Gardening Design Ideas: How To Create a Zen Garden

Gardening Design Ideas: How To Create a Zen Garden

Could you use a little more relaxation in your life? If so, a Zen garden may be just what you need. After, all Buddhist monks have been using them for centuries. In fact, the Zen gardens that you may be…

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Lemony Broccoli Rabe with White Beans

Lemony Broccoli Rabe with White Beans

Years ago, I was with a group of friends talking about the dishes that our mothers made all the time and that became our idea of comfort food. One of the women said that her Italian-American mom made broccoli rabe and cooked it with lots of lemon and white beans.

We all quizzed her like crazy: Was this a dish her grandmother had made, too? (Yes!) Was it a weeknight dish? (Yes!) Did her mom make it for holidays? (Yes!)

We were so intrigued that something bitter, tart, and garlicky would be considered comfort food—the rest of us had been thinking about creamy, toasty, cheese-y things!

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14 Stations of the Cross List – Free Simple Lenten Reflection Printable

14 Stations of the Cross List – Free Simple Lenten Reflection Printable

While I was working on another Stations of the Cross project, I made this 14 Stations of the Cross list to include as part of it. I liked the simplicity and usefulness of it so much that I decided to make it available as a free instant download. While I know that this is not

The post 14 Stations of the Cross List – Free Simple Lenten Reflection Printable appeared first on Real Life at Home.

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8 Recipes I Know My Kids Will Love

8 Recipes I Know My Kids Will Love

Ah, children. They can be our biggest fans and also our biggest challengers when it comes to cooking. Getting a meal on the table that they will eat sometimes feels like a Herculean task.

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Editable Calendar 2018 March Printable Pack - Frugal Family Home

Editable Calendar 2018 March Printable Pack - Frugal Family Home

March is quickly coming, are you ready? If you need printable calendar sheets for March, you can grab a copy of the editable calendar for March below.

Keeping track of everything going on can be troublesome from appointments for yourself to things your family needs to do too it can be a lot.

Having a printable calendar can really help. You can print off multiple copies and have them ready to go to organize what everyone needs to do. Instead of trying to fit it all in on one small square.

Below you can download the editable calendar pack for the month of March. There are two calendars. One in the vertical format and one in the horizontal format. You can edit both before printing.

Get the Editable Calendar Pack for March

Just enter your email below to get a copy of the March editable calendar pack sent right to your in-box. Plus, you’ll get recipes and money saving ideas sent to you too.

Name:

Email:

Get organized now before the month is here. Grab your printable calendar pages for the month of March.

Want more than the calendar pages?

Get not only the calendar pages but also many other pages to get your day organized one page at a time with the 2018 Homemaking Planner. See all the pages included plus see if it’s right for you. 

More Printables You’ll like

25 Frugal Items to Stock in Your Pantry
Bathroom Cleaning Schedule and a 5-minute quick cleaning checklist too

Pin it for Later…

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Easy Chicken Mac and Cheese

Easy Chicken Mac and Cheese

As I’ve grown as a home cook, prioritizing flexibility in recipes is something I’ve learned to truly cherish. Especially now that I’m a busy parent, I find myself asking a series of questions any time I approach a recipe:

Can I substitute leftovers for an ingredient in a recipe I want to make? Can I serve this meal in a variety of ways? Is it doable to make this on a weeknight, or can I change it a bit to make it special for a weekend dinner party?

When it comes to this Easy Chicken Mac and Cheese, the answer to all of those questions is “yes!”

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Gardening Tips: What You Need to Know about Garden Fertilizer

Gardening Tips: What You Need to Know about Garden Fertilizer

When it comes to gardening, you probably have one goal: to make sure your garden thrives and produces plenty of healthy fruits and vegetables. But how do you do this? With the right garden fertilizer, of course. After all, if…

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Busy Week Meal Plan - Frugal Family Home

Busy Week Meal Plan - Frugal Family Home

It’s Monday and time to make our meal plans for this week. Having a meal plan ready and waiting for you can make getting dinner done so much easier. If you need a few easy dinner ideas, scroll down to see what’s cooking this week.

Just so you know, some of the links below are my referral links. When you use it I can make a little money at no extra cost to you. You can see my disclosure policy for more information.

This week is a little of a busy week so I’m sticking to some easy to make recipes. If you haven’t tried to make your own pizza at home you need to give it a try.

The pizza dough recipe I use is super easy and doesn’t even need to rise. I can get a couple pizzas made in about 30 minutes.

I’m also serving a few meals from the freezer, meatloaf, and cherry chicken skillet. The cherry chicken skillet recipe is from the book, Fix, Freeze, Feast.

It’s a great freezer cooking book. I’m made quite a few recipes from this book and we have loved them all.

Here’s our meal plan for this week,

Our Menu,

Dinners

Pizza and Salad

Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, and Salad

Cherry Chicken Skillet, Mashed Potatoes, and Green Beans

Pancakes, Eggs, and Sausage

Enchilada Shells, Salad, and Fruit

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Rolls and Fruit

Crisp and Soft Tacos, Refried Beans and Salsa and Chips

Lunches

Leftovers most days

Sandwiches with Soup

Tuna Sandwiches with Chips and Fruit

Snack type lunch with fruit, cheese, vegetable sticks, lunchmeat and crackers

Breakfast

Toast and Eggs

Sausage Omelet with Hash Browns and Toast

Breakfast Biscuit Sandwich with Fruit

What’s cooking at your house this week?

Do you need help planning your menu? Find my menu planning tips here with a free printable menu planner page and here for my frugal menu planning tips.

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for your support.

Find more menu plan ideas at Org Junkie too.

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Gluten-Free Chocolate Banana Cupcakes

Gluten-Free Chocolate Banana Cupcakes

Growing up, my mom always made her famous chocolate potato cake for each of our birthdays. I know, I know: it sounds very odd, but the truth is you never actually tasted the potato and it really just ensured that the batter was super moist, which I probably never appreciated as a kid but certainly do now.

