Last week, Ed and I drove to Charlottesville, VA to pick up our youngest daughter, Mandy. It is always a highlight of my life when I get to be with my daughters.
From her house we then had a 9 hour trip to Albany NY to attend the medical school graduation of my oldest daughter, Kelly and her boyfriend, Roger.
It was super hot…94 degrees, but I didn’t mind since I loved getting to spend time with all of them. My youngest (in the turquoise dress) looks shorter than her big sister in this photo. She is actually the taller of the two.
At 5′-5″, I am the shortest in the family. :-)
Getting to say…Dr. Henkler makes me one proud mom…but after all the…
…ceremonies and celebrating, it was time to get down to the nitty gritty…and I mean nitty gritty since it was in the mid 90’s and we were physically moving the contents of Kelly and Roger’s apartment into a moving truck to move them to Charlottesville, VA where they will start their medical residencies at the University of Virginia Medical Center.
What makes me even more excited about this move for them is that both my daughters will be living in the same city now. Wonderful for them, but also for Ed and I since we will not have to go in opposite directions anymore when we want to visit them. We can all be together on every visit. :-)
While they were packing and carrying boxes, furniture, and household stuff to the truck, I went into full-fledge Mom-mode…
…to take care of getting their rental apartment clean for the landlord inspection.
Thankfully this task was made a bit easier by the use of Swiffer products and a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.
Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to travel to NYC to meet HGTV’s Jonathan Scott and learn all about these products and how they can make the process of moving and cleaning easier.
Jonathan is one tall and very likeable guy! Since I am an identical twin like he is, I enjoyed asking him twin questions…the same ones I have gotten all my life about what life is like when you have a twin.
Fast forward to my daughter’s rental apartment and her move, I put the products to the test.
The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser made getting rid of fingerprints off the doors, plus scuff marks off the wall and floor very easy…it really does work like magic with no harsh chemicals and gets rid of all these marks in a few swipes without the use of a detergent and water-filled bucket.
After I took care of the doors, trim, and walls, I changed my cleaning tool to a Swiffer. They have easy-to-use sweeping, mopping and dusting tools for virtually every household surface.
I started with a dry pad to get all the pet hair and dirt out from under everything, then switched to a wet pad to clean the entire apartment floor.
It was the cleanest I think the apartment floor has been since they moved in.
Moving can be a completely overwhelming process, but there is something exciting about getting a fresh new start. We successfully moved these two to Virginia and are now helping them get settled into their new place so they can start their lives as doctors.
They are going to become very busy once they start work at the hospital next week. I am leaving the Swiffer and Mr. Clean products with them to make it easier for them to maintain a clean house with two pets.
As much as I love seeing my daughters, I am looking forward to getting back to my own clean home-sweet-home soon and getting back into my to-do list of projects to share with you.
This post is sponsored by Swiffer. Thank you so much for supporting the sponsors that make In My Own Style possible. As always, all content and opinions are my own.
MarianneB says
Hi Diane!–don’t know if you read these older posts—something happened and I don’t get you in my inbox anymore, anyway I went looking for you on your site. Congratulations to you and your daughter!! She is heading to UVA–that is wonderful & it seems that through the Internet you and I have a very coincidental recurring OCNJ connection—Our good friend and next door neighbor’s daughter is a pharmacist @ UVA—small internet world, huh?? ??
Diane Henkler says
Hi Marianne – Small world is right :-) Have you been to OCNJ this summer yet? I have a question for you. I am wondering why you are not getting my post in your email. Do you remember when you stopped getting them? I would like to find out why it is happening and knowing this may help me pinpoint the problem. Thanks
MarianneB says
Hi-sent you a reply through your contact page with details—thanks so much & I re-registered, so maybe that’ll solve the issue. Anything else you don’t hesitate!
Kim O'Donoghue says
Congrats to your family!
Diane Henkler says
Thank you Kim. :-)
Sue Bauman says
Congratulations to all of you! Your life has been all about moving stuff lately, hasn’t it?! But it’s all so exciting to have your daughter all graduated and beginning her residency in the same city as her sister! What a coup! AND VA is way closer to you and Ed than NY, so that’s a plus, too! What a great kick-off to the summer. Wasn’t it last year at this time you were prepping your PA home for being listed for sale? What a difference a year makes! Enjoy your summer; I sure enjoy your posts!
Diane Henkler says
Thanks Sue – Yes you are correct, it was around this time last year that we decided to make our dream come true and move to a house along a body of water instead of just dreaming about it. Time does fly. We are looking forward to our first summer on the lake.
I hope you are having an enjoyable start to your summer.
Monika says
Wow! Medical school, residency, moving…. this is big stuff! But medical school is the most impressive–to me, anyway–so congratulations to your daughter and the entire family. So many graduations and changes for you all in the last year. Here’s to many more! Best to all!
june says
Congrats to your daughter and her boyfriend. What are their residencies in? My daughter in law to be (officially June 11) just graduated from Creighton Medical School and will complete a two part residency first year at U of Nebraska Medical Center and then three years at Mayo Clinic here in Minnesota. So much work but so rewarding. We are so proud of her.
