A CLUTTER FREE KITCHEN IN TWO DAYS WITH THIS KITCHEN DECLUTTER CHALLENGE

Two days is all it will take to get your kitchen under control, contain the chaos and kick out the clutter. Imagine finding that bowl or pitcher or cheese grater the first place you look. What would it be like actually knowing what spices you have in your cupboards. Imagine a calm, enjoyable cooking experience in a kitchen you love. You can have all that and more! Your kitchen can be a place you love, even if it’s not your dream kitchen. Only store the things you use and love. Make your kitchen a haven where your family will love to spend their time.

A CLUTTERED KITCHEN IS A SMALL KITCHEN

Do you have a small kitchen? Clutter can make the largest of kitchens feel cramped and claustrophobic. My current kitchen is not small. It’s spacious and open and the reason we made an offer on this house. But the apartment we lived in before we bought our house had a teeny tiny kitchen. We barely had room to open the refrigerator door all the way. And, honestly, some days I miss our little kitchen and the limits it gave us.

If you have

• a small kitchen with limited space
• a large kitchen with plenty of space
• a kitchen with awkward spaces
• a cluttered kitchen with too many appliances
• a kitchen that is cluttered and complicated to use

this checklist will help you put your priorities into place, organize what you love, give up the stuff you don’t and figure out how to best use the kitchen you’ve got to make it a place you enjoy being.

TRASH, DONATE, KEEP

The hardest part of decluttering any space is to ruthlessly purge your things. It can be hard to let go of those measuring cups or that casserole dish you got for your wedding… But, if they don’t work anymore, they aren’t doing you any good. Figure out a way to use them for something else or get rid of them. Start with 3 boxes: Trash, Donate, Keep.

Materials/Ingredients:

• 3 boxes – 1 for trash, 1 for donations, and 1 for things you’re going to keep but that don’t belong in the kitchen.
• A weekend to conquer the list
• Weekend Declutter Challenge Checklist (gain instant access when you unlock the premium content below)

Instructions/Directions

CHOOSE A STRATEGY TO CONQUER THE KITCHEN DECLUTTER CHALLENGE

Decide if how you want to tackle your kitchen. Do you work best:

• starting in one corner and working your way around the room?
• concentrating on one task at a time?
• working on small areas at a time?

What works best for you?

PRINT YOUR KITCHEN DECLUTTER CHALLENGE CHECKLIST

Grab your checklist when you click the image below. Download and save or print it right away. No email address and no waiting for it to show up. Just open and print it. And start your decluttering challenge now!

CHOOSE A WEEKEND AND GET TO WORK!

This challenge is designed to focus on a prominent area so you will be able to enjoy the results of your work. It’s designed to take place over two days so it doesn’t feel like you are cleaning and never making any progress. This challenge is quick and dirty.

For best results, divide this list into to parts. One for the first day and the other for the second day. While you don’t have to stick to it exactly, if you can accomplish approximately half the list one day and half the next, you won’t burn out and you’ll be sure to do a fairly thorough job so it will last longer than just a few days. Because, isn’t that the worst part of cleaning?! I hate spending hours working and you can’t even tell a day or two later. Get your results to last without having to kill yourself to get it all done at once.

ARE YOU READY TO CONQUER THE KITCHEN DECLUTTER CHALLENGE?

You’ve got your list. Grab some boxes and get the clutter out of your home. Think how much easier it will be to cook in a kitchen that has the things you need, you know where they are and you aren’t avoiding the things you never use. Use this checklist to get your clutter free kitchen in just two days.

Want more inspiration to declutter your home? Check out these great books:

      

The post The Kitchen Declutter Challenge You Can Do In A Weekend appeared first on While He Was Napping.

GET RID OF CLUTTER BY THROWING OUT USELESS THINGS

Some people like to be surrounded by things. My grandparents’ home has trinkets and knick-knacks everywhere. Their home isn’t messy, but it does feel cluttered. That’s right, a home doesn’t have to be a mess to have clutter. Often times, those two do go hand in hand, but not always. Clutter and mess aren’t necessarily the same thing.

If you yearn for more open spaces and less things, you need this list. If you follow this list and throw out the items on it, your home will feel more open, welcome and inviting. The clutter will disappear. It will be easier to keep your home clean – because it’s easier to take care of less stuff. And, more than likely, you won’t miss anything you get rid of.

CLUTTER HOARDERS! THERE IS HOPE!

If you’ve ever wished there was less stuff on your floor, on your shelves, in your cupboards or even the garage, I’m here to tell you that there is hope. It can seem so overwhelming to have to sort through all the stuff. “Is this important? Do I need this? Should I keep it?” If you’ve ever:

• wanted someone to tell you what to throw away
• been too overwhelmed to know where to start to get rid of your clutter
• needed an organized method to throw out clutter

then this list if for you! These 55 things are taking up valuable space in your home. Get rid of them! Chances are you don’t use them often… or ever. If you come across an item on the list that has sentimental value and you can’t part with it, consider displaying it. Ask yourself is it useful? Is it beautiful? Does it inspire me? If one of those answers isn’t yes, you don’t need it. Promise.

CONQUER YOUR CLUTTER: JUST THROW IT OUT!

Move systematically and methodically through your home, getting rid of the clutter you don’t need. Most of these items are ones you don’t or can’t use. As I mentioned above, if an item has sentimental value, consider displaying it somehow.

This list is designed to help you be able to de-clutter your home in an organized manner. One of the important things to remember about de-cluttering is that it isn’t a one time task. It’s something you have to stay on top of to keep the results. Because we are always bringing things in and out of our homes, it’s important to make sure we’re only letting things of value in and we’re sending the things that no longer have value out. So, remember:

• Is it useful?
• Is it beautiful?
• Does it inspire me?

