Wednesday, June 23, 2010

No stud required

I am a huge commitment phobe when it comes to decorating my house. I don’t like anything too permanent, for fear that I’ll hate it 5 minutes later.

Fortunately, when it comes to home improvement, my hubby is seriously Mister Handy. I swear he can do it all. But we sadly drive each other nuts when it comes to hanging stuff on walls. It’s always a major production. I get the same speech every time… “ok, let me get my hammer, and find the perfect sized nail, oh but wait I gotta find a stud in the wall first…yada, yada, yada.” And I’m all.. “Stud?! Just freakin’ nail that sucker in the wall, gosh darnit!” and then of course 5 minutes later, I hate it and want him to move it. Cycle repeats.

So. I found a solution to both of our problems.

     

I am madly in love with 3M for inventing this stuff. It’s awesome and is currently holding up everything in my house that is under 5lbs.

No nails. No studs. No annoyed hubby.

Best part: it’s not permanent. You can take anything off the wall without any holes left behind and no damage to paint!

Here’s an example of what I’ve used it for…

Happy hanging…err, sticking?! ;)

I’m back!

I told you a couple weeks back that I was on a mission to find an easy, kid-friendly way to travel.

Well, we just came back from a Father’s Day vacation that included 110 degree weather, a lake, and a boat. We were in need of a lightweight, compact stroller that we could navigate around a hotel, push down a boat dock while having beach gear strapped to my back, and something that would store easily on the boat. 

We already have an UppaBaby Vista Stroller {which I LOVE}, however it’s big and HEAVY. There is no way we were going to fit it in our SUV along with coolers, beach chairs, umbrellas, pack ‘n play, etc, etc.

Thanks to CSN, I found the Kolcraft Tour Sport Reclining Umbrella Stroller, priced at only $38.95. FedEx delivered it about 2 days before we left. I wasn’t expecting much, since it was competing against other umbrella strollers that were double the price. But, it met all of my requirements. It is super lightweight {about 11lbs}, opens quickly, locks easily, and folds up compact just like an umbrella…hence the name, right? ;)

The fabric is surprisingly good quality, the seat does recline, it comes with a sun shade, and cup holder. The handles are high enough to push the stroller without bending down, which was a big factor for my hubby since he’s 6’2”. I wasn’t too thrilled with the sun shade. It’s small, doesn’t really provide much coverage and it consistently popped off when we closed the stroller to store it away. Minor complaint compared to the other positives.

        

Bottom line: job well done. I would recommend this product to anyone looking for an inexpensive and convenient umbrella stroller.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Before & After

        Before After

I’ve learned a few things this past week:

1. My tile floor, specifically the grout, is not supposed to be a light shade of BLACK.

2. The darker vs. lighter shades of the stone is not just a “design”…it’s DIRT.

3. OXICLEAN is my newest BFFE!!!!

Needless to say, my floors were in need of a DEEP cleaning. Like, the type that requires you to get on your hands & knees, break your back, blister causing, brush scrubbing – type of clean!

I took a 1/4 scoop of Oxiclean and mixed it in a medium sized bowl of hot water, spread it over my tile floor & grout, scrubbed the hell out of it, and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Then I mopped it off, let it dry, and then mopped it again with just water to clean any residue away. LOTS OF HARD WORK…but holy cow my grout is like 10 shades lighter!!! 

It should be known that I still use & LOVE my McSteamy, but it doesn’t do much for grout grime. Even my husband was impressed and he’s not exactly the type to get all giddy over a house cleaning product…so you know it’s gotta be good!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

{it’s CSN Product Review time…well, almost}

Last month I had the pleasure of working with CSN Stores and hosting a fabulous giveaway for one of my lucky readers. Well, today I have been given the opportunity to review one of their products, and I couldn't be more thrilled.

Do you know that they have tons of amazing products for a home makeover? Like these Bathroom Vanities if you're undergoing a bathroom project, as I've seen many bloggers doing lately. We just completed a backyard makeover to get us ready for summer!

Speaking of summer…we have lots of vacations planned for the next couple of months. And every mom knows that vacation + kids = hauling lots of stuff! So I’m on a mission to find something lightweight, compact, and a lifesaver when it comes to traveling with a baby. Stay tuned for my rant or rave of a fun product that I can’t wait to share with you!