Food Fun Family

Tips for Organizing a Basement

Lolli — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 13:00:01 +0000

We live in a 3-level townhouse, so our basement (that 1st level) is a very important part of our living space. For the first few years that we lived here, it was a dark dungeon-like storage room (which is often what people think of when they hear the word “basement”). Luckily, we renovated the basement as our first big home project so that it could be useable space for toys and the TV along with needed storage and office space.

Our basement has gone through many stages over the last 18 years. Although we’ve continued to store games and books and toys for ALL ages (the kids have spent many hours playing down there!), we no longer need that kind of space with a house full of teenagers. We recently undertook a huge project to make our main basement room into the LuLaRoe boutique (you can join me in my Facebook group or send me a message if you want to learn more or shop!). No more couch, no more big entertainment center, and no more self full of picture books and toys. It’s a major transformation!

Your basement may have a different function than ours. Maybe you’re used to using basements simply for long-term storage. If your basement is out of control and full of stuff, then it is time to get it organized. Organizing your basement may not be at the top of your to-do list, but this is your year to get things organized. Here are a few tips for organizing a basement.

Note: Amazon affiliate links are used within this post.

Remove the junk

There is no possible way to organize a basement (or any other area of the house, for that matter) when it is full of junk. Your first step in gaining control of the basement is to spend some time getting rid of everything you are not using. While you may think you will need something later, keep in mind that the space is something you need now. You will be happy once you get the junk out and have room for space for the family. I always look at things we’ve been storing or holding on to and ask myself 1) does it have sentimental/historical value? and 2) is it replaceable?

Go through what you’ll be keeping

When organizing, I always do a second look of the things I plan on keeping. Do I really need to keep it? What am I saving this item for? A double check on the item can help determine if I really need it or not. I need all the space I can get, so this step is extra helpful.

Labeling is your best friend

When organizing a basement, especially when it’s a space you don’t go into as much as the rest of your house, labeling is a must. You can buy a labeling machine cheap, and I know you will get your money’s worth. It’s well worth it to stay organized! If you do not want to buy a label maker, paper labels from the Dollar Tree will do the trick.

Keep things off the floor

This is just a little trick I learned over the years. Keep everything in your basement off the floor as much as possible. Not only does it keep things more organized, but it helps protect your items. Since the basement is the lowest level of the house, you never know what can make its way indoors. Your best bet is to use shelves for items and to hang up as much as you can. I personally think it is much easier to keep things organized when you are not putting everything on the floor.

Everything in its place

This tip applies to any section of the house. When putting things away, make sure you’ve given everything a “home.” As you’re maintaining your organized space and cleaning up on a regular basis, it’s so much easier for the whole family to know where to put things away versus searching for an empty shelf or nook to stuff it. This step helps when looking for things, too. If you know where items belong, then finding things is as simple as walking downstairs and grabbing them off the shelf. It saves time in the long run!

What tips do you have for organizing a basement? Removing the junk and labeling items are two of my favorite tips. Don’t be shy about sharing your tips with me!

How To Tell If You Have Bed Bugs (And What To Do About It)

Lolli — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 10:00:11 +0000

This post and giveaway are sponsored by Proof Bed Bug Spray, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. I am not an expert on bed bugs or bed bug treatment, but I’ve done my share of research and love to share what I’ve learned.

Good night. Sleep tight! Don’t let the bed bugs bite!

Say “I have bed bugs” and you might as well say “I have the Plague.” Bed bugs have a horrible reputation…and honestly it’s rightly so. Bed bugs are nasty creatures. Although they aren’t typically harmful (they don’t carry diseases), to say that they are a nuisance is a huge understatement.

Smaller than apple seeds, bed bugs are very good hiders. In fact, chances are many people who have bed bugs don’t even realize that they’ve got them. Bed bugs will stay hidden away in cracks, seams, behind picture frames, in the bed frame, in between mattresses, and dozens of other hiding places…out of sight until the lights go out and you’re happily snoozing in bed at night.

