Have you ever stared aimlessly into your disorganized food pantry, but nothing looked appetizing. More than likely, your pantry was full of options but you either couldn’t figure out what to make based on what you had available, or you were missing at least one key ingredient.

We’ve all been there. I certainly have. Thankfully, there are a few easy ways to keep our pantry organized and our food choices appealing.

Find out the four tips that aid in pantry organization on my post here.

Win!

While you’re reading the tips, make sure to leave a comment on that Facebook page so you can be entered to win one of FIVE Fireproof Safes from SentrySafe!

(oh, and the comment will take two seconds to type because the question is, “On a scale of 1 to 10, how organized is your food pantry?” Pretty easy, eh?)

Thank you!

A BIG thank you to all of you who left a comment last week! I was shocked, humbled, and extremely grateful to all of you who commented because, like I said earlier, I’m pretty sure we’re the underdog :)

It paid off though because FIVE iDreamofClean readers won a Fireproof Safe AND $250 was donated to The Mercy House!!

Can we do it again this week? I sure hope so! Just leave a comment here and thank you in advance!

Rules and disclosure: SentrySafe is sponsoring iDreamofClean for writing the content for their Facebook page. The challenge and prizes are provided by Sentry Safe. Commenting for the second challenge will close at 11:59 EST on 5/20/12. 

I have a friend who’s children are extremely well-behaved.

You could say the kids were just born that way.

I would say she trained them to be that way.

You see, my friend is a spit fire; full of personality and funny to the bone. She’s also brilliant. Put those qualities together and what you get is Sassy Sauce.

We already know that vinegar has a 1001 uses but it’s quite possible that this is a use for vinegar you haven’t thought of before: Sassy Sauce.

Recipe for Sassy Sauce

Ingredients:

• Vinegar
• Spray Bottle

Directions:

Spray sparingly on the tongue of a kids who’s getting a little too sassy. 

Uses for Sassy Sauce:

Let’s say your kids are getting a little sassy.

Ask them if they want to rephrase their last statement. If they say “no,” just spray a little Sassy Sauce on their tongue.

Let’s say your kids are getting a little sassy again. 

Ask them if they want to rephrase their last statement. More than likely they will gladly do so.

Let’s say your kids are getting a little sassy in the car.

Pull the spray bottle out of your purse and calmly sit it on the dashboard. Chances are they’ll simmer down quickly.

Let’s say your kids are getting a little sassy in public.

Quietly show them you have Sassy Sauce stashed in your purse. More than likely they will return to good behavior very quickly. After all, sticking out your tongue to get sprayed with Sassy Sauce isn’t something many kids want to happen in front of their friends!

Question: How would you use Sassy Sauce? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

 Don’t forget to leave a comment here about how organized (or not organized!) your food pantry is. It’s an easy question this week, plus you could win a fireproof safe or $200 Target Gift card!

Disclaimer: No kids have been harmed by the use of Sassy Sauce. If it’s good enough to season food, I’m pretty sure it’s good enough to train kids to season their words :) Linked to Your Green Resource and Crystal & Co.

How many times have you needed to make a phone call but as soon as you pick up the phone you have to bounce the baby on your knee so he’ll stop crying, stop a spilling sippy cup with your free hand, and then drop the phone so you can catch a flying toy with the other hand?

The specific details might be different, but if you’re a mom, you can probably relate!

Talking on the phone in a professional manner can be tough when the kids are around.

Back in the day, when I dressed in a suit every day and didn’t smelled like spit up, I had a fancy-smanshy phone in my office. It made me a multi-tasking machine because it had a cordless headset so I both hands free to get things done while talking. If it was an important call, I could take notes. If it was just a long-winded friend, I could answer a few emails while um-hmming every once in a while. 

That headset was seriously one of the biggest perks I gave up when I began working at home. 

So when I was asked to try the vTech LS6475-3 Multitasking system, I jumped at the chance! Seriously, I did. Am I a nerd? Yes, yes, I am.

You see, I already knew how it could make me more productive. I knew how beneficial it would be to have my hands free while talking on the phone.

And it’s paid off. For business calls, I’ve been able to take notes while talking. I’ve been able to have a few personal conversations while cleaning up the kitchen or making up the bed. And, most importantly, I’ve been able to hold the baby in one arm and roll a ball back and forth with the 3 year old, all while talking on the phone using the headpiece.