DOWNLOAD YOUR 55 THINGS TO THROW OUT LIST

Part of the challenge with kicking the clutter out of our home is time. I don’t have time to go through boxes and drawers and cupboards all day long. Nor do I want to do that. I’ve got other obligations and hobbies – like doctor’s appointments or spending time with my family. Can you relate?

If finding time is struggle for you, I tried to make this list easy to work through without losing track of the progress you’ve already made. Choose tasks you have time for. Some of them will take 5 minutes, some of them will take an hour or an afternoon. Mark them off when you complete them so you know where to pick back up when you get another chance. I highly recommend working on one room until it’s done.

Ready to get your copy of the list? The list is premium content, so you’ll need to enter your info in the box below to get instant access to the download.

YOU’RE ON YOUR WAY TO BEING CLUTTER FREE!

If you work through and throw out all the items on this list, you will find your home isn’t drowning in unnecessary clutter; it will be easier to keep your home clean and organized. Reclaim your home and kick clutter to the curb – literally.

Get clutter out and keep it that way! If you need some more inspiration this book by Ruth Soukup is great! I love that she’s just a regular, relatable, real-life person. She’s not a professional organizer or cleaner and her ideal isn’t magazine perfect. She’s a wife and mom with a life and obligations, just like me and you. This book has been super inspiring for me, maybe it can help you too.

Now, what are you going to throw out first? Good luck!

The post Conquer Your Clutter and Throw Out These 55 Things appeared first on While He Was Napping.

WHAT’S IN THIS CLEANING CHECKLIST

This list is 2 pages of tasks, divided by room, that will help you clean and de-clutter your home. The winter months often bring an influx of things into our homes – I blame it on the holidays – and this is a great place to start weeding some of the things out. It’s much easier to keep your home together if there aren’t so many pieces. You don’t need all the things! Get rid of some! I promise you won’t miss them.

WHO IS THIS CLEANING CHECKLIST FOR

This list is for the busy household that doesn’t have days and weeks to spend cleaning up their home. It’s for the stay-at home mom who spends days making snacks and chasing toddlers. This list is for the working mom who has limited time in her home and with her family. It’s for the family that would rather play together than spend weekends cleaning. It’s for the household that is full of things they don’t use and love.

If you’re not sure where to start, if you’ve started before and gotten overwhelmed, if your time is limited or if you’re tired of all the things taking over your home, then this list will help!

Disclaimer: This list doesn’t include tasks such as washing walls in every room, baseboards, or window tracks. It doesn’t include dusting ceiling fans, dusting in general, or cleaning carpets. Those things should still be done, eventually. The main focus of this list is getting unnecessary things out of your home. Once there are fewer things, these deeper cleaning jobs will be easier to complete. So, get the things out and then go back and do the window tracks and baseboards.

WHY DO YOU NEED THIS CLEANING CHECKLIST?

Life is busy. Who has time to spend days and weeks deep cleaning? I sure don’t. This checklist keeps you on track when your cleaning list is long and detailed and time is limited. Deep cleaning your home is a big job and all the tasks can be overwhelming. This list will:

• keep you organized with tasks divided room by room
• keep you from missing commonly overlooked tasks and areas
• help you clean your home systematically, thoroughly and comprehensively
• help you use your time efficiently with a checklist of tasks that need completing

Simplify the huge project of deep cleaning your home by using this checklist. You’ll be able to work room-by-room, clearing clutter from your home in an efficient manner. Remember, you want to cut down on the things in your home while cleaning a little too.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD YOUR OWN CHECKLIST!!

HOW TO USE THIS CLEANING CHECKLIST

This may seem obvious. Just check everything off the list, right? Check off all the boxes and you’re done. Sure, you can do that. But, I want to let you in on a little secret. That’s not the only way to rock your clean and purge project!

These pages are divided into rooms, but they are designed so the tasks can be done depending on the time you have available. Most of the tasks can be done in 45 minutes or less. Some can be done in as little as 10 or 15 minutes. Save the tasks that take longer for when you have the time to conquer them. And get the whole family to help and knock that list out even more quickly!

If you can work room-by-room, I do suggest doing that. Two reasons:

1. When you see everything all at once, it’s overwhelming. Cut it down and focus on one space at a time. It’s much easier to clean one room than an entire house. If you can’t do a whole room at one time, cut that down too and focus on just the closet or just the dishes or just under the sink.
2. If you focus on one space, get it cleaned and de-cluttered, then move on, you will be encouraged by the visible progress. The clean room will motivate you to keep it that way and to keep going on the rest of the tasks.

CAN A CLEANING LIST GIVE YOU FREEDOM?

YES. It can and it will, if you take the de-clutter part seriously. Cleaning is good, simplifying and de-cluttering is better! Take the list one room, one area, one task at a time. Before you know it, you’ll find your groove. Throwing things out won’t be so difficult. It’s okay if it takes a little time to get through it all. And it’s okay if your home still looks “lived in” – you do, indeed, live in it. But, I promise you will love the freedom that having fewer things will give you.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD YOUR OWN CHECKLIST!!

NOT QUITE READY TO COMMIT TO THE WHOLE CLEANING CHECKLIST?

Does de-cluttering your entire house overwhelm you? Start small and make a big impact with these 6 steps to fewer toys and a happier home.

Not ready to get rid of the toys completely? Find out how to set up a toy rotation system. Your home will be less cluttered and your kids will think Christmas comes every time you rotate the toys out.

