Sweet Pennies from Heaven

How to Clean Painted Walls – Skip Having to Re-Paint! Plus a Mr. Clean Prize Pack Giveaway (ends 8/10)

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This review was made possible by iConnect  and Mr. Clean. I was provided the featured product and compensations to facilitate this post, but all opinions are 100% mine.

 

How to clean painted walls vs. repainting them! Simple and quick, with just one product!

I’m blessed. I live in the old farmhouse that I grew up in. The wonderful thing about old farmhouses is that they have SO much character, right? The downside is that they ALWAYS require work and renovation. We’re always updating and renovating. Since the walls are one of the most visual parts of our home, they need to look good, right?

Now comes the shameful part…..

 

how to clean painted walls with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser! No need to repaint!

OMG! This is disgusting and I’m hiding my face in shame!!!!!!

I’ve learned through the years that husband, kids and dogs can take a toll on a pretty painted wall. Sticky kiddo hands, wet dogs coming in and out, and husbands that spill cups and cups of coffee. I remind myself of Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Boo-Kay!) from Keeping Up Appearances. I’m always saying, “Watch my walls!” and “Don’t brush up against my walls!”….however, as you can see, they don’t listen to me.

This particular wall is in a very high traffic and busy part of our house. It’s near an entry door where daily comings and goings happen, where the dogs come in and out, and where my husband always manages to dump his morning coffee when he’s fumbling for keys and cellphone before work. Ughhhhh.

I’ve learned living in an old farmhouse that I don’t always have to repaint the walls. Painting does take alot of time and energy afterall, time and energy that I don’t have that. I’ve found in my own home, that a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser can make your dirty and dingy painted walls, trim, and baseboards look BRAND new again! Not even kidding.

 

 

how to clean painted walls with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser! No need to repaint!

Mr. Clean can give a “like new” clean because his products are tougher on dirt all around. I’m a big fan of their Concentrated Multi-Surface Cleaner!! This stuff is super powerful, however, my momma was always a HUGE fan of the Magic Eraser and now I’m a believer too. Just check out how insanely awesome my walls, trim and baseboards looked after an easy peasy wiping down.

 

How to clean painted walls in just 15 minutes! So much easier than having to repaint!

Another reason I love the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is because you don’t have to use nearly as much elbow grease! Just run under water, wring it out a bit, and start wiping down! In less than 15 minutes, I had that nasty wall clean as a whistle!

How to clean painted walls vs. repainting!

magic-eraser

 

 

How to clean painted walls:

Run a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser under water and wring out excess water.

Gently wash the walls, trim and baseboards with it. You don’t need to use much elbow grease, at all.

Gently use a butter knife or something similar to scrape off any super duper stuck on grime.

Let them dry, then rub a clothes dryer sheet over your baseboards to help keep dust and dirt from sticking later on.

 

cleaning tips

Some other great uses for Mr. Clean products:

  • Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra Power is sure to give your home that like-new sparkle on a variety of surfaces. It works wonders on that pesky stove top, where grease and grime accumulate in tough to clean crevices.
  • Use Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra Power on the shower door to help remove hard water stains, cloudy build-up and soap scum; it will save you several hundred dollars versus replacing!
  • Get creative with vintage pieces that no longer seem to have a use. Like bringing back to life a retro vinyl or plastic chair with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra Power to add unique and a small area with light pressure before use on antiques.)
  • Still have crayon marks on your walls or remnants of how tall little Johnnie was each year? Help remove them with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra Power, but be sure to snap a picture first for posterity!

Visit Mr. Clean on Twitter and Facebook! They’re always sharing really awesome cleaning tips and tricks, updates and promotions!!

 

 

You’re invited to the Mr. Clean Twitter Party!

Date: August 5th at 8pmCST

Hashtag: #15MinReno

Celebrity Guest: Johnathan Scott of HGTV Property Brothers

Prizes: 4 Renovation Kits including multi-use screwdriver, tape measure, various Mr. Clean product and a piece of decor.

Grand Prize: $400 GC to a Home Improvement Store

RSVP here: http://vite.io/iConnectIM

 

 

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Ready for a fun Giveaway?

We’re giving away a Mr. Clean prize pack to one lucky reader which will include a Mr. Clean product and a tool kit to make your #15MinReno easy-peasy! Just use the Rafflecopter form below, giveaway is open to US residents 18 or older. Giveaway ends 8/10/15 at 11:59pm EST. Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So tell us, what needs a good sprucing up around your house?