The headset alone is what made me want to try the  vTech LS6475-3 Multitasking system, but there are some other features that have been extremely useful:

• The Voice Announce Caller ID audibly announces the name and number of the caller on all of the handsets and base unit. No need to find the handset to see who is calling. Makes screening calls (and determining if the kids yelling in the background will make you look unprofessional) that much easier.
• You can remotely retrieve messages on the digital answering system.
• You can retrieve messages on the digital answering system from the handset.
• It’s EnergyStar compliant.
• The handset is very slim.

I’ve found it to be a very good and useful phone…perfect for a busy mom. Hmmm….perhaps a good Mother’s Day gift?! Yes, yes. That way she can bounce the baby on her knee, stop a spilling sippy cup with one hand, and catch a flying toy with the other hand…without dropping the phone!

Find out more about the vTech LS6475-3 Multitasking system here:

• Product details
• Facebook
• Twitter

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of VTech and received a product sample to facilitate my review.

If you have ever read a blog (that would be YOU because you are reading a blog right now!) then this post is for you!

You Can Get…

Over the next month, you are going to have some opportunities to win some great prizes!

What kind of prizes you ask?

• $200 Target Gift Cards (who doesn’t like Target?), and
  
• Fireproof/Waterproof safes from Sentry Safe.

You Can Give…

Over the next month you will aslo have several opportunities to help those in need  by making one short comment each week.

Here are the details:

Sentry Safe has asked 5 bloggers to participate in a Spring Cleaning Challenge. Each week we’ll be writing about a specific challenge on their Facebook Page. The blogger who gets the most comments on their post each week will be winning some cold hard cash for a charity of their choosing!

I absolutely love our community on iDreamofClean and since many of you are bloggers yourself, I thought it would be ideal to choose a charity started by a fellow blogger. That’s why I’ve teamed up with Kristen from We Are That Family.

You’ve probably heard of her. If you haven’t let me assure you that Kristen and her family are extraordinary.

They started a ministry called the Mercy House to help pregnant girls who live on the street in Kenya. They provide prenatal care, vitamins, food, training, a safe place to live and sooo much more. The girls lives are changed forever because of the Mercy House.

This ONE family took a dream and made it a reality.

This ONE family is doing what so many of us wish we could do but think it’s impossible.

This is ONE family making a difference.

YOU can made a difference too! It will only take 10 seconds and you could win a fireproof safe or Target gift card for yourself in the process.

How to Help & How to Win…

• Go here and leave a comment about the strangest, weirdest, most unique thing in your junk drawer. That’s it!

If you don’t have anything weird in your junk drawer, you can leave a comment about the most boring thing in there. Or actually, any comment will do. But, please, please, please leave a comment. It’s for the Mercy House. I so want iDreamofClean readers to be able to help them out. Let me assure you though, we are the underdog! The other awesome bloggers are Big Time…they have books and everything :) Plus, their charities have thousands and thousands of followers.

What they don’t have, though, is YOU. You are the difference!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Rules and disclosure: The challenge and prizes are provided by Sentry Safe. Commenting for the first challenge will close at 11:59 EST on 5/13/12. Sentry Safe is compensating me for participating in the challenge and spreading the word but all advise and opinions are my own.  

This is a guest post from Carolynn, a former teacher turned stay at home mom of four children; ages 6, 5, 3, and almost 2. She is very sentimental and likes to keep everything. She also gets overwhelmed very easily when it comes to organization.  Unfortunately, Carolynn usually put off organizing until she’s so stressed she has to do something about it!  Carolynn blogs about parenting, couponing, and Financial Peace University at My Little Bit of Life. 

I used to have an overflowing e-mail inbox; now I have a manageable inbox.

Here is how I made it happen:

Problems

Goal

Goal in Motion

• I started with the oldest e-mails.
• I highlighted them by clicking on the delete box at the top.
• I scanned through who sent the e-mail, if I found one that I might need or want to read then I looked at the subject.
• Then I looked through all the subjects (I highly recommend doing both because there were many times I found an important e-mail that I needed to keep, that I would have missed by only looking at the sender OR the subject), if I found one that I might need or want to read; then I looked at the sender.
• I “un-clicked” any e-mails I thought I would need/like to keep.
• I then sent each specific e-mail to their specific folder.  If I didn’t already have a folder set up for the subject, then I made one right away and filed it.

By using this technique, it took me a tiny bit over 3 months to go through all of the e-mails.  Now I still have to go through each individual folder, but it’s so nice and calming to see less than 25 e-mails in my inbox.

Upkeep

Relief

Have you picked up your first CSA box yet? We just picked up our second batch!

I don’t know about you, but knowing that fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables will be filling our fridge each week seems to give the extra boost we need to make sure every single bite of it gets eaten.

