Strawberry Moon

Tonight will be the strawberry moon.  It is a full moon and coincides with the best time to pick strawberries.  It should be pretty.  Here is a link from The Weather Channel with more details:
Strawberry Moon

The last full moon I got some pretty pictures.  I hope I get some more good ones tonight.

Steam Cleaning Floors

My downstairs has a lot of hard surfaces like tile and hardwoods.  I cleaned the tiles thoroughly with various cleaners like ammonia and white vinegar when I moved in.  The way the tiles are they have lighter and darker areas.  I wanted to get a steam cleaner to give them a deeper clean.

I decided on the Bissell Powerfresh Steam Cleaner.  It has 3 levels of cleaning and these pod things you put in that make the floors smell good. 

I chose the deepest clean setting which is very intense steam and left it in place for a bit on each tile.  They give you 2 cloths and you should use distilled water.  It is a large area and took me 4 hrs from start to finish.  I definitely feel the intense heat of the steam would kill any bacteria.  I got a lot of dirt up I didn't realize I had especially around the fireplace. 

My process was to vacuum the whole downstairs first.  I then started in the powder room and kitchen area.  I used one cloth and then took it off and used the second (as they get dirty).  Once I got those areas done I washed the cloths and let those floors dry.  I moved into the dinette area and then into the main living room.  I stopped and washed the cloths.  I then moved to the hardwoods but did them on light steam and that was much quicker.  My last area was the master bathroom.  It went pretty fast.

Overall I was happy with the process.  It was easy to use and I feel like my floors are cleaner.  The cloths do get dirty/discolored.  I guess that means I had a dirty floor....eek.  I think I will clean regularly with the Swiffer like I have and a few times a year do the steam to keep it really clean.

I like the steamer it was lightweight and easy to use. 

Laundry Room Cabinets

I have a very small laundry room.  The washer is on one side, dryer on the other.  I have the LG frontloading and they are on the stands.  There are built in cabinets above them.  I love the convenience but the cabinets almost looked yellowed to me. 

One of the projects on my list was to paint the cabinets and organize them.  It was no fun being in that small space in the heat, but it was so worth it.  Here are some pics:

I think they look much brighter and cleaner now.  I got some bins from the Dollar Tree and organized one side.  The other is mostly detergent and stuff which is big to put in bins. 

As you can tell from my blog, I like to stay positive.  Here are some good quotes.

Hope you have a great week!

Ditching cable

I am with Comcast for internet and tv.  As you guys know, they constantly raise rates and have a lot of fees.  I only get slightly higher then basic cable (no HBO etc).  They had another rate increase and I was not happy.  I have been researching alternatives to cable.

I have talked to others who have switched to Netflix, hulu or got the antenna to get basic tv.  I have also checked with Google fiber to see if they are in my area yet (Atlanta is one of the cities they have targeted to bring their super high speed internet).  They are not in my area.

My understanding is there is no one that is true a la cart channels yet.  Meaning I really only want Disney/ESPN, SyFy, TNT, FX.  I don't want to pay for anything else.  Also if you use Netflix, Roku etc you still need a good internet connection and devices for the tvs. 

So I stuck with Comcast internet and basic cable but did not agree to a 2 yr deal as I think big changes are coming in this area.  What I want is good internet speed, a la cart options or something like Netflix where you can see a lot of shows.  I just have to figure out what to attach to each tv to get Netflix (if I cancel basic cable).  I want to be able to watch shows on all my tvs so I will need some type of devices for each one.  I am looking at Roku, fire stick etc.

Hopefully the right offering becomes available soon so we can ditch cable and lower the cost for tv/internet.

Hail Storm

We had a strong hail storm here in GA which damaged plants in my garden.  It also damaged roofs so a lot of my neighbors are having roof replacement.  Here are some pictures of the size and amount of hail.

Luckily it didn't do any serious damage to my plants.  I also have a relatively new roof so I had no problems.  I was surprised by the intensity.  Mother nature has been active with all this strange weather lately.

