It’s never to late too learn good frugal habits and turn yourself from a money waster into a frugal saver!  Our complete frugal makeover will show you how to reset your financial situation as well as changing your attitudes about money.

Is your bank account overdrawn and your debt piling up?  Do you feel helpless but know that you need to turn around your finances?  Maybe you’re at the end of the line and about to start losing your assets because of poor money management.  Do your kids think money grows on trees and demand the latest gadgets?

If you’ve been a poor steward of your finances so far, take heart in knowing that it’s never to late to learn the basics.  The rules of frugal money saving are simple.  

Reset the Way You Think About Saving Money

If the problem with saving money is in your mind, you’ll need to reset your thinking about spending.  Saving money isn’t for cheap or poor people.  Saving money is for everyone!  Some things to remember:

1. Saving money is cool.
2. Having a great life for less shows that you’re smart and care about your financial future.
3. Finding the best deals and bargains can be like a game for your family.
4. Saving money lets you help others when they need it the most.
5. Spend TIME on people to show them love – don’t spend MONEY on people to show you love them.
6. Teaching your kids to save up money for something teaches them to value money and hard work, and to respect their parents who provide for them.

Say goodbye to buying things that cost a lot that show your status to other people. (Think expensive cars, high end brand names of clothes, shoes, accessories, etc.)  If you are reading this article, it shows that you care enough about your finances to get them into healthy shape instead of putting on a show with money you don’t really have. 

Say goodbye to conveniences that cost a lot.  Instead, I’ll show you below how to substitute time savers that save you money as well.

Transform Yourself from a Money Waster into a Frugal Money Saver

First of all, subscribe to Home Ever After for free to get money saving frugal tips sent to you daily.  Next, subscribe to And Freebies For All for free to get freebies and coupons sent to you.  Then, print out this article and circle the items below that you can commit to making changes within your life.

Won’t My Family Be Mad?

If you’ve been a big spender for a long time, you may be worried that your children, husband, or wife might not like the new frugal plans you’re putting into action.  Saving money does take the participation of the whole family, after all.  They might feel like they’re going to be giving up a lot of the things they like unless you show them that being frugal doesn’t mean missing out.  You can still do fun activities and have nice things without spending top dollar.

It is time to be real with your kids and let them know that spending changes ARE going to happen in your family.  How much info you choose to share with them about the financial situation is up to you.  Older kids can handle more details, and will also be more committed to being part of the solution. 

As the parent, you set the tone for how they’ll feel about being frugal.  If you’re excited, they will be too.  If you are acting sad, depressed, or complaining about saving money, they will too.

Here is a great way to get kids involved with frugal money saving:  Make a money savings chart and hang it on the refrigerator.  Whenever you save on something, fill in the amount you saved (e.g. Getting a $20 DVD for $2 at a garage sale – fill in $18 of savings).  At the end of the chart should be an item the family is saving for (e.g. paying off the car, going on a camping trip, saving to buy a new game, etc.)  Attaching a tangible item to your savings efforts can give kids and incentive to get involved and help the family save money.

Making the Switch From Spender to Saver

Did you see a trend when reading that list of 20 frugal money saving methods?  We’re not talking about little tricks here and there.  I’m asking you to identify the ways you spend money, and always think about if there is a cheaper way FIRST.  If there is a free or less expensive way to meet the same need, do it!

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  (Matthew 6:19-21)  Our consumer culture teaches us that we need to earn more to buy more to be a better, more complete person.  This simply isn’t true.  When we die, we certainly won’t take those brand name clothes with us! 

Saving money on unimportant things means you’ll have more money to use for helping others.  Whether you help by giving to your church, donating to charities, donating extra food you got on coupon deals to a local food bank, or helping people in need with your time or knowledge, this change of mentality will lead you to do great things. 

Always put the focus on people and time first, then things and money second. 

This transformation is one that will affect not only your bank account, but also the quality of your relationships, your family time, your priorities, and your outlook on life.  Congratulations on starting your frugal money savings makeover!     

