ants

 I've been fighting an ant invasion for weeks now. If I keep the kitchen clean, they disappear, but as soon as I let my guard down, they return. Because I'm home all day with small children, I don't feel comfortable using conventional bug sprays. Who knows what's really in there and what damage it could do to us long-term from constant exposure. Instead, I've decided to fight them the good ol' fashioned way. I've been trying to keep the kitchen as clean as I can, wiping every spill and hand-washing dishes as soon as we're done using them. One time I was sure the ants were gone and when I opened the dishwasher to put away the dishes we used for breakfast, the ants were feasting on leftover strawberry ice cream from the previous night.

 The ants have been coming in from somewhere behind the microwave and marching across my kitchen sink. I read that if they ingest Borax or boric acid, they can take it back to their colony and die there. So, I've been making a paste from dish washing soap and Borax to wipe down the sink and counter tops. Check out the rustic iPad base my handy husband made for me after I saw one just like it on Etsy. The guy who was making them no longer has any for sale. They're made of scrap 2x4. The more weathered, the better.

And of course, right after I took the first two photos, my husband and kiddos decided to have ice cream for an evening snack so I had to wash their mugs and spoons before the ants caught wind of it.