Tag Archives: clean

4 Helpful House Cleaning Tips for Working Mothers

Having a clean home when you work can be a real struggle. Seventy percent of mothers with children under 18 participate in the labor force, with over 75 percent employed full-time. Whether you work full-time or part-time,  juggling your job, kids, cooking and cleaning is not easy. When you are off from work, it can still be difficult to find the time to clean your home thoroughly.

You can find some relief when you change the way you work to keep your home spotless. Here are a few tips that will help you make the most of the time you have to clean and organize your home.

1. Set A Timer

Cleaning shouldn’t consume your whole day. You can make your home look clean in just 20 minutes. You would be surprised at what you can accomplish in just 20 minutes if you don’t get distracted by phone calls, emails, visitors ,etc.

Start with the easiest task and set a timer. Using a timer will help you understand exactly how much time you have left and helps keep you from getting sidetracked.

2. Do Dishes After Every Meal

Cleaning the dishes after meals helps you stay on top of your kitchen. Don’t let dishes pile up, because it will become overwhelming, and cause you to procrastinate. Get into a routine which includes doing dishes after each meal. Stop throwing the dirty utensils in your sink and leaving them for later.

If you are having trouble getting your dishes under control, try the “One Cup Method.” Assign one plate, glass, other utensils to everyone and avoid using other utensils. Doing so will significantly cut down on the amount of dirty dishes, and make clean-up after each meal quick and easy.

Use a similar approach for taking out the trash. Every evening before going to bed, place your full trash bag by the front door. In the morning, grab it and place in your outdoor trash can or receptacle. If you do this, you won’t come home to foul odors or overflowing trash bins after working a long day.

3. Assign Tasks

You shouldn’t have to pick up after everyone. You are not the only person living in your home, and it doesn’t state anywhere, that you are the only person responsible for cleaning it. Make others contribute, especially when you can’t handle the load alone. Follow this plan:

Assign Laundry to Teens

Laundry can clutter your whole house, especially if everyone keeps throwing their dirty laundry wherever they want. Your teens are only a few years away from college where they will have to look after themselves. Prepare them for this change by making them do the laundry for the whole family.

Make Everyone Pick Up After Themselves

It may be harder to get very young children to clean up after themselves, but it is easier to implement with older children. Lead by example, you are teaching your children about personal responsibility when you make them clean up after themselves. You won’t need to remind them of their chores, if they take pride in keeping their house clean. Teaching your children the value of being responsible. will serve them well in life.

4. Find Pockets of Time Every Day

If you can’t afford a top-end NYC Maid Service, you need to find pockets of time in-between different tasks. Use your time wisely and knock off cleaning tasks. For example:

  • Unload the dishwasher while you wait for your kids to get ready for school
  • Do some laundry during a commercial break
  • Pre-treat the laundry items for your next load when waiting for the washing machine to finish
  • Clean the bathroom while taking a shower

Implementing these helpful tips can make keeping up with your home while working easier. Juggling a career, family and managing a home is stressful, that stress can make day-to-day life hard and chaotic. If you stick with the new routines, it won’t be long before you see big changes.

This is a collaborative guest post, the views and ideas expressed do not necessarily represent those of Mommy Ramblings.

 


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4 Benefits of Egg Whites for Your Skin and Hair

Unless you have a sensitivity to dietary cholesterol and fat, there really is no reason for you not to eat and enjoy whole eggs. However, if you do have high cholesterol or want to avoid fat, you could opt to eat egg whites instead.  Egg whites may not look like much, but they actually contain high amounts of protein and a decent amount of minerals like phosphorus and selenium.

Apart from their nutritional benefits, egg whites can also help you maintain the health and beauty of your skin and hair. Here are just a few ways that egg whites can make you look and feel more beautiful, naturally.

