Do You Have Any Expired's???

As fall is approaching...so is cold season, unfortunately. So I decided to take an inventory of the medicines we have in the bathroom to make sure we are prepared if an illness arrives. Well...I am glad I decided to go through all the medicines.....as alot were empty boxes, and a bunch even expired!!! Here they are:



I actually found a bottle of cough medicine from 2006!! Yikes!!! I must remember to make this a more regular thing to do each and every year!! So in case it slipped your mind over the past year...or years in my case....just a friendly reminder :-)

That Kitchen Sponge......

They are just a staple, must have item in most kitchens!! Whether we use them for scrubbing the bottom of a pot or pan, wiping off the counters, or wiping out the sink, it is in use multiple times a day for various cleaning tasks!! But try to think about the last time you actually cleaned the sponge you use in your kitchen?? Sponges can be full of bacteria and germs from all the cleaning-up tasks they perform...so frequent cleaning of them is a must to keep them germ free until you get open up a new package of them!!

I have found that cooking them in our microwave is a great way to get rid of the many germs on our sponges!! I just place the soaking wet sponge (must be very wet) in the microwave for 2 minutes. Then using a hot pad (sponge will be Hot!) I remove the sponge and let it cool off on the counter...then squeeze out the excess water after cooling.

I have also placed my kitchen sponge in the dishwasher a few times to clean it as well. I just placed it in my utensil holder and let it run through the whole wash/dry cycle. Works just as well...just takes a bit longer.

Before we had a dishwasher...I must admit we used sponges way more than we do now!! I used to sanitize them a few times a week, and replace them after about a week or so. As they would start to loose the scrubbing pad part from so much use!! No matter how long you decide to keep them...just be sure to keep them clean in the meantime!!

Great Uses for WD-40.....

Do you have a can of WD-40 in your garage?? Do you use it often...or is it just sitting there unused?? Maybe you should put it to good use.....Here are a few great things to use it for....(Thanks to hubby for help with this!!)


-Have a pair of scissors that are tough to use...spray a little WD-40 on them...works great!

-Spray WD-40 on jewelry chains that are tangled.

-Drive over a newly laid road?? Spray some WD-40 on the tar on your car to remove it easily.

-Have a rusty screw or bolt you need to loosen? Spray on a little WD-40 for easy removal.

-Shoveling snow...spray a little WD-40 on the shovel before you begin to keep the snow from sticking to it!

-Have artificial flowers full of dust?? Spray on a little WD-40 and wipe clean!!

-Have ink on your jeans?? Spray a little WD-40 to remove it!

-Ironing board a bit squeaky to open and close....just spray a little WD-40 on the closer to keep it quite.

-Have a black mark on the hardwood floors?? Spray a little WD-40 on the mark then be sure to wipe clean...as it will be a tad slippery.

-Need to remove a label from a medicine bottle before disguarding.....just spray a little WD-40 on it for easy removal.

-To keep your garden tools from rusting just spray a little WD-40 on it.

-Time to put away the gardening pots...spray a little WD-40 on the pots bofore you stack them to prevent sticking!!



I am sure there are many more uses too....What do you use WD-40 for??

Do You Hang Dry Your Clothes??

There are just some things you follow in your mother's footsteps, I guess in this instance that saying is so true!! I remember as a kid I thought it was so crazy that my mom choose to hang dry the laundry verses using the dryer. I always thought to myself...then why do we even have a dryer....if for each load we only let the clothes dry in it for just 5 minutes or so???

Well...many years later it all started to make sense to me. It took me long enough...I know, I know!! LOL LOL When hubby and I got our first place together also many years ago.....he said that if I did not mind could I hang dry all his pants and shirts?? Man....I and I thought I was the only one raised in a household that were not dryer users!!! Were we meant for each other or what??

The reason he preferred his pants and shirts hang dried was because he is 6'3" and if you dry them...then they shrink a bit and he will have to rock high waters!! Not a good look for him....I must admit!! So...I took on the hang drying part of the washing clothes thing and have been doing it ever since!!