 

 

 

4 Home Organization Tips #MomsCheckIn

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home organization tips

4 Home Organization Tips

The holidays are over and January has arrived. For me, that means starting over new in many areas including home organization! Organizing my home is not my strong suit, but I am always and forever trying to keep it all under control and I plan to get it under my thumb this year! My “Moms Check In” friends and I have a few tips below that we’d like to share to help you out – including organizing a small closet on a budget, starting a command center, using a planner for work/home, labeling toy bins and more!

 

 

Amanda-626x1024“Just call me the Queen of Paper Clutter. I can NOT do online planners/calendars. I like photo copies of my work stuff. I like binders. I like folders. But between my office ‘stuff’ and then all the mail and papers that come home from school it gets to be a bit much. We have a command center area with a big calendar and places to put the paper that comes in. It’s also where we have our keys/bags so no excuses to not know about an upcoming event!“

– Amanda is the mom to Joshua and owns It’s a Fabulous Life. If you are looking for a one stop place for all things mom, It’s a Fabulous Life is it! Full of recipes, fashion, DIY projects, recipes and parenting articles it’s the place for all of Mom’s favorites to come together! Follow her on Twitter here!

 

 

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“For me the biggest organization challenge is space to store things. We live in an old farmhouse, and believe it or not….we have VERY little closet space and NO pantry in the kitchen. I’m constantly re-arranging and organizing in my kitchen to make space. I did finally tackle my closet though. Click HERE for a few tips I have for organizing a small closet on a budget if you’d like to tackle your own. Since we have a lack of storage space, I feel like I have a lot of things that don’t have a “home” so I tend to shove things in nooks and crannies. I’m really gonna work on that this year.“

– Jenni is the mom of one and the author of Sweet Pennies From Heaven. A hearth and home website, Sweet Pennies From Heaven focuses on recipes, crafts and creating a comfortable home. Follow her on Twitter here!

 

 

LindsayHeadShot3Border-300x300“Organization is not my forte but I’m trying…still! Probably my biggest problem area is paper clutter so my top tip for staying on top of that is to deal with everything as it comes in. When the mail or school papers come in, go through them and immediately trash or recycle anything you don’t want or need. Don’t just put it on the counter. I also find I have to write everything down (this doesn’t mean I’m old, does it?!) so that I don’t forget the things on my to-do list. I tell myself I’ll remember but, nope. I never do. This momAgenda planner is one of my favorites for keeping everything in one place. Finally, I’m grabbing a few organizational items here and there as I find them to make it easier for me to have a designated place for everything. Here are some of the other solutions I’ve found and hope to use this year to organize my home.“

– Lindsay is the mom of 2 and author of See Mom Click. She shares great deals, Disney happenings and recipes. You can follow her on Twitter here!

 

 

stephanie“January is definitely a time of big purging in our home! When taking care of Christmas decorations, I also take the time to throw out old or broken items around our house. I also organize Sam’s toys into labeled bins plus go through our closets. I love starting off the year feeling fresh and organized! These free organizational printables are super helpful!”

– Stephanie is the mom to Sam and the author of Spaceships and Laser Beams. If you ever need party ideas her site is the place to visit! Specializing in all things boy, it’s full of inspiration! Follow her on Twitter here!

 

 

moms-check-in-1 What is Moms Check In?

Who are the moms of Moms Check In? We’re 4 moms who are also professional bloggers. We chat about a new topic each week. We talk about things from dirty diapers to date night, and everything in between. Moms love to talk to other moms and let’s face it…MOMS know everything!! If you happen to be a blogger also, and want to be a guest host one week, please fill out this form. We’d love to have you join us!

Check out our Organizing board on Pinterest to get some more tips!

Follow Sweet Pennies from Heaven’s board Organizing on Pinterest.

Before you leave, let us know…

Do you have any helpful organizational tips?

 

Save Time on Laundry with Suavitel Fast Dry Liquid Fabric Softener #FastDrySaveTime

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias

With a little one in the house there are times when I feel like all I do is laundry.  The washing and drying and folding load after load takes so much time.  I’m always dreaming of a way to make my laundry work take less time.  When I heard about Suavitel’s Fast Dry Fabric Softener and it’s claim to dry clothes 30% faster I was excited to find it and give it a try.

