Category Archives: Home & Garden

October 12, 2018 · 2:01 pm

8 Reasons Why You Should Choose Gypsum Wall Panels for Interior Design

Gypsum Wall Panels

An increasing number of people are now opting for gypsum wall panels for their interior design. These wall panels are being installed in homes, restaurants, offices and many other places. People choosing these wall panels are very satisfied with the overall outcome of the installation. If you’re wondering whether or not you should opt for gypsum wall panels, we have 8 reasons why these panels are absolutely worth it. Here’s everything you need to know:

Gypsum Wall Panels Are Affordable

One of the many reasons why people confidently opt for gypsum wall panels is because these panels are very affordably priced. Their affordable pricing makes them the perfect item to enhance the décor of a commercial or residential space without burning a hole through one’s pocket. Anyone having a limited interior décor budget will find the gypsum wall panels to be a real blessing.

Easy To Clean And Maintain

Another reason why gypsum wall panels have become extremely popular for interior décor purposes is that these panels are very easy to clean and maintain. A simple spray of water and cleaning with a soft cloth will make the panels look clean and brand new. The panels don’t stain easily either, making them the perfect décor item for commercial and residential spaces.

Gypsum Wall Panels

Easy To Install

The gypsum wall panels are very easy to install too. You don’t need to spend a large amount of money on installation. Some wall panel brands even offer professional and free installation services as part of the purchase price. These panels can be installed in a matter of minutes without any hassles.

Wall Panels Are Weatherproof

Another reason why the wall panels are worth the investment is that they are weatherproof. These panels will not deteriorate in quality when exposed to excessive humidity and moisture. They can be installed in the kitchen and the bathroom too without getting damaged. The wall panels are waterproof too.

They Hide Wall Flaws

Over the years even concrete walls begin to develop cracks and flaws. One effective way to hide these cracks and ugly flaws is by installing wall panels. The gypsum wall panels can hide the chipped paint and wall cracks and give your home that brand new feel. Looking at wall flaws can be a real eyesore and not every homeowner or business owner has the time to get the walls repainted every few years. The best way to keep up the décor without spending money on repainting the walls is by installing wall panels.

Gypsum Wall Panels

Several Options To Choose From

The gypsum wall panels are a great interior décor option because of the several varieties, styles and colours that they are available in. You can install acoustic gypsum wall panel options in your living room or in the room where you have installed your home theatre system. These acoustic panels help to improve the sound quality in the surroundings and prevent outside noise from infiltrating the room and disrupting the home theatre atmosphere. In addition, there are specially designed bathroom wall panels also available that can tolerate humidity and moisture in the bathroom without getting ruined. If you’re looking for something that’s classy and that will enhance the décor of your home, you can even opt for the decorative gypsum wall panels that are available in amazing 3D designs and a plethora of colours. Besides these options, there are tons of other gypsum board options available too.

Excellent Alternative To Tiles

If you’re searching for a suitable alternative to wall tiles, you can definitely opt for the gypsum wall panels. Installing tiles can give your home a dull and drab look. Furthermore, over the years tiles tend to get stained and cleaning the crevices between the tiles can be a nightmare. Gypsum wall panels, on the other hand, are a great alternative to tiles. They are visually pleasing, easy to install and never run out of style.

Fire Retardant Wall Panels And Gypsum Boards

Lastly, a large number of gypsum boards and wall panels that are available in the market now are fire-retardant and safe to install. Having fire resistant wall panels and gypsum boards is essential particularly when these boards and panels are being installed in commercial settings.

