More Than a Mom of Three

5 Ways To Relax This Summer While The Kids Are Home

06/27/2018 By Jenn Leave a Comment

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Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #KickBackWithCanadaDry

Summer is in full swing at our house! I don’t know about you but when my kids are home for the summer I feel it is always extra busy around my house.

Between their friends coming over to play, swimming and all the extra places we go, I am exhausted by the end of the day!

Moms, there are many ways to relax this summer while the kids are home and actually enjoy the summer too.

Since our schedule changes so much I carve out little pieces of my day to relax and unwind. Me time is so important for us all but for moms, I truly believe it makes us better moms.

I need to recharge a little more to have enough energy to keep up with the long days of summer.

Here are my 5 ways to relax this summer while my kids are home with me.

Read A Book

Or a chapter! To encourage my kids to read more over the summer I implemented reading time in our house. See what I did there?

I made it for everyone to get a little downtime in the hot afternoons including myself.

Set a timer if you have to and find a cozy corner to read for a little bit.

Take A Mom Snack Break

Can we talk about my favorite ways to relax this summer?

Food and refreshing drinks!

I was at Walmart and found the NEW Canada Dry Ginger Ale and Lemonade™. I love both flavors so I figured I would give it a try.

Just as I suspected, it’s a delicious taste of ginger ale with refreshing citrus and a great way to relax on a hot afternoon.

Ok maybe sometimes hiding in my pantry with a glass and a snack too. We’ve all been there mommas but I make sure I take a few minutes to myself.

You can find Canada Dry Ginger Ale and Lemonade in 2-liter bottles and 12 packs Walmart in the soft drinks aisle.

Go For A Walk

Just a change of scenery can help you relax. Take a few minutes and go for a walk around your neighborhood.

I love going for a walk after dinner during the summer months. It’s cooler and usually, we have a nice breeze to enjoy the fresh air.

Take A Bubble Bath

There is nothing better than soaking in a hot bubble bath for me. Skip the shower and set up the tub for the ultimate mom relaxation.

Grab your book, throw on some music and fill that tub with your fancy bubbles or bath bombs. You know the ones you have been saving because they look too pretty to use. We all have them (wink!).

Unplug

I find myself unplugging more and more as the summer goes on. Do I really need to refresh Facebook or scroll through Instagram every hour? No!

I found this to be my other favorite ways to relax this summer.

How many of us are guilty of telling our kids to go out and play and get off their devices. Well, I took my own advice here and I leave my phone in another room.

Moms, we got this summer! Make sure you are finding time for you to relax and actually enjoy it!

What are your favorite ways to relax this summer? Let me know in the comments below.

How To Eliminate Laundry Stains For Busy Moms

06/19/2018 By Jenn Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure.

Disclosure: I am a Biz brand ambassador and was provided the mentioned products to facilitate my review. All opinions expressed are 100% mine.

Laundry seems to be neverending at our house, especially over the summer. We are always on the go or at the pool and even though my kids are a bit older stains are always an issue for me.

You never know what the day brings or what stains they get onto their clothes by the end of the day.

As busy moms, we just don’t have time to spend hours trying to eliminate laundry stains. But with a few tips and tricks, we can eliminate laundry stains without making it another chore on our list of things to do.

How To Eliminate Laundry Stains For Busy Moms

Treat Stains Right Away

The best way to not have a stain set into your clothes is to treat the stain right away. The longer it sits the more it will set into your clothes.

If you are out and about you can use a paper towel or napkin to wipe away the excess and try to avoid rubbing.

As soon as I can I pretreat the stain with my BIZ liquid and wash as normal.

They are also coming out with an On-the-Go Stain Eliminator! Perfect for those days out with the kids.

Double Check Your Stains

Before you switch over your load of laundry double check to see if the stain was removed. Once your piece of clothing is dry it will be harder to get out the leftover stain.

Choose The Right Water Temperature

This is very important when trying to eliminate laundry stains.

Using cold water usually is your best option to start with, especially if you do not know what the stain is.

Hot water is usually better for oily stains like butter or mayo.

I always treat the stain with BIZ and gently rub it into the stain using cold water and wash with cold water first. But always check your clothing labels first to make sure.

