DIY steam mop pads

I used to use the old mop and bucket, but a few years ago I discovered the steam mop and was blown away! Imagine mopping that stinkin' dirty floor with nothing but hot water! No more buckets, or dirty mop heads, or crazy killer chemicals, just a mop and some water, brillian, right? Yes, but for one glitch, the microfibre mop pads! My Dirtdevil came with two mop pads, which is great in theory; but I found that by the I got mine really dirty relly fast, and I'd have to pause mopping until I did the laundry again. Plus, recently I lost one, so now I'm really strapped! So, I was planning on buying more pads but they sell them for almost $15/package (two per pack). So, I figured, why not make my own, atleast this way I can have a few of them to spare in case of emergencies or if I lose one again.Here is what I started with:(materials)Microfiber cloth ElasticThreadNeedleScissorsMeasuring tapePinsHere is how I measured to get the right fit:Here is how I sewes each piece:Here is the finished product:I used brown because white pads get really dirty and ugly, atleast the brown ones won't look so bad when they get all stained up!The cost per pad:The Dirt Devil website will sell you extra pads at $10.99 plus $4.95 for shipping, which comes to $15.94, approximately, $7.97/pad.If you DIY, you can get the microfiber clothes at $1.15 for 4, and the elastic (which you won't use all of) for $1.15, which comes to $2.30, approximately $0.57 / pad!!!! Tell me that's not awesome!Love to see your pics if you try this DIY.

Spice cabinet cleanout

I have been slowly hoarding spices over the past four years in the hopes of cooking exotic dishes. Well, now after several home made pasta sauce and taco dishes, plus the multitude of spices that I need for daily cooking, I am stuck with a spice cabinet with many odds and ends. I do have some organization already; for instance, i i have all my tea related items in one section, all of the baking or sweet cooking items above, all my asian cooking items at the top ( the hubby l loves chow mien ) and my daily use items, like chili powder ( yes, I use it daily) close by. But what bothers me is all the wasted space at the top, the mismatched containers, and items that are in the back, which I forget about and then never use. So, here's the plan , I'm going to clear out the cabinet, transfer everything to these lovely jars I got at Zellers today, use height so i can see items at the back, and create a list for the cabinet door so I know what I have. The labeling system i'll use will be numerical, so that I can use the jars for anything without changing the name.

Entry way for the new condo

I've been going crazy thinking about how to make the entry way to the new condo more appealing. It's not big so I cant do a console table or even a chair and right when you enter it's the living room and dining room. I dont really like that because I want people to take off their coats and shoes and then make their "grande" entrances rather than being subjugated to everyone's stares while they fumble with their coats and boots. As well, i want the entry way to serve many storage functions for; shoes, coats, socks (yes, everyone's socks can go together), umbrellas, keys, hats, sunglasses, extra household items, vacuum, baby stroller, plus I wanta place for people to sit when they are putting on their shoes. I kknow that sounds like a lot but I have found a few really good inspirations online. Some seem affordable, and others are just nice to dream about.

How it all started

So here it is; been renting with the in laws for four years, had a sweet baby boy, and now bought a condo. But.....it has now just begun. The task of turning my simple 2 1/2 room condo into a functional home will take me several years. For the first 4 years of marriage, i've lived with my mother in law who has everything and anything you could possibly want, but now it's all on me. From finding the right furniture to doing the daily chores in the most time saving method possible. Oh, and did I mention that I still want to work part time AND that my father in law is moving in with us! Anyways, this blog is mostly a reminder for me of cool solutions I see online to the many small challenges I now face. Good lick to me!