One way to make sure the CSA box doesn’t go to waste is to prepare the fruits and vegetables the day you receive it. If your CSA box is organic, it’s especially important to prepare the food quickly so it doesn’t rot. Plus, there could be a few critters hidden in the produce that you may want to wash away!

How to Clean Fruits & Vegetables from your CSA Box

1. Start with a clean sink. Plug the drain and fill your sink with lukewarm water.
2. Pour in 1/2 cup of baking soda or 1/2 cup of vinegar.
3. Let the fruits and veggies soak in the mixture for 3-5 minutes, agitating or scrubbing when necessary. Pull apart leafy veggies so the entire plant is cleaned.
4. Take the fruit and vegetables out of the sink and allow to air dry on a drying mat, paper towel or in a colander.
5. Store (what you didn’t eat in the process!).

What fruits and veggies are you most excited to eat this spring/summer?

If you liked this post, I’d be honored if you’d Pin it!

When shopping for a birthday card, Mother’s Day card, or basically any card, I can stare at the options for hours. I want the card to be just right so it takes me forever to find the perfect one.

My husband, on the other hand, can decide on a card in about 10 seconds.

I’m envious of his decision making skills in that regard!

What I realized in the Hallmark booth at Blissdom, however, is that it’s much easier to pick out a card when there are good options! Just when I thought original cards were no longeravailable, Hallmark surprised me with new, original, and even funny card options.

So when they contacted me about giving away 10 cards to one of my readers, I thought Mother’s Day would be the perfect opportunity!

Here’s you chance to get a stack full of cards shipped to your front door.

No dragging the kids to the card isle. No staring endlessly trying to pick out the perfect card.

Just an easy way to stockpile cards for the rest of the year…including Mother’s Day less than 2 weeks away!

Enter now!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you are viewing in a reader or on email, click here to view these simple entry options.

When I found out the kitchen sponge is the #1 source for germs in the entire house, I gave them up cold turkey! However, I’ve recently let one back into the house….gasp!  

Find out why I took the Lysol Scrubber Sponge Challenge here.

While you’re there, make sure YOU take the challenge for a chance to win a $10,000 KITCHEN MAKEOVER!!

Disclosure: Lysol sponsored me to take the Lysol Scrubber Sponge Challenge. 

A few weeks ago my oldest son and I were watching Sid the Science Kid and I immediately knew the episode would be a great illistration for the last part of our Growing Green series.

On this particular episode, Sid’s mother helped him investigate how much water goes down the drain while brushing his teeth. His mom plugged the drain, turned on the water, and Sid pretended to brush his teeth. Then they emptied the sink and repeated the process, but only running the water when Sid needed to wet his toothbrush or rinse his mouth.

It was a great visual on how to conserve water while brushing our teeth!

I particularly liked that my son could watch the episode and then immediately repeat the experiment in our own home. I think the reinforcement and hands on approach to learning enforced how easy it is to not waste our resources.

That little experiment got me thinking about other creative ways to help our children learn to conserve.

• If your kids have a habit of holding open the refrigerator door for…ever while trying to decide what to take out, utilize resources provided by electric companies to determine how much money it costs to cool that refrigerator. If they have a piggy bank, pull out some money to place in a glass jar every time you see them holding the door open too long. They just might be surprised how quickly that jar fills up!
• Utilize websites like Energy Kids that help describe what energy is and help encourage conservation in ways kids understand. There are tons of games and activities to make learning fun.
• Let your kids teach YOU to recycle. Since kids are uber creative, embrace it! Encourage your children to invent new ways to reuse materials like turning an old box into a spaceship or create artwork with broken materials normally thrown in the trash.

What ideas do you have for teaching kids to be green?

This post the fourth in the Growing Green series. You can find other great posts related to TEACHING green this week on these blogs:

Broccoli Cupcake :: More Ways to Teach Kids to Be Green

The Frugal Seed :: Simple Home Remedies

If your kids will be swimming this year, you should definitely check out this Natural Remedy for Swimmers Ear from Living Crunchy. It could be a good idea to have the ingredients on hand…you know, just in case!

Do you have a homemade cleaning recipe? I’d love to share it! Submit your tip by emailing idreamofclean{at}idreamofclean.net.

The absolute beautiful weather on Friday in addition to all of your tips, led to a very successful garage sale. We were able to purge quite a bit from our house while also making a few bucks in the process.

But, you know what?

We STILL have WAY TOO MUCH STUFF!

First, let me remind you that it’s only been a year since we moved from our 740 square feet loft to a larger house. Moving into a traditional home meant our oldest son could graduate from the pack-in-play and sleep in a regular bed. It meant we could have more children, so along came baby #2. It also meant lawn duty was inevitable so our garage is now full of…you guessed it…yard equipment.