Egg Whites Minimize Your Pores

The high amount of protein in egg whites works in two ways to make your pores look smaller. First, they open up the pores making it clean away dirt, residual makeup, and other impurities, which are one of the main reasons your pores look larger. Second, and more importantly, the proteins in egg whites can help tighten the skin, resulting in a smoother, firmer texture.

You can whip pure egg whites until you get a thick, frothy consistency and use it as a mask at least twice a week. There are also ready-to-use products available in the market, like Skinfood’s egg white pore mask. Whichever way you choose, make sure to rinse off the egg white mask with lukewarm water to get the best results.

 

Egg Whites Help Control Sebum Production

One of the reasons why egg whites can help reduce the appearance of your pores is because of its albumin content. Albumin, the primary protein in egg whites, helps get rid of excess sebum by controlling its production, thus making the skin appear clearer and the pores look smaller. Removing excess sebum from your skin also makes it less prone to pimple breakouts and blackheads.

If you are using a DIY face mask made out of egg whites and oatmeal, you can try adding some honey to add an exfoliation effect. You can do this once a week for fresher-looking skin on your face and neck.

Egg Whites Reduce the Puffiness Under Your Eyes

With its naturally cool temperature (just like cucumbers), egg whites can help soothe and reduce the puffiness under the eyes. Apply a thin layer of egg whites under your eyes, after about 10 minutes, wipe it off gently with a damp cloth and then rinse with lukewarm water. Make sure to apply a moisturizer to keep the skin hydrated. If you’re doing this procedure at night, you can instead use your preferred night cream.

The protein content of egg whites can help lift and tighten the skin, reducing the appearance of wrinkles. Simply spread a thin layer of egg whites on wrinkle-prone areas, like around your mouth, the corners of your eyes where crow’s feet develop, and, of course, the thin and sensitive skin under the eyes.

Egg Whites Eliminate Excess Oil in Your Scalp

In the same way that egg whites removes excess oil from your skin, they can also help get rid of the greasiness in your scalp that makes your hair look limp and lifeless. You can apply whisked egg whites to you scalp and hair and let it sit for about 15 to 20 minutes, and then simply rinse it off and follow-up with your regular shampoo and conditioner routine.

Apart from making your hair look more voluminous and bouncy, there are several other benefits of removing the excess oil in your scalp. These include shinier hair (the excess oil makes hair look dull) and a reduced risk of developing dandruff. If you already have dandruff, regularly treating your scalp and hair with egg whites can help eliminate dryness and flakiness in as soon as one to two weeks.

Whether or not you like eating egg whites (or avoid them because you have allergies), there are undeniable beauty benefits from this simple food. Try some of these egg white beauty secrets for yourself,  you might just be surprised at how effective they can be.

This is a sponsored guest post, it does not necessarily reflect the views or ideals of Mommy Ramblings.


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The 6 Things You Must Do for Your Home This Spring

Many people look forward to spring because it provides a chance to start cleaning their homes after a long winter, and enjoy more fresh air. Remember, your home has been closed up and dealing with winter for as long as you have, so it probably needs a little TLC  to ensure everything is functioning properly. When the spring weather starts to roll around, here are six things you must do for your home, not just for it, but for you and your family as well.

Invest in your lawn.

Spring lawn care is essential to your home and its curb appeal, so it’s important to know how to care for the grassy areas around your house. After a harsh winter, your lawn needs specific nutrients and maintenance to  help it grow lush and thick for summer. Be sure you are seeding your lawn properly and raking away any dead grass, that could be doing more harm than good. Getting a jump-start on this will allow you to target problem areas and repair them before the heat of summer kicks in.

Touch up the exterior.

The harsh winter weather can wreak havoc on your home,  this means siding, windows, screens, roofs, and more could have experienced significant damage. Once the weather gets warmer, take some time to inspect the outside of your home and look for areas that need repairs. For instance, do you need to replace any windows or screens? How does the exterior of your home look? Does your siding need a new coat of paint or stain? Does your roof need to be repaired or replaced? Taking care of these issues in the spring, lets you take advantage of the mild weather to get your house looking spectacular for the summer season.