Different Types Of Gypsum Wall Panels That You Can Install

As mentioned earlier, gypsum wall panels are available in several different designs and styles. Let’s now discuss a few of the available options and popular options:

Gouge Gypsum Wall Panels – The Gouge gypsum wall panels have a beautiful and wavy pattern. These panels are ideal for installation in the living room, bedroom, restaurant and so on. They have a very welcoming and classy appeal to them too.
Tetris Gypsum Wall Panels – Yes just like as in the game Tetris, the Tetris gypsum wall panels have a captivating brick pattern about them. They make an excellent décor item for the bathroom, kitchen or even a movie theatre.
Incision Gypsum Wall Panels – The incision gypsum wall panels literally look like stars in gleaming in the skies. These panels make the perfect décor panels for restaurants, hospitals, hotel lobbies and so on.
Mariana Gypsum Wall Panels – If you’re looking out for wall panels that have a 3D style wavy pattern that remind you of the ocean, then you definitely need to get your hands on the Mariana gypsum wall panels. These panels are ideal for the bedroom, study room, a restaurant and so on.

Besides the above-mentioned wall panels, there are countless other options available too. People from across the globe are now switching over to wall panels. Wall panels are convenient and affordable and they give your home or commercial setting that classy and upscale look that you have always wanted. So get right to it and order gypsum wall panels for your home today! We guarantee that you will be pleasantly surprised with the outcome of the installation.

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

1 Comment

Filed under Guest Post, Home & Garden, Home Improvement

Tagged as Building Materials, Gypsum Wall Panels, Home Decor, Interior Design

October 10, 2018 · 6:17 pm

Here’s What to Do When Your Dishwasher Won’t Drain

When your dishwasher goes on the fritz, it’s more than an inconvenience – it’s practically a tragedy, especially if you have a family dirtying up dishes all day long. Without a dishwasher, it is even more annoying when your kids get a brand-new glass every time they want a drink. If you suddenly find that your dishwasher won’t drain completely, there’s good news – this is most likely something you can fix yourself, with a little elbow grease and the right tools.

Usually, a dishwasher that won’t drain has fallen victim to a block in the drain or hose. When you think of all the food debris that can go into a dishwasher, it’s no surprise that they’ll occasionally get clogged. Before you call a plumber, take a look at the machine yourself. You could save yourself some money and get your dishwasher working again sooner.

Get Your Tools

You don’t need a lot of specialized equipment to unclog a dishwasher. Here’s what you’ll need:

Some towels, or better yet, a wet/dry shop vac;
Some picture-hanging wire, or some toothpicks;
An old toothbrush;
A plumber’s snake or a wire clothes hanger; and
Some baking soda and vinegar.

Once you’ve gathered your equipment, you’re ready to get started. Remember, safety first, turn off the power to the dishwasher before you start any work. You’ll probably need to turn it off at the breaker.

Clean Up the Standing Water

First things first, you should clean the standing water out of your dishwasher. If there’s a lot, you can scoop it out with a cup and pour it down the sink before sopping up what remains with the towels. Or, you can suck it all out with a shop vac.

Check the Drain Hose for Kinks or Blockages

Before you start taking your dishwasher apart, look under the sink and inspect the drain hose for kinks or blockages. Older drain hoses will get kinks in them over time, and these should be gently straightened out by hand. Can’t find the hose? Check your dishwasher’s manual; if you’ve misplaced or thrown away the manual, you should be able to find a PDF copy online.

Disconnect the hose from the back of the dishwasher, and use the straightened wire hanger or the plumber’s snake to clear any blockage. Then, pour a mixture of a half-cup of water and a half-cup of baking soda into the drain hose. Follow that with a half-cup of vinegar. Wait 15 minutes, and then flush it out with hot water. Finally, unhook the drain hose from the garbage disposal, clear any blockage at the connection, and reconnect the hose, and run the garbage disposal to clear any blockage or air from the drain line. Whatever you do, don’t stick your hands in the garbage disposal at any point.

Inspect the Sprayer Arms, Drain, and Pump

Your problem might be food particles or other debris in the dishwasher drain or pump. To get to them, gently pop out the sprayer arms and, while you’ve got them out, use your toothpicks, wire clothes hanger or picture wire to clean any food debris out of the holes in them. This will help your dishwasher run better, and smell better, after you’ve unclogged it.

Next, remove the dishwasher drain filter and clean it with the toothbrush. Examine the pump for debris and remove any you find. Put the dishwasher back together.

