Being the designated driver and having fun

Okay, it's your turn...you get to go BUT no drinking for you so how are you supposed to have fun? 





Let me assure you there is plenty of ways to be included in the fun (and a few things you can do to create some fun yourself).

Be prepared:  There is nothing worse than driving a really drunk person home.  I suggest you have food in your car that will help soak up some alcohol on your ride.  PB sandwiches (no jelly) are good as they don't "drip" on your seats and it will help fill them up.

Take a notebook with you and assign each person a page.  I love to have them sign their name on the first line before they start drinking.  Each time they finish a drink you write what their drink was and have them sign next to it.  You can have a contest on the most legible signature at the end of the night....and let's be honest we love Facebook and can "post" their sheets the next day.  Make sure the bartender/waitstaff/customer takes a group picture BEFORE the drinking begins.

Go to the dollar store and buy a crazy hat or button.  When one has a "drunk moment" (we all know what those are....falling of the chair, falling into a wall, etc.) they have to wear the hat or button until the next "drunk moment."  Don't forget the picture of this.


If you have a great group of people have each person give you $20.00 before the beginning of the night.  The one with the worst signature has to tip the bartender/waitstaff their whole $20.00 and the rest tip $5.00 of their $20.00.  Depending on your group you can either return the remainder to the "non losers" of the signature game or, if everyone agrees, you can keep that as your tip.

If you feel like you are out of place drinking soda?  Order a non-alcoholic beer or drink.  If your group likes to drink shots (this gets fun with the notebook) have a shot with them....just do it with water, soda or orange juice.

As the designated driver it is your responsibility to keep everyone safe....and of course it is your obligation to take pictures and/or video of the night.  (only do this if you are the type of friend who will respect their privacy and only show them...unless they say you can post it on Facebook).  You will only remain friends if you are first a friend....but there are no rules that say you can't embarrass them in small groups.  Ask the bartender/waitstaff to take an "end of the night" picture for your notebook.

The next day:  You now have pictures and signatures.....create a memory book of the night out.  If you have a great group of people and a great bar you can have a wall of your memories of that night out.

Now, being the designated driver doesn't seem so bad does it.

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Free pick up and take home Pueblo West Bar

I want to talk about drinking and driving and the importance of NOT DOING IT!

Across the Country we have had free rides home on New Year's Eve but a local bar in Pueblo West, Colorado has taken that to a new level!



Jimmy's Tavern is offering Pueblo West residents a pick up and drop off service to their bar.  All you have to do is call them, schedule the time for them to pick you up.  When you are ready to go they will safely deliver you home.  

We need more bar/tavern owners taking that extra step to keep their customers safe, keep other drivers on the road safe and to help stop the drinking and driving!

Hats off to all those that assist in stopping drinking and driving.  Deaths on the New Years holiday increases by 150% (according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety) and we all need to do our part in stopping these senseless deaths!!

Please be safe and sober if you are driving this New Year's holiday!!!

Please like Trujillo's Cleaning Company (Formally Trujillo's Steam King) on Facebook or visit their website.

New Years Eve: Go out or Party at Home

What do you plan on doing the New Years Eve?  

If you go out...you have to worry about drinking and driving.  Please don't drink and drive.  There are many ways you can avoid this.  To learn about FREE rides home in Colorado click HERE.  If you are going to be the designated driver...next blog is about some great ways to have fun sober!!



If you are staying home and having a party at your house...you are braver than I am.


Let's do first things first:

The guest list:  How many do you plan on inviting?  Can they bring a guest?

Food:  You don't need to prepare a large meal but you do need to provide alcohol soaking foods like; pizza, sandwiches, crackers, etc.  When deciding what kinds of food you are going to provide think about this:  Drunks spill.  Pizza sauce on carpet.  Mustard on carpet.  Plan ahead!

