Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Let's Use Natural Cleaning Solution: VINEGAR

Last but not least, from the Natural Cleaning Solution Series, you can use vinegar for cleaning your:




Coffeemaker:
Pour equal parts vinegar and water into the machine’s water chamber, then switch on the brew cycle. Halfway through, turn off the coffeemaker and let the solution sit for about an hour. Turn it on again to complete the cycle, then run several cycles with clean water.

Dishwasher:
To disinfect the interior of the machine, pour ½ cup vinegar into the reservoir and run an empty cycle, says Hunter. Or place a small bowl filled with vinegar on the bottom rack and run an empty cycle.

Drains:
Clean drains―and the pipes they’re attached to―by pouring vinegar down them. After 30 minutes, flush with cold water.

Floors:
Add ¼ cup vinegar to a bucket of warm water to clean almost any type of floor except marble (vinegar can scratch it) or wood (vinegar can strip it).

Glassware:
For spotless hand-washed glasses, add 1 cup vinegar to the rinse water.

Moldy walls:
Spray vinegar on the affected areas. After about 15 minutes, rinse and let dry thoroughly.

Showerheads:
To combat mineral deposits, pour vinegar into a plastic grocery bag and knot the handles over the neck of the showerhead, securing with rubber bands. Let soak overnight. Rinse with water in the morning.

Steam iron:
To get rid of mineral deposits, fill the iron with equal parts vinegar and water; press the steam button. Turn off, let cool, empty, and rinse.

Windows:
Mix ¼ cup vinegar, 2 cups water, and a squirt of liquid Castile soap in a spray bottle. Spritz windows and wipe with a sheet of newspaper.

That's the end of the Natural Cleaning Solution Series.

Till next time, I will share on something else relating to domestic chores.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Let's Use Natural Cleaning Solution: COOKING OIL

Salam everyone! Let me continue with my Natural Cleaning Solution Series.

As promised, I will share with you what you can do with cooking oil besides, well, what else is new, cooking:

Cast-iron pans:
Make a scrubbing paste with vegetable oil and a teaspoon of coarse salt to combat cooked-on debris, then rinse with hot water.

Hands:
To get paint off your skin, rub with vegetable oil, then wash thoroughly with soap.

Leather shoes:
Wipe away dirt with a damp sponge, then apply a drop of vegetable oil to a soft cloth and rub the surface to remove scuff marks. Buff the shoes with a chamois to a shine.

Rattan and wicker furniture:
To prevent rattan and wicker from drying or cracking, lightly brush them with vegetable or sunflower oil and gently rub in with a cloth. Warm the oil on the stove first to thin it and make it easier to apply.

Stainless-steel surfaces:
For extra sparkle, pour olive oil onto a cloth and buff.

Wood furniture:
Make your own polish by mixing 2 cups olive or vegetable oil with the juice of 1 lemon; work it in with a soft cloth. To smooth out scratches in light-colored wood, rub them with a solution of equal parts olive or vegetable oil and lemon juice.

Next item, Vinegar :)

Monday, February 27, 2012

Make Your Own Tag

Salam everyone.

I have made a tag for Musheera's birthday using Picnik.

It's super easy.



Cute, right?

I'm using it for the invites.

Will be using it too all around the party, from decorations to party packs.

Yeay!

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Let's Use Natural Cleaning Solution: LEMON

Salam Everyone! I found this tips from here about on tackling countless chores with common household items. Let's go green!

I love the smell of fresh fizzy of lemons. You can use them to clean your:

Counter tops:
Dip the cut side of a lemon half in baking soda to tackle countertops; wipe with a wet sponge and dry. Don’t use on delicate stone, like marble, or stainless steel (it may discolor).

Cutting boards:
To remove tough food stains from light wood and plastic cutting boards, slice a lemon in half, squeeze onto the soiled surface, rub, and let sit for 20 minutes before rinsing.

Dishes:
To increase the grease-cutting power of your dish washing detergent, add a teaspoon of lemon juice.

Faucets:
Combat lime scale by rubbing lemon juice onto the taps and letting it sit overnight. Wipe with a damp cloth.

Garbage disposal:
Cut a lemon in half, then run both pieces through the disposal. “The lemon cleans it and makes it smell great,” says Linda Mason Hunter, a coauthor of Green Clean.

Grout:
Spilled morning coffee on your tile counter top or backsplash? Here’s how to tackle grout stains: Add lemon juice to 1 or 2 teaspoons cream of tartar (an acidic salt that acts as a natural bleaching agent) to make a paste. Apply with a toothbrush, then rinse.

Hands:
When you touch raw fish, the smell can linger on your fingers. Rub your hands with lemon juice, which will neutralize the odor.

Laundry:
To brighten whites, add 1/2 cup lemon juice to the rinse cycle for a normal-size load.

Plastic food-storage containers:
To bleach stains from tomato soup and other acidic foods on dishwasher-safe items, rub lemon juice on the spots, let dry in a sunny place, then wash as usual.

I shall continue with cooking oil in my next post. Stay tuned!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Rainbow Party Coming Soon!