These days when birthdays arise in our household, I’ve found my own tricks to achieve a really moist, super chocolatey cake and cupcakes. This recipe uses one of our son’s favorite foods: bananas.

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Vegan Chocolate Frosting

Vegan Chocolate Frosting

When I’m baking, I love having a few reliable back-pocket recipes that don’t take a lot of fuss (no candy thermometers, please!) and that have an equally fuss-free ingredient list. But a thick and fudgy chocolate frosting that spreads easily and is dairy-free? This has proven to be an elusive thing.

However, I was determined to find a good chocolate frosting recipe to go with my Gluten-Free Chocolate Banana Cupcakes, so I got to work! And I must confess that I’m mighty pleased with the results.

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Meal Plan for February Week 4

Meal Plan for February Week 4

I often try to keep Monday dinners super simple, but lately I’ve found that it’s Wednesday nights that have been the troublemaker. By this time in the week, everyone’s starting to get tired from the pace of the work (and daycare) week, and yet it’s just not quite close enough to Friday to let our guard down and get excited about the weekend.

So this Wednesday, I’m keeping it simpler than usual with a make-your-own Twice Baked Potato situation! This will go over well with small and large palates alike.

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St. Patrick’s Day Mini Books – Free Printable Emergent Readers

St. Patrick’s Day Mini Books – Free Printable Emergent Readers

St. Patrick’s Day Mini Books – Free Printable Emergent Readers Post Preview: This post contains a set of three free printable St. Patrick’s Day mini books for beginning readers. St. Patrick’s Day is coming up and I thought I would share these fun and free St. Patrick’s Day Mini Books that I made for emergent

The post St. Patrick’s Day Mini Books – Free Printable Emergent Readers appeared first on Real Life at Home.

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How Do You Care For An Outdoor Rug?

How Do You Care For An Outdoor Rug?

Your outdoor patio is looking sharp and ready for spring. But it’s missing something. An outdoor rug in just the thing to pull the look together, but you’re worried about taking care of it without it getting damaged and dirty.…

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How to Make Creamy Homemade Potato Soup, Simple and Easy Recipe - Frugal Family Home

How to Make Creamy Homemade Potato Soup, Simple and Easy Recipe - Frugal Family Home

Soup is a good and satisfying meal, it can also be a meatless and a frugal meal too. If you haven’t tried homemade potato soup before this one is our favorite. So creamy and delicious!

When it’s cold outside a nice bowl of soup can warm you up from the inside out. But some soups need to simmer a long time.

When you are in a hurry for a yummy homemade soup, give this easy, creamy homemade potato soup a try.

When I was young, my grandma would make a batch of this homemade potato soup for us for lunch. It was a creamy and delicious simple potato soup I loved.

It was like a hug from my grandma from the inside.

I now make this yummy creamy potato soup recipe for my family. I love that even though my grandma never got to meet my kids, I can share special memories with them about her, through the food she used to make for me.

But more than that this soup is a great frugal soup to make too. No meat is needed. But if you want to beef it up, add a few strips of crisp crumbled bacon on top. Or cook sausage with the onions or even ground beef.

Those additions can make this soup even great for those who love meat in their soup.

Ingredients Need for Creamy Homemade Potato Soup

With only 5 ingredients needed this truly is a simple soup to make. Keep on scrolling down for the recipe video and the printable creamy potato soup recipe too.

3-4 Potatoes
1 Onion
1 tablespoon Oil
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Cheese, shredded (optional)
3 tablespoon Fresh Chives, chopped (optional)

If you like to see recipes made, take a peek at the recipe video. It’s only about 2 minutes long. If watching a video isn’t for you, no problem keep on scrolling for creamy potato soup recipe tips below the video.

Tips for Making this Creamy Homemade Potato Soup Recipe

The tips below can help when making this creamy homemade potato soup recipe. It’s a few tips I think make the soup so fantastic.

✶ When cutting the potatoes cut them a little big if you want chunks of potato in your soup. If you like a smoother soup chop the potatoes small so they break up more.

✶ If you want to make this a vegan potato soup, use a dairy free milk in place of the milk. We like soy milk or the pea protein milk. They both work great. And use a vegan cheese to sprinkle on top or skip the cheese altogether.

✶ If onions are a problem for others in your family, you can chop the onions tiny before sauteing them. They will be less noticeable.

✶ If you have picky eaters who won’t eat onions and can spot the tiniest speck in a dish, leave them out and add in a little onion powder instead.

✶ If your family really wants meat in the soup cook a few strips of bacon in the pan before adding the onions. You can use the bacon fat rendered to sauté the onions in instead of oil. Crumble the cooked bacon on top of each bowl of soup.

✶ If you like sausage cook it with the onions until browned and cooked through. Proceed with the recipe. I find a half of a pound is plenty in the soup but if you have real meat lovers, you might need closer to a pound.

✶ I kept this recipe super simple, but if you have leftover steamed vegetables, add them in when adding the cooked potatoes back into the soup. It will add a boost of vegetables and those little odds and ends of vegetables won’t go to waste.

✶ If you don’t have leftover vegetables and want to add other vegetables in the soup. You can cook them with the potatoes. Chop the vegetables and add to the potatoes before you cook them.

✶ If you prefer a smoother soup, use an immersion blender to blend the soup to the desired consistency. You can see the immersion blender I have and love on my Amazon page. (my referral link, see my disclosure policy for more information)

Here’s the printable recipe,

Creamy Homemade Potato Soup

 

Save Print

Author: Shelly

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3-4 Potatoes, chopped
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Oil
• 1 cup Milk
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• ½ cup Cheese, shredded
• 3 tablespoon Fresh Chives, chopped

Instructions

1. Place chopped potatoes into a saucepan and covered with water. Boil until the potatoes are softened. Drain the water off and set potatoes aside.
2. Place the chopped onion in the same saucepan you cooked the potatoes in. Add the oil. Saute until the onions are brown and softened. You can skip this step but I think it mellows the flavor of the onions and adds more flavor.
3. Add the cooked potatoes back into the pan with the browned onions.
4. Add the milk and salt and pepper.
5. Heat and stir until warmed through. To make the soup thicker smash a few of the potatoes on the side of the pot and stir them in.
6. Place the soup into bowls and sprinkle with cheese and chives if desired.
7. Serve warm and enjoy!