I suppose some of the new furniture, tools, and equipment could be deemed as necessary. But since we no longer have a good excuse to be intentional with our belongings, completely unnecessary items have made their way into our home.

How does that happen?!?!

Getting rid of excess stuff in our home has made it even more apparent that we still have so much more than we need.

Can anyone relate?

So what does all this have to do with THINKING green?

Let me explain…

Many people think being green is what those hippie, crunchy people do. They live on the land, strive for zero waste, and don’t cut their hair or wear make up.

But let me assure you that regular ol’ people can be green too. And one very easy way to be green is to simply change your way of thinking…just a tad.

You see, we’ve been conditioned in this society to be in a continual state of want:

• It’s a new season, so apparently I’m supposed to update my wardrobe.
• That craft on Pinterest looks pretty cool so I need to run to the store to get  the materials (so they can sit in the closet just begging to be used :)
• That do-dad is ON SALE for pennies on the dollar so I’d be crazy to pass it up.
• I would be so embarrassed for someone to see my “tube” TV so, even though it still works, I really want to upgrade to a super sleek flat screen.
• My cell phone contract has expired so I “have” to use my free upgrade (Which, by the way, I need help understanding. If it’s a “free upgrade” why aren’t any of the phones free?)

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not against stuff!

I have stuff.

I have a lot of it.

But if we shift our thinking ever so slightly, we could become a little more green simply by not buying something just because we can. Saying no every once in a while is one of the easiest ways to become a little more green.

Of course, there are other benefits also:

• It saves money,
• It adds simplicity to our life,
• We won’t have find a way to organize it,
• We learn to be content.

That last point is the one I like the most.

Being content is something I have to continually work on, but with time and practice, it actually does get a little easier!

How do you practice contentment?

This post is #3 in the Growing Green series. You can find other great posts related to THINKING green this week on these blogs:

• Laurel of Leaves is challenging us to not be disposable for 30 days,
• Broccoli Cupcake has an online quiz to help us see our strengths and weaknesses when it comes to living a green life, and
• The Frugal Seed is showing us how to eat the rainbow!

Want to know what I’m doing this weekend?

Having a yard sale!

A big THANK YOU to everyone on our facebook community who chimed in with ideas on how to host a successful garage sale! Click here to read the suggestions and add some of your own! You guys had fantastic tips that I’m doing my best to implement and I can’t way to see how they help move our stuff out the door. In fact, some have already worked because a lady dropped by last night when I was setting up and bought a boat load!

After all the work I’ve put into it, I’m pretty sure any leftovers will be staying in the garage for another sale next weekend. All the work has been done, so it will only benefit us to try one more time, right? :)

Just a reminder to get Simplify Your Family Life at 88% off. Today is the last day!!! Click here to see what’s included.

Back in the day, my life was consumed with sports and I absolutely loved being an athlete. The best part was that I could be girly and play in the dirt at the same time.

In college, the apartment four of my teammates and I occupied overlooked the softball field we practically lived on. So after exams, when the campus was almost empty, we found ourselves with nothing to do.

It was late. It was dark. It was raining. And we apparently had some bundled up energy to use.

So we did what any dedicated athlete would do and ran to the field – in the middle of a thunderstorm – and “practiced” head first slides in the outfield.

It. Was. AWESOME!

We’d sprint…and then dive! Over and over and over again. The field was covered in puddles and our clothes were soaking wet, so we could slide what felt like miles. The field became our personal gigantic slip ‘n slide.

Adrenaline must have really kicked in because it is seriously one of the best memories I have from college!

Granted, the continual sliding in the outfield put a few grass stains on my clothes. But it was totally worth it. Sometimes you have to get a little messy to get those happy endorphins going, right?

I’m pretty sure fun should almost always take precedence over clean. :)

Do you have a fun memory that resulted in a few stains? Maybe playing tag with your kids outside? Playing paintball with your family? Something else?

If so, tell your story on Scholastic.com. Seriously. You could win:

• $2,000 worth of backyard play equipment,
• plus coupons equaling a year supply of Clorox 2® stain-fighting products, and
• the Clorox Company will donate $2,000 worth of athletic equipment for each winner’s child’s school.

My kiddos would think I was the ultimate fun mom if they could have backyard play equipment. If I was a betting woman, I’d say your kiddos would probably feel the same!

Make sure you tell your story ASAP. The How I Fought and Beat a Monster of a Stain Contest ends tomorrow, April 20th!

