How to Clean a Burnt Pan

I have been horrible about burning supper lately!  Between trying to nurse the baby, welcome home hubby, take care of a potty-training 2 year old, and who knows what else, my scatter-brain forgets sometimes that dinner is burning away on the stove!  But I've become a professional at cleaning seemingly hopeless pots and pans!  Take for instance the pot in the picture below.  I seriously thought it was done for.  But as you can see in the "after" picture, it's as good as new.

Want to see my secret weapon? 

It's called Bar Keeper's Friend, and it be found in the cleaning supplies aisle at Walmart or the grocery store. In my experience it has cleaned anything and everything no matter how hopeless it looks.  Some things require a little more elbow grease than others, but it will still clean things I would otherwise have to throw away.  It costs around $3.99, and it is well worth the money for the headache it saves me. 

What's your secret weapon?

Merry Christmas!

 

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Do you worship the babe in the manger 

But reject the Christ of the cross? 

Your redemption comes not by the manger 

But the death of Christ on the cross.

If you worship the babe in the manger

But ignore the blood of God's Son 

To you Christ is only a stranger 

Till you trust the work He has done.

Will you look past the babe in the manger 

Will you look to Calvary 

Oh my friend can you not see the danger 

Of a lost eternity?

The Babe in the manger was God's only Son

Who came to the world to die

The Babe in the manger could never have done

The work of His God on High.

The Babe left the manger and went to the cross

To Pay the wages of sin

Your way of forgiveness is not by the Babe,

But the Christ Who died for your sin. 

– W. S. and Mildred Dillon

 

If you do not have the assurance of an eternity in Heaven, I urge you to settle it today!  Read this tract that tells you how to be 100% sure of Heaven. I can think of nothing better to do on Christmas day than to accept the gift that God sent to earth over 2000 years ago!

 

Super Cute, Super Easy DIY Ornament

My sister-in-law made this ornament for my youngest son this year.  My pitiful photography skills don't do it justice, but it so cute!

Make this in just a few minutes with things you already have around the house.

• Old jar lid
• Scrapbook paper and stickers or markers
• Ribbon

Cut a circle to fit inside the lid.  Personalize it with initials or someone's name using scrapbook markers or stickers.  (You could even print a picture and make it into a photo ornament if you wanted.)  Punch a hole in the top of the lid and tie a ribbon through, and you're done!  I love it!

Now, go make my non-blogging sister-in-law famous and put this on Pinterest, would you?  I may just post more of her awesome ideas for you!

2012: One Year of Anti-Procrastination

Look out 2012! I am challenging myself, not to a day, a week, or even a month; but to a full year of Anti-Procrastination!

I'd love to have you join me!

Let me explain what I mean by Anti-Procrastination. You know those crumbs you see when you open the silverware drawer? The messy closet that needs a good straightening? That pair of pants that needs mending? Anything that bugs you every time you see it but that you just never "get around to" is a candidate for an Anti-Procrastination project.

I really don't know why I procrastinate. I have million excuses that all seem valid, but really most of the time they aren't. "I'm in the middle of making dinner." "We're getting ready to go out the door." On and on I could go with the excuses, but they're getting a kick out the door this year. When I see something that needs doing, I'm going to do it right then and there!

I'm not saying that I plan to start deep cleaning the oven 5 minutes before it's time to go out the door. But those crumbs in the silverware drawer? Ten seconds and they'll be gone!

Here are my self-imposed rules for Anti-Procrastination Year. You can make up your own rules for how they will best suit your situation.

1. I must do one thing every day of the entire year. On busy days I can choose a 10 second task like pulling that sock out from under the bed. On slower days I can plan ahead to do something that takes a little longer such as a craft project, deep cleaning, or organizing.
2. If I start something that takes longer than one day, I must work on the same thing every day until it is completed.
3. No task should ever take long enough to cause me to forgo my regular housework, cooking, mommy time with the kids, etc. If a task is taking too long it must be continued the next day.
   
4. An Anti-Procrastination task is any task above and beyond my normal housework schedule. It can consist of cleaning, crafts, decorating, or anything else that I want. It can be something that really needs to be done or just something fun that I've been putting off until just the right time.

I'm sure I'll think of more rules as I get into this. I've already been trying to do one thing every day even though it's not 2012 yet (I decided not to procrastinate starting on Anti-Procrastination Year!). So far I've changed out my fall wreaths for the Christmas wreaths, pulled a sock out from behind the bed, and got rid of a pair of shoes.

I plan to post an update once a week of what I've been able to accomplish. I'm taking the plunge and publishing this so that I will be forced to be accountable for the entire year.

Please cheer me on, and join me in the challenge if you're up to it!