Thank Goodness for Folex - A Must Have Around the House

On Wednesday, I posted this lovely picture above on facebook of my daughter's Blue Raspberry Icee spill on our couch cushion. 

After the spray and rub magic of Folex, here's how the couch cushion looks today...

Seriously MAGIC! This is why I keep my house fully stocked with Folex at all times. It works this well on carpet, too!  I buy my Folex at Bed, Bath & Beyond (taking full advantage of their 20% off coupons), but I think you can get it at grocery stores, too.

Do you have any must have household cleaners or products?  Please share in the comments section below.

Posted by Leslie

It's 2013: What Are We going to Do with Our House This Year?

2012 was a busy year for upgrades/updates to our house.  We got a new roof, new exterior paint color, and we repiped.  All were deemed necessities for the maintenance of our house.

While they have worked towards the betterment of our home, since the pipes are thankfully hidden between our walls, and I rarely see the exterior of our house, all I can say about them (with great sarcasm) is, "woo hoo." (Note, I didn't even capitalize the "w" or "h.")

Don't get me wrong, I know I signed up for this when we bought this house 2-1/2 years ago.  But that is why I am so excited and hopeful for 2013 to be the year of "pretty-ment" or beautifying inside our house.  But when you want to change so many things in your home, where do you begin?

I mean, we want to makes changes to our kitchen, family room, living room, office, master bedroom and bathrooms. (I guess that means my dining room and laundry room have really got it going on!)

Just after Christmas, we met with a structural designer/space planner to help us figure out where to start, and I think we are going to begin with the kitchen. 

It's overwhelming to think of where to even begin with the kitchen.  We know we want to change the color of our cabinets and tear out a wall.  But since neither of those involve shopping, I would rather spend my time thinking about new small dining tables.  Our current table is way too big for the space it currently occupies in our kitchen.  Here are a couple of ideas I like so far:

I like the idea of a pedestal table so that I can stop stubbing my toe on the 4 posts of my current kitchen table.  And I am keeping my fingers crossed that my kids haven for clutter (as seen below) can be turned into an amazing bench seat.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed the our planning and ideas come to fruition AND the money fairy makes a stop at our house to pay for all of it.

Happy 2013!!!

Posted by Leslie

How to Welcome Guests During This Holiday Season

It always seems that during the holidays I have many last minute or unexpected visitors. And while I absolutely love having guests over, as soon as I get the call, I run around, clean up the toys, straighten the house, and see what I have to serve.

Even if I don't have time for all of the above, I love to have out a beverage tray. This way I can offer my guests a drink when they come in from the cold. It is so easy to put together with a few mugs, several teas, honey, sugar, your favorite instant hot cocoa and you're set.

I usually make this up come October and leave it out through January. If you don't have counter space, put it together and store it away in your pantry and then you can pull it out when guests arrive.
If you have a fun coffee/drink machine, you could put together a tray with a chocolate spoons, festive napkins, sweetener or sugar, marshmallows, Bailey's, etc.

I find that it is an unexpected and thoughtful way to welcome your guests. Happy host/hostessing!

Posted by Liz

{Images above from www.stonegableblog.com and brandyscrafts.blogspot.com}

Using Ice Cubes to Water Plants

My mother-in-law gave me a little trick on watering an orchid. To make sure I didn't over-water, she said she just uses three ice cubes every 4-5 days and allows them to melt on the top of the soil.

Results: So far, so good!

Babies: The Honest Company Provides Exactly What They (and Their Parents) Need

Babies don't ask for much - just love, food, rest, and a clean diaper.  But it is funny how much work it takes to provide them with those four seemingly easy requests.

Somehow I have managed to get my kids to ages 7 and 4, and I have at least moved past the diaper phase.  But so many friends that either are pregnant or have babies ask me for advice all the time.  And it amazes me just how many things have changed and evolved in only a few years!

So how is a new parent supposed to know what products to buy and use for their babies and home?

Enter The Honest Company. 

Diamond Candles are a Girl's Best Friend + Giveaway

On Wednesday, I purchased the Diamond Candles Plum District Deal for just $15 and redeemed the voucher that very same day.  And guess what already arrived at my doorstep on Saturday?!?!  My Diamond Candle!

In case you are unaware, every Diamond Candle comes with a ring inside that can be valued anywhere from $10 to $5,000!  (I know I won't get the $5,000 ring, but I love the whole Cracker Jack prize inside the box idea!)