The post How to Get Control of the Mess with this Cleaning Checklist appeared first on While He Was Napping.

I spent the last two years researching, testing, evaluating, trying different brands of oils, and studying the way essential oils affect my family. In my research, I came across benefits that seemed too good to be true. People treating cancer and chronic skin diseases and reversing cavities. I read about people replacing everything in their medicine cabinets with essential oils. The skeptic in me was snorting rather loudly. No way, right?

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ESSENTIAL OILS TO DO FOR YOU?

After two years of research and personal use, this is where I stand. I don’t know if essential oils can cure cancer or reverse tooth decay; those aren’t the purposes I used the oils for. I do know that if you expect miracles, there’s a much bigger chance you will be disappointed. Imagine my frustration when I diffused a lavender blend in my boys’ room and expected them to sleep peacefully and quietly all night long and I spent my night getting up 4 different times. It was a disappointment, to say the least.

It was then that I realized essential oils aren’t magic potions.

• Do they have benefits and even healing properties? Yes.
• Are they a sure cure for every ailment, every time? No.
• Do they work the same for everyone? No.
• Do you have to experiment and use trial and error. Yes. A lot.

WORTHWHILE USES OF ESSENTIAL OILS

When I changed my reasons for using essential oils, I became much happier with the results we experienced.

• I love cleaning with essential oils. It’s safe and there are no harsh chemicals.
• I love using essential oils for scent and aromatherapy. No one wants to walk into their home (or anyone else’s!) when it smells like sweaty, rough and tumble boys.
• I love being able to try a natural remedy for common physical pains and other daily uses. I often try essential oils on headaches, bug bites, and in my homemade cosmetics and body care products.

With my essential oils, I don’t expect miracles. Essential oils didn’t replace my medicine cabinet, they were added to it. They have also become fixtures in my cleaning supplies and in helping me create a welcoming and pleasant home.

WHERE ARE THE HIGH QUALITY ESSENTIAL OILS?

I researched, experimented with and tried so many brands of essential oils. That was what confused me the absolute most about them. “Quality” almost seems to be open to anyone’s interpretation in regards to essential oils. I started where most people start: DoTerra and Young Living oils. The oils and the other products were great, but the MLM structure of these companies was a huge turn off to me. I didn’t want a “DoTerra Lady” and I certainly didn’t want to join anyone’s team – not even for the discount.

The prices were another turn off. When I started looking into building my collection, I quickly realized that I was going to have to sell my first born to keep up my stock. I started trying other brands and companies. Most of them fell flat. DoTerra and Young Living are great products, but I just couldn’t justify the price tag. Luckily, before I gave up on essential oils altogether, I was introduced to Rocky Mountain Oils (RMO).

Rocky Mountain Oils are the closest oils I have found to the ones I first tried and fell in love with. These oils are effective. They perform the way I have come to expect my oils to perform. And here’s the kicker for me: They are more affordable than the big names and they are not an MLM company. These are the oils I use in my home, with my kids and I love them.

4 MUST-HAVE ESSENTIAL OILS THAT WILL HELP YOUR FAMILY BE HEALTHIER, HAPPIER, CALMER AND BREATHE EASIER

There are lots of great oils out there and I have managed to increase my collection slowly over the past few years. But, there are just some oils I will never run out of, if I can help it. These are my must-haves:

FOR CLEANING: LEMON

Lemon. This is probably the most heavily used essential oil in my home. Mix a few drops in homemade cleaning solutions, such as vinegar and water disinfectant. Lemon is also great in the diffuser and serves as a mood lifter and helps deodorize my sometimes-less-than-fresh boy-infested home.

FOR PAIN RELIEF: PEPPERMINT

Peppermint. This is the essential oil I use the most for medicinal purposes. Let me remind you though, this is not medical advice! Peppermint is my go-to first response for headaches and tummy aches. Create a blend by combining 3-5 drops and fractionated coconut oil or jojoba oil in a roller bottle and apply it over the headache. Massage gently for 2-5 minutes. For tummy aches, combine 3-5 drops and fractionated coconut oil or jojoba oil in a roller bottle and apply on the stomach. Massage stomach, if it’s not tender to touch.

A note about carrier oils: Carrier oils are oils that you mix with essential oils. They help dilute the essential oil – some essential oils can cause irritation to the skin if they aren’t diluted first. Carrier oils also help your body absorb more of the essential oil. Rocky Mountain Oils has some great carrier oils, but they are kind of pricey. You can find Fractionated Coconut Oil (16 oz bottle) and Jojoba Oil (8 oz bottle | 16 oz bottle) on Amazon for less. Roller bottles are the most convenient way to dilute your oils – find roller bottles on Amazon.

FOR REJUVINATION AND EASIER BREATHING: EUCALYPTUS

Eucalyptus. This oil is great if you need a little rejuvenation. It has been a lifesaver lately as things start to bloom and my allergies start going crazy. It’s also great if you’re suffering from nasal congestion. Just diffuse 2-3 drops for clearer, easier breathing. RMO has a few different kinds of eucalyptus to choose from. The radiata is the kind I usually get, but the globulus is effective too. I haven’t tried the citriodora variation.

Need a diffuser? Rocky Mountain Oils has a few diffusers – including a super cute whale one – and Amazon has tons to choose from. I have this small one and this large one (pictured below), both of which have been great and have lasted over a year.

FOR WELL-BEING: LAVENDER

Lavender. This oil is for me. This is one of my favorites to use in aromatherapy. A bubble bath with 3-5 drops of lavender is just heavenly. Lavender is one of my favorites to diffuse as well and it tends to have a more grounding or calming effect on our household than one of sleepiness, which makes it perfect to blend with lemon and peppermint! It’s also a great moisturizer for your skin, make sure you dilute the oil with a carrier oil to prevent skin irritation.

