Home Cleaning as a Life Lesson for Kids

Home cleaning can be both a blessing and a trial, especially if children are involved. But what you have never thought of is making your kids a part of the home cleaning process and making it both productive and fun for all parties involved. Kids can despise cleaning, yes, especially since it goes against everything they are investing every single waking moment in: making messes and not cleaning up after themselves. But when it comes to the greater good, you should try and make them compromise for the one cleaning and help you with it – and the results can be uncanny.

Roleplay
One way to get children really invested in helping you get the home clean is giving them roles. Make it a game for them, have them do assignments and give them rewards – this is how they spend their video game time, so they should be accustomed to doing it, but only this time their own imagination will be in charge of keeping them entertained. Give your son “missions” and your daughter “responsibilities” and see how they change and act their parts to fulfil the given assignment.

Dress-up
You can combine the roleplay with actual costumes! Kids will love to really pretend to be in other people’s shoes. One of kids’ best pastime is pretending they are adults, so give them adult roles and adult clothes and see how they will do their best to play out the role of their lives. Don’t underestimate the power of their imagination and how it can stimulate them to do real chores with actual desire.

Teaching Responsibility
The house cleaning can be a very good way to introduce the children to adult life and show them why doing what they are doing is important. Don’t treat them as kids, treat them as learning adults and explain how if the floor is not vacuumed, the house will be consumed in dust mites that carry diseases and spoil the quality of life in the house. Give them reasons to resent dirt and reasons to actually want the place to be clean. When a kid wants something, you know that the kid will get it, even if it has to do it itself. Also, the earlier the child starts getting used to chores, the less complaining there will be once it starts growing up, and not to mention that much more work will be actually done – imagine all the responsibilities that will be taken off your own hands!

Cleaning the house can show your kids what to expect one day when they are away from home, away from mommy’s cleaning services, and it will be up to them to keep their surroundings dirt-free. It is a life lesson like any other, but if you get them invested successfully, then you will soon have not children, but small adults running around, helping you around the house, full of desire to learn. Teach them enough and one day you will be able to sleep peacefully at night, certain that they will be able to take care of themselves.

Read more helpful cleaning related tips on: Notting Hill Cleaner Ltd.

HOT! Get An Iced Tea Maker For Under $20

I have been making my own iced tea at home for as long as I can remember. Living in the south, it's referred to as 'sweet tea', and you may likely get cut if you call it iced like I do. I have a Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker that was actually handed down to me a long time ago and it is seeing its last days. The pitcher has cracked and started to leak. Although I can easily order a new pitcher on Amazon, I was lucky to find a brand new unit for only $8.00 more. Check out this great deal for the Mr. Coffee 2-Quart Iced Tea Maker, Blue. It's under $20 and if you have Prime, you can get free two-day shipping.

I am thrilled that I can replace my old machine and also ordered a replacement pitcher as well (Mr. Coffee TP1-1 2-Quart Replacement Pitcher for TM1, TM1P) . If you are looking for an easy way to make iced/sweet tea, you have to get this! It makes a great gift as well. You can't beat the price and I'm excited about my gift to myself. Mine will arrive on Tuesday **insert the heart-eyed emoji here** This is the BEST way to make sweet tea, so go get one for yourself too!

*This post contains affiliate links 

Pull Off Polished On a Budget

Whether it’s for an interview or a romantic date, polishing up your look only means good things. From makeup overhauls to new duds, posture practice to new accessories, implementing small changes can make a big difference.

Perfect Your Posture
You probably don’t realize just how much your posture affects your overall appearance. Slouching can bow your shoulders, causing you to look unkempt, shorter, and heavier. Poor posture can lead to various health consequences including back pain, so it’s in your best interest to work on perfecting your stance. Take a moment and consider your posture right now. Probably not the best, right? We all do it. Bending over at our desks, craning our necks down at our screen, slouching into the couch. Without making a conscious effort, it’s easy for us to fall into bad posture habits.

How to Improve It
There’s easy ways to better your posture, but they may not be what you expect. Contrary to popular belief, keeping your spine completely straight does not contribute to better posture. The best posture is brought about by maintaining two curves: the concave curve from your upper back to the base of your spine and the concave curve from base of your head to your shoulders. Keep your body weight balanced on the balls of your feet, and pretend your head and spine are being held up by a string from the ceiling, and remain aware of this throughout the day. Create alarms on your phone that will remind you to straighten your posture at hourly intervals if you find it hard to stick to.

