Favorites

As I mentioned in my post about our vacation, Jimmy and I wasted no time getting back into the swing of things once we arrived home in Pittsburgh! The first thing we did when we got home on Saturday was mow, weed wack, and mow some more. Mowing past our garden got me all sorts of excited to start planting!

We had a church fellowship dinner for my father-in-law and his wife on Sunday and it was so special! Everyone brought food, the fellowship hall was decorated beautifully, and the time spent with our church family was just the best. My assignment was to film a vlog of everyone giving a message for the bride and groom, and I had a blast with that.

On Monday, Jimmy and I were back to work! We were excited to hear that the zipline he worked on for the Pittsburgh Zoo will be opened this weekend. Go Jimmy!

One of the dogs I have been pet sitting for a few years turned six-years-old, so I took her on a special trail walk for her birthday.

The weather was just beautiful and made me so thankful that this is my job. It’s not always fun to walk dogs in January in Pittsburgh, but it’s 100% worth it come May!

In the evening, I had some real estate work. My brother is listing my father-in-law’s wife’s house for sale (Did you follow that? Lol!), so we all met up so Will could go over the contract with them and I could photograph the house for the listing.

It was a family affair, which I loved! Jimmy even tagged along as my assistant and carried a step stool around the house for me to climb up and down to get some good shots. He snapped this photo of me because he thought it was so funny that I scrunch my face up when I’m focusing. Oh, and if anyone is looking for a house in Pittsburgh, let me know 😉

It’s Tuesday as I type up this post, and I’m sure the rest of the week will include more pet sitting, mowing, and real estate work. It feels good to get back into the swing of things. On Saturday, Hannah and I will be hosting a joint birthday cookout for our husbands since their birthdays are just a day apart. I can’t wait!

Before Jimmy and I left for vacation, I had a few things I wanted to share, and I’m finally getting around to it. First, I have some new favorite markers for journaling.

Technically they’re erasable marker pens. I have only used the eraser once or twice and it worked fine, but I would definitely say they’re more of a marker than a pen. They sort of write like a pen, but definitely come off as a marker. Okay, I’m done geeking out over writing utensils, haha.

Next up, I went to Trader Joe’s and got some fun food and drinks to try out!

I’d literally give all of the above products a 10/10 for price and taste. If I had to pick a favorite, I’d either choose the Colombia coffee beans or the maple ladders cereal. So good!

Okay, one last favorite. Our families and neighbor took such great care of our pets while we were gone, and it made us so happy. Mavis and Lola stayed with my parents for the week, and we had both of our parents and our neighbor check in on Malcolm on different days.

We got some great pictures of the girls from my parents of all the dogs hanging out and were slightly obsessed with talking to Malcolm on our Petzi cam!

What are some things you’ve been loving lately?

I have been called a clean freak by my family and friends. While it can be seen as a good thing, Jimmy would probably tell you it borders on annoying 😉

I’m sharing my favorite cleaning products here on the blog today. Most of these are self-explanatory, but I will make comments on the products that are particularly great!

For the floor

Dyson DC65 Vacuum Cleaner // Murphy Oil Soap // Swiffer Sweeper Wet Mop // Swiffer Gain Scent Wet Mop Refills // Holloway House Quick Shine Multi-Surface Floor Finish // Quickie Microfiber Twist Mop

Dyson vacuums are amazing. Yes, the price tag is steep, but it’s 100% worth it. Jimmy and I bought ours on sale at Bed Bath and Beyond and used a 20% off coupon, so we got ours fairly cheap (for a Dyson, ha).

If you have hardwood or laminate floors, the Holloway House Quick Shine is awesome! It makes our scratched up floors look so shiny. When I don’t have time to mop, I like using the Swiffer wet mop. It’s quick and easy.

For the bathroom

Dr. Bronner’s 18-in-1 Hemp Pure-Castile Soap // Mr. Clean Extra Durable Magic Eraser // Windex Original Glass Cleaner // Seventh Generation Toilet Bowl Cleaner

I don’t have a lot of products in the bathroom category because I use castile soap mixed with water in a spray bottle to clean our shower, bathroom counter, and toilet.

For the toilet bowl, I love the Seventh Generation toilet bowl cleaner. It smells great, and I love that it doesn’t have a lot of harsh chemicals. The Magic Erasers really are magic.

For the kitchen

Heinz White Vinegar // Method Gel Dish Pump // Weiman Cook Top Scrubbing Pads // Pledge Revitalizing Furniture Oil Spray // Weiman Glass Cook Top Cleaner & Polish // Scotch-Brite Dobie All-Purpose Cleaning Pads // Weiman Stainless Steel Cleaner & Polish // Cascade Complete Dishwasher Detergent

I’ve tried other dishwasher detergents, but there is nothing like Cascade. It’s also pricier than other brands, so I buy the powder (which I think is the most economical choice?!) from Jet.com, which I’ve talked about before. I’m a huge fan of the Method dish soap. I don’t know why, but the fact that it’s in a pump bottle makes my life easier, haha.

The Scotch-Brite cleaning pads are my favorite because they never seem to get smelly or gross. I use the Pledge Restore and Shine on our (wood) kitchen table and it makes it nice and shiny, plus it smells amazing. Good old vinegar is what I use to clean our countertops. I put it in a spray bottle with water and essential oil and it’s a lot cheaper than buying all-purpose cleaner.

Laundry and Miscellaneous

Dryer balls // Swiffer Dusters // Ultra Downy Infusions Fabric Softener // Tide Free & Gentle

I love using dryer balls to make our towels fluffy. I literally stop and smell the Downy fabric softener every single time I use it. The botanical mist scent is heavenly! Tide Free & Gentle is my go-to laundry detergent because it’s free of dyes and perfumes and still gets our clothes clean.

So there you have it, all my favorite cleaning products. I like a mix of natural and chemical-laden products. I’m always trying to find the least expensive, most natural way to clean. Sometimes it means creating my own all-purpose cleaners… and sometimes it means buying the chemical stuff. It’s a work in progress 😉

Living My Full Life

Diving Back In and A Few Favorites