I noticed over the years that hang drying not only eliminates clothes from shrinking but also has other perks as well. It keeps clothing from getting badly faded so quickly, prevents piling on clothing, helps reduce the amount of dryer sheets needed, and also helps to save on gas/or electricity to run the dyer for a long period of time. For example, I have a favorite pair of flannel P.J's that are so cozy and warm for the winter...and after 2 years..they still look good as new...no piling, no fading, and no shrinkage either!!

I do dry all our bath towels, socks, undershirts, sheets, and a few other misc. items. All our shirts, pants, shorts, and Tee's I dry for about 5 minutes...just enough to get the wrinkles out then I hang dry them on the clothes line in our laundry room.

It is force of habit now....now let's see if my kiddies will continue the hang drying tradition???

Cleaning Out...

How is it that over the course of just 1 season...we have accumulated so much stuff?? I can remember clear as day cleaning out closets, drawers, toy boxes, etc. just last fall. Yesterday as I attempted to put my sons movies away, I realized that it is just way to full to even stick in one more DVD!!! I decided that it was time to time clean out ..not only the movie bins, but the bathroom closet, hall closet, a few kitchen cabinets, the toy bins, and even try to organize the attic a little better.

I try to make the kiddies part of the cleaning action...this way as to not make it seem like a day of dreaded cleaning!!! The kiddies loved helping take things out of the closets and toy bins....My Little Man, actually asked when we can do it again?? They thought it was so much fun...making a big mess in the middles of the floor!! They however, did not help with the organizing and putting things back....as they seemed to have disappeared by that point...Can you blame them??

I always try to move out the old when the new comes in.....but it is not always how it works!! Sometimes, My Little Man is just not always ready to part with those PJ's that look like high waters on him just yet.....Yikes!!! And being an understanding mom....I let them hang around a bit longer until he agrees...he looks like he is awaiting a flood!! LOL LOL

We have just a bit more cleaning out to do....we will get to it soon...as I am positive whenever I get to it...it will still be there!! Unless your volunteering to help??

Have A Stain on your Shirt??

Well, as a mom of 2 kiddies...we have our share of stains...trust me!!! Here are just a few tips to help make stain fighting just a bit easier.......

-Check Labels- read label before you start!

-Have On Hand: Make sure to stock up on Pre-treating supplies when on sale to have them on hand when need be!!

-Act Fast- Try to pretreat as soon as the stain occurs..this way you have a better chance of it not setting.

-Pretreat.....It is best to try to totally get rid of a stain before washing it!! (Man, Spray N Wash, Shout, and my cleaning toothbrush work miracles around here!!)

-Be Persistant- you may have to do more than one treatment to get the stain out!!

-Be Prepared When Out- Always carry a Stain Stick when on the go or a Stain wipe...I know my diaper bag always has one!! And it has for sure came in handy more than once!!!

-Do not dry until stain is completely gone, or you will set the stain for life.

Happy stain-free laundry!!!
Have any more tips to share? We'd love to hear.

Cleaning Tip Time...

Ahh yes, spring cleaning is now upon us. Lucky us, right?? Not, that I do not clean the house all year round, of course, I do. But now is the time to really clean out, clean-up, and really make it shine!! Here are a few cleaners that you make yourself (very easily)...and save a bit of money on spring cleaning this year too!!

Vinegar- Right before bed, place about 1 cup of vinegar in the toilet bowl and let it sit overnight. Then in the AM go over with the toilet brush and Walla a nice clean toilet...with very minimal work too!!!!

Baking Soda Uses- Great for stainless steel sinks....just sprinkle a little baking soda on a slightly wet surface scrub with a sponge and rinse. This will help remove food deposits from the kitchen sink.

You can also use baking soda for odors in your carpet....just sprinkle a box of baking soda over your dry carpet, let it sit for about 20 minutes, then vacuum up the powder. No more horrible smell.

