Poop!

Did you know... Premium kopi luwak coffee is made from coffee beans isolated from civet poop. Civets are small mammals from tropical parts of Asia and Africa.

Did you know... The types of food animals eat can change the color of their poop. Penguins leave white or gray droppings after eating fish, pink droppings after eating krill and yellow droppings after eating squid.

Did you know... Some coprolites (ancient poop) have mineralized over time and contain beautiful swirls of color. Some of them are polished for jewelry.

Poop - enough said right? Never! Poop is a fascinating subject - if you say no, you are in denial. 

I had a "poopy" birthday this year.  Tim and I visited Fernbank for the Scoop on Poop exhibit - "the #1 exhibit on #2".  The exhibit had some fun facts, but it was really geared for a younger audience - we still had a great time. 

Tim then gave me the CitiKitty - a potty training system for my cats - as a part of my birthday gifts! That is right, we are now training my two cats how to use the toilet.  No more cleaning the litter box or having litter all over the bathroom!

I was so excited!  The first week, it was great and the cats had no problems using it.  Then, the next step when you punch out a ring (see 2 Train in the photo above), things went down the toilet - except not literally.  The cats wouldn't poop in the toilet.  I knew they were holding it and to my horror - they decided to use my bed instead of the toilet.  Vomit and triple washing my sheets.

I hoped it was an isolated incident.  It was really a revolt.  After another bed poop and then a poop in my dirty laundry - I was done with potty training.  But, end the end, Tim and I decided that we would not let the cats win.  So, we locked them in the bathroom (with plenty of food and water and toys). 
They are finally using the toilet again.

I think this process will take several more weeks to actually get them through training as we don't move to the next level (a larger and larger hole in the training ring) until both cats successfully use the toilet repeatedly without being locked in.

I feel like a parent, monitoring my cats bowel movements to make sure they are going - knowing when they are holding it - and then cleaning up the messes. 

Hey - but if I ever have kids they can't be more difficult to potty train than two huge cats, right?

This is Suzy Homemaker, keeping you posted on the poop!

The One Year Itch

I feel so cliche when I comment on how fast time seems to be flying - but it is really mind blowing for me.  Like, I just got a notice for my high school's 10 year reunion.  Granted, I am happy high school is well behind me - I would consider it at the bottom of an amazing ride up in my life.  But, 10 years, really?

Next month, I will celebrate the one year anniversary of buying my house.  Since I bought it in nearly perfect condition (fresh paint, recently renovated, nice lawn), I didn't have much to do house project wise. 

Now, if you look back on my blog, I have done several small projects: staining the fence and back porch, glazing the bathroom windows, painting my porch furniture, creating storage spaces, etc. 

I have also done some things that haven't made the blog - like cleaning out most of my junk - from cleaning out flower beds to organizing paperwork in my office to cleaning out my closet and attic.  If you hurry, I am sure you can find a TON of my stuff at the local GoodWill stores!

I guess I am officially settled into the house. 



So, what next?  I have been here a year, and... am bored.  I was so used to moving every year or two - but I am home now.  And my home doesn't need anything other than cleaning, ugh!

Here's to 1 year and being a happy homeowner!

Squirrels: A Rant

My yard nemesis.  Rats with fluffy tails. Squirrels.

They have taken over the neighborhood. 

They constantly chew off little branches off of my trees (which I constantly have to pick up out of my yard). 

They dig holes throughout my yard - I swear just to annoy me.

They obviously allow snakes in the yard - the supposed one benefit of having these rats around.

I hear them running on my roof and watch them run along my fence and power cords - laughing at me.

I have tried cayenne pepper and other critter solutions that should deter them away from my yard.  The squirrels haven't been deterred.

Now, back in the country - Dad would just take out a screen and shoot them from the house.  Oh, sometimes I do miss the country.

If you have any ideas on dealing with them - pass them along, please!

Squirrels - 1.  Suzy Homemaker - 0.

Call me Picasso!

