If you are looking to celebrate Clean Your Room Day, good for you! Remember – if you start to get overwhelmed – you eat an elephant one bite at a time. Start with a small area like a nightstand or the top of a dresser. Don’t do like me and just shuffle stuff around. Take care of stuff as you come to it. Put it back where it belongs. Once you get an area cleaned, work to keep it clean by checking it every few days for items that have been placed there. This is our big problem – once an area is clean it collects stuff and then we do not filter that stuff. Left unattended, the pile just grows. It’s like some sick twisted game of Jenga – instead of using wood shapes it’s the mail, school projects, card games, craft supplies, comic books, etc.

Here is to at least getting started today on the clutter.

While I do love the idea of a clean fresh start, my idea isn’t that bold. I do plan on thinning down our belongings – way down. That is the positive side of moving – you go through all of our stuff and purge. We haven’t moved in years and it shows as our stuff piles up. This summer I will be tackling all of our stuff. It is time to live with less. I mean we don’t need ( or use!) all of the stuff we own. In fact, when we want to use something, we either can’t find it or don’t have room to use it. Too much clutter – it’s really gone too far.

My plan is simple – toss what we are not using. It will be hard to ditch some items but in the long run it will be better for us. I was reading an article about how much is enough for your family – dealing with possessions. My daughter has way more toys that she needs and quite frankly so do my husband and I. We need a clean slate so that we can focus on what is important to us.

There is no need to wait for a move to clean/clear clutter like we are moving. That way when we do move, we will have way less stuff.

It is getting warmer and dry – so the ants are searching for water and food everywhere. Being gone all day from the house doesn’t help as I come in from work to find scavenger ants here and there – looking for anything they can put on their small but powerful backs.

I bought some Raid indoor/outdoor insect killer that has a built-in, battery-powered pump. It is awesome. The batter pump that is – that Raid works well enough. I just keep spraying the spots where ants keep popping up. For indoor spots that are not ideal to spray poison – like on the kitchen counter tops or in the bathroom – I use a cleaning product. Right now I’m using Dirty Jobs – yes like the TV show with Mike Rowe. It seems to work well on ants and doesn’t have a strong smell like some cleaners. Right now I am just taking care of the ones that pop up but hopefully this weekend I can do a better job at rooting them out of the house.

Summer is almost here and the battle with the ants has just started. Constant vigilance will help keep the ants at bay.

Home insurance is something else we do not give much consideration. Not all insurance policies are equal so it is important to compare contents insurance to get what is right for you. I always love a good bargain and to get the best deal possible. It is seldom I buy something without having looked for it somewhere else. Why should insurance be any different? I mean this is where I could really save some big bucks.

Home insurance is important because you never know what might happen. We live 100 miles in from the Gulf of Mexico but were still negatively affected by Hurricane Katrina. Many claims were filed with insurance companies and many found out that they were under-covered or not covered correctly. Our friend’s insurance company didn’t want to pay for his claim saying it was flood damage that was not covered under his policy. The funny thing is he had tried to buy flood insurance with his policy but the agent told him he didn’t need it. He eventually got everything straight with his insurance.

Being a huge fan of the Internet, I love websites that allow me to find the information I need on my own. That way I can look through the information without being pressured for a decision. Also I can decide for myself what I need – my friend’s situation is a great example of buying what you need instead of what is recommended. I know the salesperson was just trying to save him some money and probably had no idea that a claim during a hurricane would be called into question. Still peace of mind is priceless – especially when dealing with the aftermath of a natural disaster.

So next time the auto insurance is due, I will not just automatically renew it. Much like testing the batteries in the smoke detector every six months, I will compare insurance rates. It takes five minutes to get a quote online. I am sure I can spare ten minutes every year to shop for insurance especially when it means that I could save us money.

Here is a handy tick bite fact sheet that I may have to print out and put on the refrigerator. Usually when we have been outside, we do a tick check. A few days ago we went for a walk in the woods – a known hangout for ticks. This is probably where I picked up my tick but my daughter’s tick was discovered a few days before that. The only place she had been was in the yard.

Finding a tick on you makes you itchy for the next few weeks. We are really on high alert right now. Hopefully finding these ticks so early in the year is not a sign of things to come.

My sister is always trying to give me advice and help me out. It doesn’t matter what the topic is, she knows what would be best for me to do. She is always telling me how to do things, or how not to do things. She is the big sister, that is for sure. It honestly doesn’t bother me, though; I know she does it because she loves me and wants life to be good and easy for me. Today, she sent me a link to http://www.cannonsatellite.com/ with a note that said, “you should do this.” I’m like, oookay… Yesterday, I posted a picture of my baby playing with baby powder and making a mess with it. It was a cute picture. Not 5 minutes after I post the picture, she sent me a link telling me all about how dangerous baby powder is for kids if they inhale it. Honestly. By the way, it’s not like I set up a baby powder free-for-all; she got into it while I was in the shower.

Each participant would have twelve eggs with their name on them. They are to find their eggs. This not only assured that each person would have a certain amount of eggs but that the egg hunt actually took longer since you had to find your eggs. For the older kids, we tried to camouflage the eggs to make it challenging while the younger kids the eggs were basically just placed in the yard.

