Need Help Keeping Track Of Every Ones Chores?

I found a cool site that helps you keep track of your families chores!

Does one or more of these things apply to you?

• I often need to remind people to do their fair share
• My children/spouse/roommate and I argue about doing chores
• Sometimes I forget what needs doing until it is too late
• I feel flustered and don't have enough time to organize

ChoreBuster can help you with all of these problems by automatically creating a fair chore chart or schedule for you and others that you live with!


Here is a Demo of how it works here

House Hold Products Database

What's under your kitchen sink, in your garage, in your bathroom, and on the shelves in your laundry room?
Learn more about what's in these products, about potential health effects, and about safety and handling.


I found a site that I thought was a great thing to bookmark it is called Household Products Database by the Dept Of Health and Human Services. Especially if you have little ones or trying to go green.

Browse by category

Auto Products

Inside the Home

Pesticides

Landscape/Yard

Personal Care

Home Maintenance

Arts & Crafts

Pet Care

Home Office


Very nice site.

Homemade Cleaners

I am always looking for homemade cleaning recipes. They work well and are cheap to make. Here is a few I found from different sources.

Scour Cleaner

Sprinkle salt on the surface to be cleaned, Then take your towel dipped in either lemon juice or distilled white vinegar.


Citrus Fruits Are All Purpose Cleaners


Lemons, oranges, and limes when freshly squeezed, make good cleaners. Simply mix juice with water for day to day regular cleaning. For stubborn stains use full strength.

Thyme Cleaner - Disinfectant

2 1/2 cups water
1 handful thyme (fresh or dried)
Vinegar
Liquid castille soap (squirt)

• Boil water, add thyme. Simmer for several hours over medium-low heat, covered. Cool, then strain. Pour the water into a spray bottle, top with white vinegar and squirt of soap. Use as needed.

Herb Disinfectant Cleaner

This spray cleaner disinfects surfaces, kills mold, and discourages its return. Eucaplyptus, lavender, and tea tree are all known for their antimicrobial properties.

1 tsp. sodium lauryl sulfate
1 tsp. borax
2 Tbs. white vinegar
2 cups hot water
1/4 tsp. eucalyptus essential oil
1/4 tsp. lavender essential oil
3 drops tea tree essential oil

• Mix all ingredients together and stir until dry ingredients dissolve. Pour into spray bottle. To use, spray as needed on any surface except glass. Scrub and rinse with clean, damp cloth.

*Source: The Herb Companion, September 1999

Herbal All Purpose Cleaner

1 cup water
1 cup vinegar
2 tsp liquid castille soap
25 drops essential oil of thyme, eucalyptus, tea tree, lavendar, sandalwood, lemon, orange

• Add all ingredients to a large spray bottle (about 22 ounces) and shake before using. This formula disinfects and can be used on any washable surface in your home. Naturally antiviral and anti-fungal.

*Source: The Naturally Clean Home by Karyn Siegel-Maier

Lavender Soft Scrubber

3/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup powdered milk
1/8 cup (one-eighth) liquid castile soap
5 drops lavender Essential Oil

• Combine all ingredients in a squirt-top bottle and add enough water to make a smooth paste. Shake or stir to mix. Apply to surface, then wipe area clean with a damp sponge or cloth. Rinse well.

*Source: The Naturally Clean Home by Karyn Siegel-Maier

Get Time Smart ! Discovering The Hidden Time Wasters in your Day Part 3

In the last part of the series Discovering The Hidden Time Wasters in your Day I have a few more ideas to help you manage your day better.

Beat-The-Clock Dressing...

• Plan your outfit the night before and lay everything out. If you are like most this is time consuming trying to decide what to wear, by doing it the night before you will ensure you are picking out exactly what you want and not grabbing something and throwing it on because you are running late. This will give you a more relaxed feeling in the morning knowing you already have the perfect outfit ready to slip on and go.
• Don't switch handbags. A roomy clutch goes with almost anything and can be slipped into a larger tote for change.
• Hang clothes by category.
• Chose fabrics that keep their shape and don't require last-minute pressing.

Budget Time For Yourself...

Set aside whatever time you need to relax, unwind and to do the things that are important to you. Here are are some get-away-from-it-all suggestions:

• Hire a sitter once a week so you and your spouse can have a regular evening out. I hire a sitter for a few hours each week so I can get things done that I need to do and not have interruptions constantly. Whether it be errands or things around the house. Not only do I get more accomplished but I am more relaxed and revived for the kids when they return. Especially if you are a SAHM or a WAHM and with your kids day in and day out, it doesn't mean you cannot have a few hours to focus on yourself each week. Just try it, believe me you will look forward to it.
  
