Dear Chicks Guide:

My apartment is the pits. But I’ve got such a bad case of cabin fever, the call of the wild is waaaay more tempting than the call of the clean. How can I motivate to clean the place up?

Best,
Dusty

Dear Dusty

Spring cleaning. Yep, it can be a total buzz kill. But, it must be done for your own sake. In a clean and organized environment, you will feel more at ease, find more inspiration and be more productive. Use The Chick’s Guide step-by-step tips to help make the deed more palatable.
1. Lose the ’tude, Dude
Is having a sucky attitude about cleaning going to make it any better? Nooooo. Instead, try cleaning with intention. (This is a little New Agey, so please bear with us.) Cleaning can be used as a physical metaphor for cleaning out what is dusty in your life and soul. As you wipe those windows clean, set the intention that you are letting more light and energy into your life. As you vacuum the dust bunnies from your bed, envision sucking them out of your love life. As you organize your home office, clear the clutter to create an environment conducive to productivity and creativity.
2. Feel Pretty
There was a time when The Chick’s Guide would don an oversized, raggedy t-shirt and Holy Unflattering sweats to scrub the place down. Hair on top of the head in some semblance of a pony tail, face sticky and dirty, armpits, well, we won’t even go there. Now, we’re all about being cute when cleaning, which really helps the motivation factor. Here are some of our cleaning wardrobe essentials:
• adorable apron
• dainty cleaning gloves
• white, glittery, disco galoshes
• sassy overalls
• do-rag
3. Clean Conscientiously
You can help save the environment one scrub at a time by introducing eco-friendly products into your cleaning arsenal. Purchase cleaning non-toxic cleaning agents, paper towels made from recycled materials, and use reusable cloths and scrubbers as much as possible. Here are some eco-friendly cleaning suggestions:
• For the toilet: Mix Borax and lemon juice to remove stains.
• To disinfect: Use white vinegar in the kitchen and bathroom. You can also mix tea tree, thyme and/or lavender essential oils with water (20 drops of oil to 1 cup of water) for a more pleasant smelling disinfectant; apply and allow to sit for 15 minutes before wiping off.
• To clean corroded ovens, icky sinks and crusty pots and pans, as well as many other things around the house: Bon Ami non-toxic household cleaner
• To clean and polish wood floors: Dilute one cup of citrus oil into one gallon of hot water and mop with a sponge (You can also use this solution to clean counter tops, but always wipe dry
• For the laundry: Try phosphate-free Seventh Generation Citrus Scent Laundry Powder and Seventh Generation Free & Clear Laundry Liquid. Seventh Generation also manufactures paper towels and toilet paper from recycled products.
• For wiping and scrubbing: Purchase reusable cloth rags and scrubbers—Etsy.com has hundreds of cool, handmade dishcloths and scrubbers. Lambswool dusters can be washed in soap and water and reused—they are great for cleaning ceiling fans and other hard to reach places.

4. Have a Plan
If you are cleaning from top to bottom, take a few minutes to map out a course of action. What is your goal—cleaning or organizing or both? It’s a great idea to organize first and then clean rather than trying to do both at once. When clearing clutter and organizing, start in one corner of the room and work your way around. You may want to purchase organizational containers. If so, do yourself a favor and figure out what and how much of it you have before purchasing containers.

5. Do It, Girlfriend!
If you hate the idea of giving up precious weekend time to put your affairs in order, try breaking up the cleaning into nightly tasks that you can accomplish on “school nights” throughout the week (clean the bathroom on one night, the kitchen the next). Some really ridiculous people will get up an hour early before work to tackle these daily cleaning tasks. Or, try cleaning when you are angry. Nothing like a good spat with the big, sexy boyfriend to inspire some elbow grease and sparkling windows. If you have no choice but to clean on the weekend, prod yourself with a special prize for accomplishing the task, such as a manicure and peticure (which you will probably need after all the scrubbing).

6. Clean Yourself
No doubt that by now you are one dirty girl. A clean and fresh abode deserves a clean and fresh you. Jump in the shower and don’t forget to exfoliate! The Chick’s Guide loves the following products for spring cleaning the bod:
• Sugar Mama Bath & Body products.  We love incredible variety of sweet smells, and the sugar scrubs won’t irritate freshly shaved legs.
• Dirty Hippie Soaps. Hey, man, we just wanna smell like human beings, man, and maybe wash our dog with some totally natural herbs, dude. Check it out.
• Scrub Your Butt Soap Co.  A little pricey, but can you put a price on that all-natural, clean, tingly feeling in all the places that really matter?

