Our finalists for Maid Brigade's "Multi-Tasker Makeover" contest have been chosen!
Now it is all up to you to help us decide who should be the winner....
Log on to https://on.fb.me/Zma8ms to watch their videos and help us choose a winner!
Have you seen Maid Brigade's latest videos? These videos are stock full of great ideas and quick tips to help making your house cleaning quicker and easier for the holiday season!
Log on to https://on.fb.me/Ra5Ybi to watch.
Enjoy!
Did you ever wish for more help with your household cleaning? Well your wish just may come true!
Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services is giving away a “life makeover” to one deserving multi-tasker!
The grand prize is valued at $4,000 and includes a year of free cleaning from Maid Brigade PLUS consultations with a life coach, a fitness/nutrition expert and a home organization specialist!
The contest started September 14th, and ends at 11:59 pm on October 8th.
To enter the contest, go to Maid brigade's Facebook page and visit the app. The direct link to the app is https://www.facebook.com/maidbrigade/app_408888742500171. Submit a photo and provide a short caption explaining why you deserve to win the life makeover. It is that easy!
Those who enter the contest will automatically be entered in Maid Brigade's random drawings, which will take place once a week for four weeks. The weekly random drawing prize is a $200 American Express gift card! Winning a gift card does not exclude you from winning the grand prize nor does it increase your chances.
For more information, please log on to maidbrigade.com/. Good Luck!
The summer season is officially over for the year, and as sad as I am to see it go, I am looking forward to a beautiful fall season.
In preparation for fall, keep these tips in mind:
Save money on utility bills. Instead of raising the thermostat during the cool weather, grab a sweater. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says heating a house around 2,280 square feet adds up to about 34 percent of a homeowners' utility bill. For every degree turned down on the thermostat will save about 4 percent in monthly utility expenses. Don't forget to buy draft stoppers for all the doorways to stop the cool air from coming in.
To save even more money, if your furnace is over 15 years old, consider replacing it with an energy-efficient model.
Try composting. According to the EPA, 24 percent of waste comes from yard and food waste that could very well be composted. Leaves, grass clippings and yard waste that is raked up can be composted. Composting enriches soil and reduces the need for water, fertilizers and pesticides.
Water. Many water heaters can operate fine at 120-degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius). Lowering the temperature can also help increase the lifespan of the heater. For every 10 degrees the water temperature is lowered can save you about 3 percent on the utility bill. Wrapping an insulating blanket around your water heater can also save about 4 percent in water heating costs.
Green clean. Get rid of toxic cleaners and start using natural, homemade cleaners to clean your home. Lessen your indoor air pollutants by cleaning with lemons, vinegar, and baking soda. I clean with them all year long and it keeps my house fresh, healthy, and clean! An all-purpose cleaner can be made just by mixing baking soda and water together...it is that easy!
Seal cracks. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, sealing leaks around the house may save about 5 to 30 percent in energy costs. Check to see if there are cracks or leaks around electrical outlets, window frames, baseboards, and around pipes. Caulk all leaks and cracks.
Too many of us put our own needs aside to take care of others. We have a hard time saying "no" to requests we don't have time for. We give up what we enjoy to make others happy.
When a person places the needs of loved ones over their own, they are disrupting their own life balance. In order to live a balanced life, you must take the time and care to explore your passions and satisfy your own needs.
Making yourself a priority allows you to become a stronger support as a mom, wife, partner and friend. You will feel more connected, confident, inspired and joyful.
Set aside "you" time each week. This is your time to do as you wish. Explore a new hobby or simply catch up on some much rest and relaxation.
Find an activity that you enjoy. Doing something that you like increases confidence and improves overall health.
Because we "can't do it all," learn to ask for assistance when needed. This will help you ease stresses and free up more time in your schedule.
Keeoing a journal can help you connect with your inner voice and quiet your mind. It also provides helpful answers and assists in the process of self discovery.
Some of us spend a lifetime caring for others. It’s now time to focus on you and get inspired. Create a list of projects you might like to explore. Use your scheduled time to experiment and purse these new opportunities.
When it comes to shopping for food for my family, I try and buy organic as much as possible. Because we are on a budget, I "go organic" where it counts. Here are some fruits and vegetables that, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Consumer Reports, and the Environmental Working Group, are worth buying this summer season. The fruits and veggies on this list have thick, inedible skins, which protect the fruit, and they contain the least amount of pesticides:
Asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, kiwi, mangoes, onions, papaya,
pineapples, sweet peas.