Run a Cycle

Once you have cleared the drain lines and cleaned the pump and filter, you should be good to go. Verify that your dishwasher is back on its feet by running a cycle while it’s empty. Listen for humming or clicking noises while it runs; these could indicate a bad motor or pump. If there is still standing water in your dishwasher after you have cleaned the pump, filter, drain line and garbage disposal, try running the garbage disposal again; air in the drain line could be causing the problem. If that doesn’t work, you may need to call a professional to come in and replace some component of your machine, probably the motor or pump.

Fixing a dishwasher that won’t drain is a job that almost any woman can tackle on her own. It doesn’t require specialized tools or expertise, and it can be accomplished in about an hour. It’s cheaper, faster and easier than calling a plumber, and it will have your dishwasher up and running again before you know it, so you can move on with your life before the dirty dishes start piling up.

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

Planning Your Thanksgiving Day Dinner

For many families, Thanksgiving is a time when everyone comes together to enjoy delicious food, drinks and each other’s company. If you are the one hosting this year’s holiday dinner, it is imperative that you plan ahead when creating your Thanksgiving Day menu. Deciding what foods and drinks to serve for the holiday can be a challenge. However, with some good planning you can make it as stress-free as possible.

From Thanksgiving cocktails to delicious food all served in a great atmosphere, there is much to decide for your event. This is why doing some advanced planning is so crucial. Whether your guest list is for an intimate few, or includes numerous family members and friends, ironing out the details ahead of time, will ensure your dinner runs smoothly.

Key Things You Need To Decide

Once you know that you will be hosting Thanksgiving dinner, it is time to start planning. The first thing you need to do, is plan the menu. If your gathering is small, you can serve everything at the table family style. However, if you have a large guest list, a buffet style dinner is a better choice. Buffet style meals make it easy for you as the host, because everyone can help themselves, and you can keep all the food in one place.

Find out ahead of time if any of your guests have special dietary needs or restrictions. If you have guests that are vegan or vegetarians, you will want to make sure you have dishes prepared that they can eat.

When it comes to the drinks, you should make sure you have a good selection for everyone. In terms of cocktails for your dinner, spend some time online researching a variety of cocktail recipes. This will let you know what type of alcohol and drink mixes you need to purchase.

Also, remember not everyone drinks alcohol, so purchase a selection of fruit juice, seltzer and soda, This will allow you to whip up some virgin cocktails for those guests who are underage or don’t drink alcohol. In addition, make sure you have a good supply of wine and beer on hand, so you can cater to all tastes.

If you decide to have a sit down dinner for Thanksgiving, make sure your table is decked out for the occasion.. Having any kind of dinner party requires an eye for detail when it comes to the table décor. Use a good, high-quality table-cloth to protect your table and add a colorful backdrop.

Coordinating napkins and little touches of the season help to make the table look inviting and warm. Set the table ahead of time with your best dishes, crystal and cutlery. Crown your table with a fall themed centerpiece and candles.

If you follow this advice, you will see that planning ahead will let you host a Thanksgiving dinner that will be enjoyed by all, including the stress-free host.

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

3 Comments

Filed under Entertaining, Holiday, Home & Garden

Tagged as Cocktails, Entertaining, Family, Friends, Menu, Thanksgiving Day

September 28, 2018 · 7:59 pm

Best Pressure Cooker Pot Roast Recipe & #MealthyMoms Cooking Kit Giveaway

Oh, as much as I don’t want to acknowledge it, the weather is turning, and a nice homestyle pot roast with vegetables is so nice to have for dinner. However, if you are craving that melt-in-your mouth flavor, you might think you are out of luck if you did not start slow cooking early in the day. Well, procrastinators, busy people and just about everyone can rejoice. With the Mealthy Multipot, you can have tender, delicious pot roast in no time at all.

You might remember my unboxing video of the Mealthy Multipot 9-in-1 Programmable Electric Pressure Cooker, or my delicious beef chili recipe made using the pressure cooker. Now, I want to show you how you can make a delicious, tender pot roast with root vegetables in the Mealthy Multipot. Check out my video recipe tutorial below that will take you step-by-step through the process.

