What I bought: Clothing purchases in 2017

my tiny closet

Ever since reading that the average U.S. shopper spends $1,100 per year on clothing and purchases 68 items plus 8 pairs of shoes (Overdressed by Elizabeth Cline), I've been curious of how I measure up. Inspired once again by An Exacting Life, I've dug out my receipts to add it up for 2017.

This year I spent $528.26, up from $335.29 last year. I had suspected I would spend more this year due to needing to replace some staples, like jeans, and indeed I did.

Clothing purchased ($421.38):

• Red sweater - $15.00
• Red llama Christmas sweater - $16.00
• White sweater - $9.49
• White/gray sweater - $26.48
• Black knit 3/4 sleeve shirt - $12.04
• Black knit short sleeve shirt - $8.64
• Black blouse - $20.99
• Black knit sleeveless Elle top - $16.99
• Black blouse - $16.99
• White and black striped knit shirt - $11.39
• White and black short sleeve knit shirt - $16.98
• White and black knit tank - $9.13
• White knit top - $8.04
• Pink blouse - $16.99
• Pink sweater - $20.99
• Purple t-shirt - $5.70
• Two pairs of jeans - $43.00
• Jean shorts - $16.29
• Gray workout shorts - $15.29
• Swimsuit cover up - $12.98
• Navy striped sleep shorts - $15.00
• Undergarments (5)  - $86.98

Shoes ($54.11):

• Nike sneakers - $54.11

Accessories ($52.77):

• Blanket scarf - $11.58
• Black gloves - $1.11 (I have a $15 off coupon)
• Earrings - $7.24
• Necklace - $15.28
• Purse - $5.00 (from thrift store)
• Sunglasses - $12.56

Total spent: $528.26

Total clothing items: 26

Lucy also has a very refined taste in pants; only recently worn men's khakis will do.

I remained true to a white, black and gray color scheme once again, which does make it easy to mix and match. I'm pretty happy with this year's purchases and have worn most things frequently, except for the pink blouse, silly llama holiday sweater, and black and white tank.

One thing I'm quite happy with is that instead of buying a bunch of stuff before we went to Cozumel, as I usually do for vacation, I made due with the clothing I already had. I did need a swimsuit cover up and sleep shorts (love them, and I had been looking for good sleep shorts for quite awhile), both of which I purchased via Amazon and wore frequently.

I continue to be amazed by how quickly I forget what I've bought over the year. I save receipts, but don't reconcile purchases until beginning this post. I wouldn't have been able to tell which item was which on the receipt for most of the purchases made in August, June and March, except that a unique ID number is listed for each that matches up to a number on the tag of the clothing. Not sure if this is true for all stores, but it is for Kohl's. Genius idea! Next year I resolve to write things down after each purchase to make this process easier. 

I expect to need to buy new work slacks and shoes next year, so I'm going to try something new and budget $64/month for clothing. I'm hoping this way I won't feel guilty buying what I need as long as it's within the budget, while still being able to maximize savings.

Were your clothing purchases in 2017 worth the investment or a work in progress?

What to take another peek into my wardrobe? You can also see what I bought in 2016 and 2013.

Packing for Cozumel

Last week's post was all about our wonderful trip to Cozumel, but I wanted to share a second post about packing for a similar trip.

Our trip was all about spending time in the water and relaxing and my packing list reflects that. Our fellow vacationers in the resort and around town were also quite casual. Going almost anywhere in swimwear (with a cover up) is quite the norm and I wore my suit more than anything else.

I was packed fairly light for this trip as evidenced by the ample free space I had in my checked bag and the back pack I always carry on.

Here's what I packed:

• Clothing: 6 t-shirts, 4 nicer knit shirts, 5 pair of shorts, 1 skirt, 1 pair of dressier capris, 1 pair jean capris, pajama shorts and shirt, 2 swimsuits, 1 cover-up.
• Rain coat and hoodie (worn on plane)
• Shoes: 1 pair of sandals for the beach, 1 pair of dressier sandals and I wore sneakers on the plane.

• Hairbrush and straightening iron
• Phone and ipad (loaded with books)
• Snacks: protein bars, snack mix and beef jerky for the plane

All things considered,I did pretty well. And bonus, I only purchased two new thingsfor the trip: a cover up and new sleep shorts. The only things I didn't wear was one knit shirt and the rain coat. Most days we showered and changed before dinner since we spent the majority of our time in the ocean or pool. 

