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Spring Cleaning Tools You Need

December 28, 2020 by Kelly Dedeaux

Spring Cleaning Tools You Need #ad #SwifferFanatic

It’s that time of year again, where the dust, dirt or cluttered messes in the house start bothering people more than normal and they start looking to Spring Cleaning. As much as I’d like to say I keep things extremely clean all year long, it’s not true. I do keep it ‘lived in, with kids’ clean, but once it hits about April I like to do a real deep cleaning. If you’re also about to tackle your house mess, here’s some Spring Cleaning Tools You Need to get the job done fast, easy and complete!

Spring Cleaning Tools You Need #ad #SwifferFanatic

Contains affiliate links that help support this blog. See our disclosure. I have a business relationship with Swiffer. I’ll only recommend products/services that I truly love.

1. Disinfecting Wipes[Clean and sanitize your house with these wipes]

2. Spray Bottles[Use your own cleaner with these spray bottles]

3. Window Cleaning Tool Set[Make cleaning those windows a sinch with these tools]

4. Cleaning Gloves[Keep your hands nice while cleaning with these gloves]

5. Swiffer Sweeper[Cleaning the floor will be easy with this dry & wet mop]

6. Swiffer Sweeper Vac[This magic combo of broom & vacuum will get all those dust bunnies off your floors]

7. Swiffer WetJet[Mopping done easy for laminate, wood or tile floors]

8. Microfiber Cleaning Cloths[These cleaning cloths will help you with all of your cleaning tasks]

9. Deluxe Carry Cady[Keep all of your cleaning supplies in one place with this organizing cady]

10. Mr Clean Magic Erasers[Get all those fingerprints off your walls with these magic erasers]

11. Swiffer Duster[Dusting will wont be such a mess with this duster]

12. Scrub Brush Set[These cleaning brushes are the perfect tool for your spring cleaning]

13. Handheld Pressure Sanitizer[Chemical free cleaning with this handheld steamer]

14. Electric Pressure Washer[Get your outside ready for those summer BBQ’s with this pressure washer]

15. Storage Containers[Time to get organized with these totes]

16. Food Storage[Your food pantry will be organized with ease once you get your hands on these food storage containers]

17. Storage Unit[Organize all of your papers or art supplies with this storage container]

Filed Under: Organization & Cleaning, Products we Love

Get Your Time Back with these Organizing Tips

April 1, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

Get Your Time Back with These Organization Tips! #WorkBetterWithFellowes #IC #ad @fellowes

This post was sponsored by Fellowes as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. #WorkBetterWithFellowes

Who else loves an organized home? I sure do – but who else is so busy that it often gets put off until later? Yup, life gets in the way, especially when you’re a busy mom trying to handle a million different things each day. But it also stresses me out, and when I get to it, I spend forever trying to get it under control. I made a goal to tackle this disaster, and sharing how you, too, can Get Your Time Back with These Organizing Tips!

Get Your Time Back with These Organization Tips! #WorkBetterWithFellowes #IC #ad @fellowes

If you spend a ton of time trying to get your home under control, then you understand how frustrating it is to want (or even need) time for other things, but you can’t just leave it in this disastrous condition. My biggest issue right now is my home office – and how appropriate since National Organize Your Home Office Day was March 14th! I let the junk mail, paperwork, ads, notes, lists and even important documents stack up all randomly, then it’s a nightmare sorting it all out. These are some of the piles I’ve just been working around lately…

Get Your Time Back with These Organization Tips! #WorkBetterWithFellowes #IC #ad @fellowes

Not only am I sick of just pushing around papers as the stacks just get bigger, but I’m in the mood for some Spring Cleaning – I want a fresh, organized home to go with this beautiful weather we’re beginning to have! Instead of just the regular washing windows or wiping down baseboards, I need to make my office space more clear and manageable – and get into organization habits that will help it STAY that way.

Have you heard of Laura Stack – aka The Productivity Pro? She’s got some amazing tips to organize your home so you can move away from time spent dealing with the messes and more time focusing on what you love. She has twelve HABITS to get you more organized – and guess what the first one is?

FIRST habit – get rid of paper!

It’s like she read my mind – or gasped at the site of my paper-covered office. She even made the first step easy:

  • File
  • It
  • Recycle
  • Shred
  • Take Care of It

Get Your Time Back with These Organization Tips! #WorkBetterWithFellowes #IC #ad @fellowes

Step 1: For all the papers containing sensitive information that you don’t need to hold on to, get rid of it quickly and effectively by shredding it with a cross-cut shredder like my Fellowes’ 12Cs from Walmart. Since I want to be quick, I love that it can do up to 12 sheets of paper, plus can do credit cards (I’m not the only one that gets a ton of thick cards in my junk mail, am I?).

Having kids AND pets made me a bit nervous having a shredder, but the SafeSense® technology puts me at ease about accidents. When I’m shredding papers and my dogs come sniff too close, it stops because it can sense them! If the reliability isn’t reason enough to grab a Fellowes’ 12Cs shredder, that safety feature for homes with children and pets is.

Get Your Time Back with These Organization Tips! #WorkBetterWithFellowes #IC #ad @fellowes

Step 2: For all the papers you DO need to keep, file them logically. Use tabs, folders or dividers – however best works neatly for you – and label them clearly by subject. You don’t have to be boring, either – use colors and fun folders to spruce it up a bit! For files that are electronic, do this with clearly labeled files on your computer and utilize subfolders to divide up larger categories into smaller, more specific ones.

Step 3: Routines – as busy women, we know how exhausting it is to juggle a million different tasks and mental lists. When you get a good routine down, you waste less of your precious energy thinking about the minor tasks so you’re free to focus on bigger things. Establishing routines can also help you complete things faster – maybe setting our your clothes at night for the following day, or having most of your lunch already prepared.