3.5.3229

 

 

 

How much does a batch of Creamy Potato Soup Cost?

Knowing how much a recipe costs to make, can help you to fit it into your meal planning and keep your food cost lower. I’ve broken down how much this recipe will cost to make for you.

This recipe makes 4 average sized servings.

Below I’ve given the price for just the amount of the item called for in the recipe. But I also give the price paid at the store for a package or per pound.

Potatoes $.30 /$1.99 for 10 pounds
Onion $.10 /$1.99 for 15 pounds
Milk $.16 /$2.59 for 1 Gallon
Oil and Seasonings $.15
Cheese $.75

Which brings the cost of this whole recipe to $1.46. And just $.37 a serving. That makes for quite a frugal lunch or dinner.

If you add in bacon at $2.99 for 12 ounces or a pound of sausage for $2.99 a pound that brings this recipe cost up to $4.45 for 4 serving or $1.11 as serving. Still not a bad deal.

What to Serve with This Creamy Potato Soup

We enjoy having a side salad and breadsticks or homemade biscuits with this soup. They are so good and really round out the meal.

On the next cold and stormy day, make a batch of this homemade potato soup. I’m sure your family will love it and it will warm them from the inside out.

What’s your favorite soup to make?

More Easy and Inexpensive Dinner Ideas

Cheap and Easy Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner
Freezer Friendly Meatballs
Chicken and Mushroom Skillet

 

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Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Slow Cooker Taco Soup A Cold-Weather Favorite

This slow cooker taco soup with ground beef is one of my favorite recipes to make in the slow cooker, especially in the fall and winter months.

The soup is so hearty and flavorful, and the beef gets so tender over the long hours of cooking. Let it cook all day and it just gets better.

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10 March Activities for Catholic Families Printable

10 March Activities for Catholic Families Printable

10 March Activities for Catholic Families Printable Post Preview: This post contains two versions of a free printable with faith formation and activities to promote family togetherness that can be used by Catholic families. Most of the activities are also perfect for non-Catholic families. There are also additional resources for faith formation activities in March.

The post 10 March Activities for Catholic Families Printable appeared first on Real Life at Home.

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Outdoor Heater Buyers Guide

Outdoor Heater Buyers Guide

As the weather gets chilly, you may be tempted to stay inside. However, your patio is most likely a literal extension of your home where you relax and socialize with family, friends, and neighbors. So consider getting the most out…

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Black Rice Bowls with Tofu and Veggies

Black Rice Bowls with Tofu and Veggies

Welcome to the world of grain bowls!

What’s a grain bowl? These are bowls filled full with fresh and delicious vegetables, some protein, and a cooked whole grain. The components can often be made ahead of time, so grain bowls make a great assemble-and-go meal.

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Awesome Oreo Desserts: 20 Amazing Oreo Dessert Recipes You Need to Make

Awesome Oreo Desserts: 20 Amazing Oreo Dessert Recipes You Need to Make

Oreos are such a great, simple cookie. They now come in all kinds of varieties and with such a selection of cream filling amounts. While they are a tasty snack on their own, these amazing Oreo desserts are sure to wow. You’ll definitely want to pick at least one of these Oreo dessert recipes to try

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9 Meals to Double and Freeze

9 Meals to Double and Freeze

There’s something so wonderful and welcoming about coming home after a busy day, knowing you have a well-stocked freezer and can just pull out a casserole to reheat for dinner.

You’ve already done the hard work of making the meal. Now you just get to enjoy the benefits of your prior planning.

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Bathroom Cleaning Hacks: How to Clean the Bathroom - Frugal Family Home

Bathroom Cleaning Hacks: How to Clean the Bathroom - Frugal Family Home

Cleaning the bathroom isn’t a job you look forward to, but it needs to be done. These bathroom cleaning hacks can help.

These are bathroom cleaning hacks I’ve used to get and keep my bathroom looking great. I know they can help you too!

Sometimes the bathroom can be overwhelming. You walk in and towels are on the floor. There is toothpaste on the counter, the mirror, and in the sink. And the smell don’t even start.

Cleaning is needed, but you dread it. But it has to be done. If only it would stay clean.

Your bathroom can stay company ready. Well at least a quick run through and be company ready when you use these bathroom cleaning hacks and a regular cleaning schedule.

I’ve included cleaning hacks and how to clean the bathroom tips. Plus, you can get the free printable cleaning checklist too.

Be sure to scroll down to grab a copy of the checklist. It has two sheets. One sheet with all the bathroom hacks to do a full deep cleaning of the bathroom.

And also a quick 5 minute bathroom cleaning sheet for those quick cleaning tasks to do weekly. Now lets get to the bathroom cleaning tips!

How to Clean the Bathroom

Cleaning the bathroom doesn’t have to be a messy, dirty job. When you clean regularly with these bathroom cleaning hacks, your bathroom can stay nice and clean.

If your bathroom needs a good cleaning, these hacks will help you get it done. Then follow the 5 minutes tasks in the checklist you can download below to keep your bathroom looking great., even when you are short on time.

Now for the bathroom cleaning hacks for each area of the bathroom…

Best Way to Clean Bathtub

Cleaning the bathtub or shower area is so much easier to do when you are showering. You don’t have to lean over the side of the tub to reach. Plus when you clean the shower while you bathe, you can take a longer shower or bath guilt free.

But there is a few steps to do before entering the bathtub or shower…

︎ Remove all the items from your bathtub before you clean. It’s so much easier with all the shampoo and body wash bottles out of the bathtub.

