Ask Anna

Answers to your cleaning, organizing questions & more!

Holiday Un-Decorating & Christmas Organization

Happy New Year!!!  Are you ready to get 2012 kicked off cleaned up and organized!?  Well you are in luck because today begins our 14 Days to get Clean & get Organized Challenge!  I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time and I can’t wait to see all your transformations throughout the next few weeks! Christmas has come and gone.  The presents have been unwrapped, the new year has come, and it’s time to take down all of the Christmas decorations!  Well, that’s what we are going to do today for Day #1 of our 14 day challenge!… Read More

Most Popular 2011 Countdown…

As I’m gearing up for the challenge that starts next week I thought I’d re-post my most popular posts from 2011.  Starting off with the number 3 most popular post, with 47,137 hits, is… How to Clean the Oven Glass I have never found a good solution to removing the cooked-on grime on my oven glass.  However last week a reader asked me the dreaded question: “Now, can someone tell me how to clean the window of my oven?” So of course I had to find a solution!  Because having oven glass that looks like this, or worse, is just… Read More

Cleaning Challenge: 14 Days to Get Clean & Organized!

A few weeks ago I posted a question on Facebook to find out what it is that you need help/motivation with in the cleaning & organizing departments.  I received such a great response from all of you that I have decided to do a 1st of the year organizing and cleaning challenge.  There are lots of organizing challenges available online so I thought I’d add my own Ask Anna twist on it and throw some cleaning tips in there too.  Maintaining a clean house can be challenging at times so I want to give you a few tips for how to… Read More

Sea Salt Caramels & other Delicious Christmas Recipes

This time of year it’s all about family, tradition and baking. This year I have a couple new favorite Christmas recipes {dessert of course!} that I want to share with you, maybe they will become your family’s favorites too. The first thing you need is an adorable baking assistant, mine is a 2 year old in a ladybug apron. And now it’s time to bake! {I know this picture is a little blurry but it’s just so dang cute!} The first recipe is one that I discovered while dining in Seattle, Washington – Sea Salt Caramels. The combination of sweet… Read More

DIY Photo Clipboard {Gift idea}

I saw a similar photo clipboard to this on Pinterest and just had to make some for Malea’s grandmas!  I knew they would love them and I knew it would be a fun project that Malea and I could do together. First I had Matt cut me a few boards from the scrap wood we have left over from building Malea’s bed.  Then Malea and I stained them with some left over stain I had from other projects.  And yes she really did help me.  I put some gloves on her and then helped her dip the rag in the… Read More

How to Clean Blinds, Part 2

  Question: I read your post on The Best Way to Clean Blinds, Part 1,  and was hoping you wouldn’t mind expanding a bit on cleaning, but on a different type of blind. I have the attached blinds which open from the top and bottom.  Love them but they are a material blind (polyester or something) and living in NYC the dust is horrible. The backs of my shades were white at one point and are now grey.   Is there any hope for cleaning these kinds of blinds? and if so, how?       Answer: This is a great… Read More