How to Keep Hard Floors Sparkling Clean

With two small kids in the house, my floors are always getting covered in dirt, food and grime. Baby B has a bad habit of throwing all his food, while M2 drops whatever she doesn't like on the floor. I swear, I'm having to sweep and mop it at least five times a day, after every meal and snack. If I don't, the gunk gets tracked all over the house, our feet get dirty and the ants move in. Eww, eww and EWW.

I don't have the time to spend doing a long, involved cleaning every time. Mama has other stuff to do! I need a quick, easy way that gets the floor clean without taking me forever (since while I'm doing that, the kids are off on a mission to create the next mess). To help me with all this miss, the kind O-Cedar folks sent me their easy wring spin mop and bucket system and sponsored this post so I could give you my opinion of it.


The mop system comes with everything you need, rather than having to buy a bunch of different products. It's easy to purchase on Amazon (affiliate link) so you can have it shipped right to your door without ever leaving the house. O-Cedar has been making products since 1906, over 100 years, so they've got a good handle on what is needed to get a home clean.

The telescoping handle is one of my favorite features, since it lets me easily reach under the table, chairs, cabinets and into corners. Other mops I've used I can't do that, it simply doesn't reach far enough. I end up stuck having to move everything around, taking up even more time to clean up the floor. The O-Cedar easy wring mop also has a pointed head so all the grime in the corners can be cleaned up without difficulty. Another win for mom!

The microfiber mop is absorbent and good enough at cleaning that I don't have to constantly be rinsing and wringing. When I do, I find it easy to put the mop in the bucket, step on the pedal and rinse it off/wring it out, then keep going with my cleaning. Many mop systems don't allow me to do all that without a major hassle. Some, you can't even rinse off, the cleaning part has to be thrown out and another put on. I noticed that if the mop is still too wet after spinning, dumping out some water from the bucket solves the problem. Too much water = a too-wet mop. The splash guard keeps the water in the bucket.

Speaking of throwing out mop heads, the O-Cedar mop has a machine washable mop head. I can pull it off, throw it in the wash, and be ready to go again when it's done. Additional mop heads can be bought (I haven't gotten one yet) so that mopping can still be done while the first is being washed. It would be nice if the system came with a few to start with. Without multiples, I have to wait in between cleanings to mop, plus wash it every day, which isn't convenient at all. I end up using it as long as possible, then fill in with another mop while it's being washed during my weekly washing. The mop head does work well, getting up all the yucky stuff from the floors without damaging them.

You can check out more about the mop on Facebook, Twitter and Amazon.

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This post is sponsored by O-Cedar and contains affiliate links.

Lady Lullaby and The Road to Dreamland

Music is important at our house, especially at bedtime. We have a routine that involves singing different songs to the kids, their own special song and then different songs each night. Whenever I have the chance to share new music with them, especially of different styles, I like to. The latest music I'm sharing with M2 and B is The Road to Dreamland.

The collection of lullabies brings together calming, soothing music of different styles. Hit the Road to Dreamland is a great jazz medley that gets the kids swaying along. The Sleep That Flits is more folksy, while Dance Like the Wind is more classic. Some songs are ones I recognize and love, like Over the Rainbow (with a twist) and Say Goodnight, Not Goodbye (one of my personal favorites). Even though I’m not a baby or young child and am loving The Road to Dreamland. It is good music for mediation or taking a few minutes to collect my thoughts and calm down during the day. So much music gets me and the kids wired when we need something peaceful to listen to that also keeps us interested. Lady Lullaby’s songs are fantastic for this. It’s music for any age, truly.

 Jane Roman Pitt, known as Lady Lullaby, sings each song with a beautiful, lilting voice that reminds me of classic singers from times long ago. You don’t hear awesome voices like that much anymore! Her music education started with listening to her parents’ classical chamber music, then later listening to folk, pop and jazz. All influences that come through in The Road to Dreamland. She started singing lullabies to prepare for her first grandchild – how sweet is that? While Jane can’t be all our grandmas, we’re all lucky enough to be able to listen to her beautiful lullabies.

 You can learn more about Lady Lullaby and her music on Facebook, Twitter, G+ and her site (where you can also listen to clips of and purchase The Road to Dreamland).

Kitchen and Bathroom Redesign Dreams

I have a habit of dreaming about how I would turn my kitchen and bathroom into dream spaces. Checking out houses, seeing what other people do to decorate their rooms, fascinates me. Home improvement shows? I love 'em. Wandering stores and websites to look at flooring, tiles, fixtures, sinks and accessories delights me.

