homes Archives — Thrifty Mommas Tips

What are the Advantages of LED Christmas Lights?

Paula — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 14:30:42 +0000

Post may contain affiliate links. LED Christmas lights are filling the shelves at local stores and that’s a good thing. In the last several years, the LED light has become easy to find for holiday decorating. Available in a variety of shapes and colors, people unfamiliar with the benefits of LED lights may have difficulty choosing what to buy. The first year we shopped for LED lights I was overwhelmed, especially by the price. But, over the last couple of years I have replaced quite a few of our lights both in my office and around the house. Our Christmas lights are almost entirely LED now, but for a few on the one tree downstairs. Hopefully we can switch the remaining ones this season. When it comes to decorating the tree, there are many benefits to using LED lights. So how do you know when it’s time to pull the plug on your old school lights and make the switch to LED Christmas lights? There are many reasons to switch from old energy hogging traditional lights and bulbs to LED lights. Here are a few of the best reasons. Temperature Each year, about a dozen people die in Christmas tree related fires. One of the benefits of LED lights over other types of Christmas lights is that LED lights remain cool to the touch when lit. LED lights only heat up one or two degrees when lit. This helps to prevent fires, especially in homes that decorate with real trees. The cooler temperature helps keep dry trees from bursting into flames due to the heat from several strings of lights. Durability LED lights do not use the fragile filament found in standard lights. This benefit leads to lights that are less fragile. LED lights can burn up to 4,000 hours, which is significantly longer than the standard light bulb. Many lights are made with water-proof materials making the acceptable for both indoor and outdoor use. Energy Saver One of the main benefits of LED lights is the amount of money saved when using this type of light to decorate a tree with. Up to 90% less energy is used when decorating with LED lights. Less energy used means lower electric bills during the holidays, when money is tight. Someone who puts a lot of time and energy into decorating can save quite a bit of money if using LED lights. That’s super important. Don’t discount saving energy!! Price When Christmas LED lights were initially introduced, they were often a lot pricier than other holiday lights. Today, this is no longer quite as true. The average price of LED lights is now comparable to other types of lights used to decorate the tree. Appearance LED lights can be very bright. For those who like an eye-catching holiday tree, LED lights are the way to go. Needing fewer lights to achieve the same effect as older lights is an added benefit. This means less time stringing lights on the tree and more time to spend enjoying the holiday. [tweetthis]Have you made the switch yet to LED Christmas lights? [/tweetthis] Christmas LED Lights This year when it is time to decorate the tree, consider replacing some of your older holiday lights with new strands of LED lights. The advantages are many. If every home switched to LED lights, a lot of energy would be saved this holiday season.

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Bring Style Outside – Outdoor Living with JYSK.ca