Get Your Time Back with These Organization Tips! #WorkBetterWithFellowes #IC #ad @fellowes

Step 4: Time yourself on the more tedious or daunting tasks. Instead of avoiding that messy craft room, estimate how long it will take to organize it, then schedule it like an ‘appointment’ in your schedule. Write it on the calendar, even – that makes it more ‘official’ right? 😉 Use a kitchen timer (or something similar) and focus really hard on your task during that time. It seems less overwhelming when you know it’ll be done at a certain point. And when you focus more, time often seems to go by quicker!

Get Your Time Back with These Organization Tips! #WorkBetterWithFellowes #IC #ad @fellowes

While my home office is far from completely organized, it’s a HUGE leap better (and easier to work in!) now that I’ve gotten those paper piles taken care of….

Get Your Time Back with These Organization Tips! #WorkBetterWithFellowes #IC #ad @fellowes

It’s also nice knowing my important papers are either filed neatly where I can easily find things, or shredded so I have to stress as much about things like identity theft. We’ve wanted a quality paper shredder for so long, and I can’t tell you enough how much we’re loving our Fellowes’ 12Cs! Grab yours from Walmart now and get that paper clutter under control so you have more time for better things.

Get Your Time Back with These Organization Tips! #WorkBetterWithFellowes #IC #ad @fellowes

What organization project do YOU need to tackle most?

Get Your Time Back with These Organization Tips! #WorkBetterWithFellowes #IC #ad @fellowes

Filed Under: Organization & Cleaning, Products we Love

Funniest #AdultingFail Stories

December 12, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

The Funniest #AdultingFail Stories from Swiffer's 18th Birthday Bash! #SwifferFanatic #GottaSwiffer #partner

I attended Swiffer’s 18th Birthday Bash in NYC as one of their Swiffer Fanatics (aka ambassador). All opinions are entirely my own.

If you follow my social, you’ve probably noticed the past couple of weeks I’ve been asking for your Funniest #AdultingFail Stories so I could share some during Swiffer’s big birthday bash in NYC. It was such a blast, and there were TONS of hilarious stories from people. Today I’m sharing my favorites, plus telling you about the fabulous time I had at the 18th Birthday Party with some of my favorite people!

The Funniest #AdultingFail Stories from Swiffer's 18th Birthday Bash! #SwifferFanatic #GottaSwiffer #partner

First of all, let’s check out this awesome party – complete with balloons, cake, and even JEWELED Swiffers! I really wanted to take one home because, come on – it’s a sparkly mop! The team I work with at Swiffer never disappoints with their events, and this one was at a whole new level of fabulous. They even decorated the elevator, guys!

The Funniest #AdultingFail Stories from Swiffer's 18th Birthday Bash! #SwifferFanatic #GottaSwiffer #partner

I’m still a bit in shock that Swiffer’s only 18 years old because I feel like I’ve been using it my whole life to clean up life’s messes. But I guess over half my life is still believable 🙂 Joining in the celebration was the wonderful, beautiful author Kelly Williams Brown of the books ‘Adulting: How to Become A Grown-Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps’ and her upcoming book ‘Gracious’. I was lucky enough to receive a copy of each, and can’t wait to dive in – I’ll let you know what I think!

The Funniest #AdultingFail Stories from Swiffer's 18th Birthday Bash! #SwifferFanatic #GottaSwiffer #partner

She was the most wonderful person to talk with – super GRACIOUS (fitting, right?) but also real and down to earth. Like one of those people you can’t help but want to be best friends with instantly. She had a some major advice for my Busy Mom’s readers…PRIORITIZE. Whether it’s hosting a dinner party, cleaning your home, tackling a work project or whatever on our list of daily to-dos, she says that we must prioritize and focus on one task at a time. ‘Just Clean The Oven’ was what she said – it’s an awful task to clean the filthy oven, but just take it one step at a time. Clean the oven door. Clean the oven racks. Taking it piece by piece makes it not seem so daunting. We’ll do whatever our task is much better by focusing, and we won’t feel so overwhelmed. She’s amazing!

It’s not a party without some Swiffer Fanatics…

The Funniest #AdultingFail Stories from Swiffer's 18th Birthday Bash! #SwifferFanatic #GottaSwiffer #partner

Yup, we had a ‘fashion show’ and broke into 2 teams, charged with creating an outfit – using only Swiffer stuff on blank white shirt/shorts! The other team did great making a cute little skirt and roses on Sam & her pup TinkerBelle – but we won with our ‘beautiful’ model Jamin from Handmade Home showing off our ’empire waist baby doll tee’. Ya, such fun memories with this crew – and Ashley (Jamin’s lovely wife) and I had a blast designing it!

The Funniest #AdultingFail Stories from Swiffer's 18th Birthday Bash! #SwifferFanatic #GottaSwiffer #partner

I have to admit, my favorite part was meeting Maks Chmerkovskiy from Dancing With The Stars! No, I don’t watch the show (no cable, and I know I’d get totally addicted to it), but with 3 of my kiddos learning Latin Ballroom, and beginning lessons myself, it was neat. Plus, he was such a great guy – so polite, escorting Kelly up onto stage. Then holding TinkerBelle so  Sam could practice the ‘Swiffer dance’ he was teaching them.

The Funniest #AdultingFail Stories from Swiffer's 18th Birthday Bash! #SwifferFanatic #GottaSwiffer #partner

Oh, and we laughed hard when he asked everyone what part of the body does everyone watch for during dancing. We answered ‘hips’, and he responded with ‘well, it’s really the butt, but we can go with hips’ 😉 Even though he was running late due to all the media wanting to talk with him and needing to catch a flight, he still made time to sign 3 pillows for my kiddos – the kids LOVE them! When he heard one of my girls had her dance competition that coming weekend, he even wrote ‘break a leg’. It’s the extra things that matter, guys, and Maks certainly has a lot of extra charm – and striking good looks, along with his incredible dance skills!

The Funniest #AdultingFail Stories from Swiffer's 18th Birthday Bash! #SwifferFanatic #GottaSwiffer #partner

So, now that you’ve seen all the fun we had in NYC celebrating Swiffer’s 18th Birthday, how about some hilarious #AdultingFail moments?!

