stain removal

In my Easter post I mentioned the beautiful orange smocked dress which got dry erase marker on it minutes before we headed out the door to church services. My dear husband made that his project one morning. To be honest, I was afraid to touch it because I thought it might get worse from my efforts. Dave started with rubbing alcohol and that did not budge the stain. He did a little research and found the miracle remover...and I would have never imagined that this product was the one to use. Apparently Murphy's Pine Oil Soap works wonders. Dave made a strong concentration of it, used a toothbrush to work it into the stain, and it came free from the fabric leaving no evidence. After rinsing and airdrying the dress looked as good as new.

Thank goodness for my clever husband. His determination and elbow grease saved the dress. Thanks to all of you who offered suggestions. This was a tough one and such a bummer on a brand new dress.

We are trying to get all our work and family projects done this week before heading off on Spring Break. I can hardly wait to let the kids run wild on the beach and dig in the sand to their heart's content. The most wonderful thing is to see them physically exhausted and content at the end of the day. They are so full of fun by the time they pass out in their dinner plate. The hardest part is schelping all the stuff necessary to be at the beach for a full day...but playing at the beach makes it all worthwhile. The nice thing about going back to the same place is that we are beginning to build a family history there. I've become all too aware that our years with them (Jordan especially) are fleeting. Spring Break has become a good time to reconnect.