So how can you tell if you’ve got bed bugs?

There are several tell-tale signs that your home has been invaded…

Small red bites (sometimes mistaken for pimples or mosquito bites) on the face and neck, hands and arms, legs and feet (or any other body part)
Tiny black marks on your pillow case or sheets (bed bug excrement…eww!)
Small blood marks on pillow case or sheets
And, of course, finding the bugs or their exoskeletons

The important thing to remember is that you don’t have bed bugs because you are dirty. In fact, if you discover that you have bed bugs they probably caught a ride in your luggage after you traveled and stayed in a bed bug-infested hotel. Or maybe you’re a college student living in the dorms.

When I moved my 2nd-year college student daughter into her new place a few weeks ago, one of the very first things we did before moving any boxes into her room was check on and under the mattress of her new bed to see if we spotted any signs of bed bugs. Before we started moving in, we thoroughly cleaned the entire room, including vacuuming between the mattress and the bed frame.

If only we had known about PROOF bed bug spray, we would have used that first in addition to the cleaning.

Because I am a frequent traveler, bed bugs are one of those things I always worry about. Before unpacking in a new hotel room, I check the mattress for signs of bed bugs, but now that I have PROOF, I’ll carry a bottle in my luggage so that I can spray before I sleep in the bed. Unlike typical insecticides, PROOF is safe to use around people. But it kills bed bugs and their eggs and continues to work for weeks. That’s peace of mind!

ABOUT PROOF: PROOF is a plant-based bed bug spray that leverages the natural defenses of the neem plant to kill 100% of bed bugs and their eggs.

In scientific studies conducted by independent labs, PROOF killed 100% of bed bugs and bed bug eggs that were sprayed directly. In these studies, PROOF even killed 100% of bed bugs and their eggs that were not sprayed directly but were only exposed to surfaces treated with PROOF.

The active ingredient in PROOF is organic, EPA-registered Cold Pressed Neem oil. All other ingredients in PROOF are food grade. Neem oil has been used safely in products such as cosmetics, soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, skin lotions, and even toothpastes. It’s eco-friendly and family and pet-friendly but it’s NOT bed bug-friendly.

What to do if you have bed bugs

The first thing to do if you suspect you have bed bugs is to have a professional come to inspect your house. Bed bug-sniffing dogs are usually your best bet to narrow down where you’ve got an infestation.

Next, you need to treat the infestation. Having a professional exterminator that deals with bed bugs is probably your safest bet…but it will run you thousands of dollars (and even the professionals often need to come back multiple times to fully get rid of the problem). If you can’t afford an exterminator, then PROOF is your best defense. Be prepared to treat multiple times to make sure that you’ve caught any stragglers.

Other tips for controlling bed bugs: when you travel, thoroughly check hotel beds and headboards for signs of bed bugs. Don’t hesitate to ask for a new room if you suspect bed bugs. After you travel, wash and dry all of the clothes you brought with you (use the hottest setting that’s safe for your fabrics). Treat your suitcase inside and out with PROOF bed bug spray.

After treating a bed bug problem in your home, keep the once-infested room clutter-free. It may be smart to use white (or light-colored plain) sheets for a while and carefully inspect sheets regularly for any signs of recurrence. Wash sheets regularly. Vacuum the room, especially under and around the bed often.

Cover your mattress and box springs in bed bug proof zippered mattress encasements. These are great for bugs, dust mites, and all allergens, so they’re definitely a worthwhile investment.

Remember that bed bugs like to catch rides….so if you move from a bed bug-infested room straight to the family room couch, you might be carrying the infestation with you. Consider washing pajamas each night or showering and changing into clean clothes right after waking up.

It usually isn’t necessary to throw furniture out, especially when you can treat it with PROOF.

You may want to consider having that bug-sniffing dog come back after you’ve treated your home to make sure the bugs didn’t move to another area of the house.

Bed bugs are tough to get rid of, but it’s possible to do it! Don’t lose hope!

