SisterSurveySays: Wedding shower ideas

If you haven't noticed yet, wedding season is in crazy full gear. We're probably even a little behind in posting this. But if you are still scratching the creative side of your brain hoping to give a special friend or family member something besides a spatula at their wedding shower, well, we're here for you! We did a quick SisterSurvey on our favorite Wedding Shower gifts to give AND receive.

(c) Microsoft 2013

LAUNDRY BASKET FULL OF CLEANING GOODIES - We've seen many varieties along this idea. But the gist is, get some kind of laundry basket or cleaning bucket and fill it with cleaning supplies or household goods that the Bride-to-be (henceforth called BTB) will need - probably sooner rather than later. Especially if she's moving into a new dwelling place, she will probably need to do some cleaning ASAP. Some of our favorites can be found here. 

This bamboo recipe box from Target 

has a small ledge inside for displaying

a recipe card in-use

RECIPE BOX WITH RECIPES FROM FRIENDS - This is an idea that someone gave me at my shower that I have benefited from seven-fold. So recently, when I saw that a BTB had a nice recipe box from Target on her registry, I remembered this idea! I asked several friends to write out their top 3-5 go-to recipes (and provided them with nice cards), and we put them all in the box. It adds a nice personal touch - and from experience, it's nice to have those resources as a newlywed. 

My handywoman hammer 

with an assortment of screw-

drivers tucked inside

THE HANDYWOMAN BASKET - Another fantastic idea (that is totally stolen from someone else) is to put together a handywoman kit - with everything a girl needs for those little fix-it projects, loose screws, and, most importantly, picture hanging! This kit usually includes some sort of small hammer, screw driver, and a small box of picture hanging necessities (like little screws/nails, wire, etc.). The hammer pictured here is one that I have used over and over again. It's like they took one of those stackable dolls and made it useful! 

Love this set from the Republic of Tea

TEAPOT WITH INFUSER & LOOSE LEAF TEA OF CHOICE - Now obviously, not everyone out there is a tea fanatic like Jill or a tea snob like me. But if you have a BTB who enjoys the occasional (or frequent) nice cup of tea, finding a nice tea pot with an infuser and coupling it with some loose leaf tea (a favorite of my guests has been this Ginger Peach Tea from The Republic of Tea) could be the perfect blend of practical and classy. 

Whatever you end up doing, be it gift card, spatula, or some other crazy-creative idea, have fun showering your BTBs with your favorite things! We'd love to hear some of your ideas as well. Hope you enjoyed!

Megan at The Sisterhood

ps. Stay tuned for an upcoming post on our favorite Baby Shower ideas!

Our Favorite Go-To Cleaning Solutions

(c) Microsoft Office 2012

Most of us would love to have our weekly cleaning regimens (aka. "chores") carefully assigned and interspersed throughout our week. Theoretically, we follow the old nursery rhyme, singing "this is the way we wash our clothes every Monday morning. This is the way we sweep the house every Tuesday morning. This is the way we iron our clothes early Wednesday morning ..." etc. Right? Well, for most of us, probably not. Reality sets in, and we end up trying to get the kids fed and dressed and happy, trying to get ourselves dressed (maybe showered) and fed, taking an unexpected phone call, and having to run an errand (usually to get the forgotten ingredient for supper). By the end of the day, we haven't cleaned up much more than the trail of cheerios running through the house. And then it happens - the husband calls announcing surprise company for dinner in 15 minutes. Panic sets in - then survival mode as we try to clean the "most important things." And that's usually where we, as women in the Sisterhood, have discovered what things are really our "Go-To Cleaning Items." So here are a few we'd like to share with you.

The Bathroom

The first thing that has to be cleaned (albeit quickly) is, of course, the bathroom. Nothing is more inhospitable than offering your guests a dirty restroom. Does it have to be perfect? Of course not, but usually a quick wipe-down helps get rid of the gross-my-guests-out stuff. And to make the wipe down really quick, Jill recommends the Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Wand and a pack of disinfectant wipes (Lysol and Clorox are usually in most stores, or you can get a store-brand pack). No need to worry about letting the toilet bowl cleaner sit (and then completely forgetting about it, only to have a fun SURPRISE! for your guests). The toilet wands have  heads that you can use once and then dispose of when finished. And the disinfectant wipes? Just pull one out, wipe the counters and toilet down, and you're finished! TOTAL TIME: 2 minutes.


The Living/Family Room

Wherever you end up entertaining people obviously doesn't have to be perfect (especially if you have kids). But a quick pick-up doesn't have to take long and can be easier than you think. If you've got stains in your carpet, Joanne recommends the Resolve Carpet Cleaner. All you've gotta do is spray is on the spot, wait a few minutes, and wipe it with a clean cloth. So far it's worked on just about every element Joanne's kids have deposited (think popsicles, juice, food, and other oopsies). For stains on furniture, Julie has used the simplicity of a Tide Pen  with great results. And if you insist on getting rid of the dust, Jill loves using her Swiffer Dusters that tend to pick up every last speck. TOTAL TIME: 4 minutes.


The Kitchen

This last public area is usually the messiest, simply because it is the most used. And if you're throwing together a meal on top of everything, it can be beyond crazy trying to keep this area clean. However, Megan swears by the Dual Action Lysol Wipes when it comes to a quick clean-up. These particular disinfectant wipes have a "scratchy" side to them that helps with quickly scrubbing off sticky substances and other hard-to-remove items on the counters. They also work great at getting all kinds of stuff off of floors and stoves. These wipes usually cost a little more than the regular wipes, but as a quick go-to, Megan says they're totally worth the money. TOTAL TIME: 3 minutes

Other Go-To Solutions
For a few other cleaning solutions that don't have to be addressed during a panic moment, here are a few other Sisterhood ideas.

• Pampered Chef Nylon Pan Scraper - Joanne loves her "little brown scraper" that came with one of her pieces of Stoneware. Besides using it on her dishes, she has successfully removed dried "gunk" off of her counters and highchairs.
•  Lemon Juice - Megan uses this to get rid of any lime stains, particularly those that have built up around her faucets, shower heads, and especially in the bottom of her beloved Tea Kettle (ewww!). A few seconds of lemon juices gets rid of these stains quickly - and organically!
• Oxi Clean Powder - Sarah loves using the Oxi-Clean powder for getting rid of stains. Clothing with fresh stains, if soaked in some water and Oxi Clean, come out without any traces of stains. She also likes to make a paste with the powder and water, and has used it to safely remove stains out of her rugs and furniture. BONUS USE: Sarah testifies that this powder, when mixed with a little water, will remove ALL traces of urine smells from mattresses of little children who have nighttime "accidents." 

We hope you enjoyed these ideas. And if you have some of your own "Go-To" solutions, feel free to leave a comment. We always love getting new ideas!


**Note: All photos of products are linked from Target.com or Pamperedchef.com.