How I Earn FREE Gift Cards

I love free. 

Free books, free clothes, free food. 

Free money. I like that most of all.

Here are some ways we earn free money in the form of gift cards.

• Cashback on our Discover card. We get 5% on everything we purchase. Sometimes we put the money right towards the credit card bill, other times we use if for gift cards.
• Inboxboxdollars.com offers users payment in the form of a check or gift card. You can watch video's, do survey's, or simply confirm the e-mail to get rewarded. 
• Mypoints.com gives points for surveys, clicking on e-mails, or shopping on-line. We get most of our points for on-line shopping. By saving up points, we get 50 dollar gift cards for places like Wal-Mart and Lowes. 

Here are some other popular sites that I don't personally use, but have heard great things about.

• Swagbucks- you can earn points for watching video's, searching the web, and shopping on-line
• ebates- users get cash back for shopping on-line. 

Do you use any of these websites? What do you think of them? Comment below!

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March Monthly Meal Plan

I can't believe it is March already, can you? It seems like the year just started.

A new month means it is time for a new meal plan! So, here it is.

Does the thought of making a meal plan for the entire month overwhelm you? Check out my tips here!
Did you do a meal plan for the month? Are you trying any new recipes? Let me know in the comment section!

DIY Lighted Glass Gift Box

If you are on Pinterest, you might have noticed all the cute projects a girl can do with glass blocks. (If not check out my DIY board for examples.) My husband and I recently tackled such a project this week.

Materials:

• Glass cube (We purchased ours at AC Moore for 5.00 on sale.)
• Lights (We used snowflake ones, about 2.00 after Christmas clearance, Wal-Mart)
• Ribbon (2.50 Christmas clearance, Hobby Lobby)
• Ornament (optional, 25 cents, Wal-Mart Christmas clearance)

Instructions:

• Place lights inside cube. You may have to do a little bit of maneuvering to get them looking the way you want.
• Wrap your ribbon around it like you would a gift
• Tie a bow or add an ornament or accessory

Cost

9.75

I wish you could see how ours turned out in person! Sometimes a picture just doesn't cut it. We chose "wintry" colors so it could stay out all season.

Have you done any DIY projects lately? What do you think of decorating with glass cubes? Share your comments below!

How to Stop Being a Clean Freak

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If you've been following my series, Confessions of a Clean Freak, then you already know my first two secrets:

- I am a clean freak (go figure).
- My house is not as clean as you think.

Here's my third, and final, confession:

I hate being a clean freak.

It's time consuming. Stressful. 

When I first got married, I couldn't leave the house with dirty dishes in my sink. Now, every once in awhile, I let them go until morning. I used to dust almost every day! Now, it's more like twice a month. Although I don't think I will ever be completely rid of the clean freak within me, at least I am making progress.

Do you want to stop being such a perfectionist when it comes to your home? Here's some advice I need to take myself!

1. Compare yourself to others- Yes, you read that right. Start looking at the homes of your friends and family. There are dirty dishes, dirty laundry, and clutter. Most people with normal lives live this way. And they are happy. They are okay. Try being normal, whatever that may be!
2. Don't compare yourself with others Remember, I have no kids. Less clutter, less crumbs. Some people work all the time. They are never home to make a mess. 
3. Remember no one is judging. The most important people in your life are not looking at your dust. Even us clean freaks! I don't care if there's clutter on the counter, just as long as I don't have to be afraid to use your restroom! I compliment dinner, not complain about dirty dishes. Get jealous of the cute decor. Covet the furniture. 
4. Don't forget what matters. At the end of your life, do you want to be remembered as a basket case and perfectionist? Be the mom who plays with her kids, not the mom who constantly yells for the toys to be picked up. The mom who loves having her daughter bake with her, and doesn't worry about the mess. The wife who doesn't nag about a towel on the floor. 

Are you a clean freak? Have you been trying to work on that area? Comment below!

Don't forget to check out the rest of the posts in my series, Confessions of a Clean Freak!

The Power of 15 Minutes

Clearing the Clutter

Developing a Routine

How to Keep Your Car Clean

How to Keep Your Car Clean: 6 Tips

You vacuum your house weekly. Go on a "disinfect everything" craze when someone is sick. The trash gets taken out weekly.

But what about your car? When was the last time you vacuumed it out? Disinfected the interior? We eat, cough, and sneeze in our cars, not just our houses. 

If you have trouble keeping your car cleaned out, here are 6 tips to help!