Dear Chicks Guide:

My boyfriend loves Hunter S. Thompson. Recently, I found a used copy of a first edition, hardcover, only the book has separated from the cover at the spine. I’d love to reattach it, any idea how and what materials to use?

Sincerely,
Unglued

Dear Unglued

Boy, are you lucky you came to us this month! We just so happen to be featuring artwork by Miss Sara Hindmarch (click here to check out her mini scrapbook), book expert extraordinaire! We posed your question to Sara, and this is what she had to say:

“Since we’re talking Hunter S. Thompson and first edition, I have to say your most useful tool is going to be your local librarian. Most metropolitan and university libraries have a book conservator on staff who may be able to reattach the spine in such a way as to preserve the value of your book. Keep in mind that if you do anything yourself in the short term you want the repair to be reversible and archival.”

Karen Jones, collections conservator for the Jefferson County Public Library in Colorado, cautions against self-repair, especially if the book is old and rare.

“There are so many variables that will determine the conservation needs of the book,” she says before hammering off a list of them:
• Is the integrity of the spine intact?
• Are the end sheets still attached?
• Paperback or hardcover?
• What type of paper are the pages printed on?

At least having a book repaired is relatively inexpensive, Karen says, ballparking the basic repair listed above at approximately $65. Well worth it for such a good find.

Dear Chicks Guide:

Do you have any ideas for coping with post-holiday loneliness? When the holidays were here, it was easier to be cheerful, but now that the parties are over and the credit card bills are in, I’m feeling ultra gloomy and ultra single.

Sincerely
Post-holidateless

Dear Post-holidateless

The holidays can be a real drag. During the 2006 holiday season, the Chick’s Guide was painfully single and too broke to visit family for the holidays. When the Chick’s Guide woke Christmas morning and called Grandma, the beloved old woman’s parting words were: “Merry Christmas. I hope I see you before I die.” After the holidays, the weather sucked, the Chick’s Guide got stood up and the resolutions were out the window. Dr. Cliff Arnall, British psychologist, claims the end of January is the most depressing time of the year because of the above factors. To fight the depression this year, the Chick’s Guide offers these suggestions:
• Make peace with yourself Accept your situation this year and strive to make the best of it. Start putting it out there that you want to affect positive change in your life. If money is a concern, resolve to only spend what you can afford and DO NOT feel guilty about cutting back in the name of lower debt.
• Give to yourself Each week, dedicate an evening or afternoon to uninterrupted YOU time. Treat yourself to a movie or meal, read a trashy magazine in the bathtub, curl up in sweats and watch a marathon of “Project Runway.”
• Be good to your body Make it a point to maintain your workout routine during this time or get motivated to begin a new one. Try to avoid overeating, especially if it is emotional. Remember your positive attributes.
• Say “no” Banish the obligation to accept every invitation and obligation. Accept those that you truly want to attend and gracefully decline those that you would attend or perform only out of obligation.
• Create new traditions It’s the new year, so think of some cool new traditions you can start. Throw an annual post-holiday wine-tasting party, send out Happy New Year post cards or create a scrapbooking page dedicated to the past year’s accomplishments and setbacks, noting, of course, how both they helped promote personal growth.
• Create a family shrine Grab the photo box and some poster board and create a small shrine to remind you of your loved ones. Add anecdotes of favorite memories, remind yourself to cook favorite recipes.
• Volunteer Instead of donating money to charitable causes, donate an afternoon or evening to a homeless shelter, battered women’s home, elderly center or school. Volunteering typically picks up around the holidays and then drops off, so your help is definitely needed.
• Call in sick Take a mental health day, if necessary, to deal with your woes. Be careful not to wallow in your depression but explore it, making note of patterns and insecurities. Make a wish list of things that would help you feel better.
• Make a plan for the year Jot a few things that you wish to accomplish in your life and then map out a plan to get there. If you wish to lessen your debt, check-out books from the library (the Chick’s Guide just finished Young, Fabulous and Broke by Suze Orman and loved it!) and make a list of attainable weekly goals to help you reach a larger one.

