I’m a busy mom who is constantly on the go (who isn’t, right?). I thought it’d be fun today to share a couple of my favorite “finds” that make my life a little easier.
Swivel Sweeper
My mom got this for me almost a year ago. I love it!! It’s lightweight & so easy to use. I keep it in my pantry so I can pick up messes right away. Now, when the crumbs end up on the floor & dirt is tracked into the house, I don’t have to haul out the vacuum every time. I just get out the my trusty Swivel & sweep away! Also, it gets right up along tight edges. The head of our vacuum is too big to get the crumbs right along the cabinets, fridge & dishwasher. I would have to use the vacuum hose or the broom to get those places. But the swivel sweeper gets right up there. Trust me, this is one you definitely want in you cleaning arsenal!
Buehler’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
I had these at my friend, Maria’s, house for the first time & I’ve been addicted since! You can find these at Aldi’s. They actually have little peanut butter cups in the dough! The dough is premade & precut. You just break it apart, put on the cookie sheet & bake for 15 minutes. I keep these handy in the fridge – I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve needed to quickly throw a batch in the oven. They’re a hit every time! I’ve also tried Buehler’s Chocolate Chip and Snickerdoodle cookies and they rock. I just bought their Oatmeal Cranberry Walnut & I can’t wait to give that a try too!
Stain Remover Concoction
Sorry, it’s the best name I have for it. One of the reasons why I dread laundry days is because I spend so much time fighting to get those darn stains out! It all started when Ava was a baby & I was introduced to those little jars of baby food. I tell you, carrots were my arch nemesis! They not only tinted her face orange, they were a beast to get out. And, bibs didn’t always cut it, you know? Ava loved flicking the spoon with her hand, spending gloppy carrots everywhere. Of course, some always landed on me too. Anyway, I looked online for stain removers and came across this “recipe.” It’s awesome! Items I probably would have had to either throw away or turn into paint shirts have been saved by this.
Here it is:
1 cup powder dishwashing detergent (I use Cascade)
1 cup powder color safe bleach (I use Clorox 2)
Fill laundry tub as high as you need (I usually set it to small load) & let the clothes soak overnight.
In the morning, run the wash cycle as you normally would. I like to run it again using regular laundry detergent & toss them in the dryer as usual.
Here’s an example from just this morning…
Grady’s t-shirt BEFORE:
Grady’s t-shirt AFTER!
And speaking of Graders…
He’s also a great find…I highly recommend him!!
How about you?
Got any hidden gems?
Lo said,
August 20, 2008 at 5:18 pm
I just found this four-pack of microfiber cleaning cloths. Their color indicates which job to use it for: yellow for dusting, blue for mirrors, white for stainless steel, and green for all purpose. You just run the cloth under warm or hot water, wring it out really well, and clean your little heart out. I have tried everything on stainless only to conclude that any chemical cleaner (yes, even the ones that say they are for stainless) just leave a film. A damp cloth works well but usually leaves lint behind. This microfiber cloth is AMAZING. The dusting one is great to. I’ve yet to use the one for mirrors, mostly because I HATE to clean the bathroom mirror that mostly gets yucked up but the members of the family that do not do the cleaning (I’ll let you figure out who that could possibly be). I have a microfiber dustmop for the hardwood floors, too, which I love! Three cheers for microfiber!!!
I bought them at Home Depot near the cleaning supplies aisle.
Don’t forget Kelly, use Dawn dishsoap for those grease stains and spills.
Lo said,
August 20, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Oh, can you look at Grady’s schedule and see if he is free on Fridays to help me with my cleaning?
Kelly said,
August 21, 2008 at 7:43 am
Thanks Lo! How could I forget to mention Dawn?
Oh, and Grady is indeed available on Friday. He charges 10 teddygrams an hour (it’s a great bargain).