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Mixing indoor and outdoor furnishings on a porch or patio is an excellent way to integrate house and garden. Ideas taken
from interior design -- such as the dramatic use of color -- can give outdoor furniture an important decorative presence.
Do You Know?
Wicker can be a challenge
to clean because dust tends to accumulate in its crevices. To draw it out, vacuum pieces regularly using a soft-brush attachment. Furniture Care
Outdoor tables, chairs, and lawn
chaises are built from materials that are generally tough enough to withstand sun, rain, and wind. Day to day, they require
little more than frequent hosing off. Specialized care is required, however, when stains, scuffs, and scrapes appear. In many
cases, cleaners and waxes designed for the care of cars, boats, and decks are appropriate for use on outdoor furnishings.
At the end of the season, cover outdoor furnishings with canvas or cotton sheeting to keep them free of dust and protected
from moisture. Store the furniture in a shed, a garage, or on a covered porch. Or, if it can't be kept in a protected area,
wrap it well in waterproof tarps designed for outdoor storage of furniture. Fabric
Outdoor woven fabrics generally undergo a chemical treatment during manufacturing
to increase stain and moisture resistance, regardless of whether they are made from synthetic fibers, such as vinyl-coated
polyester or acrylic, or from cotton blends.
Once a week, hose fabrics down to remove dust, dirt, and body oils.
To deep clean, scrub with a utility brush and a solution of mild soap, such as Dr. Bronner's, and lukewarm water. Avoid detergents
and hot water, which can strip the protective coating off of outdoor fabrics. If fabrics are badly stained or mildewed,
scrub with a solution of 1/ 2 cup oxygen bleach and 5 gallons of warm water. This article was excerpted from "Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook."
BED BUGS can be a real BITCH!!! 
The National Pest Management Association reported
a 71% increase in bedbug calls between 2000 and 2009. Detecting bed
bugs during the early stages of an infestation
and the elimination of bed bugs after
treatment are critical in effective management of bed bugs and will minimize the long-term management cost. Unfortunately, bed bugs are difficult to locate during visual inspections due to their small size and cryptic behavior.A full inspection of
an occupied room usually requires two
experienced technicians and hours of labor.
Even so, physical inspections are unreliable
and often severely underestimate the actual number of bed bugs in apartments and homes. Bed bugs are attracted to heat, odor, and CO2. In occupied apartments or homes, baited pitfall traps captured bed bugs that were not detected by visual inspections
in apartments and homes. The mean numbers
of bed bugs detected by trapping and by
visual inspection. In the unoccupied apartment, the baited pitfall trap captured 505 bed bugs (91.1% were nymphs). After occupancy we captured 113 bed
bugs on the 21st day. A visual inspection to identify low levels of bed bug infestation is a very time consuming and difficult task.
Stains are a nuisance. I have lost clothes
to them, they have dictated where I move my furniture, and worst of all, my to do list gets longer because of them. I hate them... I hate stains. To overcome my role of being a victim of stains, I've decided to become a... Stain
removal master!!! You need to know what stain removal
products to use on what stains... There is the lipstick on glassware stain. To remove,
try white non-jel toothpaste to rub out the stain. Second, is the red wine stains. Blot with cold water, followed by an application
of lemon juice and salt then a wash in cold water. (I just found out I can do this, it's amazing how
many shirts I have ruined because I love a good Pinot Noir.) What about writing on wall papered walls?
What do you got? Crayon art work? Well, at the risk of removing a masterpiece in the disguise
of crayon scratch, try using a blow dryer. Use the blow dryer on medium
heat to warm the wax. Wipe with a damp magic eraser (my little friend) Be
Alert.... Please, please, please! Before you try any stain
removal remedies here or anywhere else, TEST on spots that are not noticeable.
Home
decorating can be stylish and comfortable, budget-conscious and beautiful. Rather than suggest expensive, over-the-top solutions
to decorating dilemmas, 2 Bitches on a Broom will come up with inventive, resourceful ideas that are within
the average person's means. The before
and after photos below prove that with less than $15 for paint, a few items found around your home, and a creative mind...you
also can have a porch for summer entertaining just like Kelly.
