Category Archives: cleaning

My Life, Under New Management

Posted on June 6, 2016 by

Two weeks ago, I went to a workshop led by one of the founders of Agile Learning Centers (ALC). The workshop was focused on learning how to use agile management tools in support of self-directed learning.  I’m in the process … Continue reading →

Posted in cleaning, cooking, house/neighborhood, reflecting | 2 Comments

A New Thanksgiving Tradition

Posted on December 2, 2014 by

We certainly have some Thanksgiving traditions in our family.  I always make these pumpkin orange rolls, of course we eat cranbrosia, and we (for three years running now) braise our turkey for the most incredibly delicious and moist turkey you’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in cleaning, cooking, Ellie, friends, Mark | 1 Comment

Misappropriation of Party Planning and Preparation Time

Posted on May 22, 2014 by

Last Saturday afternoon, I had the fun of hosting a bridal open house (like a shower only with no presents involved) for one of my best friends.  I had allocated the day before (Friday) for house cleaning and food preparation, … Continue reading →

Posted in cleaning, friends, gardening | 6 Comments

Folding Laundry (shades of “Journal of Best Practices”)

Posted on September 2, 2013 by

Here’s how I like to fold laundry, in my ideal world. First, I sort it into piles – Ellie, Mark, Nik, Laura, bath towels, sheets, kitchen (wash clothes, towels), napkins, etc.  (I didn’t do this initial step until I had … Continue reading →

Posted in cleaning, love | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Life Hack: Make Your Clean Space Attractive Enough to Motivate You to Keep It That Way

Posted on August 13, 2013 by

I love how our dining room table looks when it’s clean. Chairs pushed in and totally clear of clutter The vase was a Christmas present from Nik’s brother and sister-in-law.  I love the structural beauty of it so I leave … Continue reading →

Posted in cleaning, useful beautiful | 5 Comments

KIOS: Grooming, Part 4: In Praise of Infrequent Flushing

Posted on April 19, 2013 by

This post is part of my series, “Kickin’ It Old Skool: Why and How We Are Old-Fashioned” or KIOS for short.  If you’re new to the series, please read my disclaimer before continuing on.  I’m keeping a table of contents … Continue reading →

Posted in cleaning, health and beauty, KIOS | Tagged | 3 Comments

When Principles Meet Nostalgia

Posted on April 6, 2013 by

Nik and I have some fairly strong convictions on what kind of toys we want to have in our house.  I blogged about this more extensively in this post.  Specifically, we decided that we didn’t want to have any plastic … Continue reading →

Posted in cleaning, Ellie, parenting, useful beautiful | 8 Comments

Ellie’s Dishes (and Mama’s Sanity)

Posted on March 8, 2013 by

It’s been a rough week.  We’ve had some puking on the two-year-old’s part, some general “I don’t feel good at all” sickness on the adults’ part, way too much laundry, and a kitchen that hasn’t ever been completely clean since … Continue reading →

Posted in cleaning, cooking, Ellie, Mark, parenting | 6 Comments

KIOS: Cleaning, Part 5: Washing Dishes and Laundry

Posted on March 1, 2013 by

This post is part of my series, “Kickin’ It Old Skool: Why and How We Are Old-Fashioned” or KIOS for short.  If you’re new to the series, please read my disclaimer before continuing on.  I’m keeping a table of contents … Continue reading →

Posted in cleaning, KIOS | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Why Didn’t I Think of This Before?

Posted on February 19, 2013 by

Our laundry room is in our basement and that’s where we used to keep our stain remover.  It made sense to me to keep the stain remover where I washed clothes.  Looking for and spraying stains was my least favorite … Continue reading →

Posted in cleaning, parenting, reflecting | 8 Comments