Try going eating organic when you can. It is safer and healthier for your family.
The dog days of summer are here! Hot sultry weather, delicious barbecues, and long beautiful summer nights. I just love it....and so does my dog!
For all those dog lovers out there, here are some ways to keep your pet staying happy, healthy and safe all summer long...
It is very important to keep your dog hydrated and the dogs water bowls filled. If your dog stays outside, make sure there is a bowl of water and some shady spots for him to sit and cool off.
Since dogs cannot take off layers of fur like we do clothes when we are hot, if you are planning any dog walks (or jogs) around the neighborhood, try and do them in the early morning or evening hours when the temperature is low. Dogs can suffer from heatstroke so don't overdo it on those hot days.
Protect your dogs paws by letting them walk on the cool cement or grass when walking them. The streets are just as hot on their feet as they are on our own.
Get out that sunblock because believe it or not, some short haired dogs and light-haired dogs can get sunburn! Lather on some all-natural, fragrance-free sunscreen on you and then apply some to the dogs nose, tips of ears, and around their mouth.
Make sure your dog has the proper ID tags if taking them to the park or on a walk. This way you will never lose your furry friend.
Always bring water for your pet, especially on those long walks or jogs...your dog NEEDS TO STAY HYDRATED! Pet stores and most department stores carry fold up water bowls that you can take with you wherever your pet goes.
Never leave your dog in a car if the weather is warm, and especially not if it’s hot! Cracking the windows makes no difference in the temperature gain. It doesn’t take high temperatures for it to be dangerous. A car parked in the shade can reach dangerous temperatures on a hot day. If the car is on the sun, the temperature can quickly rise up to 160°F. Even at a mild 72°F, the inside of a car can reach 116°F in an hour...plenty hot to kill a dog. Please, if you are out running errands, the safest place for your dog is at home.
Dogs can’t sweat—they control their body temperature by panting. If the air in the car is near or above the dog’s body temperature (about 100°F), the dog will be unable to cool itself, and its body temperature can quickly rise to fatal levels (over 107°F). Symptoms of heatstroke to look for in your dog are rapid heart beat, lethargy, vomiting, heavy panting, salivation, disorientation, agitation, seizures, coma and death.
Show your pet how much you love them by keeping them happy and healthy all summer long!
Every year, the last two weeks in June are extremely hectic for me. Trying to balance work, school, kids activities, final exams, graduations, and end of year parties, my life gets overwhelmed and my house gets really messy! I try my best to keep my stress level at a minimal but when I come home to a dirty house, my stress level increases.
Because my cleaning time is very minimal, I always rely on the quickest ways to clean my house. For starters, I use the same natural cleaners to clean just about every room in my house: Vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda.
Vinegar is like an all-purpose cleaner, a disinfectant, and a deodorizer. By mixing equal parts of vinegar and water in a spray bottle, I can clean most of my home with this wonderful solution. The vinegar smell usually subsides once the vinegar dries.
Lemon juice is great for dissolving soap scum and hard water deposits. Because of its natural bleaching qualities, lemon juice can also be used to treat stains. I usually make a paste using lemon juice mixed with baking soda. Sometimes I mix lemon juice with vinegar instead. Before using lemon juice, I would recommend testing it on a hidden surface area first.
I use baking soda as a deodorizer. I also rely on it to scrub surfaces, countertops, and bathtubs! I use it in my laundry and for brushing my teeth...it is a great cleaner because of its versatility.
This year, honor your mom with eco-friendly goods that last longer—and mean more—than even the most extravagant bouquet of flowers.
No mother can resist a handmade project, no matter how old they are:
No matter how old you are, no mom can resist a handmade project—remember, this is the woman who kept a tracing of your toddler hands on the refrigerator until you went to college. Young kids (with help from Dad or older siblings) can turn plastic jugs and paper scraps into these recycled flower pots from Kaboose; other kid-friendly projects include DIY cards, paper flowers, and fingerprinted vases. If you're old enough to turn your efforts toward something more complicated, try making perfume from garden flowers, a ring from one of her old vinyl records, or a mosaic tiled table, frame, or mirror.