Transform Yourself from a Money Waster into a Money Saver – A Complete Frugal Makeover is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

Ministry of Mom: Do it Today

How will God use you today?  There’s one way to know for sure: ask him!

I can’t get enough of this new Christian worship song, and even my kids are singing it day and night.  Here is “Something Beautiful” by Need to Breathe (subscribers will have to click through to hear the song).  I’ve even included the lyrics below so you can sing along if you want!

"Something Beautiful” Lyrics

In your ocean I’m ankle deep
I feel the waves crashing on my feet
It’s like I know where I need to be, but
I can’t figure out, I can’t figure out

Just how much air I will need to breathe
When your wave crashes over me
There’s only one way to figure out
But will you let me drown
Will you let me drown

Chorus:
Hey now, this is my desire
Consume me like a fire
‘Cause I just want
Something beautiful to touch me

I know that I’m in reach
‘Cause I am down on my knees
And waiting for
Something beautiful

Oh, oh, oh something beautiful

And the water is rising quick
And for years I was scared of it
We can’t be sure when it will subside
So I won’t leave your side
No I can’t leave your side

Chorus: 
Hey now, this is my desire
Consume me like a fire
‘Cause I just want
Something beautiful to touch me

I know that I’m in reach
‘Cause I am down on my knees
And waiting for
Something beautiful

 
Oh, oh, oh something beautiful (x2)

In a day dream, I couldn’t live like this
I wouldn’t stop until I found something beautiful
When I wake up, knowing all I have
Is still not what I need (something beautiful)

Chorus:
Hey now, this is my desire
Consume me like a fire
‘Cause I just want
Something beautiful to touch me

I know that I’m in reach
‘Cause I am down on my knees
And waiting for
Something beautiful

Oh, oh, oh something beautiful (x2)

Something Beautiful By Need to Breathe (with Lyrics) is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

Danelle’s Weight Today: 139.2 Pounds

Welcome to the Losing 71 pounds in 90 days Weight Loss Challenge!  Baby Seven was born on January 9, 2010.  I started at 171 pounds. 8 weeks after delivery, I weigh 139.2 pounds.  This part of the challenge is very difficult, because I’m currently breastfeeding and have to eat at least 1800 calories per day to keep my milk supply up. 

This means that even if I make it to the end of the day with good eating and low calories, I may have to eat 3 snacks right before bed just to get in my 1800 calories for the day!  As you can imagine, that seriously slows down my weight loss, but I can’t lose the milk supply.

If you didn’t see the introduction or previous updates in this weight loss challenge, go read them now: 

• Danelle’s After Baby Weight Loss Recap – Week 1
• Danelle’s After Baby Weight Loss Recap – Weeks 2 & 3
• Danelle’s After Baby Weight Loss Recap – Week 4
• Danelle’s After Baby Weight Loss Recap – Week 5
• Danelle’s After Baby Weight Loss Recap – Week 6

Weeks 7 & 8 of the Weight Loss Challenge

Measurements: I’m disappointed that I didn’t get starting measurements before the challenge.  My first measurement was at 4 weeks, so that will have to be good enough as a starting marker!  In the last 4 weeks, I lost 2.4" inches total.

• Waist: (Week 4) 39.8”, Today 39”
• Hips: (Week 4) 40.5”, Today 40.5”
• Chest: (Week 4) 39”, Today 38.5”
• Thigh: (Week 4) 25.5”, Today 24.2”
• Calf: (Week 4) 15”, Today 15.2”
• Biceps: (Week 4) 11.5”, Today 11.5”

Weight loss:  During the 7th and 8th weeks, which ended on Sunday, March 7th, I lost 1.2 pounds. 

Cardio: Due to a foot injury, I stayed off of cardio for all of week 7.  I picked up on the elliptical on week 8 and did 5 cardio sessions.  I noticed that my workouts got easier each day and I could feel soreness in my legs and butt the next days.

Strength training:  I had no weights sessions this week, but instead did 2 days of packing, unpacking, and moving heavy boxes.