I didn't bring a hairdryer since they had one in the room and only ended up using it once on the night we went to the fancier restaurant at the resort. Same thing goes for my hair straightener and makeup. I only used them once and would definitely leave the hair straightener and most of the makeup at home next time. It so humid in Cozumel that any effort I spent on my hair didn't last long.

[photo: Christine und Hagen Graf]

There are a few things I would add to my list for future trips:

• Reef-safe sunscreen: I bought regular sunscreen for the trip, but the boyfriend had read about the need to bring reef-safe sunscreen in order to protect the reefs and sea life from harmful chemicals. We managed to find some before our trip, but it was pricey so we decided to wait thinking it would be easy to find in Cozumel. Wrong! Sunscreen in general is surprisingly expensive in Cozumel and reef-safe sunscreen was even harder to find there than at home and what you could find was double the price. Luckily my aunt had some extra.
• A swim-shirt: Despite my mooched sunscreen, I still got burnt, as I often do. This time it was my back and arms so next time I'd buy a sunblocking swim shirt or two to help block some rays during snorkeling.
• A snorkel: My aunt and uncle brought extras, but I think it's worth investing in a snorkel that fits well if its something you intend to do a lot. The boyfriend insisted on buying his own snorkel to bring and was quite happy with it.
• More cool, dressier tops: While many people at the resort were super casual all of the time, others dressed up a bit for dinner, which was fun the two times I did it. So next time I'd take a few more dressy-casual tops that were also cool because it ws pretty warm and humid.
• Second swimsuit and cover up I love: I bought a cover up on Amazon to take on the trip, but next time I'd take a second, prettier one since I wore it so much. Also, while I took a second suit, I didn't love it and hardly wore it. It's been years since I bought a new suit so it's probably time to invest in another before a second beach vacation.

What about you, do you usually pack too light or too much for trips? Anything you'd add to the list?

Recharging in Mexico

Fall is here already, with winter rapidly approaching, but I'm in denial of the changing seasons since we just returned from our summer vacation in Cozumel, Mexico.

This was our first trip to Mexico (and the boyfriend's first time leaving the country) and first time staying in an all-inclusive resort. I was anxious before the trip about the U.S. Department of State's recent travel warning regarding increased crime and murder rates in the region, but by that time everything was booked and paid for so away we went.

Happily, I can report that our fears were unfounded. We had no issues whatsoever and thoroughly enjoyed our trip.

We stayed at the Melia Cozumel. My aunt and uncle have a timeshare there and due to a change in travel plans had an extra room that was going to go to waste, so not only did we get to stay in a great room, but it was an amazing deal for us. It was a lovely, roomy suite with an ocean view, marble tile and a canopy bed. Being an all-inclusive, meant that all food, drinks and most amenities were included. The resort had four restaurants, two pools, three bars including my fave--the swim up bar, and lots of beach front.

My favorite part of the trip was our visit to Chankanaab national park, where we swam with dolphins, met some manatees, watched a sea lion show and enjoyed the best snorkeling of the trip. Entrance to the park is $21 per person but includes park and beach access with free use of chairs and furniture.  Restaurants and swimming with the sea life are extra. It's amazing how many fish we saw so close to the shore at the reef there, such variety and so colorful!

The snorkeling area at Chankanaab [photo: jchessma]

We also took a snorkeling boat trip to a reef and sand bar area, but the crowds (people would literally swim over you) and lack of fish meant that wasn't my favorite.

A small glimpse of the shops in downtown Cozumel.

Downtown Cozumel, where the many cruise ship visitors are dropped off, is full of restaurants and shops that mainly cater to tourists. It also wasn't our favorite because the vendors are fairly aggressive about trying to get you to come in their shops or restaurants. But that's also where Mega, a large grocery store, is located. Think of a Walmart or super Target and you'll get the idea. I love going to grocery stores in different countries and seeing the different and similar foods available. This one had a large, very delicious looking bakery, plus anything else you might need. The exchange rate there for U.S. dollars was the best one I saw and prices were very reasonable for most foods. The only "souvenirs" we brought back were snacks.