PROOF is available at select Walmarts and online at www.bugproof.com. Follow PROOF on social media: On Twitter at @bug_proof and Facebook at www.facebook.com/bugproof

Enter to WIN PROOF and a $50 Walmart Giftcard!

10 (ten) winners will receive a 16oz bottle of PROOF (valued at $26.99 each) and 1 (ONE) grand prize winner will receive a bottle of Proof AND a $50 giftcard to Walmart (a prize valued at $76.99)! Just enter on the widget below.

This giveaway will end on Saturday 9/19/2015 at 11:59 pm ET. Winners will be notified via email and must respond within 48 hours of notification or I will have to choose new winners. Good luck!

NOTE: due to a server issue, I lost some of the comments, but all entries before the problem still count.

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How to Prepare Your Home for Fall: Healthier “Honey-Do” Lists #Ad #HealthierHome

Lolli — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 12:40:47 +0000

I am proud to be a 3M-sponsored blogger. Opinions are my own and additional products used in the project were selected by me.

It’s hard to believe that in a matter of weeks we’ll be packing away the shorts and t-shirts and pulling out the pull-overs and scarves. It may be gorgeous, sun-shiny, late summer weather today, but cold, nippy Fall weather is just around the corner. Before we know it, we’ll be flipping the switch from air conditioner to heater and wearing boots instead of flip-flops.

This is the perfect time of year to add a few things to your honey-do list to help make (and maintain) a healthier home environment. Forget Spring Cleaning. It’s time for Fall Organizing.

Fall Cleaning “Honey-Do” Lists

Clean the furniture. I don’t know about you, but once I’ve put a piece of furniture into place, I tend to leave it there…and forget it. Move furniture to vacuum underneath and behind, pull up cushions…and discover all of the hidden – lost – treasures within! Just last weekend, we deep cleaned the couches in the basement and found lost glasses, a long-lost remote control, spoons, toys, and lots of garbage. Behind the couch was a wealth of dust – and I spent the rest of the night sneezing. I felt so much better knowing that that dust and trash was gone!

Dust walls and baseboards. There’s something about the summer that simply leaves a mess behind. Tackle everything from the cobwebs to the dust bunnies and get a hold on all of the dust that has settled along walls with the long-handled brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner.
Rotate bedding. Flip your mattress (from end-to-end and front-to-back) for optimal wear. Grab a book and all of your bedding (quilts, pillows, mattress pads, etc) and head to the laundromat for a heavy duty machine wash.
Clean all windows, window treatments, and doors and get them ready for colder weather. If you have storm windows or doors, install them now. Check weather stripping and replace or install as needed.
Move the refrigerator away from the wall and vacuum the coils…and then before you put everything back in place, take all of the food off the shelves and throw out foods that are out of date or of unknown date. Clean all shelves thoroughly before replacing the foods that you’re keeping. While you’re at it, check the pantry shelves for foods that are past their prime, and toss spices that are older than 6 months.
Change your air filter. Changing your Filtrete Healthy Living Ultra Allergen Reduction Filter MPR 1500 at least every three months is important (I recommend adding it to your calendar!), but it’s especially critical to change filters before turning on the air conditioner (in summer months) or the heat (in fall months). Remember: when you pull out the sweaters, pull out that old filter and exchange it for a new one. New filters not only capture allergens from the air passing through the filter, but doing so may also help reduce the amount of energy needed to cool or heat the home. Bonus benefit!

The Filtrete Healthy Living Ultra Allergen Reduction Filter (MPR 1500) is just one of the ways you can help create a healthier home by capturing airborne particles like dust, pollen and mold spores from the air passing through the filter (in fact, it captures 90% of large airborne particles!). It also attracts and captures particles that can carry bacteria and viruses.

Connect with Filtrete

• Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/Filtrete
• Twitter: @Filtrete
• Register to receive seasonal e-newsletters featuring special offers, filter change reminders, better home living tips and more at www.Filtrete.com.

Enter to win a Fall Cleaning giveaway from Filtrete!

