Mommy of Many®

Wooden furniture pieces, they’re beautiful and we want them to stay that way. These tips will help you keep those pieces looking fresh and beautiful for years to come.

- There are distinct differences between hard woods and soft woods. However, all wooden pieces should be kept out of direct sunlight and humidity and should always be protected from direct contact with moisture.

-Hard wood furniture typically comes from mahogany, maple, oak or teak. These pieces are often heavier than furniture made from soft woods and can last centuries if properly cared for.

-Soft wood furniture is typically made from pine, cedar or redwood and requires a more delicate touch, as it can more easily be scratched and dented.

-Start by dusting. Use a microfiber cloth to pick up dust and keep from simply pushing the dust from place to place. There are great disposable cloths available that quickly and easily allow dust to cling to them.

-Start with touch-up cleaning. Use a product such as Weiman Furniture Cleaner to get rid of finger prints or smudges.

-For weekly cleaning a product such as Weiman Lemon Oil Furniture Polish will work beautifully. It’s not greasy and will not show fingerprints, while leaving your pieces gleaming.

-On occasion you’ll want to deeply clean the furniture by using a product such as Howard Feed-N-Wax. This will help prevent drying and cracking.

Now enjoy the beauty of your living space!

~Mom2Mom tips are brought to you by the cleaning professionals at Delight Cleaning and Mommy of Many® (a professional mom)~

Got cleaning questions? Visit Delight Cleanings Facebook page and post your questions to their wall.

Lex developed a deep, chesty cough overnight, so I’ve decided to keep him with me for the day. After I dropped the other kids off at school he had this to say;

Lex-”Mom, just so you know, kids who stay home, sick, get lots of candy.”

Me-”Oh really? Who gives these sick kids candy?”

Lex-”The moms and dads do.”

Me-”Why would parents give sick kids candy?”

Lex-”Because they feel so bad for them that they’re sick.”

He’s getting no candy, but he does make me smile!

Doing the Dance of the Children~

This was Gabi’s question this morning after I came into the bathroom to find her standing there in her pj’s, playing with things in the sink instead of taking the shower I’d told her to go take. First-of-all, I don’t think “yell” is the proper term for what I said to her, but if that’s her perception of the tone of my voice, I’ll just go with it. And this is was my answer;

“When you don’t follow the instructions I’ve given you and I find you wasting time, you take away my choice to say, ‘Good job, Gabi!’ Instead I’m left with only things like, ‘what are you doing?’ or ‘Gabi, I told you to go take a shower’ and then you feel like I’m yelling at you. I don’t like it when you take away my choice to tell you how great you’re doing and instead have to tell you AGAIN to do what you KNOW you’re supposed to be doing.”

She didn’t particularly like the answer, but it’s the truth. Kids take away the possibility for us to tell them what a great job they’re doing. I’m sure there are those that disagree. I suppose I could give such praise as, “Great job disobeying! You’ve got that DOWN!” Or “You are SO good at doing the opposite of what I’ve asked you!”. But that just seems like it would mess with their heads more than straight up, stern-voiced reminding.

Doing the Dance of the Children~

Once a month, fabulous, local business owners and  entrepreneurs meet up at a local business (venue changes monthly) to meet, share ideas and help to grow and support all the wonderful ventures happening in our area.

This month’s Tweetup (we all try to be connected through the convenience and ease of Twitter and/or Facebook) will be held at The Place, a locally owned and operated Italian Restaurant in Old Roseville (221 Vernon St).

A friend and I headed over there yesterday to have some lunch and get a feel for the vibe of the place. Our plan was to be able to bring you a little of the goodness that we’ve heard they offer. We were hungry and ready! There was just one problem-the door was locked tight! Had we done a little homework, we would’ve known that The Place is open for business Wed-Sun. Do like we did, show up on a Tues afternoon for lunch, and you’ll end up an Outsider. We were stuck drooling over the menu posted in the window.

Wanna be an Insider?! RSVP for the Placer Business Tweetup by clicking here and registering. Once that’s done, head on over to “like” The Place on their Facebook page. Then show up on Tuesday, February 21st at 6pm (they’re opening just for the event) and voila…Insider!

I can’t wait to finally try out some of the delish sounding items I read on their window-posted menu! See you there~

Max is smart! Max is determined! Max is incredibly stubborn!

At 9 years old, Max has spent the last 4 years of so letting me know that he “doesn’t ride bikes”. Instead he would scooter like a champ, or he would run. He liked the control of the scooter and that he could easily put his foot to the ground for stability. The thing is, he had great balance and was somewhat of a daredevil. Because of this, I knew, KNEW he could ride a bike. But he was having NONE of it. I do believe he’s owned no less than 4 bikes in these last years, but they all just sat, unridden.

