The Secret to a *Really* Clean House NO ONE TOLD ME!!!!!!!!!

I used to think I was a clean and tidy person. Then I had children, and… not so much. I struggled to keep up with the basics of dishes and laundry, let alone the deep cleaning that I knew needed to be done. New checklists and routines only worked for a few days, till this weekend! Now I have truly discovered the secret to getting a deep cleaned home, that is guaranteed to stick!! And I’m here to share it with you! Scroll down to discover this AMAZING secret for yourself!!!!!

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The secret to a really clean home is… CATCH A DISEASE!!!!! (Or bug, virus, parasite, etc)

Yes, it really IS that simple!

Here’s how it works:

(Certain names and details may have been change to protect involved parties.)

1. Discover you have said disease/bug/etc in your home.
2. Call doctor and obtain necessary medication; meanwhile, send hubby to the store for antibacterial spray and wipes.
3. Wash your hands, and scrub counters/sinks/obvious germ culprits.
4. Go online to WebMD and read about the life span, life cycle, egg laying, and propagation of said infection.
5. Immediately take shower, bathe children, wash all sheets, towels, and your entire wardrobe, just in case you touched it trying to decide what to wear that morning.
6. Dust whole house and vacuum the floors.
7. Chat with your neighbour and swap medical horror stories.
8. Return home to wash down all your walls, steam clean all the floors, and bleach the bathroom, all of it, top to bottom.
9. Take another shower.
10. Fight children into another bath.
11. Google natural organic remedies you may not have considered, in case the medicine doesn’t work, and implement as needed.
12. Call the doctor regarding his preferred anti-anxiety medications.
13. Sit down and enjoy your CLEAN, GERM-FREE home!!!!
14. Recheck WebMD, in case there was anything you missed. Reread about the spread of said disease, & remember that you have to go outside tomorrow.
15. Repeat.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! It’s THAT easy! From now on, you have a spotless, REALLY clean home (and certified paranoia)!

Family Staycation Day 1

Dads in England get two weeks paternity leave upon the birth of each child. Because of timing and visits from our parents, the hubby didn't take all his leave right when baby #2 arrived, so he is taking this week for some rest and family time. We girls are so excited!

Day 1 was just a rest day. Both daughters managed to have a great night sleep, and not wake up till 8:30, so Mummy and Daddy enjoyed a bit of a 'lie in.' A pot of coffee, sugary breakfast treats, and family play time meant a 'pyjamas till lunch' kind of day.

Fishy also started a new bedtime routine, including story time with Daddy, and she is now reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe for the first time. We'll see how her attention span holds out!

A nice quiet family day was just what we needed to start off this family week. From here on out, we've got things to do!

No Place Like Home

It's funny. We are now three and a half years into this London adventure and we absolutely love it here- love England, love our friends, our home, our habits. We started our family here (and it's about to grow again!) We have no idea how long we'll stay, but so glad to call it home today.

And yet, there's something about going back. Back to familiar places and faces. Places where your memories are shared with others you love. Places you were before.

We were able to go back to the US in November, and squeeze in time with each of our families. The time was too fleeting, but precious, especially now, as it's shared with our daughter. I've included a few of my favourite shots from the trip, but I hope you appreciate my restraint. I cut it down to 20 pics from about 200. It wasn't easy.

Grandma Prelock shared raspberries straight from the bush!

And Fishy got to meet kitties for the first time. She loved it. The kitties... not so much.

Fishy got to meet her cousin, and great grandpas!

Dancing with Papa

And LOTS of wrestling with Grandpa Walton!

And we got to meet this little bundle of laughs!

And then there's this guy... who always keeps me laughing.

The view from Grandma and Grandpa Walton's house-- such an amazing place to wake up to!

Love these two cuties!

Missing all these happy smiles already!

Back in the Saddle Again...

Hello! It has officially been ages since I last posted. I kinda miss writing, so here's an attempt to start up again.