Suavitel Fabric Softener

We do a great deal of our shopping at Walmart and on a recent trip I ran through the laundry needs isle to see if they had the new Suavitel Fast Dry and sure enough it was on the shelf!  They had 2 scents to choose from.  The Magical Morning Sun (which I purchased) and Fabulous Field Flowers.  The Fast Dry product comes in 2 sizes, 135 fl oz and a smaller size.  I purchased the 135 fl oz bottle for around $7.

Suavitel in store photo

I’ve used the product several times on different types of laundry – clothes, towels, and sheets.  It’s simple to use by just adding the right amount to your machine at the final rinse cycle.  The cap is clearly marked to show how much to add based on the size load I’m doing.

Suavitel Fabric Softener

While I noticed that the everyday laundry does seem to dry faster, I recently had an experience that made me grateful for faster drying laundry.  I had a sick little one and like so often happens when kids are sick, I found myself needing to change pajamas and bedding several times in a short period of time.  I needed the clean dry sheets and pajamas from the dryer and needed them fast.  Usually a full load of laundry in our older machine would take 45 minutes to an hour to dry completely.  I checked the sheets after 30 minutes and I was thrilled to find the sheets and jammies were already dry! This meant I could get my guy back to bed and resting quickly.  This was the moment I realized Suavitel Fast Dry really does dry clothes faster.

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This boy, though. I big puffy heart him! ❤️

View on Instagram

I was able to spend extra time snuggling my little one instead of waiting on laundry and that makes me so happy!

As I said, I have used the fabric conditioner on everyday clothes and towels as well.  I love the sent of the Magical Morning Sun.  In addition to the laundry drying faster, it smells great!  It also leaves my laundry softer and things like towels seem fluffier.

I love that faster drying laundry means I have more time to do other things like snuggle my child, have a cup of coffee and visit with a friend, or work on one of my many projects for the upcoming holidays.  #FastDrySaveTime  I also love that the faster dry time means my dryer isn’t running as long.  That means a savings on my electric bill too!

Suavitel Saves Time

Now that my laundry is done, I’m going to relax with a hot cup of coffee and a good book!

What would you do with all the free time that you save with Suavitel Fast Dry?

 

Experience the #SwifferEffect with the #BigGreenBox

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If you’re like me, you LOVE the commercials where people are surprised with the #BigGreenBox at the doorstep and it’s filled with Swiffer products that make their lives easier.  The elderly couple always cracks me up!  It’s my favorite. Swiffer offers consumers easy-to-use sweeping, mopping and dusting tools for virtually every household surface.   So, needless to say, I was totally excited to experience the #SwifferEffect myself AND get to share it with someone else.

Check out this quick (and funny) video presented by Swiffer and featuring Eric Stonestreet.  See how Eric keeps it clean when his mom comes to visit!

My big green box showed up and I immediately ripped that sucker open to a sea of green and the clean fresh scent of the Swiffer Sweeper wet cloths.  It was delightful!  With 2 dogs and 3 cats plus a tween, a teen and a husband…plus my kids’ friends…in and out of the house…my floors never get a break.  I didn’t even hesitate to snap my Swiffer Sweeper together.  It’s a simple tool that can be used to sweep and mop virtually all hard surfaces using both dry and wet cloths.  It wen’t together, literally, with a snap (or 3).  I put on a dry cloth and went to sweeping.  I was pretty amazed at the amount of hair and dirt it picked up.  I didn’t even try to give it a fair shake by vacuuming first!  Then I put on a wet cloth and was pleasantly surprised again.  It picked up a LOT of dirt and left my floor shining.

 

Experience-the-SwifferEffect-with-the-BigGreenBox-1

Next up was the Swiffer Duster.  This thing uses thousands of fluffy fibers that change shape to fit anywhere to trap and lock dust without spreading it around the home.  I have quite a few knick knacks around and the kids have their video game consoles and games that I try to keep as dust free as possible.  My daughter LOVES to dust and the Swiffer Duster is her most favorite tool.  No sprays, no cloths and no pushing dust around from place to place.  She can dust, and make things clean without a ton of effort.  Plus the Swiffer Duster can fit in some pretty tight places!  She went to work immediately and dusted off the shelves and tables in the living room.  Needless to say, she was pretty proud as she discovered just how much dust those fluffy fibers trapped and then she could just throw it away.  Swiffer makes it easy for anyone in the household to pitch in to make cleaning a little bit happier and life just a little bit better.

