Archive for August, 2008

I have found that when you spray some cooking spray on the grill before you use the BBQ, it is easier to clean when you are done. Of course you would use Watkins Cooking Spray.

The Homemaker helpers is having a draw to celebrate their grand re-opening and three lucky winners will receive one of the following all natural, plant-based cleaning products:

Watkins lemon furniture polish

Watkins Aloe & Green Tea All Purpose Cleaner

Lavender Window And Glass Cleaner

These three wonderful, naturally scented cleaners from Watkins will make the winning homemakers cleaning chores a delightful experience!

How To Enter the Draw

You have three ways to enter! Simply subscribe to our newsletter, leave a friendly comment on one of our articles, or tell-a-friend about our site before October 15, 2008. A valid email address must be used in all cases so we can contact you if you win!

Draw Rules And Important Stuff

There are no entry fees. A random draw of all qualified people who have subscribed, commented or referred our site will be held on October 16/2008. No multiple entries, one entry per person. Winners will be announced on this site on October 20, 2008. Winners will be notified by email and will be required to provide their mailing address and phone number within 7 days. If the winner fails to comply within the given time frame another name will be drawn.

Important Notes: This draw is open to residents of legal age in Canada or United States only. Independent Watkins associates and their families are NOT eligible to enter or win. The Homemaker Helpers reserves the right to substitute prizes for similar products of equal value.

Prizes are offer by the Gold Team of Ind Watkins associates and not Watkins Inc. or any other team.

We can hardly wait to give these cleaning products away so what are you waiting for? Enter today!

Are you living in clutter and chaos? Try this fifteen minute pickup trick to control clutter, simplify your life and banish chaos in your home. It’s common to feel that the biggest challenge to cleaning up is the sheer magnitude of the task in front of you. Is “So much mess, so little time” your motto? Do you ask yourself, “Where do I begin?”

Busy Mom living in chaos

This is where the fifteen minute pickup trick comes in. A fifteen minute pickup is simply fifteen minutes of time that’s spent focusing on tidying up a place of your choosing. It can be a particular room or area in your house, or it could be the entire house. Here’s what you do, set a timer and get to work until the timer goes off. Then you stop and consider yourself done. You’ll probably discover that stopping is just as important as the starting. The reason for this, is no matter how busy or overwhelmed you are, you can always find time to do something for fifteen minutes. But if you feel that fifteen minutes is going to drag into a half-hour or more, then you’re not going to want to get started. You’ll find this is also true with your children and spouse. They may be happy to help out for a limited amount of time, but may resist helping in the first place because they fear the work will take too long.

The best place to start is with one general fifteen minute pickup per day. Set a regular time that fits your schedule, or maybe when you are freshest! If you have children, a good time is in the evening, just before you begin getting them ready for bed, as it provides a transition from play to bedtime, and it’s time to put the toys away. Get the entire family involved. If your child gets distracted, gently remind him or her to pick something up. You’ll be totally amazed by how your home can go from looking like a tornado ripped through it to being basically orderly after just fifteen minutes of everyone working together.

The first time you do this, you’ll most likely just be getting stuff off the floor and into the general vicinity of where they belong. However, if you keep at it every day, you will start finding time to do some sorting and be able to put things away in a more organized manner. You might even have time to do some quick vacuuming. You’ll find that each day, you’re able to clean a little deeper before that timer goes off!

Once you have gotten into the habit of doing one general fifteen minute pickup a day, you can add one or two more at different times of the day to focus on specific rooms or areas of your home that need more attention. For example, a fifteen minute cleanup of your kitchen counter can do wonders. The main thing is to institute these pickups gradually enough so that you can be consistent and get into the habit of doing them. Won’t it be nice to watch your house get clean fifteen minutes at a time, and know that you hardly spent any time at it at all? Then, you can focus your time and energy on the more fun aspects of living!

There is no better time to “Go Green” than right now. The following tips will help you achieve cleaning in an environmentally friendly way.

BUY ALL-PURPOSE CLEANERS
You do NOT need to buy a cleaner for every cleaning chore. This is simply a tactic used by manufacturers to get you to buy several different products. Try Watkins Natural All-Purpose Cleaners. These chemical-free, biodegradable products can take care of most of your cleaning chores. Safe for your family, safe for the environment.