We also drove around the island and saw the more wild Caribbean side, which is gorgeous but the water is much rougher since it doesn't have the island for protection like the opposite side where we stayed and swam.

Most of our time was spent in this area of the resort--ahh!

The rest of the time we spent at the resort, mainly in a cabana on the beach which was incredibly relaxing. There's also decent snorkeling in the beach right next to the hotel property and we saw a surprising amount of fish there and even a star fish. There's also the swim up bar, located in the adults-only pool, that we discovered on our last day. So fun!

That's our trip in a nutshell. We had a great time and came back refreshed. Stay tuned for next week's post about what I recommend (and don't) for your Cozumel trip packing list.

Spring flings

This spring feels like a personal awakening as well as a seasonal one. After years of not feeling quite myself due to this and that, I feel like my petals are slowly unfurling along with the daffodils and tulips.

I've been enjoying more time in the garden, even the weeding.

I planted more spring bulbs for the first time in years and they've added a lovely bit of early color. 

The apple tree didn't bloom last spring, but t put on quite the show this year.

We've also been getting out an about. This weekend we saw Kedi, a lovely, touching documentary film about the street cats in Istanbul. It was better than expected and I had high hopes to begin with.

Then today, on national picnic day, we had a picnic in Inniswoods Metro Gardens and admired their spring blooms.

Entrance to the Secret Garden

Inside the Secret Garden

Earlier this spring there were more cat capers with a visit to Eat, Purr, Love, the first cat cafe in Ohio which opened right in our neighborhood. A very zen place for cat lovers.

All the cats a up for adoption and 120+ have been adopted since it opened last August.

 

How's your spring going?

What I bought: Clothing purchased in 2016

Girdwood, Alaska

Ever since reading that the average US shopper spends $1,100 per year on clothing and purchases 68 items plus 8 pairs of shoes (Overdressed by Elizabeth Cline), I've been curious of how I measure up. I've taken a mental tally the last few years, but apparently I haven't officially tracked it since 2013. This year, inspired once again by Exacting Life, I've dug out my receipts to add it up once again.

In 2016, as in the year before that, many of my clothing purchases were made in preparation for another trip to Alaska (hence the photos). So most items were casual or outdoor wear. Luckily I purchased hiking boots and a good raincoat for my first trip in 2015 so those were covered. I also purchased two dresses and earrings for my cousin's wedding and rehearsal dinner, but luckily I found both on clearance. And, bonus, they're both suitable for work as well so I've worn them each a few times.

Portage Glacier

Items purchased in 2016:

• Convertible hiking pants: $37.43
• Red dress and black and white dress for wedding: $88.29
• Black and white dress: $26.98
• Two sweatshirt jackets: $38.68
• Blue Style & Co. sweatshirt jacket: $28
• Four t-shirts: $24.54
• Two souvenir t-shirts: $10.99
• White cardigan sweater: $26.88
• Black and white blouse: $16.11
• White blouse: $12.99
• Tan blouse: $26.98
• Black work shoes: $42.99

Total spent: $320.57

Total items: 18

Accessories purchased:

• Gold earrings: $6.72
• Silver pendant necklace: $8.00

Total spent: $14.72

Total items: 2

Homer, Alaska

I'm happy with my purchases this year., although the number of items is always higher than I'd guess. I've worn all the clothing multiple times, except maybe for the tan blouse. I like how it looks, but the fabric traps heat so there's a limited time period when I can comfortably wear it.

I don't set strict budgets for my spending, but instead keep a watch on my monthly credit card bill. Everything possible goes on the card and is paid off monthly. If I have a high month, I tighten the discretionary spending for the following month or two. It might not be textbook, but it works for me and I'm still able to save a significant portion of my income.

Seldovia, Alaska

After several years of relatively low spending on clothing, I suspect this year will be higher as I really need to replace and supplement my summer wardrobe, both work and casual.

I am curious to see how my overall clothing inventory numbers compare to last time, so stay tuned for an upcoming post.

How does your clothing spending compare to the average?

Focusing on healthier eating

roasted broccoli, beets and sweet potatoes with couscous

I'm not big on setting new year resolutions, but I do often pick an area of my life that I want to focus on and improve. This year, I'm focusing on eating healthier.

