I told you a few days ago about the baby shower I went to last weekend. But I DIDN’T tell you about the little top secret device I learned about…

Many of you know that I’m a bit of a cleaning freak, but apparently I have never been let in on the the amazing powers of…the steam mop. Have any of you known about this and not told me?!?  How DARE you!!!  This thing is AWESOME–it’s like a swiffer on steroids!

Luckily, my friend Tess, who hosted the baby shower had one…and she was kind enough to tell me about it, and then even broke it out for me. She’s a regular steam mop saleswoman (seriously…I think she could make millions selling them door to door.)

After you do an initial sweep or dry swiffer,  you fill the mop with water and plug it in to let it heat up:

Then you put a pad on the bottom (these are washable), and when it’s warm you just run it across the floor:

It’s that easy! And it works sooooo well! There was sticky punch all over Tess’s floor and it was cleaned up just like that (picture me snapping here). No chemicals. No fuss. Just steam! (Wouldn’t that be an AWESOME tagline?!? Tess, feel free to use that in your sales pitch.)

It gets Tess’s seal of approval:

Here are a few of the top steam mops on the market: the Haan FS-20, the Bissell 1867-7, and the Shark Steam Mop 53101. Happy cleaning!

And if any steam mop companies out there would like to hire Tess to model YOUR steam mop, you just let me know and I’ll pass the message along to her.

My little sister Caroline pointed out to me that my blog post “cliffhanger”  last night was about how I reorganized my pantry. I’m such a dork.

But, I do legitimately get excited about reorganizing my pantry…so really, I think it goes to show how AUTHENTIC I am. Right? Authentic. Pantries. Uh huh…. I digress.  But really, without further ado…here’s what I purchased, four of these little babies:

Yup just four.  Because I’m really not in a position to be dropping cash on pantry organization supplies right now. Luckily, with my $30 gift card I only spent $7 or so! Not bad considering I was lusting after about $400 worth of pantry organization supplies a few months ago at The Container Store.

Once again, the before shot:

Very Messy.

And the after shot:

Not bad for $7, right? Okay…$37 if you want want to be exact. But I was pretty darn happy with the outcome either way! I used the tubs I bought to hold all the boxed meal stuff (mac & cheese, rice pilaf, and the like), Nuts and Berries, Pasta and Rices, and Spreads (Peanut Butter, Nutella, etc.). I had a galvanized steel tub that we use to hold white wine at parties (in the lower right above the trash cans) that usually sits with my party supplies; now it does double duty and holds are snacks, too.

I used some metal mixing bowls I already have that I rarely use to hold root veggies and breads. And I used cake pans (1 square and 2 round) to hold other spices and sauces I rarely use on the highest and lowest shelves.  Now they’re actually serving a purpose when they’re not in use…not just collecting dust!

I also really wanted to make two levels of cans on that shelf. So I scrounged around our house and settled on leftover tiles we had sitting on a shelf in the garage.  I just stacked them until they were high enough for me to see both levels!

And then I moved my cookbooks from the top shelf of my pantry, which was always an awkward place for them to live, to another place in my kitchen, and moved some appliances right on in. Lastly, I made some labels on my handy dandy label maker!

I’m so happy with how it all turned out!

But perhaps the funniest thing I found, was this can of soup:

For the most part, everything that was I took out of the pantry went back in…but I did call into question a few things. Like this soup. To my knowledge, we have never eaten this flavor of soup in our house. So I questioned whether or not to toss it. I decided to check for an expiration date to help me with my decision making.  I found one: June 17, 2006. Yup. It’s been expired for four years. The best part? That’s right around the time I moved in with my hubby. And we’ve moved twice since that date! This soup has been living with my hubby longer than I have. How romantic! Needless to say, it’s now in the garbage. Sorry, Chunky.

And there you have it. Just another day for This American Wife.

A few days ago, I shared with you a picture of the cow table that lives in the kitchen at my mom and dad’s house:

Well…it’s undergone a change!