Eating:  My eating was practically on autopilot since all non-diet-friendly foods have been removed from the house!  I ate very simply:  lots of hard boiled egg whites, bananas, salad, spinach, veggie stir fry with tofu, and protein bars for quick snacks on the go.  I’m also working on my goal of 80 ounces of water per day.  The less junk food you eat, the less your body wants to eat those bad foods.  Don’t believe me?  Try it for yourself.

You can see my full weight loss plan here.  See you next week with my latest weight loss challenge update as I shrink down to 100 pounds!  Remember the disclaimer: I don’t recommend this weight loss challenge for anyone else – this is my personal baby weight loss project.

Danelle’s After Baby Weight Loss Challenge & Measurements – Weeks 7 & 8 is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

Shortly after the birth of my newborn, I realized how much energy it takes to be as frugal as I normally am.  If you’re new to the frugal lifestyle, you can learn how to get started with frugal living here.  However, if you’re an old pro at all things thrifty, you know it takes a considerable amount of time to:

• Research the grocery store fliers and plan your shopping trips.
• Find, print, and clip coupons.
• Create and maintain a pantry system that lets you use up the oldest food first.
• Cook healthy meals from scratch.
• Keep leftovers properly stored and labeled so they get eaten instead of thrown away. (Find out my secret for how to use up refrigerator leftovers.)
• Watch clearance sales for kids’ clothes and have a good storage system in place for keeping clothes to be grown into.  Here’s my guide to buying cheap kids’ clothes on clearance.
• Train your kids about and keep on them to conserve energy in your house.
• Use cloth diapers to save on disposable diaper costs.
• Make homemade baby food.
• Hit thrift stores and garage sales to look for things you need before buying them retail.

… the list goes on and on.  Who knew it took so much energy to be hardcore frugal?!  My frugal savings dropped dramatically during the end of my pregnancy and post-delivery.  Now, I’m slowly getting back on the frugal wagon with one thing at a time.  If you’ve lost your way, you can get back on the right track too!

Sometimes life interferes with the best frugal plans and other things just have to come first.  A few perfect examples are getting sleep for a new mom or quick cooking for time when you’re packing for vacation.  No matter how much or how little energy you have, you can manage to be as frugal as you have time for.  Next, read As Frugal as You Want to Be. 

“Who Knew it Took Energy to Be Frugal?” is linked to Frugal Fridays.

Who Knew It Took Energy to Be Frugal? is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

Newborn babies grow so fast!  I did something new with my new baby, Seven Ice-Simmons.  I admit that I stole the idea from my friend Toni at The Happy Housewife.  Each week, I take a picture of Seven with her care bear, Baby Hugs.  It’s a fun way to watch baby grow alongside her toy!  I didn’t get started until week 4 since her carebear had to be shipped here from out of state.

Week 1:

Week 2:

Week 3 (with Grammie):

Week 4  (with her Carebear, Baby Hugs):

Week 5:

Week 6:

Stay tuned to watch Seven grow next to Baby Hugs!  See more Wordless Wednesday at WW and 5 Minutes 4 Mom.

Wordless Wednesday: Seven and Carebear Weeks 1-6 is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

If you love getting things for free, especially free movie rentals, we’ve got some free Redbox DVD rental promo codes just for you!  This is a perfect way to have a quality family movie night and still keep things easy on the budget.

When planning to use these free DVD rental Redbox promo codes, keep in mind that not all codes work all the time or at all Redbox machines.  As far as we know, these codes are working as of March 11, 2010.  If an expiration date isn’t listed with the code,  we don’t know for sure how long it will work.  If you have codes that we don’t have listed, please leave them in the comments section below and we’ll add them.