As I have posted before here, I am in the midst of preparing for Musheera's 1st Birthday Rainbow Bash! I have mentioned the menus. But since my attempt on making the Lasagna Cups which turns out not so good as expected, I may need a 2nd attempt. Hmm. Or perhaps I should just forget about it entirely. So not cool :(

Some details I'm going to make a few changes so that I don't pass out on the day of party due to the craziness I'm suffering for rainbows. I shall play it cool and don't go over the top. Let me check.

Guest List
Immediate family members

Note: Musheera don't really get along with new faces (with exception to those who loves babies, she can feel your 'aura' and accepts you immediately) hence the invites are for those she normally sees in her daily life.

Date & Day
March 3, 2012 (Saturday)

(Note: Musheera's birthday is actually on the 1st March but since it's on Thursday, we must choose a weekend for everyone's convenience in attending her birthday bash. The nearest weekend to her birthday was picked)

Time
4pm - 5.30pm

(Note: Musheera always have her nap time between 11am to 2pm. She barely sleeps around 4pm-6pm)

Venue
Sri Acappella Apartment Poolside

(Note: Just Because and there's no charging rate except for a reasonable sum of returnable deposit. Better get the venue squeaky clean post-bash!)


F&B
Appetizers
Strawberries, oranges, bananas, kiwis, blueberries and grapes with Marshmallow Dip
Baby tomatoes, baby carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, and onions with Lemon-Thyme Dip

(Note: I'll be arranging these into rainbows and their respective dips placed as clouds. Fun right? A step to encourage people, especially children, to eat fruits and vegetables)

Main
Strawberry Jam Sandwich
Cheddar Cheese Sandwich
Egg Sandwich
Cucumber Sandwich
Mixed Berries Sandwich
Beef Satay with Peanut Sauce
Roasted Chicken Drumsticks with BBQ Sauce
Baked Macaroni and Tuna

(Note: All sandwiches will be arranged into a large plate/tray and it will look like a stripe of rainbow. Fun too right? Other main entrees are Just Because)

Dessert

Marshmallow with White Chocolate Dip and Sprinkles Pop
Butter cake pop with Milk Chocolate Top

(Note: All pops will be placed around the buffet table as decorations too)

Birthday Cake
Vanilla and Confetti Cupcake with various colors of icing

(Note: Cupcakes will be arranged assembling a huge rainbow)

Favors
Rainbow Cookies

(Note: a few cookies will be inserted into a small clear plastic bags and will be heat sealed and a "Thank you" tag stapled on top)


Entertainment
Hi-5 Songs
Coloring Sheets and Crayons/Color Pencils
Bubbles
Playground
Swimming

So now, let's get cranking!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

When I was at DEMC, Shah Alam V2.1

Freebies!

Besides the complimentary pouch bag I got during check in,

I received more free stuffs from DEMC!!



Wow, a lot of goodies for new mommy and baby :)



More goodies found inside the far left green box.

But the greatest gift ever goes to...


The gift from Allah the Great and Almighty.

Alhamdulillah.

When I was at DEMC, Shah Alam V2.0

Salam everyone!

I almost forgot that I owed you guys a continued post.

I apologize, I was on a hectic schedule for the past few weeks.

Shall we continue now? Hehe

The first thing that gets my attention was this


Wow! Like hotel maaaa.

Got In-Room Dining Menu.

What a Room Service they have here.
(Mind you, this was my first time being admitted to hospital)

Flipping page to page, I was excited choosing my menus :)

While doing that, I felt like wanting to go the loo.

Yeah, it was cold to the bone.

Boleh tahan juga bilik air dia.

Almost like home.


Back into the room, let's watch some cartoons on the flat screen TV.

This activity keeps me calm while waiting for my labour.

Oh! I almost forgot! One thing that I always do when I enter a room for the first time!

Just look at the view.

I can see only one pillar of the Blue Mosque.
Darn!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Rainbow Cake and Cupcakes


For my little mushkin's first birthday party, we are going for rainbow theme.

A cake is a must for a birthday party ey?

But for parties, catering more than [perhaps] more than 50 people(!!),
I prefer serving cupcakes rather than a cake
because for eating cupcakes, we:
1. don't need forks or spoons;
2. don't need plates; and most of all
3. don't have to do any cuttings!

I have tried making this cake in somewhere in December last year.

I've made the individual colors of cake layers, plus individual colors of frosting too!

BUT, I only used one batter of cake mix and it turns out looking like "kuih lapis" instead.


Anyway, taste is soooo yummy and many of my relatives gave good reviews.

You know what, am gonna make the cake again on my little mushkin's birthday,

AND butter (cup)cake with variants of rainbow colors icing on her birthday party.

Source

Can' wait!

UPDATED:

I have baked the butter cupcakes but I have no time to make the variant colors of icing.

Thus, I opt for rainbow cupcakes with cream cheese icing instead.

As for assembling the rainbow shape,
I have sprinkled colorful heart shapes according to the rainbow coordination.


My baby loves it and so does the whole family.