Revamp Your Makeup Routine
Another easy way to polish your appearance is to overhaul your everyday makeup routine. If you’re using the same products and techniques you’ve been using for 10 years, it’s time to switch it up.

Switch Up Your Foundation
You want your foundation to look flawless without appearing cakey. Use a foundation that can create a matte finish and control your oil production throughout the day; my personal favorite is the Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation.

A New Lip
The nude lip is out, color is in. Especially in these cold winter months, don’t be afraid to try some deeper hues. Try a deep berry color or a rich red—don’t be afraid of the color. If you do go loud with your lip, keep your eyes natural looking, with just a swipe of mascara so as to avoid the clown look.

Try a Different Liner
Instead of sticking with the same old boring brown that you first tried when you were thirteen, incorporate some exciting hues into your eyeliner. Depending on your eye color, there are various options that can really make those irises pop. Try out copper if your peepers are hazel, use grey to make blue eyes stand out, and stick to light purple for brown eyes.

Relieve Your Stress
Do you want to know the one thing that doesn’t look good on anyone? Stress. Excess stress forces your body to produce a variety of hormones including cortisol, which results in more oil production and subsequently more skin problems, including acne. From under eye circles to puffy skin, stress wreaks havoc on our physical appearance to be sure, but it can also be deadly. From obesity to heart issues, you have every reason in the world to better manage your stress levels. Get more sleep, exercise, receive regular massages, and talk to a professional if your stress feels unmanageable.

Update Your Accessories
Don’t forget to give your accessories a facelift. Update your jewelry collection with understated pieces that you can wear daily to dress up any casual wear. I have a personal affinity for jewelry with a personal touch; these necklaces can be customized with your initial and go with anything and everything. Update what you carry with you as well, even down to your electronics. Grab a modern iPhone case and stay prompt with a classic Daniel Wellington watch. Remember that every detail contributes to the bigger picture.

Focus on the Details
Looking polished is about paying attention to the tiny details. Maintaining your manicure and pedicure do more than you know, and you don’t need to head to the nail salon to have your fingers and toes looking their best. Use a high-quality nail polish brand like Essie to avoid chipping, and don’t skip the base and top coats. The extra couple of swipes will be worth the wear you get out of your polish. Another detail that makes a difference? Your eyebrows. Threading may hurt, but it does look oh so good once finished.

Looking polished is a matter of paying attention to the details you might have shirked before. Incorporate these little changes into your daily routine and get that “pulled together” look we all seek.

Simple Ways to Let a Friend Know You Care

Whether your loved one is going through a hard time or you’ve just been feeling a rush of gratitude for their presence in your life, letting them know you care takes just a pinch of thoughtfulness and a moment of effort. You never know the difference it might make, so peruse these options and let your friend know how much they are appreciated.

A Surprise Delivery
Order a bouquet of flowers for delivery to their home or office and write a sweet note to accompany it. You can make it as general as “Hope this brightens your day” or personalize it for a particular situation. A vibrant surprise such as this is sure to bring a smile to their face and remind them of your love every time they see it.

A Kind Letter
With social media saturating our daily lives, it’s easy to “like” our friends’ photos and status updates and call it a day. But if you’re truly feeling like reaching out to a friend and making sure they know you care, consider putting your feelings into writing. That’s right, writing a good old-fashion, pen to paper letter. Just a few paragraphs outlining how grateful you are for their friendship might be the pick me up they need if they’re having a rough go of things.

Take Them Out for Lunch
The work week can drag for all of us, so if you want to let your friend know you care, stop by in the middle of the week at their office and take them out to lunch at a local place. Breaking up the monotony of a long day and the added bonus of surprise will make your friend feel appreciated and give you two a chance to hang out even in the midst of a hectic week.

Actively Listen
If your friend needs to express something, make sure you do your due diligence and listen actively. Too often we hear, but we don’t really take in the message. Your friend might be hiding feelings between the lines and hoping that you’ll pick up on it, so do your best to repeat the words that are spoken to you and analyze the information given to better respond. It may sound like common sense, but many of us fall out of the habit of active listening. Being conscious of this will heighten your communication skills with everyone in your life.

Put the Phone Down
You might feel connected with the outside world while missing out on the person sitting right in front of you. Nothing beats in-person interaction, and constantly looking at the blue light of your iPhone screen just tells the person you’re with that they’re not interesting enough to capture your attention. Put your phone away and give them your full attention; you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much better your communication is.

