National Pack Rat Day by Liwen Y. Ho

Here's a little bit of trivia for you. May 17th is National Pack Rat day! What exactly is a pack rat? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, there are two definitions: first, a bushy-tailed rodent (Neotoma cinerea) of western North America that has well-developed cheek pouches and that hoards food and miscellaneous objects; and second, a person who collects or hoards especially unneeded items. I'm not typically a rodent lover, but in this case, the mental image of the first kind of pack rat sounds cuter (and less messy!) than the latter. 

I'll admit, I've been known to collect a thing or two. I'd like to think though that the items I hold onto are useful (or will be useful some day!). Who doesn't need stacks of pretty scrapbook paper or boxes of fun stamps? Or shoes?! One can never have too many shoes, right? ;) (My husband would likely disagree.) And let's not forget about books! 

Image courtesy of pixabay.com

One thing I've learned over the years, however, is that there can be too much of a good thing. Especially when those "good" things have a tendency of collecting way too much dust. 

It's appropriate that National Pat Rack Day falls on the calendar during the spring season. It's a great time to reevaluate all the things taking up space in our homes and consider doing some spring cleaning. 

Do you have things you love to collect? What are your spring cleaning tips? I'd love to hear them as I get myself motivated to clean.

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Spring Cleaning - Shaking Off the Dust Covers!

Spring has arrived.  In my neck of the woods, that means it was thundering and pouring buckets a few days ago while we shivered in multiple sweaters, and today, we're sweltering in the heat.  All this back and forth, from one extreme to the other, doesn't seem to be harming our surroundings any — they're just bursting forth with life!

Spring cleaning frenzy has taken over my household, but as I pause between reorganizing drawers, cleaning out closets, and dusting out nooks and crannies, I've been watching the almond trees out my window.

A few months ago, these barren twigs looked bleak. We weren't sure they'd recover from last summer's wildfire that stopped right by them (and only two lots from our house).  The winter didn't make them look any better, except maybe by washing out the black charred bits to an ashy grey.

Yet, on the brink of spring, the trees were suddenly, improbably sporting tiny buds. And then bursting forth in full glory!

The intrepid little lemon tree next to them wasn't to be outdone either.

Two weeks later, here's where we are:  What looks like it's going to be a bumper crop of almonds later this year!

In case you're wondering, we won't be eating any of them — these are wild almonds, which may not be edible.  They're growing on empty land, as is that incongruous lemon tree.    I always wonder if one of us, walking home with groceries one day, inadvertently dropped a lemon there! It seems rather unexpected there.

Knowing the trees survived and are thriving again give me a lot of joy as I bustle around. Airing out the house we had sealed up tight against the winter winds, hanging up laundry in the warm sunshine again, I feel like we're all coming out of hibernation, too, and starting to bloom once more as well.

By the way my house isn't the only thing getting a face-lift this month.  If I'm rearranging the furniture and giving the kitchen a whole new look, why not do the same for some of my books?

I've got two new covers coming soon and they are just gorgeous. 

I'm really excited about them, so keep an eye out for them. I'll be revealing them soon!

Milou Koenings is a USA Today best-selling author. She writes romance because, like chocolate, stories with a happy ending bring more joy into the world and so make it a better place.  
  

Her Green Pines sweet romances, Reclaiming Home and Sweet Blizzard are available on Amazon and Amazon.uk. 

You can find her on her website,www.miloukoenings.com, on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram.
 

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Spring Cleaning Tips by Donna Fasano

Spring always puts me in a cleaning mood. I want to scrub off the winter doldrums, open the windows, and let in some fresh air. Here are some of my favorite cleaning tips for those pesky jobs.

To freshen up your garbage disposal: Run water into drain, full hot. Turn on garbage disposal and pour in about a tablespoon of liquid dish detergent. Let water and disposal run until the suds are rinsed away. Or grind up slices of lime or lemon peels while flooding the drain with hot water.

Coffee-maker Maintenance: Mix 2 cups white vinegar with 2 cups water in the coffee pot. Pour the vinegar water into the reservoir and press the "brew" button. The vinegar mixture will remove the mineral deposits from the heating element. You might even see bits of it in the "brewed" mixture. If you do, mix a new batch of vinegar/water solution and brew again. Then brew plain water several times to rinse the inside of the coffee-maker.

Burned food in the bottom of a pot: Add a squirt of liquid dish detergent and half an inch of water to the pot. Bring the water to a boil, then turn off the heat and let the water cool to room temperature. The burned food should clean up quickly.

Accumulated grease on cookie sheets: In a GLASS bowl, mix ¼ cup baking soda with enough hydrogen peroxide to make a thick paste. Smear mixture on cookie sheet and scrub with small, circular motions, pressing firmly. Rinse and repeat until cookie sheet is clean and shiny. Wash sheet with soapy water and rinse well before using. Don't get the cleaning mixture on your clothes. It could remove the color from fabric.

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For sluggish drains: Pour ½ cup of baking soda down the drain followed by ½ cup of white vinegar. Cover and let bubble for a few minutes. Then flush with a couple quarts of boiling water.

For a stale-smelling microwave: Mix 2 tablespoons of lemon juice with 1 cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave until the water boils, about 3-5 minutes. Steam will collect on the interior walls, loosening any greasy residue. Wipe down with a paper towel for a fresh, clean microwave.

Wood Floor Cleaner: An 85-year-old friend recommended white vinegar to keep wood floors sparkling clean. Add 1 cup vinegar to a gallon of warm water and sponge mop.

Narrow-necked Vases: If you can't get your hand down the neck of your flower vases, use Alka-Seltzer. Fill the vase half full with water. Drop in 2 Alka-Seltzer tablets and let the fizz do the dirty work for you.  Drain and rinse.

Range Hood Filters: Once a month or so, soak hood filters in hot, hot soapy water. Rinse before replacing. This will keep them grease-free and in good working order.  

Clean Cutting Boards: For wood cutting boards, sprinkle with course salt and rub with ½ a lemon. Plastic cutting boards can be run through the dishwasher. Once a month or so, soak plastic cutting boards in a mild bleach solution (2 tablespoons bleach to 2 quarts of water).

Garbage Container: wipe the inside and outside with a soap solution (1 teaspoon dish soap to 1 quart warm water). This will get rid of any lingering odors or messy drips.

I'm always looking for tips to make cleaning faster and easier. What tips do you have to offer? 

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Donna Fasano is a USA Today Bestselling Author who has written over 30 romance and women’s fiction titles. She's a 3-time winner of the HOLT Medallion and recently won the Books & Pals Readers' Choice Award for Best Romance. Learn more about Donna at her blog, or connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Sign up for her newsletter to learn about her new releases. She loves to hear from readers. 

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