Paula — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 16:40:47 +0000

This post contains affiliate links. Outdoor living and decorating is one of my favourite things about Summer and Fall too. When warmer weather arrives heralding longer days and evenings it’s time to relax and extend the living space outdoors. You don’t have to go far to enjoy the open-air. Make your own outdoor escape with the help of JYSK. With a passion for Scandinavian design at affordable prices, you’ll be able to find everything you need for less on their site. I scanned through the latest products, best deals and top sellers that would be perfect for your Outdoor Living space, whether that is a deck, patio, porch or backyard. Outdoor Living with JYSK.ca! Sit back and relax with the TEXAS Conversation Set. For $999.00, this stylish set includes a sofa with a chaise, coffee table with glass top, and two sitting ottomans. With comfortable, highly weather resistant material, polyrattan wicker construction and a strong steel frame, this durable set is a steal! As an added bonus, the left sofa seat adjusts, so you can find the perfect position for maximum comfort. We have something similar to this on our deck. In summer my outdoor living space on the deck is also my home office. I love that! If you work from home like I do, consider ways to build outdoor office space that also does double duty as a relaxing weekend oasis. Looking for a unique set-up for your outdoor gatherings? Then the VESTERLUND Conversation Set for $1,999.00 is a great choice. This modern patio set keeps the conversation going with its plush cushions and round design. You’ll enjoy added storage thanks to the included three side tables that double as armrests. SUPER CUTE!! You don’t need to host a dinner party to get people mingling outside; instead, invest in the IBIS Patio Table + 4 PALERMO Stackable Patio Chairs Dining Set and enjoy an evening outside with the family. Designed with the natural look of the FSC® eucalyptus hardwood top with a beautiful contrast against the powder coated graphite aluminum frame, you’ll never guess this table set is only $349.00. Total Steal!! The four sturdy stackable chairs that come with the table are not only convenient to store away but are also comfortable and made to last. Of course, once you’ve got the seating figured out, a backyard oasis isn’t finished without the perfect lighting. Create a personalized space and ambiance with fun lanterns around your deck or yard like the GJURD Lantern for $12.99 or the classic VERNER Lantern for $16.99. To really make your outdoor space pop, opt for EDISON Outdoor String Lights strung across the entire area (40 lights for $49.99) One of my favourite things about working at home is having the ability to work on my deck. Transforming my outdoor living space with furniture and lights and tables gives me the chance to work on my deck. Outdoor living is easy with JYSK.ca. Outdoor Living Made Stylish and Simple Take your office outside, so be sure to upgrade your outdoor living space and check out JYSK’s entire outdoor collection! Shop Outdoor Furniture, Decor & More at JYSK.ca! This post contains affiliate links as a service to my readers so you can shop these looks right here. I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase. My opinion is all my own and it is also truthful.

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Disaster Preparedness – 5 Urgent Things Teens Need to Know Now

Paula — Mon, 09 Oct 2017 10:52:18 +0000

Because natural disasters and emergencies can happen at any time without warning, the best we can do is be prepared. Disasters don’t just affect the adults but children as well. Unlike toddlers, teenagers can actually be a great resource during an emergency. Whenever possible, they should be involved in disaster preparedness to better equip them on how to behave and respond to such unfortunate events. Here’s what every teen should know about emergency preparedness. How to Handle Different Weather-Related Emergencies Every teenager should be aware of the various weather disasters and how they should act during each: Tornado – Run to the lowest level of the building and stay away from outside walls, windows and doors. In case you are outside and away from buildings, lie down in a ditch while protecting your head. Thunderstorm – Stay indoors and avoid using items that plug into electrical outlets. Don’t use running water since faucets can conduct electricity. Earthquake – Practice the ‘Drop, Cover and Hold On’ method and learn to identify the safe places in every room. Hurricane – Avoid glass windows and doors. Flooding – Avoid flooded areas. Six inch of moving water is enough to knock you over. The flood water may also be contaminated or contain sharp objects. Staying Connected with Your Family Mobile phones may not work during a disaster. How will a teenager contact friends and family to let them know that they are alright? They should figure this out ahead of time to be better prepared when the worst happens. It might be easier to make long distant calls. Red Cross recommends having a common out of area emergency contact for all family members. Having a list of emergency contacts and local emergency numbers may also come in handy during a disaster. Learn Basic Emergency Skills An adult may not be around every time there is an emergency. Teens should know basic emergency skills since they might need to help out or save a situation. Even the little things can make a huge difference like learning how to use a fire extinguisher or performing basic first aid. You never know, they might help save a person’s life when it is least expected. Away From Home Teens are often social. They might not be at home when disaster strikes. They should be well prepared for such situations. For example, they should know how to contact parents of friends for help. The basics (evacuation routes, what to avoid, etc.) should also apply. Disaster Kit Having an emergency kit is essential. The emergency supply list should include all the necessities they may need to survive during an emergency. The kit should contain food, water, first aid equipment. Other emergency supplies that they might need include flashlights, duct tape, liquid bleach, crowbar, etc. Keep a kit packed. You can’t claim to have a kit when all the items are scattered all around the house. Have everything packed nicely and ready to go. Make sure teens know where the kit is, what the items are for, and how to use them. Disasters unfortunately happen sometimes. Don’t sit back and hope for the best. Survival during an emergency sometimes depends on our level of disaster preparedness. Teenagers are likely to face a lot of challenges during emergencies. But if they are physically and mentally prepared, they can cope with the situation better and even be counted on to help. This post contains affiliate links. I appreciate it if you buy from this site via Amazon and I receive a small commission.

