The Working Girl's Guide To: The Bathroom Blues

Everyone that knows me well knows i am OCD about my kitchens and bathrooms..i am so bad that i will let things stay as is until i can get in there and blast behind the microwave...scrub on my hands and knees behind the toilet..and scrub the grout in the shower with a toothbrush until it gleams...that's right...i'm confessing to you my deepest darkest secrets..i drift to the darkside when i start cleaning.lol...i love it so that i seem to zone out in my head and when i come to..the kitchen and bathroom are sparkling...lol..for all those working girls who are not my soul sisters in this regard then i'm feeling you..your girl is always on the job for the working girl...you know the heart and soul of ATLBROWNGIRL is to provide working girls and stay at home moms and dads options for taking their kids to fun places, date spots for you and your boo..fun places for family excursions..markets to grab a great meal for your fam or your boo if it's been a long crummy day at work...and most of all i hope you make my website your resource for hanging out with your family or your boo in our lovely city...

but back to the title..i am starting a new series called "The Working Girl's Guide to.." and i will post all kinds of nifty ideas for making it work..in less time...never fear stay at home moms and dads..and single moms and dads...i give you big love too...we all have the same concerns..how do we either take care of ourselves in a hectic world..or take care of a family...and still take care of all the daily things that are required in our life...so here's my first in the series...How to Blast Your Bathroom Clean..in half the time...i hope you love it as much as I enjoyed writing this for you.. My focus for this post is to give big love to the Working girls...honey i know..sometimes you have to make it work! in 1/2 the time..lol..so here are tips for making it sparkle, and all types of nifty tips to get thyself out the door in record time to you it! either get your money on..so you can head to some of the fun spots in our wonderful city...

Lastly for my green folks..your girl has lots of environmentally friendly tips to help make us feel good about getting our clean on...lol...Toodles and L&K,

Cleaning Tile -To get in the nitty gritty, spray the whole shower esp in the grout with Tilex Mildew Root Penetrator..you will see it by different names but that Tilex Mildew remover is the truth..then spray Mean Green Mildew Remover over it..cut on the fan and walk out overnite...voila in the morning all you have to do is run the hot water before you take your shower and the mildew has magically disappeared...yeah baby! mama does not like to scrub so if you let it set overnite that is the key..it is stinky but all worth the trouble...for folks that have the dreaded white grout in between your colored tile, then dip a thin sponge paintbrush in distilled white vinegar and apply it directly to the grout before you do the mean green/tilex application..it gets hard water deposits and mildew and soap scum out...

Toilet - To bust that rust, and lime and hard water stains..pour table salt directly on the stain..then squeeze a fresh lemon on a bowlbrush or heavy duty papertowel and scrub..the acid in the lemon when combo with the salt will remove stains...then you can follow up with your Lysol toilet cleaner for up under the bowl and around the outside if you have little men that (ahem) miss the mark at the toilet on the regular...lol

Shower curtains - if you are lucky enough to have a standup shower with a glass shower door, then shower curtains are SOP in your home like mine..i hate when the little mildew and soap scum gathers on those boogers...problem solved! just toss them in the washing machine with vinegar and let it soak for 2 hours...then resume the cycle and voila! your shower curtain looks like brand new again...

Faucets and mirrors - Wipe your mirrors with a sponge soaked in hot vinegar..if you are like me and sometimes you are in a hurry..then Glass Plus wipes..they are awesome and reusable...great idea! I also spray Mean Green around the faucet while i am wiping the mirrors and let it set for a moment,..when i am thru using the Glass plus wipes i use to wipe my faucets...hey now..am i practical or what? lol

Bathtub - my little 5 year old bathtub king uses bubbles everynite for his bathie..somehow that cuts down on a bathring..but for your big kids who have long let Mr. Bubble go..unsightly bathtub rings are a drag...lol..the green option is to place salt on the ring and scrub..if you haven't guessed already...i am a big fan of Mean Green...it is a mothersucka on dirt honey...i have never seen such an environmentally product that is so tough..did the military make this stuff? lol..spray Mean Green on your bathtub ring, take a soft cloth that is damp and spray a bit of liquid cleanser like liquid ajax (doesn't scratch) and you know it! clean as a thistle...Ditto this procedure for your sink...it works i promise...

Walls - if you are lucky enough to have painted walls great...no fuss..but if you have bathroom tile like we do in our 1970's explosion of a bathroom..then wipe down the walls with a damp cloth soaked in vinegar or u got it..Mean Green...by the way i get my Mean Green and all cleaning supplies from Family Dollar...i save all my pennies for eating out..but u already had guessed that right? lol

Be Breezy,

The Dog Days of Summer

Hello dahlings,

oh how time flies..can you believe it is summer? Gosh i love summertime...I do not love a Georgia summer as the heat mixed with the humidity can drive you to distraction..but that's when you grab a big ole' glass of sweet tea...find you the coolest spot in the city, whether a local coffeehouse or your living room sofa..and lay back in the cut during the dog days of summer..if you must get out..ensure you put on lots of your Mennen speed stick (did you know they make this amazing deodorant in guys and girls formula? they really keep your pits dry..lol) and walk don't' run to your intended destination...in between the dog days of summer you know one of my fave past times is to eat sherbet while my little one decides which sprinkles and icky color he will make his ice cream..we are water park aficionados...in fact it is my goal to visit every water park in the radius of an hour's drive from the metro..this summer we have planned to drive to Valdosta to Wild Mountain theme park and water resort..and then we are continuing on to the Nickelodeon hotel for their icky slime water ride..lol..Spongebob would be proud..it's gonna be a stone gas honey..but on to my reason for shouting out my readers...here some of my best hangout spots around the city for beating the heat..check out my faves and tell me if you agree..please email me at my website http://www.atlbrowngirl.com/ and write this link across your heart if you have not already..

Places to Beat the Heat:

Budget options thru the Parks and Rec Board

Browns Mill Water Park - Browns Mill Road

Rockbridge Water Park - Rockbridge Road

Friends Water Park - Buford Highway

Ice cream spots with style:
Coldstone Creamery - Atlantic Station
Brewsters - multiple locations
Nestle Toll House Ice cream store - multiple locations
Ben and Jerry's - Va Highland and Dacula

Fun places for kids indoors:
Monkey Joes
The Great Barn - Stone Mountain
Movie Tavern - Tucker
Georgia Aquarium - Downtown
Fernbank Musuem- Off Ponce De leon

Grown folks spot to chill during the day:
Cafe Circa for brunch
Johnnycakes - free wifi upstairs
Dancing Goats Coffee House - Downtown Decatur
Perk - Downtown Hapeville

Your kids will love it!
Centennial Park Water Fountain