If you want to learn more about the Mealthy Multipot or get your own, you can click HERE. I have even more exciting news, you can enter a giveaway below to win a #MealthyMoms Cooking Kit.

Giveaway:

Mealthy is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky blog reader will win a #MealthyMoms Cooking Kit! Thank you to Mealthy for sponsoring this recipe post and amazing giveaway. Open to US residents.

#MealthyMoms Cooking Kit Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Enter for your chance to win using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!

Each household is only eligible to win via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. The prize will be sent via FedEx or USPS. No P.O. Boxes please.

Continue reading →

20 Comments

Filed under Cooking, Giveaway, Home & Garden, Kitchen, Recipes

Tagged as #MealthyMoms, Cooking Kit, giveaway, Mealthy Multipot, Pot Roast, Pressure Cooker, Recipes

September 27, 2018 · 3:24 pm

How To Make A “Real” Coat Tree

I care deeply about the Earth, I love to repurpose things and use the natural resources around us. It’s funny, even though our house has many closets, my children and husband leave their coats and backpacks all over our kitchen chairs. This drives me crazy! Since closets and wall racks did not work, I thought maybe a coat tree placed in the side hall would. The coat tree would be prominent, they could easily hang their coats, hats and backpacks as they walked by. I choose my battles, and would rather have the coats on a coat tree in the side hall than on my kitchen chairs.

When I started researching coat trees, all I saw were flimsy or unattractive designs. I looked further and found some really unique-looking coat trees made out of TREES! Can you imagine? After seeing that, and living on acres of wooded property…I think you can imagine my thoughts.

I called out to my husband and showed him my idea. He was all for it. We couldn’t have picked a better time, many trees were recently cut by the town because they were too close to the electric wires. We gathered our tree supplies and started the assembly process.

For the base, my husband split a large log in half. Then he used a chainsaw and a chisel to make a hole in the top of the base for the tree trunk. He also hollowed out the underside of the log right beneath the hole on the top. Hollowing the bottom made it possible to get the screw/bolt used to attach the trunk to the base, deeper into the trunk. We wanted to make sure the base was very safe and secure.

We also put wood glue around the base before attaching it. Then my husband cut the coat pegs from long lengths of tree branches. After that, he drilled holes in the tree trunk for the coat pegs. He put wood glue on the base of the branch pegs, then placed them in the holes and knocked them into place with a 2-pound sledgehammer. Right now, we have three branch pegs on the bottom for the little kids, and three on the top for adults, but we plan to add a few more.

We are going to take the coat tree outside and seal and protect it with a marine varnish. We are really impressed with how amazing our unique coat tree turned out, and we have more projects in mind that we will share with you in the upcoming weeks.

We’re happy we were able to utilize the natural resources on our property to make something we needed. In the end, we have something we’re proud of, and best of all, it was made in the USA by us! You know what else I love? Coat free kitchen chairs around my table! Yippee for small but gratifying victories! Let me know what you think of this natural project in the comments.

10 Comments

Filed under Crafts, DIY, Home & Garden

Tagged as Coat Tree, Crafts, DIY, Home Projects, Natural Resources

September 25, 2018 · 2:41 pm

The Quick and Easy Way To Securely Hang Almost Anything

If you love to decorate with artwork, prints, shelves, box signs and more, you are not alone. I think decorating our walls really helps to personalize our homes and lets us show our style.

However, every time I go to hang something, I want to be sure it is secure. I don’t want something falling off the wall and breaking, or worse, hurting someone. If you are lucky and have a stud where you want to put something up, you are set. If you don’t find a stud, you have to go a different route.

That is why I like GripIt Drywall Anchors, they can hold up to 250 lbs of weight letting me hang even heavy items right on my sheet rock walls. I find the 8 pack with reuseable screws perfect, it is nice to have several on hand for when I want to hang a few things or create a gallery wall.

Another great tool is the Marxman marking pen, which is a deep hole marker that lets me easily mark even hard to reach places and perfect to use on any surface. It is great for so many of my DIY projects.