Spruce up the landscaping.

Aside from your grass, the rest of your home’s landscaping will need some love too. Spring is the time to clean up any debris or dead leaves that have used your yard to hibernate all winter. You should also purchase some extra mulch or rock to freshen up your landscaping, especially if those areas have been damaged during the winter. In addition, you should plant more flowers and trim bushes around your home. Doing this will get your home ready for outdoor living and make your yard look spectacular..

Give the inside a deep cleaning.

It’s not just the outside of your home that needs some TLC after the long winter. The inside of your home does too. Be sure to give your home a deep cleaning, whether you do it yourself or search for cleaning services near you that can tackle the job.  According to Amazon Cleaning near Atlanta, “A thorough deep cleaning of your home gets rid of harmful debris that lives in your home, which can improve your overall health and well-being.” Thoroughly cleaning your home and opening  the windows, will air out your home and improve the air quality inside.

Get organized.

Beyond  cleaning, you should also use the spring to get your home more organized. Go through all the rooms in your home, and make different piles: things to keep, things to donate/sell, and things to throw away. Doing this will allow you to get rid of the items you don’t use or don’t want. Getting rid of all that stuff will make it easier to organize what you are keeping. You will love the results and appreciate the fact, that you will be able to find the things you need quickly.

Clean the fridge/pantry.

Don’t forget to tackle your fridge and pantry. Sometimes people get so wrapped up in cleaning and organizing rooms, they forget about these things. It may have been some time since you really cleaned them out, so you probably have a lot of food or items that are expired and need to be trashed. In addition, you may find some items you forgot you had. These new-found products may mean you can make some new recipes  without having to go to the grocery store.

Spring is the perfect time to start fresh and tackle things inside and outside of you home. With that behind you, you will find cleaning is easier, your house looks better and you have more time to have fun with your family.

This is a sponsored post and does not necessarily reflect the views or ideals of Mommy Ramblings.

 


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How Do You Take Care of Hardwood Floors?

Those who embrace the green lifestyle know the value of wood in building sustainable homes. Wood provides good insulation—400 times more effective than steel is—because of its air pockets. This means you don’t have to spend money on synthetic insulators, which can cost more and may be made using materials that are not naturally biodegradable or renewable.

Reducing carbon footprint is one of the main goals to avoid climate change. Wood contributes to that reduction by storing carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, from the atmosphere and releasing oxygen instead. Carbon is then absorbed and used in the tree’s leaves or roots.

Hardwood flooring exudes a timelessness and sophistication that other kinds of flooring may not be able to imitate. More than that, though, wood is sturdy, lasting for a long time when taken care of properly.

How do you care for and maintain hardwood floors then? You may have your own system for doing that, but there are correct cleaning practices to follow. Aside from that, you should use durable microfiber mops and organic cleaners. The usual cleaning agents may contain toxic chemicals or irresponsibly sourced materials.

Read this infographic for suggestions on how to clean hardwood floors and what kind of cleaning you should do at certain periods. When you’ve finished reading that guide, you make sure that cleaning the floor consistently becomes part of your housekeeping activities.

The journey to a green lifestyle starts with using sustainable materials, like hardwood, and avoiding waste. When you have good cleaning habits for your hardwood floors, you are making a step toward this environment-conscious way of life.

This is a sponsored guest post that does not necessarily represent the views or ideals of Mommy Ramblings.


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The Easy Way To Eliminate Funky Odors #FunkAway

This is a sponsored post with FunkAway and BraVoMark. As always my words and views are 100% my own.

 

If you are a parent, you probably are well acquainted with funky odors. Funky odors and kids seem to go hand in hand. The more active our kids are, the more funky smells we will experience.

You know the smell I mean, the nasty odors that come from your kids sports equipment, helmets, sneakers and more. It’s gross and stinky but what can you do about it?

I found a solution with FunkAway, it works to eliminate odors on anything you can’t wash right away or thing that typically don’t get laundered like helmets, gloves and more.

