How to Win the Bed-Making Fight

September 8, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

I received a free Zipit Bedding to facilitate this review. All opinions are entirely my own. The Zipit Bedding®, information, and giveaway have been provided by Ontel.

Since school’s back in session, I know y’all have heard me say many times how much I dread the morning hassle. Early school means rushing through breakfast, getting kids dressed, teeth brushed, beds made and everything else. Luckily I now have a great way to Win the Bed-Making Fight! Oh – PLUS a giveaway – Woot woot!

Do your kids hate making their beds? Mine sure do – either that, or they LOVE doing it one day, which results in 30 minutes of messing with blankets until I feel like I’ll pull my hair out. I don’t want to do it FOR them, though – they need to learn! I was a bit skeptical when I heard about Zipit Bedding®, because I wasn’t sure how comfy it would be for them, the struggling with it during the night, or the ease of putting it on and off the bed when it’s laundry time.

I was pleasantly surprised, though, and actually really love it! It basically is a fitted sheet you put on the bed – then the comforter zippers on BOTH sides. It’s open on the bottom, probably for air flow and comfort – which I think is ideal.

Hulk was super excited about the designs – we chose the Extreme Sports set. There’s plenty to choose from though, such as Outer Space, Rock Princess, or even just classic colors! Their also reversible so you can switch things up easily!

Another nifty feature is the zipper pocket at the top – keep a diary, flashlight, or whatever in there for the kiddos.

It’s now SO MUCH EASIER when it’s time to make their beds! Anything that saves us time and fights in the morning is a HUGE blessing, as I’m sure you other busy mama’s understand!

More info on Zipit Bedding®:

· It is the perfect gift for kids ages 3+ and teens who dislike making their bed

· Zipit Bedding® comes in stylish, reversible styles for both girls and boys

· It glows in the dark

· In addition to fitting standard beds, Zipit Bedding® is perfect for traveling and sleepaway camps

o Fits hard-to-make bunk beds, trundle beds, air mattresses and more

· It is available in two convenient sizes:

o Twin size- SRP: $59.99

o Full/Queen size- SRP: $79.99 (currently only available online)

· Zipit Bedding® is machine washable

Ready to win a twin-sized Zipit Bedding®?

The Zipit Bedding®, information, and giveaway have been provided by Ontel. Available to U.S. Residents only. Will be shipped by company.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Which Zipit Bedding® set would YOUR kid like most?

Free Printable 2016 Planner Half-Sized Version

August 30, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

Are y’all ready for some super exciting news? We (finally) were able to make another version of our fabulous 2015-2016 Planner for you! Many of you requested it come in a smaller size – so after much trial and error on our part to get it sized down and easily printable, I’m thrilled to share it with you today! So without further ado – our Free Printable 2016 Planner Half-Sized Version!

Check out our newest planner HERE for 2016-2017, or just 2017!

A few VERY IMPORTANT things about this – PAY ATTENTION!!!

It is designed so it can be printed BACK AND FRONT, saving you paper. However, to set it up like this it looks VERY out of order – because it is for normal printing. BUT – when you print it back to front onto 8.5×11 size paper, it will be facing exactly how it should for you to bind it down the middle into the perfect planner/booklet!
We found that on home printers, there are margins that come up, no matter what we tried to change. So I highly recommend taking it to a professional printer like Staples or somewhere and having them print it without margins. If you DO want to print it at home, be sure to set it to FIT instead of ACTUAL SIZE/100% or some will get cut off due to margin stuff. Then just trim off the white around the edges and staple/bind as desired!
I know this may not be the EXACT size you were wanting, specifically. I received MANY requests for all sorts of custom, smaller sized – I’m very very sorry, but as much as I’d love to make everyone happy, it’s just not realistic. This one version took several days of work and frustration – and I’m giving it to you for FREE. So please forgive if it’s not 100% perfect.

Download Here – AFTER reading the above IMPORTANT Notes, please!

Still just want the full 8.5×11 size planner? Grab it HERE!

