Save 25% off all Household Labels throughout the month of January!

**This post contains affiliate links. Once links are clicked, I may be compensated if purchases are made.**

Welcome to 2015!
How are those resolutions coming?
I played it safe this year and didn't make too many resolutions other than to get back on my feet and get a home for my daughters, which will happen within the next couple months! YAY!

When it comes down to it, we all have the best intentions of keeping our New Year's resolutions. Even though many of them can be quite difficult to keep. You agree?
If one of your resolutions just happens to be getting organized then I have the perfect solution for you... Mabel's Labels! They can not only help you get organized but also help you stay on the organization bandwagon all year long by offering 25% off all Household Labels throughout the month of January!

From the kitchen to bedrooms to storage room and more.... It's time to get labeling so you're not wasting precious time searching for your needed items! No more losing your stuff and having to repurchase it and wind up finding it all months later (more than likely while your searching for something else!), which burns up your hard earned money faster then realized!

At checkout, Enter the coupon code: TIDYHOME
to save 25% on Household labels ONLY!

Disclaimer: This blog accepts compensation in the form of products and/or monetary for selected posts which will be labeled as sponsored. No matter the compensation, I only write about items and/or services that I have personal experience with and believe my readers will enjoy and/or benefit from. All opinions are my own and may differ from those of others.
View Full Disclosure for further details.
This post may contain affiliate links.

Quick Cleaning Tips

Cleaning the microwave can be a tough job that noone wants to tackle. All of that dried on food can turn in to a smeared nightmare! I ran across some really nifty cleaning tips that are also very cheap as well! I couldn't help but share them because I know I'm not the only mom who struggles when cleaning the kitchen. These quick tips are time-savers and I know your gonna love them!

So, to start things off...

Have a Splatter-Free Microwave:
Food splatters left behind in the microwave can cause your machine to not work properly. An easy cleaning tip to fix that problem is to: Fill a microwave-safe bowl with two cups of water and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Place the bowl into the microwave and run it on High for five minutes. Take out the bowl and wipe the microwave down with a paper towel. Presto!! Your microwave is now sparkly, clean and smells great!!

Keep a Fresh Refrigerator:
To help keep odors at bay, there are two options: You can either keep an open box of baking soda in the back of the fridge for 6 months or leave a plate of freshly ground coffee inside for a few days. I've never tried the coffee grounds trick but the baking soda works wonders!

Sanitize Your Sponge:
Did you know that your kitchen sponge that you use to get everything clean, is the #1 source of germs in your home! Don't worry! There's a simple way to help get ride of those nasty little bacteria. Just pop a damp sponge in the microwave for two minutes. Let it cool for atleast one minute and then you're all set.

Keep Teddy Sneeze Free:
Dust mites love to hide in plush toys, which means that your little one's favorite “stuffed” friend could be home to some very unwelcome house-guests. There are a couple different ways to help get rid of mites: Throw the toy in the washing machine, using hot water, and dry on high heat, or put the stuffed animal in a freezer bag and leave it in the freezer overnight.

To find the above tips plus many more, visit ScottBrand.com

This blog accepts compensation in the form of products and/or monetary for some posts which will be labeled as sponsored reviews & sponsored posts. No matter the compensation, I only write about items and/or services that I have personal experience with and believe my readers will enjoy and benefit from. All opinions are my own.

This post may contain affiliate links.

Tiring Thursdays - Summer Cleaning

-- "About to fall over on this gloomy Tiring Thursday" --

Right before I passed out I took this picture.... I guess I knew I wasn't going to last much longer and needed something to talk about today :)

This week has been nothing but cleaning cleaning cleaning, at my house and I ended up falling asleep earlier today and got WAYYY behind!! Now I'm in panic mode and extremely tired! I feel like I'm moving as slow as a turtle and I don't believe that I'll finish what needs to get done......

My landlord is due to stop my tomorrow and then I have Loran and Jade's birthday to do on Saturday!!!!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Not to mention that Alan works 2 jobs and has been helping me as much as he can but truthfully..... the birthday party is not planned and I have no clue how that's going to turn out and the clothes seem to be multiplying. Atleast we had a little cookout on each of the girls' actual birthday...

(My bed... lost in clothes!)
This is a tiny bit of what
I keep having to go through!

Last night I stayed up for many hours, simply going through boxes, drawers and fresh loads of clothes. I ended up surrounded in boxes and piles of clothes. The one thing about Season change is the need to trade out clothes. My daughters had LOTS of clothes but now I know that they don't all fit......

