrs. Emilee and her adventures in Scentsy.  Best of all I have been told there will be a giveaway involved. 

Original Hands

You have to check out this website on Etsy. 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheOrganizedShopper 

 I have not yet ordered one, but I really, really, want to and I know you will also!

Imagine having all your coupons organized and your list all neatly positioned. I LOVE IT!!!  No more plastic baggie and thumbing through every coupon to try to find out what coupons will work. I think I may be in

love with this delightful organizer!

Now, all I need to do is hint around to my husband that this would make the perfect Mother's Day gift!

Found Treasures...

Yes, I spotted these awesome red lockers on the side of the road.  Believe It, it is TRUE!!!  Now I have to give credit to my mom because she is the one who called and asked if they were up for the taking. The man who lived were I spotted the lockers said "sure for $20 bucks".  We were driving to my parents for an afternoon lunch and I spotted these treasures on the side of the road and new I had to have them for my son's room.  If you have ever priced these bad boys at pottery barn kids you know they aren't cheap.  Well, I am here to say these beauties were cheap and they were already painted red!  It was not a yucky red either, it was a perfect Razorback Red!!!   Someone's junk is my treasure, all you really need is a little elbow grease!!!  You know it is about garage sale season again and wow the treasures you can find...my mind is spinning.  So I leave with you a picture of a few of my treasures that have found a happy home in my son's room. 

Yes, these are the lockers found for $20 bucks.  The baseballs on top were free ~thanks papa! Just look around your softball/baseball fields and you'll find several balls that have been hit over the fence or just left behind.  The bench the tv is on was in my friends garage sale and nobody bought it so guess what???  She gave it to me!

This is a glove we found at a garage sale but it was to small and the bat was free because it had a crack in it.  So why not create a window treatment?!?!

Ever had one of these?

I am having one of these kind of days...

Yuck!!!  I really dislike it when dishes are pilled in the sink!!!

Oh if you only could see the mountain of clean clothes calling my name...

I Must Have...

Okay after several days of thinking I know what I must have to clean.  My must have essentials as my friend requested...

1  Vinegar
2. Borax (found with the detergent)
3. Murphy's Oil Soap
4. Newspaper for cleaning windows
5. Cleaning Rags
6. Spray Bottle to Mix Vinegar/Borax and Water for most of the cleaning
7. Bucket to mix Murphy's Oil and Water to clean floor and cabinets
8. Toothbrush for scrubbing

There you have it.  I love simple and that is my Simple List of Cleaning Supplies.  Don't get me wrong I do LOVE buying cleaning supplies and trying them out, and if they smell really good like Mr. Clean Febreeze that is great too, but to really get down and get things clean the above is what I would want.  Now most of all I appologize for not having pictures but SORRY, I don't have a camera just and I really didn't want to bug my wonderful neighbor again to take pictures for me and my rambalings of cleaning supplies.  So you'll have to use your imagination on this post.  Well, hope this helps you!

Read Much?

Yes, you guessed it, this wreath is made out of a book.

 

I love my new book wreath!  If you want to know how to create this decoration for your home check out

these instructions: http://www.livingwithlindsay.com/2009/11/librarians-please-avert-your-eyes.html

Have a Great Weekend!

Where can you put a tassel?

I fell in love with some tassels that  "the Nester" created at http://www.thenester.com/.  Anyway I attempted to make my own creation of a tassel. Let me tell you that you will love having tassels in your home.  They add an extra decoration in an unexpected place.  I have given a few tassels as gifts and people give me the look of... thanks so much but what am I going to do with this!?  So I thought I give you some ideas of exactly where you can put a tassel...
1.  Basically Anywhere
2.  On a Lamp Switch
3.  Door Knob
4.  Cabinet Knob
5.  Toliet Flusher Knob
6.  Curtain Rod
7.  Ceiling Light
8.  Coat Rack
Here are some examples of tassels in our home...

Off the Ceiling Fan Light

Closet Door Knob b/c yes this door has to stay closed

This is just some ideas and really the places are endless.  So in answer to the question:

Where can you put a tassel?  Anywhere

A Closed Door = Extra Space

In our home the laundry room is one of the very first rooms you see as you walk through the front door.  I don't know why but I really dislike closed doors inside of a house.  I feel like they are hiding something and make the area look small and dirty.  I don't know why I know that sounds completly strange.  So I could just keep our laundry room door closed and never have to worry about people seeing inside but I don't want a closed door. The laudry room or laundry area is like an extra space in your house so why not decorate it a little?

I really have thought about painting the inside of the laundry room but for now this is what it looks like.  Also some matching storage baskets would be great all sitting on the top shelf, but for now I will be patient and make do with the lonely basket I have.   

What does your laundry room look like?

Facebook Post

Well I admit I do get on facebook daily to keep caught up I guess.  Normally I may send someone a message every now and then.  So posting in my status is very rare or commenting on someone elese's status is very rare for me to do also until last night.  A friend posted a cleaning question and I automatically replied and loved every minute of it!  I didn't even think twice about how my reply may sound.  All that leads me to share with you the question of the day...

What to use when cleaning your floor? 

In my opion I absolutley love Murphy Oil Soap.  Once a week I will clean on my hands and knees the floor.  I use a method of sectioning off the area in my head and work section by section.  Not only does it smell awesome but it cleans great and the in between cleanings throughout the week are very managable.  Throughout the week I like to use the amazing Wet Jet w/Febreeze Cleaner for multi-surface floors, it smells divine.  What do you like to use on your floors?

MckLinky Chalkboards

This is my first ever MckLinky post, I am still figuring out exactly what that means or how to do it but from what I understand so far someone can blog and other blogs can link up and show what they have done. If you haven't heard of The Nester well you are totally missing out so you have to check out The Nester blog at http://www.thenester.com/ you will LOVE it. All that to say when I read she was having a MckLinky party about chalkboard paint I decided to give it a try and well thanks for being patient with me through the learning experience of blogging. Now I will quit rambaling and show you the Chalkboard Headboard...
This picture is so not a picture of cleanliness perfection, but oh well some days are just not to perfection.

Anyway I love chalkboard paint! Not just because it is black and for now black is my favorite color but because the possibilities are endless, just check out all the inspiration from The Nester! Well hope you liked seeing me in my cleanliness imperfection, I will get my act together before the next post. Until then I would love to hear from you.

Guess What???

Thanks to my sweet friend which happens to be my neighbor you now have pictures to look at! Thanks so much to my talented/crafty/photographer/awesome cook and friend!!! The top picture is the wall in the bedroom and the bottom is a wall in the living room.

Well, do you want to paint a wall black now?