What’s Clutter Costing You?

We all know clutter is a bad thing. I’ve heard many people say, clutter on the outside is a clear indication to clutter on the inside.  For me, that couldn’t be more true. I find my surroundings HAVE to be organized.

I realized some time ago that clutter not only causes me stress – it costs me money and lots of it.

Here are just a few of the negative effects of clutter – see if you agree…

Clutter causes you to feel depressed and overwhelmed.

Clutter makes life more difficult. You have to look longer and dig deeper to find what you’re looking for.

Clutter takes longer to clean.

Clutter costs you money. If you can’t find what you need you will end up buying a replacement.

Clutter robs you of your energy.

Clutter steals storage space.

Clutter affects our relationships. If you’re ashamed of your house, you are less likely to have friends or family visit.

I don’t know about everyone else, but clutter affects how I feel about myself. There are times I actually feel guilty about the clutter.

A lot of people complain they don’t have the energy to get started. That’s because clutter robs you of your

energy. In fact, most clutter begins to accumulate when energy levels are low. Think Winter! We tend to hibernate and let things go a bit during colder months. But then comes Spring! Voila – Spring Cleaning! It’s when we are recharged and energy levels are higher.
I’m currently in the mode of spring cleaning and getting organized. I thought it might be fun to share a bit of my tasks, accomplishments and lessons as I declutter – minimize and organize my home and my life.

Care to join me?

Eat Cleaner Grab-n-Go Fruit & Vegetable Wipes

In our house, we have always been pretty good about keeping food safe to eat. We wash our hands with warm soapy water before and after preparing food. We keep counter tops, cutting boards, and utensils clean by sanitizing with soap and hot water and letting them air dry. We avoid cross contamination of foods and food preparation surfaces. We even practice “when in doubt, throw it out!” But until recently, I am embarrassed to say I was one of those “rinse with water” people when it came to fruits and vegetables. Then I viewed the YouTube video Eat Cleaner: The Real Dirt on What’s Lurking on Your Plate.

Here are the facts:

• Roughly 78 million food borne illnesses are reported each year
• Mild symptoms include vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea
• Approximately 5,000 deaths occur each year
• Up to 20 sets of hands touch our food before it even arrives at the supermarket

Truthfully, I never really gave a second thought to how many people might have handled my food before I brought it home to my family. And what about pesticides? Waxy residue? Sure I knew they were there but I was washing it off with water. Wasn’t I? What could I do to ensure that everything that wasn’t meant to be eaten was actually removed from my food before I ate it?  I had once heard someone tell me to soak fruits and vegetables for a few minutes in warm water mixed with a teaspoon of salt. I was also familiar with all natural citrus based household cleaners. So when I learned that citric acid and sea salt were listed as ingredients of all natural Eat Cleaner Grab-n-Go Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Wipes, I decided to give them a try.

I tested the biodegradable wipes on two red apples fresh from the grocery store. Both were dulled from wax residue. I rinsed the first apple with cold tap water. The second apple’s surface was cleaned with a moist Eat Cleaner Grab-n-Go wipe. Just by looking at the two apples side by side I could clearly see that the first apple still looked a bit dull but the second apple cleaned with Eat Cleaner was shiny and bright. The nose test revealed a slightly citrus almost perfume like smell on the Grab-n-Go apple. I was just about to discount the Eat Cleaner odorless claim but then realized that the smell faded within a few seconds leaving behind only the smell of fresh apple. The taste test was performed by my grandson who grabbed the Eat Cleaner apple off the counter, bit down and happily walked away. No complaints of bitter aftertaste!

Designed to be used not only on fruits and vegetables, the Grab-n-Go wipes can also be used on countertops, cutting boards, utensils, and even hands. But at roughly 65 cents per wipe, I’m not sure they are they most cost effective method for cleaning foods and surfaces in your kitchen. Perhaps the Eat Cleaner Fruit & Vegetable Wash containing the same ingredients would be a better option. But for on the go clean eating, the Eat Cleaner Grab-n-Go wipes are a perfect solution. A single wipe kept in you purse or workout bag can make you feel better about biting down on that juicy pear just picked up at the fruit stand.

Want to try Eat Cleaner products for yourself? Visit Eat Cleaner online.

---

This reviewer is not compensated for purchases made from links in this review.
Disclaimer – Sample product(s) were provided for testing and reviewing purposes.
Please see my FTC Disclaimer for more details regarding this review.

POURfect® – The Ideal Kitchen Tools

Saving time and clean-up in the kitchen is a solution we all look for with leading busy lives.  Finding tools that help us prepare meals quickly or whip up a delicious treat without a mess is a trick that just became easier!  POURfect® Kitchen Tools can eliminate messy spills and take the guesswork out of using accurate measurements, which make your recipes taste the best.  Whether you are a beginner or a renowned chef, these tools can make your cooking experience a happier one.  Made in the USA, the new line of POURfect® products addresses common frustrations and mishaps in the kitchen to make food preparation easier, more accurate and tidier for anyone.

I absolutely love making meals and baking goodies but up until now I rarely cooked without spilling or dribbling something in my kitchen.  Then, I had to work harder to get it cleaned up which can make things a bit hectic.  So, when POURfect® offered these tools to try out, I wasted no time putting them to the test in my own kitchen.  For example, we made pancakes yesterday using a POURfect® Spill-Proof Bowl for measuring-mixing-pouring and I found it easy to grip and very lightweight.  I have arthiritis & carpal tunnel which typically poses a challenge for me to grasp bowls and keep them from slipping.  The ergonomic design of the grip makes it comfortable and secure to hold with one hand.  If you’re teaching your children a few cooking skills by letting them work along side you, this handle is perfect for small hands that may have difficulty holding a bowl securely.  My granddaughter, who loves to help me cook, poured the pancake batter into the pan and the pivot feature under the spout prevented any batter from running down the side of the bowl.  Plus, she easily controlled the flow which eliminated my concern of too much batter pouring out at once.  Using this POURfect® bowl during our quality time together helped us to focus on just having fun.  Depending upon the set and bowl sizes, you can add them to your kitchen for $15-$40.