Then something amazing happened. Lex learned to ride a bike. Lex is 5 and came to me a few months ago and announced that it was the day he would learn to ride his bike and asked me to pump up the tires, take off the training wheels and watch him go. So I did…and he did. Max stood on the sidewalk and watched and cheered him on. Lex has been perfecting his riding skills ever since and Max has continued to watch.

That is, until 2 weeks ago when Max came to me with a handwritten note (because I was on the phone) that said, “MOM! I just rode Gabi’s bike with NO help!” That was it! Max had simply made the decision that he DOES ride bikes, got onto his sister’s bike and off he rode. Done! He now has a bike of his own and has had NO trouble riding.

I understand that he just needed to make the decision and be ready and that his fears kept him from trying. I understand that he’s going to have these sorts of markers all along his life and I understand that the very best thing I can do for him is to continue to present him with opportunities to try new things but not push him too hard. There’s a delicate balance in play here. He is completely capable of doing EVERYTHING. Yes, his fine motor skills and his gross motor skills are challenged by his being identified with Aspergers. But even beyond that, it’s his super-brilliant, stubbornness that we’re really going to have to overcome.

I’m so proud of him for this new accomplishment and SO happy to see him SO happy! Now…let’s tackle shoe-tying. Perhaps if he sees Lex do it first~

Doing the Dance of the Children~

De-cluttering a space…ANY space, can be overwhelming. Often we make mental notes of how badly the space needs to be cleaned and organized, long before we ever DO anything about it. Whether it’s your desk, your closet or your children’s play area, here are a few tips to help ease the anxiety of digging in and cleaning up;

-Survey the space. Make mental (or written) notes on what can immediately go and what you want to do with what remains.

-Make a pile. Seriously! Pile everything from the tops of your spaces in ONE spot so you can look at everything cleaned off and see what needs to be gone through.

-Go through your pile. This is going to require making smaller piles of like-itemed things or papers.

-REMOVE the piles from the room or space. Take them to the hall or onto a counter. Just get them out of there!

-Clean all the surfaces that are to remain. Wipe them down. Vacuum or sweep.

-Now resurvey your area. What’s coming back in? Where is it going? If you don’t have a space for it, get rid of it. Don’t be afraid to put that pile of papers that needs to be filed into a box or bag and tuck it neatly into the closet for the afternoon you designate for filing. At least you’ll know where they are and be able to still clean the space. And if you’re dealing with toys and games, get rid of those long-ago-forgotten items that take up space but are no longer used!

-Now that the space is cleared out and cleaned up, start putting things back. Do some items need to be replaced? If so, remove the old item and leave the space open for the new one. It’s ok that it looks sparse!

Now breathe deeply! Space de-cluttered! You’ll feel ready to make notes for your next project.

~Mom2Mom tips are brought to you by the cleaning professionals at Delight Cleaning and Mommy of Many® (a professional mom)~

Like Delight Cleaning’s Facebook page for more helpful cleaning tips. Got cleaning questions? Ask them on their wall.

I certainly don’t know! Can you help me?!

I haven’t had a haircut since mid August. Why? Because that was the last time I was able to go to San Diego and after finding a stylist I loved and trusted and following her to 3 different salons over a period of 4 years, I just can’t bring myself to find a local stylist. But my hair is driving me crazy! There’s simply nothing that can be done with it other than grab it into a ponytail and move on.

This is what my hair is SUPPOSED to look like.

Even a little overgrown it’s not so bad.

But NOW?! After 5 months of growing, if I want to wear it down, THIS is what I must resort to.

So instead, this is what ends up happening each day.

Yes, it’s not terrible, but it’s certainly not what I want to have to do each day!

Someone tell me who the stylist is that you LOVE. I mean it! You must LOVE them to pass their info onto me. The fact is, I’m simply not going to make it to San Diego anytime soon and I’m over this look.

Doing the Dance of Needing Some ME Pampering~

Recycle, reuse, repurpose! It goes for your leftovers too!

Leftovers get a bum wrap because they’re no fun when they’re simply reheated and reserved. But repurposed and reserved?! That’s a whole different game.

Tonight I took leftover Mr. Yoshida’s chicken from last night, saved some, too-wilty-too-be-eaten-fresh, tricolor peppers from being thrown in the trash, paired them with garlic and a whole, sliced, purple onion and made fajitas. They were served with the choice of refried beans, tortillas, cheese and salsa. Several of the kids ate the chicken/pepper/onion mixture without a tortilla and beans and others enjoyed them fajita style. No matter how the dish was enjoyed, the important part was the fact that leftovers got used and veggies got saved from the trash and everyone had a great dinner.

