We're all loaded up! I'm taking my little family, pups and all, on a surprise getaway for Jakub's 27th birthday!
Earlier in the week I surprised him with a chance to "look at the stars" but now we'll be doing it for real. His birthday couldn't have come at a better time, and I think we're both going to enjoy this opportunity to leave every stress and frustration behind and just RELAX. That word hasn't been in our vocabulary as of late, so it will be nice to reconnect with what that looks like.
We'll be staying in a little cabin, far from the hustle and bustle of daily life. We'll definitely do some hiking and picture taking, and possibly horseback riding or even throw in a train ride here or there. Without a doubt we will be spending plenty of around a fire pit, being cuddle bugs. I'm also pretty excited that our pups will be joining us; this will be Charlie's first real outdoor adventure with us and it'll be neat to see how they react.
Well everyone, it's time for us to hit the road. Enjoy your night and I'll see you soon.
Well friends, I'd like you to meet the newest member of the Hartlieb family! Say hello to Charlie:
And here's a picture of Jax for good measure:
I've got a rather handsome household of boys, if I do say so myself! We got Charlie on Sunday and it has been quite an adjustment for all of us, most of all Jax, but we've all come to love this pup and it's so great that Jax has a constant playmate (and I have a constant cuddle-monster)
Doesn't he just melt your heart?!
Well that's all for today, I just wanted to share the big news. I'll be back at some point this week!
Today I came face to face with an opponent I had yet to encounter during my role as a housewife: stains. Nasty, stubborn stains. Of course, this was thanks to my mischievous little Jax. He got a hold of a blue pen which resulted in some vibrant but uncalled-for splotches covering our beautiful shag area rug that we got just a few months back. Did I mention that rug is a light cream color? My first thought was, maybe we can turn the rug so this spot is hidden. Then we realized it was all over; that wouldn't work.
Luckily I had miss April to help me. She worked on getting Jax clean while I started on the rug. Then she came to join me and we had to have rubbed, scrubbed, and blotted for an eternity! We made a little progress but soon realized we weren't going to get much further. We went back to matters that needed our attention (her wedding is in less than 4 months!) and then both had to leave.
A few hours later, I came home with supplies in hand. I had no idea the battle that lay before me, but I assure you I was victorious.
Yes, we used every item you see in this picture to fight the stains. They were relentless.
Windex was the first thing I used. I know, it sounds crazy. I thought so too. It didn't work.
Then April and I used practically the entire bottle of Clorox Anywhere. It helped, mostly to dilute it and spread the stain from one strand of carpet to a spot a couple inches wide. It didn't work.
I came home with Spot Shot "Instant Carpet Stain Remover". I thought this would do the trick. It said it could lift motor oil, blood, red wine. It'll get ink out with no problem. It didn't do diddly squat. It didn't work.
Jakub and I googled how to remove pen ink from carpets and got several results that sounded crazier than Windex... but I was desperate. First we used hairspray, a dry cloth and an iron. It didn't work.
Next was hairspray and a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar. It didn't work.
Then, God bless his soul, Jakub found a video:
(You should watch the video, it's pretty funny)
For some reason I was so worried to used WD-40 but my valiant husband tried it and would you believe, that worked like a charm! Not only did it make our rug just like new, it brought me back from the brink of insanity. The war is over and I can rest easy!
Jax still has battle scars but we'll tackle that maybe tomorrow. It's all over that boy and the pictures don't do it justice.
(I know it looks like I was restraining him here, but he was relaxed and loving it)
Our house smells like WD-40 right now. Do I care? No, because my rug is clean. Also I like the smell. Smells like victory.
This was a TSNT that was I wasn't anticipating but I feel better knowing that now I have the right tools to do the job.