Dear Chicks Guide:

Happy holidays, Chick’s Guide! Love the Web site! So, I’m in a bit of a pickle. My house has been nominated to host a holiday family get-together, which is fine and dandy with me…I love throwing parties! The problem is this: My family is a little dysfunctional. You know, the usual “no one ever goes to see Grandma, Uncle Jimmy is in prison again, Cousin Cindy is pregnant with her fourth father-less child, my mother is racking up the credit-card debt with gifts and food that no one appreciates.” Do you have any suggestions for creating a calm and welcoming environment to help diffuse the tension?

Sincerely,
Wanting a Tame Family

Dear WTF:

The Chick’s Guide feels your pain: If the holiday season is all about goodwill and cheer, then why does it fill so many of us with dread? Our already busy lives are stressed, our pocketbooks are painfully thin, grandma makes us cry. Feng shui to the rescue! Feng shui is an eastern design philosophy that revolves around the flow of chi, or energy, within an environment. If chi can flow freely and unobstructed through your house, good fortune and good mental health will result. Use the following tips to inspire harmony and serenity in your home this holiday season.

CLEAN UP THAT MESS
Nothing says, “welcome to my home” like a sparkling clean toilet! A neat and tidy abode will help ease your mind, too. Also, as your house begins to fill with decorations and gifts, consider stowing away small pieces of furniture and less-used items to make more room. Better yet, clean out some closets, dressers, cabinets and under the bed and donate to charity.

THE GRAND ENTRANCE
The door to your home is the feng shui gateway of good fortune. Pay extra attention to its design, so when opportunity comes a knockin’, your door will be a invitin’. The path to and area around your door should be clear. Nothing should “point” at it. Decorate the outside of it with a wreath or ornaments.

DISCREETLY DECK THE WALLS
Don’t cover every inch of space with decorations just because your step-mother sends you heaps every year. Pick your favorites and donate the rest to a homeless or battered women’s shelter. Once you’ve decorated, evaluate the new look. If anything seems cluttered, too flashy or out of place, move or remove it. Loud primaries and super shiny metallics will suck your soul. Seek out decorations that create a more balanced and serene mood. Consider warm earth tones or pastel variations of traditional holiday colors, like pink and celery instead of red and green. Look for soft, gente textures and decorations with a matte finish.

ADD SMALL DOSES OF HOLIDAY BLING
Contain the glittering and shiny, bright and bold to small places, such as the dinner table. Sprinkle the table cloth with glitter, use silvery cutlery, create settings with green and red napkins, serve dishes in sparkly crystal bowls. Note: Crystals are important in feng shui. Consider peppering your home with crystal ornaments, crystal wind chimes, etc.

THE MINAMILIST TREE
Think “peace, love and harmony” when decorating the tree. Avoid multi-colored lights and visually heavy ornaments. Ivory and cream tones will soften the look of a Christmas tree. Fabric garlands, ribbons and bows also help make a peaceful tree. If you don’t want to fuss with a Christmas tree, consider decorating a house plant such as a ficus or rubber tree with paper ornaments and small lights.

DON'T BE A SQUARE
Circular formations for social situations helps energy flow freely. Consider a round or oval table or arranging your living room so that guests can sit in the round. If serving at a square table, avoid seating guests close to corners, which, according to feng shui, can put guests on edge. Keep in mind, the guest seated closest to the door will be the most likely to leave. Avoid seating overbearing guests at the head of the table, which will encourage them to monopolize the conversation. If you have a centerpiece, make sure it will not obstruct the guests’ view of each other.

BREATH OF FRESH AIR
If it’s not too cold, keep a window or two open to prevent the air from becoming stale. Stock up on scented candles that promote relaxation or coziness such as lavendar, clove and vanilla. If you have a working fireplace, sprinkle a few drops of essential oil (sandalwood, cinnamon, orange, rosemary) on logs before burning.

ADD THE ELEMENTS
Strategically placed water, such as a gold-fish bowl, floating candles or small fountain, will add serenity to your environment. An even-numbered group of candles (red, pink, yellow, brown) placed in the far right corner of the social center of your home will promote healthy relationships. Live plants such as evergreen boughs, pointsettias and holly as well as fresh flowers will add the energy of life.

LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE
Clean the windows and open the curtains. Instead of lining mantles and the tops of windows with garland, consider strands of holiday lights, which will help create a softer mood (white lights for serenity, red for more of a lounge effect).

BE PRESENT
Remove reminders of the past, such as old calendars and token photos, and update with new.