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Woody’s Premium Cabinetry Makes Profit 500 Fastest Growing Businesses List

Paula — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 15:17:33 +0000

This post has been sponsored. Want a kitchen that will make you swoon? Look no further than the local London success story – Woody’s. Woody’s Premium Cabinetry today made the Profit 500 List of Fastest-Growing businesses in the nation. Woody’s is a hometown success story with an expansion happening in Strathroy area now as well. More jobs, gorgeous designs, plus a ranking as one of Canada’s fastest-growing businesses is worth noting and celebrating. Woody’s Premium Cabinetry is a Local Success Story Woody’s Premium Cabinetry is a fixture in the London business community. A family-owned Canadian business, operating since 2005, Woody’s is fast becoming one of the most talked about companies for premium, custom cabinetry. That makes them a spot local homeowners need to make note of before planning their next renovation. Canadian Business and the Profit 500 ranked Woody’s Premium Cabinetry on the 29th annual Profit 500. Shawn Fentie, president of Woody’s, celebrated the achievement this week at a media event: “We didn’t set out to win awards when we launched Woody’s Premium Cabinetry in London. We hoped to deliver quality craftsmanship, and exceptional customer service. This achievement reflects hard work, vision and the dedication of our team.” Over the years Woody’s has made a splash with their designs and gorgeous cabinet solutions. In total they have accumulated 18 awards. Awards include: In 2015 Most Outstanding Kitchen in Ontario in a Home over 2001 square feet. OHBA (Ontario Homebuilder’s Association.) In 2015 Most Outstanding Home Under 2000 square feet. OHBA 2016 Best New Kitchen New Home Kitchen up to 2,000 square feet. I love the creative modern looking designs from Woody’s Premium Cabinetry. And I love hearing about local businesses that are flourishing too. Check them out on Houzz for more images of their work. Woody’s has added a brand new 40,000 square-foot Strathroy facility to allow increased growth and expansion. With the new Strathroy facility Woody’s Premium Cabinetry now employs 32 people. What is Profit 500? Published in the October issue of Maclean’s magazine and Canadian Business.com, the PROFIT 500 ranks Canadian businesses by their five-year revenue growth. The PROFIT 500 is a prestigious and definitive ranking of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies. There are a handful of local business on the list this year. Woody’s Stylish Kitchens: The local premium cabinetry company is synonymous with luxury and style. From hood fans to wine racks to cabinetry ranging from modern to transitional to traditional and even specialty builds, Woody’s Premium Cabinetry has homeowners covered when it comes to cabinets and special orders of any and all varieties. This post is a sponsored feature, which means I received compensation. My opinion is all my own and it is also truthful.

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Rocky’s Reels – Helping Us Take Better Care of Our Pool

