Summer produce!

I love early summer when the garden starts producing all sorts of great things from veggies to fruit and flowers. Yesterday the kids and I picked strawberries and lettuce and some lovely smelling peonies.

Now if I can only find a way to keep the birds from getting into the berry patch!






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Another great cleaning product.....hydrogen peroxide

I have been sharing a few of my cleaning tips. Check them out here and here.

I have recently discovered a great new cleaning product.....Hydrogen peroxide. Yes it is usually used to clean wounds but it makes a great cleaning product too! It is a great disinfectant.





Here is how I have been using hydrogen peroxide around the house.
- cleaning countertops and the bathroom sink
- cleaning mirrors....I cannot believe how streak free and clean it gets the mirrors!
- spraying down the toilet an wiping it clean...again it makes it sparkle!
- stain removal in the laundry...works similarly to oxygen bleach

Why do I love using hydrogen peroxide in my everyday cleaning?
- its inexpensive! As opposed to all the cleaners in the cleaning aisle that can be very expensive!
- it is scent-free and doesn't leave any strong scents or fumes
- it is safe to use around children and pets (did you know hydrogen peroxide breaks down into hydrogen and water an leaves no residues behind like commercial cleaning solutions)....why didn't I know this when my kids were babies?

I added a sprayer to my bottle. Please note that it needs to stay in its dark bottle...exposure to light causes it to break down.

Other uses of hydrogen peroxide in your cleaning....
- works great on all types of stains and is particularly good to remove blood stains
- tub and tile cleaning. It works great on mold and mildew in the bath and shower.
- disinfecting tooth brushes. Soak bristles in peroxide and then rinse well with water after.

Why don't you try it out in your cleaning regime?




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My take on the Rainbow cake.....thanks Pinterest!

This year I told my daughter she could pick out any cake she wanted for her birthday cake.  One day, while she was peeking over my shoulder while I was surfing around on Pinterest she spied the cake she wanted.  A  rainbow cake!

I thought it looked easy enough and was eager to try it out.  Here are some photos of our rainbow cake.  Thanks Pinterest!

If you want to follow me on Pinterest I am found here:

Bowls and cake pans all ready to go

Food colouring is added to the cake batter.....surprisingly it took more than I thought to get the proper colours

Food colouring all mixed into the cake batter

All ready to bake

Our rainbow birthday layer cake

The rainbow cake was such a hit that I decided to make another batch (using a little less colouring) and make rainbow cupcakes.

Rainbow cupcakes

My new cookie recipe!

I was recently going brought the cupboards (spring cleaning) and I came across some boxes of Smarties I had been saving to make cookies with.

I looked through my recipe books and couldn't seem to find a recipe I loved. So, I thought I would try to draft up my own recipe combining some of my favorites but changing it up a bit.

Here are the results. I even managed to sneak some whole wheat flour into these cookies. The addition of smarties makes for a yummy colorful cookie that the kids (and adults) would love.






Here is my recipe:

1/2 c butter or margarine
3/4 c packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 c Smarties or other candies

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cream margarine and brown sugar well. Add egg and vanilla.

Slowly add flour and baking soda.

Stir in candy reserving a few to add to the tops of the cookies.

Drop by small scoop onto cookie sheet. Flatten slightly. Press a few candies into the top of cookies.

Bake approximately 12 - 14 minutes depending on your oven. Cool slightly on pan and transfer to racks to cool.

Enjoy!!




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All finished! The playhouse deck.

A little while ago I blogged about the deck that my husband and I built for the girls and their playhouse.

Today, we finally finished the railing.

I am so happy with how it turned out.  The kids can't wait to spend their summer playing outdoors in the playhouse.

Here it is:






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My afghan.....finally finished!

I love making things for others and rarely have the time to make something for myself.

This spring, I thought I would make an afghan for our bed. It took a while and ALOT of yarn but this week, I finally finished it.

Here it is! I love the texture of it and it is soooo warm and cuddly.








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The new playhouse!

When I was a little girl I always wanted a playhouse. Unfortunately, I never had one.

Now that I have my own girls, I wanted them to have a playhouse of their very own. So for the girls Easter present DH and I decided to get the girls a playhouse. We also decided to build a small deck for the playhouse. There are a few finishing touches left (like railing on the deck) but all in all the girls are very happy which means I am happy too!

I can't wait to see them enjoying this house all summer long.





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