I like to plan out what I'll change about our bathrooms and kitchen. I have a list of priorities once the opportunity to make my dreams come true presents itself. The site I've been perusing the most lately is PlumbTile since they offer so many options from tons of different brands to make dreams come true. The ceramic tiles available are gorgeous. The site offers many choices from a variety of different companies. How beautiful would a bathroom shower look with glass tiles like these? A glass-tile kitchen back splash is on my "want" list for sure. Shining glass, subway tiles, glass tiles for the floor -- there is so much to choose from.

We have boring, builder mirrors in the bathrooms still. One day, I want to swap them out for nifty wood ones like PlubTile offers. They'd go great with updated vanity sinks. I can never decide what style I like better, fitted into the sink or the newer styles that sit more on top. Then there's the lighting choices to make.

What I don't dream about right now is hardware and faucets. One of the first things we did when we bought our house a few years ago was update the kitchen and bathroom hardware and faucets. Updating hardware is probably the cheapest change you can make. It's simple to do and totally changes the look of cabinets and the entire kitchen. We went from gold to brushed nickle. I hear that gold is coming back into style, but it's just not my taste, especially on our white cabinets. The brushed nickel gives a more polished, country look I think. PlubTile offers tons of choices in this realm as well, along with giving a low-price guarantee and free shipping (who doesn't like free shipping?). Changing out the faucets give the kitchen an easy face-lift, too. Brushed nickle to match the hardware, of course. It was easy enough to do that we didn't even need a plumber, A was able to do all the changes himself while I tackled the hardware swap. Our bathroom faucets are all the same and compliment what is in the kitchen for continuity. The hardware is the same everywhere. The towel rods were updated as soon as we got the house, too, so that they matched the faucets. The boring, overly shiny builder installed ones just had to go. I'm still in love with everything we chose.

Another easy update was the shower heads. We wanted water-efficient ones so swapped out the old ones right away. One day, I do plan to redo the door hardware on the bathrooms. They're still gold for now.

I plan to keep dreaming about my ideal kitchen and bathrooms for now. It's just too much fun to check out all the options and think up all the different ways I could redo the spaces. If I have any questions about different options, there's always the live chat on PlumbTile to help me out.

This post is sponsored by PlumbTile.

Create Gorgeous, Personalized Invites, Cards and Announcements

When it comes to memorable, special events like weddings, baby showers, graduations, first birthdays and birth announcements, a beautiful, personalized invite, announcement and thank you card adds a touch of class. Being able to personalize the cards and envelopes to make them extra polished is the icing on the cake. With Basic Invite, creating the perfect card is easy and fun.

I'm a sucker for pretty, quality stationary so I've been playing around with the site after being invited to order some cards to write this sponsored post. I'm loving how many choices there are, from the picture, text, font and colors of each to the type of paper, color of envelope and what is put on the envelope. There are options for designs and for adding my own photos. While there is suggested text, any of it can be changed to whatever I want it to say. The colors to choose from are almost unlimited -- over 160. So many self-design sites don't have the flexibility and choices I like to have. Basic Invite satisfies my graphic designer side, no question.

Each element of the designs can be changed to whatever color I like best. Any choices I make I can preview instantly, taking out the guesswork of what a color or font may look like. So many sites don't let you see your exact text in the chosen font -- Basic Invite does.

Once the card is perfect, I can pick from over 40 envelope color choices, and decide if I want pre-printed text on them, to finish off the order. Since everything can be customized down to the tiniest detail, any cards I create are truly personal and original. It makes anything I create that much more special and intimate.

Unlike many similar sites, Basic Invite lets you order samples of the exact card I like before having to place a large order. The exact paper, color, design, everything. There's no wondering what it will end up looking like, hoping I didn't just waste time and money on a stack of stationary I'm going to hate.

The site is easy to use, it's so simple to  design stationary. Ordering is equally hassle free, with reasonable shipping time. Cards come in a thick folder to protect them from any bending in the mail.

Having worked in communications and marketing for over 13 years now, I've seen a ton of printed materials. The quality of Basic Invite's cards is great. They look like expensive stationary store cards. The paper is beautiful; thickness is good; printing is clear, bright and brilliant in color; cards fold easily where they are meant to; pens write nicely on the paper without smearing; and the colors are what you'd expect. I am in love with the pearl, satiny look of the premium shimmer paper. Three other paper choices include matte, satin and premium double thick. The envelopes are also thick, have rich color and are self-stick. A very impressive total package anyone would love to get, I'm sure. To be honest, the ones I got courtesy of Basic Invite are so pretty I almost don't want to give them away, I want to keep them myself!