We’re giving away a year’s supply of Filtrete Filters along with a $50 gift card to put towards creating a healthier home. Enter on the Rafflecopter form below before midnight on September 30, 2014 and let me know how you prepare your home for fall. A winner will be chosen at random and notified via email. This giveaway is limited to US-based winners only and you must have a heating/cooling system that uses one-inch filters.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Coffee Filters to Cheese Graters: Creative Ways to Use Just About Everything Sale

Lolli — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 14:20:50 +0000

When we got married (years and years ago…) we ended up with multiple duplicate gifts. Our big day occurred before the days of Target wedding registries, so the only things we could register for were expensive department store towels and China.

Note: affiliate codes are used in this post, so if you happen to make a purchase, I will get a commission. No compensation has been received for sharing the news of this new ebook release and sale.

Instead of stocking our newlywed kitchen, we were left with a shelf full of bread baskets and several other kitchen gadgets that we have never used.

How often do you open your kitchen cupboards and notice that un-used (or under-used) tool hiding in the back corner because you just don’t know what to do with it? My friend, Tara, has just released an ebook TODAY that is something that every kitchen should have…and I promise that it will NOT be one of those things to end up on the back shelf. In fact, her new book, Coffee Filters to Cheese Graters: Creative Ways to Use Just About Everything, will help give life and purpose to those kitchen items that have been forgotten and unappreciated for years.

Coffee Filters to Cheese Graters: Creative Ways to Use Just About Everything

ABOUT Coffee Filters to Cheese Graters: Creative Ways to Use Just About Everything – Are you tired of wasting your money on the latest kitchen tools and cleaning products? The things you already own can go the extra mile for you if you let them, saving you all those steps and keeping your money where it belongs – in your wallet. In Coffee Filters to Cheese Graters: Creative Ways to Use Just About Everything, you will find lists of 10 or more new uses for 44 everyday household items. Including everything from using your bundt pan to bake potatoes to making mini meat loafs in your muffin tin to using salt to clean coffee-stained mugs, this book is the answer to questions you didn’t even know you had!

What is sitting in YOUR kitchen unused?

Launch week specials!

Coffee Filters to Cheese Graters: Creative Ways to Use Just About Everything is available starting today! I was able to check out an advance copy of the book and was AMAZED at the wealth of ideas, including a ton of recipes. I highly recommend it – it’s worth the FULL price, but why not take advantage of the sale price this week?

Coffee Filters to Cheese Graters is available on Amazon at a launch-week SALE price of $4.99 from 7/14 through 7/17, then $6.99 from 7/18 on.
The PDF, available for instant download, is also on SALE for the launch week:
from 7/14-7/15 (Mon-Tues), it will be $2.99 and 7/15-7/17 (Wed-Fri), it will be $4.99. Beginning Saturday 7/18 the price will go up to $6.99.

Check out Tara’s blog, Feels Like Home, and her announcement post with 10 Things to Cook in a Muffin Tin.

LAUNCH WEEK BONUS!! Everyone who buys Coffee Filters to Cheese Graters: Creative Ways to Use Just About Everything between 7/14 and 7/20 (Monday through Sunday) will get a set of bonuses – 10 pages of printables (a cleaning checklist, a list of recyclable items, and an alphabetic index of all the recipes in the book) and access to a 10-day Getting Started challenge during which they can win a $50 Amazon gift card. After 7/20, the printables will be $2.99.

Coffee Filters to Cheese Graters goes SOCIAL:

Check out these events happening this week for chances to win copies of Coffee Filters to Cheese Graters: Creative Ways to Use Just About Everything!

Join the #Livesmarter Twitter party on Monday 7/14 at 8pm ET where you can win free copies of the book.
Stop by the #Livesmarter Facebook party on the Feels Like Home Blog’s FB wall at 8pm ET on Tuesday 7/15 for more chances to win copies of the book.
This Wednesday, 7/16, at 8pm ET Tara will be doing a free tele-class called Live Smarter: Save Time and Money by Using What You Already Have. Participants must sign up at HERE before the telecast. MORE copies of the book will be given away at the tele-class!