  • Decided to replace the spring on his garage door. He bought the spring and the necessary tools. He took off the old spring, everything was fine. The instructions for the new spring said turn tool twice to set spring, so Matt turned it 3 times. when he opened up the door to test the installation, the door opened quickly, and the garage door opener went off the rail and through his boat. (Matt)
  • The other day I tried unlocking the front door of my house with my car unlock button and didn’t understand why it wasn’t working and sent my child to school in her pajamas (Heather D)
  • Never get dressed in the dark before work. Your shoes that you bought in multiple colors because they were comfy look the same in the dark, and going to work wearing one brown heel and one navy heel just isn’t the look you want. (Michelle P)
  • Continuously pulling up on the wrong side of the car to get gas has me questioning every thing I thought I knew about myself (@lmcfatter0601)
  • I once accidentally melted the chocolate chips in a batch of chocolate chip cookies. I hadn’t realized until after using the mixer that I needed to soften the butter and stuck the whole mix in the microwave to nuke it. (Sarah F)
  • It took me 15 years to figure out how to put a duvet cover on without climbing inside it. (@arkayoka)
  • I once changed from my pants to a skirt to attend the temple and rushed indoors, to be greeted with “sister sister, come here”, thinking they were offering me something special to do, and discovered I had forgot to pull out my skirt from my waist band and had given everyone a butt show all the way from the parking lot to the temple!! (Ellen H)
  • When you are eating coco pops out of a Mr Tickle mug, it’s time to load the dishwasher! (@enid_eyeglass)
  • The first time I cooked mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving I didn’t know the potatoes had to be cooked! I peeled and cut and couldn’t figure out why they wouldn’t mash! My cooking skills have improved greatly in case your wondering. (Kerri M)
  • When you accidentally put the tv remote in the washer .. #adultingfail #adulting it’s ok .. it still works (@katie_meshko)
  • Did you know caulk needs a caulk gun? I didn’t at first. (Sarah F)
  • Chose 35min train vs $50 for taxi…fell asleep on the train & had to pay $100 to get home (@jlatteri)
  • I once dried an entire load of nothing for an hour (Christina L)
  • Did you know that a crockpot has to actually be plugged in? Lets just marinate $20+ for 6 hours and then throw it in the garbage. Way to adult, self. (Lauren R)
  • My friend from college didn’t realize that eggs have an expiration date. (Sarah F)
  • I ran out of dish detergent for the dishwasher, and tried using regular liquid soap. I put in too much, and when I came back inside from walking my dog I had bubbles all over my kitchen floor. It was working it’s way down the hall too. It took me 2 hours to clean it up. The positive note is my floor, and really whole apartment, smelled like oranges. (Shalece R)
  • There were clumps in my sugar container, so I shook it really hard – forgetting the top was still open. Sugar went EVERYWHERE! (Yes – this one was me. More than once)
  • Just set off my fire alarm cooking chicken nuggets and fries (@stylebyshae)
  • Getting 4 different kids vacuuming, mopping,or sweeping and then realizing you can only watch 1 maybe 2 at a time. (Clayton R – would this be #adultingfail or #parentingfail? Probably both!)
  • Don’t cook things on wax paper thinking it’s parchment paper. (Sarah F)
  • Did you know if you leave a 12-pack of soda in your trunk in freezing cold weather overnight, it’ll probably expand and explode a mess all over? I do now. (Yes – another of mine!)
  • I think I was either half dead or half asleep this morning because I used hairspray ad dry shampoo (@Kim_Amoral)
  • Your stove is way hotter than your oven. If you put a glass baking dish with caramel (for… say, flan) on your stovetop to reheat the caramel that accidentally hardened before you swirled it around the bottom, it WILL explode into tiny pieces everywhere. (Michelle P)

See more from our Facebook Live during the event

Thank you to the whole Swiffer team, and especially to my friends Johanna and Chelsea for their amazing hard work and including me in this amazing partnership! I love working with such incredible people like you!

The Funniest #AdultingFail Stories from Swiffer's 18th Birthday Bash! #SwifferFanatic #GottaSwiffer #partner

Happy 18th Birthday Swiffer!

Filed Under: Organization & Cleaning, Products we Love

Including Pets in Your New Years Resolutions

January 17, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

Including Pets in Your New Years Resolutions PLUS 2-Ingredient Dog Treat Recipe #SwifferFanatic #Ambassador

I’m thrilled to bring you this sponsored post as part of the #SwifferFanatic ambassador team! All opinions are mine alone.

Y’all know how much we love our pets, right? I’m sure most pet owners feel just like we do – they’re part of the family, and as such, we should do what we can to keep them healthy. Since it’s the start of a new year, one fun way to care for them is by Including Pets in Your New Years Resolutions! Plus, we’re sharing a simple 2-Ingredient Dog Treat recipe for you to reward them with something refreshing after a nice work-out.

Including Pets in Your New Years Resolutions PLUS 2-Ingredient Dog Treat Recipe #SwifferFanatic #Ambassador

Is it just me, or does ‘exercise’ or ‘get in shape’ seem to be the most common New Years resolution? It’s been mine for a long while, yet I’m still slacking. One of our dogs – Kita (the full black one) is a bit overweight and we’re needing to help her get back to her healthy size. Well, if we ‘have’ to take her for a walk or run, why not just enjoy this time for ourselves as well?

Let Your Pets Exercise With You

My pups LOVE going for walks or runs. We mention ‘walk’ and her tail starts going crazy and she looks for her leash. She is super good for getting her harness on…

Including Pets in Your New Years Resolutions PLUS 2-Ingredient Dog Treat Recipe #SwifferFanatic #Ambassador

….then sits as patiently as possible while we get everything ready to go out the door!

Including Pets in Your New Years Resolutions PLUS 2-Ingredient Dog Treat Recipe #SwifferFanatic #Ambassador

We have a school nearby with a track, and they are so happy when we can just let them run full-on there. This is a great opportunity for your to meet your resolution of exercise, plus let your pets not only get their own work-out, but have some bonding time together. Once we’re out the door, they can’t wait to get going!

