DIY Homemade Toilet Bombs

DIY Homemade Toilet Bombs

This is a post all about my favorite way to keep your bathroom clean.

We have five kids.

No more needs to be said on that.

DIY Homemade Toilet Bombs

But seriously. I have literally a bazillion other things to do with my day than to clean the bathroom. So to help keep things sparkly clean (and not stinky…that part is very, VERY important) I swear by these DIY Homemade Toilet Bombs!

First of all, they are so simple to make. They only take three ingredients.

Second, to use all you have to do is to drop them into the toilet. The fizz up, clean it and deodorize it.

Third, even the kids like to use them. SCORE!

To make these DIY homemade toilet bombs you will need a few things.

  • A silicone mold. You can get fancy if you want, but I’m lame and just used a square one.
  • A glass jar. Again, be fancy if you want. I’m lame. I got a big jar at Hobby Lobby for about $3. (Yay for 50% off day!)
  • Citric Acid. I totally Amazoned this. To be honest, no clue where you would find that at Target. LOL The citric acid will create the fizzing effect and also help breakdown water stains.
  • Baking Soda. You will want the big box! Baking soda is a common household cleaner. It’s also a deodorizer.
  • Essential oils. I use a mix of lavender, peppermint and lemon. Different oils do different things, but this mix helps to clean, kill germs and of course, smell good!

How to make homemade toilet bombs:

DIY Homemade Toilet Bombs
In a bowl, mix 1 1/3 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of citric acid.

DIY Homemade Toilet Bombs

In a spray bottle, mix the water and essential oils.

DIY Homemade Toilet Bombs

Spray the water and oil mix into the baking soda and citric acid. It will fizzle a little bit, but that’s ok. (If you don’t have a spray bottle just be sure to add the water mix VERY slowly!)

DIY Homemade Toilet Bombs

Mix around until it is all damp.

DIY Homemade Toilet Bombs

Press into mold and allow to sit out and harden for a few hours.

DIY Homemade Toilet Bombs

Transfer to a jar or an airtight container. I have ours in a pretty glass jar in our bathroom.

That’s it! They are so easy to make. Once you use them, I promise you will make sure that you always have a batch ready!

DIY Homemade Toilet Bombs

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Want more homemade cleaners? Check these out:

       

Summer Snack Ideas (And The Best Deals To Stock Up!)

Snack Ideas For Kids And Getting Them Organized

Late last night, I came across an idea that I thought was just genius and I shared it on our Facebook page. Apparently y’all thought it was genius too because I got several messages and comments about it!

Summer Snack Ideas

This mom purchased an over the door shoe organizer (you can get one for cheap here!) and filled each pocket with a day’s worth of snacks. In the morning, the kids are allowed to pick one pocket for the day for their snacks. Why is this genius? Well, if your house is like mine, your kids are eating everything! I feel like I can’t keep food in the house as fast as my kids are eating it. This is a great way to keep portions in check as well as your budget! Snacks are expensive! (Keep reading! I have some awesome snack ideas and deals for you below!) Another thing that I think is genius about this: the shoe organizer will hold enough for 24 days. That means in just a few minutes, you can have almost a month’s worth of snacks divided up!

I love that this idea goes beyond summer snacks. This will make packing lunches super simple for the school year too!

I just ordered our shoe organizer so I can recreate this at our house. I plan on filling it with snacks (like the ones below!) and telling my kiddos that after their snacks are gone they can have as many fruits and veggies as they want if they are still hungry.

Is this something that you would implement in your house?

Summer Snack Ideas

At a loss for things to fill your snack station up with? Check out these ideas:

Drinks

Healthy (Or Healthier!) Snacks

Sweet Treats

Snack Ideas For Kids And Getting Them Organized

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January 2017 Organizing Challenge

Hooray it’s 2017! I feel like every year I have so many goals: eat healthier, get outside more, read more books, get organized…but let’s be honest. They all fall under the same sort of resolution: get myself together. And while I think I make progress every year, this is the year that I’m determined to get it together, for real.