Also a great oil to use in homemade cosmetics or body care products because it’s subtle and not overpowering. RMO has Hungary and Bulgaria versions of lavender oil – Hungary is my lavender of choice.Add 1-2 drops to 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup fractionated coconut oil for a calming exfoliating body scrub. Store in an airtight container and keep moisture out. Sore muscles? mix 3 drops lavender, 2 drops eucalyptus and jojoba oil in a roller bottle for use on sore muscles. It’s a wonderful massage oil.

THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW IF ESSENTIAL OILS WORK FOR YOUR FAMILY TO TRY THEM

Essential oils don’t work the same for everyone. The only way to really know if they will work for you and your family is to try them. Experiment. See what happens. It is an investment to get started in, but with these four essential oils you should get a pretty good idea how your family will be effected by them. Skip the starter kits with 12 oils and save the money until you know if you like what essential oils can do for your family. Lemon, Peppermint, Eucalyptus and Lavender. That’s all you need to start helping your family feel healthier, happier, calmer and breathe easier.

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I’m tired of the same scene repeating itself in every room of my house. I’m tired of the toy takeover. No more wishing! I’m taking my house back! I will walk the hallways without fear!

Do you want to take your house back too? Today, I’ve got 6 steps for you that will get the toys under control.

You’ll need some storage containers and some trash bags. Hefty Ultra Strong Kitchen Trash Bags were a huge help with this project. The Ultra Strong bags have active tear resistant technology and were super strong even when I put heavy toys or toys with sharp pieces of corners in them.

The break resistant drawstrings made the bags easy to tie up and to transport around my house, out to my car and into the donation center. Definitely a plus, since I was doing all the heavy lifting and hauling myself. John Cena has teamed up with Hefty and I sure could’ve used a set of muscles like those to haul my bags around during this project.

We are now using the bags in our trash cans and I love the Arm & Hammer patented odor neutralizer that keeps the stink down – no one likes a stinky house! My only complaint is that they aren’t quite long enough for my kitchen trash can, but they are perfect in my bathrooms and my office. The Hefty Ultra Strong Kitchen Trash Bags are Hefty’s best bag ever, at a new low price. Can’t beat that!

6 STEPS TO FEWER TOYS

Follow these 5 steps and you’ll find fewer toys littering your floors. You can try to do it with the kids, but I always find it much easier to get rid of toys without the “help” of my kids. Toys they haven’t played with in months are suddenly their favorite toys ever and their little inner demons are out for vengeance. It’s also faster for me to just do it.. I don’t feel the need to stop and play with every. single. toy. Just the really good ones. Kidding. Mostly. Let’s get started, shall we?

1. Designate ONE place in your house for your toys.

My boys had toys in four different rooms in our house. Of course there were toys out all over the place! They’d play with something in one room, get tired of that and move to another room. I’d run around all day, tyring to get them to clean up a mess that they didn’t care about. Putting all the toys in one place will make it more necessary to clean up what is out now before something else gets pulled out.

2. Find a container for each kind of toy.

Imagine if you were putting your jewelry away and all you did was to drop everything in a box or bag. I don’t know about you, but I would dread trying to find a pair of matching earrings in my collection. What a mess. Put all the Lego bricks in one container, all the cars in another container, and all the animals in yet another container. You see where this is going. When the kids go to pull out the toys, they pick ONE container. Everything is there and the rest of the toys stay put away. There’s fewer toys out and less toy mess. I used several empty animal cracker containers and a few small toy chests and things we already had.

3. The Great Toy Gathering

Begin by gathering all the toys to one room. Yes, all of them. And, preferably the room where you will be keeping all the toys. It’ll just be easier. Check everywhere for pieces and parts. If you have all the toys, the next few steps will be easier and go much quicker.

4. The Great Toy Sort

Sort the toys into types. This will help you see where you can get rid of some toys and if you have any overlap. We sorted ours into building toys, cars, baby toys, dress up, and everything else. We had several different kinds of blocks and it was easier to part with a couple sets when it was clear to see we weren’t losing all the blocks. Same thing with the cars. It was a lot easier to convince my kids (and myself) that we didn’t need a 25 gallon tote of cars. Seriously.

5. A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place

Put the toys away into the space you designated in step #1. Give everything a place. If there’s no space, find one or get rid of the toy. We have a hutch we picked up off of Craigslist about 5 years ago that is now used to store our toys and games. Our general rule is that if it doesn’t fit in the hutch, it doesn’t stay. We do have some exceptions – the dress up bin that gets stored in the top of one of the closets, for example – that are granted a pass. I also allowed each boy to keep 3 toys in his bedroom. We’re talking self-contained toys here, not something with 3,000 pieces. I may allow them to rotate out which toys are in their room every so often. I haven’t decided on that yet though.

6. The Wonderful Purge

This may be the most important step. DO NOT SKIP THIS. All your hard work will be for nothing if you don’t get those banished toys out of your possession. Not just out of the house. Give them away. Donate them. Sell them. Recycle or put them in the trash. The secret to less toy mess is… are you ready for this… to own fewer toys! They will always find a way back if you don’t get them out of your possession. The sooner, the better. You can do this!

I put our “Donate Toys” into Hefty Ultra Strong Kitchen Trash Bags, tied them up so my kids couldn’t get anything out before they made it to the donation center and loaded those bags into my car so we could drop them off the next time we were out. Mr Napping was out of town and I sure could’ve used a big strong muscly man (like John Cena) to carry those out for me… but, no pain, no gain. Right?