Redbox Promo Codes for Any Location

• DVDONME (Valid as of 3/11/10)
• BREAKROOM (Valid as of 3/11/10)

Redbox Promo Codes for Specific Locations

• DVDATWAG (works at Walgreens only – valid as of 3/11/10)
• NEW! 2FRZ25N3 (works at Giant Eagle only – valid as of 3/11/10)

Possibly Expired Redbox Promo Codes

• REDBOX (new customers only – unknown as of 1/18/10)
• N3WY3AR (Added 1/18/10)
• 3HY2VE27 (Added 1/18/10)
• 8HY2VE24 (Added 1/18/10)
• V6NTN34 (works at Meijers stores only – unknown as of 1/18/10)
• DLLNS26 (Added 11/23/09)
• 84MARS3 (Added 11/23/09)
• 7CMEJR9 (Added 11/23/09)
• 2ZXV7MM DISCOVER CARD (Added 11/23/09)
• RBX2NITE
• ACME25
• SNSV25
• JEWL25
• WALMART
• BREAKDOWN
• 84MAR3
• RBXLUV10
• GANTS9

Expired Redbox Promo Codes

• Expired – RBXLUV4U (Expired 3/1/10)
• Expired – 5HY9V24 (Removed 1/18/10)
• Expired – 4J7LF6 (Removed 12/23/09)
• Expired – MMM325 (Removed 11/24/09)
• Expired – QNGJ7KD (Removed 11/20/09)
• Expired – WALGREENS (Walgreens only – Removed 11/21/09)
• Expired – TEGJ6FD (Removed 11/10/09)
• Expired – FM63H7 (Removed 11/1/09)
• Expired – 27HZ4KT (Removed 8/3/09)
• Expired – 9HB6MP22
• Expired – J45VHM3
• Expired - GPHCKKQ
• Expired - PM25XDH
• Expired - SHPNSVE2
• Expired – OPRAH30
• Expired – 7ELEVEN (works at 7 Eleven stores only) 
• Expired – 36CHEXMX (works at Martins Food only)
• Expired - SOUP6, CHEXMX36 (works at Giant Food only)
• Expired - OPNSEASN2 (works at Giant Eagle only)
• Expired - 6SOUP (works at Stop & Shop only)
• Expired - MCDWNTR (works at McDonalds Redbox only)
• Expired - MCDWIC29 (works at McDonalds in Kansas only)

Current Free DVD Rental Redbox Promo Codes is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

Updated 2-27-10:  Due to the recent earthquake in Haiti, and earlier this morning, the earthquakes in Chile and Okinawa, as well as tsunami warnings for the entire Pacific basin (including Chile, California, Hawaii, and Alaska), we decided to republish this article.  Are you really prepared for the possibility of living in a state of natural disaster?  Get yourself ready now!

When it comes to emergency preparedness for the pantry, there is never a case when being prepared isn’t helpful.  You never know what will happen, and whether there is an earthquake or your husband loses his job and you have to live off your pantry for a while, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Is your pantry ready for a possible emergency?

My Grammie asked me about the shape of my pantry last week.  I said it was fine because it is full.  That’s what I thought anyway, until I got home and took a good look at the pantry.  It is full of things I got with great coupon plus sale deals, but that mostly is comprised of condiments, laundry supplies, and cooking soups.  Uh oh.

I stared at my pantry and wondered how long we could live out of our pantry if we had to.  The bleak answer that struck me was, “Not very long.” 

Is Your Pantry Ready?

Are you prepared with a well-stocked pantry should the unexpected happen, like a job layoff, a natural disaster, or something similar?  Some of the supplies listed below aren’t food items, but are necessary for cooking, eating, and everyday living, especially during an emergency.  When stocking up your pantry, make sure you’re prepared for any of the following situations with the items listed below.

Baby

If you have a baby, it can be hard to substitute certain items if you run out and can’t buy more.  Do you have enough:

• Disposable Diapers (even if you normally cloth diaper, a loss of water may mean you can’t wash diapers)
• Formula
• Diaper rash medicine
• Baby cereal and baby food

Loss of Water 

In case you should lose your access to running water, you’ll need items to take the place of the many daily uses of water.