Drinks:  You will need to provide non-alcoholic drinks for those designated drivers.  Make it fun for them....plain soda is boring (not that you don't need to provide soda...just don't let that be the only non-alcoholic beverage). Think about virgin drinks provided by ehow: 

• Mix together two teaspoons of lemon juice, one teaspoon of grenadine, a dash of bitters and seven to eight ounces of ginger ale. 
• "Southern ginger." Mix five ounces of dry ginger ale, a half-ounce of simple syrup and a half-ounce of lemon juice. Pour the drink over ice and add a mint sprig. 
• For a fruity drink, create a "black and blueberries." Place one cup of berries, a cup of soda water, two tablespoons of honey and a teaspoon of lemon juice in a blender. Pulse until the mixture is blended.

Have the plan together on how to stop intoxicated drinkers from driving.  

• Have a place in your home for them to stay the night.
• Have sober drivers available for taking them (and possibly their vehicles home). 

Remember a great party is a party that has something for everyone and everyone gets home safely!!

Now for the day after:  the clean up!  The worst thing to do is clean your home while you are hungover.  Plan a group of party attenders to come and help you. 



Get rid of the stains by calling a professional carpet cleaner (preferably one who cleans upholstery also cause you never know).

Please like Trujillo's Cleaning Company (Formally Trujillo's Steam King) on Facebook or visit their website.

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The Christmas Tree

The Christmas Tree

Samuel T. Coleridge - Ratzeburg, Germany 1799

There is a Christmas custom here which pleased and interested me. The children make little presents to their parents, and to each other; and the parents to the children. For three or four months before Christmas the girls are all busy; and the boys save up their pocket money, to make or purchase these presents. What the present is to be is cautiously kept secret, and the girls have a world of contrivances to conceal it -- such as working when they are out on visits, and the others are not with them; getting up in the morning before daylight; and the like. then, on the evening before Christmas day, one of the parlours is lighted up by the children, into which the parents must not go. A great yew bough is fastened on the table at a little distance from the wall, a multitude of little tapers are fastened in the bough, but so as not to catch it till they are nearly burnt out, and coloured paper hangs and flutters from the twings. Under this bough, the children lay out in great order the presents they mean for their parents, still concealing in their pockets what they intend for each other. Then the parents are introduced, and each presents his little gift, and then bring out the rest one by one from their pockets, and present them with kisses and embraces. Where I witnessed this scene there were eight or nine children, and the eldest daughter and the mother wept aloud for joy and tenderness; and the tears ran down the face of the father, and he clasped all his children so tight to his breast, it seemed as if he did it to stifle the sob that was rising within him. I was very much affected. The shadow of the bough and its appendages on the wall, and arching over on the ceiling, made a pretty picture, and then the raptures of the very little ones, when at last the twings and their needles began to take fire and snap! -- Oh, it was a delight for them! On the next day, in the great parlour, the parents lay out on the table the presents for the children; a scene of more sober joy success, as on this day, after an old custom, the mother says privately to each of her daughters, and the father to his sons, that which he has observed most praiseworthy, and that which was most faulty in their conduct. Formerly, and still in all the smaller towns and villages throughout North Germany, these presents were sent by all the parents to some one fellow, who in high buskins, a white robe, a mask, and an enormous flax wig, personate Knecht Rupert, the servant Rupert. On Christmas night he goes round to every house, and says that Jesus christ his master sent him thither, the parents and elder children receive him with great pomp of reverence, while the little ones are most terribly frightened. He then inquires for the children, and, according to the character which he hears from the parent, he gives them the intended presents, as if they came out of heaven from Jesus Christ. Or, if they should have been bad children, he gives the parents a rod, and in the name of his master recommends them to use it frequently. About seven or eight years old the children are let into the secret, and it is curious to observe how faithfully they keep it.

Merry Christmas!!

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Red Wine stains on your carpet

It's that time of year....parties and celebrations.  If you are reading this you made it through the Mayan prediction of the End of the World December 21, 2012.  Whether you are celebrating this or getting ready for the Christmas gatherings it is important to understand what can happen during these celebrations.....spilled red wine.