If you didn't already buy this Plum District Deal, you still have 1 day, so hurry and buy one now!

BUT WAIT!  THERE'S MORE!

(3) lucky Houses, Couches and Babies readers will win a $10 Plum District promo code, making this deal just $5! 

How do you win this promo code?  It's simple...the first 3 people to comment below requesting a promo code will get one!  Hurry, and enter now!  This giveaway is good through 5pm PST tomorrow (Monday, June 25). 

Good luck! 

Turn Your Yard From Drab to Fab with a PLUM STEAL from Armstrong Gardens

That is what I plan to do with my yard. About a year ago we removed three trees from our backyard, but have yet figured out what to put in their place. Armstrong Gardens and Plum District to the rescue!

Plum District is running a Plum Steal right now where you can get $30 to spend at Armstrong Gardens for just 15 bucks!

Now, I know that it is going to take more that $30 to turn this backyard from drab to fab, but it is a start...and even more importantly for me, it is inspiring!

Carnations Get a Bad Rap

Carnations have been tainted in my mind since the days of high school dances.  (Say in your best valley girl voice, "Carnation corsages and boutonnieres are so gross!")

But when used in bunches for arrangements, carnations can be beautiful and fluffy!  I personally love them arranged in a half sphere.  I used these carnation arrangements for a Sip and See baby shower earlier this month and was pretty pleased with how they turned out. 

Oh, and as you probably know, carnations are a great value!  Plus, my arrangement from 2 weeks ago is still alive, kicking and beautiful!  What a great way to add beauty and freshness to your home for a small price!

P.S. Details on the fun Sip and See baby shower are coming soon!

Let Your Dishwasher Do the Work

For as long as I have been washing dishes, and that is too many years to count, I have always washed and rinsed my dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.  Basically, I washed my dishes by hand and then put them in the dishwasher to get really, really clean.  A little over a year ago after moving into our home, we had a dishwasher repair man come out because we were not happy with our diswasher's performance.  He recommended using the Finish Powerball tabs and putting dishes in the dishwasher dirty. (Click here to read more about My New Dishwashing Friend.) He claimed that dishwasher detergents do a better job with oils and foods on dishes because they activate the cleaning molecules in the detergents.

He also made sure to tell me that the bottom rack of a dishwasher is designed for items that are straight up and down (i.e. plates and silverware).  Placing a bowl face down is a no-no because it hinders the water distribution and thus the cleaning in the entire dishwasher.  Bowls are to be placed face down on the top rack for best results.

I immediately went out and bought the Finish Powerball tabs and noticed a difference right away.  But it wasn't until about a month ago, with all the dishes from the holidays (baking, family and friend dinners, etc.), that I decided to try putting dishes in the dishwasher without pre-rinsing them.  And what do you know?  He was right!

Here's my dishes before washing them in the dishwasher (no hand-washing):

And here's what the dishwasher and a Finish Powerball Tab did with our dirty dishes:

Impressive, right!?!

Not only does this help save time and water (which ultimately saves you money on your water bill), but it also saves your hands from getting too dry!  (Gloves help, but having to wash fewer dishes helps out even more!)

Happy not-dishwashing!

Let There Be Light!

We have lived in our house for a little over a year now, and if there is one thing we definitely noticed right after we moved in was the amount of shade three massive trees in our backyard provided.  To me, it was too much shade because our house seemed almost cave-like because of all the light they blocked.  And the roots from these trees had definitely lifted some concrete in the backyard - a definite concern.  After learning that the same trees in our neighbor's backyard had caused some water leak issues in their house and they were removing their trees, we decided it was probably best for us to remove our trees as well.

So, here is the before with the trees:

Here is what it looks like after the trees have been removed:

The amount of light we get now is awesome! I might actually have to add some window treatments to keep at least some of the light out!

And look at the additional space we have to do stuff in the backyard now!?!  We haven't quite figured out what we want to do, but there are sprinklers already in place so planting flowers, bushes or even grass would be easy. Perhaps some of my favorite hydrangeas would look wonderful up against the wall or maybe this would even be a great spot for a rose garden. 

P.S. Do you like my Bachelor/Bachelorette-esque lanterns?  Both are from Cost Plus World Market. I need to by more to make it Bachelor Pad-worthy!

Staircase - Before and After

We just underwent our first remodeling project. What a treat! 3 weeks of the house being in disarray. But we took our staircase from this:

And changed it to this:

We are thrilled at how it turned out! Thanks to Hardwood Creations, we now have an amazingly beautiful and updated staircase in our 25 year old home!