| Kelly Hynes Re-Organizing and Decorating Project |
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| Before 2 Bitches |
| Kelly Hynes Re-Organizing and Decorating Project |
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| Before 2 Bitches |
| Kelly Hynes Re-Organizing and Decorating Project |
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| WOW!!! After 2 Bitches |
| Kelly Hynes Re-Organizing and Decorating Project |
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| WOW!!! After 2 Bitches |
| Kelly's Great Grandma's Rocker |
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| Before 2 Bitches |
| Kelly's Great Grandma's Rocker |
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| WOW!!! After 2 Bitches |
Today's topic is provided by Dr. Kelly Scott-Hynes with 20!20 Vision 
Call and schedule your Eye
Exam today, say 2 Bitches, and recieve 10% off you next eye exam. 803.748.9994
First question is where do
you start? Before you get out the rags other essential cleaning supplies, start by making sure that everything is straight
and in its place. If you start vacuuming, for example, you don't want to be constantly starting and stopping to move things
out of your way. Straighten and pick things up first. Remove magazines other mail and papers from the furniture before
starting to dust and polish it. Doing the rest of the house cleaning chores is much easier and quicker once this part of the
cleaning is done. So get those small but time consuming tasks out of the way first. Before you start cleaning a room, gather all the house cleaning products you are going to use in cleaning that room
together. Doing this one thing will make the cleaning go so much easier and faster, you won't believe it. You can use a small
bin to make it easier to carry all of your house cleaning products around with you from room to room. Some cleaning products
that you will want to include in your bin is window cleaner, furniture polish, rags, antibacterial spray, and carpet cleaner
and freshener. Vinegar is one of the eco friendly house cleaning products you can use, and cleaning with vinegar is a
very effective way to clean almost all surfaces. Some people don't know it but vinegar doesn't leave a vinegar smell and actually
deodorizes the air. Also keep a small container or garbage bag handy to put your trash in. Start your cleaning the room at the top and move your way down to the floor. By getting the cobwebs out of the
corners of the ceiling and dusting the top selves first, all the dust is already on the floor before you clean it. Don't be
running back and forth from one room to another to clean. Start and finish cleaning one room before starting your house cleaning
tasks in another room. Your friends and other people will notice how clean
your home is and admire you because you keep it so clean. Everyone notices immediately upon entering a home whether it is
clean or not. A clean home is also much healthier because proper cleaning of your home also disinfects from bacteria and fungus. Kathrine E. Walker is a Cleaning Specialist and author. Her latest book, "The Ultimate Book of House Speed Cleaning
Quik N Easy Secrets" is available at: http://www.quik-n-easy.com |
Your Spring Cleaning Shopping list...Trust
me!!!
All puprose cleaner is a must. I have 2 favorites...Simple Green  and Fabuloso. The 2 of these products combined while cleaning a kitchen or a bathroom are fantastic. I gather all of the cleaning
products I like to use in a bin or a bucket, mine is on wheels... so if I am scrubbing the floor on my hands & knees,
I can just roll it out of the way. Doing this one thing makes cleaning so much easier and faster, you won't believe it.
 Scrubbing Bubbles, works in a kitchen just like a bathroom, don't be fooled. Get the whole bathroom wet... I have mentioned before...always start from top to bottom in any room, and make sure you complete that room before
starting another room. Work in a clockwise motion while doing this so you are getting EVERY bit of the
room. Then start wiping and scrubbing, the bubbles will do the hard part, all you need is a little elbow grease to follow.
Always DRY...sort of like wax on wax off. Have one rag that is for drying and polishing in one hand, and use the other rag
for scrubbing and wiping.
I recommend microfiber rags... . Always try to have 2 colors, so you know which one you used with each product,
it can become confusing. Glass Cleaner??? So many to choose from, so little time. I REALLY like our Bitches Brew, you can call us and we would be happy to
sell it to you for $9.00 a Bottle. Contact us. Magic Erasers are just like they sound.
You see the commercials and think "Yeah right, this is like an AS SEEN ON TV type of product" Wrong, they are the best. You can use them everywhere, I always have at least 3 or 4 in my bin, and if they are dirty,
throw them in the washing machine with your rags, and they are like new again.  I should have stock in Magic erasers.
I’ve got too much stuff! You can call this the “which came first, the chicken or the egg?
excuse." Instead of saying that you can’t get organized because you have too much stuff shouldn’t you say
“I must get organized because I have so much stuff”?
I’ve no home for this stuff! Clearly there is a problem with this excuse. You
have an attic, a garage or a carport, a walk-in closet, some plastic tubs, a storage shed, a rental storage space, four other
closets, 14 kitchen cupboards, several under-the-sink cabinets in the bathroom, a coat closet, a linen closet (or two), a
laundry room … need I continue? Your
problem isn’t finding a home for this stuff. Your problem is that all of the homes for your stuff are filled with other
stuff. Call this TMS Disease: too-much-stuff. If you’ve outgrown your closet, your desk, your file cabinets, your room,
your office and even your home, it isn’t the size of the storage space. It is the size of the stuff. Dump this excuse
along with a lot of this excess stuff.
