Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh...

I don't like cleaning or organizing (I always have much better things to do with my valuable time, like play games), so we have giant piles of stuff everywhere.

I really need to just go through and ruthlessly throw most of it away, because it's not as if I ever use it for anything (it's in these giant piles, how would I use it?), but some of it is precious, and even if it's not, I just can't be bothered because of the better things I have to do with my valuable time.

Nevertheless, if we're going to share this space with another person, even a small one, something will have to be done. It's not going to be pretty.

Of course, it's not pretty now. Seriously, this place is a huge mess.

I'd fix it right now!--but I have to go play Skyrim for a while.

Something for the Handy Dandy Stuff Files

Offering inspiration to the crafty, Erich Vieth at Dangerous Intersection reports that he has decided to begin mixing his own shampoo and condition.

It's apparently cheap, easy, and way lighter on the chemicals than the products you buy in the store. He promises to report back about how his hair responds to the homemade concoctions. See the post for a video with instructions how how and why to try this yourself.

Me, I'm all for making stuff yourself or using stuff you have around rather than buying specialized products. I wash mirrors with vinegar (if I bother to use anything besides water), and scrub the bathtub with baking soda.

I made my own yogurt for years until I stopped eating it regularly. I like to buy giant tubs of plain oatmeal and add my own raisins to a serving, rather than buy the single-serve packets.

But I just bought a truly giant bottle of shampoo, so I think I'm going to have to keep using the commercial stuff for a while. However, I eagerly await the reports as to the effectiveness of homemade baking soda shampoo, and if it turns out to be good enough for Dangerous Intersection, maybe I'll make the switch.

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Tips for a Tidy Home

The management at my apartment complex puts out a quarterly newsletter with requests for referrals, news about building maintenance, calls to refrain from leaving items in the hallway, and helpful tips about apartment living, such as:

"Once a week is fine for most of the carpet, but for high-use areas, you may want to vacuum once a day."*

Hmm. Daily vacuuming, eh? I suppose I may want to do that. 

Doesn't seem terribly likely, though.

*Rough transcription: I seem to have already thrown away the publication so cannot vouch for the exact wording.