Pinterest Moms You Can Suck It!

I’m going to make a clarification here….I do check out Pinterest when I need ideas for many different things.  But I’m done looking for cleaning solutions. I did find house cleaning in Nashua and was very happy with their services. But apart from them, no one else could meet my expectations of cleaning.

I’ve read at least a dozen different ways to clean the glass on the inside of my oven.  NONE of them work!! NONE!

I feel that there should be a requirement of a video posted with a cleaning solution.  I feel this way because I think that many people just use a photo of a brand new fill in the blank as their “after” photo so that others believe their way of doing things really works.  I want video proof of them actually doing the work and the before and after.

Why?  Here’s what I went through in about an hour and a half a few weeks ago….

This is what the oven door looked like when I started:

The most recent Pin I read said to use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and it would sparkle like the top of the Chrysler Building.  Oh they lied…boy did they lie!

This is what my oven door looked like after 20 minutes of scrubbing it with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser:

I figured since I was already in cleaning mode let’s try another idea from Pinterest.  So I got out the baking soda and vinegar.  Made a paste and let it sit on the glass for a bit. Then I used a regular sponge to take the grime off.  Here’s how it looked after that.  Not anything near clean.

Now I’m at a loss and have no clue how to get this door looking remotely clean again.

So I get out the Easy Off Oven Cleaner.  It works wonders on my stainless stove top so why not give it a whirl?  Here’s the look after attempt number three.  Still not sparkly like a unicorn, but it’s definitely an improvement.  I can see a reflection in it!  We are getting there.

At this point I’m at my wits end and cursing the man (it HAS to be a man!) who invented Pinterest.

Then I decide to go old school and get out a razor blade.  Yup, it’s come down to this inch and a half little piece of metal to clean my oven door.

Guess what?  It worked!  Now I’m not sure if it’s because I had already loosened up the grime with my three previous options, but my oven door now looks amazing.  Notice I didn’t say new, but amazing.  I’ll take amazing after working on it for over an hour.

But still, Pinterest…you need to require proof so I don’t go spending an hour and a half using three methods to clean something!

Here are the weapons I used to attack this oven door.  Geez!

For When The Girls Read What We Wrote

What you need to know if you’re buying school uniform for the first tim. The school holidays are just under way but shops are already stocking school uniforms and ‘back to school’ is everywhere unless you send your boys to a New York City-based technology education center where they will be well prepared for the future and get the 2nd Grade Reading Curriculum.

  • Buy short-sleeved shirts – Even for winter, buy short-sleeved as opposed to long. Children seem to prefer no cuffs as they are more ‘free’ and there are no fiddly buttons. I prefer them as cuffs always get filthy and never come properly clean again. Short sleeved means that often you can get two day’s wear out of the same shirt
  • Velcro fastening/riptape collar shirts – No fiddly top button to negotiate. Marks and Spencer do velcro instead of a top button on shirts for children up to the age of 8
  • Two pairs of trousers or two pinafores is enough for the week – Girls will need a couple more summer dresses for the Summer term (they show up dirt more!)
  • Pinafore instead of a skirt – For girls, buy pinafores. They keep everything in place (no untucked shirts, which happens instantly with the skirts) and helps avoid canteen medallions on the shirt so you can often get two day’s wear out of the same shirt
  • Invest in heavier duty sturdy school shoes –  The far cheaper supermarket ones are very appealing, but they don’t last. They are however a good stopgap if your child has a sudden growth spurt and needs another pair but the timing is wrong for buying the ‘main’ pair. Startrite are a really good fit and very durable.
  • Buy velcro-fastening shoes – Much faster in the mornings and much easier for them to get changed for PE
  • When to buy school shoes – It might be tempting to get the shoes bought nice and early, but leave buying until the last minute. Childrens’ feet have a habit of growing fast in summer! New school starters will be back at school a week or two after the other children, so these in-between weeks are a great time to go as it’ll have quietened down in the shops
  • Plimsoles – You can definitely buy cheaper plimsoles. They get such light use in the first couple of years that it’s pointless buying expensive ones
  • Labels – Labelling uniform is essential. If, like me, you can’t be doing with sew on labels, invest in good iron on ones.