My husband loves the Marxman too! He finds it so much more effective than pencils or traditional markers. You can send a burst right through a small hole to the surface beneath and you are left with a flourescent green spot that shows you exactly where to drill.

With these two tools in our tool box, we are ready to put up anything we need to, even very heavy items are no problem. You can learn more about GripIt on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

GripIt and Marxman are available on Amazon. Let me know what you think of them in the comments. What kind of projects would they help you out with?

4 Inexpensive Ways To Make Your Home More Secure

Home security is an important consideration for anyone, regardless of age, income or where they live. When you welcome a new addition to your family, those natural, protective instincts kick in, making it more important than ever. Of course, growing your family is also one of the most expensive periods of your life, not to mention one of the most chaotic. So, from a pragmatic perspective, it might not be the most sensible time to call in contractors to tear your home apart installing a state of the art home security system. Fortunately, there are measures you can take to improve home security significantly that are cheap, quick and simple.

Send out the right signs

Home Invaders and burglars are opportunists who look for easy targets. Make it clear that you don’t fall into that category, and they will go somewhere else. If you place signs on your gates telling the uninvited to stay out, it makes it clear that your household is aware of the possibility of intruders. Simply putting a sign up sounds almost too easy, but it is a proven and effective way to stop people trespassing on your property – all for the price of a sandwich and a cup of coffee!

Let there be light

Intruders tend to operate either while everyone is off to work or under the cover of darkness. If you are a new mom, chances are you are around most of the day, so it is the nighttime hours that are the highest risk. A security light is a must-have these days. The technology has become so inexpensive and energy-efficient that there is no reason not to. As well as illuminating anyone who approaches the property and shouldn’t be there, lighting also provides additional comfort and security for you, your family and any genuine visitors who approach the front door after dark.

Gravel and shingle

If you are planning on resurfacing the drive any time soon, give serious thought to gravel or shingle as opposed to concrete or paving. As well as being a cost-effective option, it makes a distinctive, loud noise when anyone walks or drives on it. If your parents had this kind of driveway when you were younger and you ever tried to sneak in quietly after a late night, you will remember exactly what it is like!

Trespassers hate trellis

Trellis, the thin wooden framework that you can put above your fence or wall, looks
innocuous enough, and certainly wouldn’t seem like anything to bother a burglar. However, as well
as providing the perfect environment for vines and creepers to grow on, it has another
interesting feature. Trellis is so fragile that if anyone tries to climb over it, it will immediately start
snapping and quickly collapse – and it will do so very noisily.

Trying to climb over trellis is an even noisier challenge than navigating a gravel driveway.
For a few dollars, it is the perfect way to make your garden look better and at the same time,
add a simple but effective intruder alert system!

This is a collaborative guest post. The ideals and views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Mommy Ramblings.

2 Comments

Filed under Family, Home & Garden

Tagged as Family, home, Home Security, Safety

September 1, 2018 · 12:20 am

Vietnamese Beef Stew (Thit Bo Kho) Recipe

Vietnamese cuisine is well-known for its utilization of fresh ingredients, an emphasis on meat and vegetables, as well as its flavorful use of seasonings. You will often find herbs and seasonings such as lemongrass, cinnamon, ginger, and bay leaves in Vietnamese dishes.

For all of these reasons, Thit Bo Kho or Vietnamese Beef Stew is a perfect example of Vietnamese cuisine. Tender beef braised in cinnamon and stewed in a mix of vegetables and seasonings until it is ready to be served with a crisp toasted baguette.

The total meal prep time is roughly 30 minutes. Beyond prep, you need to account for 4 to 24 hours of marinating time, and 1.5 hours for stewing.

Our recommendation is to prep the meat mixture for marinatimg the night before you plan to cook the stew. Then let the mixture sit overnight in your refrigerator. This makes this recipe a great meal for families looking for a quick prepared fix during the week.