Other printables to help you get organized!

Cincinnati, Ohio & Swiffer Ambassador Event

August 15, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

As part of the Swiffer Ambassador Program, this trip was provided at no cost to me. All opinions are my own. #SwifferFanatic #RealCleanRealFast

I had no idea what to expect this past week on this trip to Cincinnati, Ohio & Swiffer Ambassador Event! Was it going to be full of classes and note-taking? Just networking with the other ambassadors? I was thrilled that it was a great mix of everything, plus plenty of happy surprises!

I’ll admit, I was nervous when I learned we were going to visit Cincinnati – what in the world could be awesome about that city? I really loved it, though, especially as we got a private tour all around to learn more about it and see some truly beautiful sites! I really enjoyed the combination of old and new – from monuments and parks, performance centers (music is HUGE here) and museums, to a vast variety of down-right amazing food options.

I especially loved Fountain Park – here’s a ‘by day’ and ‘by night’ picture. At night it changes colors and is really beautiful. On Tuesday night me and fellow bloggers Our Three Peas and The Ugly Duckling House enjoyed the patio of a pub in the square and listened to the music they had playing. The weather was even perfect!

The Ohio river runs right through and had amazing views – lots of greenery and bright blue skies to offset the huge buildings of the city.

They roomed us at the 21C Museum Hotel in Cincinnati, and at first I thought the idea of having a museum mixed with hotel was awkward – but ended up really loving it. The staff was AMAZING – and that’s no exaggeration! So helpful, knowledgeable about the area, and really wanted to just be happy and make your day better. The rooms were impressive – with a GINORMOUS bed all to myself. I could lay ‘starfish’ on it and not quite touch any edges. Plenty of desk space for working, and artistic touches throughout – like the random tiles with things like a nose, ear, or mouth in the bathroom. I told hubby I’d love to bring him here.

Wondering about the large yellow penguins? The hotel has TONS of them all over, and people have fun moving them around. Some days I was greeted by one outside my hotel room, another day I enjoyed an elevator ride with the fun companion. The art museum, open 24 hours, was fun – my favorite was the ‘healing tiles’, shown in this photo near the bottom. The ’tiles’ spread as you walk across, then heal back to how they were.

Y’all know I love good food – like a LOT! The Swiffer team didn’t disappoint, treating us to beautiful views and tasty offerings at the Montgomery Inn Boathouse the first night – with a beautiful view with a RAINBOW after a slight downpour.

For dinner our last night, they really spoiled us by going to the highest ranking steakhouse in Ohio – Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse! Even if I didn’t already want to return for more site-seeing and such of Cincinnati, this restaurant was enough to bring me back. Such a beautiful, elegant atmosphere with top-knotch, attentive staff and AMAZING food – seriously, I can’t praise the deliciousness enough! Their prices are higher than I’d normally spend – but if you can, maybe for a special occasion or something – it’s totally worth it. My mouth is watering just remembering the filet mignon I enjoyed.

During the ambassador event, we got a personal tour of the P&G (Proctor & Gamble, if you weren’t sure) archives – I had no idea the history of this great company, or the neat ways one little change or discovering led to many other products we use today. Starting as a small candle and soap company and growing into this HUGE empire just blows me away! And yes, those heads of Proctor and Gamble are made of wax 🙂 And did you know they invented soap operas – it was a way to advertise their soaps!

At P&G headquarters, we learned a lot of the science behind the Swiffer products – what makes them work so well, changes they’ve made over the years to really make them the best on the market, and even did a couple ‘science experiments’ testing them out! At home my hubby was trying out the Swiffer Sweeper against our dogs’ hair problem – it definitely works to attract it well, as you can see!

I’m so glad I was selected to be a Swiffer Ambassador and attend this fun trip – and look forward to sharing my love of Swiffer and many more fun things with y’all over the coming year!

More fun with Swiffer!

