Fun Ideas to Make Life Easier!

A co-worker just sent me this and I had to SHARE!!!! Check out these brilliant ideas!!!!

Ideas to Make Life Easier from Alderberry Hills  

Ideas to Make Life Easier

Why didn't I think of that?!  You'll be uttering those words more than once at these ingenious little tips, tricks and ideas that solve everyday problems.


Hull strawberries easily using a straw.

Rubbing a walnut over scratches in your furniture will disguise dings and scrapes.

Remove crayon masterpieces from your TV or computer screen with WD40.

Stop cut apples browning in your child's lunch box by securing with a rubber band.

Overhaul your linen cupboard, store bed linen sets inside one  of their own pillowcases and there will be no more hunting through piles for a match.

Pump up the volume by placing your iPhone & iPod in a  bowl. The concave shape amplifies the music.

Re-use a wet-wipes container to store plastic bags.

Add this item to your beach bag.  Baby powder gets sand off your skin easily, who knew?

Attach a Velcro strip to the wall to store soft toys.

Use wire to make a space to store gift wrap rolls against the ceiling, rather than cluttering up the floor.

Find tiny lost items like earrings by putting a stocking over the vacuum hose.

Make an instant cupcake carrier by cutting crosses into a box  lid.

For those who can't stand the scrunching and bunching: how to perfectly fold a fitted sheet.

Forever losing your bathroom essentials?  Use magnetic  strips to store bobby pins, tweezers and clippers, behind a vanity door.

Store shoes inside shower caps to stop dirty soles rubbing on your clothes.  And you can find them in just about every  hotel.

A muffin pan becomes a craft caddy.  Magnets hold the plastic cups down to make them tip-resistant.

Bread tags make the perfect cord labels.

Bake cupcakes directly in ice-cream cones, so much more fun and easier for kids to eat.

Microwave your own popcorn in a plain brown paper bag.  Much healthier and cheaper than the packet stuff.

Install a tension rod to hang your spray bottles.

Turn your muffin pan upside down, bake cookie-dough over the  top and voila, you have cookie bowls for fruit or ice-cream.

Freeze Aloe Vera in ice-cube trays for soothing sunburn relief.

Create a window-box veggie patch using guttering.

Use egg cartons to separate and store your Christmas decorations.

The above are not my pictures, this was a public email.

Guest Post by Julia Vegas: Dollars and Cents

I'm sure you all have that mom friend that always knows of all these crazy deals and makes you feel like a SPENDAHOLIC...well Julia  is my SUPER SAVER MOMMA FRIEND. Almost every time I talk to her she shares some great deal, super cheap find, and some awesome coupon just saved her a bagillion dollars. SO...I asked her to write a guest post to shed some light on this oh so important topic: SAVING $.  Now we can all be that super saver friend to someone else if we only put to use these great tips. Check out Julia's blog, I never Drank Coffee Until I had Kids,  for lots of other great posts, especially the very real and funny list of things she's learned as a NEW MOM.

Dollars and Cents
By Julia Vegas

Being a mom is hard work. So when Valeria of Making Mommy-hood Easier asked me to write about couponing/saving, I of course said “yes”! Having a child makes you really think about where your dollars and cents are going, because you want to be able to provideeverything their little hearts desire!First and foremost, if you haven’t signed up for Amazon Mom, shame on you. This is the only way I am able to spend $20 a month on diapers, and I change quite a bit of diapers (Jackson really likes spinach smoothies). Amazon Mom gives you the luxury of free 2 day shipping, and 20% of “subscribe and save” items (diapers, wipes, etc) and so much more! You also get 15% off beauty, grocery, household items (think laundry detergent for all the laundry mom’s get to do). It really is a deal. Just today I placed my monthly order for Huggies Overnites 64 count for $13. 99. That’s right folks, what costs the average mom $20 at Target, Wal-mart or any other retail store just cost me $13.99 for two months of wonderful, non-pee soaked crib sheets!
Sleeping Beauty
I purchased Huggies because Pampers Overnight diapers had Jackson waking up wet for a week straight (aka miserable baby, and miserable mommy). I’m a Huggies mom all the way, but to each their own and of course their are great deals on Pampers too! 

How else can one save? Well if your really looking to stretch your dollar, you can make your own laundry detergent! I haven’t tried this, but it sure does sound enticing to spend $20 and have clean clothes for 9 months! There are so many DIY projects that can save big bucks, even on the things you “splurge” on. Try making your own wall plug-ins, instead of paying $12 at bath and body works. Decorating a home, while on a budget can be difficult when your trying to save.Why not buy a gorgeous piece of fabric and using a stable gun, staple it to a blank canvas? In an instant, you have a new piece of wall-art! Want to have pictures taken of the kids, but don’t have the cash to pay a photographer? Tape a piece of fabric to the wall and voila!, instant photo studio! 

Also try Notifinder.com to save you time when searching Craigslist for awesome deals. I just got Jackson a Smart Trike BRAND NEW for $50 that is worth $119.99 at Toys ‘R’ Us. Sure, the kid in the back seat was probaly crying the whole way home after his mom gave it to me, but hey, my kid sure is happy! 