Are you with me? To selfishly help myself, I’ve decided to help anyone else on this journey too. 😉

Fun, accountability, staying motivated…whatever your reasons…join us!

If you are looking to live a healthier life – join our private Facebook group!

If you are looking to read more – join our virtual book club!

And if you are looking to get more organized, declutter, or working on becoming a bit more minimalist – follow our organizing challenge! (But if you want to follow us on Facebook, that’s cool too!)

Each day, we will have something small that you can do to declutter, organize, get rid of, recycle or donate helping you to finally have your organized home of your resolution dreams. 🙂

Of course we will have some posts with tips, tricks and printables along the way! I will update this post as more posts are put up to help you on your journey!

Finding the Perfect Planner For The New Year

Finding the perfect planner for the new year

Setting up a command center to get organized

Setting Up A Command Center To Get Organized

5 ideas and tips for an organized refrigerator

5 Ideas & Tips For an Organized Refrigerator

January 2017 Organizing Challenge

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Free Printable Conversation Cards For Kids

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

Life is so busy, but during the holidays especially it seems like it’s on overdrive. As a busy mom, I’m always looking for a few shortcuts that I can take during the day to be able to not only get more things checked off my to do list, but also so that I can make the time count more with my family!

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And sometimes that means that I pick up a few frozen meals to keep on hand for quick lunches, dinners or even as a snack. That’s why I’m really excited to introduce you to Kidfresh!

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Have you heard of them before? Kidfresh is new to Walmart and you can find them in the frozen food section.

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Three reasons their foods are super awesome:

1) Hidden Veggies + Best in Kids Nutrition

2) Convenience + Relief for Busy Moms

3) Trust and Credibility

First of all they are full of high quality ingredients that I am a HUGE fan of! I opened up the Kidfresh Wagon Wheels Mac + Cheese and I actually said “Oh look there is cheese!” All Kidfresh meals and sides are made with No Artificial Flavors or Ingredients, No Synthetic colors or flavors and non-GMO ingredients with short and clean ingredient lists. That is super important to me! And do you know what else is super awesome? Each meal contains 1/2 a cup of hidden veggies!

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You would think that such a high quality meal would be expensive, but they are a great value ranging from $2.99 – $3.99. Inexpensive and the can be done in less than 4 minutes! Score! Did I mention that my son DEVOURED them up! Oh my gosh, I honestly don’t think I’ve seen him eat anything so fast. I asked him if he liked it and he said “Yes. You should buy some more of these.” And I smiled, said sure and laughed to myself… “You just ate cauliflower!” 😉 Mom win for the day! I love finding new trustworthy brands that I feel good about feeding to my family.

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While I may get busy and skip out on cooking complicated meals sometimes, one thing that I don’t ever skip out on is dinner conversation! I think that the dinner table is a great place to connect with my son (no phones allowed at our house!) and bond. We have a basket that sits on our table and it’s filled with fun things like trivia questions and I’m always adding to it.

conversation-cards

One thing that we have found to be fun are conversation cards. These are filled with fun questions like, “If you were a video game character who would you be?” and “If you were to create an invention, what would it do?” You can ask just one each night and share around the table, really getting into some awesome ideas or conduct family interviews and let each person pick a card to ask one person. However you decide to use the cards, I think you will really love the conversations that follow!

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Just simply save the images to your computer and print! I printed ours on card stock at our local copy store.

While you are at Walmart checking out Kidfresh be sure to take advantage of savings opportunities from Ibotta (for your mobile devices!) or a printable coupon here!

conversation-cards

Don’t forget to pin!

       

Best Way To Save On School Supplies Online

Savings Guarantee From Coupons.com

Isn’t it crazy how we all go from summer mode to back to school mode in about two seconds flat? Well, get ready, because in the next week or so it is going to begin happening! The easiest way that I have found is to shop online for your school supplies. No crowds, no items out of stock and it is on your own time. Today I’m going to share with you a new program from Coupons.com called the Savings Guarantee and it is the best way to save on school supplies online!