Free Printable 2015-2016 Planner

August 3, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

For those of you who’ve been patiently waiting for our newest planner, thank you! We worked really hard on getting this one just right, and love the fabulous design, clean layout and many useful pages. Get your life in order with our Free Printable 2015-2016 Planner today!

Check out our newest planner HERE for 2016-2017, or just 2017!

We tried to incorporate the best feedback from our last year’s planner into this new version, and kept the design fun and colorful, yet simple and clean. The cover has a nice, white space for you to add your name, a title, business name or whatever you want – heck, leave it blank if that’s what you prefer!

Inside the cover page (so starting on the left page) is a left-and-right spread of the 2015 and 2016 Years at a Glance. I like to highlight holidays and birthdays, just so as I’m really quick skimming that page I can see important things.

After those pages we begin our months – a left-and-right spread of the monthly calendar, then each week in that month fits on it’s own 2-page spread for the next four or five pages. On the Monthly Spreads we even included a different quote for each – giving some inspiration as you handle your planning! Of course, on the monthly planner pages we kept a section for notes, as well as the previous and following months ‘at a glance’.

The weekly was fun – and due to your wonderfully helpful feedback, we made sure to have plenty of white space for writing, and for doodles! On the left page is the month/year along the edge, then the week going down the page in rows with the date on the right side of the rows – complete with a place for Notes at the bottom. The right page is for the Weekly Menu, shopping list, and even more space for notes.

After the month/week spreads that take us from August 2015 through December 2016, there’s a 2-page spread for Contacts. Spots for name, address, phone and email on a clean and easy-to-read page!

The very last page is for Birthday & Important Dates. I don’t know about you, but I definitely can’t remember all that throughout the year! This will help keep dates organized!

The total page count for this is 188 single pages – printing them double-sided helps bring that down to 94 😀 The size is currently 8.5×11 – we also have a smaller version HERE for those that want to carry it around in your purse! Now go print this off, bind it as you wish, and start getting your life planned – perhaps adding a Disney vacation on the calendar while you’re at it (affiliate link – use Promo Code: BMH15 for $10 off your vacation package)!

Download our Free Printable 2015-2016 Planner Here

Go HERE for our smaller version!

Get Your Bathroom Guest Ready in 15 Minutes or Less

June 28, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Charmin. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for my participation. All content and thoughts are my own. #TweetFromTheSeat

Summertime can often mean guests. Whether it’s planned in advance or last minute, I hate spending forever getting ready – but definitely want my house to appear decent. Here’s how you can Get Your Bathroom Guest Ready in 15 Minutes or Less.

Now, if you’re a total clean-freak (not a bad thing) or perfectionist, this probably isn’t for you – this is how I make my bathroom look clean and ready for my guests without much time at all!

4 Minutes

Clear off the entire sink and counter area – place any non-essentials and clutter in a box to put away, keeping out only what you want out for your guests. Items may include toothbrush holders, toothpaste and floss, hand soap certainly, etc. Clean the mirror, counter and sink well but quickly. Replace the few items you want available for guests.

5 Minutes

Scrub inside the toilet, and wipe all around it. Make sure you’re stocked up on Charmin toilet paper – and it’s always nice to have it facing the way most people prefer 🙂

I use Charmin because of it’s clog-free guarantee. I want my plumbing running smoothly so I can enjoy summer get-togethers without worrying how many people are using my toilet!

3 Minutes

This may just be me who likes this clean – but wipe down your baseboards really quick. Having those dust and dirt free goes a long way to having your entire bathroom feel clean! Don’t forget to take out the trash!

2 Minutes

Quickly sweep – if you choose to. If your floor looks fine, I’d say don’t worry about it!

1 Minute

Add your final touches – a clean hand towel, air freshener (as much for their benefit as yours), and perhaps a little something decorative for a pop of ‘color’.

Find other tips and ideas at Facebook.com/Charmin.

