free

  • free, My memories

    My Kitchen Cleaning Routine + Free Kitchen Essentials from Grove Collaborative!

    My Kitchen Cleaning Routine + Free Kitchen Essentials from Grove Collaborative!

    post-2

    I used to believe there were two kinds of people: the ones who always have clean kitchens, and the rest of us. You know the people who always seem to have sparkling countertops and no dishes piled up in the sink? My grandma always had a clean sink, it was top priority and I struggle to do that with a large family. I can proudly say that I’m one of those people now (well, most days) thanks to Grove Collaborative and few helpful habits I’ve picked up.

    By making these steps a part of my daily routine, my kitchen stays clean with minimal effort. And right now, when you sign up for Grove Collaborative, you can get this FREE kitchen essentials kit including Mrs. Meyer’s hand soap + dish soap, Grove Collaborative kitchen towel, Grove Collaborative walnut scrubber sponges, free shipping + free 60 day VIP trial.

     

    Here’s what my daily routine looks like in action:

     

    Keep countertops clear: Clutter loves company. There are five of us living here and being a home school, work from home family, the clutter can multiply fast. If I set my purse down on the counter, the mail and my kids’ stuff quickly join the party. That’s why I’ve practicing  a “nothing-on-the-counters” rule in my house.

    Wipe everything down: With the countertops clear, I’m much more likely to wipe everything down instead of ignoring the crumbs in the corner. This walnut scrubber sponge from Grove is perfect for wiping up water, spills, sticky spots — you name it. Every time I cook, I grab my walnut scrubber and give the stove, sink, and countertops a quick wipe with the soft side. The scour side (yes, made from crushed walnuts!) is non-abrasive and tough on burnt-on messes. Once you see how shiny and fresh your kitchen looks, you’ll be motivated to keep it clean!

     

    Empty the dishwasher & put dishes away: Every morning while I’m making coffee, I empty the dishwasher. We’ve (mostly) trained ourselves to put glasses straight in the dishwasher instead of letting them pile up in the sink. I usually take an extra second to dry hand-washed items with my Grove kitchen towel. It looks so much nicer than leaving them sitting in the drying rack! Fortunately this towel is super absorbent, so I can get through an entire meal’s worth of pots and pans without having to switch towels!

     

    Use beautiful cleaning supplies: I know it sounds silly, but I’m way more motivated to clean and do dishes if I have nice supplies that I look forward to using. For example, Mrs. Meyer’s hand soaps and dish soaps are made with essential oils and plant-derived ingredients, so they smell amazing and don’t irritate my skin. Plus, the matching set looks so nice sitting next to my sink!

     

    Now that these steps are part of my everyday routine, it only takes a few minutes and saves me tons of time in the long run — promise! Here’s a way to save even more time creating a beautiful home: Sign up for Grove Collaborative. They’ve got you covered for all your kitchen and home essentials.

     

    Answer a few quick questions about your current cleaning routine and your favorite brands, and Grove will deliver the best natural products right to your doorstep, on your schedule. I love that Grove sends me a reminder before my shipment so I can double-check my pantry, add or delete any products right from my phone, and then forget about it. Since I made Grove part of my routine, I no longer have to remember to add dish soap to my shopping list or run to the drugstore to grab toothpaste. What a relief!

     

    When you try Grove now and and place your first order of $20, here’s what you’ll get:

    • Free Mrs. Meyer’s Hand Soap
    • Free Mrs. Meyer’s Dish Soap
    • Free Grove Collaborative Kitchen Towel
    • Free Grove Collaborative Walnut Scrubber Sponges
    • Free Shipping & 60 Day VIP Trial

    Existing Customers Button

    Already a Grove customer? They’ll add a Mrs. Meyer’s hand soap to your next order for free. Just click here!

     

    The free 60 day VIP trial is especially convenient. VIPs get free shipping, which makes it easy to keep your home stocked up on essentials from favorite brands like Mrs. Meyer’s, Seventh Generation, and Method. Plus you’ll get free gifts, price matching, exclusive sales, and extra-fast customer service.

     

    Go grab your kitchen essentials kit now — supplies are limited and this offer ends February 12. Here’s how it works:

    Kitchen_Essentials_Chart (2)

    1. Sign up for Grove Collaborative here. You will receive the Kitchen Essentials Set for free when you sign up!
    2. Answer 4 quick questions about your home that Grove Collaborative will then use to customize your first basket — this takes under 30 seconds!
    3. Once you’ve answered the questions, you can finalize your basket of products to suit your household needs by adding or removing items.
    4. To receive this offer, your order needs to be a minimum of $20. Choose the combination of products and scents you love and receive in your first box.
    5. You made it! Click Finish & Pay and place your order.
  • Ancestry.com, brick wall, family, family historian, family reunions, family tree, free, Genealogy

    Census Research


     

    I really learned a lot last year while I volunteered transcribed the 1940’s US Census. It was very fun and educational at the same time.