Yay! Now we can move on to the 8 million other things we want to do to our house...ugh! All in due time, I suppose. As I have been told many times, "Rome was not built in a day."

And since our staircase wasn't built in a day, here are some images along the way:

When looking back on this project, there are definitely a couple of things I am glad that we did, and there are some things I wish we would have done:

1. Get at least 3 bids on any home improvement project (Hardwood Creations was actually the last estimate we received, and we are very happy with the results)
2. Move out or take a vacation (if you can) during the process. Being without a staircase throughout the day was especially hard with kids, and in hindsight, we would have been better off staying at a hotel or with family for a few nights
3. Create a priority list of jobs to be done in your house/Always do flooring last - I desperately want to change the flooring, but knew that this project had to be done first because of the demolition and paint factor (a little bit of stain did get on our carpet, which I really don't care about since the carpet is old. But if it were brand new flooring, I would not be happy!)
4. Keep a close eye of what is going on, and speak up if you notice something you weren't expecting; a home improvement project isn't a surprise party. You should know everything that is going on it your house.
5. Enjoy! I am still having a tough time with this one because I am trying to make sure the kids don't somehow damage our beautiful staircase. But I do certainly appreciate how wonderful it looks

Now we just have to wait for our money tree to grow tall enough for our next project: the kitchen cabinets. Fun! Fun!

Printer Ink Just Got Easier

Maybe it is just me, but I am very frustrated by the billions of sizes and shapes of printer cartridges out there. Every time I update my printer, the ink from my old one is never compatible (even if it the same brand...HP).

While I was in Target today looking for a new printer cartridge to buy, the sales person told me that Costco is now refilling used cartridges. (Target execs, please don't get mad at her!)

So when I searched about this refill program, wouldn't you know it, it does exist!

All you have to do is bring your used ink cartridge into the 1-Hour Photo Center at Costco. Then while you shop, their high-tech system cleans, refills and test your cartridge. After an hour, your cartridge is ready for pick up.

Now that I have two cartridges, while one is in the printer, I will get the other refilled at Costco so that I won't run out. I can continue to reuse the same two cartridges over and over.

Oh, and the kicker...refilling ink at Costco costs either $7.99 or $9.99. With either price, that is much cheaper than you would pay for a new cartridge. Plus you are helping reduce all the waste that is produced by empty ink cartridges just thrown in the trash.

Talk about going green while saving some green!

Moving Tips...Make that Dryer Work for You

When you have a lot of stuff to pack, sometimes it is fun to get creative.

A couple of months ago, I received a great piece advice from our Gotta Get Moving giveaway about making your beds before doing any other unpacking so that you have somewhere to sleep that first night. I especially liked that advice because no matter how much (or how little) you got done on moving day, you would still have a place to rest your head.

But how do you transfer king size bed bedding without having to wash it once you get to your new house?

Ah, yes, the dryer!

I was able to fit our king size duvet cover, fitted and flat sheets, mattress pad as well as 1 pillow in the dryer. First of all, by putting these items in the dryer, I basically was putting them back where they came from, so I felt like this was one of the cleanest options for the bedding. (Sorry, cardboard boxes, I just don't think you are clean enough for me!)

Secondly, I was able to utilize the otherwise empty space of the dryer and save some money on packing the bedding.

Lastly, when we got to the new house, I didn't have to search through box after to box to find the bedding. Once our bed was set up, I was able to put the bedding on immediately. Yes, it would have been ideal to wash the bedding before I put it on, but that is why I washed it the day before we moved out and then the day after we moved in!

And it was so nice to sleep in our own bed and our own sheets that first night!

Moving Tips...I've Got a Few

Unpacking = not a lot of fun.

It was fun the first few days. But now that I am trying to get back to a normal routine and am still surrounded by boxes, I find that it is tough to do the things I am used to doing - like blogging!

So, I have decided I am going to share my moving tips with you one at a time. If I tried to share them all at once, I would never get it done. So just like with packing, moving, and unpacking, I will take it one step/tip at a time.

Moving Tip #1:

Hire movers - especially if you have kids! Make sure to do your research about the moving company and get at least 3 free in-home estimates. (I got 6, but I am a freak like that.) They all use the same calculations for coming up with their pricing (they use pounds to compute the amount of man hours it will take to do the move). Then compare the estimates and see which one seems most accurate for your "stuff" and what best fits your budget. You don't always want to go with the cheapest or the most expensive. We found that going with the company in the middle worked best for us.

