October 09, 2013

Fall Cleaning Checklist

October 09, 2013/ Michelle S

This post brought to you by BISSELL Homecare, Inc.. All opinions are 100% mine.

Fall decided to arrive this past weekend in Iowa. It went from 88 degrees on Friday to the high 40's on Sunday. Rude.

As much as I dislike the cold, I am looking forward to the wonderful things that Fall brings! Hot beverages, boots, blankets and deep cleaning. Oh yes, deep cleaning can be wonderful. Wait, that's a lie but I do feel better going into Winter with clean windows and carpets!

I previously mentioned that I am big on surface cleaning but not so big on deep cleaning. I try to make sure that I do tackle deep cleaning at least twice a year (Spring and Fall). This weekend I whipped up a Fall cleaning checklist. These are tasks that I need to complete in the next few weeks. You know, before the chance of snow happens. Here's what I need to tackle:

Our carpets need a deep cleaning. Our living room carpet especially needs it. This guy and his bear, Ted, aren't the cleanest things in town.

Poor Ted.

We use the BISSELL Proheat Deep Cleaner that we've had for a few years. It's easy to use and brings our dingy carpets back to life.

Ike tells me that he's not the only messy one around these parts. Nate and I have been spending a lot more time in the kitchen and it shows.

Our deep cleaning list includes vacuuming out drawers and kitchen crevices. You know, anywhere that flour can land.

I previously mentioned that I had a new friend, the BISSELL PowerGlide. It has come in handy as I have started on my Fall checklist.

Before I can start deep cleaning, I like to surface clean all of the baseboards and floors in the house. This includes the stairs which were previously a giant pain. I'm a weakling and hate carrying a heavy vacuum up and down the stairs. The BISSELL PowerGlide has a removable pod that lifts off the base and allows me to carry only part of it up and down the stairs!

I love clean windows. I just don't love cleaning them. It doesn't help that we have 1 million of them to clean. I always start window cleaning by vacuuming out the bugs and dirt from the window sills.

The ability to use the lift off feature makes this task super simple.

The lift off feature and long-stretch hose is awesome for cleaning the tops of the cabinets. I always used to assume that the tops of cabinets cleaned themselves. Turns out that it was just my mom. Who new?

So far I am a big fan of the quality and effectiveness of the BISSELL PowerGlide®. We own other BISSELL Products and we appreciate their quality and performance! Here’s another look at the awesome features I mentioned when I first received it:

- No loss of suction and sealed system

- One-step removable pod for portable cleaning

- Long-stretch hose

- Lightweight

- Swivel steering for maneuverability

- Adjustable handle for easy use and storage

- 12-inch foot for stability

- Large capacity dirt cup

- 27-foot cord

- Included TurboBrush® and crevice tool

You can visit BISSELL on Facebook to enter to win their sweepstakes. Here are more cleaning tips to help you tackle that Fall cleaning. If you would like to purchase your own BISSELL Powerglide you can use the code POWERGLIDE on BISSELL.com for $20 Off Plus Free Shipping for the following products through 11/30/2013:

· PowerGlide Pet Vacuum with Lift-Off Technology – 2763

· PowerGlide Pet Bagged Rewind Vacuum – 38631

· PowerGlide Pet Vacuum – 1044

Have you started your Fall cleaning? What's your favorite and least favorite Fall cleaning task?

Don't forget to check out today's fab pumpkin projects!

Wednesday:Boxy Colonial, Wills Casa, Cuckoo4Design

October 08, 2013

Cherry Almond Bars

October 08, 2013/ Michelle S

I've decided to make Tuesdays "Tasty Tuesdays" here at Decor and the Dog. Well, until I don't have my act together. Then it will just be Tuesday.

I'm kind of killing it in the kitchen lately. I've been doing a lot of baking/recipe experimenting lately so I figured I'd share.

My food photography skills will also amaze you. Try not to be jealous.

First up on Tasty Tuesdays is a favorite recipe for Cherry Almond Bars. These things are ridiculously good and not super complicated. Slightly messy but I associate messy with tasty.

Cherry Almond Bars

1 cup butter
2 cups suagar
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cans (21 oz each) cherry pie filling

Glaze

1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2-3 Tbsp milk

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. (I repeat it's so fluffy over and over.) Add eggs, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Gradually add flour.

2. Spread 3 cups batter into a greased 15x10x1 inch baking pan. (I lined mine with aluminum foil because I hate cleaning baked good pans.) Spread with pie filling. Drop remaining batter by teaspoonfuls over the filling. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

3. In a bowl, mix confectioner's sugar, extracts and milk to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over top. My patience got the best of me and I added the glaze a little too soon so don't be me and actually wait until the bars cool.

4. Enjoy!

***The Pumpkin Parade continues!

Check out today's great projects! A Little Bite of Everything, A Swell Place to Dwell, NewlyWoodwards

Also, my mom had a great question. "Do you have to have a blog to link up?" (Seriously. She asked.) You don't! Just upload your pictures to a site like Flickr and link that way!

October 07, 2013

DIY Pumpkin Bookends

October 07, 2013/ Michelle S

Yay! It's Monday!

I've lost it.

Okay, so I'm not exactly pumped for Monday but I am pumped to share with you my Pumpkin Parade project. I whipped up these pumpkin bookends in approximately 62 minutes. 42 of those minutes were paint/glue drying time.

I mentioned last week that I am teaming up with some lovely ladies to host a pumpkin parade plus link party (on Friday!).

I shared my fall mantel a couple of weeks ago. I decided it could use a little more fall in it's life. I'm not big on things screaming HOLIDAYS!!! so I came up with this simple bookend idea.

These bookends are super simple to make. Nate cut me some 1x4s to a size that seemed bookend appropriate. I used wood glue to hold them together.

I gave them a quick coat of brown paint that I found in my basement paint stash. It's embarrassing the amount of paint that is down there.

I purchased two pumpkins from the dollar section at Target. They were an atrosish gold. I spray painted them. Poorly. Because I have zero patience. (They were pretty shiney and I should have ruffed them up a little.) The dripped look is "in" now though. #trendfollower

When everything was dry, I placed the pumpkins on top of the bookends. Done. Just in time to watch the Amazing Race.

I think these guys are quite charming.

DIY Pumpkin Bookends- Decor and the Dog.jpg

Remember to share your pumpkin projects with us right here on Friday, October 11th. (That's this week. Get to pumpkining! (that's a verb).) It's a joint link party so your project will be seen on all of our blogs! Anything pumpkin will fly. Crafts, recipes, etc. I look forward to checking out your pumpkin-ness!