Orders can be for a single card, or many, so Basic Invite works well for any type of card I create (who needs 500 of the same birthday card?). So often, unless I order a large number, prices for printed stationary are crazy high. Basic Invite charges less than I'd pay at a brick-and-mortar store. Score!

Since all the details on the cards can be changed, I decided to try out creating cards for other occasions. Let me say, I'm really liking the site for making personalized birthday, general thank you, thinking of you, mother's day and father's day cards. There are so many neat designs to choose from, I have no problem finding many options for any type of card I want to make. Rather than paying attention to what category the card is listed under, I go through and find designs I like then change up the text. I'm seriously tempted to make up some general thank you and monogrammed note cards to keep on hand. Come Christmas time, I'm going to be looking at Basic Invite to have holiday cards printed up.

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This post is sponsored by Basic Invite.

A Specially Tailored Math Tutor for Kids -- Right from Your Sofa

I admit it. I hate math. I've never been good at it, ever since I was a child. (Yes, I still count on my fingers at times. If it's beyond basic math and I can't use my fingers or a simple calculator, chances are I won't figure out the math problem.) Flashbacks of sweaty palms, a quick heart beat and a feeling of dread that came before every math test still race through my head. If I'd had a math tutor and a fun way to learn right in my home as a kid, maybe I'd have done better. Having a tutor available right from the couch along with being tailored for me would have helped even more. Lucky for kids now, sofatutor is available to do just that.

All your child needs to do is cozy up on the couch with a computer, log into the site and voila -- math tutor! (Sitting at a desk, chair or table is also perfectly fine, the kind folks at sofatutor aren't picky about where the kids sit. They're too busy coming up with fun ways to help your student learn.)

Kids from first through 12th grade can log onto sofatutor and with a monthly or lifetime subscription access video lessons, interactive practice problems, worksheets and -- what I think is the neatest feature -- homework chat. Homework chat allows students to talk directly to a tutor (up to 3 questions or 30 minutes a day) to help solve problems that are tripping them up.

Sofatutor is a premium, online learning platform that is award-winning in Europe. It's currently expanding into the United States, starting with algebra I with a full curriculum slated for next year. The algebra I topics include basic arithmetic, equations, inequalities, proportion and percents, linear equations and inequalities, systems of equations and inequalities, absolute value, exponents, polynomials and trigonometry. Younger kids who aren't quite at algebra I level yet can get a taste of what is to come, and if they're really adventurous or love math, can work ahead.

With a combination of technology and storytelling, sofatutor aims to improve students' learning outcomes (exactly what I needed back in 1-12). All the lessons are self-paced, giving your student the chance to truly grasp the concepts rather than having to struggle to keep up with others. There are real-life, modern questions (such as figuring out the cost of a monthly cell phone plan). I love how the problems are interactive, it makes them so much easier to understand. Fractions and decimals are explained using baking examples. Now, that's something I can relate to instead of those weird "if train a is going 1,000 mph and train b is going 5.55 mph and train c is going 6,778.9 mph, at what point will they reach the big purple monster in the desert?" (I know that makes no sense, but that's what typical math problems sound like to me. Plus, I did mention I'm bad at math and so need sofatutor, right?)

Complex topics are presented in a way kids can understand them. The videos help to break down typically difficult math concepts into smaller, easier to understand pieces. You end up building on what you know bit by bit, rather than being thrown out in the ocean and told to find the answer, a method I really like. Even trig, which I struggled with in school, made sense to me when I watched the video. Since learning isn't one-size-fits all, for kids that find they learn better from reading, or from a video and reading, there is a transcript of each video. An accompanying description lets you know what to expect. The interactive worksheets that go with the videos are equally helpful. I really like how the playful, laid back attitude of the videos and worksheets make math less scary. Going through the site, I felt like understanding math wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility like I've previously thought it would be.

While the videos and worksheets are great, I'm really drawn to the live homework chat. I would absolutely have loved being able to chat with a tutor when I got stuck on a math problem back when I was in school. I always found the more I pushed to find an answer when I was lost, the more off track and confused I ended up. Having a tutor to sort me out from the start would have saved me so much agony (and wrong answers on tests, I'm sure).

Another great feature of sofatutor I'm digging is the price. The expanded curriculum by 2017 is guaranteed with the lifetime subscription, or sofatutor has promised to provide a refund of your purchase.

Here's a great video intro to sofatutor so you can get a better idea of what I've been talking about. Don't forget to stop by their site to learn even more about it!

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This post is kindly sponsored by SofaTutor.

6 Quick Ways to De-Stress

Any way you cut it, being a stay-at-home mom is stressful. I have 6 quick ways I use regularly to kick stress in the butt. These can be done easily, without eating into an already crazy day too much, and leave you feeling calmer, more positive and happier. In the long run, beating stress can help you find balance, be happier and enjoy your life more.