I have read many tips on cleaning up red wine stains and I will be honest with you....I haven't found any that really work.

• I've tried the vinegar/water solution
• I've tried the dish washing detergent
• I've tried the blotting and using hot water and salt

I've tried them all and if you have light colored carpets like I do...there is no hiding the stains unless you buy throw carpets and that can get expensive.

I will tell you this...the only thing that has ever worked is calling in the professionals.  

picture compliments of eHow

I have three steam cleaners at home; one of the push ones that promise to work as good as the professional cleaners.....NOT.  Right now it takes up space in my closet.

I have the wand with the small bucket and I have to say it works well for non-stain messes so really what good is it.

And I have the portable mini steam cleaner for spots.....really?  

I have tried just about everything and the only thing that works on these kind of stains (I also want to add that I have a puppy who loves to chew on things....right now blue pens are her favorite...just try getting that stain up with any of the machines I mentioned)

I will give you a tip you can do immediately that I have found to keep the red wine from spreading and getting worse.

Salt!  Pour salt onto the stain and about one inch outside of the stain.  This doesn't remove the stain but it will keep it from getting bigger.

Now here's the best tip I can give you....don't waste your time "trying" and don't waste your energy "trying."  Call a professional carpet cleaner and get them there as soon as possible.

If you are in Southern Colorado and you need a professional carpet cleaner who understands you and your carpet I highly recommend Larry Trujillo!  

Please like Trujillo's Cleaning Company (Formally Trujillo's Steam King) on Facebook or visit their website.

The world didn't end....what now?

The world didn't end as the Mayan's predicted.  

If you were one of those believers than the next few days are going to be rushed for you because you probably didn't clean your house, shop for presents and now you have to host the Christmas dinner.



If you believed what was all over the internet you really thought the world was coming to an end today, December 21, 2012.  The Mayans and the Egyptians predicted, right?

Here's where I was always confused.  Nostradamus predicted disaster in his writings and drawings.  Let's look at one of them. One of his drawings should a crab with "swirls" above his head.  Believers of the end of the world said it was amazing how he new the milky way was swirled when they knew nothing of the milky way.  

Here's what I think....it is easy to take a picture and decide what it means when we have knowledge of something and can relate it to that.  For all we know Nostradamus meant the "swirls" to be water....I mean you find crabs in the water right?

When we take drawings from the 16th Century and "understand" them with 21st Century thinking we can make anything "fit" however we want.  

This fascinates me...not that I believed the world was ending 12/21/12 but the rationality that went behind the interpretations was interesting on how they came up with the end of the world. We will forever wonder exactly what the writing of the Mayans, the writing of the Egyptians and the writing of Nostradamus meant and I'm sure we will see, in the near future, that the writings of the end of the world were correct but the time was  mis-interpreted.   Without the doom of our future what will we do?

For those of you who didn't believe than your next few days will go on as if this prediction never happened; you are prepared for Christmas and hosting a holiday family gathering. For those of you who believed it....have fun getting ready for the holiday in a few short days.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Please like Trujillo's Cleaning Company (Formally Trujillo's Steam King) on Facebook or visit their website.

Cleaning the carpet after pet accidents

Pets:  They are part of the family.  We love them unconditionally and they love us back.  If we could just train them to use the toilet like in the movie Bruce Almighty our lives with our pets would be perfect.  (Except for the chewing of our belongings that it).

Watch the video of the dog in Bruce Almighty HERE...absolutely great!!

Well, I'm just going to say that training my dogs to do this...not likely going to happen.  One they are pretty stubborn and two...who has that kind of time, right?

Our one year old puppy is just now becoming consistent of "going" outside.
Our 19 year old is......old and there are time that he has accidents.

When our puppy had accidents they were mostly urine.  Our 19 year old...well his accidents are mostly feces.  

