All natural cleaning tips

Posted on November 18, 2009 by Marianna

Earth-friendly cleaning, natural substances are very popular lately, due to the excessive abuse of chemicals we have been using globally.
This is exactly why I am writing this article–and because I have stopped smoking and it’s going so well and that IS a contribution to fresh air to everybody.
Here comes a list of natural substances and some tips where to use them.

earth friendly

Lemon juice
Scent: lovely, citrus, fresh, clean
Where to find it: lemon tree, supermarket
Active agent: citric acid
Usage:
Has a natural whitening effect, cleans well metals and helps get rid of the lime scale.
Cleans the dirty microwaves

Vinegar
Scent: sorry, it is vinegar. But if used in the required solution, you will not smell anything in a little while.
Where to find it: supermarket
Active agent: acid
Usage:
Deluded with water it is a middle strength acid. It is a disinfectant, can be used to clean windows, glasses, mirrors or to get rid of lime scale.

Baking soda/Bicarbonate of sodium
Scent: none
Where to find it: supermarket, pharmacy
Active agent: natrium-hydrogen-carbonate
Usage:
Great to get rid of nasty smells, soaks up liquids, doesn’t scratch. Keep a little pot of it in the fridge and nothing will smell!

And now, how to get rid of nasty stains?

Coffee stain – delude salt in warm water, soak stained material, scrub it. When stain is gone, wash and rinse the textile thoroughly
Ink – lemon juice, but immediately
Oil, grease – potato starch is the best for that, put a little bit of the powder on the stain, let it stay there for an hour (or 2), brush it and wash it
Chocolate – lemon juice
Red wine – salty water, lemon juice or milk is our help here, soak it for a few hours, scrub it and hope that it goes away

..or try wearing a bib :)

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Smelly food

Posted on November 18, 2009 by Marianna

I have no problem whatsoever with people eating smelly food. Actually I love garlic. I really do.
But there is this office problem – bloody @$%^&!!!! smoked fish, heated up on the ground floor, brought up to the 2nd floor leaving a long lasting smell ALL OVER the office?!
I swear, that’s it for me. I take a lot of crap, but this is the top of the top.

Actually, imagine… Broken air conditioning, stuffy office, no way to have the door open for more then 5 minutes because the junkies will drop in for “some help with the next fix” or something like this will happen. Anyway. I go home with this smell in my clothes, hair and nearly skin.
Like really… how on earth could I go for a date if this happens? I go out smelling like a fisherman to a brand new date who I aim to impress?

I will do a proper post about office etiquette… I am only ranting now…

Posted in iRant | 1 Comment

Through my eyes today

Posted on November 11, 2009 by Marianna

eyes

On my way home today I was looking around – not that I don’t do that every day, but still, today was different, I looked at people a little bit more curiously then any other day. The usual people-watching. But it wasn’t a great pleasure.

I saw people worn out from working, rushing, worrying.

I saw the weight of having to be a human in a civilized country.

I saw the teenagers going home from study, the office workers rushing to get the train, the businesswoman thinking of the business (AND picking her nose dressed in the little elegant suit – honestly, I’m not kidding). The young adults looking for “shelter” in the pubs, really only just looking for a good time to forget that from 9 – 5.30 it is the real world. Real World.

How cruel is this RW to us? The answer is: as cruel as we make it to be.

After all who is responsible for everything happening at the moment? It is us.

We caused the global warming – I know you know, that is just the easiest example. But there are numerous other factors which made the world just as much better as much worse. I’m thinking of the money, the greed, the oil, the killing of people and animals, the wars, all the useless stuff which I have no patience to think about.

This is really out of our hands sisters and brothers (bua – ha – ha – ha -this was my mad non-scientist or preacher laugh)!!

Are you happy to live your life in a “mill-wheel” ?(I hope you understand this expression, this is supposed to describe the repetitiveness and boredom).

Do you want to change? How? When and what?

There is no answer in this post to anything. It’s only a fraction of my thoughts from today, a very tiny fraction. The line of thoughts from today unfortunately suffered a severe damage by being interrupted with the RW.

The Real World.

That feckin Real World.

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How to know your partner is cheating

Posted on November 7, 2009 by Marianna

Are you a jealous type and you feel that at this time something is really wrong? Or maybe you feel that something has changed and it’s certainly not the weather?

Many of us are cursed with paranoid thoughts which are most likely followed by idiotic actions but if you feel that this time it’s different you have to watch out.

Let see a few signs..

Besides the obvious – like a hickey on the neck; or a slightly more sophisticated public appearance with the ex, whilst holding on to the explanation “this is not what you think, we are just friends” or of course the obvious: see them making out.

1. He is too kind suddenly – this is only a problem if he was rude, ignorant and things has just changed recently without any reason. (now don’t get suspicious after each red rose…)

2. He is moody. If he has no work or family problems and he is moody for no reason…

3. Changes his style. Jeans to suit, tee for shirt… You have to please the “lady” after all. New accessories, new shoes, too frequent visit to the barber… If he wasn’t like that before it’s most likely for her or as for the accessories FROM her.

4. You are not having sex as often as you used to.

5. He doesn’t say that he loves you.

6. He doesn’t want to get close to you physically – kiss, hug, that pinch on the butt what he always used to give when passing behind or whatever it was in your case.

7. Starts a new hobby and doesn’t involve you at all.

8. He is too much time (out of the ordinary) at the computer, hiding it from you, or even gets you another computer just so he can have that one full time.

9. Takes off the wedding ring – too tight, inconvenient for sports etc..

10. Doesn’t plan ahead anymore – at least in regards to the 2 of you.

11. He is looking for mistakes in everything at home, doesn’t like your meals, critisises your figure, mad at the children – “because it’s your fault that 2nd grade is so difficult!!”

