Magic Eraser can clean that?!

Our bathroom counter tops are seriously hideous. I have NO idea what the previous owners did to the poor things. There are rings and stains and rust all over them! We have tried EVERY cleaning product we could think of, but NOTHING took off these ugly stains. Well the other day I came across a blog post about the amazing things one little product could clean. That's when it happened.... I rediscovered the Magic Eraser and it has changed my life! I have no idea why I didn't familiarize myself with this product more.. I never really even TRIED to use it before.
Check out the things this bad boy has cleaned in my home!

Ian and I have been discussing buying new counter tops for the past 4 years! One evening Ian came home from work and his jaw dropped when he saw our "new" bathroom! It maybe took me 5-10 minutes to scrub each bathroom counter top. I got the select a size Magic Erasers and went through one little sponge per bathroom before it totally disintegrated. I hardly used any water too. Just sprayed a little here and there. I never soaked it unless I was rinsing out the sponge.

Another thing I tackled was our kitchen sink. In the drain there was a super nasty ring. I have tried to scrub it with other sponges and they did NOTHING. Check it out after using the Magic Eraser! It took off not only the nastiness in the drain but also took off grime and water spots. Look how much it shines!!

 I've tried it on a few other spots like our greasy oven hood. We usually just use a Clorox Wipe... which does NOTHING but smear the grease. The Magic Eraser took of the grease! Although it did crumble and disintegrate instantly while using it this time around.

I've also cleaned the inside of our back door. That door is so gross. I'm sad I didn't take a before and after. So many finger print stains and scuffs from moving things in and out of the house. Again, I've tired Clorox Wipes, which did nothing. Mr. Clean took it right off!

What Mr. Clean Magic Erasers Can Do:

• remove dried paint from door hinges

• remove tarnish from silver

• remove mold & mildew from anything plastic

• clean & polish gold jewelry

• remove soap scum in the tub and shower

• remove marks on walls

• clean splatters inside the microwave

• remove marks on vinyl siding

• clean mirrors in the bathroom (keeps shower mirrors from fogging)

• remove adhesive residue after removing stickers

• remove waterline mark around the pool

• remove hair dye from countertops & floors

• clean light-colored suede

• remove black scuff marks from baseboards (where the vacuum cleaner hits)

• clean the outdoor side of window sills stained from leaves, dust and dirt

• clean plastic coolers inside and out (…even dirty grimey ones used by men with greasy hands!)

• remove rust spots & stains on countertop

• remove cooked-on stains in pots and pans

• remove soot off the walls near the fireplace

• clean sticky/dusty range hood over the stove

• remove nail polish spills or stains

• clean airbake cookie sheets & bakeware (the kind with all those tiny grooves)

• clean oven shelves & the grates on the grill

• remove wet nose marks from pets on the windows (even car windows)

• remove toothpaste splashes from bathroom mirrors

• remove melted plastic on the side of the toaster oven

• remove grimey green algae from cement (bird baths, steps, ponds, etc)

• clean stained elbows from dirty work

• remove green mildew from siding and gutters

• remove paint spills & oversprays

• clean algae buildup on the inside of your aquariums

• remove built-up algae, water deposits, etc from ceramic flower pots

• clean dish drainers that are gunked with lime and build-up

• remove bird poop from concrete bird bath

• remove coffee & tea stains that remain inside a mug, caraffe, thermos even after washing

• clean the plastic agitator inside your washing machine

• clean window screens (even when they are still in the window)

• remove built-up baked on grease inside the deep fryer

• clean inside the crock pot

• remove melted plastic on a glass top stove

• clean swimming pool steps

• remove baked on brown spots on cookware

• clean antiques & collectibles

• clean & shine things up before you sell them in a yard sale

• clean boat & outdoor furniture upholstery

• clean vinyl striping on motorhomes, vans, boats

• clean car tires, including white walls

• clean pebbled surfaces like the outside of plastic coolers

• remove pet & child vomit from carpet or clothing

• remove scuff marks on motorcycle & ATV helmets

• remove grass stains from shoes after mowing the lawn

• remove scuff marks from hangers/shoes in the walk-in closet

• clean oven door

• remove pollen from patio furniture, cars, etc.