Check out Tara’s other eBooks:

Organize and Beautify Your Kitchen with Duck® Brand Shelf Liners

Lolli — Sun, 15 Jun 2014 16:43:07 +0000

This post brought to you by Duck Brand. All opinions are 100% mine.

There was a time when I thought my kitchen was pretty cute. There was a day when the paint was fresh and the shelves were lined with pretty, bright shelf liners.

That day was quite a while ago.

Today, my cabinets look like they’ve seen better days…but since I lack time or funds to totally remodel my kitchen, I’ve wanted to find a way to refresh my kitchen so that I don’t cringe every time I open the cabinet doors.

Let me start off with a couple of before pictures. I decided to focus on three different areas in my kitchen to refresh and organize: the cupboards with cups and plates, the silverware drawer, and the bread cart/cutting board island thing.

Before:

The cupboards:

The problem: the cupboards haven’t been cleaned in ages. The kids typically put dishes away, but since we use almost everything in the cupboard daily, there wasn’t too much organization that was needed.

I removed everything from the cupboards and cleaned the shelves with a wet rag. When was the last time that you wiped your cabinet shelves clean? I admit I don’t do it often (read: pretty much never). It felt so good to clean up the shelves.

I then measured the length of the cupboard shelves and cut a length of Duck Brand’s Shelf Liner to fit. I chose the Smooth Top Easy Liner because it has a nice grip surface on the bottom but it’s smooth on top and easy to remove cups, plates, and bowls.

The silverware drawer:

The problem: the silverware drawer seems to be a junk-collector. There were a bunch of plastic spoons, knives, and forks that really didn’t need to be there, old hand mixer beaters for a hand mixer that has bitten the dust.

Just like the cupboards, I emptied everything out and wiped down the drawer and cleaned the silverware organizer. I lined the drawer with Select Grip Easy Liner, which has a grip surface on the top and the bottom. The grip surface is great for keeping the cups and other non-silverware accessories in place.

The bread cart:

The problem: I love my little island-bread cart thing (I really have no idea what to call it, but I use it to store all of my bread, lunch snacks, rice, and rice cooker, plus two containers full of kitchen utensils that don’t fit in my smaller container next to the stove). But the open wire drawers tend to be a mess and the top tends to be a catch-all for bread, coupons, chip bags, and a bunch of other random things.

I removed everything from the top of the cart, wiped it clean, and then cut a length of Select Grip Easy Liner to go on the top of the shelf. I cleared the bottom drawer and put all of the bread nicely hidden away. Then I only put back what I wanted to see (and what looked nice!). I am in love with how it turned out!

Don’t you love it?!

Did you know? Duck® brand adhesive and non-adhesive shelf liners are an easy – and beautiful – way to organize and refresh your kitchen and other areas in your house.

Follow Duck® brand on Pinterest and Facebook for tons of creative inspiration!

What projects do you need to do at home that Duck Brand’s Shelf Liner would be perfect for?

How to Get Rid of Mold and Mildew in the Bathroom

Lolli — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 16:45:16 +0000

I’m working with Tilex® on a paid basis, but my opinions are my own.

I don’t remember ever having a problem with mold and mildew when I was growing up in California. I’m sure my memory is incorrect, though I DID clean my fair share of bathtubs and showers for my weekly chores. That’s what happens when you’re the oldest kid in the house.

I may not have memories of mold and mildew from my childhood home, but – Boy-oh-Boy! – when moved to Maryland shortly after I got married, mold and mildew became something I was all too familiar with.

No matter how often I clean the shower, it seems that mold and mildew STILL creep up on me. And with my main shower (that all 7 of us share!) tiled with white tiles and white grout, EVERY little spec of mold and mildew show up and stand out like a sore thumb.

When I picked up Tilex® Mold and Mildew Remover, I didn’t know what to expect. I guess I would say that I was initially skeptical about it’s ability to make a huge difference.

I was blown away by what it was able to do.