Choosing The Right Product For Stains

When trying to eliminate laundry stains I always turn to BIZ for its stain fighting power. I am no longer spending hours in my laundry room tackling stains.

I have used the liquid for about 6 months and never went back.

They also just came out with BIZ Liquid Boosters! I can not wait to get my hands on these. These are high powered liquid detergent boosters that dissolve rapidly in water and don’t leave a powdery residue. No measuring, simply toss in with your detergent.

BIZ is sold at many retailers to be sure to check out where you can find BIZ in your area.

Time Saving Laundry Tips For Busy Moms

05/10/2018 By Jenn Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure.

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Let’s talk time saving laundry tips today!

With a family of five, I feel like I am constantly doing laundry! I swear my kids just throw things in their hampers that are clean when they “clean their room”.

Laundry is not a chore I like, ok let me rephrase that. I do not mind throwing a load of laundry into the washing machine and dryer but the folding, never-ending folding became a lot especially when you have little kids.

It took me a few years to get a good laundry routine down and it did change when the kids became a little older that they can help.

But looking back I wish I would have implemented thises time saving laundry tips so many years ago.

It would have saved me so much time in the long run.

Time Saving Laundry Tips For Busy Moms

Laundry Schedule

My first tip is to create a laundry schedule for your home.

There are a few ways to do this.

You can:

Pick a couple days a week just dedicated to doing laundry all day.
Or for me I do one load or more a day to keep up with it.

My laundry routine looks like this:

Sunday – Kids sheets and bedding
Monday – Husband and my bedding
Tuesday – Saturday one load of towels or someone’s clothes each day.

Whatever schedule that works for you try to stick with it and it will eventually become a routine. You can have your laundry done like clockwork.

How To Clean Your House Fast

Ultimate Guide To A Tidy Home

Laundry Sorting

I do not have a central location for laundry except for our bath towels.

Each of us has our own hampers for our daily dirty clothing. Since my kids rarely ever wear white I do not separate the colors, I just keep them all together.

My husband is really the only one that has a ton of white so those are separated by him in our three basket hamper. Same with my delicates.

If you sort your laundry I highly recommend getting one of these three basket hampers. I have had mine for years and I love it!

You will not have to sort before you do laundry making it all that much easier.

When I am ready to start a load of laundry I check each hamper in the house and start one load from someones hamper. This way my kids or husband can know whos is whos when they help put them away.

This makes it so much easier for me to keep track of, especially since my boys are so close in size.

Now my towels go into one big laundry basket into my washroom. I just do those as needed.

Wash On Cold Water

I mostly use the cold water setting when I was clothing. This keeps our clothes lasting a little longer and it helps with bleeding of colors when I wash together.

The only thing I use hot for is towels and bedding I feel it does a better job on those items.

If I buy something new I will wash in on warm on its own and then it becomes part of the load on cold the next time.

I Do Not Fold A lot Of Clothing Items

Gasp! I could kick myself for this for not doing it sooner!

Have you ever tried to fold a onesie, I spent many years making sure my babies nursery rooms looked like a picture out of a magazine even down to their clothing.

Why?

My favorite time saving laundry tips are do not fold everything.

This goes for my whole family.

Shirts get hung up for the most part. Pajamas get tossed into a drawer, same with underwear and my workout clothes. I use these sorters for little items like underwear and socks to keep drawers cleaner and more organized.

Really the only things I fold are shorts and pants.

This is especially a time saver for my kids.

I try to have them put their clothes away the same day they are washed so this makes it easier for them and less of a struggle for me to get them to do it.

So there you go, mommas, my time saving laundry tips. I feel less of a slave to my laundry room and even without anyone pitching in laundry has become less of a dreaded chore for me.

Do you have any time saving laundry tips you would like to add that you do? I’d love to hear them in the comments.

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How To Clean Your House Fast In One Hour Or Less

05/08/2018 By Jenn 1 Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure.

Do you need to clean your house fast? If you have one hour I can show you how!

As much as we try to maintain a clean and tidy home there are some days where as much as we try it just can get trashed. If you are anything like me on those days the mess can become overwhelming.