Paula — Thu, 24 Aug 2017 12:04:33 +0000

Rocky’s Reels is helping us take care of our pool with our new easy to use pool reel. As you might recall, we recently got a new solar cover for our pool, but we really needed to replace our old pool reel too. Just like our old cover, our old pool cover reel had seen better days. We inherited our old reel from the prior owners of our house. It was cheap plastic, rusty and heavy, and made it awkward to roll up our pool cover. I’m excited to say out with the old and in with the new pool reel from Rocky’s Reels to complete our pool care makeover this season. It’s so much nicer looking and feels luxurious to have quick and easy access to it. Rocky’s Reels – A Leader in Pool Reels What I love about Rocky’s Reels is that it’s a family run, Canadian business. It’s also a trusted business. This company provides pool reels all across North America and worldwide, and they’re some of the the highest quality on the market. Did I mention – easy to use? They have a variety of pool reels, so they can address every pool owner’s specific needs. That’s important, because the right pool reel can make all the difference when it comes to ease of use and effectiveness. The 3 A Portable We chose the 3 A Portable pool reel for our pool. It was important to us that we all be able to use this, and I’ve heard from other pool owners that it’s so easy even older kids can do it. I like that because my kids are old enough that as long as one of us is around to supervise, they can easily do some of the smaller pool upkeep jobs. The 3 A is designed for pools with solar covers. Its portable design allows for easy reeling and unreeling of the cover. It comes with two castors for easy portability. SUCH A BIG IMPROVEMENT for us!! Dramatic Change The 3 A Portable reel by Rocky’s Reels is constructed of strong die cast aluminum, which I love. Our old reel had plastic wheels and the screws attaching the metal tube in the middle had all rusted. It was an eyesore. The new reel from Rocky’s isn’t effected by sunlight or freezing cold, which means it can stand up to summers and the harsh Canadian winters. Let’s face it we get some wild weather here! Durability is vital. A few other things about these sturdy pool reels: Rocky’s Reels have a ten year warranty. Lightweight but sturdy. They make portable and permanent reels too depending on your pool and the use intended. SEE Video for more: Rocky’s Reels will Have Us Rocking the Pool I’m so pleased to have a new pool reel from Rocky’s Reels. After we got our solar cover, I looked at our old pool reel and thought, “Oh no. This thing has got to go.” I mean, why have a nice cover when the reel is hard to use, beat up, rusty, and generally ugly. It was time for a change, and I couldn’t be happier. The 3 A Portable pool reel from Rocky’s Reels is just what the pool doctor ordered! Update: This is our third season using the REEL from Rocky’s. LOVE it. High quality and well worth the price. This post has been sponsored by Rocky’s Reels. We received product for consideration here. My opinion is all my own and it is also truthful.

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Decorate Your Home with Canvas Prints from Canvas Champ

Paula — Sun, 06 Aug 2017 11:09:16 +0000

Decorate your home with canvas prints! No, I don’t mean paintings. I mean photo canvas prints. They’re an excellent way to commemorate family memories without the same old boring frame on the wall or 8″x10″ on the counter. With photo canvas prints, you can decorate your home with something unique. They’re quite attractive, with a photo quality image and that great canvas texture we all know and love. Decorate Your Home with Stylish Prints I have a few photo canvas prints in my home. They’ve become my simple way to add photographs to my walls or table tops and I like the look of them. I also love that I don’t always need frames. A mixture of photos with and without frames makes me happy actually. So this one from Canvas Champ fits the bill. Over the last several months I have been building a gallery wall of photos. There are a few framed ones, and a couple wit inspirational travel quotes, but many are canvas prints. I’m happy to have found another great source for them – Canvas Champ. Canvas Champ gives me that canvas print feel that I love so much without a huge price. I like Canvas Champ, so I’m adding another print to my home. This time I chose one of our pictures from a recent family trip. We took it in Phillipsburg, St. Maarten while we were on an excursion called The Amazing Race in the local port. We saw quite a bit of St. Maarten while we raced around together looking for clues. We came in second last I think, but we had a TON of fun. That’s worth remembering with my next canvas print from Canvas Champ. For more on that cruise you can read this Harmony of the Seas cruise ship post here. Decorate Your Home with a Huge Variety of Prints I’m doing a fairly straightforward print, but the thing that I really love about Canvas Champ is that they have a wide variety of ways to decorate your home. You can go for a straight photo transfer, but you can also choose from: Wall Displays Photo Collages Photo Mosaics Pop Art Panoramic Canvas Prints Canvas Photo Retouching Rolled Canvas Printing Large Canvas Prints Enlargements on Canvas [clickToTweet tweet=”Simple and affordable photo canvas prints make great gifts. AD” quote=”Simple and affordable photo canvas prints make great gifts. “] You can also take advantage of specialty prints, accessories, and more. In addition to that you can print from Instagram or Facebook, which is what I think I might do next. Canvas Champ is an affordable, fast, resource for decorating your home in a unique way. I love it, and I think you will, too. I received a print for consideration on this site. My opinion is all my own.

