My Favorite Quick Tips for Around the House

Here are some tips for house keeping in general that I like to use around my own home.

-Deodorize your carpet with baking soda.  Sprinkle the baking soda very liberally all over and let sit for 2 or 3 hours.  Then vacum up.  I like this because it can't hurt the baby or the dogs because it is natural and baking soda is a natural deodorizer. 

-No storage for your tupperware?  Use a plastic laundry basket to stack those bowls and lids.  They are all in one place and you can store the basket at the bottom of your pantry or a closet near the kitchen.

-Use a white board that sticks on your fridge.  Keep a monthly calendar on it to keep track of chores, also use it to list your weekly menu, upcoming event, and keep track of meats in the freezer.  A blank whiteboard is really inexpensive and you can make the calendar by hand.

-Don't let those garden weeds get a chance to take over your garden.  Pick a day every week that is your weeding day.  I like to do Friday mornings...if it is done on a weekly basis it should really only take 15-20 minutes weekly.  Tip:  Use a meat fork to loosen up soil around a stubborn weed.

-Do one big glass cleaning trip a week.  Starting on one side of the house start cleaning mirrors, picture frames, windows, tv's, and other glass (including bathroom mirrors)...dirties only one rag or paper towel and this chore really takes only minutes to complete once you start.

-Laundry...keep your laundry on a cycle.  In the morning pull the clothes out of the dryer, fold and put away.  Place a load in the wash, switch over to the dryer at lunch...start over the next day.

3 websites you won't be able to live without

There are so many websites on the internet that are designed to help you at little or no cost. Below are 3 websites that once you try them, I know you won't be able to live without.

The first is Flylady.net. Oh how I love my Flylady. Through her website you will learn that making your house a HOME can be done 15 minutes at a time and through routines you can be free. I'm telling you my whole household is designed around the Flylady principles, from how I clean my home to how dinner makes it to the table. If you are at a loss for how to get started on your house, especially if you have NO IDEA where to start, please check her website out. I promise you, you'll be forever grateful you did yourself this favor.

Through the Flylady I found out about the Dinner Diva. Savingdinner.com is a website designed to help you get dinner on the table every night. It costs a mere $10 for 3 months worth. Leanne is a nutritionist who plans for you a healthy menu for 6 nights of the week, including a grocery list. The recipes are healthy, tasty, and they sure can help you get out of a dinner rut. She also plans the meals based on the season. Plus if you have health issues or want to change how you eat, she has meal options for these changes in lifestyle too. Want to just check her out without commitment? Go to her website and she has a free weeks menu for you to sample.

And finally there is the Coupon Lady. http://moneysavingmom.com This website can help you to see what specials are going on at your grocery store before you even hit the entrance. I don't know about you, but my favorite grocery store does not send out circulars as a practice. But I can go to moneysavingmom and find out what my store has on sale and plan a grocery list based on that information. Takes the guess work out of my grocery list. Plus I can match up my coupons to her list and get some GREAT deals.

Stay tuned for additional websites I will review on occasion. They must be websites that make everyone's life easier to make it to my list.