READ THE LABELS
If a product label states “caution” or “warning” that product will have less of an impact on the environment than a label that states “danger”. Try Watkins Natural Plant-Based Home Care. These products are 100% safe for the environment.

USE COLD WATER
Whenever possible use cold water for cleaning. When washing a deck or your driveway you do not have to use hot water. Or when you are doing laundry cold water sometimes will work just as well as hot water. Try it!

NO MORE PAPER TOWELS
Try to clean with reusable products such as rags or sponges. Disposable cleaning cloths or paper towels may seem convenient but they are not good for the environment.

USE CONCENTRATED PRODUCTS
By using concentrated cleaning products you will be using less packaging. Try Watkins All-Purpose Concentrate. This earth friendly, ultra concentrated all-purpose cleaner will save you money and save the environment.

CLEAN DAILY
Don’t let dirt and dust pile up before you clean. It makes the most sense to clean daily. In the long run you will use less energy and less products than if you allowed the dirt to accumulate. Also, pick up clutter as you go through your day. You will be surprised how easy cleaning day will be.

RECYCLE
One of the most important things you can do for the environment is to recycle. It’s also one of the easiest, simply rinse and recycle. Most cities offer bins for you to recycle your plastics, glass, newspapers, etc. Check with your local city office and see what day they pick up.

USE GREEN CLEANING PRODUCTS
Whenever possible, and that should be most of the time, use eco-friendly cleaning products. Not only are they better for the environment, they will be safe for your family. These products clean great, smell great and best of all you can feel good what you use in your home. Watkins Natural Home Care is the better choice!

You don’t have make all your changes at once. Try one tip at a time until it becomes natural for you to have a “green” house.
Good Luck, Tracey
www.VanillaGourmet.com

  Here is a helpful hint on how to determine if the charcoal or gas grill has reached the right grilling temperature?  This method works for both gas and charcoal fires.

Hold you hand, palm side down near the cooking grate and the length of time you can keep it there. Hot fire you will only be able to hold your hand there 2 second.  A medium hot fire you will be able to hold it there for a count of 4 seconds.  And a low fire you will be able to hold it there for 5 seconds.

Now that you have the heat factor down pat, Waktins bbq sauce and grilling seasonings will make the food a hit with your family and guest.

Enjoy!

Mary Ellen Glynn

www.watkinsonline.com/glynn

www.oldthymegoodness.com

Green Clothes Dryer

I love the smell of laundry after it’s been hung out on the line to dry, it smells so fresh and clean. It brings back fond memories of my childhood, my Mom never had an automatic clothes dryer so summer and winter all our laundry was hung on a clothes line to dry.

I have a electric dryer but when the weather permits I like to dry our laundry out side. It not only saves money but it’s another way we can be greener.

Do you dream of being a one income family with out having to worry about how you are going to pay your bills? It can be done, and if you have the chance to do some advanced planning it will be easier to achieve. Whether you are living on one income by choice or because of unexpected circumstances these ideas should help.

There are many reasons why families have to live on one income, a new baby, single parent, one spouse loses their job or simply because one of you wants to spend more time with your children. Whatever your situation is, living on one income can mean it’s time to cut back, or it can mean that now is the opportunity to reduce your spending, live a simpler and more frugal lifestyle with a few clever budget changes.

Determine You Income and Expenses

Start by looking at your monthly cash flow, what money is coming in and what money is going out. The first part should be easy, simply list all of your income that you receive on a regular basis every month. You might want to do this before you give up a second income to see if you can afford it. If you are currently living on a single income, now is a great time.

Next comes the more difficult task of listing everything that you are committed to spending every month, this includes your:

• mortgage or rent
• utilities - electricity, cable and water etc.
• groceries
• health care
• vehicle payments
• Fuel, repairs and maintenance
• loans and credit card debt
• other essentials - personal care, toilette paper
• insurance - home, vehicle, life
• child care
• savings
• home maintenance and repair

Make this a complete list of everything that you absolutely must pay for every month. These are your essential monthly expenses.

Now make a list of all the other non-essential purchases and expenses you make each month, this includes your:

• clothing
• entertainment
• decorating
• toys
• gifts

These are your non-essential monthly expenses. Add your essential and non essential expenses together to get your total monthly expenses.