Make This Project Even Better

How can this possibly get better than less toy mess? If you use Hefty Ultra Strong Kitchen Trash Bags to gather your toys in for donation, right now, you can save $1.00! Hey, a dollar is a dollar. Now you can splurge on that candy bar you’re eyeing at the check out stand.

Right now, when you purchase Hefty Ultra Strong bags, use Ibotta and get a $1.00 rebate! Don’t have an Ibotta account? Sign up and use code yynqdwj to score an extra $10 when you redeem your first rebate!

Here’s what happened to my home with fewer toys:

Your kids might rebel at first – mine did. You might get frustrated that you got rid of a specific toy – I was. But everyone will adjust and you will love what happens to your home. The change will ultimately be for the good, promise. Here are a few things I saw in my home:

• I stepped on, tripped over, and cursed far fewer toys almost immediately.
• My kids started to clean up their messes with less nagging after they realized that they would not be getting any other toys out until they cleaned up the ones they were playing with. Because each toy had it’s own container, they knew how to clean up the toys and where to put them. This was definitely a matter of consistency and took a couple weeks.
• My kids take better care of their toys because there is less to take care of. The responsibility doesn’t overwhelm them anymore. I noticed this about a month after we donated our toys and I couldn’t stop smiling. Did I just have a mom win?!

I think I did.

You can live a simpler life with fewer toys and have happy kids. It’s possible. Good luck on your toy purge and don’t forget to get $1.00 off with Ibotta when you purchase Hefty Ultra Strong Kitchen Trash Bags.

The post 6 Steps to Fewer Toys and a Happier Home appeared first on While He Was Napping.

Yes, it’s official here. We are back in school for another year. Big J started 2nd grade on Monday and so far, so good.

We all try really hard not to start the school year off with the sniffles, but the new germs that come into your home every day can make that a challenge. Kids are not known for their sanitation practices, regardless of how many times we remind them to wash their hands. Going back to school gives those kids a plethora of new friends and new germs.

I think there’s really nothing worse than sick kids; and, almost every time Big J comes back through our door I’m a little apprehensive of what he’s bringing home. I’ve got my arsenal all ready to keep my family as healthy as possible this back to school season.

HOW CAN YOU BATTLE BACK TO SCHOOL GERMS AND HELP YOUR SCHOOL?

What’s in my stay-healthy arsenal?

Not a lot, but you know what they say… Sometimes, a little bit goes a long way. Some simple, natural DIY disinfecting wipes, Kleenex tissues, hand soap and sanitizer and vitamin C supplements are all I’m using.

All you need is a few supplies and a super quick DIY project to be well on your way to banishing those unwelcome germs. What’s so great about this little kit I’ve put together?

• it’s quick and easy to put together
• grab your supplies while you’re back to school shopping
• DOUBLE BOX TOPS for your school!

DIY DISINFECTANT WIPES RECIPE

Do you use disinfectant wipes in your home? We use them all the time… because I live with a lot of boys, there’s always a mess somewhere in my house. Here’s how you can make up your own batch of DIY disinfecting wipes to keep the bugs and germs under control.

Materials:

• Paper Towels – Get Viva Vantage rolls at Wal-Mart for DOUBLE BOX TOPS!
• White Vinegar
• Wipes Container or other container
• Small Lemon or Lemon Essential Oil

Directions:
1. Pull the paper towels off the roll. Try not to rip them apart. Cut the towels if you need to so they will fit in the container you’ve chosen.

2. Fold the towels and lay them on the table.
3. If you’re using a small lemon, squeeze 1 tsp of juice. In a small bowl combine 1/2 cup of white vinegar and 1 tsp lemon juice or 5 drops of lemon essential oil.

4. Pour the vinegar solution over the paper towels, separating the towels as needed to get the solution all the way through the entire stack. It’s better to separate the towels than to squeeze them. If you squeeze them, they will be harder to get out of the container and more likely to rip because they are wet.

5. Store the wipes in an air tight bag.

Super easy to make and I love the lemony smell. I use these to wipe down our door knobs and light switches and to tidy up counter tops. We use them as wet wipes and I carry a small pouch of them in my car for when we’re running errands. These DIY wipes are super handy at the store and after playing at the park. They won’t withstand deep cleaning, but they help to keep the guck and grime at bay.

EARN DOUBLE BOX TOPS FOR YOUR SCHOOL

Right now, you can earn DOUBLE BOX TOPS for your school with products you already buy. I love when I can help out our school a little more just by doing the things I already do! Grab some Viva Vantage at Wal-Mart to make your disinfectant wipes. Beat those germs and get money for your school so they can buy the things they need.

I love the Box Tops program and I have been collecting those little labels for over 10 years. I’ve seen it help schools purchase playground equipment, new library books, computers for the computer lab and more. Since I am able to help out our school simply with the purchases we make anyway is something I am very thankful for because I don’t always have the time or money to donate as often as I wish I could. Box Tops allows me to help in this small way and, furthermore, doesn’t cause our family any extra burden.

Before you head out to do all that back to school shopping, check out these qualifying Kleenex, Scott and Viva paper products so you can stock up on all the paper products your family needs and you can earn DOUBLE BOX TOPS for your school. Then, scroll to the bottom of the page and check out the fun learning activities that will keep your kids learning beyond the classroom!

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I’ve got 3 ravenous boys and a husband with a ginormous appetite. Our kitchen is THE room in our house where we spend most of our time. It’s a busy place and there are dishes and crumbs abound. The refrigerator seems to have a revolving door, but that’s not to be shown up by the pantry’s strict open-door policy.