Salt- Does your favorite coffee mug have a coffee stain on it?? No need to throw it away...sprinkle a little salt on the stain, let it sit for a few minutes then wash. Good as new!!

Have Bathtub Film?? - I know I am not the only one!!! LOL LOL This one is simple....Just scrub down your bathtub with a sponge dipped in vinegar, then sprinkle on some baking soda and scrub a bit. Rinse. Now you have a film-free tub!!

Need to Clean the Blinds?? -Just wrap a cloth around a ruler. Spray cloth with a dusting spray and run the flat end across each blind. Now that was easy!!

Nasty Grout?? - Mix 2 tablespoons chlorine bleach in one quart of water. Use a cleaning toothbrush and wipe down the grout. Wipe with clean wet rag. It will sparkle.

Well...hope this at least saves you a trip to the store to heve to get some cleaning products. Unfortunately, I can not do the cleaning for you!! Sorry, I know that is what you were really hoping for. :-)

Do you have any other homemade cleaning tips?? I would love to hear them!!!

Glass Plus Refill Kits.....

About a month ago I was at Target shopping and they had a few cleaning items on Clearance, one of the items being a Glass Plus refill kit. I have never tried using them before, but I thought for $.08....hey I must give it a try! It was on clearance for $1.08 and I had a $1.00 off manufacturer coupon too!! So I bought it...and then waited for my Windex bottles to run out....To make cleaning a bit easier I make sure to have a Windex bottle on each floor, as to always have easy access to it. I finally made up a bottle of Glass Plus using the refill kit yesterday.

The directions are very simple...just empty out your old Glass Plus bottle, rinse, then let bottle air dry over night. Next day, put in Glass Plus refill and fill up with warm water...and watch it dissolve. It was very easy to do, and they best part there is NO mess to clean-up as the whole packet dissolves right in the bottle!! I then started to Windex like crazy....lol ( just kidding) I did test it out on a few windows, my table, etc. and it works very well, just like to pre-made Glass Plus!!

As a mom with little ones....I am always windexing something!! I think the glass just calls out to the kiddies..."Touch Me", Touch Me"!! I thought these refills were way cool! They take up very little space in the cabinet (if space is a problem for you), are very, very reasonable, and are way less waste too! If I ever came across them on sale again, or on Clearance I would definitely buy again.

Just thought you may like to know!!

2 Make Your Cleaning a Bit Easier.....

Unforutetly, I am not there to help you clean, but maybe I can make it a bit easier?? I have two products I just love to use around the house, just could not live without!!

The first is the Magic Eraser...have you ever used one?? If not they are wonderful, a must have if you have little ones...trust me!! They look like a sponge, and are great to remove crayon and marker from walls, tables (not that your child would ever do that..lol), scuff marks from walls, floors, etc., and get rid of soap scum and hard water spots very easily. I use them all the time....if fact just yesterday....to get some crayon off of the kids little table. Works wonders, really!! If you have not tried or need more.....this week Acme has their brand called Multi-Purpose Eraser (2 ct.) for B1 G2 FREE!!! I have never personally used Acme's Brand, but have use Scotch-Brite and love them just like Magic Eraser brand!! I will be going to Acme to buy these...I will let you know....I am sure they are just fine!!

Another cleaning item I love...is the Swiffer. It is great for those in-between fast cleaning days!! Quick, easy and efficient!! If you have dogs that shed, my sister swears by the swiffer. They really do capture the dog hair well....it just sticks right to the swiffer cloth, does not fly around the dirt pile like with a broom!! The mop cost about $10 or so at Walmart...and the refill pads I buy at Acme. Why do you ask?? When the go on sale of course!!! This week they are B1G2 FREE!! They are Acme Sweeper cloths in a green box (16 ct.). I have been using this brand for about a year or so and just love them!!! And at about 1/3 of the price of the name brand cloths, I really cannot see a big difference at all!!! I have even heard of some people using on side of the cloth and then turning it over and using the other side as well......

The sale at Acme starts today and last until next Thursday. Happy Cleaning!!