a brand new blog

Just wanted to let you know that Phillip started his very own blog, called Fun Stuff From Our House, today! We had been working on a print newspaper, but since he wanted to send copies to everyone he knows, we decided that a blog might be more efficient.

He takes all of the pictures and writes everything; I just type it and keep track of punctuation and spelling. You can see his first post, a short story, here. (I think he might appreciate a comment if you have a minute to spare.) Good night!

dishwasher tip that will change your life

I'm kind of embarrassed that I didn't know these two simple household maintenance things until recently. Not so embarrassed that I won't share - I'm sure that if I didn't know, someone else who reads this will be hearing it for the first time!

A week or so ago, Thomas slipped a piece of paper into the door of our dishwasher. Adam was concerned that it might interfere with the washing of dishes, so he took the door apart to get it out. After that, the dishwasher started leaking out of the front door, and got progressively worse over the course of a few days. After some searching online, I read about the filter on the inside of dishwasher doors that needs to be cleaned. I regularly clean the bottom of the dishwasher where the food bits collect, but this filter was news to me! Not sure that it would solve the leaking problem, I popped it off to give it a clean anyway, and YUCK. It definitely needed a good cleaning. Since it was cleaned, we've had no more leaks, and it's washing the dishes really well. When Adam took the door apart initially, it must have jostled the goo in the filter, blocking something so the water couldn't take its usual path.

So your homework for today will take 5 minutes max: clean that filter! On our dishwasher, it's really easy - it's made so you can just pull up on it and it pops right out. If you can't pop it out easily, search for your manual online and you'll find instructions for your model. Give it a scrub in warm soapy water, rinse, and put back in place. 

While you're at it, you might as well clean the filters in your dehumidifiers, too. Just up above the spot where the water collection bucket sits when in place, if you reach up, you can slide out a filter. Give it a quick wash in warm soapy water, a good rinse, put it back in place, and you're all set. Our dehumidifier actually stopped working because the filter needed a simple cleaning!

friday news & thanks!

Thank you all so much for the app suggestions yesterday! I've downloaded some new ones and am excited to try them out. 

I have some potentially life-changing housekeeping information for you tomorrow; in the meantime, don't throw away your leaky dishwasher, and enjoy a few photos from the week. (Thanks to Vickie for the magnetic theatre! Thomas loves it.)

thursday news

Good morning!

Things are quiet here, for this minute, anyway, so I thought I'd pop in to say hi and give you a few little updates of the week.

Phone:
I have a new iPhone. Up until this week, I had a (gasp!) flip phone that I only used for work. I had no idea that I needed one so badly (of course I didn't, really). I *love* having everything in one place. Camera? Check! Calculator? Check! (I actually use a calculator ridiculously often.) Phone? Check! E-mail? Check! Netflix? Check! Twitter? Check! Podcasts? Check! This thing is awesome. I'm going to try keeping all of my work calendar, to-dos, etc., on it this coming school year and see how that works out for me. I do love pencil and paper, though, and typing on a phone can get frustrating, so I'm not expecting miracles. I got a good deal on the phone, and work pays me a bit each month toward it, so I'm pleased. Do you have any tips for scheduling / organizing your work / home / everything on your phone? Do you have any favourite apps that I should know about? I'm thinking of more practical, tool-type apps, rather than games. But of course, if you have a fantabulous game you must share, please do.

My goals are to: a) not use it incessantly, b) be at its mercy, or c) be looking at it while having a conversation with someone. There aren't many things more rude, in my opinion. Also on phone etiquette, I detest call waiting. We're probably the only people in North America without it on our landline. "Oh, wait - someone potentially more important is calling. Just wait a second while I check and see if they are." Incidentally, we also don't have call display on our home phone, so it helps if you identify yourself.

Paint:
And secondly, we painted the dining room yesterday. It had been Martha's Westport Tan since 2005 when we bought it, and I was tired of it. So we painted it a beautiful cream, the same colour as our bedroom, which I haven't gotten tired of in five years, so I don't think I will. The living room is next, but will be a bit more of a project. Light and bright is what I'm aiming for, and I love how it's turning out.

Kiddos:
Thomas fell on concrete yesterday and has an awful goose egg on his forehead, poor kid. Still cute, though. Phillip's at his first day of daycamp, and I think he's probably having an amazing time. I can't wait to hear his recap later on.

I hope that you're having a lovely Thursday.