I don’t have time to constantly be running around, keeping my kitchen clean after my insatiable boys eat yet again today. I’ve got more important things to do than be on crumb patrol! You too?!

What you need is a routine. A system. A schedule. When I started using a schedule, all my stress vanished. I didn’t feel like I had to keep everything spotless all the time anymore because I knew that it WAS clean.

It’s okay if there are a few dishes in the sink or the counter isn’t constantly spotless. They will be taken care of and I know they haven’t been sitting there for days. Nor will they be left there for days either, which may or may not have happened in the past…

Our kitchen is lived in, but it’s also clean! The first thing I changed was doing it all myself. I don’t do it alone anymore. My boys have their parts to help keep clean. Between all of us, it’s quick work to keep the kitchen tidy. We use these three things to help keep our kitchen clean.

3 THINGS I USE EVERYDAY TO KEEP OUR KITCHEN CLEAN

KEEPING A KITCHEN CLEAN MUST-HAVE #1

Good, strong trash bags are must-haves in our kitchen. I need a bag I can trust to keep our trash contained and that there won’t be leaks! That’s the worst, right? Hefty Ultra Strong bags are great for keeping the garbage where it belongs. The active tear resistant technology offers better puncture resistance so leaks don’t happen.

KEEPING A KITCHEN CLEAN MUST-HAVE #2

A good strong, safe cleaning solution. I use vinegar, lemon, baking soda and hydrogen peroxide as my main cleaners. They are great cleaners and there’s no harsh chemicals that will mix with our food or my kids. I use a 2:1 ratio of vinegar and water with a tablespoon of lemon juice (or lemon essential oil) as my basic multi-surface cleaner. It’s simple, cheap, safe and effective. That’s how this momma likes it.

KEEPING A KITCHEN CLEAN MUST-HAVE #3

Cleaning rags. I like to use cotton rags like these ones. I just throw them in the washer when I’m done. We save money by re-using them, it’s better than paper towels for the environment and I don’t have to worry about them tearing in the middle of a mop up or counter scrub down. The best part? No nasty sponges sitting around, stinking like crazy!

THE SECRET TO KEEPING A KITCHEN CLEAN

So what kind of schedule will help you stay on top of everything? You’re in luck! I’ve got the perfect printable for you! I’ve broken it down into daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly tasks. And there’s a BONUS weekly schedule to help you make sure you don’t miss anything in your quest to keep your kitchen clean.

For the monthly and quarterly tasks, I assign a specific date and schedule it into my calendar so I don’t forget about them. For example, I clean out the freezer on the 15th of January, April, July and October. At least that’s my goal.

Want your copy of my How to Keep Your Kitchen Clean printable and the BONUS weekly schedule? Clicking the button will take you to the download page where you can save and print your schedule to keep your kitchen clean!

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WELCOME! I’m so glad you’re here!

Do you let your kids be kids, even when they get messy and their clothes get dirty? Do you have the confidence that you’ll be able to get those clothes clean again?

With three boys in our house, things get messy. In fact, things are pretty much always messy. There’s an endless supply of dirty dishes, toys on the floor and the laundry… oh, the laundry. There’s so much laundry. And these aren’t just dirty clothes, they are rough-and-tumble, explore-the-world, stains-on-everything kind of dirty.

But it’s important to me for my kids to have the chance to explore and have adventures. This world is so amazing and I want my kids to discover that. I want them to play with bugs and make mud pies and climb rocks and trees.

I need a laundry detergent that can keep up with my family. I know that my kids can play and explore and I can handle any stains they might pick up on their adventures.

And that’s where all® Fresh Clean Essentials Fragrance Free comes into play in our house. This new detergent is sulfate free and gives a powerful clean without the harshness. I love to use sulfate free shampoos – they leave my hair feeling clean and strong. I knew I had to try this detergent on the adventures that my boys wear on their clothes. I love that my boys can be rough and tumble kids and I can let all® Essentials worry about getting their clothes clean again!

With my active boys, I have to find active and creative ways to get them to practice learning games. Little N is starting to learn colors and it’s good review for Little J too. And we couldn’t leave Big J out of all the fun. Because throwing eggs is naughty and sometimes it’s fun to be naughty!

EGG THROW PAINTING

Materials:
– 12 eggs
– Pair of scissors
– bottle with a narrow neck
– toothpick
– container for the eggs
– paint (I like to use washable paint, because, well I’m not completely crazy)
– canvas or poster boards
– plastic drop cloths for super easy clean up

Directions:
1. Empty the eggs by poking a hole approximately the size of a dime in one end of the egg with the tip of the scissors. Gently tap the scissors on the egg until it breaks. Use your finger to clean the cracked egg shell out of the hole. If the membrane in the egg didn’t break, pierce it with a toothpick.

2. Tip the egg so it sits on the mouth of the bottle with the hole pointed down into the bottle.

3. Gently tap a hole in the other side of the egg. This doesn’t need to be a big hole, but you do need to break the membrane.

4. Blow into the hole you just made in the egg to push the egg yolk and white into the bottle.

5. Wash out the egg shell and set it to dry in the carton. You don’t have to let the shells dry, but your paint will be a little runnier if you don’t.

6. Fill the eggs with a tablespoon or more of paint. The more paint, the bigger the splatter and the cooler the effect. Also, the bigger the mess. But it’s super easy to clean up. I suggest washable paint, just to make things easier.

7. Lay the plastic drop cloths out over your work area. I definitely suggest doing this outside, but if you’re super brave you can try it in the shower. Or the garage maybe. It would be pretty easy to clean it up in either of those spots.