Use your leftovers! Make them into something completely new and help save your budget in the process.

Doing the Dance of the Children and of Dinner~

We’re busy mamas. Sometimes all we can muster together is 10 minutes. Here are a few tips for making that, seemingly tiny, piece of time make a difference in getting something done. Just imagine what can get done if you can carve out 10 minutes 2 or 3 times each day!

* Set an alarm for 10 minutes and have the kids race to see who can get the most picked up before the timer goes off. This may seem like trickery and older kids are sure to catch on, so I suggest making sure you’re in on the race too. And if they only go for it once, at least you had that ONE time

*Gather up non-dish, washables such as; vases, stove-top burners, your dish sponges (I recommend throwing them in a few times a week), glass or plastic candle-sticks and the kids’ small, plastic toys (place in a mesh bag) and run them through the dishwasher.

*Keep those beloved, stuffed animals dust-free by tossing them into the dryer with a dryer sheet on the the “fluff” or “touch-up” cycle.

*Choose one room, set the timer for 10 minutes and get as much as you can done in ONLY that room. You’ll be amazed at how much can actually get done in that concentrated bit of time!

*Grab baby wipes (or disinfecting wipes if you have them on hand) and walk through the house wiping those hard surfaces as you go.

*Spend just 10 minutes cleaning the mirrors and windows. Sparkling glass goes a long way in making the house feel clean.

*Walk through the house with a Mr. Clean Eraser (a store brand will also do). Nothing’s better at getting the deep-set grime from appliance handles or scuff marks from floors and walls (yes, kids scuff walls!).

*Clean the kitchen. For some reason, nothing makes the house feel cleaner than a clean kitchen. In 10 minutes, you will be able to wipe down counters, load the dishwasher, clean the glass on the microwave and stove and sweep the floor. Voila!

A 10 minute tidy can actually make a huge difference and will leave you feeling accomplished! Don’t be afraid to mandate 10 minute tidies to each of the members of your family. Imagine what can get done if everyone takes just 10 minutes to focus on keeping the home a cleaner and more organized place!

Got 10 minute cleaning tips that you use? Share them! It’s not Mom2Mom if we’re not sharing what we know works!

~Mom2Mom tips are brought to you by the cleaning professionals at Delight Cleaning (check out their facebook page for more cleaning tips) and Mommy of Many (a professional mom)~

I’ve partnered with the great people at Delight Cleaning to bring you Mom2Mom, a weekly blog full of cleaning tips and tricks. Every Monday (starting tomorrow) you’ll be able to log in and find answers to tricky cleaning questions and tips for getting things organized. From time to time there will even be a video to share. As we move through each week, the blogs will be archived under the “Mom2Mom” tab for easy referencing. If you have a cleaning question, please don’t hesitate to send it in. You can send it to me, here or you can go to Delight Cleaning’s facebook page and ask your questions right there. Head over and like them and then keep your eyes open for some specials and giveaways coming soon!

It’s all some Good Stuff to share with busy moms who are trying to get it all done and want to do it quickly, safely and cleanly.

Delight Cleaning, a greener cleaning company with busy moms in mind~

This last week has brought a lot to my schedule. You never really know how much you can fit into your life until you start pushing things closer together to make room for more. This week I started working 3-4 mornings a week at a chiropractic office, picked up a weekly blogging gig AND joined the coolest team of people who are banning together to make new media work for small businesses in this area. It seems that juggling the kids’ schedules, running my website, building my Silpada Designs business and cleaning the house just weren’t enough to truly keep me busy. My hatrack is now full! I will not be taking on any new chapeaus for awhile. I’m super excited about all these new ventures! The chiropractic office offers me the chance to learn new skills (office work), the blogging feeds my love of writing and joining the team fills my love of being social. Yea! And not to mention that they all help me make that new car payment! Good Stuff!

Gabriella, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to think I’ve taken on enough. She spent an entire evening of keeping me in stitches while she told me why I need to get married and that it should be before Easter and then detailed exactly how I should go about finding this new husband. Did you know that looking at people’s faces in the grocery store is a sure-fire way to figuring out who a good life-mate would be?! Gabi thinks so! She walked through the grocery store with me making such exclamations as, “Look at him, he looks like Rod Stewart.” Or, “He already has a son, so he’ll know what to do.” Then she pointed out that the guy checking us out had a job and liked talking to me. Nice! I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard, in a long time. I also don’t think I’ll be taking her grocery shopping with me again anytime soon.