Including Pets in Your New Years Resolutions PLUS 2-Ingredient Dog Treat Recipe #SwifferFanatic #Ambassador

Doesn’t this photo seem like Kita’s saying ‘come on, guys, let’s go!’

Including Pets in Your New Years Resolutions PLUS 2-Ingredient Dog Treat Recipe #SwifferFanatic #Ambassador

This is such a great motivator for ourselves to exercise, and they do tend to push us harder than we would ourselves 🙂 When we get back, I swear our dogs are grinning from ear to ear!

Including Pets in Your New Years Resolutions PLUS 2-Ingredient Dog Treat Recipe #SwifferFanatic #Ambassador

From all that drool that then gets all over the floor, to dirty paw prints from outside, luckily we can mop it up quickly with our Swiffer Wet Jet, an all-in-one system that cleans my floors thoroughly with cleaning solutions that are specially formulated to break up and dissolve tough messes.  And since it’s getting to that time of year where pets tend to shed more than normal, I love using my SwifferVac. It’s especially nice at getting those fur mounds that collect under the couch – yuck!

Including Pets in Your New Years Resolutions PLUS 2-Ingredient Dog Treat Recipe #SwifferFanatic #Ambassador

For normal maintenance, like the dry dead grass they track back inside, we just sweep up quickly with the Swiffer Sweeper, the 2-in-1 hard surface sweeping and mopping tool. The dry cloth has deep grooves and ridges on it that conform to your floor, trapping and locking the dirt, dust and hair. The wet cloth dissolves dirt and grime – like those messy paw prints – giving you an amazing clean. I guess you could consider cleaning with our Swiffer products a work-out, too, since the dogs seem to think it’s playtime with them!

Including Pets in Your New Years Resolutions PLUS 2-Ingredient Dog Treat Recipe #SwifferFanatic #Ambassador

Eating Health is Important for Your Pets, Too

Another resolution that I’ve long made then quickly ignored – eating healthy. This is another great way to include your pets, since having a healthy diet is just as important for them as it is for us! Try to avoid letting them grab too many scraps off the table or floor (or out of kids’ hands, since they’re right at their level). Also, find healthy foods and treats – they love a tasty reward!

Including Pets in Your New Years Resolutions PLUS 2-Ingredient Dog Treat Recipe #SwifferFanatic #Ambassador

These 2-ingredient dog treats are perfect for rewarding a good work-out with your pup, and they’re frozen so it’s really refreshing! While I haven’t tasted them myself (although it’d be totally safe to), I’m pretty confident they’re delicious as our dogs go crazy when we pull some out of the freezer for them.

Including Pets in Your New Years Resolutions PLUS 2-Ingredient Dog Treat Recipe #SwifferFanatic #Ambassador

Including Pets in Your New Years Resolutions PLUS 2-Ingredient Dog Treat Recipe #SwifferFanatic #Ambassador

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Coconut Oil – melted works best
  • 1 cup Peanut Butter – creamy works best

Including Pets in Your New Years Resolutions PLUS 2-Ingredient Dog Treat Recipe #SwifferFanatic #Ambassador

Directions

  1. Whip the two ingredients together until smooth, then poor into an ice cube tray. I thought this bunny tray was perfect for a dog treat!
  2. Once frozen, pop out and store in a ziploc baggie in the freezer until use.

Including Pets in Your New Years Resolutions PLUS 2-Ingredient Dog Treat Recipe #SwifferFanatic #Ambassador

While I’m not sure how to include your pets in ALL your New Years resolutions, like saving money, making the part of your exercise and healthy eating plan can have HUGE benefits! Then pet parents can clean up in a jiffy with help from Swiffer!

Filed Under: Organization & Cleaning, Pets, Products we Love

DIY Dog Leash and Treat Sign

November 17, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

DIY Dog Leash & Treat Sign #ad #ToPetsWithLove

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ToPetsWithLove #CollectiveBias

Y’all know how much we love our dogs, right? They’re such an important part of our family, so of course we think of ‘treating’ them during the holidays. I thought a convenient – and attractive – place to hold their leash and treats would be just the ticket. This DIY Dog Leash and Treat Sign was surprisingly easy to make, and looks great while holding our pet stuff!

DIY Dog Leash & Treat Sign #ad #ToPetsWithLove

Since we couldn’t really TREAT our dogs without the proper stuff, we swung by Kroger to grab some special goodies – plus their Purina Beneful dog food, of course! We try to offer them a variety of dog treats, so got a couple bags of Beggin’ Strips and Busy treats. I also got some Purina DentaLife, to help keep their teeth more clean*. Y’all know how much we love Purina and trust them to provide the best for our dogs – because we wouldn’t offer our pets anything short of what we think is the best for them. The kids love helping take care of their pets, too, so were quite handy at the store!

DIY Dog Leash & Treat Sign #ad #ToPetsWithLove

I love that I don’t have to make extra time to run by a pet specialty store when I’m super busy during the holidays. Kroger (or your local banner store) is full of favorite food, treats and even toys for our pets! We always need to make time for the grocery store, right? So now we can get all our shopping done at once – I’m all for saving what little time I have during this time of year 🙂

DIY Dog Leash & Treat Sign #ad #ToPetsWithLove

I don’t know about you, but I love that Purina Beneful dry dog food features MEAT as the #1 ingredient and doesn’t have any added sugar. That’s one great thing about Purina – they listen to feedback of real pet owners to continuously provide better products, which is what led to 2 years of research to result in these new reformulated recipes.

DIY Dog Leash & Treat Sign #ad #ToPetsWithLove

My dogs sure love the taste, apparently, and I love that they’re getting their nutrition needs met!

DIY Dog Leash & Treat Sign #ad #ToPetsWithLove

So I could focus on the DIY Dog Leash & Treat Sign without curious dog noses in the way, I treated them to one of the Busy treats – these long-lasting chews are perfect for keeping them happy for quite awhile, leaving me to my project!

DIY Dog Leash & Treat Sign #ad #ToPetsWithLove

DIY Dog Leash & Treat Sign #ad #ToPetsWithLove

Let’s get on to this fun diy pet project, shall we?