I'm going to be completely honest here.  I use the vinegar and water solution.  I use the enzyme afterwards and for the "most part" they come up.

Here's the problem....no matter how hard you work and no matter what you do to remove the "accident" you never know if you got it all (unless the stain remains than you definitely know!)

I love my pets....and no matter what accidents they have....I will always love my pets.  So what do I do?



I do the immediate care of the carpet.  I use the vinegar/water, I use the enzyme cleaner AND I call a professional carpet cleaner!  Here's why I use a professional carpet cleaner a few times a year.

• I don't know if I got ALL of the "accident" completely up.
• The good ones have a solution they put on the carpet to keep the pet from "going" back to that area.  (Although for my older dog....it's not a matter of lazy accidents or not being trained).

Carpets are one of our hidden dangers in our home so I want to keep them as clean and safe as possible.  To read more about these dangers click HERE.

I said before and I will say it again....I love my pets...accidents and all.

If you find yourself with this problem contact a professional carpet cleaner about your options.  If you are in Southern Colorado I highly recommend Trujillo's Cleaning Company; Formally Trujillo's Steam Clean.


Please like Trujillo's Cleaning Company (Formally Trujillo's Steam King) on Facebook or visit their website.

Cleaning Tile and Grout

I'm one of those people that don't notice the grout in my bathroom until I visit someone and theirs is bad....then I come home and check mine. 


How doe's it sneak up on you?  It seemed like just last week when I scrubbed it.


If you have tile in your home you have this problem.  Tile in the bathroom is usually mold or mildew and in the kitchen...it's a combination of food stains, mildew, grime and household traffic.  

Because grout is an important part of your floor....it holds the tiles into place you have to start with the least acidic cleaning solution first.  I've talked about baking soda and vinegar before....well it's that time again.  I use this mixture because it takes time to clean your grout properly and I don't want to spend that much time breathing in harsh chemicals.

Make a paste with the baking soda and mix the vinegar with water 50/50.  Find a stiff brush (not too tough and not to weak).  After this point I'm usually too tired to do the real work but if you are ready here's what you do.  You will also need a bucket of warm water and two towels.

Make sure you have whatever room blocked off from any traffic.  This is never the fun part because my dogs want to be in whatever room I am in.  Don't forget to open some windows if you do not like the smell of vinegar.

Start in one corner and spray the vinegar/water mixture....keep you cleaning area small (about four large tiles).  Once you have sprayed the mixture let it soak for about a minute.  Place the baking soda paste on the grout lines one tile at a time.  

Taking your stiff brush and scrubbing in SMALL CIRCLES (do not scrub the grout in a straight line as it may remove some of the grout).  To do it right it will take about two (2) minutes per tile so count your tiles and plan accordingly.  If you have more than 12 tiles grab something for your knees because this takes some elbow grease and your knees will pay the price if they are on the tile floor.  


When you have pasted and scrubbed the four tiles you previously sprayed with vinegar you are ready to see how well you did.  Take one of the towels and place in the bucket of warm water.  Wipe the tiles and get as much of the paste up as you can...this generally takes about three (3) good swipes of the tile.  Take the dry towel and wipe up the little water you may have missed.  Compare the tiles you cleaned to ones you haven't.  If it hasn't come clean it's time for the professionals or industrial strength grout cleaner.  


If it has come clean....it's time for the professionals because by this time my knees (even though I have them protected, my shoulder, my neck and my back are killing me). But...if you are ready you can finish up your floors.

You will probably need to change out your bucket water about every eight tiles so make the sink area the last part you clean.

Now you are done...almost.  I spray the vinegar mixture all over the floor and mop up, rinsing the mop out often (in case I missed some paste...which I always do).  Once the floor has been mopped with the vinegar I go over it one more time with hot water.

Now your floor is sparkling....don't forget you have the bathroom to do.

If you are in Southern Colorado and this seems like just to much work I highly recommend Trujillo's Cleaning Company.

