The Housewife--Stretch a Buck

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know I'm a huge fan of homemade cleaning products. Most are much better for the environment, but my favorite thing about them is how cheap they are. Saving money in this way helps me to stay at home, doing this job I love, and helps us to spend our money on more worthwhile things.

When I was a Mompreneur owning my own business and drowning in an overwhelming amount of work, I just didn't have time to tackle the really big cleaning jobs. Now, back at home full time again, I'm back to hitting those big jobs on a more routine basis. One job that I don't really mind, since we got new windows a few years back, is washing the windows. OK, do you really want the truth? I can only do about half of the outsides of the windows, so it's not that bad of a job. D gets stuck with the rest of them! The tilt-in casement windows that we have are so easy to clean and I just love seeing such a small amount of work reap such instant benefits.

Now, don't get this idea that I'm the type of person that is thrilled to clean windows. As I reread over the above, I'm starting to look like a June Cleaver housewife. Trust me, that's not me-- I don't have access to Valium or starched aprons. I do get a great deal of satisfaction, though, making a HOME for my family. It's something that was really missing while I was working full time plus on the business.

So, as Home Manager, CEO of the Family, Domestic Goddess, and Queen of the Clean Latrine (I'm running out of titles here, forgive me), I try to stretch dollars and leave less of an imprint on the environment. I make most of my cleaners and I've got to say, they work much better than any of the ones that I used to buy.

Here's my Window Wash. It's great on all glass and costs, literally pennies, compared to Windex--which is mostly water anyway. Best of all, it makes Windex look like Sissy Serum. It works so much better and leaves sparkling glass and windows.

Window Wash

1 cup water

1 cup rubbing alcohol

1 TB ammonia

Use a completely clean, preferably recycled!!, spray bottle. Make sure that you label it. Use as you would any glass cleaner.

This Week's Five

Sight: Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

I support library book sales and libraries in any way that I can. This book was purchased at a small town library book sale. Every once in a while, I need to read something that's just fluff. I thought this would be a nice, light read, predictable, but fun. And that's exactly what it was. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Sound: Some Hearts by Carrie Underwood

I get a lot of grief for loving just about any music that I lay my ears on. On any given day, depending on my mood, I'll listen to bluegrass, folk, classical, rock, hard rock, pop, punk, Broadway, country--you name it, I'll listen to it. Catch me mad or having to scrub something and I might just be blasting Aerosmith. Need some energy, I'll pop in some Wynonna. Feeling sad, I just might look to Barbra Streisand for a little inspiration. This week, I've been tackling some much needed cleaning and organizing around the house. Carrie has been the best, sing-along-and-clean music I've heard in a long time.

Scent: Lemon scented ammonia.

It's 50 degrees outside and I've got the windows open, the music blaring, and I'm stripping my kitchen floor. It's really more ammonia than lemon, and my sinuses have sure got a workout! I'm halfway through the job and wondering why I decided to do this today!

Taste: Double Fudge Brownies

Touch: My new Baker's Edge pan!

If you love the edge cut of your favorite bar recipe, you've got to get one of these!