︎ If there is mildew or mold that needs to be removed between tile or at the base where the tub meets the tile. Spray cleaner on it.

Take an old toothbrush and scrub it. Then let it sit. I leave it for 5-7 minutes while I pick up the floor and clear out any clutter.

What’s the Best Bathtub Cleaner or the Best Shower Cleaner?

I’ve found that the Clorox Bleach Cleaning Gel works great to get rid of mildew and mold that forms in the bathtub or shower. It’s one of only a handful of chemical cleaners I use.

︎ After the cleaner has had time to sit, you should notice the mildew or mold is gone or almost gone. If it’s not gone, give it another scrub then rinse.

︎ Now is the time to hop into the shower along with your cleaning tools. I like to use an e-cloth to clean my tub and surround. There are no chemicals and these cloths clean well.

Start by wiping down the tile walls. Feel the tile to make sure they feel nice and smooth. If they feel a little rough, do a second pass. It will all depend on how much is built up on the tile or walls.

If you have a shower or tub door, clean it now with the e-cloth too. If it’s a curtain, you might need to wash it in the washer. Depending on how dirty or mildewy it is.

Once the walls are finished use, the cloth to wipe down the lip of the tub and then go down the sides. Finally for the bottom or floor of the tub, I’ll lay the e-cloth down and use my foot to scrub it.

︎ After exiting the shower, place the shampoo, soap, etc back into the bathtub area and pull the curtain shut so it can dry if you have a shower curtain.

Best Way to Clean Toilet

If you clean your toilet with a toilet brush each week, you’ll have no need for any chemical cleaners. But if your toilet is in need of a good cleaning the two cleaners below work great, depending on how much of a deep cleaning you need.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

You can use this shower cleaner recipe, it works wonders on toilets too. It cleans well for a homemade cleaner. Or if you need mildew killing power, I’d recommend the Clorox bleach cleaning gel if you don’t mind using bleach. This is a great all around cleaner that works wonders on mold and mildew.

Steps to a Sparkling Clean Toilet…

Start with the top/outside of the toilet and work down.

︎ Dust and wipe down the tank, behind the toilet lid and clean the handle. The handle is an area easy to forget but probably the most yucky and germy part of the toilet.

I use a damp e-cloth for this job. It picks up dust, hair, and grime and kills germs as it goes. Plus again no chemicals too.

︎ Clean the lid, we are working from the cleanest areas to dirty. Start with the toilet lid and go around the outside. Lift he lid and clean below then do the ring lid in the same fashion. Finally wiping the top of the bowl.

If you are using an e-cloth place it in the sink and grab the toilet brush. You can use the e-cloth to clean the inside of the bowl, I do it. But if you’d rather keep your hands out of the bowl use, the toilet brush to clean the bowl.

Get under the rim and down in the drain area and the water line. Then place the brush with on the rim of the toilet bowl and close the ring lid on it. This will suspend the brush over the water and let it drip dry while you work on other areas of the bathroom.

No more dripping toilet water out of the toilet. Yeah!

︎ Next step is to clean around the base of the toilet. I usually rinse the e-cloth I placed in the sink to use again. Just rinse well with hot water and ring out. Or I grab a clean one and wet it.

Wipe around the outside of the toilet base, warning this could be bad if you have kids who miss the bowl. And around the base where the bolts to hold the toilet down come through.

The dust builds up there. And while you are on the floor clean back behind the toilet base. It’s an area that can get missed easily.

Keep Your Bathroom Smelling Fresh with This Toilet Hack…

Place a few drops of essential oil on the inside of the toilet roll, on the cardboard liner. This will help the scent stay longer in the bathroom. And keep the bathroom smelling great!

How to Clean Bathroom Sink

Cleaning the bathroom sink can be a nasty chore if you let it go. With dried on toothpaste, mildew starting around the edge of the faucet and who know what else it’s good to get it clean.

︎ Start by clearing any clutter on the vanity top. You might as well clean the top as you clean the sink.

︎ Wipe down the counter and sweep any dust into the sink. I again like my e-cloth for this task but a rag with cleaner sprayed on it works great too.

Fill the sink with hot water while you are wiping down the counter. This will help to make cleaning it easier.

Be sure to get behind the faucet and clean around the faucet handles too. Toothpaste and other crud can build up around them. Making them less than sanitary. If you give them a good wipe down each time, you clean it won’t build up.

︎ Drain the sink and spray your cleaner if using the let it sit for 5 minutes to do its work. While you are waiting for the cleaner to work, wipe down the mirror and place items back on the counter.

The Best Bathroom Sink Cleaner…

If I need the cleaning power of a chemical cleaner, I prefer, Clorox Bleach Gel Cleaner. But you might have guessed that already. If you need scrubbing power, baking soda and water can help or use a commercial product like Bon Ami.

If you don’t need any chemical cleaning power e-cloths work great for this task. Scrub around the edges. If you have an under counter mounted sink, clean around where to countertop meets the sink. It’s a haven for things to get trapped.

Scrub the sides and clean well around the drain. It’s amazing the muck that can build up just under the plunger.

How to Clean Bathroom Floor

The last place that needs to be cleaned is the floor. Save the floor for the last of your cleaning so any dust or items that drop can be picked up as you do the floor.

If you have bathroom rugs, now is the time to pick them up. Either vacuum them and then pick them up or if they need to be washed, throw them into the washer and start it. Along with your cleaning rags or e-cloths and any towels and washcloths that need to be washed.

Once they are done in the washer throw them into the dryer.

If you are wondering, can a bathroom rug go into the dryer?

I’ve washed my bathroom rugs in the washer and dry them in the dryer. But if your bathroom rug has a rubber backing, check the tag to see what it says. I know some of them can take the heat and some can’t it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Some of the links below are my referral links. When you use them I can make a little money at no extra cost to you. See my disclosure policy for more information.