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Better Sleep with Our Douglas Bed Canadian Mattress

Paula — Mon, 24 Jul 2017 12:46:34 +0000

An eco-friendly Canadian mattress company that helps with better sleep? It’s about time. Better sleep is in high demand in a lot of homes. Everybody wants a good night’s sleep. Unfortunately, that can be elusive for a lot of people. Better sleep starts in the morning with good habits, and it hinges on having a good mattress too. Our old mattress was well over ten years old. And my husband has had minor complaints about sleep for months now. When he injured his shoulder in the spring at work, his sleep deteriorated even more, which meant I also suffered. When I heard about Douglas Bed by Novosbed I decided it was time to make better sleep a reality, instead of a wish! Better Sleep with a Better Mattress I’ll be completely honest here – a mattress is something I really try to avoid thinking about, which is brutal since we all know how much time we spend sleeping!! We spent a lot of money last time around buying a Queen sized pillow-top mattress and when I spend that much money I want to hold on to my investment. But, you know the story of innerspring mattresses. Once they get as old as ours was, you can feel EVERY spring. My husband certainly could. Needless to say, he did not wake up refreshed and renewed but honestly I had no idea the old mattress was also the root of my back pain. Better Sleep with Better Materials But that finally changed recently. Douglas Memory Foam Mattresses might be the most Canadian mattresses ever made. Designed and made in Canada, for Canadians, the final product is crafted in Ontario actually. That makes me happy. The materials Douglas uses to make its mattresses starts with a 6″ motion isolation support foam. This foam eliminates motion transfer between my husband and I during the night. There are no springs in this mattress, so there’s none of that discomfort. Frankly the foam feels completely different than a traditional mattress, in a good way. Your body sinks into the foam, which is labelled medium-firm. I find it to be the right amount of firmness for me. Next, Douglas adds a 2″ layer of Premium Elastex Foam. The nice thing about this foam is that it has all the durability, support, and responsiveness of natural Latex foam but WITHOUT the harmful, allergy-causing chemical found in Latex. An Eco-friendly Mattress One of my favourite parts of this new mattress is that it’s environmentally friendly. After the Elastex Foam comes a 2″ layer of Luxury ecoLight Cooling Gel Foam. ecoLight foam is amazing for two reasons. The first is its cooling properties, keeping my husband and I nice and comfy all night. Next is its environmental friendliness. ecoLight is just as durable, responsive, and cooling as high density memory foam, but it doesn’t retain heat and it’s made with HALF the carbon footprint. That matters to us. Other Eco-Friendly Features: The Douglas Mattress is also CertiPUR-US certified to be low emission VOC for indoor air quality. It is manufactured using renewable energy. More than 90% of the energy used to manufacture a Douglas mattress is generated without emitting any carbon into the atmosphere at all, much of it coming from wind, solar, and hydro. As well, Douglas wraps it all up in a washable cover made with Natural Eucalyptus Fabric. This CoolSense cover draws moisture away from the body, further promoting a cool, dry, comfortable night of sleep. 120 night trial and free returns AND returned mattresses are delivered by local movers to charities in your area. It was pretty cool unboxing the Douglas Bed Canadian Mattress. Visitors had been by one day the week before we opened the box and they were all a bit curious about a mattress arriving in a box. How could that possibly work? A queen sized mattress in that box? Well, in fact, it is vacuum packed and as soon as you release it from the packaging it re-inflates. That was kind of fun to watch. See video below. Link here to my @Inkscrblr Douglas Bed Video. Better Sleep is our New Normal I hate to say it, but my husband and I had just gotten used to sleeping on a terrible mattress. It was normal for us to wake up with achy backs, necks and shoulders. A bad mattress doesn’t help aches and pains that come with aging. You know what does help, though? Our new Douglas Bed mattress. I am actually both shocked and amazed that this new mattress has eliminated my lower back pain. I started yoga for it years ago to help. Apparently the old mattress was not working for me for a longer time than I thought. At first we were both quite apprehensive about trusting a new company with our sleep. But Douglas Bed has won us over. My husband and I now enjoy a cool, comfortable night’s sleep without springs in our backs, divots in the bed, or achy body parts. We are cool, comfortable, supported, and cozy and I love all the eco-friendly elements this company has happening. There are many reasons to choose this brand and some of the thoughtfulness given to making this Douglas memory foam Canadian mattress environmentally friendly makes me rest easy. We received a Douglas Bed memory foam mattress for consideration here. My opinion is all my own and it is also truthful. You can now enter for a chance to win one of your own!! Douglas Free Mattress Competition

