Like MAGIC!

If you know me well, you know I am a clean freak, organizational-holic, and probably an undiagnosed OCDish kind of gal.

After 20 years in the same house, with no remodels no upgrades, I was getting really annoyed with all the grunginess of my very lived-in home. My sofa cushions are all ripped up, so I use blankets to cover over them. My creme colored carpets are so stained that I got rugs to put over them.

But my bathrooms.. they are a different story! We have very hard water where I live so hard water stains my bathtub and sinks to the point where scrubbing it to death will not remove them. I still could not stand looking at them even after I cleaned and scrubbed!

But no more!

My sink used to look like this...

Disgusting ain't it?

... to now this!

What did I do?

Soaked towels

with this...

 Vinegar is the key ingredient.. actually the only ingredient I used to get rid of those yucky stains.

And I used a lot (you can see I used over half of this huge container for 5 sinks.)

Here's the scoop:
 - First dry the area you are covering. No water anywhere.
- Soak a rag (I used paper towels) in 100% vinegar and lay them around the areas that have the hard water stains.
 - Let it sit for at least one hour. Depending on how old your stains are you might want it to sit for awhile. Since mine were 20 years old I let it sit for 3 hours but in my down stairs bathroom I let it sit overnight. The longer it sits; the easier the stains come off.
- After a few hours, remove the towels/rag and you can use a sponge to scrub away the stain easily.
- That's it!
Like MAGIC!

Huge thanks go to Ron Wong who posted the video on FB:
http://ziggabytes.com/vids/video/the-simple-way-to-remove-hard-water-deposits-on-your-faucets-and-sinks-im-so-glad-i-learned-this/

Thank you to Crouton Crackerjacks:

My next project: How to get rid of ugly black grout on my bathtub and kitchen sink without having to re-grout it.. if you have any ideas please comment below!

The Big Apple

Our 7 day trip ended in the Big Apple.

The weather was so opposite of DC. It was drizzly-cold and overcast.

The kids saw Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theatre.

It was a beautiful performance. We had great seats!

All but 4 of their class went on this trip.

The kids got dressed up twice on the trip... once to see Phantom and the second was on a Dinner Cruise on the Potomac River

It was a beautiful day and the food was delicious.

After dinner there was dancing and all the kids joined in.. even some of the parents.

This definitely a trip to remember!

Devastatingly Horrific

We had the honor of visiting the Holocaust Museum in DC AND the one in Israel. I'll share about both of them here, giving you a sneak peek of our Holy Land trip that we went to this summer.

We entered the museum through this elevator. It was made to let us experience the Jews cramming into the trains to the concentration camps.

Official entrance sign underground

This is a memorial to the over six million who died during the Nazi regime during WWII. It presents a narrative history of the Holocaust: the annihilation of 6 million Jews by Nazi Germany from 1933-1945.

A two stories tall memorial pictorial of those who lost their lives

A map depicting the immense growth of Hitler's movement (in red)

This is hair collected from the victims. Nazis collected and sold the hair of the dead to make slippers, pillows and mattresses.

Clay models of how the Jews were transported to the concentration camps and what happened afterwards.

The got off the trains, were separated by gender and  led underground...

... to a large room here they were instructed to removal all their clothing...

.. a deadly gas, hydrogen cyanide was used to exterminate them. The bodies would then be brought up to the floor above for cremation.

This museum was one of our sobering highlights because my daughter loves to read historical fiction and stories that are set in war times.  She wanted to see very piece of this museum but was unable to due to time. She only had 5 minutes in the bookstore which she hated because it did not give her enough time to peruse the biographical and autobiographical books of survivors.

In Israel, the Holocaust History Museum is above ground on a beautifully manicured area housing various memorials in honor of the people who died:

entrance to the museum

These name placards honored those who secretly helped the Jews during this horrific time. Many were from Poland, Austria, some even from Germany like Oskar Schindler.

