Faucet Extender

The first mini project I'd like to share is mostly for my board on Pinterest: Pinned it, Did it.  I got Skylar an awesome step stool at a thrift store a few weeks back because we're building the habit of brushing her teeth every morning and she's too heavy for me to hover her over the sink.  The one downfall:  she still can't reach the water stream.  I randomly found this pin using an old baby wash bottle as a water extender of sorts that just pops right on the front of the faucet.  When we finished off Sky's bottle of baby wash, I cut it down to fit and it's been the perfect addition to our little toddler friendly bathroom.  Our results:

 

Skylar just loves her faucet extender.  It's simple, yet brilliant so Thank You to whoever came up with it! :D

She also loves her step stool which has dual function:  our bathroom is far too small for a traditional potty chair and we're quickly approaching the time to teach her...but we're totally ready!

Check #3 off my to-do list...

Our trip to Ace was extremely fruitful in terms of my weekend creative to-do list.  I got some screw eyes for the yarn revamp though I still need some bolt eyes and short bolts with nuts.  I also got zip ties for the 2 milk crate projects.   I had thought about bolting them together for a more permanent hold and maybe I will in the future.  But for now, zip ties will definitely do the trick.  I was able to get the plastic spray primer for the milk crate bench seat (on sale!).  I got a couple other random items off the dollar tables.  As aforesaid, the trip was very fruitful since we hit the grocery store after that.  Sky absolutely had to help me with the milk crate plant stand project I decided to start after lunch.  Once I put her down for her nap I was able to install it out on the deck. 
Here's a few shots of our afternoon endeavor:

dookie face

Plant stand installed*

My cute little deck with newly installed clothes lines...

and hand-me-down grill (Thanks Dad!)

*Once I got the stand in place and all the zip ties tightened, I snipped the ends.  I like the clean look.  It's a little sparsely clad right now but I'd say the project was a success.  Next spring I'll be planting herbs and other little whatnots for use in the kitchen and I'll have plenty of space to grow them on my sweet milk crate plant stand. 

I said "we'll see if this happens".....pfffffft, I squashed this project off my to-do list!

Completed Window Treatment

I finished Skylar's bedroom curtains the other day and assembled them with the valance on the wall.  I'm very pleased with how they turned out:

 

Some progress shots:

Center curtain panels and completed valance

The purple panels are made from a set of old full size jersey bed sheets.  The jersey was a bit warped in places which required repinning and sewing to get rectangular panels.  I decided to line the center panel with the accent green tulle.  With the remaining tulle I lined the top of the 3 original panels.

The valance is made from 3 layers of foamboard taped together, wrapped in pink gingham and pinned in place.  It is a lightweight decorative accent to hide my curtain casings and the curtain rod.

With additional outer panels (later added 2 more purple panels)

 I had a scrap of the pink gingham left which made perfect side panels.  However, they still didn't have the total window coverage I'm looking for.  So I made 2 more jersey panels to fill them out a bit.

Close-up of valance corner: pearl head pins are decorative and functional!

My sewing isn't amazing but I think my curtains are great but I absolutely love my sweet awesome valance!  It was actually pretty easy to make and beautifully hides the sewing flaws in my curtains :D

Takin Care of Business...

Wow, It's been one hell of a week.  I had my Norwex Launch party yesterday morning and most of the week was spent in preparation.  Though now, with the rest of my weekend off, I'm gathering materials and putting together better folders for my hostesses and guests.  I feel like I was kind of under-prepared for the party and I won't make that mistake again.  Stephanie definitely helped guide me through the party and I got several sales.  I left the party without a booking but my awesome aunt Jen and her friend Kara would like to host a party together.  I'm so excited to feel like I'm moving forward.  I really hope that I can book 1 to 2 parties at Terri's party next weekend.  It's nice that the products totally sell themselves AND the hostess incentive program is awesome.  I was actually surprised that no one at Jessica's party booked, but there were only 4 people there who hadn't already had a party or weren't having a future party.  I've got to work on my hostess coaching for sure.  I know I'm on track to be a bit of a slow starter in terms of sales in the company but I'm not going to let that bring me down.  After all, I work a full-time exhausting retail job and am a single mom; I'm not superman.