Turn plastic jugs and paper scraps into recycled flower pots. Instead of buying a card, make your own mother's day cards. How about trying to make perfum from a flower? For the younger ones, make fingerpainted vases, or turn plastic jugs into flower pots. For the older kids, try making a ring from an old vinyl record, or make a frame or mirror from leftover mosiac tiles.
If you're not the DIY type, you can still give mom a gift that's sentimental and heartfelt; plenty of sellers on Etsy will work with you to make bags, art, and jewelry to your specifications. Send in profiles of you and your siblings and they'll be recreated with exacting detail on classic white backgrounds.
Take black and white shots and put them in colorful wooden frames made of lumber reclaimed from boats and houses.
Look for pieces of jewelry upcycled from glass and pottery. Mom will love that her gift is eco-friendly too.
Instead of buying a fruit platter, make your own fruit basket or platter will all the fruits mom loves.
Buy gifts online from stores that also raise money for good causes. Animal resuce places sell beautiful tea pots and jewelry online and some of the proceeds go to feeding animals in shelters. Add some organic tea bags and freshly baked scones for a tea party mom will love.
Take the kids and work aroung moms house for the day. Moms could always use help around the house! If you don't feel like cleaning, hire a environmentally green cleaning company to do the work!
Plenty of moms say they don't need anything for Mother's Day, and the fact is, most of them are telling the truth. Finding a way to spend time together on or around the holiday will mean a lot to her. Cook an organic dinner, take a walk through a local park or beach, get tickets to that art exhibit she's been wanting to see. It's a perfectly-timed reminder that not all great memories come from consumerism.
Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about the health of you and your family. For more information on healthy green living and green cleaning, please log on to https://greencleancertified.com and https://maidbrigade.com. To learn more about the asthma and allergy triggers in your home, or to learn more about household products and breast cancer, please log on to https://www.greencleancertified.com/greentv.
Are you stuck on what to give "mom" for Mother's Day this year? Are you tired of giving her the same old presents? Why not give mom something that she will love.... a day off from cleaning!
Give mom a day off and let Let Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services do the cleaning for her!
Maid Brigade is the leader in green cleaning for the health of you and your family. They have developed the nation's first Green Clean Certified cleaning standard, and uses green cleaning solutions, not chemicals to clean your home.
Make mom feel like a Queen this year and give her something she'll love....for more information, log on to greencleancertified.com, or maidbrigade.com.
Between work, family, school, chores, activities, and cooking, who has time to clean?
And, after a long and busy week, who really wants to clean?
Here are some great ideas that I use to help fit cleaning into my daily schedule without it becoming too overbearing. This way, my house looks presentable and clean all week long:
--Using baking soda and warm water, wipe down the inside of the refrigerator. This way the baking soda scrubs and eliminates odors at the same time.
--Washing dishes after dinner is a perfect time for reconnecting with the children. Spend time talking about the day while washing the dishes. It makes your cleaning time go faster too!
--Spray the oven with oven cleaner on the night you decide to order take out. Then, after dinner, or even the next morning, stains are easily wiped away. For a great oven cleaner, I mix two teaspoons borax, two tablespoons liquid soap and about one quart warm water together in a spray bottle.
--For microwave cleaning, bring a cup of water to boil in the microwave and let the steam do all the work. Wipe away all loose food.
--If your lampshades are cloth like mine, dust them with a lint roller. It works great!
--Grab a microfiber cloth, wrap it around your hand, and dust your house as you go.
--Wipe down the outside of your dishwasher, refrigerator, oven, washing machine, and dryer. Clean up spots and spills on countertops to freshen up the space.
--Go through junk mail, papers and filing while watching your favorite tv show.
--Use a microfiber cloth to wipe down the television and computer screen. You can also dust the air vents with a microfiber cloth to prevent dust buildup.
--Sweep the areas near the front, back, and garage door daily. This will help lessen the amount of dirt coming into your home.
--Put ice cubes in your house plants so you won't have to water them everyday.
Got tips? Share them with us!!!
Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about our environment and health of you and your family. For more information on healthy green living and green cleaning, please log on to greencleancertified.com and maidbrigade.com. Watch our video on achieving work/life balance at greencleancertified.com/greentv. To learn more about the hidden allergy and asthma triggers in your home, log on to greencleancertified.com/greentv.