Memorial Building: 1st floor rock from Galilee unsculpted and uncut just like how the holy temple was built; 2nd floor sharp lines inspired by gas chamber; 3rd floor- shape like a tent; on the floor are names of some of the concentration camps

Children’s Memorial- pillars of the children by age

1.5 million children died

Never again...

It's Really White

 Our tour of Washington DC wouldn't be complete if we didn't see the Capitol and White House.

The Capitol Building was under renovation.  The dome was all covered with scaffolding. Not a very awe-inspiring sight. This building is home of the Congress of the US with the left wing housing the Senate (North side) and the right wing housing the House of Representatives (South side). The building is marked by its central dome above a rotunda; 11 presidents have lain in state here for public viewing.

Underground tunnels and a private subway connect the main Capitol building with each of the Congressional office buildings in the surrounding complex. Under the rotunda is a crypt designed to be the final resting place for Washington but he did not want to be moved from his Mount Vernon home.

This room encompasses some beautifully painted scenes from integral moments in US history.

 We took the 'official' group picture here.

Isn't Photoshop amazing?

On the day we visited the White House, there was a marathon scheduled so many of the streets were blocked off to traffic.

This is the view on the South Side of the building. The North side is the 'famous' side but it was blocked off at the time so we could not get to it.

It Was Revolutionary and Unforgettable

Gettysburg was one of my most memorable parts of the trip. So many died for equality.

The American Civil War was a conflict between the United States of America, represented by the Union, and The Confederate States of America, represented by the Confederacy.

They fought between 1861 and 1865.

It was considered the most dramatic and violent experience in American history.

The Civil War remains a defining moment in our nation's history.

The Battle of Gettysburg has often been referred to as the High Water Mark of the Rebellion. Many consider it to be a turning point in the Civil War because the Union victory placed the Confederacy on the defensive and ended Gen. Robert E. Lees ambitious attempt to invade Union territory. The Confederates never again reached the military strength they held at Gettysburg, yet the Civil War continued on for two more years.

3 days.. 51,000 killed... right here...

More than 165,000 soldiers of The Army of Northern Virginia (the Confederacy), commanded by Gen. Robert E. Lee, and the Army of the Potomac (the Union), commanded by Gen. George G. Meade, fought at Gettysburg. Neither Gen. Lee nor Gen. Meade anticipated a battle at Gettysburg, but chance brought these two forces together. Union forces eventually defeated the Confederates after three days of fighting that resulted in approximately 51,000 soldiers killed, wounded, captured or missing, divided nearly equally between the two armies.

They say the remains of those killed are still on these sacred grounds...

This is the castle at Little Round Top, a memorial representing the 44th New York & (2) companies from the 12th New York Infantry Regiments.

The Soldiers National Cemetery was dedicated in November 1863, four months after the Battle of Gettysburg. It is a resting place for the Union dead at Gettysburg and was a first step toward helping the United States heal from the Battle of Gettysburg.

Cannons ready for battle

As part of the dedication ceremony, President Abraham Lincoln traveled to Gettysburg to deliver what would become known as the Gettysburg Address. In 272 words, Abraham Lincoln defined for the North, and for all Americans, the meaning, value and price of freedom.

Honored & Remembered

The memorials were very ... how should I describe it? Memorable!

The newest memorial, opened Sept 29, 2014, in DC is the Veterans Disabled for LIFE Memorial.
Over 4 million veterans were seriously injured in the line of duty. Leaving the battlefield does not mark the end of conflict. These permanently disabled heroes often carry home life-altering disabilities - a harsh reminder of the price of freedom. This memorial honors Americas disabled veterans for their service and selfless duty.

Beautiful full size images on glass.

The Washington Monument: an obelisk located on the National Mall to commemorate George Washington. It's the world's tallest stone structure and world's tallest obelisk.

This would have been where Martin Luther King Jr would have stood to face the crowd as he gave his "I Have A Dream Speech."

The Vietnam Memorial honors the US service members who fought in the Vietnam War; those who died in service in Vietnam/South East Asia; and those who are missing.  Over 50,000 were killed in Vietnam and 75,000 severely disabled during the 11 year length of the war.