• Bottles or jugs of water for drinking.  Learn about purifying and storing clean water safely here in this document prepared by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
• Alcohol-based hand sanitizers and wet wipes for eliminating germs and cleaning.
• Wet wipes for using after going to the bathroom.
• Rubbing alcohol and cotton balls for washing hair without water.
• Bottled juices or juice boxes (not concentrate) that are ready to drink.
• Pedialyte and Gatorade to treat and prevent dehydration.
• Paper plates, plastic forks and spoons, and plastic cups that don’t require washing.

Loss of Electricity

If you should lose power, you’ll need foods that can be eaten without cooking.  You’ll eat the foods out of the refrigerator and freezer first as much as possible to avoid spoiling.  Supplies to use for cooking outdoors are a good idea.

Cooking supplies:

• Extra propane tank for bbq grill.
• Aluminum foil to line the bbq with, so that you can cook foods (like frying eggs) that wouldn’t normally go on the grill.  You may be cooking a lot on the barbecue, so make sure you have several rolls.
• Camping stove.
• Hand can opener that requires no electricity.

Other:

• Canned meats that are pre-cooked.  Spam, tuna, canned chicken, vienna sausages, and deviled ham are good examples of canned meats that are ready to eat right out of the package.  These can easily be warmed up over a fire or camping stove.
• Powdered or dried milk.
• Canned soups, pastas, bacon, stews, canned chow mein (includes pre-cooked meat).

General / Loss of Transportation/Shipping Methods

Loss of transportation and shipping methods is an important emergency preparedness issue for my family in Alaska, since we are remotely located from major food suppliers.  If an emergency was to happen cutting off our grocery stores from their regular shipments, we’d need to be stocked up on non-perishable foods (similar to what food banks stockpile).  These reserves would keep us going until grocery stores could get replenishments of fresh foods.

This is an important consideration if you live far from a major city, in a remote area, or on an island.

• Canned veggies, fruits, meats, soups, pastas, juices, and beans.
• Frozen vegetables and berries, meats, roasts, lunch meats, frozen loaves of bread.
• Baking staples such as flour, sugar, yeast, corn meal, baking soda, baking powder, oil.
• Baking mix (Bisquick).
• Boxed all-in-one dinners that contain canned meat.
• Grains to add to dinners or cook as hot breakfasts (oats, barley, wheat berries, etc.)
• Protein substitutes like protein powder, TVP, and TSP.
• Rice, dried pasta and dried beans.
• Vitamins and supplements.
• Over the counter medicines and first aid supplies.
• Toilet paper.
• Contact solution, spare contacts.
• Toothpaste, floss and fluoride.
• Shampoo, conditioner, soap.
• Detergents and cleaning supplies.
• All the items in the lists above.

Act Now to Stock Up a Little at a Time

Emergency preparedness is not something to do later.  The best time is now!  Be sure to print out this article and tuck these reminder checklists into your pantry.  Each time you go grocery shopping, add a few of the items above to your list to stock up. 

By stocking up a little at a time for an unexpected emergency, you’ll be ready for anything that life throws your way and will have peace of mind knowing that your family will be alright.

If you found this article useful, please blog about it for your readers or share it on a forum.  Here is the URL to link to:  http://www.homeeverafter.com/emergency-preparedness-for-the-pantry-checklists . Thank you!

We originally published this article on emergency preparedness on June 26, 2009.

Emergency Preparedness for the Pantry: Checklists To Get You Ready is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

To all the fans and friends who have been asking for pictures of Seven, here they are!  Below are some of the photos we got done for Seven’s 1 month old portrait session.  Below, you’ll see photos of Seven, Truett, Michael and Danelle.

Seven Magdalena Ice-Simmons, 1 month

Seven Ice-Simmons’ 1 Month Old Photos is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

Danelle’s Weight Today: 141.4 Pounds

Welcome to the Losing 71 pounds in 90 days Weight Loss Challenge!  Baby Seven was born on January 9, 2010.  I started at 171 pounds.  6 weeks after delivery, I weigh 141.4 pounds.  If you didn’t see the introduction or previous updates in this weight loss challenge, go read them now: 

• Danelle’s After Baby Weight Loss Recap – Week 1
• Danelle’s After Baby Weight Loss Recap – Weeks 2 & 3
• Danelle’s After Baby Weight Loss Recap – Week 4
• Danelle’s After Baby Weight Loss Recap – Week 5

Week 6 of the Weight Loss Challenge

Weight loss:  During the 6th week, which ended on Sunday, February 21st, I lost 3 pounds.  The biggest victory this week was that I dropped a pants size and went from wearing my size 15 jeans to my new size 12 jeans!