Summer Camp Safety

June 4, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Mabel’s Labels. I received a voucher to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation. #ICCAMPMABEL #IC

I don’t know about you, but summer seems to be even busier than the school year! There’s swim lessons, vacations, pool parties, summer camps and more. I may lose my mind, but at least I won’t lose our stuff! Find out how I keep track of it, plus other Summer Camp Safety Tips!

Tip #1: Be Prepared with First Aid Essentials

Keep a container with all of your ’emergency’ essentials such as band-aids, medicines, inhalers for asthma, prescriptions, burn cream, wipes, etc. We keep one in each vehicle, then I have one I can toss in a bag if we’re going somewhere else, like our flight to visit family later this month. If a scrape happens, you can take care of it right then. If your car breaks down and your child has an asthma attack, you’re covered. The best thing you can do for first aid is Be Prepared.

Tip #2: Don’t Let Your Stuff Get Lost

Has your kid (or you) lost items at a summer camp before? Or while on vacation, or a road trip? It’s easy to mix items up, then people aren’t sure who’s is who’s. This can be especially tricky if you’ve got multiple children…or twins like me! We love using Mabel’s Labels to easily mark our stuff. I even have our phone number on some of our labels – if an item is lost, the finder can call to return it. Or even better – if my child gets lost (hasn’t happened yet, but it could), they can find a responsible person and have them call my number on their shoe or shirt! It’s hidden inside, so not visable for just anyone.

I love how the labels survive even in my kids’ well-worn shoes! Medicine is clearly labeled, as are their snacks or whatever else we need! Please excuse that I marked off our phone number for these images 🙂

You can grab a Limited Edition Camp Label Pack from Mabel’s Labels by visiting their site and customizing with names, phone numbers, and even select from a fun assortment of little images! Since we have a lot of flying going on this year, I chose the airplane…plus my kids love it! The pack includes all sorts of things, such as these tags…

….and all of this!

Don’t worry, the labels are laundry, dishwasher AND microwave-safe, plus they offer a 100% guarantee! And you can save some money! Yup, Mabel’s is offering a chance to get 15-50% off coupons, or free items! Just sign up for their newsletter and complete one additional social share – then go to their site to see which discount you received! This opportunity closes June 22, 2015.

Mabels Labels Camp Combo

Tip #3: Don’t Over-schedule Yourselves

Like I said before, summer seems to be extremely busy with everything going on. You don’t want to be TOO busy, though, that you can’t enjoy everything! More accidents or issues arise if you’re overly tired, hurried and don’t get any downtime. So try to make that a priority along with your fun activities!

Tip #4: Get Recommendations

Before signing up with a certain swim school or booking your child for a week at a great camp, ask people who have chosen those specific ones before. You want your children to be well cared for, safe, plus have a wonderful experience. I’ve almost put my kids into classes without checking, then found out some not-so-good things about the company or program, so had to change my plans.

Tip #5: Enjoy Your Summer!

Make sure you have fun this summer – whether it’s travelling or staying at home. You only get so many summers with your kids before they’re all grown up, so make the most of it (without over-scheduling, of course)!

Hunky Man vs. Wet Dog Smells

May 11, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

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

Men really stink. Not all of the time, but dang can they really get to the point where, as much as you love them, you do NOT want to hug them at the moment! Whether it’s from doing yard work in the hot sun, camping with the guys, working on the car or my hubby’s worst: bathing the dogs – guys have the potential to go from ‘Mmmmmm’ to ‘Ewwwww’ pretty quick! Here’s our secret weapon for winning the Hunky Man vs. Wet Dog Smells fight! And don’t miss this hilarious video that I still can’t believe Hubby let me share with you!

At first I was going to make a video of Hubby mowing our yard, bandanna tied around his forehead to keep the sweat out of his eyes – after all, he does get pretty smelly after that! After some thought, though, I realized that it would be MUCH more hilarious to share in his ‘adventures’ of bathing our two 50-65 pound labs….who hate bathtime!

Yup, quite the adventure – I almost dropped the phone when Tula hopped out of the tub mid-bath! Even Hubby agrees he really stinks like wet dog when it’s over, but handles it like a champ – with our secret weapon!