DIY Dog Leash & Treat Sign #ad #ToPetsWithLove

Supplies

  • Wood board or plaque (check size – I did 11×6), sanded
  • Paint or stain of desired color (I chose black paint)
  • Stickers or vinyl in desired saying & design
  • Hooks and screws
  • Wall hangers/nails
  • Hose Clamp (to fit mason jar)
  • Screw for hose clamp
  • Mason Jar
  • Tools needed for screws

Directions

  1. Add your stickers to your plaque/board. Paint or stain over them, then remove before the paint dries – I used tweezers to get the edges of the sticker up and peel it up, not disturbing the paint as much as using my fingers. Allow to dry completely. DIY Dog Leash & Treat Sign #ad #ToPetsWithLove
  2. Screw in the hooks and wall hangers. DIY Dog Leash & Treat Sign #ad #ToPetsWithLove
  3. CAREFULLY put a screw through the lined part of the hose clamp and into the wood board. It’s tough getting the screw through the metal, so please use caution. Once it’s attached, add the mason jar into the clamp and tighten the clamp so it’s secure. DIY Dog Leash & Treat Sign #ad #ToPetsWithLove
  4. Hang on the wall, hang your leashes and add your pet’s favorite treats into the jar!

DIY Dog Leash & Treat Sign #ad #ToPetsWithLove

DIY Dog Leash & Treat Sign #ad #ToPetsWithLove

I thought the Beggin’ Strips not only fit perfect into the mason jar, but were the perfect dog treat for after a nice walk. They smell & taste like bacon – because they’re MADE with real bacon! I also need to remember to give my pups a Purina DentaLife treat later today – so much to do!

DIY Dog Leash & Treat Sign #ad #ToPetsWithLove

*Not to be taken as professional veterinary advice. Please consult your veterinarian for recommendations and practices appropriate for your pet.

Don’t forget to include your furry friends during the holidays with the help of Purina! Now through the end of November, grab these great savings on your favorite Purina pet products – available at Kroger – with this Coupons.com link, while supplies last.

DIY Dog Leash & Treat Sign #ad #ToPetsWithLove

What are YOUR favorite Purina pet products?

Filed Under: For the Home, Gift, Gifts, Organization & Cleaning, Pets, Products we Love

How to get More Usable Space in Your Closet

November 14, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

How to get More Usable Space in Your Closet #ad #WinterizeYourClosets

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WinterizeYourClosets #CollectiveBias

As y’all probably know by now, our family’s going to be growing quite a bit soon. Although we don’t have any official announcement for the adoption yet, it’s getting closer and then we’ll be a family of NINE! That means a LOT of stuff needing to be organized, from clothes and shoes to toilet paper and umbrellas. While our closets have a lot of space in them, especially our under stairs, it’s not very usable. So what did we do to make room for our soon-to-be large family? Read on and I’ll tell you how to get more usable space in your closet for any size your family may be!

How to get More Usable Space in Your Closet #ad #WinterizeYourClosets

I was so glad to find the Rubbermaid Storage Planner from Lowes, which meant we could take the time AT HOME, at our own convenience to design our under stairs closet. We couldn’t wait to use the Rubbermaid® FastTrack® system to take this large space that couldn’t be utilized well, and turn it into a great organized spot! Here’s what the closet looked like before…

How to get More Usable Space in Your Closet #ad #WinterizeYourClosets

…and with all the stuff taken out, you can see how much POTENTIAL storage space there is!

How to get More Usable Space in Your Closet #ad #WinterizeYourClosets

We took the measurements and sat down at the computer, building up the shelving system that worked best in our space, and designed how WE wanted. We could visually see on the computer how it would look with certain combinations of shelving and drawers, adjusting it until we got exactly what we wanted. If we hadn’t done this first, we would’ve gotten the edges in one of the images below – but building it visually first allowed us to see if wouldn’t fit in our space. Once we were ready, we printed off the list of items we needed for our system, then went to Lowes and grabbed it all!

How to get More Usable Space in Your Closet #ad #WinterizeYourClosets

How to get More Usable Space in Your Closet #ad #WinterizeYourClosets

Just for reference, the FastTrack system is best for closets like your laundry, linen, pantry or mudroom. They have the Rubbermaid® HomeFree Series™ that’s best for bedroom closets. Be sure to grab whichever is best for YOUR closet. The FastTrack® is super easy to install, and hubby had it done in just a couple hours. Once the rails are up along the top (really fast), you just add the upright bars, then stick on your brackets and shelves as you see fit.

How to get More Usable Space in Your Closet #ad #WinterizeYourClosets

How to get More Usable Space in Your Closet #ad #WinterizeYourClosets

Since you may be storing heaving items on it, you can trust that this shelving system has superior stength, and gives you safe, study storage for things like heavy food containers, soaps, even those heavy trash bag boxes! The fully steel rail and vertical system is adjustable so you can build it the way that works best for your own storage needs. They have varied shelving depths, from 12″-20″ deep, so you can work with spaces of all sizes and needs.

Now here’s what our under stair storage looks like…

How to get More Usable Space in Your Closet #ad #WinterizeYourClosets

Amazing difference, right? We’ve got more than double the stuff, plus plenty more room now that it’s actually USABLE space. Love it!!! Now to decide which closet we’ll do next as we prepare for our growing family 🙂

Which closet would YOU like more usable space in?

Filed Under: Organization & Cleaning, Products we Love

Organization for Kids

April 11, 2020 by Kelly Dedeaux

Organization for kids / Organizing their toys, clothes and more! #ad

I received these products complimentary to facilitate this post. As always, all opinions are mine alone and I’ll only promote products/services I honestly like and recommend.

If your kids’ rooms are anything like mine, there’s stuff jammed everywhere – under beds, crumpled onto shelves, and all over the floor. Our game room is a disaster with all the toys that need a proper place to go! Luckily, I found a few storage units that were PERFECT for my kiddos’ spaces, and now the clutter is a bit more tamed with great organization for kids!

