Mommy of Many®

The only mistake I made was turning my back. I thought I’d covered my bases and set everyone up to be occupied while I tried to pack us up to enjoy an outting. How could I have been so silly?

Lex used his unsupervised time to “draw the way  the AppleTV so that everyone could watch Bugs Bunny”. Thanks for the clearly marked pathway. Geesh!

Many, many walls in several houses have been decorated by these 9 children of mine. Yet, I still wonder why they do it. Have I not provided enough drawing paper? Color books? Writing pads? The walls? Really?! Do they think I won’t notice? That they won’t get in trouble?

~sigh~

The mind of a child can be a mystery, no matter how many times you’ve walked the path.

Well, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and I have been good friends for a long time. I guess it’s time for a date. But guess who’s not going to find convenient parking at Balboa Park today.

Doing the Dance of the Children, with Plenty of Elbow Grease~

As in any house, I use many cleaning products to get the job done.  But there are 3 things that I can not live without.  

1. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser-This product is perfectly named, because it IS magic!  I am able to clean textured wall, appliance handles, porous countertops, and cabinet fronts like I was never able to before.  I discovered the “Magic Eraser” about 3 1/2 years ago while in the commissary.  I had heard of it and decided to give it a try.  So, I bought a 2-pack and tried them on the appliance handles when I got home.  I quickly moved on to the hall walls.  By then I was out of “Magic Erasers” and stopped a neighbor who was on her way to the commissary and gave her $20 to get me as many as she could.  I’ve never looked back!  There have been some emails that have gone around about children getting “burns” on their skin from using the product.  I’m wondering if these are children who have a skin sensitivity to begin with, because my children have all (and I do mean ALL) used the product either to clean an area of the house that they were assigned to, or if it was one of the littler ones, to “clean” along side me and have never had a problem.  So, it’s probably best to be careful if you’re unsure about skin reactions in your own children, but as an adult I can’t say enough about the amazing ability of this product to get rid of deep-down grime!  

2. Shout Color Catchers-Laundry became so much easier after I found out about this product!  I used to sort all the colors in combos like; red and pink, black and dark blue, etc. Of course there were always strange combinations that I wasn’t really sure what to do with .  The Color Catcher takes the fuss out of it all.  You just through a Color Catcher sheet in with your wash (I’ve used 1/2 a sheet on older clothes that I don’t think are going to bleed and have used 2 sheets with new, red items) and it “catches” all the stray dye that is in the water.  The sheets come out in amazing colors!  You can find them on the laundry isle.  I recommend never doing another load of colored laundry without them!  I know I won’t.   

3. Clorox Bleach Pen-I love being able to control exactly where the bleach ends up!  3 of my kiddos wear white, uniform shirts to school.  That means there’s a lot of bleaching that happens.  This product is great for just touching up the exact spot that needs it.  I also use it on the grout in the kitchen counters.  It gets in and cleans out the stains better than anything else I’ve found.  This is definitely not a product that I would let the kiddos use, because it is bleach and could be harmful to their skin, clothing, etc.  But, I am a huge fan.  

Alright, those are 3 amazing things that make it possible for me to feel like the house is liveable.  If you have a great product that you rely on, I’d love to hear about it and give it a try. 

Have a great night~