What is the Coupons.com “Savings Guarantee”?

Just shop! Do your normal shopping, but before you checkout be sure to heck Coupons.com for an online coupon code. No need to check multiple places, because they have the best codes! But, if you happen to find a code that Coupons.com doesn’t have, they reward you for helping other shoppers save some money. Easy!

How does the “Savings Guarantee” work?

If you find a coupon code that Coupons.com doesn’t have, then Coupons.com will reward you $25. During the month of July, Coupons.com is doubling the reward, making it $50! *Starting in August, it will go back to a $25 reward. That’s a lot of money for submitting a coupon code!

Savings Guarantee From Coupons.com

I know that I am getting the best deals when I use Coupons.com. And now with the help of the whole frugal loving universe out there sending in codes that they find, I can shop with even more confidence. And hey, an extra $50 could buy quite a few school supplies if you submit your own code!

Like all price-matching or price guarantee offers, there are a few exclusions to the Coupons.com Savings Guarantee, but honestly you probably could have guessed that these codes would not work. For example:

  • Codes that are exclusive to another website.
  • Codes that provides the same discount as one that is already listed.
  • Personal referral codes or a one-time use code.
  • Non-code offers such as grocery coupons, in-store coupons, or discounts embedded in a link.

Are you ready to shop and save money?

Learn more about the Savings Guarantee and how you can earn $50 HERE.

This post was written by me on behalf of Coupons.com. All thoughts and ideas are my own.

       

23 ways to use dryer sheets

23 ways to use dryer sheets
I’m a Mom of a boy, which means we are no stranger to messes. We also have four pets. Yes, I said four. I’m not sure who makes the bigger mess, our two dogs (usually George…) or my son, Joshua! There is nothing worse than reaching for a paper towel, dishwashing tablet or worse….toilet paper….and realizing you are out. The second worst thing ever is having to go make a trip to the store for one of those said items.
The.Worst.
23 ways to use dryer sheets
Truth be told, I don’t go to the store much anymore. Whaat? It’s true. I let my stuff come to me! Did you know that you can shop for your favorite P&G products online from Walmart?
Here is why I love it:
– I get my favorite products with Walmart’s low prices
– Free Shipping on orders over $50
– I completely avoid the store. No lines, no crowds, no buying 500 things not on my list and accidentally forgetting the one thing on my list.
– Most importantly, I can stock up before we run out never again having to make a last minute trip. No more coming home to knocked over flower pots, mud and dirt everywhere and no more paper towels. True story. That was a bad day. We don’t talk about it. 🙂
23 ways to use dryer sheets
What kind of stuff do I get? Everything! Ordering online is so easy and quick. One thing that we buy a lot of is dryer sheets. Did you know that you can use dryer sheets for way more than just throwing in your dryer?
Here are 23 ways you can use dryer sheets…that you probably didn’t know! (PS – Walmart has a great deal on them! Check them out!)
  1. Use it to dust your television screen. The anti-static chemicals in a dryer sheet will help to repel dust and lint.
  2. Use old dryer sheets to easily wipe up talcum powder, flour, and other messes of this type.
  3. Used sheets usually have enough fragrance in them to freshen up other areas in your home. Stuff them in tennis shoes, place them in closets, in laundry hampers and in pieces of luggage — anywhere your house needs a little “refreshment.” For extra stinky places (example: your 13 year old’s shoes…I recommend a nice new sheet!)
  4. Run a sheet over a piece of thread when you’re doing sewing tasks. The thread won’t tangle up as easy.
  5. Have pet hair on your clothing? Simply wipe it off with a dryer sheet! Also works great on cloth furniture too!
  6. Keep dust and other contaminants off your glass computer screen by carefully wiping it with an old sheet.
  7. Did you purchase some old, musty books at a garage sale or thrift shop? Make them smell good again! Simply place the books in a sealed plastic bag with a dryer sheet. Allow the bag to sit undisturbed for a day or two, then remove the contents. The musty smell will be gone!
  8. Got a problem with mice? Find where they are entering your house and stuff the hole shut with a sheet. Mice won’t chew through the smelly material.
  9. Place a dryer sheet in the bag of your vacuum. Sweep your house, and, once you’re done, the air will smell as fresh as your clothes do.
  10. Dryer sheets are said to repel mosquitoes as well as other annoying, flying insects. Don’t rub it on you. Instead, stick a sheet in your belt loop.
  11. You can use dryer sheets to clean and polish the chrome on your vehicles.
  12. Is there a build-up of soap scum on your glass shower door? Simply use an old dryer sheet to eliminate the mess.
  13. Place a few dryer sheets under the seats of your vehicle instead to keep your car smelling fresh. Bonus: No pine tree on a string hanging from your mirror.
  14. Use sheets to clean and polish the glass lens of your eye glasses. They’re not recommended for plastic lens, though!
  15. Is your hair dry and full of static electricity? Gently wipe a dryer sheet over your head to get rid of it.
  16. Dryer sheets make great dusting cloths for your wooden furniture.
  17. Keep your window blinds clean longer by wiping them periodically with dryer sheets. The anti-static properties of the product will actually help to repel dust and dirt.
  18. Are your scissors not cutting as smooth as they should? Wipe the blades clean with a used dryer sheet to remedy this problem.
  19. Dryer sheets make great little cloths for quick shine ups in the bathroom and kitchen too. Just use one on each of your chrome faucets and they will look good as new.
  20. Soak your used paintbrushes in warm water with a dryer sheet, and latex paint should come off in under a minute.
  21. Clean off your iron to remove any sticky residue.
  22. Use them to help make fire starters. This is a great way to reuse the dryer lint too!
  23. Putting clothes, photos or other items in storage? Add a dryer sheet to your box/tote to help avoid the dreaded musty smell.
23 ways to use dryer sheets