 

Experience-the-SwifferEffect-with-the-BigGreenBox-2

In a matter of a few minutes, the living room was transformed.  Even my leather couch and loveseat were dust and pet hair free!  It was amazing.  Funny how quick everybody is to help me clean when we get cool products to try!  I’ll take all the help I can get!!  Oh and let me not forget to mention how fresh everything smells thanks to the added scents of Gain and Febreeze!!

Experience-the-SwifferEffect-with-the-BigGreenBox

Now, for the best part.  I was sent a 2nd #BigGreenBox so that I could share the #SwifferEffect with someone.  It was not an easy choice, at first.  I contacted a couple of friends but they declined.  They weren’t keen about having their pictures on the internet.  I was set to surprise another friend, who recently bought a home.  Then, she had to leave town on short notice.  So, I went with the easy choice…my momma!  She’s 73 and though she’s in great health, I knew she’d appreciate getting a few products to make cleaning easier.

 

We were planning to visit anyway.  So, I told her I was bringing her something that we got for review.  She’s always tickled with freebies.  We arrived with the box in hand and plopped it down on the coffee table.  When she opened it, she grinned ear to ear.  I knew she would love it.  She used to be a housekeeper and these kinds of things never displease her.  Plus, anything that makes her life easier is always welcomed.  She swept her floor with a dry cloth and said she would mop later this weekend.  She didn’t want to waste our time there with cleaning.  It was enough for me just to see her smile and to know that some of her household chores won’t be quite as taxing thanks to Swiffer!

 

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Wet-Nap Hand Wipes Go from Garden to Kitchen in a Snap #ShowUsYourMess #PMedia #Ad

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“This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Wet-Nap but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #showusyourmess  http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV”

Wet-Nap-Wipes #ShowUsYourMess

My family has FINALLY grown a successful, albeit small, garden.  I loved planning and planting and watching my baby seedlings grow into mature plants producing vegetables and feeding my family.  It’s really therapeutic.  It’s also really dirty!!  Thankfully, I recently discovered Wet-Nap Hand Wipes at my local Walmart!

tomatoes and lettuce

There are times when I run out to pick some veggies JUST for fixing dinner.  On a busy evening, I need to be able to pick, clean the veggies and cook all in quick order.  Wet-Nap Hand Wipes help me do just that.  They are thick enough that they do a great job of removing dirt without tearing.  They also offer antibacterial wipes that will remove germs along with the dirt.  So I can quickly go from garden to kitchen in a snap.

I found Wet-Nap hand wipes in the soap aisle of Walmart.  In some stores they may be found in the aisle with the napkins and other paper goods.  I made sure to snag this coupon for .55 0ff any Wet-Nap product before I headed to Walmart.  Every little bit helps when you’re trying to save!  Combine the printable coupon with Walmart’s already low prices and you have a pretty darn good deal!

Wet-Nap-Wipes-1

I was glad to find the anti-bacterial option!!  This meant I could skip handwashing from time to time, or at least delay it a bit.  Even with organic gardening, there’s still some gross stuff to be found on the plants sometimes.  Wet-Naps helps make sure my hands are free of both germs and dirt so I can cook my daily harvest without hesitation.  Some nights, it’s my saving grace!

Wet-Nap has improved their wipes!

  • Wet-Nap wipes are softer than before
  • Wet-Nap wipes are also stronger
  • Wet-Nap wipes now moisturize with aloe

These improvements are what make them so great for use after gardening.  I need a tough wipe that does the job but doesn’t leave my skin dry and tight. I also love that you can buy them in the canister, in the pop up container or the individual packets. Those really come in handy for on the go! I just keep a few in my purse. Never fails, when out and about — someone makes a mess!

Wet-Nap-Wipes-bag

 

These are perfect for anytime, but especially in the summertime. We love being outdoors, and since the boys love fishing (who am I kidding?? I love it too!!) we always take them with us. Dry towels just don’t do the trick when you have wormy dirty fingers and hands! You gotta have something tough and moist that can kill the germs and get all the yuck off!

dale and eli fishing

How would Wet-Nap Hand Wipes help your family?

Leave a comment below with your thoughts!

Spring Cleaning Supply List – Make Your List and Check it Twice

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Spring Cleaning Supply Checklist

Spring Cleaning Supply List

It’s here!! Time to throw open those windows and get your Spring Clean on! What I loathe more than anything is to start a project or job, and then not have everything I need. That’s why I decided to create this spring cleaning supply list of products to share. Now you can double check to make sure you’ve got everything you need to get the dirty job done!