This is going to be a LONG day... I have more clothes to do and just found another big box of summer clothes that I had forgotten about!

I see a Yard Sale or BIG Donation in my near future.... Maybe even both!

That's why I'm having to cut this so short due to my house being tore apart from what I'v gotten started and haven't finished yet.....

I'll update on my progress when I get a free moment!

Wish me luck!!

I'm going to need it!

For some reason,

I decided to look up the word Tiring.....

Yep.... That's me!!

Natural Cleaning Recipes

I've used many different cleaners in my home ranging from store bought to natural. I like the natural ones the best but I'll admit that I sometimes get the store bought ones at times.

But I truly believe that Natural Cleaning is the way to go. You don't have to worry about bringing lots of harmful chemicals into your home. I've gathered a few recipes from my personal uses and from other resources. These may not right for everyone but they seem to be working great for my family.

ENJOY!

- Window Cleaners -

When I worked at Blimpie as a teen, I learned that you can use vinegar and water to clean windows and other glass surfaces instead of store bought cleaners that could infect our food with harmful chemicals. I would have to make fresh cleaner often due to the amount of times we would have to spray our windows to get all the grummy finger prints off the glass.

I've seen lots of recipes online that say to use White Vinegar. Some say to only use a couple Tbsp mixed with 1 gallon of water.

I personally use Red Vinegar (No reason why, It's just what I was use to seeing at the Blimpie's I worked at) I also use a bit more Vinegar than 2 Tbsp per gallon of water. (Below is the recipe I use at home, less vinegar works also)

What I believe works best - I never make a gallon of window cleaner... Where would I store it all?

• I make my glass cleaner by the Spray bottle.
• I add 1-part Vinegar and 2-parts Water.
• Mix well and spray on windows.

Use Newspaper to clean your windows. WHY? - Because paper towels leave streaks and noone like a streaky window or mirror. (You may get black ink on your hands from the newspaper but it will wash off easily, no ink will get on your glass surfaces)

Vinegar and water also works great when your trying to get stickers off of dressers and tables! (My daughters can "ruin" a dresser with a single sheet of stickers in a heartbeat!) Just spray your Vinegar and Water mixture to the sticker and let it sit for a couple minutes. You then can scrape the stickers off with your finger nails or something else that has a "sharp" flat edge (not sharp enough to hurt you but a knife works great with the mixture also!)

- Natural Multi-Purpose Surface Cleaner's -

Did you know that you could make a Multi-Purpose Surface cleaner out of normal everyday stuff in your house? (This cleaner can be use on bathroom tiles, kitchen surfaces, oven tops, cutting boards, stainless steel and more)

How?

• Sprinkle baking Soda over the surfaces and then scrub with a damp sponge or wash cloth.
• If you have stuck on grime, try adding some kosher salt to the surface and scrub alittle harder

Trying to get those tough water stains or mildew?

• Spray the surface with vinegar,
• Let it sit for a few minutes
• Scrub with a stiff bristled brush

Instead of Bleach, Make your own Disinfectant!

• Mix 2 cups of water with 3 Tbsp of Liquid Soap
• Add about 25 drops of Tea Tree Oil
• Mix Well
• Spray or Rub on surfaces

Big Carpet Spills can be cleaned up by pouring Cornmeal on top of the spill, let it sit for a couple minutes and then vacuum up the soaked up mess.

To learn more about Natural Cleaners, a blogger friend of mine over at Pea Of Sweetness, has a wonderful post about what is and what is not Natural!

This blog may contain affiliate links. See full disclosure policy for details.

Make Organizing Easier

Spring cleaning is what's on everyone's mind these days and what better way to keep up with the things we put into all those plastic storage totes than with Sticky Labels? I'm not a fan of putting my stuff in boxes for many reasons but I also don't like writing on my totes because I may want to use it for something different in the future. You can even get Write Away labels!! Mabel's Labels are perfect for the job! They come in many different styles and they can be used for the simplest things like toys and holiday decorations or even for labeling school or work supplies!

Mabel's Labels is worth taking a look at if your a busy mom or a working lady! They're simply wonderful!

Check out Mabel's Labels Paperless Fundraiser Program

The Sink Magic Giveaway

Sink Magic Giveaway

Hosted by Saving In Branson Reviews & Giveaways

Welcome to Saving In Branson Reviews & Giveaways Sink Magic Giveaway! Sink Magic is the revolutionary new dish washing products. You can read more about the Sink Magic HERE!

