Cleaning House

We all know that to obtain the best results in doing any job, having the right tools is essential and the same can be said when it comes to cleaning and particularly that job we love to hate 'cleaning the shower.'

Recently whilst browsing in my home town I came across a little store containing nifty kitchen and bathroom gadgets. I picked up  an unusual 'u shaped' brush which the very helpful shop owner explained was a 'grout and tile brush' with tough bristles for the grout and softer bristles for the tiles. I thought anything to make that job easier would have to be worth the small outlay.

Feeling like I had to try out my new purchase, it wasn't long until the grouting in my shower was looking alot cleaner with little effort on my part - this brush was a winner. Next job was to tackle the grouting in all my floor tiles throughout the house, so armed with a spray bottle containing a mixture of water and vinegar, I set to work.  The result was amazing, my tiles came up as new and I couldn't help looking at the finished area - the job is on going but with the help of my amazing 'full circle' brush I will succeed!

Tell me what cleaning tool has made your life easier.

My Day Off

My mid week day off work is often filled with  appointments like doctor, dentist, hairdresser, car service etc., but today there are none of the above and I have the whole day to myself, which poses the big question 'what will I do?' Will it be home duties, lunch with a friend, go to the beach, go for a walk or a combo of all of these.

Well I looked outside and  I am met with a dreary, showery day with no sign of any sunshine and immediately my enthusiasm sinks. Well forget the beach and probably the walk (I do own an umbrella but will I use it?) and it is too late to organise lunch out with my friend, so sadly that leaves 'home duties.'

The clothes are washed and ready to peg out but alas they may have to go into the dryer.
What's for dinner?, so I check my slow cooker recipes and make a list of ingedients required. Then it's off to the supermarket, newsagent and post office and back home to get the slow cooker meal started. There is some time left to vacuum and do a quick tidy of the house and maybe read  my weekly magazine.

So that is my day off, I may not have done anything too exciting but I feel the day wasn't wasted as I did
cook a nice dinner, got some chores done and the best thing of all - I WROTE A BLOG!!!
How do you spend your day off if you are lucky enough to have one?

THE DREADED 60TH BIRTHDAY

I have been in the doldrums with my blogging but afer viewing 'Packed to the Rafters' last week and seeing Julie's excitement and positive outcome with her blog 'Vintage Mum' (why didn't I think of that name) I have found my enthusiasm returning.

Julie was also suffering 'birthday blues' which I am at the moment. As I near 60, alot of positive and negative thoughts plaque my every waking moment.  Positive, yes there are lots of them for which I am very thankful, a loving husband and family, friends, my job etc.  Negative, the old unplanned holiday. I had planned ahead and applied for a few days off to maybe fly off to an island in North Queensland with my husband but alas he doesn't like flying and if I don't organise it myself, it doesn't happen! Then self doubt creeps in and I think maybe I won't go anywhere memorable for my birthday and just stay at home as the more I have to think about it, the less inviting it becomes. Then I think maybe for this once, don't consider anybody else, just be selfish and think of yourself and go ahead and book that island getaway. 

I will keep you posted with the outcome but in the meantime, please let me know how you celebrated your 60th.

And as Dave Rafter quoted to Julie last night that she had 'BAD' - Blog Addiction Disorder, well I am working on it!!

Magazines in Waiting Rooms

Whenever you go to a Dr's or Specialist's rooms these days, you have to prepare yourself for at least an hour in the waiting room. To while away the time we naturally reach for some reading material and at first glance the choice looks impressive but alas on further investigation you generally find you are going back in time, not only months but sometimes years.

I have often wondered 'why this is so' and if the newer magazines did indeed exist, only to be tucked into the patient's bag as they left.

After many disappointments, I have resorted to taking my own reading material and have been known to write a letter or two.

Now I have purchased a tablet and have my own blog, maybe I will sit blogging in the waiting room and won't even glance toward the heap of outdated magazines.

Tell me about your experiences.

My favourite chair

I recently read about a person's favourite things and there pictured was a cane wicker 'bucket chair.' I immediately recalled my mother's two 'saucer chairs' as we called them. The addition of a  comfy, padded cover completed the look. These chairs were favourites not only for Mum but visitors alike.

I have a favourite outdoor hanging chair, which i call my 'egg chair' because of it's shape. I bought it at a second hand auction over 25 years ago and it provides a private sanctuary for reading, a great prop for photos, as well as just swinging in the breeze.

Tell me about your favourite chair?

Tennis: time to turn it down?

I, like lots of viewers have been watching the tennis on television, beginning with Brisbane in early January, then Sydney and now the Australian Open, where I have enjoyed many hours of brilliant tennis.

In that time I began to think about the mannerisms of tennis players - there's the continuous bouncing of the ball before serving, which I think would be very irritating to the opponent and certainly is to me, the viewer.  Currently, Djokovic has been known to bounce the ball up to 25 times before tossing it into the air.

Not to mention the screeching and squealing of some of the female players, which seems to have reached an epidemic, with Sharapova leading the way. But lets not forget the men, Nadal seems to be doing alot of grunting of late, which leads to the question - should these unnecessary sounds be erased from the game either by forfeiting of the match or a heavy fine?