My favorite part of Tilex® Mold and Mildew – by far – is the no scrubbing aspect. No scrubbing (!?!).

Who wouldn’t LOVE to get rid of mold and mildew in the bathroom…with no scrubbing?

Here’s a quick before and after of one of the top corners of my shower:

Facts About Mold and Mildew:

Are you nervous about having friends see the mold in your bathroom? Do you close the shower curtains to hide the mess like I do? Think your home is unique in it’s mold and mildew problems? Guess what? 100% of homes in the U.S. have mold!

Mold shows up as as black stains in your grout or red stains on your shower curtain. As soon as you spot mold, it’s time to disinfect!
Mold regrows quickly if it isn’t killed! Soap and detergents may remove mold stains initially but they are not enough to kill mold.
Do you know why mold is so prevalent in bathrooms and basements? All mold needs to grow is a moist, room temperature environment and an organic food source to feed on. And it only takes 48 hours for mold to grow in the right conditions!

Did you know? Tilex® Mold and Mildew Remover contains Clorox® Bleach, and disinfects as it kills 99.9% of household mold and mildew on hard, nonporous surfaces. There is no scrubbing required – just spray it, let it sit for 5 minutes and rinse.

Where do you have mold and mildew troubles? How do you banish mold and mildew in your house? Be sure to visit Tilex.com to learn more about Tilex®’s mold and mildew remover products!

I’m working with Tilex® on a paid basis, but my opinions are my own.

How to Reduce Allergens in the Home on a Budget #HealthierHome

Lolli — Tue, 27 May 2014 15:27:11 +0000

I love the spring time. I love the comfortable temperatures, the sunshine, the blossoms and the colors. I love opening my windows to enjoy fresh air and the sounds of chirping birds. But I don’t love my spring time allergies.

Note: I am a Filtrete Brand blogger ambassador and was compensated for this post, but all opinions are my own.

I love opening my windows on a pleasant spring day, or sleeping with the windows open on a cool spring night. The breeze feels wonderful…but my allergies don’t always tolerate it.

Have you ever noticed a layer of yellow “dust” on your furniture? Yep. Me too. That pollen dust goes straight to my eyes (itchy and red!) and nose (sniff, sniff!).

The good news for allergy sufferers like me is that you don’t have make huge, pricey changes to your home to make it allergy proof – or at the very least more allergy-friendly.

Avoiding (and getting rid of) common allergens is the best treatment for allergies – and it’s natural and cost-effective, too.

Do beautiful blossoming flowers make you think of sneezing and itchy, watery eyes?

Frugal and easy ways to reduce allergens in the home:

Close those windows. Instead of letting the pollen-heavy fresh air flow through the windows, turn on the air conditioning while pollen season is in full swing….and keep pollen outside where it belongs.
Wipe away condensation from window frames and sills before it becomes mold – and be sure to clean any mold that has already formed.
Wash bedding (sheets, pillowcases and blankets) once a week in hot water (water over 130° F will kill dust mites lurking in your sheets and blankets).
Declutter – all of those knickknacks, books, magazines etc that you’ve got lying around are dust-collectors. Reduce those dust magnets and remember that it’s easier to keep clutter-free surfaces clean.
Ventilate bathrooms – use an exhaust fan to reduce moisture while taking showers or baths….before that moisture becomes mold and mildew.
Vacuum regularly with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter.
Use an allergen defense filter from Filtrete in your home heating and cooling system and remember to change the filter regularly. Filtrete Filters help reduce allergens in the home by attracting and capturing particles that may aggravate your allergy symptoms.

Did you know? Homes may be more energy efficient than ever (and that’s a good thing!), but because of this our homes are also trapping more pollutants. Indoor air pollutant levels can be 2 to 5 times higher than outdoor levels. By installing a Filtrete Allergen Defense filter, you can reduce common allergens in the home, like pollen, dust, mold spores, and more. Filtrete Allergen Defense filters capture airborne allergens so you can breathe easier.