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Solar Cover Tips – Keep Your Pool Clean and Toasty

Paula — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 12:02:22 +0000

Solar cover tips can help you keep your pool warm, clean and efficient. The “tips” part is important. You can’t just go out and snag a solar cover. Well, you can, but you’ll be flying blind. Which means you won’t get as much effect as you would if you knew exactly how to use it. We recently had to get another solar cover. Our last one fell apart in September and we needed a new one to replace it. Thanks to the folks at Pool Supplies Canada, we have a great clean solar cover to keep our pool clean and warm. The following solar cover tips will help you get the most out of your solar cover season in and season out. You can check out the simple installation video I posted on my Inkscrblr Youtube channel. Solar Cover Tips to Maximize Effectiveness Solar covers are designed to do two things: keep the pool clean and keep the pool warm. Both of those are super important to my family. My husband hates having to do extra pool work, and we all cringe at a cold pool. I like my pool to be nice and warm. So we almost always have a solar cover. In fact it was one of the first things we purchased for the pool 3 years ago, our first summer in the new home. Sadly, my first cover worked to heat the pool well, but it deteriorated fast. I’m declaring this the year of the backyard pool because frankly this year the pool is in great shape after two years with some big maintenance and repairs. We are ready to swim and happy also to be saving money because the new cover works brilliantly. In the spring we had to replace the roof of our home and also the pool heater. Last year we had the pool liner replaced. That meant it has been a brutally expensive season. Pools can be expensive, but they are worth it. So I started hunting for money saving options for pool supplies for the summer months. That’s how I found Pool Supplies Canada. Pool Supplies Canada has some incredible prices and their service is excellent. My order was placed on a Monday afternoon and the delivery took place on Thursday. Two weekends ago, as some of my followers and friends know, we were at Sherkston Shores. We took the weekend away after installing the cover. My husband turned the pool heater off entirely and left just the new cover on. When I returned we made a point of checking the pool temperature immediately. It was 88 degrees Celsius after one weekend! Like swimming in a hot tub. This year, Pool Supplies Canada has graciously agreed to help me keep my pool in order, and the first step for me was replacing our worn out solar cover with a nice new, CLEAR cover. I’ll cover why clear is great in a second. So without further ado, let’s look at some solar cover tips to maximize our solar cover ROI. Clear Solar Covers are Best In my opinion, clear solar covers are the best covers. You can buy covers in blue or clear ones. Clear covers allow the most light and heat to penetrate the deepest into the pool water to maximize the heating properties of the cover. I got a Premium Clear Sun Blanket for our pool. It’s super durable with a 14 mil thickness and features the best heating capacity of any blanket. Reduce Cover Deterioration Cover deterioration is a natural process which cannot be completely avoided, however, if you ensure that your pool chemicals are balanced properly, it can help prolong the life of your solar cover. Your warranty guide will advise you on how best to take care of your cover. Size Up with Freeform Pools Freeform pools come in all shapes. They have curves. In short, they’re not easily measured like a rectangular pool. When ordering a solar cover for a freeform pool, get it one size larger so it can be trimmed to fit. Solar Cover Reel System One huge point on the list of solar cover tips is getting a solar cover reel. They are key to ease of use. A reel allows for easy rolling and unrolling of the cover and reduces the amount of debris that can fall into the pool. Our reel is in dire need of replacement soon too. But one thing at a time. Protect Your Cover from Super Chlorination Super chlorination can contribute to the early retirement of your solar cover. Always keep your solar cover off of the pool for at least 24 hours after super chlorinating. Solar Cover Tips for Long Lasting Protection Solar covers don’t last forever. That’s just a fact. BUT these solar cover tips can help you ensure that your cover lasts as long as it possibly can. If you follow these tips and consult your solar cover professional, you should have a solar cover that lasts a good long time. And my last word is this. Talk with a solar cover professional at Pool Supplies Canada. So far, I’ve had a wonderful experience with them from start to finish. I received product for purposes of this post. My opinion is all my own and it is also truthful.