I like Pinterest - and I actually do many of the pins that I re-pin.  This is where I got some of my homemade cleaners, laundry detergent, and organization tips (like putting folded sheet sets in one of the set's pillow cases to consolidate and keep together or putting magnetic strips in your bathroom door to collect your million spare bobby pins) that I use in my own house.

I also try out many of the recipes - some turn out great (like the Butterfinger pies I made for holiday gifts) and others have been gag-worthy (like the mac-n-cheese I made earlier this week).

But Pinterest can also lead down a spiral of pins and dreams that will only live on your online board (or they are out of your price range or above your skill level - read any of the hair styles or nail decorations).  Like recipes - there are several of my pins that I have a feeling that if I tried, I would fail.

But earlier this week, I took a chance.  I saw 2 separate pins on DIY painting using paint tape - so no drawing/painting skills were really needed.  I decided that I could use an old canvas that someone had given me - plus a bunch of acrylic paint and brushes from a time when I thought I was more artistic than I really was - to try this.  I went out and bought some painters tape (which I figure is good to have on hand anyway).

I took the canvas, randomly (although random is hard for me, since I like things to be symmetrical and even) put the paint tape lines on and started painting.  As it was almost dry - I removed the tape and... honestly, I was impressed with myself - the painting really worked!!

I am hanging it in my loft/den area (which is how I determined what colors to use).  I was really excited to have wall art in the right colors and size for this space - not to mention that it only cost me about $5 for the tape I needed since I had all of the other stuff laying around.  Oh, and it took less than 2 hours to paint!  I think I may do a few more...

A Good Stain

Parties and spilled drinks, rainy days and muddy shoes, flour on the floor from your latest cake, plates of sloppy spaghetti and a bit of wasted, splashed wine... a good life is often a messy one.  Mess in your house can often be cleaned - but sometimes a stain sets in.  If you are lucky, you can flip the couch cushion or angle the rug under the chair, or pre-treat the tablecloth.  Maybe just a quick wipe up or a little elbow grease.

But sometimes the sweating cup has done its damage or the spill has been concealed and the stain is set in.  I have quite a few in my house - from a cup ring that I hide under a box of tissues to towels that I have just dedicated as work or non-guest towels. 

Hey, stains happen.

My most recent project has been all about staining - on purpose. Like the people who spend too much time in the sun with no protection - they looked weathered and older than their age.  So, after enlisting the help from my dad (again) - we decided to stain and seal the fence and deck.

Now, the whole project could have gone the way of Tom Sawyer painting the fence - except I didn't have any friends that I could con into helping me - so we went country on the project.  Dad brought up a sprayer that we typically used to spraying weeds - we cleaned it out and filled it up with stain.

Dad sprayed - I smoothed it out.  We got my entire fence in less than 3 hours.  Then came the back deck.  While the floor could be sprayed - the railing and detail work had to be hand stained and sealed.  The deck took about 4 or so hours - I won't lie - it was painful.  But at the end of the project, I looked out into my backyard and I was proud of what I had accomplished.

In about 7 hours and less than $200 later, my back yard was transformed and protected.  The deck looks awesome and the fence has new life.  You can't tell much from the pictures as you can in real life.  I am just glad to have something other than weathered wood surrounding my house - and I know that it will last longer now that it is sealed.

Before:

After:

 

And It All Comes Crashing Down!

You are stilling in a meeting and your cell rings.  The caller is someone would not typically try to contact you at work, so you know it must be important.

I got one of those calls last week.  It is mid-morning and I look down at my phone.  Tim is calling me.  He knows I am in meetings all day and can be reached by email.  So I excuse myself and take the call. 

The conversation starts normally, so I cut to the chase - "Is this an emergency?"

"Well..."  So in the second or two that he takes to respond, I have rapid fire gone through the scenarios of what could be wrong.  He is hurt.  Something happened to the cats.  My car was stolen... and so on.

"We had some storms last night and apparently..." I jump to car damaged, house is damage, shed is damaged...

"And a tree fell" on my car... house... neighbors house...

Finally, I find out that my neighbor's tree (from 2 houses up) had fallen through the next door neighbors yard, neighbors behind me yard, and my yard.  Honestly, I can't picture how a tree could fall and hit so many peoples yards and not a house.