I’ve no time for this stuff! Of course you don’t have time to deal with these stacks and piles of clutter. All your time is spent
moving your stuff from this room to that, from that pile to this one. You spend your time hunting for car keys, wallets, the
missing shoe, over-due bills, your W-4 for taxes, a clean pair of socks and your sanity. If you worked at organization, what
you’d find is more time.
It’s not my mess! This is a fill-in-the-blank excuse. “I never had this problem until___________.”
Possible answers include “I got married. My mother died. I had three kids. I got promoted at work and got this office.
We decided to blend two households.” Really, you can use any excuse here but in the end, it is your mess. If it impacts
your home, your work, your office or your routine, then it really is your mess. Ditch the excuse along with the mess. No one taught me how to be organized!Sometimes,
people say “If you think I’m bad, you should see my Momma!” True enough that you may not have grown up in
the most organized home but you can learn to be organized. After all, at one time you didn’t know how to operate a computer,
drive a car or heat up pizza in the microwave. Somewhere along the way, you learned a lot of skills you use in life. You can
learn to organize too.
Alright, I’ll do it tomorrow! Didn’t you say this yesterday too? This time, put some action behind
that excuse of putting it off until tomorrow. Begin with an action plan. Figure out what you want to organize. Make a to-do
list for that project. Divide the tasks up among time slots on your calendar. Keep those appointments with yourself.
Stress less tip #1: Get a bluetoothA bluetooth headset is a very important staple. As a busy mom, you will want to have conversations with other adults (possibly even telemarketers)
just to keep in touch with the outside world. I always thought all those people driving their cars wearing bluetoothes
looked extremely silly. However, I will readily admit that they figured out a secret to surviving the madness earlier than
I did. They can do whatever they are doing (in their case, driving) and talk on the phone at the same time. It's a beautiful
thing. The headset phone allows you to talk while you cook, clean, change diapers, make bottles -- you name it! Your neck
will thank you, trust me. Invest in a headset for your current phone or get a headset phone altogether if your current phone
will not accommodate a headset attachment.
Stress less tip #2: ChocolateIf you ever feel guilty about
consuming this heavenly delight that can improve even the worst of moods, consider this: Chocolate is actually a vegetable.
That's right, folks. Think of it this way: Chocolate is derived from the cocoa bean and bean equals vegetable, right? Sugar
is derived from either sugar cane or sugar beets, both of which are plants -- in the vegetable family. Thus, chocolate is
a vegetable (plus, chocolate bars contain dairy, which is good for your bones). Need I say more?
Stress less
tip #3: Paint it prettyColor therapy was likely first practiced by the Ancient Egyptians, who shone sunlight through
colored gems onto those who sought healing. Today, this therapy is used in many of the nation's premier spas as a way to soothe
the frazzled mind and assist with meditation. Tones of blue have been shown to encourage relaxation and tranquility as well
as inspire patience and calming thoughts. If it works with the neighboring rooms' decor, why not paint your primary work area
a shade of blue? If blue simply will not work, know that greens and purples are also calming colors. Reds, yellows, and oranges,
however, are stimulating. Try to avoid these colors in those areas where you spend a great deal of time. As I'm sure you're
well aware, neither moms nor their kids need to be any more stimulated than they already are by 5:30 PM.
 Stress less tip #4: Buy 14,000 Things to be Happy About, by Barbara Ann KipferI love this book. It is impossible
not to find something on nearly every page of it that will evoke a fond or funny memory and make you smile even in your worst
hour. I actually highlighted (way back when I had free time) my favorites so I could find them quickly. Some personal favorites:
The Electric Company (TV show), funnel cakes, and shorty skis. By the way, what ever happened to The Electric
Company? (or 3-2-1 Contact for that matter!)
Stress less tip #5: Visit 30-Day GourmetAre
you as tired as I am of what I now refer to as the "4 o'clock panic?" This is when you stop to think, oftentimes
out loud, "Okay, what are we going to have for dinner tonight?" (It's also usually about the same time your husband
calls and asks the same question.) Until recently, five out of seven nights a week, that question was answered at my house
with the word "cereal" or "pancakes." No longer. And not because I've suddenly become a devoted cook.
I found out about a fabulous site product: 30 Day Gourmet. Their site allows you to download and test out for 30 days -- and then order -- a cookbook that will allow you to bake 30
nights' worth of meals in one "lazy Sunday afternoon" (as if such a thing exists anymore)! It can be modified, of
course. Bake enough meals for two weeks if that's all you need. I am simply so pleased to be able to announce that "Tonight,
we'll be having Chicken in a Pot (even though my four-year-old often responds with "Can't we just have pancakes)?
Stress less tip #6: Get a good chiropractorWhat is the most common physical complaint of moms?