Lantana

My front porch gets direct sun for hours.  I love when people have pots on the front porch with a variety of plants.  The problem for me is anything delicate just fries in the sun and heat.  I had caladium (we would call them elephant ears) in them last year which looked great but if you didn't water them every day they wilted.

This year I tried Lantana which is a Florida plant and more hardy.  I got the one labelled pink but for some reason they are white then some of them turn slightly pink so it is a mostly white plant. 

Since then my Dad told me they are not lantana as the leaves are more fern like.  After much research we found these are Yarrow.  They look very similar to lantana.  I am ok either way I just wanted something that can handle intense sun and these are doing great.  I was told they spread fast but since they are in a container it is not a problem.

Outside in my planters by the french doors I added these cute flowers.

Hopefully they will do well and survive any insect attacks.  I believe these are Pentas and can take direct sun so hopefully they are happy.

Newest Flowers

I wanted a cute flowering plant on my kitchen counter.  I previously had a nice green plant but it was kind of blah.  I fell in love with this Dahlia as the flower was stunning. 

 

 

I saw the buds and thought this was the one.  Unfortunately it must not have gotten enough sunlight and none of the other buds bloomed.  I put it outside in partial sun under a butterfly bush hoping it would be happier.  A heavy rainstorm came in and the plant looks rough.  I will keep an eye on it.

 

In the meantime I had been shopping and saw a pretty Gerber Daisy.  I love them and had just given my mom a pink one for Mother's Day.  I decided to get a red one. 

So far it is happy.  I hope it thrives inside as I like that pop of red against the black granite.


Knock out rose from a cutting

I love bright pretty flowers.  I had several hibiscus flowers in containers but they didn't make it through the winter.  Since I had some knockout roses I decided to try to root some.  I cut a stem off my existing roses after the 2nd bud (branch area) and put honey on the end then put them in the middle of the new containers.  Of the 4 I planted 2 lived.  One actually got a big bloom on the tiny plant.

So far the 2 little plants are doing well.  I have tried 2 new stems for the other planters.  Hopefully they will take root and thrive.  We have had some heavy rain here in GA so that should help all the plants.

October Garden

It is starting to cool off a little in Georgia.  I took some pictures of my garden before the leaves all start dropping.

Finally, the 3 hibiscus I had in containers all bloomed at the same time.  I love the way they look.  I am not sure they will survive the winter, but hope they do.

The houses are close together so the garden is long and narrow.  I like how it is looking now.

I am thinking for winter I will get pansies to keep it happy and bright. :-)

Is Ello the next big thing?

I must admit, I was not very excited about another social media site.  I am already a member of facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, pinterest and more.  I read a little more about Ello and they do have a good pitch.
 
Ello, the ad-free social network capitalizing on the perception that it's the "anti-Facebook"

They launched about a month ago and it is invitation only at this time.  Sadly for me, I have received no invite. :(

They do not ask your name or gender so you can be more anonymous.  That could be good and bad. 

It appears they are going to upsell users on special features as a means to make money.  This eliminates the need for ads.

As soon as I get an invite (you can request one on their site), I will check it out and post an update.  I really spend alot of time on the various social sites I use now so I don't have alot of free time for a new one....unless it is amazing.

We shall see.
 

Knock Out Roses

I do pretty well with plants unless they are high maintenance.  Most of the plants I picked for my garden were rugged.  When I was at Home Depot they recommended a knock out rose.  The minute I heard "rose" I tuned out.  I picture all the special fertilizers and food you have to give a rose and even then they can door poorly.  I was told knock out roses are rugged and don't need to be pampered, so I gave them a try.  I am impressed with how tough they are and how frequently they bloom.  No black spots on the leaves or insects attacking them.

They are easy to grow, disease resistant and bloom a long time.  If that wasn't good enough, they are reasonably priced. I bought the smallest container and the plants doubled in size quickly.  I did give them a little plant food, but that was it as far as care. 