• Schedule an adult education class for one evening a week.
• Get a group of friends together and plan something you never get time to do.
• Check out low cost exercise or other fitness programs and sign up for one.
• Set aside an hour each evening called "Private Time". The kids can use this time to do their homework, watch TV or play quietly, but make it clear that No One is to disturb you unless it's an emergency.
  

Get Time Smart ! Discovering The Hidden Time Wasters in your Day Part 2

Today in part 2 of Discovering The Hidden Time Wasters in your Day, I will cover the few more things to help you manage your time more efficiently.

Learn to use bits of time...

No one has several free hours to clean out a closet The keys is to use the 10-minute segments you do have to accomplish a small task or make a dent in a large one. For example, file your nails, make an appointment to see the dentist or clean just one shelf of that closet. You'll double your efforts if you do small tasks, such as writing a thank you note, while engaged in some other activity like running a bath or waiting for a casserole to heat. Try talking into a small tape recorder to give yourself reminders while putting on your make up or driving in the car.

You will be so surprised at how much you can get done this way. The problem we have is we overwhelm our selves then ultimately either do not finish or even start anything because it seems to be to much.

Those little hand held recorders are a real lifesaver. Before I started using one I would have all these things that I needed to to either get done, buy, etc and by the time I was ready to set down and make out my list I had forgot half of them and then would have to waste more time trying to remember what I needed to do.

They are very inexpensive anymore and they are small and do not take up a lot of space making it easy to carry in your purse for quick reminders and updates through out your day.

Avoid Peak-Hour Delays...

Schedule appointments and shopping for times when other people are less likely to do so:

• Unless it's an emergency, schedule doctors' appointments early in the morning or just after lunch.
• See your your dentist during the lunch hour if he or she is available.
• Make appointments with home repairmen for times when you can be first on the list.
• Avoid banks on Friday, the first and the fifteenth and the thirtieth of each month. Your best bet is bank online.
• Call in your prescriptions in ahead of time and then use the drive- thru if available to pick them up.
• Keep a good book and a couple of things you can work on for those time when you can't avoid waiting.
  

Consolidate and Plan Ahead...

• With gas prices being what they are, group errands together. If you are going to the cleaner's, check your master list to see what else you can do in that part of town.
• Whenever you buy a staple, pick up two instead of one. When you start to on your last box of noodles or your last tube of toothpaste, enter that item on your shopping list so you do not forget later. You'll save yourself needless trips to the store.
• Buy an assortment of birthday and other greeting cards and stock up on all-purpose wrapping paper, note cards, ribbons and bows.
• Keep a list of your family's clothing sizes in your purse or wallet. When you stumble on a good buy, you can take advantage of it while saving time and money.

Get Time Smart ! Discovering The Hidden Time Wasters in your Day Part 1

There seems to never be enough time in our day to get everything done that need to be done in a day. So the best solution to making the most of your day is to plan it out. It will really surprise you to find out how much you can get done if you have a plan. I am a firm believer in making list. I love technology and such but there is nothing better than a good ole' fashion pen and paper.

First thing you need to do is find a place of your own. Set up an area for yourself where you keep all your lists, calendars, menus, etc. This is your place to work and make your schedules.

Now that you have shop set up, it is time to start.

Make a time each day when you have some quiet time to get things planned out for the following day. Whether it be naptime or after the kids are in bed. I personally do it after the kids are in bed. I am a night person so I do my best thinking then.

* Keep a Master List

Make a list of everything you want to do, including day to day matters and long term goals. Use a small notebook to keep handy for reference and additional things you think of through out the day for your next planning session.

* Plan each day

Keep a daily "to do" list. Make up a new one everyday and include task you specifically hope to accomplish-deadlines, appointments-as well as items from your master list. Give each task a priority number-1,2,3. Do all the 1's first and so on.

* Learn to delegate

Assign jobs and responsibilities within the family. Kids 2 to 4 can put dirty clothes in the hamper or match socks, ages 4 to 7 can dress themselves and clear the table, while those over 8 can put away toys and do many chores reasonably well.

* Use your best time for your most important tasks

If you are a "day person" make use of your mornings to get your hardest tasks completed, and if you are a "night person" struggling to fuction at 7:30 in the morning, leave as little as possible to do in the early hours. For example, before you go to bed each night, set the table for breakfast and supervise the children while they get clothes and school books ready. When you get to work, ease into the day. Answer phone calls, catch up with filing and do other jobs you can accomplish with little effort. Then, as your energy level rises, take care of the more important work.