    Image courtesy http://mrg.bz/I10rZs

1. Lysol Wipes- keep a container in your car and use to wipe down interior while you wait  for something or someone.
2. Trash pick up- clean out any trash while you are at the gas station
3. CD's- get a regular CD case or one for your visor, so you don't have to keep CD cases in the car
4. Items that don't belong- take them out of the car as soon as you get home- work papers, trash, books, etc.
5. Don't let the little things add up- Just as our homes become messy by letting little things add up, our cars are the same way. You're going in the house anyways- take your purchases, or whatever it is that doesn't belong, with you. The garbage can is right there at the gas station for your soda bottles and gum wrappers.
6. Make it a priority- Schedule a day in the month (if needed) to vacuum out your car. Mark it on your calendar. Set the time and place, and stick with it. 

Do you have any  tips for keeping the interior of your car clean? Place a comment below!

 Do you do a great job at keeping your car  clean, but maybe not your  house? Check out    the rest of my series!

Confessions of a Clean Freak: Developing a Routine

If you think people who have clean homes spend hours working on it, you are wrong.

They don't spend hours working on a clean home, but may have spent hours developing the habit of a morning or evening routine. 

Here is my morning routine

1. Put all dirty laundry in the laundry area
2. Make bed
3. Wipe down bathroom counters if needed
4. Take out bathroom trash if needed
5. Clean toilets if needed
6. Clean bathroom mirror if needed

Evening routine

1. Take out trash as needed
2. Do dishes as needed
3. Sweep kitchen/vacuum as needed
4. Take items from living room and kitchen that don't belong

My morning routine probably takes less then ten minutes. The evening routine is longer, depending on the amount of dishes, and if the "as needed" things are actually needed. 

Am I consistent with my routine? No way! Life happens. I get tired. Other things are more important. But even doing this routine half of the time keeps my house from becoming chaotic. 

Challenge

If you don't have a routine, write down three tasks for the morning. You may have to get up earlier to do these things, or take time away from something like social networking. Once your morning routine is a habit, try an evening routine or adding items to your list. Don't try to do too much at once! This is when you become overwhelmed. 

Do you already have a good routine? Are you challenged to start one? Comment below! I love hearing from my readers!

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Confessions of a Clean Freak: Clearing the Clutter

If you read this post, then you heard my first confession: I'm a clean freak. Here is my second confession:

My house is not as clean as you think it is.

There are crumbs on my floor, dust on the shelves, and my shower always seems to need a good scrubbing. Thankfully, nobody seems to notice these things (at least I hope). 

My house looks clean because I know how to clear the clutter. Here are some things that have worked for me that you may want to try.

1. Clear the counters. If you have cluttered counters, then there is no space for the eye to rest. Do you use that small appliance all the time? If not, tuck it away. Remove toothbrushes and bottles from bathroom counters. 
2. Use Baskets. I keep one in my living room for books I'm currently reading, store ads, and a few other items. I clean my basket out periodically so it's not overflowing. This keep things off of the floor, tables, and other random spots. 
3. Take care of the mail. It takes seconds to go through mail. Throw away junk, and have a designated spot (not on your kitchen counter or table) for the rest.
4. Limit items in your entryway. Only the shoes that fit on the boot tray stay. If there is no room for it on the coat rack, it goes in the closet. I go up the stairs multiple times a day, so it's not a big deal to grab these items and take them with me.
5. Don't let things add up. Do dishes before they overflow to the counter. Don't let laundry, clean or dirty, sit out. These things don't take a lot of time to do. Taking care of little things keeps your home from adding up to a state of overwhelming chaos. 
6. Continually purge and stop buying. All of those items have to go somewhere. 

Clearing the clutter really makes a difference. Here are examples from my home.

The top pictures are what my kitchen normally looks like (unless I'm in the middle of cooking). I don't like to have more than one or two items in each section. In the bottom pictures I set out items most people have out: appliances, food, mail. Most kitchens I see usually have every available spot covered. 

 

Our bathrooms are tiny.  Having clutter only makes them feel smaller. 

By the way, please don't feel bad if your house doesn't look like mine! For one, I don't have kids. You may even be okay with having lots of items out. That is okay, too! It is your home. My definition of clutter may be different from yours, and I promise I won't judge you for it!

Here's your challenge: look at your kitchen and bathroom counters. Does it make you feel overwhelmed? Is there any dead space? If not, then remove a few items. Comment below and let me know how things look!

 

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