diff --git a/TimberWinR/Configuration.cs b/TimberWinR/Configuration.cs
index 5f12f39..42037f5 100644
--- a/TimberWinR/Configuration.cs
+++ b/TimberWinR/Configuration.cs
@@ -118,13 +118,13 @@ namespace TimberWinR
             if (allInputs == null)          
                 throw new TimberWinR.ConfigurationErrors.MissingRequiredTagException(InputBase.TagName);
 
-            createInput(allInputs, WindowsEvent.ParentTagName, WindowsEvent.TagName, _events, WindowsEvent.Parse);
-            createInput(allInputs, TailFileInput.ParentTagName, TailFileInput.TagName, _logs, TailFileInput.Parse);
-            createInput(allInputs, IISLog.ParentTagName, IISLog.TagName, _iislogs, IISLog.Parse);
-            createInput(allInputs, IISW3CLog.ParentTagName, IISW3CLog.TagName, _iisw3clogs, IISW3CLog.Parse);       
+            createInputs(allInputs, WindowsEvent.ParentTagName, WindowsEvent.TagName, _events, WindowsEvent.Parse);
+            createInputs(allInputs, TailFileInput.ParentTagName, TailFileInput.TagName, _logs, TailFileInput.Parse);
+            createInputs(allInputs, IISLog.ParentTagName, IISLog.TagName, _iislogs, IISLog.Parse);
+            createInputs(allInputs, IISW3CLog.ParentTagName, IISW3CLog.TagName, _iisw3clogs, IISW3CLog.Parse);       
         }
 
-        static void createInput<T>(XElement allInputs, string parentTagName, string tagName, List<T> inputList, Action<List<T>, XElement> parse)
+        static void createInputs<T>(XElement allInputs, string parentTagName, string tagName, List<T> inputList, Action<List<T>, XElement> parse)
         {
             IEnumerable<XElement> inputs =
                 from el in allInputs.Elements(parentTagName).Elements(tagName)
diff --git a/TimberWinR/Filters/GrokFilter.cs b/TimberWinR/Filters/GrokFilter.cs
index 1fb3036..9a439b2 100644
--- a/TimberWinR/Filters/GrokFilter.cs
+++ b/TimberWinR/Filters/GrokFilter.cs
@@ -65,30 +65,7 @@ namespace TimberWinR.Filters
 
             if (e != null)
             {
-                string attributeName = "value";
-                string value;
-                try
-                {
-                    value = e.Attribute(attributeName).Value;
-                }
-                catch
-                {
-                    throw new TimberWinR.ConfigurationErrors.MissingRequiredAttributeException(e, attributeName);
-                }
-
-
-                if (value == "ON" || value == "true")
-                {
-                    DropIfMatch = true;
-                }
-                else if (value == "OFF" || value == "false")
-                {
-                    DropIfMatch = false;
-                }
-                else
-                {
-                    throw new TimberWinR.ConfigurationErrors.InvalidAttributeValueException(e.Attribute(attributeName));
-                }
+                DropIfMatch = ParseBoolAttribute(e, "value", false);
             }
         }
 
@@ -98,17 +75,7 @@ namespace TimberWinR.Filters
             {
                 if (e != null)
                 {
-                    string attributeName = "value";
-                    string value;
-                    try
-                    {
-                        value = e.Attribute(attributeName).Value;
-                    }
-                    catch
-                    {
-                        throw new TimberWinR.ConfigurationErrors.MissingRequiredAttributeException(e, attributeName);
-                    }
-                    RemoveFields.Add(e.Attribute("value").Value);
+                    RemoveFields.Add(ParseStringAttribute(e, "value"));
                 }
             }
         }