This is something that I can't wait to try, I'm NOT a fan of dish washing and most of the time I try and pass the dishes off on my fiance. Maybe the Sink Magic would get me back in the kitchen. 

About the Giveaway:

The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only

The giveaway will run from 3/22 - 4/13

The winner will have 24 hours to respond to the winning email or a new winner will be chosen

The sponsor is responsible for the shipment of the prize

Enter the form below and Good Luck!

Entry-Form

The Clearing Clutter Challenge

I've been hosting a Cleaning Challenge on my Facebook page from a site that I ran across a few weeks ago. The site is Myhomeideas.com and the Challenge is Clean Clutter in 1 Month!

Well that sounds pretty simple.... It shouldn't take a month to clean and organize your whole house... Should it?

The tasks given are

Clear View

Book Smarts

Toy Storage

Top Drawer

Shoe Storage

Socked Away

Kitchen Catch-All

On a Roll

Clip It

Remotes Controlled

Pantry Perfect

Hip to be Squared

Snack Smarts

Recycling Center

Raise The Bar

Store More

Basket Basics

On Track

Bedtime Storing

Giving Back

Tin Can Revival

Works of Art

Got you Pegged

For Pets Only

Stowed Away

Room for Shoes

Organization Station

Magnetic Personality

Artful Display

Table Talk

Open and Shut

 I've decided that I'm not going to go in order. I will get tasks done when I have the supplies to complete it. So far I've finished one book shelf and had my daughters room almost done until they messed it up again.

I'm not a very strong cleaner so I'm hoping having tasks to get done will help me keep going. 

I would love for you to join me in my Cleaning Clutter Challenge! All you gotta do is click HERE to get the tasks and follow along with me on Facebook HERE or on my blog. I will also be decorating on a budget while doing my clutter challenge. You can learn more about that by clicking HERE.

Post Photo's of your finished tasks on our facebook page!

Removing Clutter the Feng Shui Way

Clutter should really be avoided if you are looking to make your house a comfortable and inviting place to be. We all collect and gather things that we do not need. My mamaw can not turn down something that is cheep or free and her house is always full of things that she don't need. My little cousin, who lives with my mamaw, has so many toys and clothes that she can't even wear or play with half of them. My clutter problem is more of a "Not wanting to throw something away" problem. I like keeping things that bring back memories. For example: Art work that my daughters have drawn me through out the years and Sketch Books that I've had since 9th grade and notebooks that I've had even longer! They are memories to me and I don't want to let them go. But they make my house cluttered, along with LOTS more junk that lays around my home. If you believe in Feng Shui, then a cluttered house is a BIG no no! With Feng Shui, you break your house up into 8 areas. To do this, you use a Pa-Kua like the one below.

If your house is not square (most houses are not), you will need to stretch the pa-kua over your house.
Clutter in the eight area's of the pa-kua can create problems and stress.
Feng Shui states that if the Wealth are of your home is cluttered then you will experience negative feelings and run into trouble with your money. Money will be hard to come by as long as the clutter stays in your home. (This may be where my money problems come from.... I need to investigate!)
If you would like to be popular in your neighbor hood and meet new people and friends ten make sure that the Fame area in your home is free of clutter. A cluttered Fame area us said to cause doubts and confusion about your standing in your community.
Marriage is a big one! Relationship problems of lack of relationships can be helped if you remove clutter the Marriage area of your home. If your relationships are failing... declutter!
If your family can't seem to get time to do anything together r you seem to be having lots of family disagreements then check out the Family area of your home. Clutter in this area may cause family members t do things on their own and not as a family as well as cause tension in the family relationships.
The Children's area is pretty important as well. Clutter in the children area created worry and uncertainty. It can mess up the communication between the kids and the parents. If your kids are prone to acting up and not listening to you then you may need to keep an eye on what goes on in the Children area of your home.
Clutter in the Knowledge are makes it very hard to learn new things. It can also make it hard to remember what you have already learned.
If you are uncertain about your job then head on over to the Career area. Cleaning up your Career area can give you more of an open mind about your current job or help you find a new one that you will enjoy.
Clutter in the Mentors area will make it hard to attract the right people to you. You will either find it hard to attract anyone or find yourself attracting the wrong people over and over until the clutter is removed.

You don't have to throw out everything that your not using in your house. Removing clutter can be done by organizing! Get yourself a few of those cute little storage bins or make your own. Throw out the trash, donate the unwanted and organize your treasures.

Target and Kohl's have many ways to help organize your home! Click below to save while you organize!

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