I’ll be sharing a Spring Cleaning Guide very soon too, so keep your eye out for that!

Here’s your Spring cleaning supply list

Optional:

  • General bathroom cleaner
  • Pinesol (fill the sink and enjoy the smell)
  • Murphy Oil Soap (for woods)
  • Mr. Clean Magic Erasers
  • Pledge or another furniture cleaner/dust spray
  • Vinegar – mixed 50/50 with water is the perfect all purpose cleaner – It’s also great to use to get rid of fleas!!!
  • Baking Soda – mixed with water to make a paste is another great cleaner
  • A butterknife (perfect for scraping and cleaning small cracks/crevices)

If you need to grab a few items, you can always find them at your local stores or you can shop from Amazon if you prefer to buy online. Here are a few quick links below to get what you need.

If you’re looking for more ideas and tips on cleaning, you might enjoy these other posts…

Tips on Closet Organization Including Closet Storage Ideas and Solutions

Homemade Laundry Soap | Only 3 Ingredients (Just 2 Cents per Load!!!)

How To Safely Brighten, Whiten and Clean a Porcelain Tub

25 Awesome Household Uses for Borax

20 Uses for Peppermint Oil – Natural Remedy to Keep Mice Away and So Much More!

Do you have any must-have items that you use for your Spring cleaning? Leave us a comment. This list is open so I can always add more great products or ideas to the list!!! Your comments could help someone else out too!

How To Safely Brighten, Whiten and Clean a Porcelain Tub

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Do you have a porcelain tub? We have one…one of the really old and awesome claw-foot tubs. The porcelain tends to get really dingy and dull looking and and the water ring stains get on my nerves. I figured if you were in the same boat, you’d like to know how to safely clean a porcelain tub.

Sometimes those old, antique tubs really need to be resurfaced and there are professionals out there who do that. If you have a lot of chips or rust in the porcelain, there’s not much else you can do.

If your tub is still in great shape surface wise, you need to be cautious with the products you use to clean them. Bleach along with other harsh cleaners are way too rough on porcelain so you should use something much gentler. Those strong cleaners can scratch, pit and eventually destroy the porcelain over time.

clean a porcelain tub

How to Clean a Porcelain Tub

There are a few different things that I use on our old tub and they all do a great job so I wanted to share them with my fellow porcelain tub owners.

Just a little disclaimer: Your results may vary. Try a test spot before applying to the entire surface.

1. For tough hardwater rings/stains use Bar Keepers Friend. You can either use the liquid or the powder. If you’re using the powder, either make a paste with water before applying or make sure your tub bottom and walls are wet. Simply coat the stains and let it sit for an hour or so to work on those problem areas. Wipe down with a wet sponge or cloth. Repeat this process if necessary.

2. For brightening, whitening and general cleaning – use a paste made out of baking soda and water. This is very gentle on the porcelain surface and can be used as often as necessary. This is what we use most often.

clean a porcelain bathtubPaste made out of baking soda and water. Just mix until creamy…I had to add a bit more water to this.

 

clean a porcelain tubLook at that yucky ick. I’ve got the walls and bottom covered in the baking soda paste.

 

clean a porcelain tubYou can barely see it, but in the red dotted circle above, you can tell that’s where I had stopped. I got to working and forgot to stop and take a photo.

 

Other helpful tips:

– Rinse your tub well after bathing to remove leftover soap residue.

– Avoid using alot of bath oils.

– Drying your tub with a towel after each use can keep stains and rings from forming. I know, I know…who has time for that?! I never do that but then again, I’m one who has to fight with keeping our tub clean.

– Use non-scratch sponges or rags to clean your porcelain tub. Using abrasive scratch pads can and WILL scratch your porcelain.

 

Other Products to Clean a Porcelain Tub:

I only recommend the following on super tough stains as a last resort, if nothing else is working (including plain old elbow grease). Do not use as a general or daily cleaning method. Refer to the above treatments for normal daily cleaning after the stubborn stains are gone.

– Bleach (although I have heard that this can make stains worse)

– Hydrogen Peroxide

– Mr. Clean Magic Erasers

– Comet

If you’ve had certain products work well for you over time or if you have other tips to clean a porcelain tub, drop us a comment and let us know. You never know when it could help someone else! I’m always looking for new ways to cut my cleaning time and make things a wee bit easier!!

