Household Tips

I have these mom stress moments. You know the ones. I walk into a room that looks like it has just experienced a tornado. My head starts to spin and I feel my blood pressure rise. My kids (wise from experience) quickly start to sneak out of the room. It has happened so many times over the years that you would think it wouldn’t stress me anymore… but it does.

Then, because I too, am wise from experience… I go to my “happy place” … and find the courage to start singing (and I am a horrible singer!)…. the Clean Up Song:

It’s time to clean up clean up
Everybody do your share
Clean up clean up
Soon the mess will not be there

Clean up clean up
Look at this we’re almost done
Toys away — hey hey hey
Clean-up can be fun….

And just like a few little dwarfs out of the movie Snow White…everyone swings into action. Ever since my kids were teeny tiny … we have used the clean up song to motivate us while we pick up toys. I have a basket or “toy box” in just about every room … so it’s really easy for everyone to do their share. Books back on shelves, stuffed animals back in baskets, and toys in the toy boxes. It’s the weirdest darn thing. I can go from completely stressed to la-la land chill in a matter of minutes, and you know why? Because I made a decision a long time ago to STOP getting stressed over a messy house. That doesn’t mean that I DON’T get stressed anymore about it … it just means that I have learned how to STOP when I feel it coming on and move forward to a happier place.

See, I started realizing that as soon as things were picked back up, I felt good again. . . and the fact of the matter is, it really isn’t that hard to put things back where they go. . . and the process of getting there CAN be fun. I want to have fun with my kids and enjoy them whenever I can … so why not make even the “not so fun” moments fun. Who said picking up can’t be fun? … and of course, kids can have fun doing just about anything, especially if they don’t know better.

And of course, over the years… to keep everyone motivated, we have had to spice it up a bit. Sometimes we sing reaaaaalllly s — l— o—-w and move like turtles and other times we sing superrrrrrr fasssssssssssssstand race around like airplanes. It’s all really just about having fun … and what this has taught me is that kids can have fun doing anything. It’s moms that need to chill out an break into song now and then…it’s good for the soul, I tell you!

Want to hand over cleaning to the experts? Tell us how you have taught and encouraged your kids to clean and be entered to win one of two prizes!

  • First Prize: House Cleaner for a day plus $100 in product from GreatCleaners.com.
  • Second Prize: A Copy of the Book Over 100 Helpful Household Hints

With GreatCleaners.comClean Club, you’ll never have to shop for cleaning products again. With the simplicity of automatic shipments that fit your schedule and free shipping on every order, plus 25% off your first order, you’ll never have to be without your favorite, essential cleaning products. Click here to join the Clean Club today!

WamnWWantWant to hand over cleaning to the experts? Tell us how you have taught your kids to clean for a chance to win one of two prizes!
•First Prize: house cleaner for a day plus $100 in product from Greatcleaners.com.
•Second Prize: A copy of the book 101 Uses for Baking Soda With Greatcleaners.com Clean Club, you’ll never have to shop for cleaning products again. With the simplicity of automatic shipments that fit your schedule and free shipping on every order, plus 25% off your first order, you’ll never have to be without your favorite, essential cleaning products. Click here to join Clean Club today!Want to hand over cleaning to the experts? Tell us how you have taught your kids to clean for a chance to win one of two prizes!
•First Prize: house cleaner for a day plus $100 in product from Greatcleaners.com.
•Second Prize: A copy of the book 101 Uses for Baking Soda With Greatcleaners.com Clean Club, you’ll never have to shop for cleaning products again. With the simplicity of automatic shipments that fit your schedule and free shipping on every order, plus 25% off your first order, you’ll never have to be without your favorite, essential cleaning products. Click here to join Clean Club today!Want to hand over cleaning to the experts? Tell us how you have taught your kids to clean for a chance to win one of two prizes!
•First Prize: house cleaner for a day plus $100 in product from Greatcleaners.com.
•Second Prize: A copy of the book 101 Uses for Baking Soda

Want to hand over cleaning to the experts? Tell us how you have taught your kids to clean for a chance to win one of two prizes!
•First Prize: house cleaner for a day plus $100 in product from Greatcleaners.com.
•Second Prize: A copy of the book 101 Uses for Baking Soda With Greatcleaners.com Clean Club, you’ll never have to shop for cleaning products again. With the simplicity of automatic shipments that fit your schedule and free shipping on every order, plus 25% off your first order, you’ll never have to be without your favorite, essential cleaning products. Click here to join Clean Club today!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of GreatCleaners. The opinions expressed by me do not necessarily reflect the view of the Arm & Hammer Brand.

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Keep Your Shower Heads Running Smooth…

by Keri Lyn on February 5, 2011

in Household Tips

Here is a quick fix for anyone who has a clogged or slower running shower heads… I do this a few times a year …and I just did mine, so this is my semi-annual reminder post ;)

All you do is fill a sandwich baggie or ziploc with white vinegar. Place your entire shower head in the bag so it is completely submerged in the water, and secure with a rubber band around the neck of the shower head. Leave it over night. The vinegar will break down the build up and in the morning your shower head should be running much better!!