Every day from the time you wake up until the time you (finally) go to sleep, there are little lives you're responsible for in every way, a house you have to keep up with and clean, finances to figure out and manage, laundry to do, a pantry and fridge to keep stocked, meals to make and clean up after, a husband to take care of and spend time with, plus somehow you have to fit in time for yourself in there, too.

Reducing stress can be hard, but doesn't have to be.

 

1. Enjoy a cup of tea or coffee

Steep a cup of hot tea, brew up a cup of coffee or keep a pitcher of iced tea in the fridge. Your favorite comfort drink gives you a few moments of enjoyment, even as you're racing around trying to get the kids fed before school. If it a hot beverage goes cold, don't worry -- throw in some ice and have the iced version. Herbal/decaf tea or a decaf coffee is great in the late afternoon or evening. I keep a bunch of my favorite teas on hand so I have a flavor to fit any mood.

 

2. Listen to music and dance it out

Make up a playlist of your favorite kid-friendly songs or set up a Pandora station of music you love. When you're losing your pep for the day or are on the verge of a breakdown, crank up the music and dance it out. If you don't have the time or aren't in a place where you can dance (like the car) listening still helps the stress go down a few notches. The kids can join in, too.

When life is getting you down, dance it out.

3. Light a candle, melt a tart or diffuse oils

Aromatherapy is a powerful de-stresser. I pick my favorite scent via candle, tart or oils and get to smelling. A nice scent floating around the house helps to lift everyone's mood and make the day seem brighter. At night, a lit candle creates a gentle, pretty atmosphere. Just be sure to keep whatever you're using away from the kids. Having to clean up spilled wax doesn't help stress levels at all. I know that from experience, sadly.

 

4. Treat yourself to beautiful flowers

Flowers brighten up any day. They add a touch of beauty to any room. Just taking a moment to look at them helps me feel the stress melt away a bit. An added bonus is not even having to go to the store to get them, or go into an account monthly to arrange for some to be delivered. That's why I'm excited about a recent delivery I was sent by BloomsyBox. With BloomsyBox, you can get all of this -- a beautiful hand-tied bouquet of flowers shipped directly to your door via a monthly subscription.

The bouquet is a single variety of specially chosen flowers hand cut from a farm and sent to you within 48 hours so you know they're fresh. All flowers are shipped within 2-4 days of being cut and put together right on the farm. Three different size bouquets are available to choose from for your subscription, which you can pause or cancel at any time. Shipping is included in the cost so you don't get caught having to pay extra. A card comes with the flowers to tell you how to care for them. If you only need a bouquet for a special occasion, rather than monthly, there's an option available for that, too.

I recently got two dozen red roses (my favorite!) through the subscription service. They are absolutely gorgeous. The flowers arrive nicely packed in a box so they weren't damaged. Paper wrapped them for extra protection. I can tell the roses are very fresh by the lush, rich color. The hand-tied red ribbon adds a little something special to the bouquet. All that needs to be done is taking them out, snipping off the ends, adding the flower food and water to a vase then putting in the flowers. The amount of flowers is perfect, especially for the cost. I spend so much time in the kitchen so put them in there to enjoy. If you have a dinner party, they'd make a great centerpiece. House guests would really appreciate a bouquet in their room, I'm sure.

It was at least a week before they started to really wilt. Usually, my flowers don't last that long. If you like drying flowers, these would be perfect for that as they keep their shape and don't drop petals. BloomsyBox flowers are perfect for getting your stress levels down. Find out more and set up your monthly flower-of-the-month subscription.

 

5. Recognize the positive in your day

Take a few moments to think of the good things about your day. It doesn't have to be anything big, think about the little things that you might otherwise overlook during the craziness of the day. Looking for the good is something I've been working hard on and it's really helping to reduce stress. 

 

6. Soak in nature's beauty

Being able to admire and enjoy nature whenever I look out my back door is one of the big reasons I so love living in the country. Moving out here and away from the city reduced my stress immensely. Even if you don't live in the country, there are still ways to soak up nature daily.

If the weather's nice, step outside for a few moments and soak in the fresh air and admire the blue of the sky. On rainy days, I pause to listen to the rain falling and smell the drops on the wind. During winter, take notice of the stillness all around. Even looking at a window box, hanging basket or admiring a patch of green grass can help bring blood pressure down a few points and get you better centered again. A simple bird feeder hung on a window or in the yard can get you that connection with nature, too. (Plus, the feeders look pretty in the yard.) When life is really stressful, plan a day to go hiking with the family or on your own to get the calming effects of nature seeping into you. We have a park by us where the kids can play and we can take a nice walk that I love to go to. During picking seasons, we spend a day at a local orchard picking peaches or apples. Then we have healthy food to enjoy, too.