This is a big challenge for me because I've never loved cooking and for the last few years I've barely cooked at all. Not that we eat out every night, mainly on weekends, but I've been living on salad, pita and hummus, canned soup, frozen pizzas and frozen dinners for far too long. Because I eat veggies and fruit pretty much every day, I always thought I ate pretty healthy. In reality, however, my diet was far from it and I was ready for a change.

My main inspiration for this change comes from 100 Days of Real Food. Blogger Lisa Leake advocates for a real food diet that includes lots organic fruits and veggies, full-fat organic dairy, locally-raised meat and whole grains. Read real food defined for details.

I've been eating pretty simple meals. A lot of roasted veggies, including sweet potatoes, broccoli and green beans with couscous or quinoa. Grilled chicken wraps with lots of veggies. A few stir frys. And of course my salad, pita and hummus habit, while reduced, is still going as it's quick, easy and is real food.

My little buddy Lucy loves my new frequent
dish-washing routine and has to supervise every. single. time.

This has been a big change and yummy though it's been, it hasn't been easy. Even with sticking to simple meals, cooking and then cleaning up most week nights takes up an hour or more of my free time after work.

I'm also taking a "small changes are better than nothing" approach, which is a challenge for this perfectionist. I'm aiming for real food 80% of the time, but I'm not there yet. Still, there has definitely been progress.

Positive changes:

• Trying new recipes: I've gone from a menu rut to trying several great new recipes, including sweet potato and black bean quinoa bowls, roasted vegetables, white chicken chili and chicken stir fry (I love the sauce and not having to rely on the bottled stuff).
• Eating new foods: I've gone from never cooking and thinking I didn't like sweet potatoes to eating them 2-4 times per week (probably too much, but they are delicious roasted). I've also tried beets and quinoa for the first time and found that black beans are a tasty and easy addition to dishes.
• Less food waste: Even though I've been buying more produce than ever, because I'm cooking more very little of it is going to waste, which is a big change from before. 
• No more added sugar: I stopped adding sugar to my morning coffee, opting instead for a teaspoon of honey and milk in my first cup only. As a result, the jittery low blood-sugar feeling I was experiencing during late mornings is history. I also cut out the sugary-filled flavored yogurt and cereal I was eating for breakfast, opting instead for plain greek yogurt with fruit, honey and granola. Although this week I caved and bought some flavored yogurt. It tastes almost sickly sweet.

Areas for improvement:

• I haven't been able to quit my weekly frozen margarita pizza habit or my "more times than I should per week" ice cream habit. But, I'm not having pretzels as soon as I get home, candy and an ice cream every night so this too is progress.
• Organic food only - Leake advocates for only eating organic food and especially organic, grass-fed meat. I'm experiencing sticker shock at the price of an all-organic diet, so while I'm buying more organic than ever (which was almost none), it's not even 50% of our food. And I haven't bought any organic meat which tends to be 3-6 times more than even the natural meat at our healthier grocery stores.
• Whole grain breads - I'm also struggling to find pita bread, tortillas and bread with whole grains and five ingredients or less so I've been continuing to eat the standard stuff. I plan to make a trip to Trader Joe's tomorrow to see if I have more success there.
• Meal-planning - The first week I committed to cooking only real food, I went to the grocery four times for this or that. Lately I've cut back to just two, but it would be nice to get down to just one trip most of the time.
• Frozen lunches - I've been taking leftovers from dinner 2-3 times a week, but on the other days I'm still grabbing a frozen dinner for lunch, which doesn't meet the criteria for real food.

I'll also admit that I was hoping that if I switched to a real-food diet the extra pounds would just start melting off and, sadly, that hasn't been the case. I've been losing and then gaining the same 3-4 pounds since the beginning of the year ad not really making progress. Maybe it's because I'm not following the plan strictly. Time will tell.

Is anyone else trying to eat healthier these days? Any challenges or recipes to share?

Minimalism and privilege

Cait Flanders' post about minimalism being a privilege got me thinking so much today that I wanted to blog about it.

I completely agree that being able to intentionally declutter your stuff, simplify your life and commitments and so on is a privilege that not everyone has. If I need to replace something I've declutter, I can without any great hardship. Unfortunately not everyone can say the same.

