These 3 Items Clean Almost Anything

Lately when I clean I am trying to get as much done as possible in the shortest amount of time. I never seem to have a decent chunk of time to devote to a deep clean. Because of this state of perpetual rush, I often do not have the less used cleaning supplies on hand such as drain de-clogger, dishwashing cleaner and soap scum remover. I don’t buy these types of products often and because they tend to have harsh chemicals I am reluctant to use them. (I once used way to much shower cleaner and I made myself sick from the smell. )

This has lead me to explore Pinterest and the internet for more natural, quick assemble cleaners with items I might have in the pantry instead of having to run to the store for expensive cleaners. Luckily, it seems almost everything can be cleaned with vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice.

It appears only the method and applications of cleaning differ.  One downside of more natural cleaners is that they don’t usually have the strength of the store bought versions. For that reason I have been on a hunt to find applications and ingredients that will actually work in a busy house of kids and pets.

So far here are the ones that have been working well for me. If you have any natural go-to cleaners or a method that you swear by I would really appreciate if you shared them here.  Would love to here if  natural cleaners are working in your home.

How To Clean Your Dishwasher from Cleanmama.net

Homemade Drain De-clogger from onegoodthingbyjillee.com

Garbage Disposal Cleaner and Refreshers from cleanandscentsible.com

How to clean your glass Cooktop from HappyMamaTales.com

DIY Window Cleaner from cuckooforcoupondeals.com

 

For People about to Blow Their Wad: 5 Ways Not to Spend Money

I know what you are thinking. Is this girl nuts? We need food. We need clothing. How do you not spend money? I know that sounds weird. Eventually, we all need to buy stuff. There comes a time when we have to spend some money right?

But what if you didn’t have to always spend money. What if we worked to make spending less of a habit? What if you could change your mindset so that buying was not the first impulse. If you are trying to save for a large purchase, pay off debt or recover from some other large outlay of money this might be your a pretty good option.

I get it. It is so easy to need that instant gratification and want to loosen the purse strings. Society in general reinforces spending instead of saving. It becomes harder ad harder to watch new things advertised and talked about and not feel like you need them. See that’s the key…do you really need them? It is almost as if we can no longer tell ourselves “NO”. That not buying lunch out or not purchasing new is no longer socially acceptable behavior. Buying and spending has become so commonplace it has become the norm. But if we can shift our perspective the financial benefits could be great.

So how do we get into a saving mindset and not spend money? Here are 5 ways to shift your thinking and get away from a free spending attitude.

1. Use what you have – In past generations this was the norm. They would never have gone out and purchased a new car for example, unless the old one just stopped working. Past generations didn’t feel the need to fall pray to the newest shiniest new toy on the block. Surprisingly, to us they lived perfectly happy lives without things we feel are necessities like TV, cell phones and programmable coffee pots.  If we really examine our possessions, most of the time we have more than enough items just lying around unused or even forgotten that we had even purchased. That shirt we bought months ago on sale, that electronic gadget we had to have, you get the idea. Look through what you already have and well…use it.
2. Create something new out of something old – There has been a resurgence in creating new home furnishings out of driveway discards. There is good reason for this since most of what we throw away is still in good condition, we just want it to be new. Most of what we throw away can be transformed or reused into another purpose. This might take some imagination and creativity. Many people have found it fairly easy to refinish a piece of furniture and create a like-new functional item for their home. All you need to do is look at things from a different perspective and see if you can find a new use for something you already have instead of discarding it and buying it new.
3. Clean stuff up – Often a bit of elbow grease will do the trick in. Instead of purchasing new, search Pinterest for a way to clean something old and bring it back to life. I tried this with my car headlights instead of having them replaced. You will be amazed at the results.
4. Stay in – Sometimes we lose track of how much we spend when we go out to dinner, a concert or movie. There is more than just tickets and entrance fees, there is additional food and beverages, t-shirts and souvenirs. More often than not it is healthier, easier and cheaper to cook it at home or watch it on video. Plus you will get the best seat in the house.
5. Remember people mean more than things – In our over-consumptive society, we feel an intense need to buy, shop and consume in order to feel connected to the latest trends, hottest events and newest things. What really matters is the people that we share our time with. Spending time with a friend over coffee means more than all the overpriced lattes consumed on our own. Sharing a walk with your family means more then the next complicated computer game. Making time to spend with the important people in your life has more value then working overtime to pay off purchases you never really needed in the first place.

Throwing crap away…so refreshing!

Out with the old and in with the new. Today is clean up day in our house. Today I de-Christmas the house and bring it back to it’s  normal non-holiday appearance. No more bits of wrapping paper and tape on the floor. No more holiday knickknacks, no more red and green. I use to be sad about de-Christmasing but after a full holiday season sometimes it’s good to get back to routine.

This is also the beginning of my year long organization. When I say out with the old I’m not joking. I spent the morning going through my kids rooms and getting ride of old toys they don’t play with, broken bits of things and other miscellaneous junk. I also went through the closets and prepared all there old ill fitting clothing for donation. Now I can fit in the new toys and clothing that they got for Christmas. My house is small so this is a necessity. Plus it is so refreshing to see everything neatly hanging in the closet (at least for one day.)

It not just the kids room that get a good clean up. It’s back to healthy eating as I declutter the pantry of all the cookies, candy and chocolate I have been drawn to snacking on over these past few months. They have slowly eeked there way back into my diet.

Each time I used the excuse, “oh it’s the holidays I can allow myself a little. That little bit became more and more until my eating habits became atrocious and my body felt awful.  New year new you I say. So I’m cleaning up my eating all over again, starting with my pantry. Then I’m heading to the store for some healthy food prep for the week.

There is a lot more to do to get organized. I plan on following a chapter a month in “One year to an Organized life” by Regina Leeds. I like the pace of the book and think I can actually follow through with it this year. I think today is a good jumping off point. Right now I am motivated and ready to get some clutter out of here.

So needless to say the garbage men will hate me come Monday, but my house, my mind and my body will be renewed, cleaned and refreshed to face the new year.