The Best Way to Clean Hair off Bathroom Floor

Hair can build up easily on the bathroom floor. I’ve found the best way to clean hair off the bathroom floor is to use a dusting mop. I have an e-cloth mop with a dusting head. It works great to trap hair and remove them off the floor.

Don’t have a dusting mop, the next best thing is to use your vacuum floor attachment to vacuum the floor. Be sure to take the floor attachment off to get into the corners too with the wand.

︎ Once the floor is dusted mopped or vacuumed, take a damp mop and clean the floor. Paying close attention to the sealer in front of the tub as it can collect dust and dirt. Also around the toilet too. Be sure to get behind the toilet.

︎ Now that your floor is cleaned and mopped if there is any standing water on the floor, be sure to wipe it up with a towel or rug. Bathroom floors can be slick when wet and it’s not good to have wetness standing on the floor.

Bathroom Cleaning Schedule

Now that your bathroom is looking great. The best way to keep your bathroom clean is to have a regular bathroom cleaning schedule.

Having tasks you do each day, other tasks you do each week, can keep your bathroom looking great.

Then save other tasks for just once a month or as needed. If you’d like a checklist of daily, weekly, and monthly tasks to tackle in the bathroom. Download a copy of the bathroom cleaning checklist.

To get the checklist, enter your email address in the form below and I’ll send it out to you right away.

It not only contains the daily, weekly, and monthly tasks but it has a 5 minute bathroom cleaning sheet. For those times when you need to get the bathroom clean and looking great but you’re short on time.

Bathroom Cleaning Supplies

As you can tell by what I mention I use above I don’t use many cleaning supplies to clean the bathroom. I like to keep my use of chemicals at a minimum. And I find using the items below I can get my bathroom clean and looking great.

Which Bathroom Cleaner Works Best?

If you want to use just one bathroom cleaner, I’ve found that Clorox bleach gel cleaning works great in the bathroom. This is what I use to tackle mildew or mold forming in the bathroom. It plain works.

This homemade shower cleaning works well too. It’s easy and economical to make and it plain works.

If you are avoiding chemicals or bleach…

I love e-cloths. I use them for general cleaning in the bathroom and beyond. They clean great with just water and can be used on all surfaces in the bathroom. If I’m good about following my cleaning schedule, this is all I need to clean the bathroom.

These are my bathroom cleaning hacks and how to clean the bathroom. Keeping the bathroom clean if done regularly doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Following a regular schedule and using the right products can make a big difference.

Is there a bathroom cleaning hack you have to share? I would love to hear about it. Leave me a comment below!

More Cleaning Tips…

Quick Cleaning Tasks to Keep Your Home Looking Great

Frugal Cleaning Supplies

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Outdoor Living: Easy Patio Decorating Ideas and Design Tips for Transforming Your Backyard

Outdoor Living: Easy Patio Decorating Ideas and Design Tips for Transforming Your Backyard

When’s the last time you made over your backyard space? Or maybe you moved into a new house and don’t know what to do with your outdoor living space. Whatever the case may be, we have some decorating ideas and…

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Menu Plan Monday, February 19th - Frugal Family Home

Menu Plan Monday, February 19th - Frugal Family Home

It’s been cold around here. I thought we were out of winter but we are having freezing temperatures this past week after a couple of months of beautiful 40 degree plus weather.

With the cold weather rolling in again, I’ve been craving more comfort foods. So this week we will be having a soup as well as a few oven baked meals.

I’ve included a breakfast for dinner this week. Why? Because it’s cheap and easy to make.

And finally, we’ll be having hamburgers with homemade fries. I think my son could eat hamburgers every day of the week and never tire of them.

Here’s our menu for this week.

Our Menu Plan

Dinners

Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Fruit

BBQ Meatballs, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

Teriyaki Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables

Omelets, Hashbrowns and Toast

Burritos, Salad, Chips and Salsa

Chicken Stir Fry with Rice

Hamburgers with Baked Fries

Lunches

Leftovers most days

Snack Type Lunch, crackers, lunchmeat, fruit, and vegetables

Sandwiches, Chips, and Fruit

Breakfast

Toast and Eggs

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Muffins, Eggs and Sausage

Sausage Biscuit Breakfast Sandwiches with Fruit

What’s cooking at your house this week?

Do you need help planning your menu? Find my menu planning tips here with a free printable menu planner page and here for my frugal menu planning tips.

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for your support.

Find more menu plan ideas at Org Junkie too.

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Fettuccine Alfredo with Mushrooms

Fettuccine Alfredo with Mushrooms

If you’re a beginner cook, or even an intermediate one, it may not cross your mind to try making alfredo sauce from scratch. For me, it seemed just a tiny bit out of reach for years. Then one day, I gave it a try and quickly found myself saying, “Oh. That was really easy.”

Alfredo is one of the most underrated sauces—it’s made with just a few pantry staples, it’s always satisfying, and it’s surprisingly easy to make at home.

Every home cook should have a recipe at the ready for quick weeknight dinners. It’s certainly not just for restaurant dining!

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Skillet Pork Chops with Cabbage

Skillet Pork Chops with Cabbage

It’s hard to get really excited by cabbage—it seems so ordinary! But when I was in southern Germany recently, I enjoyed some truly outstanding cabbage with pork.

I knew instantly what made it so good: the cabbage was cooked low and slow in plenty of pork fat, and the pork served alongside was incredibly juicy. It was a memorable meal, and that wasn’t just the German beer talking.

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How To Decorate a Fence with Planters

How To Decorate a Fence with Planters

Do you have a fenced-in yard? If so, you have a great opportunity to expand your garden or create one without a lot of fuss. It doesn’t matter if you have a large or small area. And the easiest and…

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Meal Plan for February Week 3

Meal Plan for February Week 3

I don’t know about you, but we had a lot of Valentine’s treats around the house last week, so I’m excited about jumping into the kitchen to get some real food back on the table!