There was a time in my life when, had you mentioned privilege to me, I would have immediately gotten defensive and explained how I worked hard, studied, made good, decisions, etc. to get where I am in life. And I did. But since then I have grown to recognize that other factors I had no control over also played a role. Where I grew up, the country of my birth, my family, and so on, helped put me on the path to success. While my family wasn't rich, I was never hungry or cold. I had everything I needed and most everything I wanted growing up. My parents valued education, working hard and getting good grades and taught me to do the same. There was never a question of if I was going to college, only where and what I wanted to study. Without that  upbringing and those expectations, would I still be where I am today? Without my mother's encouragement, and sometimes even well-timed threats, would I have finished college once homesickness sunk in or classes got hard? I don't know, but lucky for me, I didn't have to find out.

So there is absolutely privilege in choosing minimalism and we should all recognize that.

But the part of Cait's post that made me react the most was when she talks about questioning everything she's ever written and no longer wanting to write about "what items to declutter or her minimalist beauty routine." I too am turned off by the one-size-fits-all definition of minimalism, because there isn't one. What's just enough to me might be way too much for you.

But just because we don't all experience the same issues, or don't all have the same privileges, doesn't mean there isn't value in discussing your own experiences. There are a lot of privileged, overconsuming people out there and whatever makes each of us question our own choices is a good thing if you ask me. Maybe a post about decluttering will make someone donate some things that are just gathering dust, but that someone else could use. Or maybe reading about someone's simplified beauty routine will convince someone to stop buying products they don't really need, which will save some resources. Or hearing how someone cut expenses will help someone else do the same. And maybe that will lead to financial security, realizing you have more than enough and donating to others in need. Little steps can still snowball in the right direction.

I can summarize my definition of minimalism in two words: question everything. Experiment and re-examine what you do, buy, keep to make sure it's really important to you and adds value to your life. And then let go of the stuff that doesn't. It's not complicated, but that doesn't mean it's always easy. And share your experiences. Some of it may resonate and some may not, but I think there's more good than bad to be had by sharing and encouraging others to question things for themselves.

The Year Winter Came Back

Winter is back this year with a vengeance and I know we Buckeyes aren't the only ones caught in another brutal spell of cold and snow. Living in the northern U.S. (Ohio), you might think we're used to this kind of winter weather, but this one is extreme. We haven't seen temperatures this cold in 28 years, according to local meteorologists. And we're most accustomed to seeing snow come and go in 24-48 hours, but this year the snow is sticking around.

Winter started unusually early. Our first snowfall was a few days before Thanksgiving, with three inches of snow falling well before the December 21 official start of winter. This weekend we received another five inches with a bit more to come possibly. The wind was so strong yesterday that at times you could barely see the house across the street. So far this season we've received 26.5 inches of snow, with months of winter to come, compared to average winter snowfalls of 27.5 inches. Snow is pretty and all, but it is also a giant pain to shovel, drive in, etc.

yesterday's blowing snow made it hard to see across the street

But the really painful bit of this winter, to me at least, has been the number record low temperatures and below zero wind chill days. The worst so far being January 6 and 7, where we saw a new record low of -7F (-22C) and wind chills of -25 to -40F (-32 to -40C). And they're calling for it to be even colder than that tomorrow and Tuesday, with an extended period of extreme cold slated to last until mid-February. Mid-February? Seriously? It's sad that our usual January average of 30F feels like a heatwave in comparison.

Living in a house built in the 1940s means that even though the inside temperature remains unchanged at 68F, or even a degree higher, it definitely feels chilly on extremely cold days. I layer up with a long sleeve shirt, my warmest sweater, socks, slippers, a blanket and often a cat and still sometimes can't get warm and toasty. I've put extra blankets and pulled the cat bed out of storage so they have plenty of warmer sleeping options. And forget going outside without my warmest parka, a hat, gloves, a scarf and boots. Even then my block-long walk from the parking garage to work is brutal.

cold weather makes the cats extra cuddly

This winter has also meant a lot of hibernating, which can be fun for a weekend or two but can get old when you feel like you can't, or shouldn't, go out.

While these temps seem newsworthy today, it's only because we're not used to cold snaps which were considered normal in the past, according to Treehugger. While I worry about the consequences of global warming, not dealing with this crap every year doesn't seem all bad...

How are you faring in this weather (or for some of you, the record heat waves)?

