Ready, Set, Clean!

Cleaning is one of those things that just has to be done, yet hardly anyone enjoys it!

I despise cleaning. Honestly, its the last thing I want to do when I get home in the evenings after a long day at work. Aside from not having much desire to want to do it, I'm just not good at it!

When I start trying to clean, my ADD always tends to kick in! I cannot seem to focus on one room. I seem to bounce from one thing to the next and before you know it, I've ended up with a bigger mess then when I started! 

Lists have always helped me stay on track. Even when I was little, I struggled with cleaning my room. My mom would make me a checklist to help me clean. My chart would look something like this:

__  Pick up all toys & put them away

__  Put all dirty clothes in the laundry basket

__  Pick up and fold clean laundry & put them away

__  Pick up all trash and throw it away

There was more to the list but you get the point ;)

I needed direct directions to get something accomplished! It always worked! 

Well, cleaning a whole house is a LOT different then my little bedroom back at home. 

So with the help of good 'ol pinterest, I found a few charts to help me get started!

The great thing about a list is you can customize it to fit your home.

The list above shows cleaning your whole house at one time.

Knowing my time span....thats not going to happen at this residence :)

I need more of a daily list.

Everyone's list will probably be different depending on your schedule or routine. 

For example, my cleaning will need to be done in the evening since I leave early in the morning for work and dont get home until around 6:00.

Every Evening

Wash Dishes, Dry & Put Away

Do Laundry (If Needed)

Monday

Vacuum Main Floors 

(I decided to do what took the least amount of time on Mondays since we have several shows we like to watch on this night)

Tuesday

Bathrooms

Wednesday

Surfaces

(clean, dust or mop any surfaces)

Thursday

Organize/Clean Out Something

(Your car, a closet, your makeup drawer, etc.)

Friday

Swing Day!

Swing Day is the day that is dedicated to those odd jobs that need to be done every once in a while. They may include cleaning windows, wiping down cabinets, scrubbing your appliances, etc.

Camera Coats Product Review

Whether your a photographer or one who just loves to take pictures for fun, its no fun toting a huge and bulky camera bag at your hip. When I came across Camera Coats, I was SO excited!

Several things caught my eye....the design, the fun & funky patterns and the amazing prices!

So you may be thinking...what in the world are camera coats?

Camera Coats are waterproof* and padded "coats" that cover and protect your camera when your out & about.  

I received a Camera Coat to review in the fun and whimsical Shabby Urban Garden Print (Waterproof Style)

The outside of this adorable "coat" is made of 100% Designer Cotton Laminate. 

I love that this little bag is waterproof! Its the last thing you need to worry about when your caught out in the rain! I also love that I don't have to worry about it getting dirty! I can just wipe it off with a wet cloth! The inside is made of 100% brown cotton. It is also padded to help protect your pride and joy :)

The Camera Coat also has a velcro closure.

I also love the little buckle! You can use this to strap in your camera strap but It also works great to hook your keys when your on the go!

The Camera Coat comes in several different sizes to fit any variety of SLR Cameras. 

Theres are tons of fun patterns to choose from including some that are perfect for those male photographers! 

Here are just a few of my favorites :)

Gray Chevron Cotton Coat

Matt's Mr. Law Navy Cord 

Shabby Yellow Flowers

NEW! Green Burlap

Now you can get your own Camera Coat!

Get 15% off your purchase with the code TMLB15  Expires 11/15/12  Not good with any other deals or offers

Enter in our giveaway below to win a $20 Gift Certificate!

Countrytrail Soy Candles ~ Product Review

Countrytrail Soy Candles sent us a box full of goodies to review for them. As soon as I opened the box, this amazing aroma of cookies & other yummy things filled the house! The next thing I knew, my hubby was right there digging through the box! 

We were immediately in love with these yummy & unique scents! 

We received two candles to review- Craig's Sugar Cookie & Spiced Cranberry. The sugar cookie smells so good I believe I could almost eat it! 

It also burns very nicely! Some candles smell great before you burn them but when they are lit, there isn't much fragrance at all! My whole room now smells like sugar cookies!!! I really like the Spiced Cranberry as well. The smell of the cranberries is very refreshing and a little hint of spice makes it perfect for the upcoming fall season!

 We also received a pack of soy melts in "Amish Bread". I expected a fresh baked bread smell and thats exactly what you smell when you open up the pack! 

They also sent us a variety of sample scents in Rosemary, Candied Chestnuts, Orange Clove, Blueberry Muffin (heavenly!), Victorian Spice, Holiday Spirit- and my 2 favorites- Monkey Fart & Mrs. Claus's Crib! I love how unique the names are as well as how amazing these smell! Your probably wondering what "monkey fart" smells like! When I open it up, the first thing I smell is the sweet aroma of bananas (of course!). 

One of my favorite items I received was the room spray. 
The scent "Mango Madness" smelled SO yummy! Its a concentrated spray so you only need to spray it once or twice. The fruity scent will quickly fill any size room and make it smell heavenly!

Countrytrail Soy Candles has such a fun and unique variety of scents to choose from in all their products. We instantly fell in love with their yummy products and we know you will too!