But I have good reason for being absent, as most of you know:

Meet Fishy! (Nicknamed so from in utero, when hubby would tap on my belly and wonder if she heard it echo like fish do in an aquarium). We're kinda growing fond of this little thing, though she does take up some of that free time I used to have. Though if I can find time to blog, I'm obviously not suffering too greatly!

So, for my first post back from maternity leave, I thought I'd share some of the gems of wisdom I've learned in the vast 9 months of my experience.


1. Babies like to take you to the edge of your sanity, and just leave you there, hovering, just for their own sadistic pleasure. Whether it's changing up a routine they just settled into, spitting food across the dress you just put on, or making a mess of the only thing you didn't put out of reach...

Stay strong. Don't give in. Never let 'em see ya weep! Roll up your sleeves, reheat that coffee again, grab a bar of chocolate and get back in there! Which bring me to...

2. They steal your food. For reals. Doesn't matter what they're eating, even nursing. If you eat it, they want it:

In this precise picture, I gave Fishy one cracker, and put one in my mouth while I carried her and my coffee cup to the sofa. She held onto her own and literally pulled up and bit mine out of my mouth. Cheeky little thing!

3. They don't care about toys. Really. They don't. You can set them on the floor with ten different toys scattered about, and they play with the strand of your hair caught in the carpet. (You know, that hair that is STILL shedding with post-pregnancy fervour, even though your doctor swore it would stop six months out!) 

4. They sleep however the heck they want to sleep. I tried so hard to be that good mum who did it right. Back is best. Toe to toe. Yeah... that's a nice thought.

5. They make liars out of you. I truly believe they listen to everything we say in public just so they can prove us wrong.

Me: Oh no, she's not mobile yet. She just loves sitting and watching.

Fishy: Let me throw myself off this chair, at church, in front of the people just asking Mummy if it was safe.

Me: Yeah, we're really lucky. She's started sleeping through the night finally.

Fishy: Mummy!! Howsabout we get up at 9:00, and 12:00, and 2:00, and 5:00? Yay, Mummy!! Mummy... why are you crying?

6. They eat weird. Okay, so to be fair, Fishy is a great eater. Check out my Instagram. She's a trooper! But then there's that time she decided to eat butter....

7. They'll teethe on anything. Buttons, keys, rocks, you name it- it goes in the mouth. Almost weekly, I am asked, "Does she have any teething toys?" Oh yes, you mean like Sophie the Giraffe, or my silicone teething necklace, or any number of those round plastic things you can put in the fridge?! Why yes, we do have those. Why do you ask?

8. They don't pose so well for photos. Apparently, Fishy's cousin poses a little too well for photos, cheesing it up anytime she sees a phone/camera. Fishy isn't quite there yet. She still mostly just wants to eat it (see number 7). But trust me, that time when you clear the living room, make a 'studio', get them all dressed up, and start posing.... that's the time they will decide to make absolutely no cute faces whatsoever. So instead of that sweet vintage shot by the rocking horse you imagined, you'll step out of the room for a second, and come back to this shot instead: Fishy having pulled said rocking horse on top of herself, pinned to the ground, whining, with Teddy taken down as an innocent bystander.

or this:

9. But they open up a world of humanity. I used to ride the tube and stare at the tops of people's heads as they glared into cell phones, or newspapers, or at best, a book. Eye contact was awkward, and conversation labelled you a foreigner almost immediately. But with Fishy, eyes are opened, smiles unfold, and glimpses of lives are shared. Grandma's and Grandpa's coo, mum's with teens in tow smile knowingly, middle aged clerks in suits reach down and tell me about their little girl at home, and that cool hipster in the leather jacket looks up from his iPhone to tell me its okay if Fishy wants to play with the fringe on the sleeve.

She opens up the people of this city in a way I never expected, and I love it all the more for her!

10. They'll steal your heart again, and again, and again. I wasn't one of those mums with the magical tingly love at the very beginning (obviously not enough skin-to-skin bonding at the hospital in the first three hours, eh?!) But the more I'm with her, the more I love her.

