So fresh and so clean clean... my house that is!

So I decided this year I wasn’t going to make any resolutions, I was instead going to focus on living my best life. I know a bit Oprah of me but… I feel like that encourages me to do little things to improve the big things daily and not focus on falling off the… make your bed every day, work out 6 times per week, do laundry on Tuesdays and Saturdays, don’t eat dairy wagon.

The first thing that I thought I should tackle and improve on was keeping a clean house.  Having a clean and organized home is something that is really important to me. I find that when I feel off or stressed generally my space is as well. My goal is to keep the house in order so that I have one less stressor!

I was super excited when a friend who sells Norwex reached out and offered to send me a few products to try out. You may have seen them on Facebook or been to a party where someone is selling them. They're a multi-level marketing company and I was skeptical, as unfortunately, I am about most of them.  But hey, never hurts to try right?

Amber sent me their “basic home package” which comes with the enviro cloth that they're best known for, a window cloth and 3 face and body cloths. I had heard other people talk about the “magic cleaning” properties of the enviro cloth and I honestly wasn’t sure that it would hold up to the task, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The first thing I used was window cloth and wiped down all the silver and glasses I used for Christmas dinner! I was able to easily remove the water spots - this normally takes me HOURS!!! 

(Grey = Enviro Cloth, Purple = Window Cloth, Multi = Make Up Remover) 

 I put the Enviro Cloth up against what I normally use a magic eraser for… the door handle and jam leading from my make up vanity to our bathroom. I seem to always have makeup smudges on the white door. I got the cloth slightly damp like the instructions recommend and honestly, it worked better than the magic eraser and didn’t leave behind any residue.

 If you know me you know that I’m not a huge cleaner… I have a housekeeper and my husband thank goodness seems to enjoy it… but I got so much satisfaction from how well this thing was working I quickly started on a bunch of other surfaces.

According to their website, the cloth removes dust, dirt, and grease from all washable surfaces using only water. The cloth is naturally antibacterial using silver threads (I actually already knew about the use of silvers antimicrobial/antibacterial properties from using it on the horses).

If you saw my instastories (@bubblesandbones) from New Year's Eve you saw the Window Cloth it in action! It totally removed all the water spots on my bathroom mirror and left it streak free in like 2 seconds.  I have been keeping this one upstairs and wiping down all the glass and shiny surfaces in my bathroom daily, I am for sure a convert when it comes to this one!

I tended to avoid this because it meant I had to clean off the counter of all my products and makeup brushes because I didn’t want windex on them!

The last thing that I got to try was the makeup remover cloths… and while they worked great, they're honestly not my thing. I don’t usually “wash” my face I use things like micellar water – but I am totally keeping one in the shower.

Amber has provided a link for you guys to shop if you're interested as well as some care tips for the cloths! I think I am going to look into some of their floor products because as much as I haaaaaaaaaaaad to have my dark hardwood floors they're a total bitch to keep clean!

Click here to shop directly with Amber! 

You can also reach out to Amber with any questions or concerns on her Facebook page: 

https://www.facebook.com/AmberCleansGreen

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Overall I was super impressed with how everything worked how they said it would, and additionally, I am totally excited that I don't don’t to spray chemicals everywhere to get the job done.

So tell me... whats your best cleaning hack? 

XOXO | SLL

 

* I recieved these prodcuts for free in exchange for my review* 

Turn stressed mess into hostess with the mostest!

I've always loved the idea of entertaining and having house guests, until it gets to be the night before and my house is a wreck and I still have a million things to do - and the dog just puked on the carpet, and all the sheets are dirty, and I drop the quiche on the oven door, and, and, and (and these are all things I have actually done)...

But I've come to realize that it's ME, not my lovely house guests that create all this stress and chaos. Having a few people in your home really isn't that big of a deal if you take a few easy extra steps BEFORE hand.

The biggest thing I have come to realize about being a good hostess is actually being relaxed - your guests can tell if you're a hot mess express, and it doesn't leave them feeling very welcomed. So I'm going to give you a few of my tips, tricks, and hard fast hostess rules!

Before we get started, remember to be kind to yourself, and know that changes are that if someone is staying with you its because they love you and want to spend as much time with you as possible. They'll love you with dirty baseboards and an unorganized fridge too. 

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So let's dive in! I love for my guests to instantly feel at home, so that's why Tip #1 is so important! - Always be ready for guests. No one loves to be standing awkwardly in the hallway while you try and find a second pillowcase! 

Tip #1: Always be ready. What this means is strip that bed the second you close the door behind your guests. I know, I know you just want to put your feet up and pour that next glass of wine - but take 5 minutes now and it will save you a ton of headache down the road. If you have fresh sheets remake the bed otherwise get that load of laundry in there now! Which leads me to my next tip... 

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Tip #2: Keep it simple. Have dedicated guest room linens that are all the same color. This makes making up the bed, sorting towels etc. idiot and laundry proof. White towels and white sheets, done and done. It also helps to avoid any awkward, "is that my towel?"  bathroom incidents. 

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Tip #3: Anticipate your guests' needs.  Have all the icky things that no one wants to ask for ready to find, I'm talking plungers, toilet paper, antacids, tampons etc. - stock up bathrooms so that no one needs to have that awkward conversation. I recently picked up these covered plungers for our house and don't feel so icky about leaving them out. Link to them: HERE

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Tip #4: Keep your guest room a neutral space if you have the room to do it. No one wants to feel like they are kicking you out of a room you use regularly. So if that room plays double duty, try to gather up your home office supplies and work from the kitchen while your guests are in town. Provide drawers to unpack and hangers for their clothes if you can, I know this seems excessive but I know as a house guest how much more relaxing it is when you have a bit of your own space. Our guest room has a murphy bed and no closet, so I picked up this garment rack and hangers from Amazon (also a good idea if you use your guest closet for your own storage!) Hangers can be found HERE and the rack HERE - both under $15.

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Tip #5: While this might seem excessive (and it doesn't have to be a huge tray like this!) do something special for your guests. At a minimum, I like to include a small snack and some bottled waters. I also always include a card which has things like the wifi password, the garage door code, our cell numbers etc... this makes it easy for your guests to be self-sufficient and not have to worry about where the cups are in the middle of the night! This tray was for my sister before we headed out to a Halloween party, we actually had guests the night before she stayed too, and I loved the simplicity I had created for myself! The bed was all ready to go and I was able to quickly add some personal touches and just enjoy time with my sister! 

Erin's guest tray included:

  • Bottled Water
  • Tito's and mixers 
  • Candle from Abboo Candle Co (hurry your code BONES20 works for another week!)
  • Peanut M&M's 
  • A small container of tums and aspirin
  • Assorted snacks

So there you have it! I know it seems like a lot right now but by being prepared it makes it much more enjoyable for you and your guests! I would love to hear what you do to prepare your home for your guests! 

 

XOXO | SLL