Maybe this week you could not keep up with your weekly cleaning routine and just need to tame the mess.

I truly get anxiety when I see every room looking like a hot mess. I function better in clutter-free spaces.

So if you need to clean your house fast I got you covered momma! It’s called speed cleaning and what if you could clean your whole home fast, I mean in under one hour.

The thing about speed cleaning is we are not looking to deep clean or perfect cleaning here.

We are just looking to get the job done and fake a clean house in under an hour.

It will do wonders for your anxiety if you get like me and can not function in mess.

How To Clean Your House Fast In One Hour Or Less

1.Set a Timer

Set a time for one hour or less if you can not devote the full hour. Setting a timer will make you work faster and you know you are up against the clock.

No stopping to check Facebook or answer your phone either. Use this hour wisely.

2. Focus on the main living spaces only first

Do not worry about places that have a door like your kid’s rooms, your bedroom or other bathrooms in the home. If you have the extra time on your timer you can tackle those but this is just for the main areas of your home.

3. Clear the clutter

Grab a catch-all bin and grab everything out of place like toys or anything that belongs in another room. Simply toss those in your bin. You can sort them out when you are done or hand them off to one of your children to sort for you.

Related: My weekly cleaning schedule that only takes me an hour a day if that.

4. Wipe down your kitchen and clear the dishes and sink

There is something that says your house is clean when you walk into a clutter-free wiped down kitchen. Spray all the countertops and give them a quick wipe down.

Quickly wipe the surfaces of your appliances. Load the dishwasher with those dirty dishes in the sink and give your sink a quick wipe down.

This all takes no more than 10 minutes and no one will know you tried to clean your house fast.

5. Main Bathroom

First, clear any clutter from the space.

Give the guest bathroom of your home a quick wipe down. Wipe the mirror, sink and give the toilet a quick swish and wipe.

If your bathroom has a shower leave it again we are looking to clean our home fast not a deep clean.

If you have a glass shower just wipe down the doors to make it shiny.

6. Living Room/ Dining Room

Since you already cleared all the clutter with your catch all bin these rooms are easy peasy.

Grab a microfiber cloth and wipe down the surfaces.

Fluff the pillows and cushions on your couches.

7. Quick vacuum

No need for sweeping just grab the vacuum and vacuum everywhere in your main areas. Remember to move fast and just do the main traffic areas.

I have recently picked up this Shark vacuum and LOVE it! It works great on hardwoods and carpet.

I go through vacuums like crazy and this baby has stood the test of time for me!

Now if you have more time on your timer you can pick up the other areas in your home but this is just a general clean of the main area to clean your house fast.

Or you can quickly sort your catch-all bin!

Do you have anything to add to clean your house fast? I’d love to hear them in the comments below!

Best Uses For Baking Soda

05/01/2018 By Jenn Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure.

I always like to look for more natural ways keep my home clean and baking soda is a great base to keep your home sparkling.

And baking soda budget friendly!

Not only can you clean your home with baking soda but there are so many uses for baking soda that you may not have thought of.

So today I have compiled a massive list of the many uses for baking soda.

Uses For Baking Soda In Your Home

You can use it in your fridge and freezer to keep your food fresher. Be sure to change it out every 30 – 45 days.

Deodorize those carpets. Just sprinkle the baking soda and let sit for about 30 minutes, then vacuum.

Do you have a cat? Deodorize your cat litter. Cat litter containing the baking soda can be expensive by sprinkling a little baking soda this can help neutralize the smell and you have an easy budget-friendly DIY.

Deodorize your sneakers. Just sprinkle a little inside your sneakers, especially the kid’s shoes. They play hard and I don’t know about your kid’s sneakers but one day of playing outside those sneakers can stink!

Dingy clothing. Make your whites brighter and colored clothes more vibrant! By adding a cup to your load of laundry can brighten the colors and whiten your whites.

You can use it for garbage cans! Just sprinkle a little baking soda on the bottom of the cans to make them smell fresh.

Remove stubborn baked-on food from your pots and pans. Soak them in hot water and baking soda for 15 minutes and easily wipe away.

Your kids wall drawings. We have all been here crayon marks on the walls. No problem! Grab some baking soda and water to make a paste and it comes right off.