• remove soap scum and gunk from around the bathroom faucets

• remove hairspray build-up on countertops and vanities

• remove soap scum inside porcelain & utility sinks

• clean stained caulking along the kitchen sink & countertop

• clean your bicycle, even the tires & rims

• clean tile & grout

• remove mildew from tents, vinyl canopies, awnings, fiberglass items

• remove paint overspray that has dried

• remove shoe marks from the kickplate of house doors & car doors

• clean inside your car (along the handles, window ledge, arm rests, dashboard)

• remove scuff marks and dirt from linoleum floors

• remove stains on leather seats, purses, chairs, etc.

• remove food stains inside plastic food containers

• remove brake dust from tire rims

• remove dirt and grime on a vinyl convertible top

• remove nail polish from walls, carpets, wooden objects, plastic

• remove soil or scuff marks from ceramic tile flooring

• clean non-skid surfaces with tiny grooves (bathtub floors, refrigerator handles, cooler lids)

• clean & shine bathroom faucets & fixtures

• remove magic marker, permanent marker, and ballpoint ink from virtually any surface

• clean doll faces

• clean textured handles on major appliances (dishwasher, refrigerator, stove)

• remove fingerprints and dirt on light-colored kitchen cupboards

• clean inside of the refrigerator

• remove crayon marks from walls

• remove dirt from plastic trash cans

• remove dark paint on light-colored carpet

• clean soap scum and oils from hot tub

• clean a car’s vinyl interior (gets into the tiny crinkles in the vinyl armrest, etc.)

• clean white porch railings, columns & pillars

• remove bugs from car windshield, grille, and bumper

• remove paint scratches on your car from minor fender benders

• remove rust and corrosion that’s built-up on the outside of pipes (kitchen/bathroom)

• clean & shine hubcaps

• remove built-up grime on the car steering wheel

• remove finger prints & build-up on the keyboard and mouse

• remove oxidized paint from an old car

• remove built-up gunk from vinyl seats

• remove tar from your car’s paint

• remove set-in stains inside glass and plastic pitchers

• remove scuff marks from the back of car seats (from kids’ shoes)

• clean kids’ plastic toys

• remove dirt and grime from athletic shoes and shoes with leather uppers

• remove stains on the underside of the toilet seat

• remove fingerprint & handprints from light-colored doors & walls

• remove scuff marks from your patio furniture

Decorative Wall

For over the last 3 years I've been totally bugged by our long entry way wall. NOTHING seemed to fit on it or look right on it. I though the solution would be some cast iron decorative wall hanging. WRONG. Then I thought that maybe I'd print a HUGE panoramic canvas of my photography. NOT. Totally didn't happen, plus it would have looked weird. So... last year I decided to make an awesome decorative coat rack/shelf! I've seriously loved it! Now when clients come in, they can hang up their jackets and bags. It looks so nice too. But, sadly, for the life of me I cannot find the pictures I took while we were building it. So I apologize about that, but at least I have a pretty after shot for you! It's an awkward skinny hallway, so it was super hard to get a great shot.. and impossible to get a shot from straight on.

It was a pretty tough process for us because the studs weren't where we wanted to put the boards. If we did, it wouldn't have been evenly centered on our wall. Our solution for this was getting a large board of MDF and screw it on the wall into the studs. This way, we could screw anywhere on the wall and it would be secured to the MDF board. From there we had to do a crazy amount of math to make each board evenly spaced. We drew on the wall several times and somehow kept getting it wrong! :P But we finally managed to get it figured out!

If this is something you'd like to do, here are the supplies we got!
The boarder around the sides, top, bottom and center (going horizontally) are 5.5 inch boards. The vertical slats are 2.5 inches as well as the "shelf" up on the top. We got a 2 inch decorative trim to put under the shelf. We used drywall mud to fill in the screw holes and on the exposed side where all the wood was screwed to the wall. We also got our hooks from Homedepot but after the fact I saw that Target had some cuter ones that didn't stick out as long. So far there hasn't been an issue of anyone bumping into it or getting stuck to a hook.
I decorated it with some of my own art and our family photos. I think it turned out super cute and was JUST what this wall needed! We get so many compliments :)

And just in case you were wondering. Our wall is 9.625 feet long. From the floor to the top of the shelf our decorative wall piece is 70 inches tall.

Young Women Birthday Gifts

Every year as a YW presidency, we come up with a new birthday idea for the girls. They get two gifts from us. The girls get one gift at church where all the Young Women sing to her. Then the presidency goes to their home on their birthday and gives them a different gift. I thought I'd share what we gave them last year and this year!
Last year I came up with this cute fish birthday idea! I designed the little card and we put a handful of Sweetish Fish inside a little baggie and tied it with a red ribbon. I think it turned out super cute!

you are o"fish"ally the best

happy birthday!

