Tea Stains, Be Gone!

(Or coffee stains. Whatever.)

Before – bleh! 

 
After – lookin’ good! 

Do you find that you mugs seem to collect unattractive brown stains on the inside? Ours definitely do! With a family of 10 people who all enjoy coffee and tea, our mugs can sometimes use a good spa day. I have a fast and simple treatment that’ll leave your mugs looking almost new!

What you’ll need:

• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp water (or so – I’ve never measured!)
• A stained mug

Directions:

1. Sprinkle the baking soda into the bottom of your mug, and add the water.
2. Mix the stuff together with your fingers a little. It should form a paste.
3. Rub the paste into your mug with your fingertips. The stains should come out pretty easily, but older, more severe ones might need a little more elbow grease.
4. Wash and dry your mug when you are done rubbing it. You should be left with a like-new mug, and some nasty looking baking soda paste!

The baking soda hasn’t irritated my fingers yet, but since it is such fine exfoliant I can imagine it causing discomfort. I suggest only doing a few mugs at a time. If you want to do more, maybe try doing it with latex gloves on. 

Enjoy your sparkling clean mugs! Let me know how this worked for you in the comments! 

Sweater Weather Tag

I read Mary Burroughs blog post on mary.burroughstribe.com titled “Sweater Weather Tag,” and that automatically tagged me! It sounded like a lot of fun, so I decided to do it. (I changed a couple of the questions.) 

1. Favorite candle scent? Hmmm, I really like the Christmas-y ones, like Pumpkin Pie Spice and Apple Pie.
2. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate? Uuuuh, teaoffee? I love both! But I have coffee and tea moods. Some days I’d rather have coffee, some days I’d rather have tea.
3. What is the best fall memory you have? One of my favorites is when we went camping 2 years ago this month. It was our first camping trip, and it was a lot of fun! 
4. Favorite fall recipe? I love making apple pie. Yum! 
5. Favorite Thanksgiving food? Probably pumpkin pie. Or mashed taters. Or cranberry sauce. 
6. What is the autumn weather like where you live? Well, where we lived last in California, it would be in the 80s and sunny during the day, and then by night it was in the 40s – 60s. But by mid-November it would get drizzly, cold, and foggy, and would stay like that all winter.
7. Most worn sweater? Its a purple-y brown cotton sweater with really cool elbow patches. I wore it every week last fall! 
8. Football games or jumping in leaf piles? No one in my (immediate) family is into sports, and we never watch football, so I’d have to say jumping in leaves.
9. Skinny jeans or leggings? Skinny jeans. I never really wear leggings, although I’d like to have some this winter to wear with cozy, oversized sweaters.
10. Combat boots or Uggs? First off, I LOVE my combat boots. They were the only shoes I wore all last fall/winter. And, sorry to anyone I may offend, I think Ugg boots are really Uggly.
11. Is pumpkin spice worth the hype? I personally love pumpkin spice, and I get excited when I start seeing it around. I just saw pumpkin spice flavored black tea at Sprouts tonight. Yum!
12. Favorite fall TV show? Downton Abbey! It starts in September.
13. What song really gets you into the holiday (Christmas?) spirit? It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year is one that gets me really excited for Christmas!
14. What is a favorite activity of yours that is exclusive to fall? I like to be outside more, and enjoy the changing leaves
15. Hats or scarves? I like scarves, but if hats worked on me I’d probably say hats.
16. What is your #1 favorite thing about fall? I’d have to say the cooler weather. Or the pumpkin-y stuff. I don’t know! Fall is my favorite season!

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Tucson, Arizona

Everywhere you look there is green, whether it is a hearty mesquite tree, or a towering saguaro. To the east some billowy clouds are coming in. You can expect rain in the next few days, and you catch a scent of it in the refreshing breeze. You hear a rustle at your feet, and see a flash of a lizard as it scuttles for cover in some flowering weeds. A couple mourning doves coo at eachother in the tree above you, and can’t help smiling up at the romantic pair. Rarely do you hear the words “beautiful” and “desert” together, but those who visit Tucson, Arizona may not be able to say anything else about this gorgeous oasis surrounded by mountains. Although it can be scorchingly hot at times, the cooler days are divine, and you appreciate them all the more. If you ever get the pleasure of visiting Tucson, here are my favorite places that should be on your stopping list.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum 

  This place is amazing! Its a zoo, historic museum, and botanical garden all rolled into one. It has the most beautiful views, all kinds of native desert animals , and lots of cool cacti. Plus a humming bird enclosure! Oh, and a great gift shop, with tasty coffee and tea – for free if you have a membership!

Old Tucson 

For people who love westerns, this is a must-visit place! Many movies and TV shows were filmed here, including Bonanza and Little House. The costumes above were actually worn by Little House actresses, and are now on display! There is a candy store, gift shops, a train ride, and a big theater that serves snacks, drinks, and entertainment. There are also live shows that take place in the streets and by the “old church.” The cowboys in the picture above are posing with my brothers after one show. Most of the buildings were originally built as movie sets, and are now used for tourism. This place is pretty cool, but it’s not cheap to get in. We went on a special kids day, so the tickets were more affordable for our entire family. This is definitely a fun place. Be sure to bring water, gallons of sunscreen (I’ve got Irish blood, so I’m a bit sun shy), and your own snacks. Oh, cameras too! Just in case you bump into some cattle rustlers or deputies!

Eegees

(Sorry, I have no pictures…yet) 

Ah, Eegees. You will only find them in and around Tucson, which gives them a place on this exclusive list. What is Eegees, you ask? It is a fastfood restaurant that serves subs and sandwiches, but the real star of the show is their super finely crushed slushies, or Eegees. They have many delectable flavors, my favorite being the orange dream flavor. Can I get a unisonous Yum! They also have a strawberry Eegee that is sweetened with stevia. Yep, you read right. Cero azúcar. For all the Trim Healthy Gals like me out there! Or anyone who’s realized sugar doesn’t exactly like them. Definitely eat lunch at Eegees at least once, or just get an Eegee. It’s worth it!

Here’s an adorable cowboy. Just because. 

Have you ever visited Tucson? What are some great places to visit in your home town? Leave a comment!