Low back pain. In a two-year study completed in 1990 by Britain's Medical Research Council, chiropractic treatment was found
more effective than hospital out-patient care for low back pain. Now, I realize that the image many of us get when thinking
about getting a chiropractic adjustment is that of Madonna lying on a table having her neck whipped around in that Truth or
Dare documentary of her Blind Ambition Tour, but I have become a firm believer in this alternative form of medicine.
I don't trust it to cure disease just yet, but in terms of helping my ever-aching back and neck, it's a godsend. According
to Dr Jennifer Wise, director of the Synergy Institute in Naperville, Illinois, "It has been my experience that integrating
the arts of chiropractic and physical therapy in one setting benefits the patient, allowing them to achieve faster and more
complete healing. As a chiropractor, I work to align the patient's skeletal structure, while our on-site physical therapist
works with the patient's soft tissues to make the healing process occur more quickly. It is important to train the soft tissues
to have memory and endurance so that postural correction is long lasting."
Stress less tip #7: Keep
a small walletAll moms know that given the opportunity, they could fill an L.L. Bean, large-sized duffel bag with
supplies for a day away from home with their children. The key to not doing that (once you're truly beyond the "I have
to take everything in the house with me" stage) is to ensure that your purse is not big enough to carry much more than
the basic necessities. I make sure mine is only large enough to accommodate a wallet, cell phone, antibacterial gel, and Snickers
bar. Same goes for wallets; buy a big one, and you're going to somehow acquire thirty credit cards (or a variety of Starbucks
Buy-10-Get-One-Free cards and the like) and the poor contraption will be ready to explode at any moment. Find a wallet that is only large enough for your license, a credit card or two, and some cash.
 Stress less tip #8: Claim your quiet timeJoseph Campbell said, "You must have a certain hour of the day where
you do not know what was in the morning paper -- a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are,
and what you might be" This time has become even more important in my daily routine than taking a shower (and many days,
trust me, I do trade one for the other!). Life is a journey. Oftentimes, we feel as though we're lost and the map is missing
somewhere under a big pile of toys. Who are we? What are we here for? What will we do with ourselves when our children actually
leave the house one day?
Spending some spiritual quiet time each morning and/or evening is invaluable. It can keep
you centered and focused, and remind you that there is something so much greater than you at work in your life. That fact
allows me to let go of my need to control everything (at least for a moment or two). Three great books to get you started
on your journey: Wisdom of the Ages: 60 Days to Enlightenment by Wayne W. Dyer, The Power of Now: A Guide to
Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle, and One Day My Soul Just Opened Up, by Iyanla Vanzant. Stress less tip
#9: Get a cell phoneIf you don't have a cell phone by this point -- for any reason -- I beg you to get one this evening.
All women should have one for safety's sake. I'm certainly not encouraging anyone to have conversations while driving, however,
I personally feel quite naked if I get halfway down the block and realize that I've forgotten my phone. While out and about,
it's comforting to know you can be reached at any time if one of your children needs you.
Unfortunately, the most
life-altering sanity-saver for busy moms has not yet been invented. I envision it as a robot of sorts that does everything
from cleaning to cooking to dressing kids for school. One day, perhaps. For now, I'm sticking with low expectations and a
Hershey Bar. Information provided by www.sheknows.com
Cleaning window's
is a real BITCH! Thanks
Barbara with... 
and Stacy Lindenburg.
for the topic for the week!!! When springtime season
approaches many people generally think about window cleaning tips to clean their windows. Today, windows that are installed are much easier to clean and keep clean. There are many window types which
allow the outside to be cleaned from the inside of the home due to a fold down method manufacturers introduced in the early
90’s. Homes that are historic may have the original glazed french style windows. This job is a bit more time consuming.
But follow our tips, and you will still be pleased. The cleaning product that
most home owners use today is Windex or a similar type. The product that works
best for window cleaning either has ammonia in the solution or vinegar. These are the two most popular. If it is a traditional window which slides down from top to bottom, then clean the top front
first and then the top back of the window since this would be the most logical. Then push the window back up in the right
position to work on the bottom half of the window. Exterior window sills usually have pollen built up this time of year. I
recommend a microfiber rag, and H20, with Sprayaway Glass cleaner , or our homemade BITCHES BREW, just to get the dirt and pollen loose, then wipe with alot of elbow
grease. A magic eraser is always good to have on hand for tough spots. Begin with
the bottom half of the window’s outside and then finish the bottom inside of the window. Remember that if these windows
have screens, which many of them usually do, you must remove the screen first. For people who have the larger
windows which do not open, it would be necessary to clean them from the outside. In this case, a cleaning solution can be
sprayed on the glass and then use a microfiber rag to clean it off. For the larger and higher windows, a ladder will be necessary when cleaning. If you need to hire someone to do your window
cleaning, contact 2 Bitches on a Broom.
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