*Optional Step: you can let your kids put stickers or spell out their name with tape on the canvas. After they throw their eggs and the paint dries, remove the stickers or tape and you’re left with some cool negative space art.

8. Set the canvases or posters up on the drop cloth. I found that hanging the drop cloth on the fence and then setting the canvases up against the fence worked out well. You can lay them flat too. The paint will have more of a splatter pattern without the drips. This is good if you have a little one that isn’t very consistent with throwing yet. They can drop the eggs instead. The biggest thing is to make sure there is something solid behind your canvases.

9. We did this one at a time, because I was trying to get photos, but it would’ve been more fun to do it all at once. Pandemonium is fun, right?! You’ll want your kids to stand close enough to hit their canvas each time they throw an egg. We found the eggs were actually much harder to break than expected. Which meant we could throw each egg multiple times, and that was fun.

10. Let your kids throw the paint-filled eggs at their canvas. We used a dozen eggs and each boy got 4 eggs. You can let them use a paint brush (or their fingers!) after they’ve thrown their eggs to finish off their masterpiece if they want.

11. Let the paint dry. Display your little painters’ works of art.

Clean up is as simple as throwing the drop cloth in the trash and a load of laundry in the washer.

I love knowing that with all® Fresh Clean Essentials, my kids and I can do these messy projects together. And it’s super easy to get it online at Walmart.com! I can focus on having fun and being in the moment, not worrying about if I’m going to be able to get their laundry clean. And I’d much rather make memories than worries.

Check out more fun ways to let your kids be kids and get their clothes clean again with all® Fresh Clean Essentials.

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Hey! How are ya? I’m glad you’re here today!

Is the weather starting to warm up in your neck of the woods? Mother Nature can’t seem to figure out what she’s doing in so many places right now. But we’re not gonna let that fickle sunshine mess with our mission, right?

We’re on a declutter mission and spring cleaning is in full swing! Right! Right? Wrong?

In my house, it’s DEAD WRONG. Between being out of town and then sick, I’m just trying to keep up with the laundry and dishes and get rid of the germs! But I am trying to work in some spring cleaning too.

I’ve been working in my bedroom lately. That’s the catch-all room for us. Company’s coming? Quick! throw all the stuff on the counters into this box and put it in mom’s room! There are boxes full of

• piles of mail
• school papers
• papers from church
• things my husband brings home from work
• all the other counter clutter

There’s a lot of paper clutter that gathers in the kitchen and gets dropped in my room. I have the intention of going through it later… but the boxes pile higher and I just can’t seem to get through it.

Well, I finally did it!! MY ROOM IS CLEAN!

I know, I sound like an 10-year-old girl trying to convince mom to let her go out and play with her friends. But cleaning my room is still a pretty big accomplishment for me sometimes. So, now I’ve got a system that will help keep the paper clutter out of my room and where it belongs.

How I’ve Organized Our Paper Clutter to Keep it From Taking Over

• Mail is sorted when it comes through the door. Junk mail is trashed. Bills are put into our “needs attention” paper tray. And anything that needs to be filed goes into the bottom paper tray. Then I file it when I get the chance, usually once a week.

• I started a file box for each member of our family and that’s where I keep all the school papers, papers from church they want to keep and any paper mementos (graduation programs, certificates, or other important papers) or things like cards. These file boxes stack and store in a corner of my closet.

• Important papers – anything for insurance, retirement, or other long term investments – go into our file box where we put the mail that has been filed. I just added a few more folders to accommodate those things as well.

Other counter clutter is cleared off each night and the owners of said clutter are expected to take care of it. The biggest offender of that one is… my husband and I’m a super close second. Our island is the catch all and it makes the rest of the kitchen feel even messier than it is. Simply clearing clutter off the counters each night had helped us keep our kitchen cleaner over all. It’s a win-win!

The Right Tools Make a Difference

The best way I’ve found to keep the junk paper clutter down is to shred it as it comes into our house. Take care of it before it becomes a problem. I love our Fellowes 79Ci shredder! It’s got a patented 100% Jam Proof System that eliminates paper jams and powers through tough jobs. I don’t even have to open most of the junk mail to shred it and get it off my to-do list. The Heavy-duty Cross-Cut blades that can handle up to 16 sheets of paper, as well as staples, paper clips, credit cards, and CDs.

I really love the 20 minute run time, which allows me to get rid of all the clutter all at once. It’s a one-and-done deal. But, my favorite feature is the patented SafeSense® Technology, which automatically stops shredding when hands touch the paper opening. I don’t have to worry that my kids are going to get hurt. Of course, you should still take safety precautions and children shouldn’t operate the shredder, but I love the extra safety feature.

With an Energy Savings System that maximizes shredder energy efficiency 100% of the time – both in use and out of use it’s okay to leave it on in standby and your power bill won’t skyrocket. The SilentShred Technology means I can shred papers during the most productive time of my day: Nap time.

You can find the 79Ci at Amazon and Office Superstores. Suggested retail is $239.99 and it’s totally worth knowing my family’s identity is safe when we shred with our Fellowes 79Ci shredder.    

Check out this awesome infographic on organizing your space and increasing your productivity!

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Did you make a new year’s resolution to declutter your home? Yeah, me too. I started in my bedroom… the black hole of our home. Or maybe that’s the garage…? In any case, it’s where things go to die. It’s the catch-all room. People are coming? Quick, throw all this in Mom and Dad’s room and shut the door! Which is really sad, right?! It’s definitely a bit of a hazard at best. So, we are on a mission to declutter this year. I’ve already completed one ‘declutter paper’ mission!