I love the smell of these Irish Spring Signature products, and their new MAN SIZED body bars are perfect for really getting my man smelling like his sexy self! Since the weather’s been changing and his skin is getting a bit more dry, he really likes that the hydrating body wash has Shea Butter extract to keep him moisturized – yes, even men love to be moisturized!

Walmart has both of them right down the body wash aisle…

What’s as good as, or better, than a great smelling guy? Saving money! Purchase one of the new Irish Spring Signature products and get $5 off a VUDU purchase! Take a picture of your receipt and then go to http://cbi.as/3boj to upload your receipt. Next step, enjoy watching!

What’s your guy’s secret weapon to going from stink to hunky sexy man smell?

The Vacuum that Saved my Dogs & a Peanut Butter Dog Treat Recipe

May 4, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

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

Are you a dog person or a cat person? Us, we’re totally dog people! We have two fabulous pups in our family….Kita (black lab mix) and Tula (lab/retriever)….who we love like crazy. That being said, there’s days when they drive me so crazy I fantasize about locking them out back and ignoring their whimpers as they press against our back door, drool dripping down the glass. Luckily, they’re cute and lovable, and come with some hilarious stories – like about The Vacuum that Saved my Dogs! Plus – a tasty Peanut Butter Dog Treat Recipe!

Dogs shed. Yes, I know that’s common knowledge, or should be – but our retriever mix sheds A LOT! We sweep daily and our wood floors still look like they’re growing a layer of fur. Our carpets have no black and grey in them, but they sure look like those colors are mixed in with all the dog hairs!

I’ll admit, it’s gotten so bad I’ve been tempted to find a new home for Tula…I don’t know if I ever really could, but the thought’s crossed my mind when I’m vacuuming and sweeping like crazy. Lucky for her, though, we got the Eureka Brushroll Clean™ with SuctionSeal® and it’s AMAZING! You can actually TELL when we vacuum by the visible difference…..

Please don’t report me to sanitation services, but I’m going to show you the difference it made on the hair-covered stairs:

Yes, we vacuum regularly – but our old vacuum obviously wasn’t doing a very good job! We wanted to test it out so we went 1 week without vacuuming, then went over our entire upstairs (loft, 3 bedrooms and a little hallway and landing area) with our old vacuum. Wait another week (during this time get the new Eureka Brushroll Clean™ with SuctionSeal®) and try our new one. Here’s the difference of what it collected….

Yuck, right?! The one on the left is, of course, the new and our old crappy vacuum is on the right. What a difference! We didn’t do anything different between the 2 weeks (except waiting that long to vacuum, which I swear isn’t normal). And guess what? The plate on the left, done with our new vacuum, isn’t even from the entire upstairs – just the loft! We couldn’t fit anymore. Yup, this is going to save my dogs for sure – and probably my sanity, as well!

The reason it works so well must be the new SuctionSeal® and Airspeed® Technologies! It makes sure the airflow is concentrated where you need it – flowing through the vacuum – not getting lost on the sides. The SuctionSeal® is noticeably powerful on both carpets and bare floors – the Brushroll even is on for deep cleaning carpets, but turns off for regular floors, allowing the great suction to do the work, preventing all the dirt and junk from just getting scattered! Check out it’s power on our fur-covered wood floors:

And did you know that the self-cleaning Brushroll technology takes just a press of the button, and it quickly removes dirt, debris and all that tangled mess from the rollers in like 10-15 seconds. We did this several times while vacuuming, and were blown away by how well it worked!

The pull-out cord is another life-saver…of my children! I hate when you’re vacuuming, and they think it’s a game to jump ‘over’ the cord. Of course they end up missing sometimes so you get jerked back suddenly. Argh! With this one you can just pull out more cord as you go, so you don’t have tons to hassle with. Love it!