 This year our new 1st counselor mentioned gumballs! So I searched the internet for a cute little saying to go with it. I found one and designed and printed out the cards. A big fancy blue bow completed the darling look!

Young Women value bubble gum just for YOU 

Happy Birthday

We sign the back of each card and sing them Happy Birthday on their front porch. If you're needing some new birthday ideas... there you go!

Stiletto Cupcakes!

The 2013 Youth Theme for the LDS Church is "Sand Ye In Holy Places"

Doctrine and Covenants 87:8 Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the Lord. Amen.

To go along with this years theme, our joint Young Women Mutual activity was to make some super cute stiletto cupcakes! I've been in the YW Secretary for a little over a year now and totally love these girls! It was so much fun to see all of the girls stilettos come together... or not come together ;)

Here are the easy steps! Frost 2 cupcakes. Decorate top by dipping the cupcake into a bowl of sprinkles and/or colored sugar. Dip Milano cookie (or wafer) in melted white chocolate. Pipe edges with frosting (we just used a lunch bag and cut a hole in it). Press frosting edges into sprinkles or colored sugar. Cut Pirouette in half diagonally. Cut a slit into the cupcake and press in Milano. Glue Pirouette to the Milano with melted white chocolate and you're done! No, mine is not a perfect masterpiece, but it sure does look cute! If you want to see PERFECT cupcakes, check out this link!

Did you know you can make your own colored sugar? I had NO idea before this activity! Just put sugar in a bag, drop a few drips of food coloring, and smoosh around until the sugar absorbs all the color!

And here are the cute cupcakes the young women made!!

Krista is in YW with me, she is a Laurel adviser. I love having a close friend in there with me! These are our cupcakes :)

3 Day Military Diet

While on Pinterest I came across "How to Lose Up To 10 Pounds In 3 Days on The 3-Day Diet!" so I checked it out. It seemed easy enough. I mean seriously, who doesn't want to lose up to 10 pounds in 3 short days?? Anyway, the link I got the info from had SO much on it, so I wanted to post the main details on my page for easier access.
My first week on the diet I lost 5 pounds! This was a big deal to me. I was 140 with a goal in mind of 128 (my pre pregnancy weight). I will admit, I cheated a little here and there. I'm used to snacking on whatever I give my 2 year old! So to not be able to pop a piece of cereal in my mouth or a tater tot was tough! After 4 days off the diet, I kept it all off and felt the skinniest I'd felt in a LONG time. For once I could actually feel my abs without poking through an inch or more of flubber. Week 2 on the diet I lost 1 pound. I wasn't upset... because I gave up on day 3 and ate a normal dinner. What?? My hubby had cooked dinner forgetting about my diet. I didn't want to hurt his feelings!
So, was my 1 pound weight loss the fact that I ate a normal dinner the 3rd night, the fact that I substituted some of the food and cheated a little or because I have nothing left to lose? I'm not sure. I'll have to try another round WITHOUT cheating to find out. But regardless if I follow the diet to a T, I still feel 100% less bloated. I guess I didn't realize how easily I bloat on a daily basis.
And a big shout out to my mommy who was VERY skeptical but tried it out anyway. She lost 6 lbs the first 3 days and even lost 2 more lbs on her 4 days off! She's on round 2 of the diet this week :) Plus I told a friend of mine and she dropped 7 lbs in 3 weeks! Only 3 more to go to get to her pre pregnancy weight :)

Without further adieu...

The Actual Diet Plan

3 Day Diet

DAY 1:
Breakfast--1/2 Grapefruit, 1 Slice of Toast, 2 Tablespoons of Peanut Butter, and Coffee or Tea (I do not drink coffee or tea, so instead I had 1/2 a chocolate protein drink)
Lunch--1/2 Cup of Tuna, 1 Slice of Toast, and Coffee or Tea (any brew, as long as it's caffeinated. Again I had 1/2 a protein drink instead)
Dinner--3 ounces of any type of meat, 1 Cup of Green Beans, 1/2 Banana, 1 Small Apple, and 1 Cup of Vanilla Ice Cream. Try warming the apple and/or banana and eat them over the ice cream. Delicious!