Organization for kids / Organizing their toys, clothes and more! #ad

When the great staff at Hayneedle.com reached out to me, asking if I’d like to pick a few things from their site, I was thrilled! With our growing family, we definitely need to get our clutter under control before we have even more people in here with added stuff. I picked out the below three kid storage solutions – and it was just around $120 total for it all! I was a bit worried about building them, but it was actually super easy and I did all three by myself in about an hour or so!

Organization for kids / Organizing their toys, clothes and more! #ad

I wanted something EXTRA sturdy and lasting for the game room, since those drawers will be used the most and be exposed to all the kids AND our dogs. This Honey Can Do Kids Storage Organizer with 12 plastic bins was just perfect, with different sized buckets that the kids could easily remove and replace as they played. I don’t have to worry about the drawers ripping, either, which is a definite plus with some of their more ‘rough’ toys that could snag on fabric.

Organization for kids / Organizing their toys, clothes and more! #ad

Organization for kids / Organizing their toys, clothes and more! #ad

For the bedrooms, I did want the soft look of the fabric drawers, and felt this was a good choice since they don’t really have toys in their bedrooms anyway. The RiverRidge Sort & Store organizer had 4 drawers, which is great for my boys’ bedroom. The drawers are sturdy despite being fabric, and the kids can each have a drawer for their extra stuffed animals, blanket, or even a few books or something.

Organization for kids / Organizing their toys, clothes and more! #ad

Organization for kids / Organizing their toys, clothes and more! #ad

For my girls’ bedroom we chose a more feminine design in this Altra Furniture 4 Bin Storage Unit, and she loved cutting out photos to fit inside the flowers on each of the drawers (not pictured – she added those afterwards). She’s already stocked the drawers with dolls, crafty supplies and coloring books. The top is nice and sturdy, so she now has some decorations displayed on there.

Organization for kids / Organizing their toys, clothes and more! #ad

It’s been so nice having these organizer for my kids, and between the great price and super easy set-up I plan on getting a few more once our adoption is here! Plus, Hayneedle has so much more than just organizers, such as furniture like beds and tables, wall art, toys, cookware – pretty much anything home oriented you can probably find on the site for affordable prices!

Which organizer from Hayneedle would your kids like best?

Filed Under: Gifts, Organization & Cleaning, Products we Love

Organizing For Your Lifestyle

December 28, 2020 by Kelly Dedeaux

Organizing for Your Lifestyle / genius organization hacks and ideas #ad

I received a copy of Organizing for Your Lifestyle to assist this review. All opinions are mine alone.

Who else functions better when things are organized? I like to believe that because I can still find pretty much everything when it’s a mess, I still don’t function right because it stresses me out. Just knowing it could look much better, cleaner, properly organized nags at the back of my mind. Sometimes I don’t quite know HOW best to organize things, though, so just avoid it altogether rather than get frustrated. In her new book, Organizing For Your Lifestyle, Jane Stoller covers everything from ‘socks to suitcases’ – making it a breeze to get your life simplified and organized!

Organizing for Your Lifestyle / genius organization hacks and ideas #ad

This post has affiliate links that help support this blog at no extra cost to you. See our Disclosure for more info.

As if by ‘grand design’, I first opened Organizing for Your Lifestyle and noticed this rather appropriate chapter: The Science Behind Organization and Stress. Yup, this book was made for me I guess! I love how she covers the factors BEHIND needing to be organized, and why it’s so important.

Organizing for Your Lifestyle / genius organization hacks and ideas #ad

While there’s plenty of rooms in my home that need a proper organizing, the kitchen right now is a total disaster – I wish it looked more like this…

Organizing for Your Lifestyle / genius organization hacks and ideas #ad

…with everything in a proper place, the counters clear enough to…I don’t know…actually prepare food on? Imagine that! 😉

While a few things in the book I already knew, some were screaming at me like ‘See this?! THIS is how to solve that!’ For example, what to hang vs. what to fold. I never know – and since I hate folding, I know I often hang things that I really shouldn’t. Oh, and those items you aren’t sure HOW to fold? Yup, here’s some help.

Organizing for Your Lifestyle / genius organization hacks and ideas #ad

Now, this is something you don’t find in many organization articles or books – TRAVEL! Y’all have probably learned my love of travel by now – but I hate the packing part. Mostly, it’s because I want it as simple as possible, but not knowing the best way to fold or pack or roll really frustrates me. Jane has a whole chapter on it, covering everything I need to not be worrying about my upcoming trip I need to pack pretty smart for. Yay!

Organizing for Your Lifestyle / genius organization hacks and ideas #ad

I highly recommend this book if you want help getting more organized with less stress – especially because it’s FREE with Kindle Unlimited on Amazon, and the price for a paperback copy is really great, too!

What are YOUR best organizing tips? Go grab Organizing for Your Lifestyle and learn some new ones!

Organizing for Your Lifestyle / genius organization hacks and ideas #ad

Filed Under: Organization & Cleaning, Products we Love

Customizable Daily Task Charts for Kids

August 13, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

Customizable Daily Task Charts for Kids / by BusyMomsHelper.com #PGDetailsMatter #IC #ad

This post was sponsored by P&G as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #PGDetailsMatter #IC

We’re in full swing for back to school season – gathering their supplies and clothes, making sure backpacks are still sturdy and hole-free, and preparing ourselves for crazy schedules with homework and extracurriculars. To help not only you, but your kids as well, stay on top of things, here’s some fun free printable Customizable Daily Task Charts for Kids!

Customizable Daily Task Charts for Kids / by BusyMomsHelper.com #PGDetailsMatter #IC #ad

If your kids are like mine, they tend to ‘forget’ what tasks they have – even things they do daily like making their beds! This makes it much easier for them to keep track, having a clear list they can check off – plus you can set specific tasks or chores for each day of the week to divide it out! Make sure you have your favorite P&G Household Needs from Costco on-hand so they have no reason not to get their jobs done.

Customizable Daily Task Charts for Kids / by BusyMomsHelper.com #PGDetailsMatter #IC #ad

My girl is getting much better at handling dishes herself – it helps to have a quality dishwashing liquid like Dawn Platinum Advanced Power! For the stuff we can just clean in the dishwasher, Cascade Complete Action Pacs are at the ready to do their job.

