Domestic Matters

So, I just returned from Switzerland, which was really fun and incredibly beautiful, but before tackling that post, I wanted to share a couple of random things. They are totally unrelated and not listed in any order, but are just pieces of life:

Vinegar
The hard water here is the bane of my cleaning existence. After trying any number of expensive and probably poisonous products, I read about using plain old vinegar to combat calcium deposits from the water. I tried it out, and my sink is literally sparkling. I am both thrilled that it worked and kind of peeved that it took me this long to find such a simple solution, so all you hard-water-sufferers out there make a note.



Fleurs
When we got in the door from the airport last night, Troy had a beautiful bouquet of flowers waiting for me. Ever the planner, he realized that since our vacation begins on my birthday, he better go ahead and get me flowers early so that I could enjoy them before we left. And, not only did he think to do this, but even visited the farmers market bright and early yesterday morning before driving to Tongeren for a 12-hour workday on a weekend. And, lest you think Troy is only thoughtful on birthdays, check out the armload of flowers he got me on our anniversary! A husband like that deserves some quasi-public props.





Zoë Duran - Our New "Niece"
Ok, so Angie isn't technically my sister (though she is a sorority sister!), but she, Nick, and Ian are like family to us, so we can refer to their beautiful new little daughter as a niece I think. Congrats to the whole family!