Doing the Dance of the Children and Enjoying my Hat Collection~

One of the fun things we did over the Christmas Break was to have an Xbox 360 party. Thanks to Redbox and the good people at Smiley360 I was provided with some complimentary rental codes, planned a good day to get together with friends, rented some games, put together some snacks and watched the kids (and dads) have a good time.

The girls enjoyed Sonic Generations

We had plenty of snacks on-hand so the gamers had plenty of energy to keep playing

The boys enjoyed Spider-Man: Edge of Time

Gathering around to watch and wait for their turns

Then the pizza arrived to make it a REAL party!

Pizza and gaming-a great combo!

This dad waited patiently for his turn and chose to play Sonic Generations

Little kids enjoying the fun of the game

Not only was I provided with rental codes for our party, but I was sent our own copy of Sonic Generations to keep and enjoy. The kids took it to their dad’s house for a weekend of gaming fun.

Lex (5) was intent on playing

Tristan (12) said he really liked it and was happy it was ours to keep because he wants to keep playing it.

All the Little Langs had fun exploring the game and watching each other play!

Redbox makes it inexpensive and easy to put together an afternoon of fun. To ensure the game (or movie) you’re looking for is in stock and ready for you, I suggest using their handy online “Find” feature. Go to their website, click on the game or movie of your choice, click “rent” and click “Find”. You’ll be sent to the exact location where your item is waiting for you. Easy! Redbox carries games for 3 gaming systems, PS3, wii and XBOX360. Chances are you can easily and inexpensively find what you’re looking for! Don’t forget to go to the Redbox Facebook Fan page and like them to keep up on all that’s new and enjoy special offers and promos!

We’ll be going back for more! Thanks to Redbox and Smiley360 for adding some extra fun to our vacation!

Doing the Dance of the Children and Patiently Awaiting My Turn at the Game~

You guys did GREAT! I received text messages, emails and Facebook messages to remind me not to forget the all-important phone call. Hooray!

Before Max went to sleep, he came over to tell me that he’d figured out how it all works;

“The real fairies are so small and hard for us to see that they kept getting squished. So they decided it was best for them to stay in their land and they just communicate the right things for the parents to do through the phone calls and sometimes in whispering or thinking. This is why when you wake up and see the parent putting the money under your pillow, that they’re doing it. It just isn’t safe for the real fairies anymore”.

I refuse to do anything but nod, smile and hug that boy over this explanation!

Doing the Dance of the Children and Cherishing Their Imaginations~

Max has been anxiously awaiting one of his wiggly “silver” teeth to finally make a clean break and leave him holding what he believes to be his ticket to the Dollar Store or the Dollar Spot at Target. Today was the day! He came home from school proudly holding a small, orange, plastic tooth holder with his trophy tooth inside.

Here’s where your help come in…

DO NOT let me forget to call the tooth fairy!!!! I am known for my horrid tooth fairy skills! I can’t let the build up on this tooth go uncelebrated.

Calling all Mamas-remind me!

Doing the Dance of the Children and the Tooth Fairy~

After weeks off from the “regular” routine, after weeks of visiting with family and friends, after weeks of kids sleeping as late as 10 am, after weeks of not tackling all the things I said I’d do “over break”, I’m faced with only hours before I’ll be awakened by the jarring sound of the alarm. It’ll be time to be on-task and in work mode.

It was a fabulous break! It was full of visitors, good food and lots of fun. All my kids were together for the first time since last December. Yes, this meant more work in some ways, but it also meant the wholeness that only comes when they are all here. Each of them holds a piece of the puzzle that makes the house full. Yes, I know that kids grow up and out, but it doesn’t change the fact that there’s a completeness to them all in the house together. It was good for the younger kids to reconnect with their older siblings who are away at school. It was good to hear their stories and to visit with them and good to have them lend a hand in all the things around the house.

This was our first Christmas since we’ve moved and since my divorce. The kids did as well as could be expected with going back and forth between houses. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we all gathered in my house and celebrated. Yes, there were moments that were strained and even uncomfortable, but this is new, all of it. We did well!

~Sigh~

Now it’s back to mostly “regular” life. I make a late-night trip to the airport for Maddi tonight and Mariah is staying until the 22nd. But other than that, it’s back to the busyness of sports, school and alarm clocks. It’s time for me to refocus on my business and time to finish packing all the Christmas decor back into boxes in the garage.

I’m thankful for pictures that create an indelible image of moments in time. There were good moments to capture and I’ll be happy to revisit them when I miss my older kids!

Doing the Dance of the Children~