This method worked great! Nobody fussing they only found a few eggs, and everyone was happy. That has to be an Easter egg hunt first. Plus I had set aside the eggs for one niece who was sick and might make it. She did, but the egg hunt was almost over but luckily she had her own eggs with her name on it that we hid. I can’t believe we hadn’t thought of this. Just goes to show that kids can come up with some great ideas.

November 21, 2005 changed my life completely. I was diagnosed with a deadly cancer. The name of the cancer was malignant pleural mesothelioma. As if things could not possibly get any harder, I had to face the realization that my baby was three and a half months old, and I had decisions to make. I was a strong person, but would I be strong enough to handle this monster called cancer?

Fortunately, I was referred to one of the best mesothelioma doctors. I went to Boston’s Brigham Women’s Hospital and met with Dr. David Sugarbaker. The statistics of mesothelioma are not great, but this doctor who I had never met gave me hope that I could live for my daughter. After reading about the cancer that I had been diagnosed with, I learned that only about 2% of people survived after the first five years of being diagnosed. I would be part of this percentage. I would fight until I could not fight anymore. I would beat this cancer not only for myself, but for my daughter.

The next year brought obstacles I never thought I would experience. I had my left lung removed as well as the lining around it. This is where the cancer was. I was over 1500 miles from my six month old. She was with my parents while I was receiving treatments for a disease that not many people survived from. Because of my family and their support, I made it through her first year of life. Although I was sick from the treatments, I was determined to get back home to my daughter. Her first birthday was celebrated in a huge way. Almost one year to the day of my diagnosis, I finished my cancer treatments.

There are many things that cancer changed about my life. I look at so many things differently. Everything in my life is cherished from my daughter to the breath of a puppy. During my journey with mesothelioma, I met some of the most inspiring people who encouraged me to fight. I want to make sure my fight makes others aware of mesothelioma. Though there will be days that are rough, I know I will find something to smile about and be thankful for.

In the south, our spring lasts about two weeks maybe three. The weather will be extremely pleasant – so it is a great time to plant flowers, clean out storage areas, and clean the house from top to bottom. The problem is that the weather is beautiful and it is so nice to outside. You know that in a short period of time, these days will just be a sweet memory as the hot and humid summer will roll in.  Getting motivated to clean is very hard when all you want to do is enjoy the pleasant outdoors.

I really have no advice on how to get motivated to clean when it is gorgeous outside. One thing I do is concentrate on the yard and/or the storage buildings. There is always something to do in the yard like pick up whatever the dog has chewed up, clean out the gutters, or get the flower bed ready for new flowers. I like to drag out boxes from storage, go through them, and cull what we are storing. If we haven’t used it or even thought about it, then it’s pretty safe to donate it. My daughter has more toys than that can fit into her room. I want to rotate some of her toys with some she hasn’t seen in a year or so. It will be like new and keep her happy and content – hopefully saving  money in the process.

These are things I take care of when spring has sprung. The house cleaning can wait for rainy days or when it’s too dark to be outside. It wasn’t even a harsh winter but I have cabin fever. So glad spring is here and can enjoy being outside again – even if I have to clean.

1. Food waste

When it comes to recycling paper, the waste paper are shredded and mixed with water to form a new pulp material. In case there are oil stains on the old paper, this process of mixing with water will not dissolve the oil as water and oil cannot mix well. Therefore, recycled paper made from oil stained paper will still show off the oil stain even though it has become a new paper.

For instance, most of the pizza packaging is made of cardboard paper which absorbs the oil from the pizza. Many people see food packages as cardboard paper which can be recycled. However, this will contaminate the rest of the other materials in the recyclable trash. Therefore, place these in the trash can which can be disposed off.

2. Hazardous products

Most paper towels and napkins become unrecyclable once they come into contact with hazardous waste, such as food waste or household cleaners, paint and motor oil. Even newspapers used for lining the floor while house painting catches the wet paints. Therefore these contaminated products must be trashed rather than kept in the recycling bin.

3. Plastic and wax linings

Plastic and wax linings used in coffee cups to control the temperature, leakage and for added durability are very difficult to separate during the recycling process. There are some other products like plastic windows in an envelope, which are easy to peel off and leave just the paper behind. In such cases you can keep the envelope for recycling. However, when it comes to the coffee cups, it is best to trash them.

4. Pressure sensitive adhesives

These PSAs are those that you can peel and stick without moisture which may be very helpful. Even if the adhesive dissolves in water, it is very difficult to filter out the paper and they may lodge in the equipment during recycling process. In the case of colored and white sticky note papers, you need to separate them by colors as they get all mixed up during recycling. Other items which may not be too recycling friendly include stamps, address labels and cello tapes. It is best not to put them in the recycling bin.

5. Wet paper

When paper is wet it is exposed to the air and this may shorten the paper fibers which become less valuable. Therefore, if you need to give some papers for recycling then cover them well so they do not get wet. It is best to give only papers which are in good shape for recycling so your local recycling plant is able to produce quality paper products.

These are a few things which everyone needs to keep in mind as far as recycling is concerned. Anything that is going to interfere with the recycling process must not be included in the recycling bin.

About the author: Diana Maria is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on technology and luxury. Beside this she’s fond of books. Recently an article on hybrid bicycles attracted her attention. These days she is busy in writing an article on bathroom ideas.