Please like Trujillo's Cleaning Company (Formally Trujillo's Steam King) on Facebook 

Flood damage

What is flood insurance and who needs it?

You don't live in a flood zone so it's not required to have flood insurance.  Did you know that flood damage can happen at any time?




Many times a person will realize, after it's too late, they needed flood insurance...and it hadn't rained for weeks.  Most causes for flood damage is a broken pipe.....and water is everywhere.

A blogger that I know explains this so much better than I can but I will give you the highlights and the link to the blog:

Water damage generally falls in three categories. 

• Category 1 denotes a water problem that is fairly clean since there are very few contaminants in it. 
• There are many contaminants to deal with in a Category 2 water problem but these contaminants do not include sewage. 
• It is when the water is contaminated with sewage that it becomes a Category 3 problem. It is fairly obvious that each category should be handled in a specific manner.

If you do not have flood insurance guess who is going to pay for all the damage?  YOU!!! I'm not writing this to encourage everyone to run out and buy flood damage...let's face it, if it wasn't so expensive all of our homeowners policies would include it or most of us would add it.  I'm writing this to let you know that flood damage to homes happen whether you live in a flood zone or not.  I believe that everyone should have the information they need than it is our choice not someone else's, right?

If you would like to learn more about flood damage click HERE and visit a wonderful site that can explain it much better than I can.

The most important thing to know about flood damage....call a professional!  There is more dangers with floods than just the water damage to your property.

For those muddy prints or "accidents" on your furniture and/or carpet call Larry Trujillo:  Please like Trujillo's Cleaning Company (Formally Trujillo's Steam King) on Facebook 

A day in the life of a dog when it snows

Let's get in the spirit first.  Click HERE and come back to read while you listen

Let's be honest:  We all love snow, right?  We either love it and we go out into it and play, ski or build snowmen OR we love it from our nice warm home watching it OR we love to see it melt.  No matter how you like the snow it means different things to different people:  Those with dogs and those without.

www.potterypantry.com

Us dog owners use this year round but when it snows we worry about how well we taught our dogs how to read.  











Here are some very cute pictures of what we live with











And even more

And another "cute" day in the snow

www.fanpop.com

It's so cute to watch puppies play in the snow

www.wtfhub.com

And watching their antics 

www.amazingdata.com

And they turn into this

Jasper the Dog

Dogs love the snow













But then....the snow starts to melt












And they want to do this

and then this

And if you don't let them out they do this

or this









It never ends....it's either muddy foot prints on the carpet and floors or peeing on the carpet or furniture....but we love our dogs, right?




For those muddy prints or "accidents" on your furniture and/or carpet call Larry Trujillo:  Please like Trujillo's Cleaning Company (Formally Trujillo's Steam King) on Facebook 

When snow ruins your day

Picture from amazingdata.com

Good morning....well it was until you let the dog out and you see that it has snowed.  At this time many things are going through your head; muddy footprints, driving to work on the ice so you know that you are going to have to skip the relaxing cup of coffee because you are going to be busy.






You wait by the door with a wet towel to wipe Fido's feet before he comes in. You wait, you wait some more and as soon as you turn your head....Fido's in.  Fido is not only in but he's on your couch....with muddy feet.  You quickly grab the towel, wipe his feet (and his belly, face, tail, etc.) down and you look at your furniture shaking your head....You have company coming for the holidays.  

You remember the snow....not that you truly forgot about it because you have a reminder on your couch but you remember you have to leave early to get to work on time.

Please read these tips on driving safe on the the ice:

If you do not have a garage and your car is parked outside:

• It snows.  Ready for this odd tip:  Turn your temperature to hot, turn on your air conditioner (fresh air option) and set it on defrost.  This will help remove any condensation from the interior of your windshield.
• Remove snow from your head and taillights.  Those are there for your safety and they won't help you if they are covered with snow.