Then simply subtract your total monthly expenses from your monthly income. The difference between these two amounts is you disposable income or how much you have to spend on everything else. If this amount is a negative amount and often it is for many families, you may suddenly realize you can’t afford your current lifestyle.

But don’t worry because there are lots of things you can do to reduce your monthly expenses. The first place to start is on the list of items that you made for your non-essential monthly expenses.

We all usually have a long list of essential and nonessential monthly expenses so if you can reduce your non-essential expenses to zero and each essential expense by ten or twenty dollars it will soon add up to make a significant difference.

Making One Income Work

You’ve set your budget of monthly expenses, now it’s time to reduce those costs.

First, go through your list of nonessential expenses to which things you can cut out of your budget all together. Entertainment is usually one the first places people look to cut expenses. Do you have any monthly subscriptions or memberships that you don’t really use anymore? Do you spend money on services or products that you don’t need?

Next, go through your list of monthly bills and see how you can reduce each one. If one of you will be staying home with your children you can cut your child care expenses altogether. Quite often you can call credit card companies and get a reduced rate. You may be able to switch cell phone providers or find a lower rate.

Most people don’t take advantage of offers that come through the mail for cheaper monthly cable or a lower monthly telephone service. Also, one of the easiest fixed costs that you can lower is insurance. Call all the vehicle and home insurance companies and get them to beat each others offers. As long as you are realistically lowering your monthly costs then you are going in the right direction.

Then take a look at your existing credit. If you have a good credit rating then you are in an excellent position to shop around for a better rate for a vehicle loan or a better mortgage. If your credit rating isn’t great then log onto the three credit companies, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. They will give you practical information on how to fix your credit rating so that you can get your monthly expenses down by either consolidating your debts or replacing them with loans over a longer lending period or with a better interest rate. Be careful so you don’t end up paying more.

Then have a look at all the things that can buy cheaper, like cheaper gas, less convenience and junk food. There are lots of ways to spend less on the things you buy on a regular basis by either finding sales, coupons or special offers or buying it somewhere else where it’s cheaper.

Once you have sorted all your expenses you should see if your monthly expenses both essential and non-essential are lower than your monthly income. If they are then this is great. You should pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

If they aren’t, and you have really tried to squeeze every last penny out of your expenses then you may have to reconsider your situation. You could either start cutting things out of the budget like using only one car, one cell phone, or go back to your income and find ways to increase what’s coming in by finding a better paid job or working part time from home.

Either way, try to be creative in thinking about the ways you could save money and be more frugal so that living on one income is a comfortable step and not a financial nightmare. With a little thought and planning ahead you may be able to get by easier than you think.

Do you sit down to pay the bills every month and wonder how in the world you are spending so much? You are not alone, this is a common scenario for many people from all walks of life. The good news is there are a few things you can do to cut your monthly bills down, and live more frugally without depriving yourself.

Frugal Tips to Reduce Your Utility Bills

Utility companies are in fierce competition with each other these days, so use it to your advantage by comparing prices for the best savings. You certainly don’t have to stick with a supplier you are not happy with so go with the one with the best rates you can find.

Dryers use a lot of electricity or gas which means higher bills for you. Try hanging your clothes to dry. Nothing smells like laundry that’s been line dried outdoors. You can put your clothes in the dryer when they are still slightly damp for 10 minutes or so to remove any wrinkles. This is not only more frugal but will help some of your clothes last longer as well.

Your parent’s were right, turning off the lights when you are not using them will save you electricity. When you’re just relaxing try lighting candles instead, this will save money and create a nice atmosphere. Choose soy wax candles for cleaner burning and follow all safety precautions.

Set your thermostats a couple of degrees lower in the winter and a couple of degrees higher in the summer for a big savings on your utility bills. If it’s cool in your house don’t just automatically turn the heat higher. You can easily put on an extra sweater, a pair of socks or use an extra blanket instead.

Purchase energy efficient appliances. When you need to replace your old refrigerator for example, models with the freezer on the bottom are the most frugal choice, followed by the freezer on top and lastly side by side models use the most electricity. A front loading washer uses less energy and water than a top loading model. New models are now more frugal than older models.

Frugal Tips to Reduce Your Water Bill

Reduce water use to lower your water bill. Try to take showers instead of baths. Turn off the water while you are brushing your teeth. Collect rain water and use it to water your plants. Keep your faucets in good repair making sure they aren’t dripping. Use a bowl full of water when doing the dishes instead of leaving the tap running.