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Spring Cleaning Made Simple – All the Things You Usually Forget #CloroxMeansClean

Paula — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 12:25:25 +0000

Spring cleaning is a great way to get a fresh start for the season. Seems like over the winter months we accumulate so much stuff. When the weather changes it’s time to give the house a good purge. You might as well clean too. I started reading Spark Joy this week by Marie Kondo, and it has inspired me to start the spring cleaning process too. From getting the dust bunnies out from behind the couches that never get moved to flipping mattresses and changing the sheets, spring cleaning is time to give your home a good purge and clean. But even when you think you did a thorough job there are tasks many of us forget to do and those things can make a big difference. Spring Cleaning Made Simple When you start your big clean, remember the little things count, as well. A good cleaning includes culling and organizing. Remember, the less stuff you have, the less messes too. Clutter weighs you down. And right now we have clutter. This house has needed a purge for months. So, I decided to get my youngest daughter involved. Many hands make light work. Cull DITCH the old clothing that you haven’t worn. When was the last time your husband wore that awful shirt? When’s the last time you wore that sweater that is so far out of style, it will never come back in? How often do the kids really play with those old toys? These are the questions to ask yourself when you begin spring cleaning. If you haven’t used it in a year, get rid of it. Make some space and create peace. I am the worst possible offender here. My kids are the same. We hold onto things that have an emotional connection long after they’ve outlived their use. My kids hate getting rid of old toys. One of us still has a Backyardigan and the kids are now 13 and 15. It can be a battle moving things on here. But I do find with toys and clothing that if the girls know the gently used items are finding a new home at their cousin’s house then they can get behind the cleaning and purging initiative. This weekend I took a bunch of Clorox products and I bought several small organizing bins from the dollar store. Clorox wipes make cleaning easy, so my kids can help clean surfaces too. If you are organizing and culling, let your kids personalize the bins if they want. Clorox disinfecting wipes are also affordable at $3.25 for a canister. I really like these because they are convenient and they kill 99.9 % of bacteria that lives on surfaces in your home. We started in the girls’ bathroom because it always looks like something girly exploded in there. Not joking. My girls like makeup and hair and beauty products and their shared washroom overflows with them. We pulled everything out of the drawers and tossed a few things we no longer need. Then we checked expiry dates on things like sunscreen. Eventually we also moved a few more items into the bin going out the door to charity and organized the rest into separate bins. We also did a big clean of the space. Clorox Disinfecting Bleach Foamer Spray works beautifully on bathroom surfaces to kill germs. It also kills athlete’s foot fungus and I have athletes so I am hanging onto this. Spring Clean the Drains Do you ever notice a funky odor coming out of your drains? It could be sewer gas creeping up through the pipes, or it could also be a year or more’s worth of gunk stuck to your pipes. A good drain cleaner helps. At our house it’s always hair. Disgusting, yes. But reality because let’s face it three of us are girls with long hair and that takes a toll on drains, carpets, and vacuum cleaners. I actually let out a happy yell when I realized Clorox has a product just for hair clogs. Brilliant! Liquid Plumr Hair Clog Eliminator sticks to trapped hair and dissolves it. This product is only used by adults in our house. Door Knobs You should really be doing this all year anyway, but spring cleaning is the perfect time to really get those door knobs clean. Don’t just give them a quick wipe, get in there with a cloth or wipe to get in all the nooks and crannies that house bacteria and germs. You’ll also be surprised at how much physical gunk built up on those knobs that you never even noticed. Molding One of the biggest forgotten areas in spring cleaning is dusting the TOP of the molding around the house. I am so guilty of this. It is both amazing and disgusting how much dust comes off the top of your molding when you spring clean. You would NEVER suspect so much has collected up there. It’s especially bad if you’re like me and you never remember to dust that area. Grout We all mop or use some other cleaning method to clean our tile. The grout is a secondary thing that might get a little cleaning action just from the act of cleaning the tile. When spring cleaning rolls around, however, you should give your tile some extra love. You can use a bit of Clorox bleach to give your grout a good cleaning and get it spruced up in no time. Don’t forget the Glad Easy-Tie Regular Garbage Bags and the Glad Easy-Tie Tall Kitchen Catchers with Febreze fresh scent. I like the Tall Kitchen Catchers because they are a good size for kitchen garbage. But my favourite this year is the Glad 100 % compostable bags with Febreze Fresh Lemon Scent. ($5.99 for 20). These are great for your green/ organic and food waste. Spring Cleaning for the Forgetful This year I am breaking this huge job into chunks, purging and cleaning one room at a time. Spark Joy talks about doing it all in one go, but that’s a huge commitment of time for me right now. Spring cleaning can be overwhelming. I hope this list of often forgotten items is a big a help to you too. Get all the nooks and crannies, and declutter your space so you feel less overwhelmed and your home should spark joy again. This spring cleaning post was sponsored by Clorox and I received compensation. My opinion is all my own and it is also truthful.