You can grab these at Walmart. In fact, we were there Saturday and when the kids saw it they’re like ‘that’s Mommy’s new vacuum! The one that works!’ Yup, even the kids know how awesome it is. Now instead of getting frustrated with the ‘mini-dogs’ of fluff all over my house, I’m back to just being happy with my dogs and making them treats!

Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Ingredients

1 cup Flour (all-purpose, whole wheat or coconut)
1 cup Peanut butter
4 Eggs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Spray or line a baking sheet, set aside.
Mix the 3 ingredients together until well-combined. Scoop into 1″ balls, then place on the prepared baking sheet and press down slightly.
Bake for 17-20 minutes. Allow to cool, store in the refrigerator.

Our dogs LOVE these treats! Look at the photo on the far right….Kita is licking her chops when she sees Tula getting one of the cookies!

It’s hilarious that this vacuum does amazing at cleaning up after all the dirt and dog hair in our carpets – yet the dogs think it’s a monster! Check out Kita in the pics below, staying just a couple feet away as Hubby vacuums. Every now and then she’ll lunge for it….she’s such a nut!

What area of YOUR house would benefit the most from the Eureka Brushroll Clean™ with SuctionSeal®?

Eureka #CleaningUntangled Sweeps!

Ideas for Chores While Travelling

April 27, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

Our family LOVES to travel, even if we don’t get to do it very often right now. One thing we learned while our kids were really young is that we really let go as far as chores and teaching responsibilities while we’re gone – which isn’t bad, we are on vacation after all! But we decided we like keeping them in the habit, and it makes for a happier vacation when we’re all pitching in. Since it’s different than when you’re at home, what they can do changes – so I made a list of some awesome Ideas for Chores While Travelling to help you out!

Chore Ideas

1. Packing: let your kids help you pack up their things, if possible. This will not only help them get excited, but also teach them good ways to pack (or not to pack), folding, and more.

2. Shopping: if you’re purchasing food for your vacation, either before or while you’re there, let them help you make the grocery list and complete the purchases. One bonus to this is they may be less picky with the menu if they feel they helped make it!

I’m sharing the rest of my tips (numbers 3-10) today on Cleaning As A Family so be sure to head over and check them out! Plus plenty of fun photos of my kiddos actually DOING some of the ideas 😀 I sure love when they help out, especially when they’re HAPPY about it!

What are some chores YOU have your kids do while on vacation?

DIY Dish Display Cabinet

April 14, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

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

Practically everyone I talk to has some ‘special’ dishes. Some fine china, heirloom pieces or just some that are fantastically beautiful. For me, I have ‘fancy’ ones that I use for my blogging…you see them here often with my recipes, and even with crafts on occasion! Now I can show them off with this DIY Dish Display Cabinet!

Until now, I’ve been storing them all crowded in a shelf up in my craft room. It’s frustrating trying to go through them to decide which I want to use when they’re stacked all sloppily! So I made a couple of these awesome cabinets (with major help from Hubby) and now I can see everything perfectly…plus they’re less likely to bump each other and chip. Woot woot!

This only took us a few hours (plus drying time), and was friendly to our budget. You can switch up the sizes/shapes as you want, so I’m not including measurements – just the overall ‘how to’.

Supplies

Thin wood plank for backing
4 Wood boards for sides (together should frame your back piece)
Boards for shelves
Dowels/posts for railings
Nail/staple gun
Sand paper, if needed
Measuring tape
Hot glue/gun or wood glue
Paint of choice (I used spray paint)

Directions

Make sure your 4 outside boards are cut to the appropriate sizes, then use a nail/staple gun to secure the corners together.
If there’s some rough edges, use sand paper to smooth them out.
Secure the backing with your nail/staple gun.
Measure the height you want your shelves, then cut them to size and nail/staple them securely into place.
Using your hot glue gun (or wood glue), secure your dowels where you want them.
Paint as desired.

That’s it! It didn’t take long at all (other than having to run back to the store because I bought the wrong size of nails…ugh!) and now all my dishes have their place!