For this week’s meal plan, there’s quite a bit you can tackle over the weekend to make your dinners during the week a little easier.

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Chamomile-Honey Hot Toddy

Chamomile-Honey Hot Toddy What is a Hot Toddy?

Children who are having trouble falling to sleep are often prescribed a glass of warm milk to help them nod off. Their parents, having spent the night cajoling, ordering and begging their children to go to bed, may need something a bit stronger.

Enter this chamomile hot toddy. It’s a drink of whiskey, honey, and lemon mixed with chamomile tea to help you doze off in no time.

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Insurance Orlando or Vegas NO Health

Insurance Orlando or Vegas NO Health
Get your Free Orlando or Vegas Vacation when you get your NO HEALTH insurance quote compliments of http://ift.tt/2EjSE3o today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbY584x2T3c

President Facts for Kids: Free U.S. Presidents Crossword Puzzle

President Facts for Kids: Free U.S. Presidents Crossword Puzzle

President Facts for Kids: Free U.S. Presidents Crossword Puzzle Post Preview: In this post, you’ll be able to download a free presidents crossword puzzle, as well as find some resources for teaching about presidents and U.S. history and geography. History and social studies have always been my jam. Except for a particularly brutal and legendary

The post President Facts for Kids: Free U.S. Presidents Crossword Puzzle appeared first on Real Life at Home.

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Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and Grits A Classic Southern Dish

Shrimp and grits is one of those iconic Southern dishes that stir something deep inside those who grew up with them.

Originally from the oceanic South—Georgia, the Low Country coast of the Carolinas and Gulf Coast states all have their versions—this homey bowl of awesome was historically a simple fisherman’s breakfast: Grits, with some bacon and a few shrimp tossed on top.

If you’ve ever eaten it, you can understand why shrimp and grits has burst from the seaside shrimp shanties.

The grits are soft, buttery, and often cheesy, with a savory, bacon-studded sauce surrounding them, and lots and lots of shrimp. Maybe some parsley or green onions for color and crunch.

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7 Must-Have Gardening Tools and Their Purpose

7 Must-Have Gardening Tools and Their Purpose

It’s about that time of year to start gardening, or at least planning your garden depending on where you live. To properly prepare, plant and maintain a healthy and attractive garden, you need the correct gardening tools. But do you…

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10 Foods that Freeze Well, Stop Food Waste and Save Money - Frugal Family Home

10 Foods that Freeze Well, Stop Food Waste and Save Money - Frugal Family Home

Ever wonder what food will freeze well? These 10 foods that freeze well. Could you save money by stocking up and freezing them too?

Knowing which foods freeze well can help you plan how much to purchase when you see an item on sale.

If a food item will freeze well, you can keep it longer and stock up more. If it won’t freeze well, it’s better to purchase only what you can use. Because wasted food is just like wasting money.

Below you’ll find a few rules to know which items will freeze well. Then we’ll get into 10 foods that freeze well. All the foods listed are items I freeze with no problems.

When foods are frozen there will always be a small change. But these 10 foods listed are ones I’ve found to have little change in texture or quality when I freeze them.

Rules for Freezing Food

If it has lots of water, it won’t freeze well.

Well, at least it won’t freeze well if you plan on eating it fresh. You can freeze foods like grapes. They can be frozen and enjoyed partially thawed for a snack or blended into a smoothy. But thaw it and think it will be like eating a fresh grape and you’ll be disappointed.

You can freeze cabbage or cucumbers in freezer recipes for coleslaw and freezer pickles but to freeze them and then thaw to eat they will be limp and watery. Not good at all.

It Can Make a Difference How You Freeze an Item

A few foods it does make a difference in how you freeze them. Blocks of cheese don’t freeze well. But if you shred the cheese first they freeze fine.

You can freeze fresh vegetables without blanching like green beans, peas, and other items. But blanching can help them keep better and longer in the freezer.

If it Doesn’t Taste Good Now, Freezing won’t Help

If you are freezing an item like a casserole dish because you didn’t care for it the first time. After freezing and thawing it won’t be any better. If you don’t like it now, freezing won’t help it taste better.

10 Foods that Freeze Well and How to Freeze Them

All the items below are foods I freeze regularly to make getting my family fed just a little easier. And to save money.

1. Soup

Whenever I make soup, we always have leftovers. And if we don’t eat it the next day, I know we will forget about it. Then it will go to waste and wasted food is wasted money.

To freeze soup, place it into a freezer safe container or zippered top freezer bag. If your space is limited in the freezer, use a freezer bag, lay it flat until frozen, Then stand it up on end to take up less room.

2. Pancakes, Waffles, Muffins, Bagels

We made many of our bread items from scratch and I’ll make a double or triple batch to make sure to have extras to freeze. For muffins and bagels we will place them in a freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible and freeze.

Be sure to label what’s in the bag. You don’t want mystery bags hanging out in the freezer.

Waffles and pancakes are more likely to stick together when frozen in a bag, I’ll freeze on a cookie sheet and then place in a freezer bag. This process makes it easier to remove just one at a time.

But if you know how many you’ll use each meal, you can freeze them all in the freezer bag without doing the cookie sheet method.

3. Bread

If it’s homemade bread or store bought bread, if it won’t be eaten in a day or two, it goes into the freezer.

To freeze just place the loaf of bread in the freezer. I freeze it in the bread bag with no other protection since we use it in a week or two at the most. You can also freeze homemade bread too.

4. Bread Dough or Pizza Dough

I bake my bread before freezing it but if you don’t care for frozen and thawed baked bread, you can freeze the dough instead.

Shape the dough and place it into a freezer bag. Label and freeze. When you are ready to bake bread, thaw in the refrigerator and place in a pan to rise and then bake. It’s fresh bread without all the work.

Be sure when you are making your dough to triple your batch so you’ll have a good amount of dough waiting. It will save you time when baking bread.

