Clean Feels Good, Don't You Think?

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Physically, mentally, in any way it comes, clean just feels good.

This has been the center of my thoughts all week. Some mornings I slide out of bed and slowly begin with the daily tasks--breakfast, dishes, laundry, picking up, and more picking up, and more picking up. I stay in my pajamas, throw on an apron, and think that once I've done all the chores, then I will shower and get ready for the day. Sometimes all that picking up can get sweaty, right!?! However, I am so much more motivated to move quickly and get things done AFTER a good shower, when I feel clean and refreshed! Somehow taking care of my body and being clean improves my mental state--it's a wonderful thing!

And then there is the night-time shower. What a beautiful feeling it is to crawl into bed--with newly washed sheets of course--after taking a warm shower. My sleep is so sweet when I go to bed clean.

Now, I am not recommending we all shower twice a day. I am just making note of one thing that can improve practically every aspect of life: CLEANLINESS!

I watched the American Idol finale--did you? Well, I didn't just watch the finale, I watched almost the whole season--almost. And I have to say, there is a stark difference in my mind between the so-called "mentor" of the season (Miss Lady Gaga herself) and the two finalists. Even if you don't like country music and are disappointed with the results of the show, you have to agree that those two young singers are clean. They are young and sweet and eager, and CLEAN! I hope they grow into a stardom that my daughters can enjoy without feeling the dirty and uncomfortable feeling that I had Wednesday night when Lady Gaga performed. I hope I can listen to their music and watch their videos and not have to worry what images might fill my mind. Because clean feels good.

So I'm hoping maybe, just maybe, you've been thinking about our topic along with us all week...and have some of your own thoughts to share about "clean." Link up below (with our faithful Little Shortstacks--thanks for your posts!) and share with us! Just click below--it's easy. And you can add your post up until next Thursday at midnight.

My New Favorite Mop

For my Birthday I bought a Swiffer Wet Jet for myself. Well I Left it unopened and left for Colorado. It is there that I heard of the Rubbermaid Reveal. When I got home, I promptly returned it, and purchased the Reveal. I used it for the first time tonight, and have to say, it is awesome! I highly recommend it. (Oh, and I was not even thinking of the blog at the time when I used it, but it all worked out.)

Here are the best parts about it.

It is wider then the Swiffer and other brands

It has washable pads

You can fill the container with your own cleaners and use it over and over again.

You can buy extra pads so one can be in the wash and one on the mop.

It has a Sweeper attachment, so no Swiffer sweeper pads either!

No sink full of dirty water.

No mop to let sit and dry, you just throw it into the wash!

Your floor drys faster since you use less water.

It works great! I highly recommend it! It was on sale for $20 at Target, and I bought an extra microfiber mop pad and sweeper pad so it cost $30 or so, so the same amount as the Swiffer and a box of 10 pads or so. And I can wash these at least 100 times!

If you hate sweeping and mopping like I do, I highly recommend this.

Fresh & Clean

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I've probably already exhausted the topic of house cleaning here and here and here, so I won't talk about that during this week of "clean." So, switching gears a little, what a fitting topic for this time of year, when springtime brings out the newness and freshness that makes me want to open all my windows and bring it inside! That's what I love about living where I do. The rain is nature's shower that leaves everything fresh and clean.

So, now that Memorial Day weekend is approaching and summer is on its way, I've put away the hot chocolate, and I'm stocking up on things for warm-weather drinks. I love mixing up a delicious, refreshing, CLEAN-tasting drink to pair with a tasty salad or with whatever's on the grill. I've always been a fan of citrus, and now I'm particularly all about limes. Here's a quick, zippy refresher I like to make:

Fizzy Lime Refresher

5-6 limes, juiced
1 TB grated lime zest
1 handful mint leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup sugar (I experimented with turbinado sugar for this and it was yummy)
1-liter bottle sparkling water, like Pellegrino or similar
mint leaves and/or lime slices for garnish

Combine lime juice, zest, mint leaves and sugar. Refrigerate 30 minutes to dissolve sugar and meld flavors. If desired, strain through a fine sieve to remove mint leaves and zest. Just before serving, add sparkling water. Serve with ice and garnish with mint leaves and/or lime slice.

*Note: I like this pretty tart, so if you want it sweeter, either add more sugar, or use 7-Up or Sprite instead of sparkling water.

Clean as a Bean

I can't do it.

I've tried and I've tried, but I simply can't think of what to write on our topic this week: clean. The hard truth is that I'm far more familiar with dirty. I did think of a pop song, though ... again! But I'm not going to tell you what it is, because I think it's time for another giveaway on our lovely little blog. So how about this? The first person who can guess the song I'm thinking of will receive a bottle of one of Jennis' favorite cleaners. Would you like a hint? I used to mishear one of the lyrics; I thought they were singing "clean as a bean." Good luck!


And while we're waiting for someone to guess, here's something I've been dying to share that has nothing to do with clean or dirty. Last Saturday was our stake's Relief Society conference and it was so inspiring. The theme was "Celestial Garden Shop" and all the classes - from dealing with depression, to teaching your children, to making your marriage more fun, to finding joy in motherhood - took some aspect of gardening to help illustrate the point of the class. The keynote speaker was my favorite, though. She shared seven "celestial gardening tips" and I loved how she tied it all together. Here were the tips and my notes about them:

1. Plant in season. Everything has it's season, and you can't have it all at once. Learn what season you're at in your life and plant accordingly.

2. Pick your seeds. A little like the first; you will only have space in your garden for a limited number of things. Don't try to plant more than you have room for. Also, don't plant carrot seeds and expect cucumbers.

3. Nourish your garden. Building a celestial life takes work. She quoted Lou Erickson: "Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration."

4. Reap the harvest. Enjoy what you have, even if it doesn't seem like much. That tiny, funny-looking cucumber can be just as delicious! Feast on the scriptures and bask in the light and warmth of the Spirit.

5. Preserve the extra. The winters in our lives will come. It's wise to store up what we can spiritually to carry us through the dark and cold.

6. Seek guidance from the Master Gardener. I didn't need any notes on this one :)

7. Don't forget the value and importance of fertilizer. And what is the best fertilizer? Manure. Our trials can help us flower! I added a note about pruning, too, as she'd also related Hugh B. Brown's story of the Currant Bush.

Great, huh? As weak as I am as a gardener, I do so love all the life lessons you can relate to gardening!