Making a Home

 Cleaning Tips and Tricks:

• In my humble opinion, newspaper cleans windows better than paper towels.  (And it's free!)  
• Gel alcohol works well for the stove top and kitchen sink.
• To reuse zip-lock baggies: wash them and rub the baggie upside down against the backsplash of your kitchen.  They will stick and dry out quickly.
• We've been washing dishes with coconut bar soap instead of liquid detergent.  It's really sudsy and natural.  For those of you that will come visit, you have to try it!  

Etiquette in Brasil:

• Greet people with a hug and kiss
• Hold any type of sandwich or hamburger with a napkin
• Offer food and/or gum to others
• Open a present in front of the giver the moment you receive it
• Thank you notes aren't necessary (actually nonexistent)
• And above all else, when you'd like to make a friend, bake cookies.  (Brasilians love them!)

Overdue Pictures of Our Apartment:

What a blessing!  Our very own home... We have 1 big, open room (living room, then dining room, then office), 2 bedrooms, and 2 bathrooms.  The apartments and houses in the city have tile in the bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms, and marble or granite counter tops and hard wood floors.  These give the apartments so much character (and make the apts. easier to clean too!).  Looking forward to having American visitors one day!