The Jefferson Memorial is dedicated to Thomas Jefferson, one of the most important American Founding Fathers as the main drafter and writer of the Declaration of Independence and 3rd President of the United States.

The WWII  Memorial honors the 16 million who served in the Armed Forces of the US, during WWII; more than 400,000 who died; and all who supported the war effort from home. It is a monument to the spirit, sacrifice and commitment of the American people. The 405,399 American dead and missing from the Second World War are second only to the loss of more than 620,000 Americans during our Civil War. It consists of 56 pillars and a pair of small triumphal arches surrounding a fountain and a plaza.

The Lincoln Memorial Monument honors the 16th president of the US, Abraham Lincoln.
The building is a form of a Greek doric temple and contains a large seated sculpture of Lincoln and inscriptions of two well known speeches by him: The Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address. The site is also famous for Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" Speech.

The 9-11 Memorial commemorates the September 11 attacks in 2001 which killed 2,507 civilians, 72 law enforcement officers, 343 firefighters and 55 military personnel. It is located at the World Trade Center, the former site of the Twin Towers. Names of 2,983 victims are inscribed on 76 bronze plates attached to the parapets of the walls of the memorial pools; 2,977 killed on Sept 11 and 6 killed in the Feb 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

Inside the 9-11 Memorial

We remember those who lost their lives too soon.

A Changed Viewpoint

 Now back to our regularly scheduled posts.. DC Trip continued...

Being raised in a typical Chinese-American home with traditional Chinese values, joining the US military was not really an option. It was more like a last resort thing to do if I didn't want to go to college or if I was not very academic, two things that are the opposite of Chinese culture. So basically it was not an option for me.

As an adult, I am so thankful for those who serve in the military to protect our country's freedoms and ideals. But it was always something that others did, never something that I would do.

My viewpoint changed during our DC trip and my eyes were opened.. wide!

We went to watch a demonstration performance by the Marine Barracks Washington DC.

Throughout the summer, the Marines perform parades in the evening, featuring the United States Marine Band; Marine Drum & Bugle Corps; Color Guard; Silent Drill Platoon; and the Ceremonial Marchers.

It was an awe-inspiring performance. It is considered to be "a universal symbol of the professionalism, discipline and Esprit de Corps of the United States Marines."

Joining the military is not an easy decision. It takes sacrifice and dedication to serve our country. It's not about 'me' but about serving others.

These days I have been seeing our young people so focused on 'me.' They quit a job after a month because they aren't doing what they want to do or they aren't getting their desired worth in salary. There is no commitment or sticking it out. Or they don't have a job because they haven't found the perfect one. Or they don't know what they want to do so they lounge around in mom and dad's home. They don't show respect to others or abide our laws. They do whatever they feel like because we are a free nation with free speech. Instead of protesting peacefully, they riot and cause chaos.

As a soldier, you are trained to be disciplined, to respect your commanders, to follow directions and to basically follow everything to the tee! For those Honor Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, every step, every movement, every breath is purposeful. You dedicate your life for something bigger than yourself.

I would be proud if someone I loved wanted to serve in the US military.

We also toured the Pentagon and the 9-11 Memorial there.

It was a very strict process. We had background checks done on us before we were admitted.

No photos were allowed on the grounds starting with the parking lot. But in this holding area we were allowed to take a few shots just to prove we were there!

The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense in Arlington, VA. It is the symbol of the US military. The building has 5 sides, with 5 floors above ground and 2 basement levels. Each floor has five ring corridors with a central plaza shaped like a pentagon in the middle. Known as ground zero, a nickname originating during the Cold War on the presumption that it would be targeted by the Soviet Union at the outbreak of nuclear war. The five branches of the military are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.

On Sept 11, 2001 American Airlines Flight 77 was hijacked and flown into the Western side of the Pentagon, killing 189 people including the five hijackers. A memorial was built at the location where the plane hit, both inside and outside of the building. On behalf of her 8th grade class, Emily had the privilege and honor of writing a message in the Memory Book for the survivors' families.