You are driving on ice:

• For those of use who grew up with antilock breaks we learned to pump our breaks.  Now cars do it for us.  When you are sliding and you press your antilock breaks you will feel the brake system pump for you.  This only works if you "stomp" on the break and gradually ease up on the break.
• The dreaded "black ice."  Keep this in mind:  if it looks slick chances are it probably is.  It is better to be prepared for black ice and not have it than have it and not be ready.
• Know where you are driving.  You drive to work, school, store all the time.  Pay attention.  Know where the areas on these roads tend to be worse than others and avoid those areas. 
• If you do start to slide do not overturn.  Remember if you are sliding your tires do not have control so over turning will just face the car into the direction the tires are facing....which in a panic situation could be oncoming traffic.  Stay calm and don't overturn.  Slowly turn your wheels in the direction in which you want to go.
• If you have a four wheel drive....understand that your four wheel drive is no safer on the ice than any other vehicle.  Think about it...you slide because your tires do not have control.  All wheel drive, four wheel drive will often give the driver a sense of "security" which will often lead to an accident.  

Every vehicle has someone in there that is loved.  When each of us drives safely than we are doing our part to keep loved ones with us.  




For those muddy prints on your furniture and/or carpet call Larry Trujillo:  Please like Trujillo's Cleaning Company (Formally Trujillo's Steam King) on Facebook 

Smoking in your home

I'm not going to talk about the dangers of smoking to you or the dangers of a fire starting.  I want to talk about what cigarette smoke does to your home.

If you are a smoker and you smoke in your home or if you moved into a home that had smokers have you ever paid attention to your walls?  To your ceiling? To your upholstery?    You white wall will be yellow, your ceiling will be yellow and your upholstery will absorb the cigarette smell.

The holidays are here which mean having family and friends in your home. The worst thing for non-smokers are the smell of cigarettes....or ashtrays.  

You can rid your home of the smell and yellow tinting on walls and ceilings but it will take a lot of work.

You can open windows, use candles, Fabreze, Lysol or air fresheners for a short term solution to ridding the smell.

For the long term solution it is going to take a lot of elbow grease!  To clean walls and ceiling grab the bleach.  Don't forget to open the windows!!  Use one part bleach to six part water and start scrubbing.  Once you are done guess what...you are not done!  Now add one part vinegar to one part baking soda to eight parts water and do it again.  

Furniture is a whole different beast.  It will determine what your furniture is made out of to determine the best way to clean it.  For fabric grab the steam cleaner and have fun. There is nothing more difficult than steam cleaning your furniture.  Drapery and curtains will need to be taken down and washed.  Baking Soda, Baking Soda and Baking Soda but be careful and make sure your draining system can handle baking soda.  

Wood furniture can be cleaned with a good safe lemon oil while leather furniture need Orange TKO to do the trick.  

Carpet needs Baking Soda spread over the ENTIRE carpet and left on for 24-48 hours than vacuumed up.  Leave no spot uncovered. Pay attention when vacuuming as the baking soda will tend to clog up the vacuum and you will need to dump often.  This works if the smoke has only penetrated the carpet fibers...if it is long term than it will have penetrated the padding and this solution will not work in the long run.  If it has penetrated the padding remember that steam cleaner you used on furniture....get to work because that is the only way to clean your carpets of the smoke smell.



Remember to use a steam cleaner that removes MOST of the water put into the carpet. Most steam cleaners on the market today say they do only to find out it takes days for your carpets to dry.  If this happens the smell will come back. 

I don't know about you but this process of eliminating smoke odors is very time consuming and expensive.  The thought of "scrubbing" the walls and ceiling.....sorry you couldn't pay me enough to do that.

If you find yourself in need of ridding your home of that cigarette smoke smell and discoloring and you are in Southern Colorado I highly recommend Trujillo Cleaning Company (formally Trujillo's Steam Clean).  If you are not in Southern Colorado and this seems like a lot of work find a local professional to take care of this for you.

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