The best uses for baking soda is in your bathroom. It makes an amazing grout cleaner in shower and tubs. When you combine a baking soda and vinegar mix this makes for a fantastic cleaner in your bathroom.

Kids toys. Especially when they are babies they out everything in their mouth! Wash their toys with baking soda and rinse well.

Use it to deodorize your furniture. Sprinkle some baking soda on your couches, wait 15 minutes then vacuum.

Clean your fruits and veggies. Water and baking soda mix make a great natural scrub for food.

Surfaces and appliances. With a damp sponge and some baking soda, you can clean almost anything in your kitchen without scratching.

Deep clean your oven. Baking soda makes the best oven cleaner! Make a paste and wipe away.

Uses For Baking Soda For Your Body

Brush cleaner. All that oil build up in your hair brushes can be a simple fix. Fill your sink with warm water and a tsp of baking soda. Let the brushes sit for 15 minutes and then dry.

Soft feet. Add 3 tablespoons of baking soda in water and soak those feet for smoother skin.

Bye bye ingrown hair. By adding a tsp of baking soda to one cup of water and place on the ingrown hair. Leave on for up to 5 minutes and rinse.

My favorite uses for baking soda is to use it as an exfoliator or scrub. Mix 3 parts baking soda to one part water you have a great homemade scrub.

Whiten your teeth. A frugal yet natural way to whiten your teeth mix baking soda with a little peroxide to make a paste. Leave it on your teeth for a few minutes and rinse. Then brush them as normal.

Soothe sunburn, insect bites or anti-itch creme. When you add baking soda and water to make a paste this is can alleviate the pain and itching naturally.

Chlorine hair. Anyone with blonde hair knows what swimming can do to your hair. Use 1 tsp of baking soda to 2 1/2 cups of water and get that green out.

Heartburn or indigestion. By adding a tsp to a glass of water can soothe the discomfort.

There are so many awesome uses for baking soda. What are some ways you use baking soda that I should add to the list?

9 Places You Forget To Clean and Should Clean Regularly

04/26/2018 By Jenn 1 Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure.

With all our cleaning routines in place, we often forget about those dirty things we forget to clean on a regular basis.

Don’t let that make you feel bad, most people overlook these places they forget to clean.

I am one of them and I pride myself on keeping a clean home and showing you guys how to help clean your home.

There are so many places in your home that often seem neglected but I found that these 9 places you forget to clean are the most overlooked.

I have now added these overlooked places into my cleaning routines.

Get out your supplies and let’s tackle these 9 places you forget to clean together!

1 – Under Your Stove

I hate this chore, however, have you ever looked under there?

Yuck!

Let’s be honest no one uses the drawer as a warmer as it’s supposed to be used. It’s for storage.

There is dust that collects in the drawer and underneath the drawer and behind the stove, you can find grease and grime.

Not to mention if you have pets, you’d swear they shed more than you’d think.

Pull out the stove and clean that drawer every few months or so.

2 – Behind Your Fridge

Another one of those places you forget to clean is behind your fridge.

Not only will you find all the things you did under your stove but the coils on the back of the fridge are usually loaded with dust.

This could be bad for your fridge as the more dirt it has on those coils the harder it is working.

Then you have an electric bill spike!

Grab that vacuum and give those coils a good vacuum.

3 – Fans Everywhere!

Most of us have fans in our home. They are either in the living areas like your living room but also in the bathroom.

Ceiling fans collect dust like you would not believe, even when you use them regularly.

A great tip for cleaning ceiling fans, grab an old pillowcase and use that to collect the dust right into the pillowcase.

For bathroom fans, these need to be cleaned regularly as well.

They are designed to help with the moisture in the air and if not cleaned properly that can create mold build up. Mold loves moist areas.

Remove the fan cover and give it a good cleaning. Dry it well and place it back up. Simple!

4 – Sink Stoppers

This will gross you out to the max! Prepare yourself and consider yourself warned if you have never cleaned these before.

You will be SHOCKED what nasty things you find on these sink stoppers.

Pull these out once a month and give them a good cleaning.

5 – Dishwasher

Another spot so many people forget to clean is their dishwasher.