Cardio: Due to a foot injury, I only got to do 1 treadmill session this week.  Following doctor’s orders, it looks like I’ll be off my foot for the next 4 days at least. 

Strength training:  I had 1 weights session this week – I did upper body with Arms of Steel.  My day-by-day weight loss table is at right. 

Eating:  To track my eating, I’m using MyFoodDiary.com.  Would you like to know what kinds of food I ate this week?  Here is my food log from Wednesday for a 1,649 calorie day:

You can see my full weight loss plan here.  See you next week with my latest weight loss challenge update.  Remember the disclaimer: I don’t recommend this weight loss challenge for anyone else – this is my personal baby weight loss project.

Danelle’s After Baby Weight Loss Challenge – Week 6 is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

Quick Clean Ups:  The Bigger Picture

Any of the 5 quick clean up methods will make your house appear cleaner, but you don’t have to do all 5 in the same day.  You could even try one per day and watch your house improve as you go along. 

Using the 5 quick clean up techniques will give you fast relief from a messy house and help you make a dent when you don’t know where to start.  However, remember that these quick fixes are just a starting point.  Following up with sorting, organizing, and putting the items back into their homes will give you lasting relief from a house overrun with mess and clutter.  

No matter how messy your house is now, there’s no reason you can’t jump in and start getting it cleaned up today.  Before you know it, your house will be back to comfy, cozy and clean again and will be a place you enjoy coming home to!

Did you miss any of this series?  Read it now:

1. Is Your House a Disaster?  5 Quick Clean Ups That Can Save Your Messy House
2. Quick House Clean Up #1: Dirty Dishes
3. Quick House Clean Up #2: Trash
4. Quick House Clean Up #3: Dirty Laundry and Clothes
5. Quick House Clean Up #4: Toys
6. Quick House Clean Up #5: Papers

Quick Clean Ups: The Bigger Picture is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

Quick House Clean Up #5: Papers

Forgot to read the introduction? Before reading on, read 5 Quick Clean Ups That Can Save Your Messy House.

Quick house clean up #5:  Stack All Papers Together.  It’s no shock that paper clutter can make your home look like a tornado hit, since it takes up 8”x11” of space in each spot and can easily fall or be relocated from the slightest breeze (read: kids running by during a close game of indoor tag). 

While sorting and filing papers can take a lot of time,  stacking them together does not. 

For now, we’ll focus on consolidating the mess by gathering all the paper clutter in your house and stacking it into nice neat piles.  Later, as time permits, you can process one stack of papers at a time and make the papers disappear.  In the meantime, having all the papers together will work wonders for making your messy house appear cleaner in a jiffy.  

Here’s How: 

• Choose a room to start in and a spot for your stack of papers (preferably one in a place out of reach or children and not near the edge of a table or counter). 
• Pick up all papers in the room, no matter if they are unopened mail envelopes, receipts, magazine articles, or other types. 
• Put all the papers into one single stack to be sorted, organized, filed, scanned, or shredded later.  Each room will get its own stack of papers, unless you’d prefer to move them all into one room, such as a home office.

Next, read Quick House Clean Ups: The Bigger Picture

Quick House Clean Up #5: Papers is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

Quick House Clean Up #4: Toys

Forgot to read the introduction? Before reading on, read 5 Quick Clean Ups That Can Save Your Messy House.

Quick house clean up #4: Pick Up All Toys.  Kids can create a disaster area out of your house in less time than it takes for you to take a nap!  Luckily, if you have children old enough to play with toys, they’re also old enough to put the toys away.

