diaper cake-schmiaper cake

I am not a particularly crafty kind of person…okay, I have put together only 70 and counting photo scrapbooks…but when I was checking out these diaper cakes something told me that I could do this too.

It’s a little more personal for Holly and baby as it is decorated with toys from her baby registry including this bear and these cd’s.

If you look closely in the background, you will see that (a) the kitchen did not burn down and (b) the tile and grout is shiny clean.

how NOT to convince your darling husband that you need the Merry Maids

Spring cleaning and baby shower preparations are colliding here under the Big Top which means I have been on a cleaning frenzy. Slowly, but surely, the Big Top is becoming shiny and clean-smelling. It’s a beautiful thing, really. So today was the day to scrub, polish and clean my kitchen. So scrub, clean and polish is what I did. I got started with my trusty spray bottle of all-purpose bleach cleaner and sprayed the counters, tile, grout and stove top. Really it was all part of my evil plan to convince my darling husband that what I need in my life is the Merry Maids (or a reasonable facsimile.

Step 1: Spray your all-purpose bleach cleaner all over the greasy, dirty stove top. Be sure to really soak it.

Step 2: Panic as you see sparks and detect the oh-so-faint smell of smoke. Am I imagining it? I don’t know. But I do see the sparks arcing like crazy from the stove and, well, it is freaking me out.

Step 3: Run to the breaker box and cut all the power to the kitchen.

Step 4: Return to the kitchen and while still smelling smoke, grab the fire extinguisher (yes, I have one because I am the grand-daughter of a fire fighter) and smother my stove top, counters and floor.

Step 5: Scrub and clean again the stove top, counters and floor because they are covered in the fine powder of the stuff from the fire extinguisher.

Step 6: Several hours later, decide that since the house hasn’t burned down, there must be no fire so therefore it is safe to turn the power back on in the kitchen…I do happen to have a refrigerator and freezer full of food for the baby shower this weekend.

Step 7: Freak out and run back to the breaker box as big, sparks arc from the stove top when the power is restored. Call darling husband (at work 78 miles away from home) and try to calmly tell him what has been happening during your latest cleaning frenzy.

Step 8: Wait for darling husband to “rush” home from Palo Alto to “fix” this.

Step 9: Welcome your conquering hero then proceed to look over his shoulder and tell him what to do and not do as he tries to assess the problem. Briefly consider myself lucky for the fact that he is so patient.

Step 10: Give thanks because it seems that it is just a short and the stove top, or at least part of it, is still functioning without sparks flying. The darling, handy, husband suggests that we not cook tonight (YEAH!) and wait another day to allow the excess kitchen cleaner to dry up. He then cuts the power to JUST the stove top…the guy is freakin’ magic I tell you.

Step 11: Thank the conquering hero the best way that I can as the clowns are all home from school now and all seem to need, want their daddy. Being the great guy that he is, he graciously accepts. What a guy!

Step 12: Suggest to my darling husband that this adventure would have never happened if I had the Merry Maids or a reasonable facsimile here to clean the Big Top. Darling husband chuckles just a little and says no.

I tried. I really tried.