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Home Depot

This is one of my favorite deals! Sign up for the Home Depot newsletter (it’s FREE!) and receive access to special savings via email newsletter. Last year, they sent out BOGO FREE Tree coupons, and my hubby still says that is the BEST coupon he ever saw (it saved us over $200!)

If you are really into (or in need of) home repair deals and offers … I also suggest signing up for The Home Depot PRO emails as well … (especially the Garden Club ones!) We scored some awesome coupons via mail with this club last year!!

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Here is a quick fix for anyone who has a clogged or slower running shower head… I do this a few times a year …and I just did mine, so I thought I would share this again!  All you do is fill a sandwich baggie or ziploc with white vinegar. Place your entire shower head in the bag so it is completely submerged in the water, and secure with a rubber band around the neck of the shower head. Leave it over night. The vinegar will break down the build up and in the morning your shower head should be running much better!!

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This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Dirty Rotten Buggars…

by Keri Lyn on August 20, 2009

in Household Tips

I have been planning to post about how I get the bananas for my banana bread REALLY cheap at the farmers market (did you know that most markets have a box full of ripe/over-ripe bananas and they are CHEAP!) Every few months, I will buy a huge box of ripe/rotten bananas and it ends up costing me about $2-$3 … then I go home and make banana bread to freeze.
(we LOVE banana bread.)
What I hadn’t planned on blogging about it what to do when DIRTY ROTTEN FRUIT FLIES TAKE OVER YOUR KITCHEN BECAUSE OF ONE LITTLE ROTTEN BANANA THAT SOMEHOW GOT LOST BEHIND THE CUTTING BOARD.
But while we are on the subject (grrrr….) let me tell you what I did about it.
I RAN to my computer and googled “how to get rid of fruit flies”….and found lots of ideas…went with the most simple one I could find… and I am so happy to say that I am now a successful fruit fly trapper / hunter chic.
Before I tell you HOW I did it … let me tell you WHY. Did you know that these freaky little flies have a 10 day life span in which they lay their little eggs everywhere….only to continue the life cycle in YOUR kitchen??? eeww.
So… the solution was so simple. Mason Jar filled with a little bit of Apple Cider Vinegar. Roll up a piece of paper into a funnel and put it in the jar so it is just above the vinegar. Those annoying little creatures fly down into the jar and they can’t get out. It was amazing to watch.
It works!! … and I have to say … it might work even better with the lights out because tonight I have noticed that when I come back and turned the light on, there seem to be more than usual creeping around …. (what you can’t see in my photos is that there are lots of flies floating in the vinegar …)

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<——-CLICK HERE to find MAJOR savings on light bulbs. Seriously…I can’t believe what we have saved by just having them delivered by the case…especially for the can lighting bulbs. It just dawned on my that I have NOT purchased any light bulbs in over 2 years because I bought them by the case. . . I LOVE this company!!

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Quick Fix for Shower Heads ….

by Keri Lyn on August 17, 2009

in Household Tips

Here is a quick fix for anyone who has a clogged or slower running shower head… I tried it an it works like a charm! All you do is fill a sandwich baggie or ziploc with white vinegar. Place your entire shower head in the bag so it is completely submerged in the water, and secure with a rubber band around the neck of the shower head. Leave it over night. The vinegar will break down the build up and in the morning your shower head should be running much better!!

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…but it would be helpful to everyone!! Check out this AWESOME trick to peeling a potato QUICK! CLICK HERE!

Also ~ here is a really neat tip that a reader emailed to me. (that I already did since I got the email from her…) for saving time/money/sanity! Anytime bags of onions and/or bell peppers are on sale at the grocery store, I stock up. I go home and directly start chopping them up with my Pampered Chef Food Chopper. I store them all in Tupperware containers in the freezer. That way, when I need them for a recipe, I just take out the appropriate container with the correct cut of the vegetable I need and thaw it for a few seconds in the microwave. I use what I need, and put the remainder back in the freezer. This makes cooking dinner after a long day of work just a little bit simpler. And in my hectic life, simplicity is much needed! from Joanna
Thank you Joanna!!

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Shower Head quick fix…

by Keri Lyn on April 6, 2009

in Household Tips

Here is a quick fix for anyone who has a clogged or slower running shower head… I tried it an it works like a charm! All you do is fill a sandwich baggie or ziploc with white vinegar. Place your entire shower head in the bag so it is completely submerged in the water, and secure with a rubber band around the neck of the shower head. Leave it over night. The vinegar will break down the build up and in the morning your shower head should be running much better!!

Like My Deals? Subscribe to my daily email newsletter or RSS Feed and I will send them directly to you, so that you won’t miss a thing!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.