Update On Painted Kitchen Counter

It has been about four months since I painted my kitchen counters and I thought it was time for an update on how they were standing up to all the use they were getting. If you have not seen the before post and pictures you can check them out here.

Painting the cupboards was the worst part of redoing our kitchen. I found a paint color I like at the hardware store. It was in the Valspar signature collection. The color was Terra and had an earthy marble affect when applied. I specifically asked the paint mixer at the counter if the paint would work on my kitchen cupboards. I was assured that it would work fine. As I knew once a paint is custom tinted it could not be returned. At $45 a gallon (we needed two in the end) I wanted to be sure it was right. Once we had put the first coat on the cupboards I realized the paint was not washable. Not to get to detailed here I was extremely angry.  After a trip back to the hardware store the solution was to paint a clear coat over the cupboards. 

Now on to the walls. If you remember the wall paper was white and printed with green leaves and burgundy flowers. I painted the walls the color Imperial Sand. 

Last to be done was our counter-tops. This is the paint I used.

Before

After

I found the Rust-Oleum counter-top paint to be easy and fun to use! I like how it with stands the abuse of my husband and son. They are both very hard on surfaces. I thought there would be a problem with the paint scratching and peeling. Well, I have not found one scratch and no peeling after four months. 

I have only one problem with the counter paint. When water sits on the surface for a while the spot becomes white. Now I know this is a water spot that can sometime happen on furniture. Like I said before my guys are rough on the counter and get it wet all the time. They do dry off the counter when they get it wet but often times they miss a spot and that's when it gets a water spot. The spots do fade away once the surface is let to dry. I did some research and what I found was the paint needs to cure over time. Once it has finished curing the water spots will no longer happen. 

I have a couple tips that might help if you decide to paint your counters.

1. Make sure your counters are clean and free of dust, grease or dirt. 

2. Sand each and every inch of surface as instructed then wash again. 

3. Tape off and cover all surfaces that will not be painted. This paint is thin. It can splash and drip easily. 

4. Wear goggles & gloves. Have a spare pair of gloves available for quick change. The paint will stick to your gloves making all your fingers stick together. Lol, lesson learned.

5. This paint dries very quickly. All needed supplies should be at your finger tips. Believe me there is no time to find a smaller brush or a wet rag. 

6. I found the sponge brushes worked best for me. I first tried an expensive foam brush and foam roller. The foam brush left bubbles on the surface. A regular brush left lines. I was very lucky to have a couple cheap sponge brushes and rollers I had intended to use on another project just laying near by. It would have been bad to let the paint dry with bubble or streaks on the surface I had already painted. I suggest having a few types handy for your project. I believe the surface might have something to do with how the paint and brushes react together. 

7. Make sure the work area is well ventilated. This paint has a very strong odor. 

More before and after photos.

I enjoyed working on my kitchen and am mostly happy with the results. We have a lot more work to do before it is complete. For now I need a break from the kitchen and I am contemplating starting on the guest bedroom or bathroom. I am not sure which to do next. Have you painted anything lately? I would love to hear about your projects.

How to Grow a Lemon Tree From Seeds

I planted lemon seeds from a couple organic lemons I had during the Thanksgiving holiday. This is the results so far.

First, I cleaned the seeds with fresh water. I rubbed them with my fingers gently under running water. (This is very important because the acid will prevent the seeds from sprouting.)

Next, I soaked them for three days in a dish of water. 

Last, I planted the seeds in potting soil and put in a sunny window. I water them often not letting the soil dry out.

After three weeks, little sprouts started showing. 

I live in the north so I will keep my tree in a large pot that can be brought inside during the winter months. I have read that keeping it pruned back will keep it a manageable size for my patio. 

What do you think? Have you planted anything lately?

Are You Looking For An Organic Deodorant?

Today, I am reviewing an awesome organic product from Wild Hippo on Etsy. I have been looking for an organic deodorant that works and does not cause my sensitive skin to break out. Most deodorants I have tried make me itch like crazy. I have only found one other deodorant that does not cause me to itch or break out. I really did not like buying that brand because, it was not completely organic, and it was terribly expensive. So as you can imagine, when Wild Hippo asked me to review their Organic Deodorant, I jumped right in.

The deodorant is handmade and comes in a 1/2-pint-sized glass jar. The jar fills a 2.5 ounce deodorant stick three times. If you do not have an empty deodorant stick lying around to fill, you can order a starter kit. The starter kit comes with a refillable deodorant stick and one 1/2-pint jar of deodorant. Wild Hippo offers three scents: lemon, melaleuca (tea tree), and unscented. I chose to review the unscented version. Stop over and check out her scents and if you are not interested in the available scents you can contact Wild Hippo, and they will be happy to create a custom order for you. 