Best of all, it is not a fragrance that just disguises the odors with a heavy-scented perfume. FunkAway works differently using a unique, patented compound called OM Complex that attacks the horrid smell created by play and hard work. OM Complex absorbs and breaks down the odor, eliminating it for good.

FunkAway spray comes in two different sizes so you can have one with you whenever you need it.

  • The Traveler, the 3.4 fl. oz. odor eliminating spray, which provides portability and convenience at arm’s reach
  • The Heavyweight, the 13.5 fl. oz. odor eliminating spray, which features an aerosol delivery system that offers maximum uniformity of coverage and ease of use

Keep The Traveler in your gym bag, purse, glove box or locker. The Heavyweight is perfect to keep home for treating all kind of funky stuff. There is also a laundry booster for any funky stuff that needs the 1,2, punch. Laundry booster attacks the toughest stains and odors.

How To Use FunkAway:

It is simple to use FunkAway, all you need to do is spray anything that you sweat in like your athletic gear, work equipment, shoes, sneakers and helmets right after use and allow to dry. That’s it, spray it, let it dry, no more stinky stuff! It is so versatile, you can use it on just about anything! Keep the kids, lose the funk.

My Thoughts

I love the different sizes that the spray comes in. The smaller bottle is perfect for travel, in my car, gym bag or to keep at the office or in a locker. The large bottle is perfect to keep in the laundry room, garage, home gym or anywhere you store your sports equipment or other funky items. It has a pleasant, almost baby powder, fresh smell. It is easy to use and when dry, the funky smell is gone. It starts to work as soon as I spray it, and keeps working while it dries. If you have funky odors, try FunkAway.

 

 

 

 


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Find Out How a TOTO Washlet can Make You Feel Shiny and New Every Day of the New Year

Happy New Year everyone! I hope it is off to a great start for you. You have probably heard people use the adjectives shiny and new to describe the new year. Feeling shiny and new is exactly what I want to share with you today. I bet you don’t know where this is going. We are going to take this into the bathroom. I don’t want to talk about spring cleaning but do want to tell you about another kind of cleaning. Let’s call it personal cleaning.

I am not talking about a bidet. Quite frankly, I think bidets scare a lot of Americans who do not know what they are or how to use them. Not to mention, they take up a good footprint of space in your bathroom. So is there a better way to get that shiny and new feeling that is easier and faster than taking a shower every time you use the bathroom?

There is, it is called a Washlet. The Washlet was introduced in Japan by TOTO back in 1980 and has become one of their signature products. The first Washlet had 3 functions: rear cleansing, dryer and a heated seat. 10 years and numerous innovations later the Washlet came to America. In 2016 a milestone was reached when 40 million Washlets were sold worldwide.

So what is a Washlet and what’s in it for you? A Washlet is a bidet seat and you will be amazed at everything it can do for you. Do you get upset if the male members of your household do not close the lid after using the toilet? That is one of the first ways a Washlet will help you. The Washlet lid opens and closes automatically, so no more unpleasant surprises. If you worry about chilly seats, the Washlet has that covered too with a cozy, heated seat.

I love that it has an eWater+ system, that uses electrolyzed water, a proven, chemical free disinfectant to mist the bowl after every use. No need for harsh chemicals which are already banned in my home.

The wand of the Washlet is automatically cleaned before and after each use.
Eliminating waste effectively is easier when you are not starting with a dry bowl surface, the premist feature uses the incoming water supply to mist the surface which is 80% more efficient.

 

Next, let’s talk about rear cleansing, I know you are chuckling but also intrigued. The rear spray is designed to provide your derriere with a targeted, pleasant yet strong water stream to get you squeaky clean. The front wash feature provides cleaning in the way of large, soft drops for a comfortable wash that leaves you feeling clean as a daisy.

TOTO is not going to make you drip dry, they have thought of everything! The warm air dryer will make sure you are nice and dry before you go on your way.