Small, Stylish and Low-Maintenance: Lustron Homes

The idea of well-designed, small homes taking less time to maintain while being just as pleasant to live in is not a new one. Lately I've been fascinated by one such example from years past: Lustron houses. These prefabricated enameled steel houses were developed in the post-World War II era. Marketed as "the house America has been waiting for" the small, yet well-designed homes were promoted as affordable, low-maintenance solutions for modern families.

The Lustron Company, headquartered in my town, Columbus, OH, manufactured just under 2,500 two- and three-bedroom homes between 1948-1950, before declaring bankruptcy. This was much less than expected, with production delays, the lack of a viable distribution strategy, and the escalating prices for the finished product all contributing to the company's demise.

Four Lustron homes remain in my neighborhood, and this summer I was able to fully explore the one pictured here, which is on display at the Ohio Historical Society until 2018.

master bedroom vanity

The exhibit was fantastic, and one I highly recommend if you're in Columbus. Not only is it amazing to have a entire house inside a museum, but the decor is completely period and they encourage you to explore, open drawers, etc. Or you can take a video tour.

Although compact and built to be shipped in pieces and assembled on-site, the rooms were a good size (bigger than my house anyway) and surprisingly full of storage. There was a built in bookshelf/display area in the living room, tons of closets, a built-in vanity in the master bedroom, and great bathroom storage. Plus, since they're constructed from metal, hanging a picture is as simple as throwing up some magnets.


The Lustron house exhibit was also appointed with something I've never heard of before, a Thor Automagic hybrid washer/dishwasher. Now there's something that makes me go hmmm, and I guess it made a lot of other people do the same since it never really caught on.

If you're curious about how Lustron homes appear with current decor, check out this Columbus-area Lustron.

As cute and cool as they are, I'm not sure I would want to live in a Lustron, especially as their advanced age takes away the low-maintenance aspect in many cases. Could you live in a Lustron, or is there another small home from an era gone by you lust after?

A year's worth of clothes

A few of my go-to looks - NOT! Photo: Hegemony777

According to Elizabeth Cline's book, Overdressed, the average US shopper spends $1,100 per year on clothing and purchases 68 items plus 8 pairs of shoes.

Sixty-eight items per year seems rather shocking, but since reading that I've wondered, do I buy more or less clothing than the average American? Yet I hadn't gotten around to listing my purchases until being inspired by a recent post on Exacting Life.

Before I started counting, I thought that I couldn't possibly have purchased more than 10 items of clothing this year. I have a large existing wardrobe, but there is much room for improvement as it includes items of various sizes and clothing I don't love wearing.

I've never loved buying clothes and shoes like the stereotypical woman, but this has been particularly light year even for me. This is mainly because I'm at a higher weight than I'd like and I haven't wanted to admit defeat and invest in a larger wardrobe for this size me. But, a girl's gotta have something to wear so in the end I've bought some new items.

Items purchased in 2013:

• Two pairs of dress pants for work: $55
• Black knit blazer for work (the only blazer I've ever liked wearing - it's SO comfortable): $36
• black and white summer sweater: $28
• Two black t-shirts: $14
• Black and white shell blouse: $21
• Black summer sweater: $22
• Black knit top: $15
• Black shirt with beaded sleeves: $16
• Black NYC shirt: $9
• Blue sweater: $21
• Jeans: $27
• Peach sweater from thrift store: $4
• White capris (thrift-store): $4
• Black comfty flats for work: $64
• Black sandals: $54

Total spent: $390

Total items: 17

Accessories purchased:

• Black purse (thrift-store): $5
• Red purse: $30
• Scarf: $22

Total spent: $57

Total items: 3

Besides the fact that I'm heavily in a black and white clothing phase (they're slimming colors you know), this has been a pretty good year in that out of these purchases, I really only regret and don't wear the peach thrift store sweater.

I don't set a clothing budget, as I'm pretty good at reigning in my spending month to month. I'm completely fine with spending $447 on clothing and accessories for the year, in fact, I'd be okay with twice that provided I bought items I love and feel great wearing. 

How does your clothing spending compare to the average?

A Perfect Summer Weekend

my outdoor living room

We had a great weekend. The weather was amazingly perfect. Last weekend it was sufferingly hot, in the 90s with high humidity and high pollen. I was miserable and hid out inside in the AC all weekend.