When it comes to food, you would be surprised by how much you throw out. I, however, was tired of throwing food out, so now I’m thankful for my freezer. One of Jackson’s favorite dinners is a turkey meatloaf I make from my “Deceptively Delicious” cookbook, which is all about using puree’s in dinners to get your kid’s to eat vegetables. With the help of my freezer, I am able to cut and save slices to easily serve later to him when I am in a rush to feed him dinner. I won’t eat the meatloaf (something about knowing puree’s are in it) so it makes it easy to make a whole batch knowing it won’t go to waste. I almost never throw food out anymore(unless it’s rotten). If Jackson only eats half a banana, the other half goes in the freezer for a smoothie another day. Won’t eat his vegetables I made? Make a tomoato sauce and throw the veggie puree in there, they won’t notice a thing! 

Coupons help save some bucks too! If your new to couponing (I am, thanks to Extreme Couponing on TLC) you can easily come up with ways to stretch a buck. I don’t know anyone who every spends full price at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. They practically beg for you to have everything at 20% off! Look for your store’s weekly ad and match sales with your coupons. Doing so, I have managed to get free dog treats for Bruno, free toothpaste, shampoo for less than 25 cents, etc. I wish I would have done it sooner! You can easily print coupons from manufacturer websites up to FIVE TIMES per I.P. address! Think about the savings! The Krazy Coupon Lady is an awesome way to get in on the action of couponing. She even tells youwhat coupons to use at which store. She does the work for you, so what are you waiting for, get to saving! 

Living in Austin, I am lucky enough to have Free Fun in Austin to go to when I am in a rut for things to do without spending alot of cash. Maybe in your city, you have something similar just haven’t looked. If you don’t, why don’t you become the city guide for things to do on the cheap! You will be able to learn all about your city, it’s hidden gems, and all there is to do for free! 

Groupon, Living Social, and Eversave are just a few of many deal sites that you should definitely look into, if you haven’t already. I have been able to take Jackson, myself and Matt to the zoo three times so far for $6 total each visit! Fandango movie tickets are a great snag when they are available because what mom doesn’t need a date night with the hubby for $5 each? It’s a great way to splurge on the kids as well! I have been able to buy Jackson a month membership to My Gym for $49, which was worth $175! A few months ago, when I was not pregnant, I bought vouchers to Bikram Yoga for $30 for 5 classes! Each class at my local studio is $17 plus mat and towel, but I was able to get mat, towel and 5 classes for $30! What a steal! There is always something for everyone when you visit a deal site. Oil changes, restuarants, movies, sky diving, hotels, if you can think it, you can save money on it! 

When it comes to toys for the kids, I wouldn’t hesitate to check out retailers online websites before buying in the store. For example, I bought a pathfinder wagon for Jackson’s first birthday that was at Wal-mart for $79 in the store. Online it was $62 withfree in-store pickup. What did I do? I paid for it online, got in my car, drove the 2 miles to Wal-mart and picked up my $62 wagon that was in the store for $79. Online and In-store prices are almost never the same. Check first! 

Remember, saving doesn’t mean have a  ”boring today”, it means saving for a “better tomorrow”. You can get a deal on just about anything if you just know where to look.Good Luck saving!

Thanks Julia for sharing your WISDOM!!! 

Cleaning Products that are SAFE for you, your home, and Your planet!

If you girls are anything like my mom, you only think something is clean when you can FEEL the CLOROX burning your nostrils. Growing up my mom hit up everything with clorox but I never could stand that smell or the smell down isle 8 at the Grocery store where all the cleaning products and detergents are--sealed...and yet it smells like there is a CONSTANT SPILL or LEAK from all the bottles.

The other day I met a mama-preneur who has her own BLOG: Eco-Licious Mama and works with Shaklee Corporation-who makes eco-friendly cleaning products.

Eco-licious Mama Educates and Empowers moms, families and communities on how to get rid of toxic chemicals and create a healthier home and Family!

Now what MOMMA doesn't want to do that?

I must admit that I have backed off from those days when i'd anti-bacterial everything and everyone within a mile radius of my son...but now that he's a little older (almost 2) and a lot stronger, I've back up a notch. I still clean and disinfect, don't get me wrong....but not as much as I used to...and not nearly as much as MY MOM still does---WITH CLOROX!

When talking with Rachel, she mentioned stuff about Palmolive dish soap NOT actually being good for you like the commercials used to say and that doctors can test your urine and find traces of the detergents you use since they seep into your system<---CRAZY.

There were a couple other facts that she gave me that made me start thinking:

• 150 chemicals in the home have been linked to allergies, asthma, birth defects, attention disorders, cancer and other illnesses...
• women who work from home have a 54% higher cancer rate than those who work outside the home. According to a study by the EPA, this is caused by the "out-going" of hazardous chemicals within the home and contributes to higher cancer rates.
• this is one of Oprah's favorite things
• The Cleaner of the WHite House and NASA use their products
• They have products (non-toxic, plant based cleaners) that outclean 11 national Brands.
• To get the same amount of clean as one 16-ounce bottle of Basic H2 (one of their products), you would have to spend: Nearly $482 for the equivalent of all-purpose cleaner, $12,250 for the equivalent amount of window cleaner, and $144 for the equivalent amount of degreaser....THAT's A LOT of SAVINGS!