5. Burritos

For burritos, I make the burritos and wrap them individually, either in foil or waxed paper. Then place the wrapped burritos in a freezer bag. Label and freeze. Having them individually wrapped makes it easier to grab what I need without having to pry them apart.

Having burritos on hand ready to thaw, heat, and eat makes for a quick lunch or dinner on busy days.

6. Calzones or Pizza Pockets

You can purchase pizza pockets at the store but the homemade ones are so much better. Plus you get to control the ingredients.

I will make calzones, mini Stromboli, or pizza pockets and cool completely. You don’t want moisture building up in the bag and making them soggy.

Then place the cooled food in a freezer bag, label, and freeze. I like to underbake them a little so I can reheat them in the oven to keep the crust crisp.

7. Beans

Cooking dry beans can save you so much money over canned beans but it takes time. That’s why I cook a lot of beans when I make them. Once cooled, I divide them into 2 cup portions and freeze. Use them in place of canned beans in many recipes and save money.

8. Cheese

Cheese is a special case. If you freeze a block of cheese, it will become crumbly when thawed but if you freeze it shredded it hold up. So if you want to preserve cheese for a longer shelf life, shred it first before you freeze it. The thawed quality will be better.

9. Onions

Having onions waiting and ready in the freezer makes throwing together dinner so much easier. Onion freezes well if they will be used in cooked dishes. If you’ll be using them fresh in a salad, it’s better to chop at the time of use and not use onions from the freezer.

I try to keep a variety of onions in the freezer. I like rough chopped onions, sliced, and finely diced onions in 1/2 cup portions. It makes it easy to grab what I need.

10. Garlic and Ginger

I freeze my garlic and ginger to keep it from going bad.

If you are like me you purchase ginger to use for a recipe and it might be another week before you need more fresh ginger. By that time it can be a slick, yucky mess. And there’s money down the drain you are not getting back. And ginger can cost $4 a pound too costly to let go to waste.

So I freeze mine so it keeps longer and I grate it right from frozen. See how I freeze ginger.

I purchase bags of garlic heads at the store and then make my own diced garlic cubes. It makes adding fresh garlic to a dish so much easier. Plus you won’t have to worry about grabbing a head of garlic out of the cupboard to find it’s a deflated dried up ball.

When you freeze items to preserve them for later, you keep food waste at a minimum. Which in turns save you money because wasted food is just like wasting money.

What other foods would you add to our list of 10 foods that freeze well?

More Ways to Preserve Food and Save Money…

5 Ways to Prevent Food Waste and Save Money

Stop Food Waste with This One Tip

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6 Important Reasons You Should Get the Disney Dining Plan

6 Important Reasons You Should Get the Disney Dining Plan

Not only do we love Disney World, but we are huge fans of the Disney Dining Plan. (I have shared all kinds of Disney dining tips before, including how to get the Disney World reservations that you really want.) We have had trips where we’ve had free Disney Dining Plans, reduced price dining plans, and

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Get Organized! The Many Ways to Use The Dordrawer™ Over-the-Door Organizer

Get Organized! The Many Ways to Use The Dordrawer™ Over-the-Door Organizer

Clutter can really sneak up on you, especially in craft rooms, home offices, bathrooms or just about anywhere! Therefore, combat clutter in the new year by getting and staying organized. At Improvements, we recommend adding The Dordrawer™ Over-the-Door Organizer to any room…

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Fudgy Gluten-Free Vegan Brownies

Fudgy Gluten-Free Vegan Brownies

We have a lot of friends on a variety of restrictive diets right now, and as someone who loves to entertain, I wanted to make sure I had a treat that everyone could eat. But first and foremost, it had to be something everyone would actually want to eat.

I began scheming up a super fudgy, no-frills brownie that could be gluten-free, egg-free, and dairy-free — and still leave us all reaching for more. Mission accomplished.

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Teen Boy's Closet: How to Patch Walls & Carpet! And Undo a Room of Painted Stripes!

Teen Boy's Closet: How to Patch Walls & Carpet! And Undo a Room of Painted Stripes! Happy Valentine's Day my dear readers!

I am so excited to celebrate this day of looooove with family and friends and a trip to the hardware store! Plus, there isn't much better than an excuse to decorate everything with hearts and eat cupcakes and chocolate candy all day, can we all agree on that?

Although we all know that marriage can be filled with highs and lows, Bryan and I are so thankful to be toasting to today with giant cheek-to-cheek grins and all the heart eyes. But things are definitely getting a little patchy over here, not with our marriage, but with our son's closet update. And although that typically sounds like a negative thing, in this case, it is good! Very good! We tackled patching both the wall and the carpet and I wanted to share how we did both.

When we last left off, we had removed a portion of our son's closet wall in order to widen the opening and make additional room for a tower of drawers and shelves. With the closet wing walls in place, it really limited usable space as well as our storage options. His bedroom measures 9 feet wide by 13 feet long, so we need every inch of the closet possible. We opened the closet to a 4 ft opening, which we will eventually conceal with a sliding door.

That wall removal left us with a bit of a repair job ahead of us; both the wall and carpet were now incomplete and in need of patching. And of course, our personal goal was to make it look like the new closet design was seamless and original to the room.

We started with the wall, and thanks to the mud dry time, it took us a few days to complete. That said, I learned so much from these different pieces of the room puzzle and I would feel completely confident tackling any one of these tasks completely on my own down the road. Bryan and I took these on together and he taught me a few of his learned tricks, but I can't stress enough that YOU CAN DO THESE THINGS TOO!

Let's flashback to the room after we carefully removed the closet wing wall:

Materials Used:

• Tape Measure
• Utility Knife
• Painter's Plastic | Foam Core Board (to protect floor)
• UltraLight 1/2" Sheetrock
• 1 1/4" Drywall Screws
• Pre-Mixed Joint Compound
• Sheetrock Joint Tape
• Mud Pan
• 6" Joint Knife and 12" Taping Knife
• Drywall Sanding Sheets and Hand Sander 
• Spray Texture
• Paint | Sanding Respirator Mask

S T E P   O N E

We double checked that we had enough proper backing (we did) and cut the sheetrock to size using a utility knife, patching it in using drywall screws. It is important to measure and cut the pieces to fit as snug as possible to reduce the risk of any cracking down the road.

