Cleaning inside windows is much like cleaning mirrors. Again, my method is a bit different from other homemakers. I got much of this from the books Spring Cleaning and Speed Cleaning by Jeff Campbell. These books have excellent, tried and true advice for cleaning quickly and simply.

Equipment:

• Clean cotton cleaning cloths. I use cloth diapers that were purchased years ago at the dollar store. They are flat instead of prefolded. I have also used microfiber cleaning towels, and these work well.

• Window cleaner. I make my own with a small amount of ammonia, alcohol, and water. Vinegar and water also work well for some people. There are a lot of recipes for window cleaner on the Internet. You just have to find what works for you. Maybe because of the types of smudges I get, the ammonia and alcohol seem to clean better for me. I always put blue food coloring in my homemade solution. You don’t need to, but it helps me find which bottle I need when I open my cabinet.
• Vacuum cleaner with hose. To clean out window sills.
• Wide paintbrush. To dust the corners and get any cobwebs.
• Step ladder, if necessary.

I start cleaning my windows by opening back the curtains and vacuuming out the window sill and ledges. Be sure to open the windows at the point to get in the channel under the window. Then brush the corners  and edges with the paintbrush.

Starting at the top, spray the window lightly with cleaner and wipe dry with the cleaning cloths. It helps to spray and wipe the top half, then do the bottom half separately, to keep the window cleaner from evaporating. Be sure to keep wiping until the window is completely dry, as streaks are usually caused by leaving areas damp. You will need to change cloths when the first cloth gets too damp to do a good job drying. I can do two or three windows with one cloth, then I need a fresh one.

I hope this helps someone with the dreaded task of window cleaning. If you have the tools you need ready and handy, the job does not take that long.

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Last week, I cleaned the inside and outside of some of our windows. I still have the bedroom windows to do, but the main living area windows are clean.

I thought I would share what I have learned about cleaning windows. This section will have information about the outdoor side of the windows, and I’ll do a second post on the inside of the windows.

Much of this information I got from the book Spring Cleaning by Jeff Campbell.I have been using this method for about eight years, and it always works well. It is a bit different from what most homemakers are used to hearing (vinegar and newpaper, etc.) but this is what professionals do, so it is worth a try.

The equipment:

• A squeegee. (If you already have one, check and make sure the rubber part is still good and soft. If it is brittle or hard, just buy a new one. If you don’t have one, you can get a starter one at the auto parts store. If you like it, you might want to invest in a professional model with a pivoting handle and replaceable blade. These have extension poles available if needed.)
• A scrub sleeve for the squeegee (if needed.) My squeegee from the auto parts store has a built-in scrubber, but the professional type might not.
• Dry cotton cleaning cloths.
• Wide paintbrush.
• Razor-blade scraper.
• Bucket.
• One tablespoon of ammonia. (If you do not have ammonia, you can even wash with just clear water.)
• A ladder, if needed. (I always need a small step ladder.)

Fill the bucket half-full of water and add the ammonia.

The best rule I learned from Spring Cleaning is this: always wash the easy access side of the window first! That way, when you go to the more difficult side, you have a clean side to look through, and you can tell whether you have done a good job or not. If there are any smudges still left, you can go back to the easy side and get them. This article is only about the outside windows, but you probably will have already cleaned your inside surfaces.

First, use the paintbrush to clean the exterior window sills. This may be all they need, but if they are extra-dirty, you might need to hose them off. You can also dust off any loose dirt from the glass now. I have to go up into the corners with the brush to get cobwebs and bugs. If this area is really dirty, you can also use a broom, it is just harder to catch the small areas.

When you are washing the outside, you just dip your sponge scrubber into the bucket and start washing away. The razor-blade scraper is handy in case you come upon a spot of paint or something that has been left on the glass. When you are satisfied, get ready to squeegee. Use a cloth to dry the squeegee. For best results, also dry a little strip at the top of the glass that you are washing. This way, the squeegee starts on a clean, dry surface.

Start on one side and swipe down gently. You do not have to go all the way down, you can leave a bit at the bottom because you will get it at the end. Wipe the squeegee dry and move over a bit and swipe down. You want to overlap, but not a lot. Keep going across the window, and then get that last little area sideways. That’s it. You want to work fast so that the water doesn’t evaporate.

Just keep doing that, and your outside windows will be clean in no time!

I have screens that have to be removed first. I usually stand them up and spray them off with the garden hose, then leave them to dry in the sun while I’m cleaning the glass.

If that is so, why does my eight-year-old son hate almost anything I make? He deserves an Oscar for his act tonight eating some cucumbers from a salad. There were two thin slices (peeled.) He chopped the first slice into four pieces and acted as if he would gag each time he swallowed a little piece. The second piece he ate whole, no gagging necessary. He thought he had sat there long enough, and wanted to go finish his computer game. He ate it quickly so he could get up and take his plate to the sink. Interesting.

