Preparations

I've spent a lot of time today cleaning... more on that later, I have a special post about what I've been up to in the kitchen :) and I did a little bit of goofing around in Photoshop for the first time in ages, designing Christmas cards. I think this year we are going to make our own cards. If Drake is with us before Christmas, all the better, but if not, then I will have to do a Happy New Year's card too and send it out to everyone. :)

I got in a ton of exercise yesterday. I had to wash pillows for our rocking chair. They didn't fit in the washer (we have a compact model) or the dryer, so I filled up the bath tub, dumped some detergent on and agitated them... by foot. I stood on top of them in the tub, holding on to the walls, and marched up and down on them for about 20 minutes, kind of like how they used to do grape stomping for wine.

Why yes, that is I Love Lucy.

Then I rinsed them out. The pillows are actually foam blocks, so they hold a LOT of water. I spent another 20 minutes or so squishing all of the water out. I used a combination of the foot stomping method and then I used my thighs of steel (lol) squeezing out as much as I could. Then I put the fan on and let them air dry.

Hard to believe it worked so well! It was a lot of fun too. Brian stood by the tub and held on to me so I wouldn't fall. I totally had it under control though, and never even slipped once. But I was still glad he was there. He even dried off my feet for me, the dear.

Max was, once again, disappointed that he did not get a bath. "It's too cold for puppies to get baths!" I tried explaining but obviously he didn't agree. So, he got a bath today. How can I deny a dog who WANTS to get clean?? I'd be insane.

I have so much more cleaning to do. I really need to get on it. We are leaving early (early being 11 am lol) for Valpo, and I need to make sure that I have everything done and cleaned so I can come home to a nice clean house tomorrow night and enjoy my Sunday instead of cleaning.