Since I use my dishes for photos, I want them as sparkly and smudge-free as possible, right? I love that Finish® Max in One™ tablets do the job right, and leave them picture-ready at any time! You can grab them at Target next time you’re there…

If you like watching your spending like I do, be sure to take advantage of the Target Cartwheel offer! Save 5% on NEW! Max in ONE & Quantum Max Small Size 3/29-4/25!

Ready for an awesome giveaway? You could win 1 of 4 FABULOUS prizes, along with a Gift Card to purchase Finish® at Target! Winners must be 18+.

Grand Prize: Riedel Swirl Decanter and Wine Glasses ($51.99 value) and a $100 Target Gift Card
Prize 2: Libbey Bar In a Box ($39.99 value) and a $75 Target Gift Card
Prize 3: Riedel Champagne Flutes ($39.99 value) and a $50 Target Gift Card
Prize 4: Libbey Frosted Glass 20 Piece Dinnerware Set ($29.99 value) and a $25 Target Gift Card

Finish #ShineAndProtect Giveaway!

The Many Messes of Motherhood

March 16, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

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

You never hear people say that motherhood is a CLEAN job, right? Between the disaster in the playroom, the mass of laundry piles on the bed and floors needing to be swept, we’ve got our hands full! Luckily spring cleaning just got easier, and we can easily tackle The Many Messes of Motherhood!

When do you usually start your spring cleaning? Me, it really depends on what’s going on! Sometimes it’s March, other times I don’t really care much until June. I know, not very on-the-ball, but I’m okay with that!

I think with spring comes more messes for our KIDS, too…they’re playing outside in the dirt/mud more, eating more popsicles and ice cream, and all the other things that make their faces and hands disaster areas. I’m getting ready by stocking up on PURELL® Hand Sanitizing Wipes to kick-off the season! Just grab a bunch at Walmart….in the Household Cleaning Aisle.

What’s extra nice is that you can save $1.00 on any PURELL® Hand Sanitizing Wipes canister or $1.00 on any two PURELL® Products. They even have a loyalty program on their site, so take advantage of that! You never know when you’ll need some…

I love that the PURELL® Hand Sanitizing Wipes can wipe out germs, helping us avoid all the sickies and other germs going around. We were sick plenty this past winter, I definitely want to kick-off spring feeling top shape! I’m glad that they give you options, also, one of which being the Fragrance-Free. Superman has such sensitive skin, and this is wonderful at cleaning without any dryness or anything for him.

Just like the PURELL Advanced Hand Sanitizer (gel), the wipes are proven to reduce the transmission of germs in our home, which is a huge relief to me. My kids try hard to wash their hands well enough with soap and water, but just don’t always quite get it, so I just keep these on-hand for them to grab. I also toss a container in our vehicles for on-the-go messes…which happen far too often!

What ways are YOU preparing for some spring cleaning?

Tips for Tackling the Laundry Monster

March 15, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

This post is sponsored by NEW Persil® ProClean^TMdetergents, but all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

I hate doing laundry. Like, REALLY hate doing laundry! Would I prefer it to scrubbing toilets? Well, yes….but I don’t have to do that every day. Laundry, on the other hand, NEVER seems to be done! It’s like a massive heap of clothing that just builds up, occasionally dispersing into drawers or closets, only to reemerge dirty once again. To help us all with this chaos, here’s some Tips for Tackling the Laundry Monster!

Have you ever read that book called the ‘Block Mess Monster’? That’s how I feel about laundry…it’s literally a messy MONSTER that’s taking over a big section of my bedroom floor, covered with baskets filled with clothes. I finally get them all cleaned and put away…then realize there’s just more loads to do again. Seriously, it’s awful and I avoid it way more than I responsibly should!

With a lot of blogging meetings and such lately, I want my clothes actually CLEAN….as in LOOKING clean as well as BEING clean! I know looks don’t really matter, but I feel much more confident meeting new people and networking when I’m looking my best.