This weekend was the complete opposite. Highs in the 70s, low 80s tops, low humidity and a much more forgiving pollen count. In June no less! No AC was needed, and the windows have been open all weekend. It's even been cool enough in the evenings to require snuggling in a blanket. In short, it was perfection. And we definitely took advantage of it.

We finally planted our summer vegetables, three kinds of peppers (Habanaro, Jalapeno, and Cayenne) for the boy and three kinds of tomatoes (Early Girl, Golden Girl, and Patio) for me. I also planted a ton of flowers and a flat of strawberries. I finally slapped a coat of primer on the pantry doors, and we took a long bike ride today, 15.7 miles!

Alex is such a diva. Check out that back leg.

There was also plenty of time for R&R on the deck, and a Sunday nap.

If only the weather would stay this perfect all summer.

How was your weekend?

p.s. Can anyone identify this flower for me? I planted Sweet Alyssum seeds but this is a giant compared to any other Alyssum I've seen.

Getting Cat Pee Out of Laundry

I know it's hard to believe that one of these little angels (har har) would pee on laundry, but once in awhile, especially as two of them have reached their mid-teens, it has happened. The good part is that so far it has happened in the part of the basement that just has a cement floor, so the only casualty thus far has been laundry.

In the latest incident, a drop cloth, my favorite bathroom rug, and some towels were the victims. The drop cloth was immediately trashed, but I wanted to at least try and save the rest. In the past, the boy has tried washing pee-soaked laundry several times in a row to now avail. Obviously I needed to take a new approach, so I turned to the all-knowing Google.

As always happens when one consults Google, I found varying opinions. Some said vinegar would work, others said if the urine was dried (as it was in this case) the only chance was using an enzyme cleaner, and even that might fail. I decided to try using things I have on hand, which worked perfectly.

Steps:

1. Soak laundry overnight in washing machine with one cup of vinegar. Set water at lowest setting possible that will cover laundry.
2. Next morning, rinse laundry and spin out all water. Add detergent and 1/4 to 1/2 cup Borax.
3. Hang clean laundry outside in in sun to dry.

And, voila, I got my laundry back.

Spring Has Sprung so Grab a Mop

photo by Melissa Ann Barret 
I'm pretty sure spring cleaning was invented by a man with a maid fetish.

Spring has definitely sprung. And you know what happens in spring, don't you? Why, it's that special time of year when the little lady's thoughts turn to cleaning. I mean really, what the hell else do we females have to ponder?

The spring cleaning furor seems to have dulled down a bit now, but for a while there I couldn't click on a link without seeing some mention of spring cleaning (although I am happy to see that using green, homemade cleaners seems to be the "in" thing this year).

I don't know about you, but when the weather turns nice after a long winter (ok this winter was pretty tame here, but bare with me), the last thing I feel like doing is staying inside and scrubbing. I mean I love cleanliness as much as the next borderline OCD person, but anything that requires a long checklist, likely written by some homemaking maven who probably has a maid for that kind of thing, is not something I feel the need to follow. And if there are some heavy duty cleaning jobs around the house that need some tackling, does doing them once a year really cut it?

I thought spring cleaning harkened back to the days when heat sources caused a heck of a mess. Since that's hardly the case, or at least not for those of us reading this post, isn't it time we kill this antiquated tradition?

All of which  leads me to wonder, do any of you actually spring clean? 

I tackle heavier cleaning jobs throughout the year whenever things get out of hand, but I can't recall ever spending hours spring cleaning. Nor do I remember seeing my mom do so, not even during her "June Cleaver" years. Sorry to out you there, Ma.

Although, come to think of it, my aversion to spring cleaning may just be another way of trying to block out the horror that was my experience as an au pair. For Americans unfamiliar with the au pair concept, it's really just a way of getting cheap slave labor and childcare. In other words, I don't recommend it. Now those people could have given Martha Stewart a run for her money. Walls, baseboards, doorknobs and floors had to be washed every week. Cupboards and the fridge were to be emptied and washed monthly. Three times a week I had to dust, vacuum and clean the bathrooms. THREE. TIMES. A. WEEK. I failed my first week because they found dust in between the stairway spindles. I shit you not. On the upside, I now clean things that would never have occurred to me without that experience.

So the moral of the story is, drop the mop and go outside dammit!