DAY 2:
Breakfast--1 egg, 1 Slice of Toast, and 1/2 Banana
Lunch--1 Cup of Cottage Cheese (Or 1 Slice of Cheddar Cheese), 1 Hard Boiled Egg, and 5 Saltine Crackers
Dinner--2 All Beef Hot Dogs (no buns), 1 Cup of Broccoli, 1/2 Cup of Carrots, 1/2 Banana, and 1/2 Cup of Vanilla Ice Cream

DAY 3:
Breakfast--5 Saltine Crackers, 1 Slice of Cheddar Cheese, and 1 Small Apple
Lunch-1 Hard-Boiled Egg, and 1 Slice of Toast
Dinner--1 Cup of Tuna, 1/2 of a Banana, and 1 Cup of Vanilla Ice Cream

This diet works on chemical breakdown and is proven. Do not vary or substitute any of the above foods. This is for a reason. It's not so that you eat yucky food or to make it sound like a diet. The foods on the menu work together and provide the proper chemical reactions in the body that will boost metabolism, provide energy, help with sugar swings and jump start the fat burning process. Salt and pepper may be used, but do not use any other seasoning. The diet is to be used for three days at a time. In three days you should lose up to 10 pounds. After three days of dieting, you can eat your normal foods, but do not over do it. After four days of normal eating, you may start back on the 3 day diet again. You can lose up to 40 pounds in a month if this diet is followed precisely.
This is a safe diet and can be used by many different individuals and body types. Exercise is recommended.
REMEMBER: Do not eat/snack between any of the meals!
NOTE: Coffee or tea for the first two meals of Day 1 only. Water only from then on. Water intake is always unlimited anytime. I did add Crystal Light to a lot of my water.

 

Food Choices Explained

Toast = 1 slice of whole wheat bread. Toasted or  not toasted.
Peanut Butter = Can be home pressed or bought by the jar for convenience.
Coffee or Tea = Plain, black coffee or tea that is caffeinated. Nothing added.
Tuna = Fresh or Canned tuna fish.
Any type meat = May be fresh, or canned meat. Includes but not limited to: Seafood, beef, pork, or poultry.
Vanilla ice cream = Plain, straight, and regular vanilla ice cream. Nothing added.
Egg: Where it's not specified, the egg can be cooked in any manner that you prefer.
Saltine crackers = Plain soda crackers. If not available, just use plain crackers.
Hot Dogs: Beef franks, turkey franks, etc. Franks with only one type of meat. The cheap, mixed meat with unhealthy fillers, are not recommended.
Slice of Cheddar = About two ounces of cheddar cheese.

TESTED AND APPROVED ADDITIONS

• Splenda

• Small amounts of mustard

• Small amounts of relish

• Lemon pepper

• Sugar free gum and mints

Don't drink coffee or tea? Here's some substitutions, although the diet is not proven to work the same.

Coffee or Tea =

• Sugar free hot chocolate (the kind mixed with hot water)
• This one is not on the actual diet but it worked for me. Either a cup of instant breakfast or a Chocolate protein drink with LOW sugar. I drank Premier Protein.

#1 RECOMMENDED TIP!

• Drink "at least" half of your body weight in "ounces" of water 7 days per week.

MY DIY Play Kitchen

Okay everyone, here it is! The exciting post you've all been waiting for :) Seriously, I've had a lot of people ask so many questions on how the heck I made this super darling play toy! Here's the answers, in pictures of course. Sorry about the low quality photos in the beginning! But to start out, just like everyone else I saw all these darling play kitchens on Pinterest that were made out of old entertainment centers. I pinned many of them... for several several months, if not a year. Then decided, what the heck! Let's do this! Of course my husband really wanted no part in this project. He had other things to worry about... like refinishing the kitchen and bathrooms. So I took on the challenge myself. We have no room at our house, so I built it in my parents basement. Because it wasn't in my own home, it took a about a month to make, and 3 months to finish it completely!

There she is. Before and After. I was determined to make this beauty AS CHEEP AS POSSIBLE. Everyone I looked up spent at least $150 on their kitchen. I wanted to find anyway possible to cut that price significantly! Found this entertainment center on KSL (local listings) for $20 I think, I talked her down to $10. SCORE!

We had to sand it down and cut a hole for the sink. My dad totally didn't have the right tools.. but it seriously made the entire experience way more fun. I'm totally not kidding. I loved our bonding time screwing things up and making their basement dusty and smokey from cutting wood with tools we shouldn't be using!