Don’t forget to pick up your dryer sheets as well as your favorite P&G products from Walmart to Avoid The Oops! Have you had an oops moment before? Share it with us!

Don’t forget to pin it!!

This post has been sponsored by She Speaks and Walmart. All thoughts, ideas and opinions are my own.

       

How To Fold A Fitted Sheet…And Other Laundry Hacks You Should Know

How To Fold a Fitted Sheet and Other Laundry Hacks You Should Know

The other day I was looking for something in my closet and quickly realizing that it was time to declutter a bit. Isn’t it crazy how fast you accumulate things? I decided that I needed to do some re-organizing. So I did what any other rational person does when they want to start cleaning….I got on Pinterest.

How To Fold a Fitted Sheet and Other Laundry Hacks You Should Know

(See her makeover here!)

How To Fold a Fitted Sheet and Other Laundry Hacks You Should Know

(Check out her tips here!)

How To Fold a Fitted Sheet and Other Laundry Hacks You Should Know

(Find out how she organized her closet here!)

You guys. These are real! I don’t know…maybe everyone’s closets look like these, but sadly mine don’t. YET. (And no, I’m not sharing with you a picture until I can have the gorgeous after picture to put next to it!)

Anyways, so here I am scrolling through Pinterest and it dawns on me. I don’t even know how to fold a fitted sheet. How am I going to get my closet looking all pretty when I can’t even fold the sheets? So thus, a new Pinterest search was on.

It dawned on me that maybe I’m not the only one? I probably am, but humor me here. So I decided to do a quick little round up of some of the most amazingly awesome tutorials out there for how to fold your laundry. Because obviously I need it.