Tip: a new, clean filter will work more efficiently.
Change filters every 3 months or more often during seasons of heavy use.

Of course, there are bigger home projects that you can undertake to reduce the allergens in your home, like replacing carpet and installing hardwood or vinyl floors or replacing upholstered furniture with wood or leather. But making a few simple changes, when done regularly, will help you breathe easier.

Do you or does someone in your home suffer from seasonal allergies? What steps do you take to make your home more allergy-friendly?

Be sure to visit Filtrete to stock up on replacement air filters for allergy season!

Connect with Filtrete

Website: Filtrete.com
Filtrete Facebook page
Twitter: @Filtrete
Register to receive seasonal e-newsletters featuring special offers, filter change reminders, better home living tips and more at Filtrete.com.

Spring Cleaning Checklist for a #HealthierHome

Lolli — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 18:32:49 +0000

This Spring Cleaning Checklist is sponsored by Filtrete Filters by 3M. All thoughts and opinions included in this post are my own, as always!

It may not look like Spring outside my window today, but the calendar says that it’s officially Spring. After such a long, cold, snowy Winter and far too many days spent cooped up inside the house, we are all looking forward to sunshine, warmer temperatures, and – yes – we’re even looking forward to some Spring Cleaning!

I admit that cleaning is not my favorite past-time, but the benefits of a clean house far outweigh the minor inconveniences of getting my hands dirty. When the house is organized, I work more efficiently. We lose things less often and it’s easier for the kids to do their daily straightening up. When I spend the time to Spring-clean the windows and the filters, the cupboards…and everything else that tends to be over-looked during our weekly cleaning efforts, then we suffer from fewer allergies and feel so much more healthy over-all.

So where to start? As I begin my Spring Cleaning this week, I’ll be following this simple checklist to get my house in tip-top shape for the Spring. I can’t wait!

Healthier Home Spring Cleaning Checklist

Replace air filters – After running the heat constantly for the last few months, I was horrified at how dirty the filters were in my furnace/AC unit. Thank goodness the filters were there to catch all of that filth….and now that I’ve changed to a new, clean filter I’m looking forward to breathing a little easier! I love using Odor Reduction filters during the Winter and Allergen Reduction filters during the Spring and Summer.

Out with the old filter!

Did you know? The Filtrete Odor Reduction Filter is 65 times more effective than other carbon filters at removing odors from the entire home, such as those from cooking, tobacco smoke, pets, mildew and cleaning chemicals.

…and in with the new filter!

Prepare windows – Open the windows and clean inside and out…and in between. The rain and snow and constant closed state of my windows during the Winter means that once Spring rolls around, my windows are a mess. I love opening my windows when the weather starts to warm up (before the oppressive heat of the summer sets in) but I don’t like seeing the yucky build-up from the Winter. Spring clean that gunk away!

Dust ceiling fan blades – I know that we run our ceiling fans regularly during the Spring and Summer to keep the house cooler and the air flowing. I can’t tell you how many times we have turned on a fan after it has sat dormant for a few months only to spray the entire room with big clumps of dust. That’s a particularly bad situation when you’re cooking food and the messy fan is in the kitchen…

Clean furniture – Move furniture away from the walls and vacuum and dust under, on top, and behind. Dust anything sitting on shelves (remember to dust with moist cloths – instead of feather dusters – to ensure that you’re picking up dust and not just spreading it around). Remove cushions and vacuum up debris. {Then treat yourself to some ice cream with all of the change you found!}

Clean the cooktop vent – If you do even half as much cooking as I do, the vent above your stovetop is probably filthy with grease and grime. A clean vent will help keep your kitchen more odor-free and fresh-smelling.

Clear out the pantry shelves – remove everything from the shelves, toss any food that is out-of-date or stale, then sweep and wipe down shelves before putting the food back.

The pantry needs Spring Cleaning, too!

Deep-clean the fridge – Do the same thing with the refrigerator as you just did with the pantry; emptying the shelves, scrubbing them down, and only putting back foods that are fresh.