The tree, whose root ball was over 7 feet wide, fell diagonally and 'touched' 5 yards. 

Lucky for me - it only took out about 5 feet of my fence.

Luckier for me - my Dad came up with his chainsaws and some tools to help me fix it.  In less than 2 hours, we cleaned up the tree, hauled off the debris, and re-built the fence.

Now, don't let the pictures fool you, I got my hands dirty on this one too - I couldn't let my Dad and Tim have all the fun. 

And, I learned a few things.  First, I know now how to put up a wood fence (I knew how to do the ones on the farm with the barbed wire). Next, if an "act of God" damages your house/property - regardless of where the damaging element comes from, it comes out of your homeowners insurance (if you chose to claim it). 

Lastly, I have amazing neighbors (well, I already knew that).  I lived in an apartment for many years before I bought this house.  I never knew who lived next door to me even though I would see them several times a week. But now, I know my neighbors and would call them a friend. 

We were all outside working together- it isn't something that I thought I would get living in a big city, knowing my neighbors and hanging out with them- but I have it here.  I am really thankful and grateful to have it.

(And really grateful the tree didn't actually hit my house!)

Spring Cleaning - DIY Style

I recently was having lunch with a Vegan.  I personally am a red meat kinda girl - I enjoy eggs in the morning and steak at night with plenty of other animal products along the way.  I respect anyone that is Vegan/Veggie - I know that I could not be that dedicated - heck, I can't even turn down a doughnut. 

But I digress - so we are at lunch and somehow get on the topic of chemicals.  Now, this person is a green cleaner - with no harsh chemicals.  It is a green thing for them.

Me?  I actually am not longer using any store chemicals for cleaning either - but not necessary for the "green cause".  While it has the benefit of saving the world, I find that DIY cleaners are MUCH cheaper and work just as well if not better.  I don't think I would be willing to convert if they didn't - for example - I do not use DIY dishwasher detergent - my dishwasher just doesn't clean as well with it. 

What does work for me?  DIY Clog Clearers (think Drano), DIY soap scum scrub, and DIY universal cleaner.  What are you going to need for all of these?  Baking Soda, White Vinegar, and Water - easy right?  Start buying in bulk!

DIY Clog Clearer - I LOVE this - even Drano doesn't work for me all the time - this has always worked for me.  Feed about 1/2 a cup of baking soda down the drain.  Then pour 1/2 cup of vinegar down the drain and immediately put a cup/bowl over the drain (it will foam like a science experiment and the cup forces it down the drain to work on the clog).  While your science experiment is working its magic, go boil some water (a big pot - around a gallon).  After it is boiling (think about 15 minutes) - remove the cup/bowl and pour the water down the drain.  Watch it flow right down - clog cleared!  All of this for under a $1 (compared to over $4 for a bottle that *may* work)!

DIY Soap Scum Scrub - I have used this a few times in my tub - I just sprinkle baking soda directly on the surface (or on my rag) and then spray on my Universal Cleaner and wipe away.  For really bad situations - I let it set for a few minutes and then wipe away.  Again - pennies to use!

DIY Universal Cleaner - My favorite and every day cleaner.  One part vinegar, one part water.  Mix in a spray bottle (Dollar Tree has great industrial ones with different handle colors for a $1 - this is nice to help distinguish what is in what bottle if you use them for many things like I do).  Just spray and wipe this stuff.  I use it on my tubs, toilets, sinks, kitchen counters, windows, mirrors, for spot clean up on my hardwoods, I spay on my tiled floors and wipe off too - it really is universal.  Again - pennies to use!

What is the catch?  Okay - these don't smell like roses - we are using vinegar here!  So what is the resolution?  First, the smell dissipates quickly - like in a minute or two - and I personally, don't find it offensive as some of the harsh cleaner's smells.  OR - you can do what I now do - follow up immediately with my DIY Frebeze (so like in the bathroom I will spray on my rugs or towels).  Then you have a clean room with a fresh scent! 

Suzy Homemaker DIY Cleaners - saving your wallet and the world - one project at a time!