Pinner Winners

I've decided to share some of the wonderfulness of Pinterest here on my blog every once in a while.  If you missed the first "Pinner Winners"  click here.

This week I'd like you to meet:
1. Older and Wisor.  An abundance of creative gift wrapping/giving is in store for you here.

Need more easy craft ideas?  Check out "My Crafts" Pinterest board.

2. Kevin and Amanda are the king/queen of the Free Font kingdom.  Their website(s) are full of amazing ideas so I am dying to try these Texas Gold Chess Squares.

I've pinned them to "My Yummies" board.  Can't wait to go to the grocery so I can try this yummy, but so simple recipe!

3. BHG never disappoints with amazing ideas.  I love this simple, yet charming way to add fall to the front porch.

Check out "My Holidays" Pinterest board for more year around ideas.

4. Martha Stewart suggests this super fun idea for a fall party, which could be used anytime of the year by changing the shape.

This would be way more fun than a pinata and way less chaotic. Check out more party ideas on "My Party" Pinterest board.

5. I love, love, love this list from Hopes and Dreams of 30 questions to ask your spouse.  What a fun way to keep the conversation (and interest) alive.  These are perfect for date night!

I tucked this pin into "My Miscellaneous Goodies" because everybody needs a fun junk drawer to stick little treasures.  ;)

Pinner Winners

I personally believe that Pinterest is the most wonderful thing ever created, well, next to Swiss Cake Rolls.  I thought I'd start, on a regular basis, sharing some of the amazing things I have discovered.  No need for me to keep all this goodness to myself!  ;)

1. Pinned to "My Room Ideas"

 Kiki's List shows this gorgeous and brave room transformation.  I love the color combo.  So happy and brave.  Did I mention how brave she is to paint the ceiling?!  Love it!!!

2. Pinned to "My Yard and House Ideas"

 Becky, from Organizing Made Fun created an amazing workspace in her shed.  I love, love, love the idea of a painted peg board!  So many possibilities: the garage, the barn, my office...

3. Pinned to "My Food Possibilities"

Southern Plate gives a great recipe for Slow Cooker Coke Chicken.
I made it this week (with a few alterations) and it was a big hit at Casa de NEM.
I didn't have Coke, so we used grape Fanta.  I substituted a lime for the lemon, and used boneless chicken.  We shredded it and served it on buns.  Success!

4. Pinned to "My Organized Life"

Julie from Kreative Jewels is brilliant!  I love this clever way to store ribbon!

5. Pinned to "My Accessories"

Selina Lake used these for a photo shoot but they gave me an idea: paint my own curtain rods in FUN colors!!!  This will look adorable in my girls' rooms!

So, what's your favorite pin this week?  Do share!

Airing My Dirty Laundry

Are there certain things in your house that you kind of ignore?  I do.  One of them is my washing machine.  I should take better care of her because she's been a vital part of this family for 13+ years.  I don't know about you, but most days, my laundry room is the busiest room in my home.  With 3 kids who like to get dirty play hard and a husband that works outside, my washing machine works overtime.
So I came across "How to Clean Your Washing Machine" on the internets last week and thought, "hmm, I wonder if my washing machine is dirty?"

Grody, gross, gross GROSS!!!!

Um.  Yeah.  How could I be using it multiple times a day without noticing the nastiness that had built up?  I could totally use this as a good analogy for my heart...

So I quickly checked out the directions and got busy.
It's an easy 2-step process.

1. Set the washer on a medium size HOT load.  Add 2 cups vinegar.  The original directions said to let it sit for an hour for each step, but since this was an intervention a spur of the moment cleansing, I didn't have time for that.  While the washer was steamy from the hot water, I used a towel to wipe the upper edges and lid.

2. Run a second medium size HOT load.  Add 2 cups bleach.  I ran one more "rinse" cycle to be sure the bleach was gone.

That's it!  Here's the result:

I was amazed.
Yes, there are still some stains around the base of the agitator, but we have hard/well water so there's not much I can do about that.  Besides, I have a few more "stains" on my own body than I did 13 years ago.  ;)



I'm linking up with:

Show and Tell with Mrs. Hines

How Pinterest Makes Me Smarter

Unless you've been living under a rock (which is probably quite cozy, though lacking in decor), you've probably heard the buzz about Pinterest.  Maybe you've heard about it, but you haven't jumped on the bandwagon.  Like ANY area in life, we have to guard our hearts from allowing it to become too time consuming.  But, if you are willing to use self control (i.e. time management) it can be a wonderful tool.

Pinterest is a place to stick all of those great visual ideas in one spot that catch your eye while on the internet, without making a book out of your bookmarks.  I have my Pinterest boards divided into categories.  So many wonderful ideas to help me run my home more efficiently and beautifully are in a neat little space called a "board."  The pictures I am sharing today are from my "My Organized Life" board.

*Click on each picture to go to these great sources and find more brilliant ideas.

Some of the pictures I pin to my boards are self-explanitory.  

Others lead me to great sites with tons of smart ideas.

 

Some of my pins lead me to other "Pinners."  

(Click on this one ... it's brilliant!)

 More "why didn't I think of that?"

Other pins (found on Pinterest boards of friends that I follow) lead me to new friends and great blogs.

"How To Make Your Sink Shine" led me to a new bloggy friend yesterday.

Critics may say that Pinterest is a time waster and can cause discontentment.  I have found it to be a great resource for smart and beautiful ideas to flourish.  Where else would have I found out that a parmesan cheese lid will fit a Mason jar??  ;)

Happy Pinning!