How To Fold a Fitted Sheet and Other Laundry Hacks You Should Know

MIND.BLOWN. Seriously. Soon my linen closet is going to be swoon-worthy thanks to this tutorial on how to fold fitted sheets….and regular sheets…and stuff place them in the pillow case so they are all perfect. After I do this, I may just sit and stare at my closet for a few minutes. 🙂

How To Fold a Fitted Sheet and Other Laundry Hacks You Should Know

This post is super helpful in showing you how to fold towels – no matter what kind of shelves you have in your closet!

How To Fold a Fitted Sheet and Other Laundry Hacks You Should Know

Don’t stop now! Your linen closet doesn’t have to be the only one looking all fantastic. This tutorial for how to fold your shirts is pretty cool. Perfect for stacking up shirts on an open shelf.

How To Fold a Fitted Sheet and Other Laundry Hacks You Should Know

While I was searching Pinterest I kept seeing things about KonMarie. She’s a guru y’all. That’s what I learned. (Look her up on YouTube!) Then I saw this pin and I was all “Ohhhh pretttttyy….” Right?

The blogger behind Productive and Pretty (awesome name by the way) is a fan of the KonMarie methods and when I saw her hack the only thing I could think of was…..This is the Sheldon Cooper method!

Josh and I love this show and when I saw this episode I remember thinking “Oh I got to get one of those!” and I had totally forgotten about it. So when I saw her post and she was using one of these shirt folders and her drawers looked like that….I knew it was an absolute must!

Her whole blog is great though and she has lots of great organizing posts. You have to check it out!

So are you ready to have the prettiest laundry ever? Perfectly Pinterest worthy drawers and closets? I am!!

What folding tips or organizing hacks do you have?

Don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest (you know I’m there …. a lot!) for organizing tips and SO much more!

 

How To Fold a Fitted Sheet and Other Laundry Hacks You Should Know

And while you are pinning, don’t forget to pin this post!

This post may contain affiliate links.

       

Chewbacca Items Every Star Wars Fan Will Love

Unless you’ve been under a rock lately, then you have seen the amazingly wonderful Facebook video of Candace Payne and her infamous Chewbacca Mask. My son really wanted a mask, but it was sold out EVERY where. Well, I take that back, for a while Amazon had them for $175! Yikes!! (Luckily, they have lowered back down now!)

chewbacca items

So at the time, my shopping cart was Chewbacca-less so I started to look around for some equally cool Chewbacca goodies and was not disappointed! Here are some Chewbacca items every Star Wars fan needs to have!

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  1. Lucas Films Chewbacca Pillow Buddy — $19.14
  2. Pop! Star Wars Chewbacca Figure — $8.64
  3. Adult Chewbacca Costume T-Shirt — $17.49
  4. Star Wars Chewbacca Beach Towel — $22.00
  5. Chewbacca C3PO Barber Shop T-Shirt — $13.37
  6. Disney Infinity Chewbacca Figure — $14.93
  7. The Force Awakens Chewbacca Action Figure — $10.99
  8. Build a Bear Workshop Chewbacca — $45.35
  9. Boys’ Force Awakens Chewbacca T-Shirt — $12.99
  10. RoomMates Chewbacca Wall Decal — $10.87
  11. Chewbacca Solo Campaign T-Shirt — $15.99
  12. Deluxe Chewbacca Backpack — $38.97
  13. Chewbacca Fur Huggie/Coozie — $8.62
  14. Chewbacca Youth Fleece Throw with Sleeves — $22.65
  15. Keep Calm and Hug a Wookie Decal — $4.98
  16. How to Speak Wookie Hardcover Book — $15.20
  17. Star Wars Furbacca Furby — $35.22
  18. Star Wars Chewbacca Graphic Tank — $21.99
  19. Funko Pop Chewbacca Mug — $9.17
  20. Wookie Thermos Novelty Lunch Bag — $14.78

This post contains affiliate links.