You can check out their shop and grab your own Candles, soy melts and more!
Website

Facebook

How to Host a Holiday Cookie Swap

Last year was my first year of hearing about a Cookie Swap. 

I wanted so bad to have one last Christmas but being so late in the season, I just didn't have the time to prepare but I promised myself that this year, I'd be having one. 

I was at first a little unsure at how to host a cookie swap party but thanks to some great online sources, I found all the information I needed! Thinking about hosting your own cookie swap? Well you've come to the right place!!

Step 1

Invite Guests

Thanks to social media and email, inviting your friends can be cheap and easy!

Send out your invites through email or even facebook!

You can also find some adorable Cookie Swap invitations on Pinterest.

Invite double the guests you can accommodate. Being the holidays, many people may not be able to make it and you want to be sure to have enough guests. 

Ask each person to bake 6-12 dozen cookies. That may sound like a lot of cookies but most typical recipes will make at least 2 dozen. Each guest will return home with the same amount of cookies they brought :)

Be sure to mention to guests that they bring cookies and bars that may travel well or don't need refrigeration. 

Step 2

Bake Cookies

Prepare a tried and true favorite recipe. 

I'm sure you've got some recipe that you can create perfectly and is sure to be a favorite!

Make them pretty!

Don't be afraid to show off your mad icing skills!

Store your cookies in an air tight container to preserve their freshness.

Step 3

Prepare to Host

Plan a Door Prize

Have each guest bring a cookie cutter. Place each cookie cutter in a large bag. Draw names and the winner gets all the cookie cutters!

Provide tea, coffee, and hot cookie or cider.

Set up a packaging station where guests can wrap up their cookies to take home or you can encourage guests to bring extra tins.

Step 4

Time to Swap!

Prepare a tasting tray and allow guests to sample cookies while they enjoy a beverage.

For the swap- 

have all the guests gather around the cookies. start by everyone taking a dozen each. Continue until all the cookies are gone! Each guest should take home as many cookies as they brought. 

EdenFantasys

Its that time of year! Halloween is just around the corner! 

Have you bought your costume?

edenfantasys has a nice collection of fun and playful costumes for men & women.

Knocking On Heaven's Door- Costume

This stunning costume is designed of a stretchy knit material and contains a ruching design, plunging neckline and an adjustable hem. A set of feather wings, halo and a silver wand are also included. 

Alice- Costume

I love this adorable Alice costume! This costume includes a stretch dress with an attached apron with a cute bow, tights and a cute little headband with a bow.

Time Out Temptress- Costume

This stunning referee costume includes a stretchy romper with a zip front, matching socks and a fun whistle!

Retro Stewardess 

This retro stewardess costume includes a high collared stretch dress with cap sleeves. Its made of nylon and spandex and is available in small/middle and middle/large sizes.

Fairy Tale Princess 

I am in love with this sweet and innocent fairy tale princess costume!

Its made of Knit and lyrcra and includes gathered lace and a lace up front with a satin bow.

This adorable set includes a padded apple purse!

Fire Captain 

This fun costume includes pants with a reflective trim, a t-shirt and suspenders. 

Policeman

This hot policeman outfit includes a button front shirt with a badge, belt, handcuffs and a baton.

Did you know that at edenfantasys you get FREE shipping with a purchase of $35 or more?

You also get a free gift when you place any order!!

Scentsy with Amanda Welch ~ Product Review

I am in love with any products that can help my home smell better. 

I have always been in love with their wonderful products from their wax melts to scent circles so I was even more excited to hear about their layers line! 

Amanda Welch with Scentsy, sent us their new hand soap and bath tablets in Love Story to review.

Hand soap is something that I don't mind splurging on a bit. Not only should it make your hands squeaky clean but it should leave them smelling great too!

The Layers Hand Soap comes in an 8 oz round shaped bottle with a pump. 

Just a quick turn of the pump to the left and you'll be ready to suds up!

After massaging your hands together with the soap and water, the soap suds up nicely!

After rinsing off your left feeling nice and clean and your hands smell amazing!

Layers Hand Soap is available in the following scents:

Awakening, be still, coconut lemongrass, enchanted mist, french lavender, linger, love story, lucky in love, luna, quiver, route 66, RU N2 me, Satin sheets, simply irresistible, skinny dippin', sugar cookie, sunkissed citrus, vanilla suede, white tea & cactus and zeppelin

The bath tablets come in a 0.88 oz container which includes 5 individually wrapped tablets. 

Simply drop a tablet into your running bath water and let it dissolve. It will leave your bath water (and YOU) smelling delicious! 

Bath Tablets are available in the following scents:

 awakening, be still, coconut lemongrass, enchanted mist, french lavender, linger, love story, lucky in love, luna, quiver, route 66,  RU N2 me, Satin Sheets, simply irresistible, skinny dippin', sugar cookie, sunkissed citrus, vanilla suede, zeppelin & white tea & cactus

There are lots of other great layers products by scentsy:

bath tablets ~ shower gel ~ shower cream ~ body lotion ~ body butter ~ body spray

solid perfume ~ washer whiffs ~ dryer disks ~ hand soap ~ hand cream

To order your Scentsy:

http://www.omgitswickless.com

https://www.facebook.com/Wickless4everWelch