Love my swiffer products and gotta love that Mr. Clean sponge. The best creation next to chocolate:)
Diane Henkler says
Congratulations June! Lots happening for you. A wedding and a doctor in the family. :-) You have a lot to be proud of. I bet you are looking forward to the wedding, but also when your DIL starts the second part of her residency so she and your son will be closer to you.
I agree that the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is one great creation right up there with chocolate. :-)
Sheryll $ Critters. says
Congratulations! And I bet your exhausted! I want one of those Magic Erasers and when I finally get new flooring, then new Swiffers.
Lisa says
Congrats to you and your family. How proud you and Ed must be!
But I must confess, I am most jealous that you got to meet Jonathan Scott.
Best of luck to Kelly and her boyfriend, and to Mandy too.
Deb Brennan says
So wonderful to see your family pride! Congrats to you all….
Phyl says
You must be crazy proud of those girls. You and your husband are to be congratulated for raising such loving, productive, competent young women.
Katie says
Congratulations! My sister graduated from medical school in Israel in 2008 and it was a very special time to be able to see her graduate!
Karleen says
What a beautiful family, and how proud you must be . Thanks for sharing. As a mother of three children, and grandmother to, soon to be eight grandchildren, I’ve been known to help with many a move. How very appreciative I’m sure they were to have the help, and how good you must have felt to do it. I, like you enjoy every moment I get to spend with my family making memories.
I’m really enjoying your posts of your new home.
Rebecca says
What a lovely family! I am sure your daughter was very appreciative of all the hard work you put into getting her old place cleaned up. You are a super mom!
Nancy says
I just moved on Sunday. Swifter products saved the day as did the white eraser. Plus I used Lysol wipes in the bathrooms for the final shine on the tiles and sink. What a job moving three miles is. Too much stuff.
Wonderful to have two successful daughters. Love seeing the joy of your family celebrating the new Doctor. Great family photos of all of you.
Best wishes to all.
Smiles
Deb says
Congratulations to your daughter and your family! My grandson is graduating from high school, next week. He will head to the University of Kansas, this fall, to be in their premed program.
Christina in FL says
CONGRATULATIONS to you, your daughter, her beau and all.
Swiffer products are ah-MAZ-ing! I use them all the time. I love the Wet-Jet!
Terri/Houston lady says
Big congrats to your family!! How exciting ?
Safe travels, Diane
Linda Weeks says
Yes, you should feel proud! A wonderful time for your family! good of you to clean up! BTW, I love your dress from that first photo of you, I wish I could find a nice little dress like that for this weather! Cool too, that you got to meet Mr. Twin Scott! Take care of yourselves this summer!
CeeGee says
The “magic” in Mr. Clean Magic Erasers is……. TSP! Yup, we all know we use it for super cleaning before priming/painting. It’s in that ‘sponge’ and that’s why it’s so great to use on so many surfaces. As always, read and follow instructions. There are some surfaces that it’s not safe for.
I love ’em! I used boxes of them when we moved into our ‘supposed to have been cleaned by the former owners when they moved out’ , not so clean house :-)
Congrats on the “Dr.” in your family. Just tell her what a doctor friend of ours told us: “The letters M.D. behind your name do not mean minor diety.” ;-)
CeeGee says
Opps……Misspelled deity…… ;-)
Christina in FL says
Thanks!!! I didn’t know about the TSP!
Nancy says
Congratulations! You must be one proud Mama!! Nothing like having your Mom to help!! And so wonderful you all will be closer!
Xxoo
Sophie says
Congrats to all! Hope it’s cooler at home!
ANNE says
Congrats to All! How proud you both must be. Quite an accomplishment! And how great to have both daughters in the same city & closer to you. I see even more memories to be made & enjoyed by all of you. ????
Carla says
Very cool. I’m sure Roger and Kelly appreciated your help. They will be extremely busy so any tools to help them is really thoughtful. I know you were and are “one proud momma”.
kat says
Congrats! to Everyone.
Jody says
Beautiful daughters from beautiful patents.
Jody says
Supposed to be parents. Barking squad had to go tell them hush!
Elaine Williams says
Congratulations. We moms know how proud you are feeling.
Kelly @ Eclectically Vintage says
Mom mode to the rescue! Congrats to your Doctor daughter!! and happy the girls are together again!
Kathie from IL says
I loved readings out your daughters graduations and most of all your family time. You and your husband are blessed ?
Belinda says
Congratulations! That’s so exciting.
Denise McDonald says
Congrats to all!
Diane Henkler says
Hi Denise – Thank you. It has been one busy, crazy hot, and fun week. Still have some more unpacking to do, then it is time to head home. :-)