S T E P   T W O

Next step is to tape the seams. There are muds that you can purchase and mix yourself, however, we opted to purchase a premixed version to save some time. This was a good option for us because we were just patching a single wall (and have a couple other small patch jobs to tackle in the near future), vs. an entire room or home of new sheetrock.

The mud can generally be used straight out of the bucket, but to apply the tape it should actually be mixed with a bit of water to thin it out some. We mixed the mud with water in a small mud pan with the 6" joint knife.

The knife also doubles as a quick way to cut the joint tape, which we measured to length and then ran through the mud by lightly pressing down on the tape with the handle of the knife.

Stick the tape to the wall and run the knife down the tape, smoothing out any of the mud that seeps out. We found it worked best to completely coat the back of the tape (without over-doing it) to create a tight seal from top to bottom. This is only the first coat, so the current focus is on affixing and smoothing out the tape over the joints, then carefully scraping clean any excess mud.

Let the mud dry for 24 hours prior to moving on to the next step.


S T E P   T H R E E

Day two and day three is simply re-applying the mud over the tape/seams and fanning it out further and further to the surrounding walls with a wider taping knife (10" - 12"). This helps to smooth and level out the patched areas.

It is important to sand with fine drywall sanding pads between each coat and to also wait a full 24 hours between each application.

S T E P   F O U R

We have textured walls, so this was an added step for us that may not always apply. The newly patched area was sanded nice and smooth, yet the rest of our walls were covered in the oh-so-lovely orange peel texture years ago when we built. WHY!?! As much as I wish we could redo all the walls flat, it just doesn't make sense.

So we picked up a can of spray texture to blend the new wall area with the existing. Before we got started we stapled down painter's plastic to protect the carpet and everything nearby. We also used a piece of poster board to practice using the spray texture and to find the proper nozzle setting based on the amount of texture we wanted to add.

Masks on and windows opened, we sprayed in a swooping motion up and down the wall until it was covered to our liking (keeping the can about 18"-24" away from the wall while spraying).

Tip: The finer the nozzle is closed, the grittier and sandier the finish will look. The more open the nozzle, the larger the speckles will be and the more depth of texture you will achieve.

We allowed the texture to dry completely for a few hours, and I decided that it was a little too rough in comparison to the painted-quite-a-few-times surrounding walls, so I knocked it down just a smidge with an ultra-fine sanding pad.

And that is how we patched the wall! It is like it was never there to begin with!

But how about that carpet?

Materials Used:

• Tape Measure
• Utility Knife
• Carpet Tape
• Rug Pad
• Carpet Remnant | Sample
• Scissors

S T E P   O N E

The first step is to hunt down your carpet remnants. And when you can't find them, start panicking.

I know we saved some from our carpet installation years ago, but they are probably in some deep, dark corner of the attic. There is no way someone who loves to organize could possibly have misplaced them... 

So we took a trip to Home Depot where we originally purchased our carpet, and they were able to look up our order and tell us exactly what carpet we installed. Which was super fantastic because then we were able to go online and order a few sample pieces of the same carpet for a $1 each!

Not always ideal, but hey! It totally worked! It is also important to note we are working with a frieze style carpet which is wonderfully forgiving in these situations. It is a thicker, plush carpet with a bit of a wild twist weave; perfect for reducing the signs of stains and patch jobs!

S T E P   T W O

We measured the opening on the floor and then measured the back of the carpet, drawing a line with a pencil to indicate our cuts.

We used a utility knife to score and cut the backside of the carpet. We found it was best to make sure both the existing carpet and the new piece were cut as cleanly and straight as possible. It also helped to cut it just tad bit wider than the initial measurement. (This reduces the risk of a visible seam. Also, you can always cut it smaller but you can't make it grow.)

We placed the piece down for a dry fit.

This is when we realized that the surrounding carpet had a carpet pad installed under it, and the new piece was dipping down a bit without it. So, we were resourceful in cutting a small piece of rug pad from a pad we already owned (removed from an inconspicuous area of rug pad located under a rug which was located under a piece of furniture).

S T E P   T H R E E

Vacuum area to remove any carpet scraps, dust or random debris.

S T E P   F O U R

To affix the rug pad, we put down a strip of the double-sided, mega adhesive carpet tape.

Then placed the rug pad over the top.

More tape, this time going in the opposite direction and placed a bit under the existing carpet.

And finally, put down the cut piece(s)!

S T E P   F I V E

We firmly pressed the new carpet into place and did our best to introduce and blend the new and old strands. We noticed a few random strands and mismatched heights that we took care of with a sharp pair of scissors.

Then I stood back, closed my eyes and crossed my fingers...

I was so ecstatic to open my eyes and not see anything noticeable about our fix! I was pretty nervous because this was the first time we have attempted this type of DIY. And as much as I want to give ourselves all of the credit, I will admit that the carpet type probably played a large role in the outcome. We have already vacuumed it a few times and it is NOT moving! Whew!

And finally, how did we get rid of those stripes that I once worked so hard to get just right? I wish I could say it was a quick and painless process, but that just wouldn't be true.

Materials Used:

• Medium Grit Sanding Block
• Paint | Sanding Respirator Mask
• Safety Glasses
• A Strong Arm
• Damp Rag
• Ambition
• High-Density Roller Cover

S T E P   O N E

Do your research and prep your body and mind. I did a little Google searching for best solutions for removing stripes specifically from textured walls, and quickly learned three things:

1) Don't use a power sander because it will burn down the texture and make it even more evident that something was there.

2) The more stripes, the longer it will take (obviously). An entire room could take multiple hours of hand sanding. Ugh.

3) With textured walls, a..

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