Show Up With a Meal
If you notice a friend is struggling to get everything done and could really use a break, doing something as simple as bringing dinner over could change their entire outlook for the week. If you’re not a chef extraordinaire there’s no harm in picking up something from their favorite restaurant or having it delivered—it’s the thought that counts, not the food. This is an especially good idea for moms and dads who might be running themselves ragged with responsibility.

Send an Inspirational Book
We don’t always have the right words for someone going through a difficult time, so don’t be hesitant to reach out with the wise words of someone else. If you find an applicable book of inspiration that fits the situation, pass it along. You don’t have to let them know it was a gift specifically bought for them, and you can work under the pretense that it’s been in your library all along. Sometimes it’s hard for people to accept gifts, so if this fits your situation, definitely take it into consideration.

Wine and Chat
Another easy option? A wine night. Grab a personalized wine bottle from a company like Etching Expressions with a picture of the two of you or a cheery message guaranteed to make them smile. Even after you finish its contents, they’ll keep the bottle as a memento of your fun night together and it may bring light to their life on a rainy day in the future. Nothing sparks conversation like a little liquid courage, so give them the chance to express themselves without pressuring them. Simply letting them know you are willing to listen can speak volumes.

Celebrating Your Girlfriends on Gal-entine’s Day

Haven’t heard of Gal-entine’s Day, yet? It’s high time you started observing this wonderful celebration of female friendship. Originally coined by Amy Poehler’s character Leslie Knope on the hit NBC show “Parks and Recreation”, this occasion is celebrated on February 13th, the day before Valentine’s Day. It’s meant to commemorate the beautiful bond and love between best friends, and if you’ve got a great crew of gals you adore, you need to celebrate your friendships and give a nod to the many different but just as wonderful types of love in your life.

Gifting isn’t Just for Lovers
Give your best gal pals a token of your appreciation for their friendship with some sweet and sentimental presents this Gal-entine’s Day. Skip the stale presents and make your besties feel like queens with some heartfelt presents you know they’ll adore. Whether it’s friendship bracelets (those aren’t just for preteens you know!) or tickets to a show you know all of you will enjoy, sweet little presents will definitely have your besties feeling the love.

A Fun Project
Want to keep busy while you’re hanging out? Provide all the supplies for a fun DIY project. Whether it’s making a dream board of all the hopes and wishes you all have for the future using pictures and terms cut out of a magazine, or a wonderfully scented homemade shower scrub, you’ll laugh over your arts and crafts project and leave the evening with a fun memento of the fun times you had that evening.

Paint ’N Wine Night
If you haven’t done a paint and wine night yet, you’re missing out. There are tons of companies in every big city that offer evenings where you and your girlfriends can get firsthand instruction from an artist and create a copycat painting masterpiece, all while sipping on alcoholic beverages and eating yummy appetizers. You’ll all go home at the end of the night with a new painting to hang on your wall, and every time you see it hanging on your wall in the future you’ll smile and think of the amazing women in your life.

Karaoke Night
What better way to spend an evening celebrating love than singing your heart out to some ballads with your besties? Head to a local karaoke bar and pick your favorite jams, sing some duets, and rock out to girl groups for a celebration that will have you losing your voice (all in good fun, of course!)

Television Binging
What is a night in front of the television without some delicious snacks? Order in food and have it delivered from a company like DoorDash, or do it smorgasbord style with a yummy charcuterie and cheese board, mini sliders, and chocolate berries from a company like Shari’s Berries. Celebrate women by picking movies with female leads: think Katniss from “Hunger Games” or the funny, singing gals from “Pitch Perfect”.

For Far Away Besties
If your best friend lives far away but you still want to let her know you’re thinking of her, send a fun card that will provide a happy surprise come February 13th  when she checks her mailbox. Plan a Skype date to catch up and get all the details on any Valentine’s plans you two might be celebrating with the lucky fellas in your lives.

A Girl’s Trip
If you and your friends are all single for the Valentine’s holiday, then you’ve got the entire weekend to work with for your Gal-entine’s celebrations (no wallowing about not being a relationship necessary, ladies). Go out on a sweet getaway weekend that will have you all feeling rejuvenated come the following Monday. What about a wine tasting weekend with a side of luxury spa treatments? Or perhaps you’ll head out on a ski weekend to make the most of the snow still clinging to the ground as winter winds its way down. Whatever it is that you like to do, plan a last-minute trip and celebrate with the girls who know you best.

Romantic relationships can come and go, but your best friends are always there for you, so make sure you celebrate all the types of love in your life this February.