Disclosure: This is a compensated post to let you know about the contest. However, all the opinions, stories, and stains in this post are mine. You can view my full disclosure policy here.

The desire to save money applies to every room in the house, including the laundry room, right? Well here are 5 options (some even eco=friendly) to help you do just that!

1. Switch to a High Efficiency Washer and Dryer?

The Simple Answer

It depends. According to energystar.gov, “A full-sized ENERGY STAR qualified clothes washers uses 14 gallons of water per load, compared to the 27 gallons used by a standard machine. That’s 50 percent less water, per load. On average, a new ENERGY STAR qualified clothes washer uses 270 kWh of electricity and costs $60 to run, each year. ”

Last year our family switched from a 2o+ year old washer/dryer set to a brand new HE washer and dryer. Our water bill decreased about $30 per month but I haven’t noticed a difference with our electric bill.

Is a $30 savings worth it to upgrade to an HE washer and dryer?

• $30/month x 12 = $360 in savings per year.
• $360/year x 5 = $1800.

So, if the new washer/dryer costs $1800 to buy, then it would pay for itself in 5 years. Of course, there are HE machines that cost much less and some that cost must more so you can adjust accordingly to determine if the switch is worth it for your family.

The other thing I tend to take into consideration is the length of time the washer and dryer will be useful. I don’t know about you, but it seems like the old machines will keep chugging along forever. Like I mentioned early, ours was over 20 years old (probably closer to 25). It was still going strong so we sold it to someone who is banking on the fact that it will continue to plug along.

Products made today don’t seem to last as long. It’s hard to know exactly and I’m speaking generally…not just about appliances. I know several people who have had machines less then 5 years die on them. Of course the long lasting machines and/or the ones that only last a few years could be a fluke. I guess only time will tell!

The Green Way

If your main concern is going green, then it seems an HE washer/dryer may be the way to go.

2. Time Your Loads

The Simple Way

For the sake of my sanity, I recommend doing one load of laundry each day. It’s quick, easy, and it you don’t have to spend an entire day folding laundry! But, that’s just me.

The Green Way

If you are looking to save money and make your machines work more efficiently, then back to back loads work best. When your dryer has been working, it doesn’t have to work as hard on the next load and can use residual heat.

The time of day is also important. If your dryer is continually running on a hot day, your air conditioner will be put into overdrive to cool your home. So save money by washing laundry in the coolest part of the day in the summer and when you need the most heat in the winter.

3. Skip the Dryer?

The Simple Way

Air drying may be the more eco-friendly way to dry clothes, but if I had to hang my clothes on a line, I would never wash clothes! We would just wear dirty clothes all the time…or we’d have to buy new clothes every week! Hey, that wouldn’t be so bad, right?! In order to save money on clothing, I’m all for going the simple route and using the dryer!

The Green Way

If you truly want to go green, then air drying may be your best option. Many people do it. Many love it! I’m just not one of them :) Air drying will definitely save money and energy.

4. Laundry Detergent

The Simple Way

The easiest way for anyone to save money on laundry detergent is to use the proper amount! So many people just fill the cap or scoop to the top and dump it in the washing machine. If you’re one who is careful about how much detergent you use, just sneak a peak at your kids or husband the next time they do laundry :)

The fill lines almost always lower than the top of the cap and they are notorious for being barely visible. Once you find the line, it may be useful to mark it on the outside with a sharpie.

The Green Way

I’ve never made my own laundry detergent but I’ve heard it can be a fantastic money saving option. There is actually a class on making homemade laundry detergent at my local CSA store tonight that I would love to attend. The schedule may not allow it, but if I can work it out I’ll be sure to let you in on the details!

Laurie, however, shared her favorite homemade laundry detergent recipe in a guest post last week! It’s low sudsing so it’s perfect for both regular and high-efficiency (HE) washing machines.

5. Fabric Softener

The Simple Way

If you use dryer sheets, you can cut your fabrick softener costs in half by doing the same to the sheets. There’s rarely a need for a whole fabric softener sheet in one load so try cutting each one in half before using.

If you prefer liquid fabric softener, you can actually extend a bottle of it by dampening a small rag with the solution and using in the dryer instead of a fabric sheet.

The Green Way

To save even more money, skip the commercial fabric softener all together and use vinegar in your washing machine. Just add about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle for an easy, eco-friendly fabric softener.

I’m sure there are plenty other ways to save money in the laundry room so I’d love to hear from you! What are your tips and tricks?