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Healthy Home with Netatmo Healthy Home Coach

Paula — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 14:22:27 +0000

A healthy home means a healthier life. But how do you get it? Netatmo’s new smart indoor climate monitor can help. Whether you’re looking to get better sleep or help with asthma issues or something else Netatmo’s Healthy Home Coach can help you do it. It’s the next step in indoor home quality monitoring. Healthy Home, Healthy Life So how can you make your home healthier? It starts with knowing what’s out of whack in the first place. That’s where Netatmo comes in. Their smart indoor climate monitor tracks four different aspects of your home environment and gives you tips on how to improve them. This revolutionary climate monitor measures humidity, air quality, noise, and temperature. Here’s how the Netatmo smart indoor climate monitor can help make your home healthier. Humidity Dry air can cause itchy, ashy skin. On the other hand, home with too much humidity are in danger of mold growth. Humidity levels can also play a big role in managing allergies and asthma. The Netatmo Healthy Home Coach helps you find the balance that works best for each room in your home by measuring the humidity level. Air Quality Poorly ventilated rooms lead to high indoor air pollution. This is especially bad for those with allergies and asthma. It also affects our overall health, because high indoor air pollution can irritate our sinuses and throats and make it hard to concentrate. As a blogger and mom of a teen and tween, I need all the concentration I can get. Netatmo Healthy Home Coach measures the quality of your home’s air and gives you suggestions on how to improve it. Noise Oh, the noise, the noise. All that noise, noise, NOISE. Hey, Grinch references are okay now. It’s holiday season after all. Seriously, though. Noise can impact how well you and your family sleep, which impacts your overall health. Netatmo Healthy Home Coach monitors your home’s noise levels, and you can check that data history to understand how you can improve noise levels, and thus, improve sleep. Temperature Netatmo Healthy Home Coach monitors indoor temperature to keep you and your family comfortable. This is especially helpful if you have babies or toddlers. They can’t balance their body temperature the way we can. With the Netatmo Healthy Home Coach, you can monitor the indoor temperature and adjust it accordingly to your family’s needs. Netatmo Healthy Home Coach Makes it Easy to Monitor Your Environment The Netatmo Healthy Home Coach smart indoor climate monitor makes it easy to keep track of the quality of your home’s environment, and it does it without being an eyesore. It’s compact, elegant design blends into any home decor. It features easy Wi-Fi setup with no subscription and fees, and you can access it using their app. Easy! And speaking of easy, setup is a breeze. Just one tap on the top activates the Healthy Home Coach and gives you immediate insight into the health of your home. You can also easily expand the system just by adding other units to the rooms in your home that matter most to you – as few or as many as you want. A healthy home means a healthier life, so head over to the Netatmo Healthy Home Coach webpage to see how this indoor air quality monitor can help you keep your home and your family healthier starting today. I received product and some perks in order to complete this post. My opinion is all my own and it is also truthful.

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