She's full of beans, as the English say, and I know, I know, we haven't even hit the toddler stage yet. But her morning smile makes my day start off right, and when she goes to bed, we find ourselves flipping through my phone looking at her pictures, just because we miss her. And on those nights (okay, most nights), where she's still up for a 3am feed, I linger just a bit before putting her back to bed, looking at those chubby fingers, that double chin, those long dark eyelashes, and I melt for her all over again, because I know these days won't last forever. And I love them while their mine.

Beginning a New Adventure

Well, I've not written for a long time, but quite frankly, life has been pretty calm, without much to write about.

I'm quite sure if you're reading this blog, then you know that Baby Prelock is on her way- due any day now. So I've been a bit slower and less adventuresome for the past couple months, but life has still been great- lots of time with friends, and of course, time together while it's just the two of us.

I've found that while the last month of pregnancy is uncomfortable and at times, just plain hard, it's also really lovely. We've been able to see (and play with) our little girl more than ever, and the shared anticipation and joy at her coming arrival makes for some sweet times in our marriage. Even as I tire of the heartburn, bruised ribs, and countless bathroom trips, each ferocious kick, or belly-bending stretch reminds me that these moments are fleeting, and I'll miss them at some point.

I'm posting the pictures of us (and the growing bump) on my Facebook wall, but I couldn't not put any photos on here, so I thought I'd put a shot of baby girl's room.

The walls are a greige, not pinkish, as they look, but that's about it. On the left hand side is a small futon that can still pull out when we have a full house. It's a tight fit, but I'm pretty proud of what we were able to fit in the this little 5'x10' room! Lots of color, and walls filled with children's literarary illustrations, we can't wait to fill it with giggles and memories.

Stay tuned-- she won't be long now. Promise!

31 Days of Cheap & Free Decor: Day 31- Be Content

You know what the absolute cheapest way to decorate your home is? Be content with less.

I love that I've been given ways to furnish and decorate my home cheaply. I love that the internet and DIY show me how to give old furniture a second life. I want to have a home that is beautiful, calming, welcoming. I want to have a home that people love to visit.

But a home can also be an idol. And furnishing it and decorating it can be an idol as well. If I continue to always want more, better, newer, cooler... that could still be greed. If I'm worried about what people think when they visit, that could be fear of man. If I'm wanting change all the time (even if it's free), that could be discontentment.

Check your heart. (As I've realised I need to check mine.) God gives us good things. God gives us earthly joys and pleasures. But check your motivation. Are you building a sweet home to provide joy and comfort for your family and those you have over? Or are you building a cushy little kingdom- to your comfort, your good taste, your diy abilities. What are you hoping for with every project you complete?

A friend of mine admitted once that as she sat down to start a project, she realised she was already imagining all the great feedback she'd get when she posted pictures online. I've been guilty of the same thing more often than I care to admit.

Maybe the best thing for your home to put away the paint and the sewing machine, log off Craigslist and ebay, and just sit. Thank God for what you do have. Maybe go for a time without something you know you could get cheaply, to remind yourself that you don't need every creature comfort right away. Look outside your home to the needs of those around you.

Maybe, for a time, do nothing new, and just be content.

31 Days of Cheap & Free Decor: Day 30- Don't Get Greedy

I'm a bit ashamed to admit this is a lesson I've been having to learn lately.

I've never thought of myself as a greedy person. I'm moved so often that I don't often become attached to things or places. My home has been almost entirely second-hand, and I liked it. I never felt like I had to have designer furniture, or even new. Didn't that at least get me out of the 'greed' category on sin?

Then came the coffee table incident.

I love my coffee table- I really do! The problem was that it was like the fourth coffee table I'd had in a month. Or close. When we first came, I used a black Ikea lack table. £5. Easy. It worked, but it was small, and more modern than I like. A couple months ago, someone lent us a small wood table. I liked the look much better, but still, it was more like an end table than a coffee table and we were constantly moving it around to whatever chair we were using. So, using some pallets and wood I found, I made another one (not pictured). I was okay... but an awkward size for our living room, and the pallets were a bit too uneven to sit a drink on. Then I found this, and yay! I love it!

