on windows & sunny home days

Seeing as you already know the continual sad state of our living room floor, I thought I would share, with (maybe a little too much) honesty, the sad state of my living room windows.

Please note this is not a reflection on my upbringing. I recall many a week watching my mother (or agh! participating myself) in the shining up of the two large living room windows. I was taught well. I just didn't learn... or I chose to forget... or it's (another) one thing I let slide, I guess. This is the only window the kids can really stand at to see anything outside unless you count standing on the kitchen counter to look out at the back yard. So, they stand on the couch, with their hands adding many hand prints and their tongues and noses adding lots of other disgusting stuff. Sorry, that's just the sorry truth.

So this is what the window looked like this morning. The snowflakes and snowmen adding tape gum to the mess. So I peeled it all off and attacked it with my norwex clothes. If you do not have these you may want to look up the norwex consultant nearest you. It's not the stressful cleaning that has me avoiding this task. Just hot water and elbow grease for the sparklingest windows ever.

So I got done the inside, stepped back, admired and realized the necessity of doing the outside too. Now, when consulting the weather website, it was recorded that our little town was sitting at about -5 C. Not exactly prime window washing temps. But, I figured the window was getting direct sun and while my hands might get cold, the water wasn't likely to freeze on those sun warmed windows. So out I went. First to set up my ladder, then to get to work.

And boy did it work.

Until I tried to wash the first of the two screens. See for yourself (far right). It will probably take tomorrow morning's sun to get rid of the ice :)
But isn't that a cheerful looking window?! (It's cause the sun's no longer on it so you can't see the moisture trapped between the panes, the smudges from the window washing that tended to get a bit hastier the longer I was on the ladder and the new handprints already on the inside, left while the kids cheered me on in completing the outside. Actually they were begging to come out with me.)

There you have it, clean windows all done in my trusty pajamas. Recorded by yours truly, Cammers. Someday when that boy says he's gonna take a picture of me he's gonna get a face shot. And then I'll be wishing for the old days when I could post pictures of me that didn't include uncombed hair!

Next up, the bathtub. Did you know if you spray your tub with straight vinegar and then let the hot water run to create some steam, you can get a really sparkling tub?

That's all the cleaning tips you'll get from me. Off to first eat lunch while gazing through my living room window ;)