Today, my granddaughter and I continued our fun and easy cooking time by making some home-made vegetable soup with fresh wheat bread from scratch.  As you may imagine, this meal requires many liquid and dry ingredients in the appropriate amounts for ultimate results of a family recipe passed down from my great-grandma.  Back in the day, they used a pinch of this and a dash of that…so how do you know how much that is?  With the POURfect® 12-piece Measuring Spoons attached with a snap-off ring, it’s easy to get it right for only $12.  Most aspiring cooks and baking enthusiasts don’t realize that these are actual measurements and often over or under season their dishes.

The POURfect® 9-piece Measuring Cup set for dry ingredients comes in a wide range of common and specialty sizes including 1/8 cup and 2 cups.  They nest within each other for easy storage and they have flat bottoms so they can rest on the counter without spilling.  These measuring cups feature large, easy to read measurements in English, Metric and Braille.  The POURfect® Beaker Set for liquid ingredients features the flat edge dripless spout which guides your precious ingredients right where they need to go. For $18-22, truly anyone can cook with ease using such diverse tools.

MomGadget gives a ‘thumbs up’ to POURfect®! They anticipated our kitchen needs with tools of convenience, accuracy of calibration and spill-proof technology.  To make it even more versatile, these sets are microwave/dishwasher safe and available in up to 38 colors from traditional White to Empire Red, Majestic Yellow, Tangerine, Pear, Blue and many more.  You can visit POURfect® to learn more about each one of these products.  While you’re there, check out the POURfect® Scrape-A-Bowl.  It is designed exclusively to replace the original equipment flat beater on KitchenAid® stand mixers.  Great for holiday cooking that is fast approaching!

20 Mule Team Borax – A MomGadget Review

When I was growing up, I remember my grandfather and uncle wearing white t-shirts and socks all the time.  They were farmers and the shirts would be the dirtiest of dirty at the end of the day.  Albeit, I never questioned grandma’s ability to get white clothes the brightest of white when I was you – but as years passed and I became a parent, I the vivid memory of grandma’s laundry room came to me and I remember the two main products I always saw on her shelf.

One of those was 20 Mule Team Borax.  Naturally, I felt as though 20 Mule Team was an ancient product and surely there had to be something better on the shelf.  After all, a product that was first used in 1891 and registered in 1894 couldn’t possibly be that good still – could it?

The answer is an absolute YES!

20 Mule Team Borax isn’t just good for laundry – there’s like a blue baZillion uses for Borax.  One of which I was introduced to by a Farmer’s Almanac in the early 1990’s that literally took a Springtime infestation of ants and demolished it from the very colony from whence it came.  I’ve also used it to freshen carpet, remove stains from my carpet and to treat for fleas.

I don’t care who you are, what you do, where you live or what your hobbies are – everyone who does or has laundry that needs washed or lives in a house needs to keep a box of Borax on the shelf.

20 Mule Team Borax is most often used as a laundry booster, but it is extremely versatile and effective as a household cleaner. In addition, 20 Mule Team® Borax can be used in many different ways to reduce and control odors.

Download their booklet to find out more about the natural laundry booster, multi-purpose cleaner and home deodorizer.

Have you ever used Borax?  What are some of your favorite uses for this timeless product?

MomGadget Beauty Break – When to Discard Old Makeup

 

I’ve always found the chart below to be helpful in knowing when to toss out old makeup.

 

The best way I’ve found to keep track of the age of my own beauty products is by using paint pens. The gold or metallic works beautifully on the darker containers.

Organize Now! Take the Grunt Work Out of Spring Cleaning

 

Late in 2008 I was introduced to Organize Now! by Jennifer Berry. This organizational instruction manual could not have come at a better time. I was in the process of moving to my new home and while I was able to dispose of a lot of stuff before the move, Jennifer’s expertise is still guiding me to the ultimate level of organization.

As I prepare to do my spring cleaning and organize for a garage sale, I find myself continually referencing this one single book.

If you’re goal is to become organized and remove the clutter from your life – I can’t recommend this book enough.

Short of jumping from the pages and doing the work for you – Jennifer takes a dreadful task and breaks it down into simply step-by-step methods that take the grunt work out.

Order Organize Now! from Amazon and begin your battle plan for conquering the clutter in your life.

YO Guys! More is NOT always better – Really!

What is it with those of the male species? Why do they have a mindset that if one Ibuprofin is good – four would be better?

The same goes with everything!

Just this morning I found myself biting my lip. it was a rare, bittersweet moment – truly. I knew one of the boys had stepped up on their own to clean the “guys” bathroom. Since that’s such a huge accomplishment, I didn’t want to say anything discouraging – ya know?

Well, he disappears into the bathroom, does his cleaning stint and emerges about 20 minutes later with the empty bleach jug and a waif of sterile, bleach scented air following close behind.

He informed me we were now out of bleach.

Here’s my beef – when he went into the bathroom, the GALLON bleach jug was 3/4 FULL.

I’m all for cleaning and disinfecting – but 3/4 gallon of bleach for a small-ish bathroom? (that’s me speaking in a loud-ish voice with a definite interject of sarcasm)

I am seriously considering putting together an OSHA Guideline sort of document for our household that shows them just how much is enough and how much is truly too much – but I just don’t think they would read it unless it were Calvin and Hobbs telling the story.

Advice on how to handle this with kid gloves as not to discourage them from stepping up and wanting to clean again?