       

5 Things I Couldn’t Be Without

5 Of My Favorite Things

I thought it would be fun to do a weekly series on some of my favorite things. So welcome to I’m Totally Obsessed With…

5 things

So I know it might sound crazy – being obsessed with plastic containers. But I am. Completely! When I cook dinner we usually have leftovers. Now, I can pack them in these handy containers and I have my own freezer meals. Plus, they are great for cooking ahead of time! Delicious, portioned meals ready to go. It’s been helping my budget and my weight!

5 things 2

I’ve had this Yankee Red Raspberry Candle under our candle warmer non-stop this week. It smells so delicious. It smells like, well, summer.

5 things 3

I’ve been watching House of Cards since it came out. I just finished up the current season and now, I can.not.wait for the next season to start. (Come on Netflix, hurry!)

5 things 4

It has rained non-stop it seems like for the last week. Rain, mud and puddles are everywhere and when you have a puppy who needs to be at the dog park rain boots become a necessity. I’m beyond obsessed with these herringbone boots! There are tons of other prints available – pick your print!

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I’m a huge Pandora fan, which is how I found Boyce Avenue. I listen to them ALL the time! Think your favorite songs redone to cool acoustic versions. Seriously. Love.

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So you tell me. What are you loving this week?

This post contains affiliate links.

       

DIY Football Party Decoration – Referee Stand

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

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Our house is ALL football right now! Every year, my whole family gears up for football season. We wear our favorite football shirts, our team socks, make our football picks, and cheer along with every team win. And at the end of the season, we conclude it with the only way we know how. A party.

Football parties are easy to throw. You need just a few things.

  • Friends
  • Food
  • A TV to watch the game

But a few cute decorations never hurt anyone. This referee stand is beyond easy to make, costs just a few dollars and adds an awesome look to your food table! It’s also a versatile decoration. You can flip the lid to make a bowl – perfect for holding things like chip and dip. Or like we did, the stand is perfect for showing off cakes, treats or the ultimate football party food – pizza!

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Seriously! Every party needs pizza. And DiGiorno® Pepperoni STUFFED CRUST® Pizza is the ultimate party food. I love how this pizza allows you to have delicious food, while still being able to enjoy the party! There is nothing worse than having friends and family over for fun and being stuck in the kitchen trying to keep up!

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This pizza is a party in itself! Cheesy, saucy and perfect. Josh prefers to eat his DiGiorno® Pepperoni STUFFED CRUST® Pizza backwards and who can blame him. The pizza crust is full of amazing cheesiness!

game day essentials

So while you are Walmart picking up a few supplies to make your own Referee Stand, don’t forget to pick up a few DiGiorno® Pepperoni STUFFED CRUST® Pizzas!

You will need:

1 large Terracotta pot

1 Terracotta saucer

White Acrylic Paint

Black Acrylic Paint

Paintbrush

Step 1

The first thing that you do is to paint the pots and saucers white. For the saucer, I only painted the rim. Let the paint dry.

Step2

Once the white paint is dry, you will need to start painting the black stripes. Your stripes don’t have to be perfect. I found it’s easiest to start on the rim. I used a foam brush (1 inch wide) and just made my stripes the width of the brush.

Using the stripes from the rim as a guide, paint the stripes up the sides of the pot. Do the same for the rim of the saucer.

ref stand

Once everything is dry, simply put the pot upside down and place the saucer on top.

I like to flip my saucer upside down on the pot (it looks like a mushroom shape to me!) The flat top makes it perfect base for holding your game day treats like DiGiorno® Pepperoni STUFFED CRUST® Pizza!

I also painted a smaller Terracotta pot and added a few ‘penalty flag’ napkins.

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Set up your new Referee stand front and center on your table and get ready for an easy, stress free party with easy to make (and delicious to eat!) foods.

Make this year’s Big Game the best ever! Be able to enjoy the game with your friends and family instead of being trapped in the kitchen with DiGiorno® Pepperoni STUFFED CRUST® Pizza, Coca Cola and Ritz Crackers!

Happy football!

Don’t forget to pin!