Customizable Daily Task Charts for Kids / by BusyMomsHelper.com #PGDetailsMatter #IC #ad

And y’all know how much we love Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, right? The kids love using those for their cleaning tasks. That’s another great trick to an easier schedule – not only knowing your tasks by using a checklist or something, but also having the right products AND making it fun – especially for kiddos. If we can have a good time while we clean, rocking out to music, plus only have a few each day, it makes life a whole lot better (and cleaner!).

Customizable Daily Task Charts for Kids / by BusyMomsHelper.com #PGDetailsMatter #IC #ad

We use to save all of our household cleaning and chores for Saturdays, but then it took up a big chunk of their ‘free play day’. Now that we divide the chores over the course of the week, it’s much less at a time and leaves them more free for getting their wiggles out!

Customizable Daily Task Charts for Kids / by BusyMomsHelper.com #PGDetailsMatter #IC #ad

Note: These charts print best on an 8.5×11 sheet, and there’s two days on each page.

Download the Charts for Kids: Monday/Tuesday, Wednesday/Thursday, Friday/Saturday, Sunday/Saturday

Now that you’ve got your charts, head out to Costco to stock up on your Procter & Gamble household needs products like Dawn Platinum Advanced, Cascade Action Pacs or Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. You’ll be one step closer to a less stressful school year – with possibly a cleaner house!

Filed Under: Organization & Cleaning, Printable, Products we Love

2017 Planner

August 26, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

2016-2017 Planners / 2017 Planners / Printable Download or Printed & Spiral Bound / Home Management and Life Planner #ad

Many of you requested that we bring back our most popular planner design from a couple years ago – so we did! This is still one of my personal favorites, too – the bright colors, organized layouts and helpful lists make it ideal for time management or task planning. So without further ado, here’s our 2016-2017 Planner! Also available in just 2017.

2016-2017 Planners / 2017 Planners / Printable Download or Printed & Spiral Bound / Home Management and Life Planner #ad

Contains purchase/affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more info.

2017 Planner: PDF Download Only $2.99!

  • Goes from January through December 2017
  • 140 Pages, plus front and back cover
  • Download comes with all 4 cover options included
  • Full-color
  • 2-page spread with ALL months (in mini form) from 2016 and 2017
  • 2 pages NOTES after mini months
  • Then the monthly and weekly spreads
  • Weekly spreads: days divided into morning, afternoon & evening for easy planning. Also spots for menu, chores and daily notes
  • 4 more pages of Notes at the end

Printable 2016-2017 Planner in bright colors / Also available: Printable 2017 Planner in bright colors (ad)

2016-2017 Planners / 2017 Planners / Printable Download or Printed & Spiral Bound / Home Management and Life Planner #ad

2016-2017 Planners / 2017 Planners / Printable Download or Printed & Spiral Bound / Home Management and Life Planner #ad

2016-2017 Planners / 2017 Planners / Printable Download or Printed & Spiral Bound / Home Management and Life Planner #ad

2016-2017 Planners / 2017 Planners / Printable Download or Printed & Spiral Bound / Home Management and Life Planner #ad

2016-2017 Planners / 2017 Planners / Printable Download or Printed & Spiral Bound / Home Management and Life Planner #ad

2016-2017 Planners / 2017 Planners / Printable Download or Printed & Spiral Bound / Home Management and Life Planner #ad

2016-2017 Planners / 2017 Planners / Printable Download or Printed & Spiral Bound / Home Management and Life Planner #ad

2016-2017 Planners / 2017 Planners / Printable Download or Printed & Spiral Bound / Home Management and Life Planner #ad

FULL download is just $2.99!

2017 Planner here

BUT – if you subscribe to our newsletter (you can find the link at the bottom of this post if you haven’t signed up already),  you get a code for an extra $1 off! Yup, I love you, too 😀 Here we go with the planners (clicking on the product links below will take you to a Gumroad, a secure site, to finish the purchase)

2017 Planner Download

2016-2017 Planners / 2017 Planners / Printable Download or Printed & Spiral Bound / Home Management and Life Planner #ad

Check out our other fun products here – meal plans, Disney books and more!

Filed Under: For the Home, Organization & Cleaning, Printable, Products we Love, Time Management

Join me at The Pinners Conference

June 30, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

The Pinners Conference / September 9th & 10th 2016 in Arlington Texas / BusyMomsHelper.com / use promo code: BUSYMOM for 10% off your ticket! (affiliate)

I’ll be presenting a class during The Pinners Conference – as such, I receive an affiliate rate when you use my code to purchase a class/ticket. You also receive a 10% discount using it, so it’s a win-win situation!

Do you love Pinterest? Have you always wanted to sit down in a class to learn some of the amazing crafts, recipes, finance tips, shopping ideas, style tutorials and more? Then you’ve GOT to Join me at The Pinners Conference on September 9th & 10th in Arlington, Texas!

The Pinners Conference / September 9th & 10th 2016 in Arlington Texas / BusyMomsHelper.com / use promo code: BUSYMOM for 10% off your ticket! (affiliate)

There’s SO MANY great classes being offered – you can check them out here. I’ll be teaching on Easy Meal Plans on a Budget! Check out my little bio on the site…..I feel all ‘professional’ looking at it 😉

The Pinners Conference / September 9th & 10th 2016 in Arlington Texas / BusyMomsHelper.com / use promo code: BUSYMOM for 10% off your ticket! (affiliate)

Be sure to use Promo Code: BUSYMOM for 10% off your ticket!