Just now, I'm waiting for my Skybug to wake up so we can run a couple errands.  We get to hang out the rest of the day and I'm loving it.  I'd like to sit around and keep blogging, but I've still got a lot of work to do

Dish Cloth

Another great kitchen product from Norwex is the Dish Cloth.  It actually doesn't really even look like a cloth at all.  It's more like a mesh net.  The website describes it as such:

This loosely-woven, netted Dish Cloth can be used anywhere scrubbing action is needed. Great for removing flour dough and other sticky substances from countertops after baking. 100% nylon. May scratch acrylic or delicate surfaces.

The thing I hate about dish cloths in my apartment is how soggy and stinky they get when they slip into the sink and stay there.  The Norwex Dish Cloth doesn't actually absorb water and because of the loose weave, there's nowhere for bacteria to grow.  Plus, you can wash it in the dishwasher.  Stinky, soggy dish rag problem solved!

Microfiber Kitchen Cloth

I've been cleaning and packing today like a madwoman and what should I happen upon in the pantry closet but a brand new Norwex Kitchen Cloth!  How did I not know I had it!?!  I got so excited I did a whole lot more cleaning in the kitchen than I'd originally planned.

The Kitchen Cloth:
Made of Norwex's outstanding microfiber, the Kitchen Towel is extra absorbent and perfect for a variety of kitchen jobs.

I've been using mine all the time on Skylar's high chair as well as to clean her up after her meals.  I'm totally stoked that now I have a tan one and a green one to start off my collection.

Microfiber Window Cloth

Another great product that Norwex has to offer is the Microfiber Window Cloth.
The website's description is pretty inclusive:

The Window Cloth allows you to clean windows, mirrors, jewelry, and shiny surfaces with only water. First, clean the dirty surface with a moist Enviro Cloth and polish with the Window Cloth for a streak-free shine. For lighter cleaning needs, simply spray water on the surface then polish with a dry Window Cloth.

So the window cloth used in conjunction with a damp enviro cloth is a formidable cleaning duo.  I was told that with caution, you can even use them on electronics screens (unplug first to avoid any static electricity issues).  I like the idea of eliminating the need for window and mirror cleaner all together.  

The real test to show the window cloth really works is the butter test.  The other night at the Norwex party, Stephanie smeared a stick of butter on the host's glass door.  She wiped it down first with a damp enviro cloth and followed with a dry window cloth.  The butter was completely gone, no greasy traces at all, with NO CLEANER!

Microfiber Enviro Cloth

One of the most basic products that Norwex offers is the Microfiber Enviro cloth.  The website's description of the product is as follows:

This multipurpose microfiber Enviro Cloth cleans washable surfaces. Use it dry for dusting, damp for cleaning walls, tiles, bathtubs, counters, metal surfaces, car interiors, etc. Between laundering simply rinse, wring out and hang to dry. Available in four colors allowing you to color-code for different purposes or rooms.

This doesn't seem particularly exciting so I'll just throw out some things I learned about these handy little cloths tonight:

In order to be classified as a microfiber a fiber has to be 1/6 the width of a hair.  The microfiber used in Norwex cloths is guaranteed to be 1/100 the width of a hair.  So the fibers are microscopic and incredibly strong.  Woven in with the microfiber to create the cloths is silver.  Silver acts as a natural anti-microbial within the towel to keep germs, bacteria and other gross contaminants from contaminating anything else the cloth touches.

To use the enviro cloth damp, you simple get it wet and wring it out completely then clean, wipe, dust as usual.  It's a great dry dust cloth as well since the microfiber and silver trap dust particles within the cloth instead of kicking it up like other dusters.