 Next was the paint. We were fortunate to have a lot of left over paint in our house from the people who lived here previously.. and of course from all the times we've repainted. I mixed a darker blue and a cream to get this super pretty sky blue.

Since my parents just moved into their home they had leftover laminate. So we used a piece around the kitchen sink. The stainless steel bowl was donated and the faucet was purchased on KSL for $10. Once again listed as $20 and I talked them down.

 We removed the original doors completely. My father in law has a wood shop in his backyard with SO MANY scraps! He was so awesome to cut me some pieces for the freezer door, fridge door and oven door.

 The stove is the VERY best part of this kitchen! I've seen everything from spray painted CDs, black coasters, to pipe cleaner bent into coils. There's no way I was going to ruin my kitchen with those things when I could photoshop one of my own. So yes, I designed the stove myself. I researched different photos of stove tops and there you have it! I printed it on photo paper and stuck it on with mod podge. That thing ain't goin nowhere!
I AM NOW SELLING PRINTS OF THE STOVE TOP HERE!

I was SO excited when my sister told me they had left over bead board. There's no way I was going to pass up an offer for FREE bead board. It took 3 pieces. One and a half for the kitchen wall and one inside the fridge to cover up the holes. We just glued it right over the original piece of wood.

 We got an 8x10 piece of plexi glass for the oven door. Having the oven see through and painted black makes a world of difference! So much more realistic.

 Now we move on to the window! One of my favorite parts! I found the image  online from a free desktop image download website. I printed it out, purchased more plexi glass and made a little frame. I glued all of this onto a piece of cardboard then hung it onto the kitchen wall.

  Here is where I ended for about a month. But Emberly could care less if it was finished or not! She loved cooking hotdogs, french fries and potato chips on the stove :) Please pay no attention to the appearance of a soggy bum. But on top of the kitchen you'll notice some new additions I was working on. The shelf and a chandelier!

And they're on! Lights up and everything :)

Now we'll move on to some MUCH better photos to show you all the details and the 100% completed kitchen yay!!

 I love the curtains! My sister is so crafty with a sewing machine and sewed them up all cute for me!

 I put an old dish rack in the oven. Works just fine for now!

 Doors open to see the inside of the very stocked fridge and freezer! We did use the original shelves and screwed them into the sides. The hinges were a little bit of a hiccup! I bought them before I realized that they wouldn't attach flush to the inside of the fridge. So we had to add in wood blocks. Looks funny, but at this point I didn't care. I got the soft closing hinges in.. and that's ALL that mattered to me.

 

 Grandma and Grandpa Atkins had an old corded phone to donate to the kitchen! I love hearing Emberly say "hello?! babble babble gibber jabber"

 Why yes she is washing her hair in the sink. Doesn't everyone do that? ;)

 So there you have it! Isn't it the cutest kitchen you've seen?! I think so, but then again I'm pretty biased. Next I will add in the expenses!

Used entertainment center found on KSL (local listings) - $10

Faucet also found on KSL - $10

Blue and white paint and paint brushes/rollers - FREE already had it

Bead board - FREE it was donated (yay!)

Stainless steal bowl - FREE also donated
Laminate counter-top - FREE donated
8x10 plexi glass from homedepot - $1.97
11x14 plexi glass for window and wood pieces for window frame - $5.31
Black spray paint for oven - $0.97
Soft closing hinges from Ikea's discounted section - $3 for a bag full (score!)
Stainless steel small fridge and oven handle (2 pack) from Ikea - $8.99
Stainless steel large fridge handle from Ikea - $6.99
6 pack of black knobs for stove from Ikea - $1.99
Fabric 1/4 yard, 1/8 yard and another 1/8 yard from Hobby Lobby - $2.50
12x12 print for window from Costco - $3.19
Print of stove from Pixels Foto - $4.54
(I AM NOW SELLING PRINTS OF MY STOVE TOP HERE)
Pod Podge - FREE already had it
Hinges for oven from homedepot - $2.96
Shelf and apron hanger from DI - $1.50 (75 cents each)
Screws/bolts/washers and a drill bit - $8.53
Corded phone - FREE donated
Dish rack for the oven - FREE already had it
And the most expensive piece, the Black Locker Chandelier - $19.62

Grand total spent on kitchen = $90.07 and worth EVERY penny!