We used Burgess Moving and Storage and I can't say enough great things about their services. From the representative that came to our home, to the packers and movers, they truly made the experience as easy and comfortable as it possibly could have been. So if you are moving in the Southern California area, I highly recommend contacting Burgess.

When Will the Moving End???

Both houses have closed...phew!!! We got the keys to our new house and have made some adjustments and done some cleanup. Now our house is filled with boxes! Luckily, there are still three lovely men from the moving company who are helping us pack! Hallelujah! And let me tell you, for us, it is well worth the extra expense!!!

Tonight is our last night in our "old" house. While I am a sad about leaving our house, being surrounded by boxes makes me want to get out of here in a hurry!

I guess everything happens for a reason...

P.S. Looking at these photos of all these boxes makes me think of that song, "Am I living in a box (am I living in a cardboard box)."

One House Closed, One More to Go

As I have mentioned before, we are moving. And today was the day that we signed all the escrow papers to buy our new house and our "old" house officially closed escrow. (Luckily, we are going to rent back our "old" house from the buyers until we are ready to move into our new house next week.)

It's a bittersweet day. While we are super-excited to move to our new house and new neighborhood, it is now sinking in that we will no longer be living in the house we came home from our honeymoon and the house where we brought home both of our kids from the hospital.

It's a good thing there are a lot more memories to make in the future! Let's hope a smooth move of our stuff is one of them!

Moving is So Time Consuming!!!

Seriously, now I remember why we have been in the same house for 7 years now. But with that much time going by, you sort of forget really how difficult moving can be. All the documents that have to be signed and ducks that need to be put in a row...it's enough to drive anyone batty! And, unfortunately, it also means less time to blog!

"Calgon, take me away!"

Getting a House Ready to Sell

All day today I thought it was Thursday (even though it was Wednesday). And I realized that is probably because I have done more things in the past three days than I would usually do in a month or week.

Getting a house ready to show to potential buyers is definitely a lot of work. We started by removing all the clutter and kids' toys - that has been a work in progress the past few days. Yesterday the carpets were cleaned. Today the window cleaner and house cleaners came through and made the house really shine. And of course, I had to do some touch up painting here and there. I wouldn't be a paint contractor's daughter if I didn't!

After all that, the house looks amazing!

But now comes the really tough part - keeping the house this way!

Please keep your fingers crossed that all this work will pay off!

Buying and Selling a House - Talk About Scary

So this site is called Houses, Couches and Babies. And sometimes I don't feel like I talk about houses all that much. But things are about to change.

The hubby and I have been looking at homes in a different area of Southern California for a few weeks now and have finally found some that we want to put offers on. Sounds exciting, right?

Of course it is!

But listing your house in one day and attempting to clean it and remove the clutter with kids around...no so exciting!

Please keep your fingers crossed for us! Oh, and if you have any buying/selling/moving tips, please feel free to share them. I can use all the help I can get!

Photo above is our current house

The Wonder Hanger - Not As Wonderful as I Hoped

If you have ever watched cable TV (E! is my staple), you have probably seen a ton of infomercials, including one for the Wonder Hanger. The Wonder Hanger is supposed to give you three times the space in your closet.

I decided to try this product because my kids started to accumulate way too many sweaters and jackets in our coat closet, and I was getting frustrated at how much space they were taking up width-wise, but not length-wise.

As you can see from the picture above, the jackets/sweaters fit much easier in my coat closet and do take up less room width-wise and utilize more room length-wise.

But what about when you want to pull the Wonder Hanger up so that you can easily grab an item? This is what I found to be a bit more challenging. I feel like my coat closet is stuffed enough at this point, and as you can see from the picture above, it is a little bit cumbersome lifting the Wonder Hanger back up so that your items are stretched out again length-wise.

And I don't know if I have a larger than usual closet hanging rod, but the metal hanging hook scrapes the hanging rod every time I put it up or take it down. I really don't like scratching the hanging rod. It almost has the same feeling as nails scratching on a chalkboard. Yuck! As a result, I typically just keep the Wonder Hanger in the down position, which can make hanging items back up a challenge.

I haven't tried it for purses yet. I think that could be a beneficial way of using it, too.

Overall grade: B

If you have thoughts about the Wonder Hanger, please fell free to share. If I am doing something wrong, or you have found another great use for it, please let us all know!