Tips and tricks for how to keep house clean. These simple steps make it easy to keep your house clean everyday!

 

Wondering how to keep a house clean? It can be hard especially once you have kids who seem to make messes quicker then you can clean them up. If you have had a hard time committing to a daily cleaning schedule, or sometimes feel like all you ever do is wash dishes and straighten your home, maybe you need to add a few simple things to your daily routine to cut down on housework time. These tips can become automatic and will do wonders to cut down on the time it takes to keep your house straightened up. [Read more…]

 

This Night Time Routine can help you organize your life. Mornings can often be pretty hectic and stressful – trying to make breakfast, pack lunches, get children dressed, get yourself ready for work. There is a lot to do in sometimes very little time. Taking 30 minutes or less the night before to make a few next day preparations can help make your morning MUCH less stressful. Following a night time routine can make your life so much easier every morning.

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. All opinions are 100% mine.

Nationwide provided me with information regarding its In The Nation blog post.

One of my goals for this year is to get more organized and prepared for emergencies. One easy way to do that is to have a home inventory. I am embarrassed to say that we currently don’t have one. If there was a fire or theft, I doubt I could remember all of the items we have in our home and I know I don’t have a good list of serial numbers for electronics.

The whole process of making a home inventory seems overwhelming but in the article An Inventory of Your Life, they give easy steps to get you started and complete a home inventory.

I love their tip that you should consider making three copies of the inventory: one to keep at home; and one each for two trusted sources. This increases the chances that at least one record will be easily accessible when you need it. You should also make paper copies of documents such as warranties and receipts.

I am a huge fan of using Google docs to access items on the cloud and I found a home inventory template that makes it easy to get started. You do need a Google account though to use these templates. It is free though to set up and has some free cloud storage. You will want to make sure you have a hard copy you keep off site, as well, though.

You can also look into smartphone apps or websites like knowyourstuff.org, which are designed to take a home inventory, complete with photos and detailed descriptions. There is a “Know Your Stuff” smartphone app as well.

Once you have a way to record your information, you can just start going room by room to gather all the information you need. One great hint is to take several photos of each room, from different angles. A good way to go about this is to stand in the doorway and slowly rotate clockwise, taking overlapping frames that eventually take in the whole room.

The next step is to scan or copy receipts, appraisals and other documentation about each item. For electronics and appliances, you will want to make sure to include warranties, receipts, repair bills and serial numbers. You can keep this information in the cloud, on a thumb drive and have an off-site hard copy.

A good home inventory will include a detailed list of your belongings, including descriptions, photos or video, receipts, serial numbers, date of purchase, and the value. You will definitely want to inventory all big-ticket items this includes electronics and furniture. Don’t forget though to take inventory of smaller things that could need replacing in the event of a disaster and should include items like clothes and dishes.

You could complete a home inventory in just a few hours and provides you with a safety net in case your valuables are lost, stolen or damaged. Getting a home inventory complete is on my list of must-dos for this month. What about you? Do you have a home inventory? If you have completed one when was the last time it was updated? Once you get your inventory made you should add to it whenever you purchase new big-ticket items. My bet is most of us get busy and need to make this a priority. I hope that these tips are helpful for you when you make your home inventory list.

Be sure get more easy tips and directions to make your own home inventory from the article An Inventory of Your Life. You can learn more about Nationwide by visiting their blog, In The Nation.

This post was sponsored by Starbucks as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I received compensation and complimentary products to facilitate my review.

 

 

In winter, the girls and I love to warm up with a cup of hot cocoa. Now making yummy hot cocoa is easier than ever with Starbucks Hot Cocoa K-Cups. We saw these at our local Kroger store and had bought a box before we even were sent some to try. We loved them so much that the box was quickly used up.

 

Starbucks Hot Cocoa K-Cups

The Starbucks Hot Cocoa K-Cups come in two flavors Classic and Salted Caramel and both are made with real cocoa and non-fat milk for rich, creamy, chocolaty taste. The Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa K-Cup^® pods also have a dash of natural caramel flavor. These taste so  indulgent and I love that they are just 90 calories. They taste great on their own but to take it up a notch you can add whipped cream, marshmallows and or other yummy toppings.

 

You can find these k-cups at your local grocery store or Target. I will say that I had a bit of trouble finding the Salted Carmel ones but found them at my local Meijer. I bought a few boxes since they seem to go quickly at my home. I love that is such a simple and easy indulgence. You just pop a  Starbucks Hot Cocoa K-Cup in your Keurig and in just a minute you have a treat!

 

You can also find some  hot cocoa recipes using the Starbucks Hot Cocoa K-Cups  and how to set up a hot cocoa bar on their Pinterest account.

 

Win a Starbucks® Cozy Collection

We love the Starbucks® Cozy Collection we received and the exciting thing is you can enter to WIN a Cozy Collection of your own!

This collection includes:

• A special blanket, perfect for snuggling, cuddling or snoozing
• A mug to fill with cocoa for a tasty, cozy treat
• Starbucks^® Classic and Salted Carmel K-Cup^® pods, made with real cocoa
• Marshmallows and shortbreads to put the finishing touches on your cocoa
• $5 Starbucks Card and exclusive offer on Starbucks^® Hot Cocoa K Cup^® pods