Making Cleaning Easy with Dyson – The DC59 Animal is Now Available at Best Buy

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The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

I love my hardwood floors, but boy are they hard to keep clean. Pepper, our short haired dog doesn’t help matters any either. If I don’t sweep or vacuum at least every other day, it can quickly become a dust-bunny apocolyptic showdown ’round here. I’m attacking while the dust-bunnies are hanging on for dear life to the closest baseboard or table leg!

Dragging out the vacuum every day or even every other day just isn’t what I WANT to do. I hate lugging it around and tripping over the cords. I end up letting it go too long and then I work twice as hard sweeping up all the dust, dirt and dog hair. I do like my dry dust mop and I will use that daily but it does leave a lot of junk behind.

I was given the opportunity to try out the new Dyson DC59 Cordless Vacuum from Best Buy.

dyson reviewLook how cool and shiny it is! I’m in love.

dyson review

I nearly fainted when it arrived. It’s all that a girl could ask for. Cordless, super duper light weight, and a DYSON!! Hello……I’ve always wanted a Dyson!!!

Dyson Vacuum Review

I instantly put it together and started vacuuming. When it arrived, it had some battery charge but not a full charge. I got to vacuum for about 10 minutes and then I had to plug it up to charge it. You can keep it up and out of your way with the awesome hanging charging station. Love that!

After a full charge (takes about 3.5 hours) it was ready to go full steam ahead. A full charge will give approximately 26 minutes of cleaning time. As long as I pick up toys, shoes, and everything else up out of the floor before vacuuming…I can sweep almost my entire house in that amount of time.

dyson review

Check out all the nastiness and filth (and candy wrappers) that it picked up. I’m almost too embarrassed to post this photo – but I’m putting it all out there. YUCK!!! Photo on the left is all the dirt still in the collector bin. The one on the right, I had dumped the bin out on a plastic shopping bag.

The things that I love about the Dyson DC50 Cordless Vac:

  • It’s so lightweight…less than 5 lbs.
  • No cords to have to fight with.
  • It’s super sucky (a good sucky!) 🙂
  • Easy to empty the dustbin.
  • I can take the long handle off and use it as a handheld vacuum which is great for furniture, stairs and the vehicles!
  • I love how easy it turns and swivels around corners and edges.

dyson review

 

Here are some other key features to mention…it’s long and detailed, but important information.

Releasing at Best Buy on February 1 for $499.00

Key Points:

–       3 times the suction of any other cordless vacuum in use

–       26 minute clean time

–       New V6 motor = 50% more power than V2; performs like an upright

–       2 Tier Radial Cyclone technology brought to cordless for the first time

–       Re-engineered brush bar for hard floor and carpet cleaning

–       Only 4.65 lbs

 

dyson review

Features in-depth:

–       V6 motor

o   Spins at 110,000rpm (5 times faster than a Formula One racecar engine)

o   4-pole magnet that delivers 50% more power than its predecessor, V2

o   3 times smaller than a conventional vacuum motor

o   350 Watts

–       Re-engineered nickel manganese cobalt battery

o   1.5 times more power than its predecessor (same run time, however – the extra capacity is used to power the V6 motor)

o   3.5 hour charging time (vs. 5 hour in the DC44)

o   Boost mode still available

–       2 Tier Radial Cyclone technology

o   15 cyclones, arranged across 2 tiers

o   Work in parallel to increase airflow and capture fine dust

–       Re-engineered brush bar

o   Wider (approx. 10” vs. 8” on the DC44)

o   Improved maneuverability due to smaller ball at the back

o   Self-tightening mechanism keeps the brush bar stable

o   New configuration of carbon fiber filaments and nylon bristle tips to remove fine dust and dirt across all floor types

o   Extended neck for greater ease of use

–       Ergonomic updates

o   Soft-touch trigger is easier to hold (makes for longer clean time – people don’t need to keep it on when moving furniture, etc. – less wasted energy)

o   Handle now more comfortable to hold

o   Only 4.65 lbs

o   Hygienic one-touch bin emptying, now on both sides (for lefties and righties). One push empties bin, 2nd push detaches bin completely for washing, etc.

o   Pre-motor filter located at the top; now much easier to take out for washing

Now you can see why I love my new Dyson DC59. It’s still a pricey item, but Dyson makes incredible products. Make sure to check them out at Best Buy!! What is your favorite feature? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Prepare for the Holidays 5 Week Series – Week 2

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This is Week 2 of our Prepare for the Holidays 5 Week Series & Challenge!  If you’ve missed the other posts, check them out below to get “in the loop” and hop aboard if you’d like to get prepared early as well.