But it wasn't just the coffee table. It was summer and people were clearing out. So I was picking up Freecycle finds a couple times a week.

In my mind, every change was an improvement. And they were free. But I realised that I was becoming known for having 'new' things, even if they were second hand. I realised that wanting something better can still be greed, even if it doesn't cost a penny.

There are some amazing bargains out there. If you have the time and freedom to pursue them- do! Enjoy it! Save your money for better uses and make your home a place of beauty on a budget! But don't let a constant desire for 'more' rule your life. Don't let greed slip in.

** Even Apartment Therapy has decided to write about greed this week!**

31 Days of Cheap & Free Decor: Day 29- Bribe Your Husband

So this is our guest room. I'm standing in the doorway, and the only thing you can't see in the photo is a 2x3 table with a trunk on it that I use for storage. This room is teenie-weenie.... and higgly-piggly. There's not a right angle in the whole place! As is true with many old London homes, walls, floors, and ceilings are all just slightly askew, meaning that the angles are all a bit wonky. On the end where I'm standing, the room is about five feet wide (152 centimetres). On the far end, where the futon is... well, it's less.

When I saw this futon on Freecycle, I measured the walls. Right below 140 centimetres. Maybe 137 at the very back, but that would be right up against the radiator, so we could leave a few inches. Perfect fit!

But when we got it back.... it was no where near fitting! I realised that I had measured the wall at about waist height, not at the floor. The baseboards are each 1.5 cm, and apparently, the walls narrow as they go down. The width at the bottom 130 cm. (To recap, that means there's about 3 in difference from waist height to floor. And there's a 9 in difference from one end of the room to the other!)

Hoo boy!

But the darling hubby buckled down, and with an ancient circle saw that we borrowed (no, seriously, it was so old it barely worked at all!), cut down all the slats on the futon base so that it would fit into that end of the room! It took 45 minutes. And that AFTER he'd taken me to pick it up, loaded it in the car, lugged it up to our flat, and assembled it. He's a keeper.

I know half my home musings would never come true if it weren't for a patient hubby who helps carry paintings, mirrors, and tables down the street, who pulls sofas up to a third floor window with a rope, and who wheels sofas half a mile down the street on a dolly!

I owe that man a good steak dinner!

31 Days of Cheap & Free Decor: Day 28- Hold on to Things

I know yesterday's post said not to hold on to things too carefully, to use them and not hoard them in a cupboard. But today I'm talking about when to hold on to things, for a time.

I'm not talking about keeping something indefinitely just for the sake of never getting rid of it. I'm not a big fan of the 'well someday I might use that' approach. But there are times when, in the midst of changing things around, you do want to keep your options open, and so holding on to something old for a time is a good idea.

Do you remember the artwork hanging over my sofa?

If you remember, I picked them up from a man who was clearing out his mothers home. These were two of eight pieces I carried home that day. I propped them in the corner for a while, trying to decide which to mount... but I liked a couple of the others. Several of them have huge gilded frames that are amazing... I really want to use them someday. But I can't right now. So they are tucked in the attic, for a time. I won't keep them indefinitely... there's no point. But for now, it's ok. 

Give yourself a break. I'm quite keen on regular purges of one's home, of keeping the clutter down and not storing what you won't use. But there's a balance, and sometimes, it's okay to just put it aside for now.

*PS- sorry to my email friends who were inundated with today's update. I missed the last two days, as our internet wasn't working, and I've been too busy to get internet elsewhere. I wanted to post the whole series, but I'm sorry for giving you so much junk mail!*

31 Days of Cheap & Free Decor: Day 27- Don't Be Precious

I've been amazed at how many British English words are different than American English. Considering its technically the same language, they are SO different. (And that's a whole different post for another day.) But one word I've really enjoyed learning is 'precious'. Yes, I know, we use that word in America, but really only for things/people that are super important or sentimental to us. the English use 'precious' or 'dear' to indicate value, or expense. So I love when the little old lady in my church say this sack of potatoes is 'dearer'. Or when my friend says not to worry about the sweater I dropped food on, because it's not 'precious'.