Finally, there is an effective deodorizer that cleans the air around the toilet using powerful filters. Air is drawn in, passing through a catalytic deodorizer to eliminate unpleasant odors.

If you want a Washlet with all those features, the S350E is the way to go. It is available in round or elongated and comes in cotton white or Sedona beige. If you would like to see videos of all the features, visit TOTO on YouTube.

We are putting one of these awesome Washlets on our Guinevere Toilet. I will show you more on both as we are further along in the renovation of our bathroom. You have to love constructions delays. In the meantime, if you want to see more about the toilet we chose or some things to consider when choosing a toilet, you can check it out on our post HERE.

To learn more about Washlets and all their fabulous features click HERE. Do you have one of these in your home? Have you been thinking about getting one? Is this the first time you have heard of it? Let me know what you think or about your experience.

Special thanks to TOTO for all their help and for providing us with a Washlet S350e for our project. As always all my words and opinions are 100% my own.

 


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The Better Way To Clean Your BBQ Grill

We are starting to really fire up that grill now that we are almost into the unofficial start of summer. If your grill needs a bit of spiffing up from a mostly unused winter or just cleaning between grilling, I have the product for you! This USA Q’Grill BBQ Stainless Steel brush is all business!

bbq brush

It is strong and durable and made to last. It will also cut your cleaning time down because it gets your grill clean 3 times faster than conventional grill brushes. The brush’s ergonomic design and sturdy construction offers unparalleled durability. You can see it in the polymer enhanced handle that feels great and looks great! The stainless steel bristles offer a horizontal 3 in 1 grill cleaning that will get your grill sparkling clean fast. So no matter what your entertaining schedule looks like this summer, cleaning your grill will be fast and easy!

bbq brush 1

See my video below to get up close and personal with this awesome brush.

You can purchase it right on Amazon, just click on the link at the bottom of this post. Makes an awesome Father’s Day Gift too! If you do get it, let me know what you think.

 


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Easy Solution For Clean Car Seats Plus Giveaway

Kids, pets, muddy feet, spills and more are all in and out of our cars every day. Well, maybe the spills are not out. If you’re a parent you’ve probably deal with a lot, if not all, of what I mentioned. My husband and I have leather seats in our vehicles but they still require cleaning. We also like to have our seats protected against scratches or tears as much as possible. Most of all, we like to protect our leather seats from having the car seats installed right on top of them. Maybe you have thought about car seat covers. We recently installed a full seat cover in the back seat of my husbands truck.

car seat cover amz

car seat cover boxes

We used to use the seat protectors that just go where the car seats are but this cover fits over the entire back seat. It was easy to install. The car seats fit great, there are Velcro openings for the seat belts. The cover we chose is the VersaVia , this cover comes in three colors; black, tan and gray. The cover is quilted with a non-slip rubber backing that keeps it in place. It looks like a custom cover. The cover is waterproof, and 54″ wide so with the adjustable tight-fitting straps it fits most trucks, SUVs and vans.

 

CAR SEAT COVER_edited-1

SEAT cOVER_edited-1

 

Giveaway

Versaliving is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky blog winner will win their own VersaVia Car Seat Cover in their color choice of black, tan or gray. Thank you t Versaliving for the review product and for sponsoring this awesome giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.

 

VersaVia Car Seat Cover Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below.  Good Luck!!!

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Join Us For Peter Walsh’s 31 Days 2 Get Organized 2015!!! #31Days2GetOrganized

I am so excited!  I love Peter Walsh! He is such an inspiration for releasing the “stuff” that holds us back.  The other day I saw that he was asking us to recruit someone for  ‪#‎31Days2GetOrganized‬  for 2015!  I recruited a good friend,  then I thought more about it.  Why don’t we all do this?  I think it will be a lot of fun if we all come together and let go of things we are hanging on to that are truly weighing us down.  What a wonderful way to make a slow month like January much more fun and productive!  So I am recruiting all of you!  Please join me in the 31 Days 2 Get Organized with Peter Walsh.