Freshen up trash cans – Take all your garbage cans outside and hose them down, then scrub and disinfect the inside and outside before drying them off and putting them back in use.

Donation time! – Go through each room and closet and gather clothes that you don’t need to keep for next season or hand down to a younger child, toys that kids don’t play with anymore, or any other “treasures” that are just taking up space. Once a bag is filled, stash it in the trunk of the car and drive it straight to a donation center!

Enjoy your cleaner, fresher house!

What tasks are on your Spring Cleaning Checklist?

Be sure to visit Filtrete to stock up on replacement air filters for the Spring!

Mr. Clean Liquid Muscle #MrCleanMorePower

Lolli — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 19:27:37 +0000

This post is sponsored by Mr. Clean through SheSpeaks but all thoughts and embarrassing messes are my own.

As I was uploading the *before* pictures, my oldest daughter came into my room and peeked at my computer. “You should tell them that we staged these messes. We did that on purpose,” she suggested. Oh yes. These are hard pictures to share.

I used to be a neat freak. I was never necessarily the best house cleaner, but I was always organized on on top of cleaning. I thought keeping my house clean would be easier once my kids got older, but somehow the house has gotten dirtier. The messes are bigger, there is more stuff in the house, and we are all busier. Just a couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post about tips for getting kids to clean the house. It’s something we’re still working on.

I stay on top of the basics, like laundry and dishes and vacuuming the carpet. Ok, maybe I don’t stay as on top of it as I should…. But I will readily admit that I neglect the deeper messes. I wipe things down, but I rarely work very hard to get rid of stains and I tend to overlook the dirt that slowly builds up. Oy.

OK, take my microwave as an example. Our microwave gets a LOT of use. Seven people, lots of food to reheat. I grew up with the rule that any food that went in the microwave had to be covered. Although we have a plate cover AND a roll of paper towels next to the microwave, it’s obvious that people forget more often than they remember to use it.

I put off cleaning the microwave because it’s gross. It feels like a chore. But this week, I grabbed the bottle of Mr. Clean Liquid Muscle that had come in the mail through SheSpeaks, added a squirt (yes, just a single squirt) to a big bowl of water, and dipped a sponge into the mixture. In FOUR minutes, this is what my microwave looked like. It was so easy to clean it up with my Mr. Clean Liquid Muscle that I had to laugh at myself for waiting so long.

Another place in my house that I tend to ignore is my makeup counter. It’s a strange little spot in my bedroom right next to my closet – no sink, just a counter and a mirror. Between the powder and the blush and the eye shadow and the hairspray, that counter top gets covered in grime. I have tried cleaning it so many times before, but it always seems like the 30 years of build up have left it permanently stained. I’ve gotten used to it.

This morning, I decided to give Mr. Clean Liquid Muscle a try on it. Instead of diluting it in a bucket or a bowl, I squirted a little bit of Mr. Clean Liquid Muscle straight onto a sponge and scrubbed away. I got ink pen off of the bathroom counter, I cleaned the grout in the shower, and…I tackled the makeup counter. With just a few swipes of the sponge, all of the grime came right off. I was shocked at how WHITE the counter was. Yes, I am a little embarrassed by the contrast here:

In the end, after trying Mr. Clean Liquid Muscle in several different trouble spots in my house (including a few that I was not willing to photograph!), I can tell you – I will be using this stuff throughout my house, top to bottom. It’s perfect for the kitchen, the bathroom, the counters, the floors, the shower…you name it! It could only be better if it did the cleaning FOR me!

Where do YOU need a little Liquid Muscle?

Mr. Clean Liquid Muscle is available at Walmart in 16 and 30 oz. bottles for a suggested retail price of $2.74 (16 oz) and $4.97 (30 oz). You can learn more about Mr. Clean Liquid Muscle on Facebook and Twitter and Online.

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Remove the junk

Go through what you’ll be keeping

Labeling is your best friend

Keep things off the floor

Everything in its place

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Enter to WIN PROOF and a $50 Walmart Giftcard!

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