My sister Caroline is in St. Louis at a summer internship and my sister Sydney is here in California with me…so apparently all my mom needed to inspire her to paint the cow table was an empty nest! It makes me wonder what kind of changes she’ll make to the house when my littlest sister Sydney goes off to college next fall!!!

Are you working on any projects this holiday weekend?

My dear friend Jenn (you may remember her amazing wedding invites) is including a jar of her AmZiNG homemade salsa in her wedding welcome baskets, so she decided to make a foray into canning (her first time).  My friend Hallie and I have been offering for months to help with wedding preperations, so Jenn finally took us up on our offer and asked us to help her make a massive batch of salsa and try out hand at canning!  I decided to drag my little sis, Caroline along, too (Thanks Caro for all your help!).

So first we made a massive batch of salsa. I’ve never made homemade salsa before, and it was surprisingly simple!  I’ll definitely have to whip up a batch of my own sometime soon…and I’ll be sure to share Jenn’s recipe with you then!   The canning though, was also surprisingly simple.  Jenn, Hallie, and I decided that we’ll be trying our hand at canning again in the future…just think…salsas, jams, pickles, red sauce, the possibilities are endless!!!

P.S. Jenn also whipped up these amazing salads while we were there:

They were sooooo good!  Thanks for dinner Jenn!

When we moved into our house a year and a half ago, we were somewhat relieved to find that the previous owner left her window treatments. Since we were new homeowners who had recently purchased a washer/ dryer/ fridge/ bedroom set, we decided to keep the window treatments she left since they were okay, and leave that expense for another day.   Well my friends, that day is here. And I couldn’t be more excited!  Here’s what the windows in our living area looked like before:

The living room:

The dining room:

The kitchen:

Like I said, they aren’t awful, the rods and finials are on the ornate side, which doesn’t exactly jive with the rest of our style.  And while I do like the red curtains, the green curtains don’t  coordinate with anything else in our living area and they had definitely seen better days.

I ran to Pottery Barn and my hubby did the labor:

And this is what I have now!

Living Room:

Dining Room (I’m recycling the old curtains from the living room here…):

And my favorite, the kitchen:

I love this print!!! I’ve never been brave enough to use a print on curtains in my home, and I was pretty nervous about it.  But the nice thing about this little eating nook in our kitchen is that the decor in this room doesn’t change with the seasons as it does in the rest of the house, so I don’t have to worry about having the curtain coordinate with all my seasonal decor.

The other thing I really like is that you can see this room all the way from the front door, and it’s really quite striking to see this gorgeous print right when you walk into our home:

I just LOVE IT!  I’m so excited to be able to cross this major purchase off of my list of wants for the house! Don’t you just love that feeling?!?  Let me know what you think!

Well folks, I’ve done it…100 decorating tips in celebration of my first 100 blog posts!  Tomorrow, we’ll be back to your regularly scheduled blogging .

91. You can make curtains out of just about anything.  If you can’t find exactly the curtains you’re looking for in your favorite home store, try looking in the bedroom or kitchen section.  Flat sheets, table clothes, and even just look pieces of fabric all make great curtains. And with these little curtain clips, you don’t even need to sew!  If you have a piece of unfinished fabric you’d like to use and you don’t know how to use a sewing machine, try safety pins or hem tape!

92. Don’t be afraid of color.  I love this photo from The Little Things.  She has a pretty neutral kitchen, but really made a statement by adding this teal island.  Try something out of the box.  If you don’t like it, you can always change it.  Your room is NEVER permanent!

93. If you share your home with someone (husband, kids, roommates) remember that even if they aren’t super opinionated, they still appreciate being thought about when you decorate a room.  Your hubby may not care what sort of pictures you hang on your wall or couch you pick out (as long as it’s comfy), but he probably will appreciate it if you don’t paint the walls hot pink, or pick out that overly floral fabric for your curtains.  And your kids will probably appreciate it if there are areas of each room that are specially designed for them (places to put their toys, showcase their artwork, etc.).