If you have never heard of Peter Walsh and I can’t imagine anyone that hasn’t, but if you are in the dark about who he is and what he does, just click the video below to get to know him.

 

I want to make things really exciting so I created a closed Facebook group just for this.  The closed group means that even your most cluttered closet is safe with us and there will be no judging or negativity.  The link for the group is here and you can join now.  In the group you will post your before and afters of the 31, ten minute challenges Peter will dole out each day.  We can work to encourage and keep everyone accountable.  I hope you will all join in this with me.

Peter has a New Year Message for us here:

Peter Walsh please join our Facebook Group so you can see our progress.  Are you ready for the challenge?  I sure am!  Comment here and let me know you are up to the challenge and recruit someone to come along.

If you are chomping at the bit to get started you can work on this until Monday January 5th! I know you were so excited to start tomorrow but Peter says it officially starts on January 5th! Don’t worry take his advice and get your family and friends on board and in the meantime join the group and get aquainted. If you just can’t wait, you can get a head start on the challenge with Peter Walsh: 15 Declutter Projects for a Saner You.  Of course follow Peter on Facebook and YouTube so you don’t miss a thing!

 


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StaySharp Commuter Cuff Review and Giveaway!!!

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial. exposed seam logo

My daughter is an active cyclist and so I was thrilled to have her do a review for the StaySharp Commuter Cuff.  Just out of grad school with a new executive job in a metro area she does want to commute from her apartment to work and this cuff is perfect to keep her safe and keep her pants clean and away from her chain and gears.  The cuff also has a reflective stripe trim in back which is another great safety feature.  The cuff is easy to put on and so lightweight and easy to tuck into even the smallest purse or pocket when she removes it.  This is a great safety accessory for the cyclist in your life.

Stay Sharp and Don’t Expose Yourself
 

Combining a love for accessories with a passion for products that solve problems, Boston based company Exposed Seam offers a StaySharp Commuter Cuff for those who commute on bicycles. No longer necessary are rubber bands, rolled up pants, grease on clothing, or shoe laces caught in chains. StaySharp’s unique shape keeps pants clean and helps keep laces away from your gears and chain – plus riders won’t look like they are digging for clams.

 
Exposed Seam’s patent pending cuffs are made in the USA, out of Cordura® fabric produced in the USA. They are designed for the right leg, but can be worn on both sides, and its reflective trim on the back seam helps riders stay safe. One size fits most.
 
StaySharp Commuter Cuffs are available in a variety of stores in the US, Canada, and Australia and online at ExposedSeam.com, Amazon, Square marketplace, and Etsy.

exposed seam 
The Creators:
Jonathan and Jenifer Stark began Exposed Seam out of a mutual love of cycling and style.  Jonathan, who has commuted all over Boston by bike for many years engaged Jenifer’s MassArt fashion design skills to solve his constant problem of ruined shoelaces and pants.  Sympathetic to her husband’s plight, the StaySharp Commuter Cuff was born. 
 
The first production run was made right in the couple’s live/work studio at the 300 Summer St. Artist’s Building, and they have since grown their business to enlist the help of a local manufacturing facility in Fall River, MA.  Jonathan and Jen are committed to keeping their cuffs made in the USA.
 
Jonathan’s background in video development and marketing coupled with Jenifer’s web design and e-commerce skills have also helped make Exposed Seam a home grown venture.  They hope to continue to reach new cyclists each year and spread the word that doing what’s good for your body and the planet never means having to sacrifice your style.

The cuffs are made in the USA, out of CORDURA® fabric produced in the USA.
– They are designed for the right leg, but can be worn on both sides.
– Their unique shape keeps your pants clean and helps keep laces away from your gears and chain.
– Reflective trim on the back seam helps you stay safe.
– One size fits most.

Want to win one?  If so, enter our giveaway below:

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