Want more laundry room tips

• Lauren from Mama’s Laundry Talk is giving Four Tips for Keeping the Laundry Room in Order
• Nony from A Slob Comes Clean is discussing Hanging vs. Folding.
• Taylor from Stain Removal 101 is talking about Cleaning Your Washing Machine To Sanitize It And Getting Rid Of Smells
• Jami from An Oregon Cottage did a Thirty Minute Laundry Room Spruce-Up.?

Do you just LOVE ebooks? I do! Well you have an amazing opportunity to get some of the best ebooks out there for an unbelievable price! Corey from Simple Marriage and Mandi from Life…Your Way have brought together some of the top authors in the family life space with 38 ebooks covering a variety of topics related to family life.

When purchased separately, these ebooks are worth $375, but for four days only, you can purchase the entire collection for just $29! Plus, if you purchase through my affiliate link, you can email perfectcleaningschedule {at} gmail.com to receive a FREE copy of Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule!

This collection is only available from 8 a.m. on April 16th to 8 a.m. on April 20th. There will be no late sales offered.
Click here to purchase your collection today!

When you purchase the Simplify Family Life collection, you get instant access to each of the 38 ebooks listed below:

Entrepreneurship & Blogging

Blogger Behave by Laura @ 10 Million Miles ($4.99)

How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too by Mandi @ Life Your Way ($12.00)

Make Money Blogging by Tara @ Feels Like Home ($4.99)

Tap Into Your Unique Creativity and Self Expression Webinar by Lisa @ WellGrounded Life ($39.00)

Tell Your Time by Amy @ Blogging with Amy ($4.99)

Your Blogging Business: Tax Talk & Tips from a Bookkeeper Turned Blogger by Nikki @ Christian Mommy Blogger ($4.99)

Food & Cooking

Get Lean Recipe for Success by Nisha @ Healthy Mom’s Kitchen ($37.00)

Got Dinner? by Susan @ The Confident Mom ($4.00)

How To Cook For Yourself: A Complete Beginnerís Guide by Rachael @ Kitchen Courses ($35.00)

Plan It, Don’t Panic by Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home ($4.99)

Real Food Basics by Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama ($6.95)

Real Food, Real Easy by Erin @ The Humbled Homemaker ($9.95)

Smart Sweets by Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship ($9.95)

The Everything Beans Book by Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship ($9.95)

Homemaking

2012 Confident Mom Weekly Household Planner by Susan @ The Confident Mom ($9.00)

Clean Start: Your Guide to Natural Home Cleaning by Michelle @ Open Eye Health ($4.95)

Complete Printables Download Pack by Mandi @ Life Your Way ($7.00)

Food on Your Face for Acne & Oily Skin by Leslie @ Crunchy Betty ($7.99)

From Debtor to Better by Barry @ Debtor to Better ($15.00)

My Buttered Life {Summer + Gift Giving Editions} by Renee @ MadeOn Hard Lotion ($10.00)

Not a DIY Diva by Melissa @ The Inspired Room ($3.99)

One Bite at a Time by Tsh @ Simple Mom ($5.00)

That Works for Me by Kristen @ We Are THAT Family ($8.00)

Marriage & Relationships

A Simple Marriage by Corey @ Simple Marriage ($4.99)

Buck Naked Marriage by Corey @ Simple Marriage ($2.99)

Entangled by Amy @ Permission to Peruse ($4.99)

The A to Z Guide: 26 Ways in 26 Days to a Happier, Healthier Marriage by The Dating Divas ($9.97)

Minimalism for Families

101 Ways to Simplify Your Life by Laura @ Journey to a Simple Life ($9.95)

321-Stop by Lori @ Loving Simple Living ($9.97)

Inside Out Simplicity by Joshua @ Becoming Minimalist ($11.99)

Simple Ways to Be More with Less by Courtney @ Be More with Less ($9.97)

The Minimalist Momís Guide to Babyís First Year by Rachel @ The Minimalist Mom ($9.95)

Parenting & Kids

4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Your Parenting Questions by the Moms @ 4 Moms, 35+ Kids ($7.99)

Flourishing Spring by Michele @ Frugal Granola ($5.95)

Mindset for Moms by Jamie @ Steady Mom ($4.99)

Nurturing Creativity by Renee @ FIMBY ($3.00)

Parenting with Positive Guidance by Amanda @ Not Just Cute ($9.00)

Truth in the Tinsel by Amanda @ Impress Your Kids ($6.99)

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR COLLECTION TODAY!

Then email perfectcleaningschedule {at} gmail.com your confirmation to receive a FREE copy of Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule!

The sale ends at 8 a.m. ET on April 20th, and there will be no late sales offered, so don’t wait.