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This post is sponsored by BloomsyBox. All opinions are my own.

How to Remove Lice without Harsh Chemicals

When I hear the word “lice,” my head immediately starts feeling itchy. Then my face followed by my arms. Never mind that lice stay in your hair, I still end up itching all over. (I’m itching right now just writing this.) Having little kids, the fear of lice is a real one. There’s the dread that one day an automated call is going to come from the school to say that there’s been a lice outbreak. Who wants to deal with creepy, crawly, icky bugs and their tiny eggs in everyone’s hair!? Then there’s the hassle of having to get those gross things out!

The old methods involve cutting all the hair off and nasty chemical shampoo washes -- Likely a few of them to get rid of all the little buggers. No little kid wants to sit still for those washes and I sure as heck don’t want to cut all my hair off! Not to mention putting those harsh chemicals all over the child’s little head. What if it gets in their eyes? Then there’s the having to wash everything that’s been worn or slept on for days before the outbreak. Laundry is annoying enough as it is, let alone having to do even more.

I would much rather be able to use a chemical-free, natural way to look for and remove lice if we have to deal with them -- like the tool I recently received for review. The V-Comb has an LED light so you can easily look for lice while combing through the hair. If your child does have the little monsters crawling around their hair, the V-Comb lets you remove them by vacuuming while combing with the stainless-steel teeth. They get caught in a special capture filter so they can’t come crawling back out. It gets the eggs out, too. Since there are no chemicals, the chance of allergic reaction is eliminated.

Once you’re done, the V-Comb is easily cleaned and used on the next person, or stored so it’s ready to be plugged in the next time it’s needed. Like a humidifier, thermometer or medicine, it’s a good tool to have on hand so you’re not scrambling when it’s needed. Amazon carries it, so it’s easy to order, along with replacement filters once you use the four that are included in the package. Check out the video below to see it in action.

With the V-Comb, if we get hit with lice I’ll end up doing lots of laundry, but at least I’ll be prepared with a tool I already have that doesn’t involve harsh chemicals or a huge mess!

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This post is sponsored by V-Comb and contains affiliate links.

Flooring Selection Made Simple

Going to the flooring store and trying to picture what in the world the various choices are going to look like in your home, with your furniture, curtains, lighting and paint, can be daunting. Even bringing home a sample doesn't always cut it as it only covers a small part of your floor so what may look perfect in one spot may not look as great once it's covering the entire floor. Flooring America has come up with a solution to this with the app My Floor Style. The app works for Apple or Android tablets and is easily downloaded in iTunes or the Google Play Store -- for free.

The app allows you to reimagine your room. Take a picture of your room and try out different flooring options (testing everything out can be addicting). You're able to see whether tile, wood or carpet look best in your rooms. Once you've decided, test out what colors make the flooring perfect for your family. Pick your favorites, save the photos, and compare to see what you like best. You can even share the photos you create with the new flooring with your family and friends to  get their opinions, too. The app also cuts down on all the hours you'd otherwise spend going through tons of choices at the store that might not fit once you bring them home.

While you're testing out the app, check out Flooring America's newly available Downs H20 vinyl plank flooring. It's a luxury flooring built to be water and pet proof. The premium-performance planks look just like hardwood to add some style and class to your space. Downs H20 comes in a bunch of styles and colors to fit your kitchen, laundry room, entry way, bathrooms or even living room and bedrooms. Really, it can go anywhere you want the look of hardwood without all the hassle.

Even if you're not getting new flooring for awhile, it's a fun app to play with to design your dream home. Then, once you are ready to replace your old carpet, hardwood or vinyl, you'll already have a good idea of what you like and what looks good in the space.

The app is crazy simple to use. Once you have it downloaded to your device, open it up and follow these directions:

Take a photo of the room
My Floor Style lets you take a photo of your room or select an existing photo on your tablet.

Outline and remove your floor
Remove the flooring from your photo by dropping pins to outline the edges.

Add a floor style to your room
Select a flooring category then choose from a wide range of swatches to easily drop the floor into your photo. You can then adjust depth, orientation and more with a simple tap.

Save and share your project
When you're finished, view before and after photos to compare, save your project to reference later, or even share your photo via email, text or social media to see what friends and family think.

Once you've found your top choices for your rooms, stop by a Flooring America in your area (they're all over the country) to ask any questions, make your final selection and purchase your new flooring.

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Photos copyright and courtesy of Flooring America, who also sponsored this post.