Some other great ones are:

  • Natural Beauty From the Kitchen – by Amy Greene
  • Simple Science Experiments for Kids – by Rachel Miller
  • How To Create A Family Budget – by Carrie Elle Lindsey
  • Get Ready for your Trip to Disney – by Shannon Schmid & Autumn Reo
  • Watercolor Techniques with Markers – by Jennie Garcia
  • Creating Really Awesome, Free, Kids Crafts – by Jamie Dorobek
  • Upcycled DIY Succulent & Herb Terrariums – by Randi Dukes
  • #HASHTAG Tote Bags – by Samantha Conner
  • Crafting with Crap LIVE (and Interactive)! – by Holly Homer & Jamie Harrington
  • Kid Cooking Made Easy – by Toria & Juian Frederick
  • Easy Recipes for Busy Families – by Crystal Van Tassel-Lopez

And so many more!!! Party planning, home decor, money saving, hair styles, fun crafts, yummy and easy recipes, parenting or kid activities – seriously, there’s something (or a FEW somethings) for everyone! I can’t wait!!!

The Pinners Conference / September 9th & 10th 2016 in Arlington Texas / BusyMomsHelper.com / use promo code: BUSYMOM for 10% off your ticket! (affiliate)

Head over HERE and use Promo Code: BUSYMOM to save 10% on your ticket – then join in the fun with us September 9th & 10th at The Pinners Conference!

Filed Under: Finance, For the Home, Health & Fitness, Holidays, Organization & Cleaning

Be Company Ready Even When You HATE Cleaning

July 2, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

Be Company Ready Even When You HATE Cleaning / by BusyMomsHelper.com #ad #PGDetailsMatter #IC

This post was sponsored by P&G as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I received complimentary products to facilitate my review. #PGDetailsMatter

Does anyone here actually LIKE cleaning their house? I sure don’t – but I also don’t want a dirty home. I want it to look and smell nice. I also HATE that rush before company comes (or worry that occurs with unexpected company showing up) to get everything fresh. Luckily, there’s some great ways to just spend a few minutes to Be Company Read Even When You HATE Cleaning, and a few tricks to keeping it that way all week long!

Be Company Ready Even When You HATE Cleaning / by BusyMomsHelper.com #ad #PGDetailsMatter #IC

I have 4 active kids and 2 big dogs. That means a LOT of sweaty clothes, bedding, even couches! This brings a whole new challenge to cleaning because sometimes even if it IS clean, it doesn’t smell that way. If I can incorporate a few things that REALLY  make a difference to things looking AND smelling clean, then I’m all on board! While this stuff works all year long, with summer often comes company – family visits, friends in town, whatever. Time to bring that clean level up just a notch or two, right? Better swing by Costco to grab the P&G Household Needs products to help.

Be Company Ready Even When You HATE Cleaning / by BusyMomsHelper.com #ad #PGDetailsMatter #IC

Isn’t my little helper adorable? He helped me get all stocked up – we have company coming for about half the month, so I don’t want to run out of anything!

Tip #1: Keep Supplies Stocked Up – Especially Essentials

In a family as big as ours, we definitely don’t want to be in a shortage of toilet paper – add in more company, and I better be ready. We keep our extra Charmin Ultra Soft fully stocked in every bathroom (we have four) – whether we use under cabinets or in our DIY Toilet Paper Holders. Then some extra packs go under our stairs, just in case.

Be Company Ready Even When You HATE Cleaning / by BusyMomsHelper.com #ad #PGDetailsMatter #IC

Tip #2: Give Surfaces a Good Wipe Down

While paper towels have about a zillion uses, when we’re in a hurry to clean I just give my kiddos some Bounty Advanced sheets and have them wipe down all the surfaces really well. Our piano that shows every spec of dust, counters, stair railings – it all gets wiped down nicely.

Be Company Ready Even When You HATE Cleaning / by BusyMomsHelper.com #ad #PGDetailsMatter #IC

Tip #3: Keep Things Smelling Fresh

Remember how I mentioned a bunch of active kids PLUS dogs? Ya, it can get a little musty smelling in our house. Yuck! I use Febreze Air Effects so often, my kids now will say ‘Mom, can you spray that stuff on the couch, it smells like the dogs’ or the same thing about their beds after a hot night. Or they call it the ‘flower bottle’ 🙂 Either way, I use it to help with our couches, beds, the playroom, and keep a bottle in each bathroom – just in case.

Be Company Ready Even When You HATE Cleaning / by BusyMomsHelper.com #ad #PGDetailsMatter #IC

This was also a HUGE help last week – we got a new couch from a yard sale. We’d been needing a bigger one to fit our whole family, but didn’t have the budget for any we could find – until this one. $100 for a HUGE sectional that fills up our media room. SCORE! The bad part – it smelled like old people. I’m sorry, but that’s the best way I can describe it! I gave it a good spray, and it’s already so much better.

Be Company Ready Even When You HATE Cleaning / by BusyMomsHelper.com #ad #PGDetailsMatter #IC

Tip #3: Get Laundry Clean AND Smelling Great

Maybe it’s a boy thing, but sometimes (especially when they’ve been out in the hot weather playing) I wash their clothes and they STILL have a little sweat smell on them. Same with their bedding – what gives?! I’ve started using Downy Unstopables to get and keep our clothing, towels and bedding fresh. Be sure to follow the directions on the bottle and put them in the drum of the washing machine before the clothes. This has also been a HUGE help when washing the dog bedding and pillows!

Be Company Ready Even When You HATE Cleaning / by BusyMomsHelper.com #ad #PGDetailsMatter #IC

These are just a few of the things that allow me to keep my house looking and smelling amazing – even though I hate cleaning and don’t spend a ton of time! When our company comes soon, it won’t be a mad dash getting things cleaned up, since it’s just a normal thing. Yay for easy cleaning!!!

Be Company Ready Even When You HATE Cleaning / by BusyMomsHelper.com #ad #PGDetailsMatter #IC

Filed Under: Organization & Cleaning, Products we Love, Time Management Tagged With: Costco, P&G, sponsored

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The Most Helpful Printables EVER for busy families! Nab just a mini set of your favorites, or get the whole pack! Practically every printable a busy family could use - over 70 pages PLUS two BONUS items! Help get organized with categories like: Money, Scheduling/Time Management, Kitchen/Meal Planning, Security & Home Management, as well as Trip Planning! #printables #busymom #busyparents #busyfamily #busyfamilies #printableset #parenting #moms #money #homemanagement #timemanagement
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