I know this may seem a little extreme, you might not give hoot about how they clean they White House, and like me you don't think that you've ever spent that much money on cleaning products anyway!....but it made me wonder:

What kinds of things don't I know about the things I have in my home that I wouldn't really miss if they weren't here and might actually be able to SAVE MONEY by switching it for another product?

I am really not selling you this product or endorsing it. I am just letting you know what I came across. I am going to set up a meeting with this ECO-LICIOUS MOMMA and see what other stuff I can learn and find out. I encourage you too, to look around your home and ask yourself:

Could there maybe be a better way to clean that is safer for my me, my home, and as a nice bonus...for the planet (which I want to preserve for my grandkids to enjoy one day)?

If you are interesting in finding out more info:

Contact Racheal Terracino at 714-493-9224

or email her at: embraceyourlife@yahoo.com

If you do try these products, let me know what you think of them. If you have other eco-friendly ways of cleaning your home, please share us with rest of us!

Email those tips to valeria.rodez@gmail.com with: MMHE in the subject line.

Happy Cleaning!

Online Clothes, books, and Toys Swapping at ThredUP.com

I'm sure you've all come to the realization that our kids grow way to fast and it's financial impossible to keep dressing their cute little bodies with NEW, brand name articles of clothing every month...If it is possible for you...then STOP READING and go buy something new for your child. As for the rest of us that are creatively trying to make ends meet and constantly looking for new and creative ways to clothe our kiddos, this site is really cool. I've mentioned to a couple mom friends that this would be great to do in our own complex or at a friends house but most of us with the older kids would be left without anything in return and the mommas with the younger kids would be left with all their clothes plus a whole bunch more. This site helps solve that issue...After we have our own clothes swap. We can go here and post up the rest of our stuff and FINALLY MAKE SPACE in our son's room.

thredUP.com is a place where moms like you and me swap clothing, books and toys online---just like they say on their site.

The proces is pretty simple:

1. Pick: Browse our list of thousands of boxes full of preloved kids clothes & toys - just $5 (+ $10.95 USPS shipping). Get your box delivered to your doorstep in just a couple of days.

2. List: Post your own box of preloved clothes/toys your child no longer wears on thredUP. It takes just minutes to list out the great items your kids no longer use.

3. Send: When another member picks your box, send it 100% free of charge. We provide boxes, postage, and even schedule the pick-up.

Daily ThredUP is a place where moms can discuss one interesting topic per day. Check it out...you might find something interesting to discuss. It's always nice to practice NORMAL ADULT CONVERSATION and THOUGHT PROCESSING throughout the day....hahaha. It Can probably help you keep from say BUH BYE to a future employer or signing THANK YOU to the Cashier at the grocery store.

Happy Swapping!

Using NotiFINDER.com to Find Things Faster on Craigslist

Noifinder.com can save you time and money by sending Craigslist post to your inbox once you answer a couple simple questions about what you are looking for!

We all know that children can help you run up HUGE tabs when getting clothes and toys that you know they will grow out of and stuff on some shelf before you’re already back in the store again. So by now you probably have learned that getting used things Craigslist is the way to go. However Craigslist takes forever to sift through the different posts under the different topics, which sometimes makes the experience more agonizing than helpful.

Well fret not more.

I am proud to say that my husband, Peter Flores and our friend, Ashish Patel created an incredible and FREE tool to help us all navigate through Craigslist, Notifinder.com.

It allows you to set up a search with specific criteria in 4 simple steps!

First input your location. Here is Los Angeles we have a couple sub-locations to choose from when creating a search:

los angeles - all california

los angeles - westside-southbaycalifornia

los angeles - SF valleycalifornia

los angeles - central LAcalifornia

los angeles - san gabriel valley california

los angeles - long beach / 562california

los angeles - antelope valley

After deciding what your location is, type in what you are looking for. As you start typing, you will see a pop-up letting you know how often a new listing is posted. This will help you gauge if your search is too broad, too specific, or just right.

Next determine if you would like to know right away, once a day, or once a week about posts that match your search criteria.

And last but not least add your e-mail, sit back, and wait for the Craigslist posts to arrive at your inbox! Once you get what you wanted, you can just unsubscribe with one click.

I know you might think it’s too good to be true, or that I'm a little biased but you just have to try it once

and you’ll be hooked. Simply check Facebook and other sites like these, Killer Start-ups, AppScout,

Techie Buzz, to read about how people all over are using NotiFINDER.com to make their lives easier.

Techie Buzz said “With an easy-to-use interface, no hassle of signing up for an account and a dead

simple idea, NotiFinder is one of the most useful Craigslist tools on the web.”

What are you waiting for? Sign up for a search and find out for yourself just how simple and time-saving NotiFINDER.com really is.

Happy NotiFINDING!

Continue reading on Examiner.com Using NotiFINDER.com to Find Things Faster on Craigslist - Los Angeles Motherhood | Examiner.com