STAINS & CLEANING SOLUTIONS

Blood on Clothing

Don't use hot water, it will only set the stain.
Use hydrogen peroxide and rinse with cold water and repeat.

Found the info below here.
Stove: Cream of tartar & vinegar paste
Weeds: Vinegar & lemon juice
Carpet stains: 3 tablespoons dish soap, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon ammonia, 3/4 cup water, mix to foamy consistancy and use only the foam on carpet
Clothing stains: automotive hand cleaner (white)
Silver: 1 tablespoon water softner, 1 tablespoon salt. Mix in hot water in either a foil pan or place in glass pan with foil on the bottom. (Foil must touch the silver)
Ink on clothes: Spray heavy with hair spray (soak) then rub with bar soap and rinse in cold water
Scuff marks on the floor: Toothpaste
Markers: Spray with hair spray heavily and wipe up
Sneakers: Ammonia in spray bottle, spray on sneakers and wipe off
Grass stains on clothes: Spray ammonia then rub with toothbrush and rinse in cold water
Faucets: Wet cloth with vinegar
White patio furniture: Bleach and dish soap
Tubs: Make a paste of cream of tartar with hydrogen peroxide and clean stains out of tubs and sinks

LABELS

STORAGE BIN LABEL POUCHES
One of the biggest problems with storage tubs (particularly opaque ones) is knowing what's in them! You can put a piece of tape on the outside -- but that's not very attractive and you run the risk of your label falling off.But now there is a more stylish way to organize your storage bins!

These 4.25": X 2.9"W adhesive plastic label pouches stick to any size or style of container -- they even work on storage accessories like shelves, shoe boxes, and Tupperware. They keep your label protected from grime, wipe off easily if they get dirty, and do not peel off in the heat, humidity or even the cold -- yet can be easily moved from one bin to another without losing their stick.

Comes in a variety of packages sizes -- from 10 to 500 labels in a pack -- each with genuine 3M adhesive on the back. Each pouch comes with a 4"L X 2.75"W reversible cover stock insert where you can write the contents of the bin.

And you have 3 insert options. Choose white inserts at no additional cost, pay 40 cents more per insert for solid-color cards (great for color coding your containers) -- or pay 50-75 cents more per insert for our themed and holiday cards (a fun way to add some personality to your organization)!

Later on, if you change the contents and need to change the label, simply turn your card insert over or put in a new card. You don't have to remove the pouch or worry about trying to tear off a stubborn label to replace it. You never need guess what's in that container again! Perfect for:

containers of holiday decorations
tubs of off-season clothes
kid's toy bins
garage, attic, or basement storage
archive files at your office
Tupperware in your freezer or fridge
any container that needs a label

You can get them here!

Mabel's Labels

Mabel's Labels, a Canadian based company founded by moms, offers a great way to keep track of your child's items. They are perfect for labeling clothing, cups, and bags for school, daycare, camp, play dates, and more. The personalized labels enable you to customize labels with your choice of vibrant colors and choose from a variety of fun icon designs for boys and girls.

We received some samples to try and I love them. We tested one on a sippy cup and ran it through the dishwasher. They weren't kidding about labels staying put. After about five minutes of painstaking peeling, I was able to remove it. It did leave a sticky residue, which came right off with my fabulous Goo Gone sticky remover.

Famous Sticky Labels:
UV and fade resistant.
Withstands the dishwasher.
Colorful labels with a variety of fun icons to choose from.

Clothing Labels:
Includes iron-on, Tag-Mates, and shoe labels.
Resists wear and tear.
Withstands washer and dryer.

Do your kid's have allergies? The allergy labels allow you to list up to six allergies and stick the labels to food containers, cups, and more!

Mabel's Labels isn't just for kids. Grown-ups can label their food containers, cups, silverware and won't have to worry about losing them at work. Plus, check out the household labels, which include classroom pack, crafter pack, and my favorite, the cord control.

Mabel's Labels just made my life a little easier.
Customize your labels at Mabel's Labels here.

Cleaning Children's Rooms

Here are some creative and fun ideas for motivating children to clean their rooms.

Make a cleaning map for a child's room, showing where everything is to be stored. Include items such as compact discs, shoes, books, stuffed animals and dirty laundry. Not only is this fun and educational, but the child also has no excuse about not knowing where to put away items.

Another way to help a child keep a room clean is to organize the room with bookcases, low shelves, CD stacks, colored plastic bins and dressers with a lot of drawers.

Avoid using a toy box. They just beg to be emptied. If toys are kept on shelves or in color-coded plastic bins, they can be located easily without a child having to dump everything out.

Keep a chore list in a child's room so they know what is expected of them on a daily or weekly basis. Daily items could include jobs such as making the bed and putting away toys.

Use an old pillowcase to store building blocks. Sew a drawstring around the pillowcase opening.

Turn a plastic milk jug into a storage container. Cut a hole in the milk jug on the side opposite the handle and a child can store small cars or action figures in the jug. Leave the handle on so it's easy to carry.

Store stuffed animals in a large plastic bin, which makes it easy to keep all the animals together.

Pack doll clothes and accessories in plastic zipper bags. This helps keep all the small pieces together.

Store toys on a shelf that the child can reach. Fill covered storage containers with toys and keep them on shelves.

found this article at HGTV here.

Morning Routine Organizer

One mom made a Morning Routine Organizer by hanging a closet organizer near the front door. She labeled the compartments Monday through Friday. Clothes for each school day were placed into the compartments and added special items as needed. Like for soccer gear or a swimsuit and goggles for a lesson on that particular day. It worked for her...cool idea!

YOUR CLOTHES

Clear your bed or floor space
Begin by grouping like pieces together, for example shirts, pants, suits, dresses, etc.
Then go through each pile and separate the clothing into one of the following categories:
Keep—these items will return to the close

1. Donate—give these pieces to a charity. Make sure they’re still wearable (no stains or missing buttons)
2. Consign—This pile will go to a consignment store. Check the local store’s guidelines for consigning.
3. Give away—These items go to friends or family members

Next, zone your closet—choose specific areas for each category of clothing/shoes/purses. By placing like items together, you gain a clear perspective on what you actually own.

Load clothing into established zones in the closet

Color separate—this gives you a good perspective on how many black t-shirts you actually own and whether or not you really need to keep all of them.