One of the first boxes I came across in my room was full of papers. We’ve moved this box three times, and I’m not sure it’s been unsealed since move number one. Like, why do I still have this at all, right?! When I started looking at them, I realized why I didn’t just pitch the whole box. Some of the papers are things I do need to keep – hey, that’s where the car title is! – and some of them need to be disposed of in more than just a simple trash can. That’s where my Fellowes 79Ci shredder came in so handy!

I got to looking around my house and realized that we have a lot of paper clutter. With all the holiday cards we just received, Christmas and the explosion that comes with that, the end of year mail that companies like to send and things that Big J brought home from school, we had stacks of paper hanging around that didn’t really need to be there. So, I decided to clean out these 10 places one afternoon and I can’t believe the difference it’s made.

DECLUTTER PAPER FROM THESE 9 SPOTS FOR A MORE PEACEFUL HOME

1. The mail collection. This was a HUGE offender. Since we’ve been on Winter Break, there were more people bringing the mail in everyday. And we were getting more mail the last few weeks too. I try to go through the mail when I bring it in and throw the junk in the trash. My husband and boys bring it in and set it all on the counter top. We had little mail piles all over the counters before I realized what was going on. This is a pretty easy place to start to declutter paper in your home.
2. The junk drawer. I am the big offender here. I like lists. Lots and lots of lists. Shopping lists, to do lists, phone number lists, calendars, gift lists, food preparation lists, you get the idea, right? I’m terrible at taking my notes and just sticking them in the drawer to sort through later. So, I went through them and recycled the irrelevant ones. The ones that still had worth went into a small basket in my drawer so I can actually find what I’m looking for until I can come up with a better filing system.
3. The desk. Our desktop computer is in our dining room and is shared by the family, although Mr. Napping and I use it the most. We both are terrible at leaving papers on the desk. and it’s not a big desk to begin with so whether they are bills, misprints from the printers or doodles that the kids bring us, the paper clutters up the desk in a hurry. I filed the bills that needed to be kept, shredded the ones that were already taken care of and recycled the extra papers and envelopes. I put the misprints in our scrap paper collection and the kids will bring us more doodles on those some other time. The doodles spend a few days (or weeks) on our art board and then they are recycled or filed to save. It’s condition was not conducive to productivity at all! 
4. The laundry room. The offender here was all the tags from new clothes my family had received for Christmas. I had a small pile on the dryer that never made it into the trash. It took about three seconds to throw them out and my boys stopped knocking the little plastic pieces on the floor every time they walked passed the dryer.
5. School papers. I never realized just how much paper I brought home from school, but if it’s anything like Big J brings home… my poor mama! And I’m dreading the day it gets multiplied by more than one boy in school. Usually I go through his backpack when he gets home and his Friday Folder as soon as he walks in the door. All through the course of Winter Break I kept finding more school papers though. I recycled the unimportant stuff and filed the things I wanted to keep in his school box.
6. My planner. I still use a paper planner. My husband balks at this, but I like the tangible aspect from holding the paper and physically writing things down. It helps me remember important dates and commitments better. But I had a lot of extras stuck in it too. So, I cleaned out notes, receipts, cards and invitations and my planner is much easier to carry around now. I can even see all the tabs now!
7. My wallet. I don’t save receipts if I don’t have to, but for big purchases and expenses that I need record of, the receipts get stuck in my wallet. Christmas put more receipts in my wallet than usual and it was a bit of a mess. I filed the receipts I needed to keep and put all the Christmas gift receipts in a ziptop bag in my planner. All the others I got rid of.
8. The car. All those receipts I don’t save… yeah, a lot of them are on the floor in my car. They start in the console with the plan to take them in and get rid of them. But, somewhere between leaving the store and getting everything and everyone inside it ends up on the floor of the car. My kids leave their papers in the car too. It’s awesome how much better cups fit in the cup holders when wads of paper aren’t stuffed in them.
9. Diaper bag/purse. If you don’t have a diaper bag, I’m mildly jealous. Sure I like being prepared for whatever might arise when we’re out, but it’s just one more place to collect clutter too. And the latter seems to happen more often than not. Our new rule is that no papers go in the diaper bag… we’ll see how long we can stick to that! No diaper bag? Apply it to your purse.

When it’s time to declutter paper, a good shredder is a must-have to ensure your information remains safe. I absolutely love my Fellowes 79Ci shredder! It is great for anyone balancing busy schedules and seeking time-saving solutions. The design is sleek and the power is amazing. It’s got a Patented 100% Jam Proof System that eliminates paper jams and powers through tough jobs and it’s heavy-duty cross-cut blades can handle up to 16 sheets of paper per pass in addition to staples, paper clips, credit cards, junk mail and CDs. Such a time saver when you can feed handfuls through at a time! And with an extended 20 minute run time for increased productivity you don’t have to worry if you’ll ever finally shred the whole pile of papers you have just waiting for disposal. You’ll be able to declutter paper and so much more!

My favorite feature of the Fellowes 79Ci shredder is the patented SafeSense® Technology which automatically stops shredding when hands touch the paper opening. It’s such a sense of peace to not have that concern hanging over my head with all my little ones around. I also really love the SilentShred Technology that offers ultra-quiet shredder performance. We can still have a conversation while the junk mail and paid bills are shredded. While we usually keep our shredder off and unplugged, the Energy Savings System feature maximizes shredder energy efficiency 100% of the time – both in use and out of use.

You can find The Fellowes 79Ci Shredder at Amazon and Office Superstores with a suggested retail price of $239.99. Are you on a mission to declutter paper from your home? You won’t regret using the Fellowes 79Ci Shredder to help protect sensitive information on my declutter paper mission!

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