Last week we talked out cleaning indoors and hitting the hotspots that get us down!  I also had previously mentioned that staying on top of those will make getting ready for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas so much easier when it comes to getting things nice and neat for company. So, on top of this weeks challenge, I’ll also add some extra homework to keep up with the work we’ve already done so that things don’t get out of whack!

This week, we’re chiming in on outdoor cleaning!  I don’t know what kind of messes YOU have, but for me…I have cobwebs that need knocked down on the front and back porch.  We also have trees all around our house so we get tons of leaves that I have to keep at bay. Most end up all over my patio that I have to sweep off every day or every other day.  Thank goodness for leaf blowers…that’s all I gotta say!

Then there are those things out there that need to be put up for the winter.  Extra chairs, bug spray bottles, in my case…lots of hubby’s odd and end things.  Right now as I look out my dining room window I see fishing line, a drinking glass filled with nails and screws, and a pair of work gloves on the well-box.  I also have some rugs that I washed and hung over chairs to dry that needs to come back in.

What kinds of things do you need to get done outside to prepare for holiday company??  Below is a list of “homework” assignments that you can do over the weekend just to get started!

Homework for this week:

  • Sweep cobwebs
  • Dust off outside furniture
  • Clean Outside Windows
  • Pick up and put away summer things (extra lawn chairs, etc.)
  • Clean up flowerbeds
  • Use a powerwasher on anything that needs a good cleaning (we usually need to powerwash our patio this time of year)
  • Rake leaves

In addition to this weeks assignments, I wanted to give you a few things to do to stay on top of the work you did last week.  So here are a few things to add to the list above.

  • Spend 10 minutes on each hotspot that you cleaned last week.
  • Clean up 1 more hotspot in addition to those.
  • Get Laundry caught up.
  • Regular dusting, sweeping/vacuuming, and mopping.

Let us know how you’re doing….just leave a comment below.  We’re a week closer to Thanksgiving and I’m excited that I won’t be killing myself the night before getting ready for company!!  It’ll all be done beforehand ;)!

Let’s Prepare for the Holidays – 5 Week Series & Challenge

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So, it seems like the leaves have changed color overnight.  Wasn’t it just yesterday that we were splashing around in our swimming pools and cooking chicken on the grill?  We’ve already had chili twice in the last month – and we only fix that during cold weather ;)!

I know that I’m the worst when it comes to hosting Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner at my house.  I’m up ALL night cleaning, dusting, looking for cobwebs, vacuuming up dog hair, all while I should be worried about the turkey and ham!!

I decided to start a 5 week series that you and I could work on together…a challenge if you will!  I know there are many out there who are just like me and wait to do everything last minute to make the home suitable for holiday company (even if it IS just family and friends who see your dirty house all the time anyway!) 😉  I want to do everything on a weekly basis since we ONLY have a few weeks until Thanksgiving is here! This same challenge will work for you in time for Christmas guests as well.

Over the next 5 weeks we’ll cover cleaning up the hotspots indoors and outdoors, doing an inventory of the kitchen and organizing, cleaning out that yucky fridge, discussing frugal decor, and more!

The bases that I want to cover over the next 5 weeks are:

  • Cleaning Indoors
  • Cleaning Outdoors
  • Organizing
  • Kitchen Inventory
  • Last Minute Check List

This 5 week challenge will keep us all accountable and by the end we’ll be prepared so that all we have to do is worry about making that turkey and ham perfect instead of running around like chickens with our heads cut off!  Who’s with me??!!  If you’d like to do this challenge with us, leave a comment in the comment section below!

To get started, below are all weeks of the series in case you get a jump start and can’t stop!! haha!

(photo credit:  bonappetit)

the chick behind this blog! I'm your ordinary, everyday wife and mom to an incredible pair of stinky guys! I am a self diagnosed coffee addict with a ginormous sweet tooth, preferably baked goods!! My hope is to help you, teach you, and entertain you on your way to a more thrifty and frugal lifestyle! Along the way, you'll find awesome recipes, great tips, and tons of randomness! We have loads of fun, so ya'll come back now, ya hear?!

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