When I received the deodorant, I scooped some out and pressed it in my empty deodorant stick, and it was ready to go. The deodorant is creamy in texture and glides on like any other stick deodorant. Because there are no chemicals in this product, it can melt at temperatures higher than 76 degrees Fahrenheit. I did not find this to be a problem, as my bathroom is not heated and stays fairly cool during the winter months. In the summer, I may have to keep it in the refrigerator. I simply love this deodorant! It works just like any other deodorant without all the unnecessary ingredients. I have been wearing the deodorant for about three weeks now, and I have no complaints. This product is organic,  Food-grade, aluminum-free, and hypoallergenic.It also complements a vegan, vegetarian, or paleo lifestyle. 

Wild Hippo has a wide selection of organic, vegetarian, vegan, and paleo baked goods to offer. They are the creators of the original date bite of which I had the opportunity to taste. The date bites are quite delicious and make healthy snack that is naturally sweet. 

Oh yes, There is one more item to mention. The organic, gluten-free chocolate chip cookies are so tasty my sons fought over the last few cookies we had to sample.  

Disclosure:

I received the above mentioned products to review from Wild Hippo in exchange for an honest review.

Prevent Spreading Germs

Last month my entire family came down with the latest flu virus that has been going around. While we were all ill I kept cleaning and sanitizing all surfaces in our home until the flu was just a memory. Then I went back to my normal cleaning schedule. After dealing with the flu for three weeks I was very excited to hear that I would be reviewing the products pictured below from Shoplet.com and Gojo.

The best way to prevent spreading germs is to wash your hands often with soap and water. What do you do when you are not near soap and water? For example: When you are out grocery shopping and pick up a package of chicken. The package leaves moisture on your hands! What do you do? I use my Gojo Sample of PurellJelly Wrap (hand sanitizer) that I have clipped to my purse. Then after shopping I wash my hands with soap and water. Having this handy little bottle of hand sanitizer hanging on my bag makes it easy to use with out touching my purse. This should in turn help prevent spreading germs.

The product you see on your left in the above photo is the Purell Pal instant hand sanitizer desktop dispenser.  I think that is a neat way to keep your hand sanitizer near you at work. Did you know that the average desk harbors over 10,000,000 germs? A computer keyboard harbors on average 3,295 germs per sq. in. A mouse harbors an average of 1,676 germs per sq. in. A phone harbors an average of 25,127 germs per sq. in. That sure is a lot of germs. I would think using hand sanitizer in between wash room trips might prevent some of these germs from being brought home to our family. (The above mentioned facts were from a study by the University of Arizona titled Germs In The Work Place.)

Next is the Gojo Purell Hand Sanitizer/Dispenser AD-7. I really am happy about this dispenser. I found the dispenser simple to mount easy to use. I mounted it on the wall near our patio door. We use this door when we go out to feed our chickens. I like to sanitize my hands before and after I collect eggs. This is very convenient for that purpose. When I step back in my house after handling chickens or eggs I do not like to touch door knobs, faucet handles or other surfaces before sanitizing them. Of course I then wash my hands with soap and water.

To go with the dispenser I received Purell Advanced Non-Aerosol Instant Hand Sanitizer Foam to fill the Gojo Purell Hand Sanitizer/Dispenser AD-7. The thick rich foam claims to kill 99.9% of common germs. I tried the foam and it dries very quickly and does not leave a sticky feeling.  Not feeling sticky is very important to me! 

Disclosure:

I received the above mentioned products from Shoplet.com in exchange for an honest review.

coupons

$1.00 off the purchase of any Jif Hazelnut Spread
$1.00 off any TWO Keebler Crackers
$2.50 off bag Purina ONE beyOnd Cat Food
$3.00 off one Purina Pro Plan brand Cat Food
$0.75 off ONE BOX Multi Grain Cheerios cereal

Winning Giveaways

I wanted to share with all my readers the giveaways I won the last two months. First I won a really nice silk Snowman Necktie over at My Journey With Candida.

Then I won a Zenobbi GC at Terri's Little Haven. Here is what I ordered with the gift card. My grandson loves the stainless steal sippy. The stainless steal Tiffin made a great lunch box for my son. You should stop over to Zenoobi to see all their great products. It took me several days to decide what to order with the GC. I am betting you all will find something you can't live with out.

Now if you want to enter some giveaways I recommend the two mentioned blogs. They have some really nice giveaways. Their giveaways are always easy to enter.