94. When you are considering paint colors for you home, remember that people will see your house as a whole not as a group of individual rooms…so make sure paint colors flow from one room to the next.  They don’t need be the same color, but make sure the coordinate!

95. Do you have kids? Want a fun way to display books or pictures in your house?  Take a look at this.  You can learn how to make and install these yourself over at Frugal Home Designs!

96. Put things in unexpected places…we have a tree in our guest bathroom…seriously. It seemed so odd at first, but I really like it there now!  You never know where something will work, so play around!  Remember nothing is permanent!

97. In the same vain, try putting something unexpected on the wall.  Walls of picture frames can sometimes become boring, even if the frames and their contents are interesting.  So try something three dimensional:  a wall sculpture, a old tennis racquet of your mothers, an egg beater.  No joke.  I recently saw a home magazine with an old egg beater hanging on the wall, and it looked so neat! You never know what’s going to work for you.

98. Don’t ignore your laundry room!  Whether you have a whole room dedicated to your washer and dryer, or just a closet, don’t ignore this space!  I saw the CUTEST laundry room on HGTV the other day…the walls were a light blue and they had bead board cabinets. Which made me think, “How many of us are neglecting our laundry rooms?!?” Your laundry room doesn’t have to be quite this nice (picture courtesy of Lemon Annie), but don’t ignore it! At the very least, spice it up with a sassy paint color!

99. Invest in galvanized steel buckets.  Lots of them.  They can hold flowers, Coronas on ice, sand and candles, art supplies, or one of my favorite uses…toys in a playroom.  This photo is comes from Nesting Place:

100. Sometimes it’s easy to focus on all the things you want to “fix” in your house.  Right now, take a moment, a night, a weekend, heck even a month to appreciate all the things you LIKE about your house.  Focus on the positive!

Thanks for hanging with me through all 100 tips!  See you back here tomorrow for more This American Wife!

Wow…what a nice weekend!  I attended my first ever tennis match, ran in my first ever 5K with my friend Hallie (finished in 31 minutes…not bad for barely being able to run a mile three weeks ago!), watched Kansas lose to Northern Iowa (wow!), watched Wake Forest lose to Kentucky (sorry Deacs!), got a pedicure with my aunt before she headed back, spent tonight watching Public Enemies here at home with the hubby, and slept. A LOT.  I think I’ve finally recovered from my CRAZY week! So here are tips 71-80…only 20 to go:

71. Do you have hardwood floors?  Then an area rug is a must!  An area not only provides your footsies with a soft place to walk, but it will create visual interest and cohesion in your room.

72. Another way to create interest in a room? Create a stack! Use coffee table books, old suitcases, hatboxes, you name it!

73. When you see a small framed mirror, buy it.  Then paint all the frames a similar color (I love a classic black or a festive yellow) and hang them in one arrangment. Here’s an example from Martha:

74. Can’t find a bedskirt (or don’t want to pay $50 for one?  Use an extra flat sheet in a coordinating color!

75. Don’t want a bedskirt at all?  Don’t you dare leave that box spring bare!  Use a coordinating fitted or flat sheet to cover it (this is what we do in our master bedroom).

76.  Spruce up your kitchen window and save money at the grocery store.  Plant herbs in matching terra cotta pots for a Tuscan feel, or use old florists vases wrapped in heavy paper and tied with twine (courtesy of Real Simple):

77. Do you have a boring lamp?  Spice it up by painting the lampshade a bold color with acrylic paints.

78. If you have a room that is small or dark (or both) try positioning a mirror across the room from a window, this will bring more light into the room and make it feel larger.

79. Use multiple table runners across the table as placemats for two (thanks again Martha!):

80. Today’s living rooms are often centered toward the tv with all furniture facing our flatscreens.  While I understand that tv watching is a nightly activity for many families (including mine), try to make sure your furniture is also set up to facilitate other activities, like conversation, too!