I’m going to start trying some ideas to put a little pizzazz in what we are having at home. Today, I put icing on some muffins to make them look more like fancy cupcakes.

Here is the original muffin: This is a Morning Glory Muffin.*  Very tasty, and sort-of healthy. It tastes quite a bit like carrot cake. To me, there is nothing wrong with this muffin at all, but I’m not a kid. So to make them more special, I added a bit of cream cheese icing, like this:

The carrot was very easy to make. I used Wilton tips #12 and #233. The cream cheese icing was whipped up while the muffins were baking, and it took a few more minutes to color a little icing and put it in disposable bags with the tips.

These cupcakes got everyone’s attention! My tw0-year-old, of course, licked all the icing off first and asked for seconds. He’s an old enough toddler to understand that he couldn’t have another until he finished the rest of the muffin. He asked for that second muffin all day, but after playing in the wading pool in the evening, he was hungry enough to finish off the first muffin and start on another.

*I use the linked recipe for this muffin with a couple of changes. I use pecans instead of walnuts, and I add 1/2 cup of unsalted sunflower seeds. The recipe says it makes 12 servings, but I get 24 muffins out of the recipe.

I’m going to start trying some ideas to put a little pizzazz in what we are having at home. Today, I put icing on some muffins to make them look more like fancy cupcakes.

Here is the original muffin: This is a Morning Glory Muffin.*  Very tasty, and sort-of healthy. It tastes quite a bit like carrot cake. To me, there is nothing wrong with this muffin at all, but I’m not a kid. So to make them more special, I added a bit of cream cheese icing, like this:

The carrot was very easy to make. I used Wilton tips #12 and #233. The cream cheese icing was whipped up while the muffins were baking, and it took a few more minutes to color a little icing and put it in disposable bags with the tips.

These cupcakes got everyone’s attention! My tw0-year-old, of course, licked all the icing off first and asked for seconds. He’s an old enough toddler to understand that he couldn’t have another until he finished the rest of the muffin. He asked for that second muffin all day, but after playing in the wading pool in the evening, he was hungry enough to finish off the first muffin and start on another.

*I use the linked recipe for this muffin with a couple of changes. I use pecans instead of walnuts, and I add 1/2 cup of unsalted sunflower seeds. The recipe says it makes 12 servings, but I get 24 muffins out of the recipe.

Please see my post blocking crocheted snowflakes for instructions in how to block a snowflake, so that it will be stiff and ready to hang on a tree.

Both snowflake patterns came from the Leisure Arts book called 99 Snowflakes.

Crocheted Snowflake #86

Crocheted Snowflake #50

I have had a Febreeze ScentStories player for several years. I have really enjoyed it.

The ScentStories player is an electronic device that plugs into the wall and sits on a counter or tabletop. I think you could also put it on the floor. You buy scent disks which each have five scents. It “plays” each one for a little while. It does this by rotating the disk and warming the scented area on the disk and blowing the air out with a little fan. It will quickly fill the room with scent, and then change the scent after about 15 minutes.

The whole family has liked having ours. My only complaint has been that the disks don’t really last a long time. They don’t last over a year. They get dried out and you need to buy a new one. This wasn’t so bad, but the last time I looked for them at my supermarket, they were gone.

I found out that now Yankee Candle is selling both the players and new scent disks that use Yankee Candle scents. I ordered some for my player. Right now, we are using “Give Thanks.” It is excellent. Everything I would expect from Yankee Candle. It really fills the room with scent. I use it in the kitchen. It definitely fills the kitchen. We have an open floor plan, and the scent is not really strong enough to completely fill the dining room, living room and kitchen, but that is a pretty big space to fill.

I do not know if the weight of the box has changed, but today I noticed that when I opened the box, it is only halfway full of pasta.

So I took a bag of plain elbow macaroni, and used some of it to finish filling the box. We cooked that, using the package directions, but I added a bit more milk.

The kids loved it, and I even got a serving. And there were leftovers! Amazing.

I usually think boxed mac & cheese is too salty, but this actually needed salt. Once I added a bit of salt, it was great. The kids did not add salt to theirs.

Tortilla Soup from Cans

1 can whole kernal corn

1 can chili, no beans

1 can black beans

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can chicken broth

1 4 oz. can green chilies

Mix all together in large pot on stove. Heat almost to boil.

Top with shredded cheddar, sour cream, and serve with tortilla chips.

(I used frozen corn as I don’t keep canned corn around — we don’t enjoy it. I also made broth from Tone’s Chicken Soup Base that I keep in the fridge.)

I am going to try and keep these ingredients together in my pantry so this soup can come together in just a few minutes.