Simply Lopez

Spring is finally here in Arkansas! The weather has been amazing the last week or so. I've been trying my best to get all of the many things that need to be done on our little homestead in preparation for spring, while also patiently awaiting the arrival of baby #4. She's due any day now! So far I've managed to weed the flower beds, plant a ton of irises and daffodils to brighten up our yard, gotten seedlings for the garden and herb garden started, and gone into crazy nesting mode on the housework.  I still need to work on garden preparations, getting our chicken house ready for chicks, finishing up our flower beds so that they're ready for my culinary herb transplants, and so much more.  Despite there being so much to do, being 9 months pregnant has definitely slowed me down more than I like. However, it's also been teaching me to take things slow, to enjoy the spring season, and to simply sit back and watch as my other three children play an...

Sponges have been my nemesis for years. I loath using them, because they've always seemed so gross and impossible to truly clean. However, they're one of those unfortunate necessities in most households, especially the kitchen. And even though I would love to throw them away after every use, not only is that impractical, but it's damaging to the environment. So, despite my disdain, I've learned to accept them. Being the clean freak that I am, though, I've done my share of research in how to make the grotesque cleaning utensils work at their absolute best, and cleanest. For years, I was one of those who always cleaned her sponges in the dishwasher, becuase that's how I had always been told to properly sterilize them. I would do that, then run them through the dryer to make them "extra clean". However, new research has come out revealing that the best way to kill 99% of germs found on sponges is to simply microwave them for 2 minutes. Talk abo...