Happy Slob Gazette "Housecleaning with a Sense of Humor!" Issue #19 March 31, 2006 --------------------- Join Eversave and enter for a chance to Win a $50,000 Home Makeover – plus get FREE Samples, Money-saving Coupons and discounts from top brands! Click Here to Enter ------------------------ NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Baking Newsletter Sign up for great baking advice, recipes and SAVINGS! Find other free samples, coupons & discounts from top brands at Eversave. Click Here for the Baking Newsletter ---------------------- Contents: - A Note from Christina (The Original Happy Slob) - Get YOUR Copy - New On Our Website - 3-Steps is All It Takes - Looking For... - Readers Questions - Happy Slob Helpers - - Cleaning Recipes of the Week - Testimonials ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A NOTE FROM CHRISTINA Contact Christina at christina@happyslob.com with ideas, tips, lovely remarks or anything else you'd like to share! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi everyone, Yay, it's Friday! What a perfect time for a happy little dose of slobdom cleaning advice. :) Do you like that - slobdom? It's where we slobs live. Or, we could call it Slobberyville, if you prefer. Whatever we choose - it's a happy place to be, if not entirely tidy all the time. There are lovely things to be found in this week's Gazette - including an article I just wrote about cleaning out the coffeemaker. (EASY and it makes your coffee taste good again.) Plus, tons of tips from you beautiful, helpful readers - I love getting feedback from you! Please keep it up. And while I'm thinking of it -- have a great and safe weekend. Hugs to you slobbos Christina ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GET YOUR COPY of the HAPPY SLOB'S GUIDE TO HOUSECLEANING ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ...The Happy Slob's Guide to Housecleaning... is available now! Only $12.95 for a cleaning guide that will change how you clean forever! Get yours today. The Happy Slob's Guide to Housecleaning Book Or...don't want to PAY for your copy? Okay, fine, have it your way. ;) If you have 5 pals who'll join this free newsletter then you can EARN your copy of the Happy Slob's Guide to Housecleaning for FREE! Just email me at christina @ happyslob.com and I'll send you an email form to send to friends. Once 5 join, you'll get your book. Aren't I a generous slobbo? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TODAY ON OUR BLOGS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Click HERE for The Happy Slob Blog * Clean Out That Handbag! * Neutralizing Stinky Garbage Cans Click HERE for The Happy Slob's Greatest Bargains Blog * Handbags a Go Go :) Now that you cleaned OUT your handbag in the Happy Slob mini challenge of the day...well, you deserve a new one to mess up. haha...I mean, to keep tidy, of course. I found two fabulous bargains under $30 on cool new handbags for happy slobs with laid back style. Click HERE for Kitchen Crafts 'n' More Blog * Cholesterol Lowering Drink (a must-have!) * Rustic Apple Tart (a must-eat!) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >>> NEW ON OUR WEBSITE <<< ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cleaning out the Coffeemaker for a Great Tasting Cup A new article I just wrote -- check it out. :) Full of step-by-step directions to clean out that most favorite appliance! Cleaning the Coffeemaker Article by Christina ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3 STEPS IS ALL IT TAKES! Housecleaning in only 3 steps ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Remember, easy, stress-free cleaning starts with the Happy Slob's 3-Step Solution: 1. 2 fast cleaning bursts every day - budget the time you can spend - anywhere from 5-20 minutes or more. Set it on the timer. Tidy up as much as you can - focusing your attention on IMPACT areas (those areas that are seen the most and used the most in your home. Kitchens, bathrooms, and living areas are often impact areas.) 2. 1 Focus Room every day - A minimum of 10 minutes in one specific room or area. I like to add storage areas to my focus room list so that those nasty areas also get cleaned! (This is when I do some de-cluttering - just one small section in the focus room.) 3. One weekly Clean-for-All - You and the family get down to cleaning business once a week. This is where you get some of those other cleaning tasks done. But don't worry if you can't get everything done. Over time, and with the accumulation of your good efforts you WILL! These basic guidelines will help you keep your home cleaner and tidier than ever before. It's simple, it's not intimidating and it works! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ READERS QUESTIONS If you guys have some answers to these questions, please send them in to me at christina @ happyslob.com. :) Either myself or one of our readers will surely be able to help... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CLEANING OVEN RACKS Barb asks: "Hello----------------I read somewhere to clean oven racks you put them in a large plastic trash bag--(with ??? in it)-------------tie it up and leave it sit overnight---------------My problem is I can't remember what to put in the bag along with the racks. My have hit a "dead brain cell " today, because I just read it last week. Any help would be greatly appreciated." CLEANING MARBLE Nettie asks: "Just found your website and subscribed to your newsletter. I just built my dream log home and we used marble for the bathroon sinks and showers. I also have brushed nickel fixtures. I have been told not to use Windex with ammonia or vinegar or anything abrasive like Comet. Please advise any tips you may have." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Happy Slob Helpers - ANSWERS to Questions CLEANING & HOUSEHOLD TIPS Send yours to christina@happyslob.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ No More Kitties Using Front Yard as Litter Box Michelle writes: "I was on your web site reading about someone who was asking for help with the neighbors cat using their yard as a litter box. Years ago I read in Organic Farming magazine to put citrus peels around the yard/flower beds... Every year our male Tom would completely ruin one of our flower beds. After I started setting out the citrus peels it stopped. " Dealing with Linty Laundry Jude writes: Possible cause of linty clothes -- make sure the water or air can mix throughly through the clothes. - too many clothes being washed or dried at the same time Is that medium load really a large load? - vary size of clothing being washed or dried -- socks, shirts, t-shirts, pants - sort clothing by colors - sort further or divide if too much for one load, Better to do 2 medium loads than one large one - make sure the dryer lint trap / exhaust are closed off - add tennis balls to dryer to help move clothing around in dryer - change dryer sheets or use liquid softener in washer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CLEANING RECIPES OF THE WEEK I'd LOVE to hear from you if you have a natural cleaning recipe to share! Send it to me at christina @ happyslob.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NEW on Site...Tough Hand Cleaner To clean hands that are HARD to clean - great for gardeners or mechanics. Tough Hand Cleaner Formula Natural Drain Cleaner Natural Drain Cleaning Rust Remover Easy Way to Remove Rust Fizzy Jewelry cleaner Do It Yourself Jewelry cleaner ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LOOKING FOR... Uses for the Magic Eraser! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You guys LOVE this cleaning product! I want to create a list of all the different ways you can use the Magic Eraser to clean your home faster and easier. Have a tip to share? Send it on in slobbos! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TESTIMONIALS & THANKS Don't keep those sentiments to yourself - send them to me at christina@happyslob.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Great Concept Barb says: "I’m very excited to see how you progress. As I said, I think you have a fantastic angle with “The Happy Slob”. " Yes, there's more to my story than JUST a great book. Read about my online mission at: Christina's eBook Mission Thanks for El-Cheapo Yarn Advice Debbie from NY writes: "I want to thank Tammy and Brenda for their great advice on softening el-cheapo yarn! I thought that soaking the finished project in fabric softener would help, but it didn't seem to make a difference. After trying Brenda's suggestion about just washing it in the washing machine with fabric softener (and also drying it on the lowest setting with a Bounce sheet), I'm so happy to report that my son's and daughter's blankets are nice and soft. Thanks so much!!"