If you don't use Norwex laundry detergent (yet), instead of laundering the cloths in detergents with fillers that can gunk up the towel you simply boil the cloth for about 10 minutes.  My mom gave me one of her enviro cloths last week after the meeting and I've been absolutely loving how it works but it was starting to smell a little funky, like a regular old dish towel.  When I got home tonight I boiled it and it's back to working wonders and the smell is totally gone!

The enviro cloth is available in 4 different colors to you can color code the rooms in your home if desired.  But it's not actually necessary!  You could clean your kitchen AND bathroom with the same towel and not have to worry about cross contamination!  It's hard to believe but the "raw chicken demo" could make anyone a believer.  You can completely clean a surface contaminated with raw chicken with just a damp enviro cloth- no soaps, chemicals or cleansers at all!  True story.

So, the description is alright, but it doesn't really get down to the nitty gritty facts about the amazing little tool that is the Enviro Cloth.

Getting Started

So, I just got home a little bit ago from my first Norwex party.  For those unfamiliar, Norwex is a brand of household cleaning supplies sold in homes at parties and also at trade shows.  My mom hosted a party that I was unable to go to (because of work) a few weeks ago and really thought I'd be interested, not just in the products but in the mission of the company.  Her consultant, Stephanie, told her about a meeting (come to find these only happen twice a year here) for team leaders, consultants and invited guests to learn more about the company and the opportunities for growth.  I ended up at this meeting with my mom, who is not just a new avid supporter of the products but is also interested the opportunity for supplemental income and potential career growth (for me).  I was pretty convinced that the incentive to join this company is there.  I just needed to see the products in action.

Tonight.
So I kinda felt like a creep peeping in on this "couples" party that Stephanie was hosting this evening, but I really needed to see the products in action before deciding to sell them.  They are amazing.  Seriously.  Stephanie says (and so did the speaker at the meeting) that people do decide to become consultants without ever having been to a party.  So I'm not a total nut job for wanting to jump right in right?

I don't think so.  And here's why:
The Norwex mission is to improve quality of life by radically reducing the use of chemicals in personal care and cleaning.

This mission statement really states what I want to see in my life going forward for myself and my child.  I'm pretty obsessive compulsive about cleanliness so I simply cannot ignore an opportunity to equip my home with the proper tools to clean it while still keeping it safe from germs, bacteria, dust, etc.  And it's all eco-friendly!!!!!  I have been wanting so badly to incorporate more "green" practices into my every day life.  This is a perfect way AND I can make money on the side.  I do like my full-time job as a framer, but I don't see it supporting me the way I need it to in the long-term so I need to be thinking ahead.  The thought of stepping away from a full-time job with benefits to work for a company I know very little about is flabbergasting at the moment.  But it's not completely out of the question.  For example, Stephanie is a stay at home mom (of 5!).  She averages 2-3 parties per week and makes about $20,000 per year from Norwex.  Plus she gets tons of incentive gifts and products.  If I were to achieve a level of success that I could potentially be a stay at home mom that does parties on nights and weekends, I would definitely utilize the home time artistically.  I do still want my artistic practice to be a  primary aspect in my life.

I feel like I've sort of had to talk myself into this in a way.  There's always going to be a portion of myself with doubts.  I think my doubts in this situation are sort of silly and the fact is they're not.  It's normal to doubt the unknown.  I hate the saying "if it seems to good to be true, then it probably is" because it can be shockingly true.  However, I think that my decision to join the Norwex family can't be a reflection of that statement.  Some good things are truly good.  And nothing good comes without at least a little hard work.  I'm pretty sure that if I can get hit the ground running, I can really make something amazing happen for my life.



Whew...
I just read back over that...It may not sound like I'm convinced.  But I am.  I spoke with Stephanie this evening as the party was wrapping and March 5th is going to be my official signup day.  I do have to do $2000 in sales in the first 3 months otherwise I will have to pay for my start-up kit.  So, I'm going to do a little homework for myself.  I'm going to make a little post about each product so I can start familiarizing myself with them all the items Norwex has to offer.  That way I can start to put feelers out to my network of folks to get some parties booked ASAP.  I think, no, I will make this happen for myself.  It's not a question of if, it's a matter of when.