I am EXHAUSTED and it’s 1:02am, so I’m going to round out our top 50 here in Day 5. 50 down, 50 to go…

46. Invest in a nice stainless steel trash can.  I know.  The last thing you want to drop dough on is a  $100 trash can.  But trust me, it’s worth it! This is the one we have , well actually we have two (one for recycling) and I love it.

47.  If there is an item you use every day…like a power plug in your living room for your computer or a kettle to make tea in the kitchen…rather than constantly taking them out and putting them away, find a way to incorporate them into your room!  I have the two aforementioned issues, so I brought a bright red kettle and I leave it out on the stove and use it as a kitchen accent piece.  We purchased a power squid, which stays neatly tucked right under our couch, always ready to be used to plug in our laptops!

48. A nicely framed piece of art ALWAYS looks great over a fireplace.

49. Install blackout curtains in your bedroom. You won’t regret it.

50. Keep out-of-season decor in boxes in the garage, but put non-seasonal decor that you don’t have out right now in a more easily accessible place.  I have a cabinet in the Man Cave devoted to my decorating needs: candles, vases, baskets, apothecary jars, etc.

What’s shiny, new and silver? My new garbage disposal!!!!  And although this garbage disposal was a great deal, this was NOT a twenty dollar Tuesday.

I know my life is different than it was a few years ago.  Today I nearly jumped up and down in excitement when I saw my new garbage disposal.  Not only did this brand-spanking new bad boy arrive in the mail today, but while I was driving to LA tonight to drop off some family members who had been visiting, my hubby installed it!  It turned out that after all this, we needed a new garbage disposal AND we had a backup in the pipes leading from under the sink away from our house.  Luckily my hubby, with a little help from our visiting family members, did all the supply purchasing/ repair/ installation to fix BOTH problems!  He’s pretty darn awesome that hubby of mine (And here’s to saving a few bucks and not calling a plumber)!

The bad news: our microwave is now on the fritz…

Well folks, it’s happened again.  My hubby leaves for one day and all hell breaks loose here at home.  Okay, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it really is kind of ridiculous how many crazy things happen when he’s gone!  You see, a few days ago the hubby noticed that we were having some kitchen sink issues.  He was doing the dishes and put some things in the garbage disposal, and then they backed up into the other sink.  Gross, right?  We bought some liquid plumber, and used a little of that, and it seemed to do the trick…or so we thought.  Last night, per my hubby away M.O. I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning cleaning and organizing.  At midnight-ish, I decided to do my last chore before going to bed–the dishes. This turned out to be a horrible idea. As I was putting the last of some week-old beef stew down the garbage disposal, I saw that the sink was once again backing up!  Drat!

I determined that there was probably a clog in a pipe, and that I felt confident enough to tackle taking apart a bit of pipe to check for clogs.  I got a pan to put under the sink to catch the water that would drain out of the pipes and started taking apart the pipes.  While I was prepared for a bit of water, I was NOT prepared for the fountain spray of week-old, beefy, stewy water that sprayed EVERYWHERE.  It went all over the place underneath the sink, ran out onto the floor, and soaked me.  Yes.  I was covered in old, beefy, stewy water. Ick. Paul the Dog on the other hand, seemed to love it!  The worst part about it all?  There was no clog in the pipes!  I have since determined that there is some sort of jam/ leak in the actual garbage disposal…but that seems too advanced for me, so I’m waiting for the hubby to come home tomorrow to address that!  For now, the sink is at least usable again…not sure what I did, but it’s flushed out enough to be able to wash hands and such.  However, the garbage disposal is leaking so I’ve kept a pan underneath the sink.

I did manage to take a picture of the beefy, stewy aftermath.  It kind of looks like someone barfed underneath my sink.  Icky!

P.S. Dear Hubby, if you’re reading this, I hope you’re planning on reading up on garbage disposal repair on your way home tomorrow .