12. He doesn’t want to know your problems anymore.

13. He “disappears” for the whole afternoon when he goes out to get batteries for the remote and you can’t reach him. When finally arrives home, he gives you the most ridiculous reasons for not contacting you or not getting back so long.

14. He goes for walks, drives, swims, whatever – ALONE.

15. He never ever leaves his mobile phone anywhere, and even if he puts it down, it’s always facing down. Some phones display the text straight away and most display who is it from.

16. He comes home late all the time from work, has too many meetings after business hours. But these occasions last until 1 or 2am in the morning..

17. He brings up the end of your relationship, talks about divorce.

18. Needs a holiday alone. These holidays are usually with the lover.

19. You find receipts of gifts you have never received, perfume, lingerie, clothes, which is not yours, different scent of perfume you use.

20. You can’t see into his finances. He gets a new credit card, splits the account for no particular reason.

The list is endless really. Different things go for different kind of people. Use this list wisely, don’t think the worst all the time, because sometimes that bouquet of flowers is just a bouquet of flowers to say sorry that he didn’t have time for you last week…

Posted in Everyday things, How To | Tagged cheating, men, relationship | Leave a comment

Oceana – “Cry cry” and “Pussycat on a Leash”

Posted on October 19, 2009 by Marianna

Fantastic singer, I absolutely love her songs.

Her voice with her looks and her musical style really make a great impact.

Hope she is going to be as great as she deserves to be.

“…From an early age it was clear which direction she would take. OCEANA’s whirlwind path could not be stopped. Her mother started taking her to concerts as a young child. She saw big name artists including Ziggy Marley, Burning Spear, James Brown and she felt drawn to the stage, where she wanted to sing and dance. She took ballet lessons, danced through studios and at the age of five she was given a part in a film directed by Hamburg’s Lars Becker. As a teenager she won a music scholarship and had her first singing lesson with the Italian vocalist Etta Scollo. Significant musical influence was given by the family’s record collection of artists like Billie Holiday and Etta James. Her initial and enduring experiences with jazz, funk and blues where taken with a family friend – legendary musician Maceo Parker. It was him who often asked OCEANA up on stage at his concerts and who got the ball of her musical career rolling with the sentence “You’re ready now; do your own thing!”……..”

You can read the rest on her myspace on http://www.myspace.com/oceanaofficial

(I really hope this doesn’t go against any legal stuff that I put here her video.. if so, please let me know and I remove it immediately.)

Posted in Everyday things | Tagged Oceana, videoclip | Leave a comment

How to be a good wife – with explanation

Posted on October 12, 2009 by Marianna

The original Good Wife’s Guide is as it follows. Hilarious really. It’s actually collected in lovely bulletpoints, so all you wives can have it in a print out and just “tick the box”..

  • Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready, on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal (especially his favourite dish) is part of the warm welcome needed.

I do plan nearly all dinners ahead of time. Working women do the shopping in the weekend and then it’s just a matter of minutes to get it ready when we get home. I do say though, that meal planning, cooking, cleaning and all that “junk” should be shared and well distributed within the family so nobody feels as an unpaid slave at home. Of course if you like cooking, cleaning and taking care of everything BESIDES your day job, it’s fine, do it!

  • Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so  you will be refreshed for the time he arrives. Touch up your make up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking…

Yeah, and all that. We go home together and I am mostly tired and pissed off in the car. Make up should still be in the place but a ribbon would be a stretch at this stage really…

  • Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.

I can totally understand that thinking of lesbian sex (little gay) is surely interesting for most husbands. Mainly after a boring day at work (which should be busy instead of boring, right?!)…. This text is from a 1955 housekeeping textbook, so no, they did not think of gay sex they thought of happiness. You know… pretend to be happy even if you have your period and you would really like to rip his head off if he says it one more time that “the food needs a little more salt, sweetie”.

  • Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before the husband arrives.

Absolutely agree. This is exactly why people like houses with lots of storage. Like… when you are doing “the last trip”, you can go around with a basket and right before you hear the key turning in the lock, you can just shove all that crap into “the storage”. (DON’T put in “the storage”: food leftovers, sleeping, quiet animals, passports, mobile phones and valuable things. Food and animals smell when decomposed, rest will be looked for and will be blamed on you…)

  • Prepare the children. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part. Minimise all the noise. At the time of his arrival eliminate all noise of the washing machine, dryer or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.

Let me put it right: tell your children to pretend they are not really children but boring adults who know when to be quiet. And pretend you never do housework, so after all he does think that you are at home having fun all the time…

  • Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first – remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours. Don’t greet him with complaints and problems. Don’t complain if he is late for dinner or even if he stays out all night.  Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through at work.

Bah! I am not a saint. And yes, I had a shit day, and yes, the children were devils and not little treasures and the washing machine is broken and I had to go back to the butcher twice because “your favourite meal ingredient” was late, and I hate when you are late and you don’t tell me (of course because you can’t, it’s so important), and no, I couldn’t get an appointment to the hairdresser and the dry cleaner had to close because there was a major leek in the building, so no, I couldn’t get your shirts and most of all: I HATE WHEN YOU GO OUT AND LEAVE ALL THIS CRAP FOR ME TO SORT OUT.

Of course sweetie. I’m glad you are home. :)

  • Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or lie him down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice. Don’t ask him questions about his action or question his judgement or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.

My sweet Lord! I have nothing more to say. Maybe except that I naturally have a very sexy low voice. It gets a bit sharp though when I am ready to tear my hair out from stress…. :) Ahh… and I DO have the right to question him.

  • A good wife always knows her place.

Yes. Mine is at the hairdresser and the beautician. And on holidays. :)

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