Tips for Tackling the Laundry Monster

1. Use the Right Detergent

Honestly, I’ve never really had much of a preference for what I used for my laundry. There were a few ‘absolutely not’ ones, then we ruled out more because of Superman’s sensitive skin…but between the 3 that were fine for him, I didn’t care. Then I received pack of NEW Persil® ProClean^TMdetergents….and I’m sold on the difference!

As the wash cycle runs, you can just SMELL the clean…yet it doesn’t leave a forever ‘detergent’ scent on your clothes. I can tell our clothing doesn’t have that ‘rough, just washed’ kind of feel to it, which is GREAT for our nicer clothes, especially! The bottles have an easy-grip handle, so even when it’s full I don’t have issues pouring it carefully into the measuring cap. It stores nicely without leaking – a definite bonus to my last detergent type!

Persil® ProClean^TMdetergents come in three different forms:

Power-Liquid – Contains a powerful combination of stain-fighters that help break down stains for an exceptional clean.
Power-Pearls – An innovative new kind of detergent that is loaded with Pro-White technology for dazzling whites. Also for colors. My absolute FAVORITE, because it really works for whitening! Our undergarments, socks and other whites really maintain their brightness with this, which makes me feel like laundry isn’t a total waste sometimes.

Power-Caps – Pre-measured Power-Caps detergent capsule combines Pro-Lift Stain Removers plus a Brightness Formula for a premium clean.

You can grab it at Walmart next time you’re there, or see their website to learn more!

2. Sort the Clothes Before Washing

We already have to sort the clothes AFTER cleaning, so why add the job of sorting them beforehand? Have your different baskets (whites, colors, etc.) for dirty clothes, so family members can just sort them after taking the clothes off…saves you a step! This also helps avoid missing something and ending up with a was-white-but-now-is-pink top!

3. Take Advantage of Mesh Bags

How many times have you accidentally missed a piece of clothing that wasn’t suppose to go in the dryer when switching the laundry? I do WAY too often! One way we’ve resolved this is by putting the DO NOT DRY items in mesh bags. Then it’s just known that when the wash is done, the stuff in the bag gets hung up. Easy-peasy! They also work great for keeping sock matches together…just have a baggie for each family member’s socks! This also makes it easier for matching them back up afterwards.

4. Straighten Clothes

My kids have tiny waists but long legs, which often means we have to roll their waist bands on their bottoms. The frustrating part is when they don’t get clean enough…or get all wrinkled…because they stayed rolled for the whole wash/dry cycle! By straightening any sleeves, waist bands, hems, whatever AS YOU PUT THEM IN THE WASHER, you prevent those issues.

5. Add a Dry Towel

Want to save some energy and time? Toss a dry towel in with your load in the dryer before it runs. It helps dry your clothes faster and more evenly. They’re already washed, so make sure it’s a dry CLEAN towel 😉

6. Label Your Baskets

When we’re putting our clothes away, we have a basket for each child (except the twins, since they share clothes anyway). That way we’re not sorting clothes multiple times, and it’s easier for them to know which basket is their’s to put away.

Why the Bowtie?

Meet The Professional. He’s a no-nonsense, down-to-business laundry perfectionist intent on one thing — getting out stains. From red wine to chocolate frosting, he’s there to lighten the load wherever stains occur. However, don’t thank him, thank the detergent. You’ll find #TheProfessional offering up bits of laundry wit and wisdom on Twitter @PersilProClean. Check it out. You can also see him in action at YouTube.com/PersilProClean.

In conjunction with the launch of Persil® ProClean^TM , they’re hosting a sweepstakes for a year supply of Persil and a premium night out on the town! Woot woot! Premium night on town includes a $300 Nordstrom.com gift card, $200 OpenTable.com gift card, and a $150 Uber.com card credit. A second place winner will also receive a year supply of Persil®. Enter Here for your chance! Sweepstakes ends 4/12/15

You can also go ‘stalk’ them on their social channels:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Persil

Twitter: https://twitter.com/persilproclean/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/persilproclean/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/persilproclean