Many of us think well, its job is to clean so why should I clean it?

If you look at the inside of the door where the rubber seal is or in that trap on the bottom — yuck!

Food gets left behind and bacteria can take over in these places.

6 – Washing Machines

Your washing machine is the same as your dishwasher, right?

The main purpose is to keep things clean inside there, yes but it still needs a good cleaning once a while too.

Dirt collects inside the basket on the top part that your clothes do not touch. That needs to to be wiped down here and there.

For most regular washing machines a little vinegar and run it on a hot cycle will do the job of the rest.

7 – Electronics

The TV remote is a hot zone for germs. So is your cell phone or home phone if you have one. Even laptops and iPads. All electronics we touch multiple times a day.

We all touch these things all day, especially if you have kiddos.

It’s gross to think about where their hands have been before they grab the remote and sit down to watch TV.

Give these items a good wipe down with an antibacterial wipe.

8 – Light Switches

Just like the electronics, how many people in your home or guests touch the light switches on a daily basis.

Give these a quick wipe as well any time you can!

9 – Blinds and Windows

Most people forget to clean their blinds or window screens.

Once a month I’ll take a sock and dust off my blinds. If you are using a white sock you’ll be able to see all that grime these attract.

Same goes for window sills!

Twice a year I clean off my screens and tracks. Simply pop off the screens and hose them down and go through the tracks with some cleaner.

These things can be nasty if you neglect these areas.

And there you have it 9 places we forget to clean but should! The list is not that terrible but it’s a good idea to add them somewhere into your cleaning routine so you do not forget.

How many of these places have you been neglecting to clean in your home?

More Than A Mom Of Three

5 Ways To Relax This Summer While The Kids Are Home

Moms, there are many ways to relax this summer while the kids are home and actually enjoy the summer too.

Here are my 5 ways to relax this summer while my kids are home with me.

Can we talk about my favorite ways to relax this summer?

I found this to be my other favorite ways to relax this summer.

How To Eliminate Laundry Stains For Busy Moms

How To Eliminate Laundry Stains For Busy Moms

They are also coming out with an On-the-Go Stain Eliminator! Perfect for those days out with the kids.

This is very important when trying to eliminate laundry stains.

When trying to eliminate laundry stains I always turn to BIZ for its stain fighting power. I am no longer spending hours in my laundry room tackling stains.

Time Saving Laundry Tips For Busy Moms

Let’s talk time saving laundry tips today!

But looking back I wish I would have implemented thises time saving laundry tips so many years ago.

Time Saving Laundry Tips For Busy Moms

My favorite time saving laundry tips are do not fold everything.

So there you go, mommas, my time saving laundry tips. I feel less of a slave to my laundry room and even without anyone pitching in laundry has become less of a dreaded chore for me.

How To Clean Your House Fast In One Hour Or Less

So if you need to clean your house fast I got you covered momma! It’s called speed cleaning and what if you could clean your whole home fast, I mean in under one hour.

How To Clean Your House Fast In One Hour Or Less

This all takes no more than 10 minutes and no one will know you tried to clean your house fast.

Do you have anything to add to clean your house fast? I’d love to hear them in the comments below!

Best Uses For Baking Soda

So today I have compiled a massive list of the many uses for baking soda.

Uses For Baking Soda In Your Home

The best uses for baking soda is in your bathroom. It makes an amazing grout cleaner in shower and tubs. When you combine a baking soda and vinegar mix this makes for a fantastic cleaner in your bathroom.

Uses For Baking Soda For Your Body

My favorite uses for baking soda is to use it as an exfoliator or scrub. Mix 3 parts baking soda to one part water you have a great homemade scrub.

There are so many awesome uses for baking soda. What are some ways you use baking soda that I should add to the list?

9 Places You Forget To Clean and Should Clean Regularly

Don’t let that make you feel bad, most people overlook these places they forget to clean.

Get out your supplies and let’s tackle these 9 places you forget to clean together!

Another one of those places you forget to clean is behind your fridge.

Another spot so many people forget to clean is their dishwasher.

And there you have it 9 places we forget to clean but should! The list is not that terrible but it’s a good idea to add them somewhere into your cleaning routine so you do not forget.