Here’s How: 

• This is one quick clean up that your kids can help you with!  Put some music on and go for a “toy treasure hunt” with your kids. 
• Give each child a trash bag or laundry basket and instructions to go through the house and pick up any toy not in its home.  They should put the toys in their bag or basket until no more can be found. 
• Offer different prizes for the “winner” (the child that finds the most toys) and the runners up. 
• Then, mom gets to take the toys directly to the kids rooms and dump them into the toy boxes.

Next, read Quick House Clean Up #5: Papers

Quick House Clean Up #4: Toys is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

Quick House Clean Up #3: Dirty Laundry and Clothes

Forgot to read the introduction? Before reading on, read 5 Quick Clean Ups That Can Save Your Messy House.

Quick house clean up #3:   Pick Up Dirty Laundry and Clothes.  Good preventive measures will keep clothing mess from becoming a mess issue in the first place, but if strewn laundry has taken over your house, never fear!  Getting all the clothes laundered and back into the closets and dressers will make your house look much cleaner.     

Here’s How: 

• Rule # 1 for clothes is this: If they’re on the floor, they’re dirty. 
• Using either a laundry hamper or large trash bag, go through the house and put any clothes you encounter into the container.  Be sure to check floors, couches and chairs, kids’ rooms, closets, and all surfaces for clothes which should not be there. 
• Once done, take the bags or hampers to the laundry room and get started washing the dirty clothes. 
• Be sure that as clean laundry comes out of the dryer, you immediately fold or hang it and put the clothes into closets or dresser drawers to prevent future clothing mess. 

Next, read Quick House Clean Up #4: Toys

Quick House Clean Up #3: Dirty Laundry and Clothes is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

Quick House Clean Up #2: Trash

Forgot to read the introduction? Before reading on, read 5 Quick Clean Ups That Can Save Your Messy House.

Quick house clean up #2:  Throw Away all Trash.  Trash is probably the easiest of the 5 offenders to deal with because all you have to do is bag it and put it in the dumpster! 

Whether your problem is piled up junk mail, unread newspapers, trails of goldfish crackers from your toddler, or empty food wrappers, trash will make your house look like a pig sty in no time if you don’t get it under control.  By the same token, clearing out the trash will make your house look cleaner instantly!     

Here’s How: 

• Grab a trash bag and just start walking through the house. 
• Be ruthless and make sure that all trash goes into the bag without a second thought. 
• If something makes you think for more than 10 seconds about whether or not it counts as trash, set it aside for later when you have time to declutter and organize.  
• Once full, immediately tie the trash bags up and put them in the dumpster or the trash barrels for garbage day.

Next, read Quick House Clean Up #3: Dirty Laundry and Clothes

Quick House Clean Up #2: Trash is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

Quick House Clean Up #1: Dirty Dishes

Forgot to read the introduction? Before reading on, read 5 Quick Clean Ups That Can Save Your Messy House.

Quick house clean up #1:  Gather all Dirty Dishes.  If you or your family members eat in rooms other than the kitchen / dining room, dirty dishes can accumulate in places they shouldn’t.  Dirty dishes can not only pile up and cause a mess, but the old food in them will start growing mold or bacteria if not washed. 

Just the act of getting the dishes back to the kitchen will have a big visual impact and give your house a cleaner appearance.     

Here’s How:  Depending on the size of your house and degree of the mess, there are 2 ways to go about cleaning up mess from dirty dishes. 

• Small House:  If your house is small, pick a room to start in and gather all the dirty dishes from that room. Take the dirty dishes to the kitchen and load into the dishwasher or stack them all neatly on 1 kitchen counter to be washed by hand.
• Large House:  If your house is large, you’ll need to use a rectangular laundry basket.  Go from room to room, putting all dirty dishes into the laundry basket as you go.  After you’ve been through the entire house, take the basket to the kitchen and wash the dishes.

Next, read Quick House Clean Up #2: Trash

Quick House Clean Up #1: Dirty Dishes is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.