Several years ago, my husband and I downsized and moved into a 740 square foot loft. To save space, we sold all of our furniture and replaced it with furniture made specifically for small spaces. We also traded in our large, clunky TV for a flat screen.

I could tell then, and I can definitely tell now that the TV is in a small room, that the flat screen TV gives off some major heat! During the day, if the TV has been on for over 30 minutes I can actually feel the room getting warmer. That give me major incentive not to keep that TV on unless we are actually sitting down and watching it…especially in the summer.

Observing the temperature change when the flat screen TV is in use has always made me curious just how much energy it uses. So I did some digging and found a Television Calculator that compares the energy use of Plasma, DLP, LCD, and different sized Tube TV’s. It takes into consideration how many hours each stays on during the week and weekends and then calculates how much it costs you to provide energy to watch.

It appears that energy use is greater in Plasma TV’s followed by DLP, LCD and then tube TV’s. As expected, a larger television also uses more energy than a smaller TV.

Of course, this doesn’t include the cost of providing air conditioning to cool down that room your television is heating up. That’s just one more thing to consider!

Being an informed consumer can definitely impact your purchase choices. It can also help anyone become just a little more green, without much effort.

I don’t know about you, but I will take energy usage into consideration the next time I’m in the market for a television. It also has and will continue to impact the amount of television watched in our home as well as cut out the tendency to have it on as background noise.

How much does it cost you to watch TV?

Want more money saving tips?

• Laural of Leaves is sharing 20 Simple Ways to Cut Your Utility Bill,
• Broccoli Cupcake has Meal Planning Tips to Save Money and Avoid Waste, and
• The Frugal Seed is helping us understand How To Save Money When Buying Organic.

Don’t miss out on the Simplify Your Family Life Ebook Sale!! $385 worth of products for $29 (plus a FREE Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule)!

linked to Your Green Resource

Can I tell you what an honor it is to be called a Works for Me Woman?

You see, my absolute favorite place to share the tips I post about on iDreamofClean is the Works For Me Wednesday link up. It just seems to fit…you know, like peanut butter and jelly or green eggs and ham!

So when Kristen & Jennifer emailed me a while ago asking if they could use some of the tips I’ve submitted in their new ebook I was quite honored. The ebook is a collection of the top 800 tips submitted to Works for Me Wednesday in the following categories:

It’s organized extremely well and easy to look up in the table of contents or the actual book.

In fact, as I was looking through the topics, I realized that I’ve posted many of the tips here on iDreamofClean (or there’s a post in the queue). There was even a tip submitted on the topic I posted about earlier today: How to Remove Permanent Marker from a White Board. I hope I didn’t subconsciously read someone else’s tip and use it as my own!

Anyway, this ebook will probably put me out of business because you can find all the cleaning and organizing (not to mention 15 other topics) tips that you could ever need. But, you know what? I don’t care. A portion of ever purchase is going to benefit the Mercy House and if that means one more pregnant girl living in Africa has a safe refuge, than it’s all worth it!

Get Your Copy Today

Click Here to Purchase

$8

(use promo code SAVE1 for $1 off)

Now, on to the GIVEAWAY!

How would you like to win a copy of That Works For Me? What about a gift card for house cleaning ($150 value)? Here’s what to do:

• Submit a tip on the http://thatworksfor.me/submit-a-tip/ website. Then come back here and leave a comment letting me know you did. (Submitting your tip will enter you in the contest That Works For Me is hosting to win a house cleaning gift card. The comment left on iDreamofClean will enter you in the contest to win a copy of the ebook!)
• Follow @works4mebook and @iDreamofClean on Twitter and leave a comment here letting me know you do.
• Follow iDreamofClean on Pinterest and repin this tip:http://pinterest.com/pin/155303887120280867/ . Then leave a comment letting me know you did.

Good Luck!

Comments will close at 11:59 EST on April 16 and a winner for the That Works For Me ebook will be chosen using the And the winner is… plugin. Winner will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond. If a responses is not received in the designated timeframe, a new winner will be chosen using the same method. Affiliate links are included.

Permanent markers should NOT be allowed in our home.

Why? Because of this…

There was terribly bad lighting when I took this picture so in case you can’t tell, that is a lovely smiley face drawn by our 2 1/2 year old on the wall. When I posted this to Facebook, there were several suggestions to try the Magic Eraser on the marker. I didn’t get to try it bofore my husband painted over it during Spring Cleaning but that’s okay. That wall needed some serious touch up paint anyway.

Later I found another little drawing under my husbands clothes in his closet.

Two big no-no’s by the toddler.