Ingredients

2 pounds stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
4 pieces of ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 whole Burma Spice Star Anise
2 sticks of Burma Spice’s Ceylon Cinnamon
1 tablespoon of crushed lemongrass paste
1/4 cup tomato paste
4 cups of organic beef broth (used as needed)
2 Burma Spice Mediterranean Bay Leaves
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 carrots, sliced ½-inch-thick
Chopped green onions
Cilantro
Toasted French baguette

The stars of the show

As with all Vietnamese cooking, the key to the flavors of the meal are the spices. Luckily for you, Burma Spice just happens to have the best trio to make your THIT BO KHO a smashing success.

Directions

Step 1

Add cut beef cubes, onions, ginger, garlic, oyster sauce, sugar, cinnamon, and star anise into a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly, coating the beef thoroughly with the oyster sauce.

Step 2

Place the mixture in a large sealable plastic bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours. As previously noted, Steps 1 and 2 are perfect for meal prep the night before you plan to serve the dish.

Step 3

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven. Toast the Burma Spice Star Anise and Burma Spice Ceylon Cinnamon sticks for about 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn these ingredients. Simply brown until that amazingly fragrant smell hits you, and take off the heat. You will add these items back into the mixture once you are ready to simmer the stew.

Step 4

Brown the marinated beef mixture in batches. As you brown it mix in some of your crushed lemongrass paste with each batch. If you put the entire mixture into the dutch oven at one time the amount of liquid produced will keep your meat from browning. You likely want to divide your mixture into 4 batches. Put each batch into a large bowl and move to brown the next.

Step 5

Stir in tomato paste to coat your beef mixture thoroughly.

Step 6

Add beef broth to your mixture. You just want to cover your beef, so add the broth slowly. Add your bay leaves, soy sauce, toasted ceylon cinnamon sticks, and star anise into the stew.

Step 7

Bring the stew to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 and 1/2 hours or until beef is tender.

Step 8

Add your cut carrots during the last 15 minutes of cooking time. Simply cook until the carrots are tender.

Step 9

Top with green onions and cilantro. Toast your baguette and serve! This recipe is a great meal for any day. It is a tender, flavorful dish that will have your family asking for more.

This is a collaborative guest recipe post.

3 Comments

Filed under Cooking, Home & Garden, Recipes

Tagged as cooking, Cuisine, recipe, Stew, Vietnamese Beef Stew

August 22, 2018 · 10:42 am

“Homespun” Blog Book Tour- Amish & Mennonite Women in Their Own Words

I love learning about different cultures and religions. The most profound thing I have learned, is that when we really take the time to learn about others, we usually discover we are more alike than different. I think our world could benefit greatly if we all took the time to learn about others.

Given my feelings, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review a new book edited by Lorilee Craker. The book, Homespun: Amish and Mennonite Women in Their Own Words,

Is there a better way to connect and get to know someone than over a cup of coffee or tea? That is exactly how it feels reading the stories of the Amish and Plain Mennonite women in this book. Editor Lorilee Craker, bestselling author of Money Secrets of the Amish, collects these personal writings about hospitality, home, grief, joy, and walks with God.

Hear from one woman who struggles with feeling inferior to her sister, from another about her longing for a baby, and from a third who accidentally bought stretchy material to sew her husband’s pants. tEach woman’s story is a testament to the grace of God and the blessings of community.

This book is such a great read, one to savor while laying back and enjoying the end of summer. Homespun is such a comfortable read, it is so hard to put down. As I read the stories of the women on the pages, I found there was much more I had in common with them than not. The stories draw you in and make you laugh, cry and connect. You will love this book.

Learn more in my video below:

Behind Amish romance novels and tourist spots and television shows stand real people, with longings and loves just like the rest of us. Every Amish and Mennonite woman has a story. In Homespun, you get to hear some of them.

About the editor:

Lorilee Craker is the author of thirteen books, including Money Secrets of the Amish; Anne of Green Gables, My Daughter, and Me; My Journey to Heaven with Marv Besteman; and the New York Times bestseller Through the Story with Lynne Spears. Connect with Lorilee on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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.