The Ask Anna Blog

Master Bedroom Closet Organization

Ever since we moved into our house our master closet has been an organized mess. I say “organized mess” because when we moved in I put everything from our old closet into our new one, but never took the time to think about, and organize the new closet to function at it’s best. You can see in the before pictures that the baskets didn’t fit the shelves well and there was lots of wasted space. I also had my shoes placed in the cubbies that were too small for them so I ended up using more shelf space than I… Read More

How to Remove Grease from a Stove Top

Hi Ask Anna Readers! It’s Kim from A Real-Life Housewife. I have joined the team here as a contributor and will be answering one of your questions each month! Let’s start things off with this question about how to remove grease from a stove top: “How can I get built-up grease off the top of my stove where the control knobs are? It is black in color and grease shows on it sooo much. I’ve tried sooo many cleaners to no avail. Thanks.” If you’ve ever owned a black appliance, you can surely sympathize with this stumped reader. I know… Read More

How to Remove Wax from a Mirror

Did you entertain at your house this fall and winter? Did you light candles? If you did, you likely ran into the same problem I did: candle wax on a mirror (or glass). We have this beautiful framed mirror that leans on our mantel and I love the look of candles burning in front of it. But sometimes I am less than careful when extinguishing my candles and I get a little candle wax on my mirror. And then, like a good homemaker, I leave it there until…spring! I know, I am bad. I put off tackling this chore… Read More

Gluten Free Glazed Lemon Muffins

Yummy, yummy, yummy! A bright and cheerful morning treat. Perfect for the spring weather we’ve been having, here in California. These gluten free vegan glazed lemon muffins could almost pass as a cupcake. Almost. Let’s just call it a muffin so that we don’t feel too guilty for eating one for breakfast. As a mom, I always get bonus points when I bake something fun and tasty for my kids. Muffins are always a favorite, even though they tend to get tiny crumbs everywhere (always sweeping that kitchen floor). The lemon glaze makes them even more special and irresistible. These… Read More

How to Caulk without Making a Mess!

Some time ago my husband deemed me the caulking queen of our house. When he caulks he always makes a huge mess and it never turns out as well as when I do it. But even when I do the caulking it can still get pretty messy. I usually go through about 10 paper towels trying to wipe up all the excess caulking that gets everywhere! Ages ago I saw a tip on Pinterest that was supposed to make caulking less messy, so I thought I’d give it a try. So today I’m going to show you how I caulked… Read More

Chore Chart Ideas for Kids

Now that Malea is getting older, and we have a teenage daughter, I’ve had to rethink my chore chart system. I realized I needed chore chart ideas for kids of all ages, not just my little one! I needed to set up a paid structure that was fair to the girls, but also to our pocket books, so I’ve switched up my old system a little. I am still going to use a system that pays them when they do their jobs, and pays me if they don’t but they both have more responsibilities and there are more opportunities to… Read More