I think many of us tend to keep things, especially gifts, as precious. If someone gives us something we love, we save it, not wanting it to break or be ruined. But then I find we don't really enjoy it as we ought.

I was given this bowl from a friend before I left the U.S.

I LOVE it! So for a while, I kept it tucked away. But I want to use it. I want to see it! I want to remember the sweet friend who gave it to me, and enjoy its beauty. So now its on my bedside table, holding my jewellery at night. (And I just realised that both the bracelet and the ring in the bowl are gifts as well.) Enjoy the things you have. God has given them to you for a time. You can't take them with you, and you ought not become too attached to material things anyway. So be grateful... send them a picture of their gift in your home. (Or send them the link to your blog when you feature it!)

But don't keep it precious, hidden away.

31 Days of Cheap & Free Decor: Day 26- To Dye For

This year I experimented with dyeing my own fabric. I didn't use it for decor, technically. I made a skirt. But still, I think the tip is valuable enough to point out.

I used turmeric and a couple tea bags to get this colour, and sadly, couldn't get a very good picture of it. It's really quite nice..a a bit mottled, with parts being lighter or darker depending on how the fabric took the dye.

The fabric was a large beige curtain I found on Freecycle.... but I really didn't want a beige skirt. (BORING!)

Here's a great site for what dyes can be found in your home, or at least the supermarket. Try it-- let me know how it turns out!

http://pioneerthinking.com/crafts/natural-dyes

31 Days of Cheap & Free Decor: Day 25- Ikea

I know, I know. I can hear some of you groaning already. But it's definitely worth mentioning in a budget decor blog.

Ikea tends to one of those places people either love or hate. Well, actually, we all hate it at some point, when we're lost in the kitchen department trying to find our way out of the maze they designed to creative vertigo and confusion in their customers.

But it can be great. I know they don't have investment pieces that will last generations. But they are pretty cheap... especially for bits and pieces. And with Ikea hacks all over the interweb, there's no reason you should settle for plastic-looking furniture. So stock up on snacks, tuck your head, and take a look. Then get it home, work on your marital communication while you try to assemble said piece, then put your own spin on it!

Or.... just go and buy lots of candles, frames, and cheap dishes that you don't have to do a thing to.

31 Days of Cheap & Free Decor: Day 24- Tackle a Project

So... my headboard. It's not the best picture ever, but I'm pretty excited about it. This is what it looked like when we got it.

 It's not the worst thing in the world, but since I prefer cozy and warm to sleek and modern, I decided something needed to be done about it.

Since we happen to work at/live right next to our church, I happened upon an old kneeling prayer bench that hadn't been used for years. They planned to just get rid of it, so I claimed it, and with the hubby's help, cut that baby up, stapled some zip ties to it, and zip tied it to the rails of the headboard. Simple as that! All in all, I think it took two afternoons, and if you look close, you can see where some of our cuts aren't even, all the little things like that. But really, who looks that close anyway? If they do, they're too picky!

Not bad for a couple hour project, right? Get creative, grab that staple gun, and get going!

31 Days of Cheap & Free Decor: Day 23- Make it Work

Ah... the immortal words of the infamous Tim Gunn. 

But sometimes, you've got to do just that. Sometimes, you know something isn't right, but you need it anyway. So you figure something out. You turn the cushion over so no one seems the rip in the fabric (totally did that for a solid year in my last place). You rearrange the furniture to cover that stain the carpet (who hasn't done that?).

Or you make a paper shade for that lamp that's broken....

Originally, I'd planned to remove the glass completely and just give it a new shade, but it wouldn't come off, so I just papered it.

I know I need to get another lamp soon. It's starting to give of a burning smell when left on for too long. :-P But it works, for now.

I like to think of it as an art.....