But lest you think permanent marker mistakes are only made by the kiddo’s in this house, I should admit that the next picture is a mistake made by me.

As we ran out of grocery items, I added a few items to the list on our white board…in PERMANENT marker!

Of course I didn’t realize it until I went to wipe away the list and this happened…

It brought back memories from when my 8 year old self and some friends drew all over the white board at church. We spent HOURS (or at least at seemed) using solvents of all kind to remove that marker.

I thought to myself, “there HAS to be an easier way to remove permanent marker!” Thankfully, I found one!!

Easy Way to Remove Permanent Marker from a White Board

1. Trace over the permanent marker lines with a dry erase marker.

2. Let it stay a few minutes.

3. Wipe away.

4. Repeat if necessary.

Serioulsy, that’s it! If I had known that trick back in the day, I could have gained hours of my life back! Thankfully, I know it now because I’m sure this won’t be the last time I make the mistake of using permanent marker on our white board.

Do you have a permanent marker story?

The following is a guest post from Laurie at Everyday Notions.

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Funny, when I first began making my own cleaning products, my first thought wasn’t “I’m going to save the earth!” No, my first thought was, “I’m going to save oodles of money!” But along the journey the need to eliminate chemicals and reduce my own carbon footprint became just as important to me as saving money.

It is amazing how green and frugal can go hand in hand, one fueling the other.
Just two years ago the thought of making my own cleaning supplies was so intimidating. I knew that baby steps were necessary in order to avoid giving up on my quest as a result of failure and frustration. I began with laundry soap.  After getting that down, I slowly added carpet deodorizer, hand lotion, shampoo, dishwasher detergent (this one took MANY trials and errors to find one that works for me), shower spray…..the list goes on.

Each time I’d run out of a store-bought, chemical-laden product, I would start my search for a recipe to replace the product.  Pretty soon all my products were homemade!

That’s a good feeling.

My favorite products that I DO buy which can be used in numerous recipes are: Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap, borax, washing soda, baking soda, lemons and vinegar.  Here are two recipes to get you started:

Homemade Laundry Soap

Ingredients:

• 2 gallons of water
• 1/3 cup grated soap (fels naptha, homemade bar soap or other mild soap)
• ½ cup washing soda
• ½ cup borax

Directions:

Heat one gallon of water on the stove and add grated soap. Once soap has dissolved, remove from heat, add washing soda, borax and an additional gallon of water. Stir well and let sit overnight. The liquid will turn to a runny gel. Use ¼ – ½ cup of laundry soap per load.

Really. It’s that easy.

*Time saver: Double the recipe. Doubling the recipe means I don’t have to make my laundry soap very often. I store the laundry soap in an old, clean litter container.

Natural Shower Mildew KILLER

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup hydrogen peroxide
• 1/2 cup lemon juice

Directions:

Mix ingredients in a spray bottle and completely cover mildew with the mixture.

Do you make your own cleaning products? Why or why not?

Laurie Byrne, a homeschooling and daycare mom, dreams of owning a hobby farm full of animals….someday. But for now she is content with dabbling in homesteading practices while living in a small Midwest town. She writes about her journey and her everyday experiments at Everyday Notions.

If you’d like to guest post, please see the guidelines here.

Since we’re making our way though The Great Paper Purge: From Piles to Paperless series and we’re talking about ways to go green this month, I thought it would be helpful to talk about resources used to merge the two. I still have much to learn about going green in the office so I’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments. For now, though, here are a few tools that can help you have less clutter and be more eco-friendly in the office.

Evernote

Evernote has the capability to store images, documents, PDF’s, ebooks, videos, receipts, voice recordings…just about anything! It’s a fantastic resource for going paperless.

Scanners

Of course, if you are using something like Evernote, you’ll need a great scanner. I personally use Neat Receipts and Shoeboxed.com. I’ve written about both here and here.

Staple-Free Stapler

It’s difficult to be entirely paperless so if you do have a few straggling papers lying around, you could always try a staple free stapler instead of the real thing. Honestly, I didn’t know such a thing existed until recently but I’m excited to try it out. Since there isn’t a need to keep extra staples on hand, it frees up some storage space…and that I like!

Shredder

A shredder is helpful to hide your personal information included in all that junk mail you receive. But, it can also provide the perfect filling for reusable gift bags or packing material for shipping boxes. Double duty at it’s best!

You can also go green in your office by turning off computers and unplugging lamps, power-strips, etc. from outlets when not in use. It will save on energy usage as well as out of pocket costs. Lowering expenses is my favorite reason for going green!

I’d love to hear from you! What ideas do you have for going green in the office?

*affiliate links included