If you want the beauty of roses without the hassle, these may be for you. I am very impressed with them.

Contests

I want to have fun contests on this blog.  As I am new to the blog world, I will need to figure out how to use rafflecopter and anything else related to contests (hint: any tips are welcome).

Let me know what kind of things you would like to see as a prize.

Some things I am considering:

Beauty items: Cleansers, soaps, makeup

Dvds: Kids and adult

Supplies: for sweepers or business use

Of course GCs are what many of you want so I will do some of those contests.

Hang tight, once I get a little further along with the blog I will run the first contest.

Inspirational Quotes

As you can tell from the blog, I try hard to keep a positive outlook on life.  One thing I love is seeing inspirational pictures and quotes.  Here are a few of my favs:

• Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. –Robert Frost

• The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. –Amelia Earhart

• Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans. –John Lennon

• Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover. –Mark Twain

• I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. –Maya Angelou

•  Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.  Live the life you have imagined. –Henry David Thoreau

This is one of my favorite quotes overall.  To this day I am a huge admirer of Walt Disney and his vision.

•  Dream, diversify—and never miss an angle - Walt Disney

What are your favorite quotes?  I am always looking for new inspiration. :)

About Me

My name is Heather and I live in Georgia.

I created this blog as a place for people to get inspired, share positive thoughts and ideas.  I wanted a place were people could help each other and share their knowledge on different topics. 

I love decorating and recently bought a new house that needed much work.  You will see a lot of decorating and home improvement tips along with budget information. 

Of course all blogs need contests, so I will have plenty of them to keep you entertained. 

Welcome!  I am happy you stopped by.

Appliances for my home

I have had my house for a little over a year.  It had been a foreclosure so it needed alot of work when I moved in.  This was the first house I bought that required many updates.  I wanted to keep to a tight budget so I watched sales especially Home Depot since they have good discounts when you buy multiple appliances.

I needed all new appliances which was a daunting thought.  They had been abused and some were not working very well.  I was pretty much a regular at Home Depot asking the appliance associates when was the best time to buy, what was the best brand etc.  It was all worth it as I got amazing deals on all of my appliances.

Here is the kitchen.  I replaced the dishwasher, microwave and gas cooktop.  I had to buy a fridge and washer/dryer set. 

It was alot of expense but I am glad that I got it done.  I won't have to buy any of this stuff for a very long time.

Tips: Look for sales at Home Depot and Lowes where the item is on sale and you get an additional discount when you buy 2 or more.  That really saves money and in most cases they deliver free and haul away your old item for free.  Of course check reviews on the item and ask the associate if the one you want has alot of returns.  At Home Depot they note how many are returned or have problems and will tell you.  That helped me decide between a Whirlpool and LG fridge.  Also their 4th of July sale is very good on discounts.

Garden Photos

I recently bough a home and the garden was in need of some tender loving care.  The last owner dug up most of the plants which left me with bare spots.  The positive thing about it was I get to have a clean slate to make the garden my own.

Our gardens are in between the houses so think more long and narrow.  Here is a before picture.

I added shrubs, flowers and my favorite, butterfly bushes.  I also added some planters to break up the expanse of the walls.  I think it looks much better.

I love how colorful and happy it feels in the garden now.  Since I don't have much of a yard, I want to make the little I do have a peaceful oasis.  So far I think I am off to a pretty good start.  I am also getting a lot of hummingbirds, bees and butterflies especially around the butterfly bushes, so I am making them happy too!

Tips: I got the large planter pots at Old Time Pottery which is more of a warehouse store.  That saved alot of money since I was getting the bigger size.  I got the soil at Walmart to keep cost down.  Walmart also had the braided hibiscus I put in the middle of the planters.  I went to home depot for the butterfly bushes and shrubs.   

Positive outlook, positive life

Welcome to a positive destination focused on making life easier.  Join me in my journey to live life to the fullest. 

 

Take a look around and feel free to add your positive tips, advice and humor to any topic.  Sending out good energy will attract more positive to our lives, so lets do this together!