    Right now this month’s value pack at Shop Family Tree is  the Census Research Value pack. This pack will help you find websites with census records and dates. What to expect when using the 1940 census and how to access online census records for free. How to use the major online census collections at Ancestry.com, HeritageQuest Online and other sites. How the different sites’ records and indexes compare to each other. Teach you search strategies for finding elusive ancestors and why you may not be able to find a certain census record.  These tips for becoming a smarter and more efficient census searcher will help in your research.

    Here is a great video from Youtube on the 1940’s US Census from National Archives.

     

     

  • free, My memories

    My Memories Freebie

    I know it has been  a while since I shared these freebies. It has been taking me longer than I had hoped to get my new laptop up, and then I had to replace my printer this week. This weeks My Memories Freebie is a cute St. Patties Day Cupcake wrap. Saint Patricks Day is my favorite holiday, I love Irish history and that this holiday falls around the time that spring is beginning. Just print and cut out to use on your favorite cupcakes.

     

     

    Free Download

  • Ancestry.com, brick wall, family historian, family reunions, family tree, free, Genealogy

    Research made easier

    Researching your family history can be challenging at times. When I first was learning to do research with my Grandma, it meant contacting record departments, and visiting libraries. Now you can connect almost instantly with relatives via the internet. Ancestry.com and other sites has made sharing information much easier. You can Try Ancestry.ca FREE for 14 days!  Ancestry.ca is the Canadian resource for family history research. They have recently released their Canada Voters Lists collection this last week containing over 80 million records and by far the largest Canadian collection.

     

     

  • free, save money

    Couponing-saving money

    So more on the controversial TLC show- Extreme Couponing. One of the ladies was very irresponsible and honestly even though she had multiple transactions. Violated the terms on the coupons. Shelf clearing and 30+ transactions are not only a violation of the terms 4 coupons PER customer, but very RUDE.. Please review your coupons closely with store policy, most of what this show promotes is not REAL life situations. Only once have I had a 98% savings, and that was at Rite Aid, buying clearance items, using coupons and using Wellness card. The norm is 50-60% savings with A LOT of work at first. Then over time like everything else you become a pro…

    I highly recommend Jill’s Super Couponing DVD

    Her DVD will show you how to properly use coupons, and truly save. The way the show promotes it doesn’t fully explain the process nor rules you are to follow. Click to view FREE clips from my Super-Couponing® and Super-Couponing® 2 DVDs online. Shipping is a flat $5.95

    Some other really helpful sites that have great instruction on saving money is We Use Coupons, Nathan from the first season is Mr. Coupon. This is his site, and very helpful. Another useful site is Pinching your Pennies, this was the first real forum type site I visited. It helped me save so much on a new blue ray player for my husband a few Thanksgivings back. It was great being online browsing the Pre Black Friday sales and getting better deals while in the comfort of my home and being around family.

    Sites such Groupon.com, Thatfreebiesite.com, have great specials on everyday items. Anything from photos, to magazines, travel, coupons, discounts, you name it… And check out my tab on saving money for more links to save money.

  • free

    Great Coupon Sites to visit.

    Everyone loves to save money, even a few cents off of something can make a difference. There are many different places that you can get some nice savings. There are stores such as Target that allow .05 per reusable bags used. That is a generous amount returned for using your own bag. Target also sends you Target coupons that can be stacked with regular manufacture coupons and a little known fact is that Target also price matches. It has become my favorite place to shop the past few years because I save so much.

    I also follow sites such as We Use Coupons, Pinching Your Pennies, Coupons.com, CellFire.

    Cellfire you receive coupons via cell phone or internet for Smith’s grocery stores.

    We use Coupons was featured in TLC’s Extreme Couponers last April. I had been following long before that. It is a great large resource for daily deals, and internet deals. They are a great site to get early specials before they are released to the public.

    Pinching your Pennies, I have been with the longest. I REALLY enjoy this forum. Always very informative, great videos on how to properly use coupons. I spent all Thanksgiving Day with them getting the pre Black Friday deals, while everyone enjoyed the game, I got my hubby a new Blue Ray player and 3 new Blue Ray discs for 1/3 the price it was sold for the following day. And it was a plus that I never once left the house.

    I found this News article on Pinching your Pennies. Very wonderful site, with tons of information to start saving today.

  • digital scrapbooking, free, scrapbooking

    Freebie from SVG

    I love scrapbooking and seeing new design embellishments to add to my albums. There are SVG designs files that can be used with various paper cutters. Here is SVGcuts.com latest freebie, Road Trip, its a fitting die cut to scrap all those wonderful summer road trips we’ve taken this summer and past summers. They are also offering a $20.00 discount on their latest SCAL 3 program. So go over to their site and check out all the wonderful cute die cut files.