Don’t use your washing machine or dishwasher when it’s only half full. Also, try adjusting the temperature settings to see if a lower temperature will do the job just as well as the pricier higher one. Turn off the heat dry cycle on your dishwasher and let your dishes air dry.

Wash your laundry in cold water, in most cases your clothes will come just as clean. Look for a detergent that works in cold water to save on your utility bill. You don’t need the extra rinse for most laundry either.

Investing in a good water filtering system can save you money over buying expensive bottled water. It will also help you save money by making your appliances last longer due to lower lime scale buildup in hard water areas. You can even use less detergent when washing laundry or using the dishwasher.

More Frugal Living Tips

Don’t buy disposable products. Try to cut back on your shopping bills by not buying disposable items such as paper towels, use a clean dish cloth instead. Try to reuse your aluminum foil or sandwich bags or better yet buy reusable plastic containers that you can wash and use over and over again.

Serve home cooked meals. It’s more frugal to prepare meals at home than to eat out in a restaurant, or serve take out food. Pack a lunch from home rather than eat out, order take out or eat in the cafeteria and it can be healthier too. To go beverages and fancy gourmet coffees are expensive so filling your travel mug at home will save you money.

Plan your weekly menus around sale priced meats, staples and produce. Meat purchased on sale can be frozen for use later. Look for local vegetables and fruits in season as they are often lower priced.

When planning your menus think of meals that are both nutritious but frugal. Casseroles, stews and pasta dishes can be quite inexpensive and also easy to prepare. Live even more frugal by including one or two vegetarian meals in your weekly menu plan.

Leave your vehicle at home and save on gas. If possible try to walk, you can also consider taking the bus, riding a bike or carpooling. Keep your vehicle in good repair so it will run more efficiently. Check the tire pressure as it effects fuel economy. When filling up your vehicle, shop around for the most competitive prices.

By following these simple tips, you can make a significant dent on your monthly bills. The small things you do will really do add up, living frugal is a great habit to get into. Not only will you save money but you will also be contributing towards a healthier environment for your children and grandchildren to enjoy.

Using environmentally friendly cleaning products is healthier for you, your family and our planet. When choosing a household cleaning product look for non-toxic products that do not contain phosphates, chlorine, ammonia or petrochemicals that may give off harmful fumes.

Interestingly, household chemicals, including bleach, disinfectant and cleaning fluid, have been blamed for the huge surge in childhood asthma in Britain. A study of more than 7,000 children shows that children born into households which use them most are twice as likely to suffer persistent wheezing, often a precursor to asthma. A similar study was conducted in Austraila with similar results. Why take a chance with your children’s and your own health?

Multi-Purpose Organic Cleaner

Watkins Organic Multi-purpose Cleaner

Are you looking for a safe and effective alternative to the toxic cleaning products available in most retail stores? Watkins Organic Cleaner may just be the solution you are searching for! This multi-purpose household cleaner will simplify your life.

Environmentally friendly organic cleaner is non-toxic, completely biodegradable and phosphate-free. The concentrated formula is gentle, even for sensitive skin yet powerful enough for your toughest cleaning problems. Organic Cleaner has no scent, no added coloring and no fumes. It’s so versatile, it can literally replace dozens of cleansers in your home. Because this multi-purpose cleaner is concentrated a little goes a long ways, making up to 256 times it’s volume in cleaning solution. Watkins Organic dilutes instantly in hot or cold water, with no fuss and no mess.

Uses for Watkins Organic Cleaner

For general cleaning mix one teaspoon/5 ml of Watkins Organic cleaner to one quart/litre of water.

For mirrors and glass mix 2 drops of Watkins Organic cleaner to one quarter cup/60 ml of water.

For floors mix one half to 2 teaspoons (2.5 ml - 10 ml) of Watkins Organic cleaner to each gallon/4 litres of water.

• Dishes - gentle on hands and fine china yet powerful enough for pots and pans.
• Kitchen - cleaning kitchen appliances, counters and cupboards.
• Refrigerator - safe for cleaning inside and out.
• Floors - mopping and spot cleaning hard surface floors.
• Windows and glass - as a spray and wipe cleaner, prevents fogging.
• Dusting - as a spray and wipe or on a damp cloth.
• Perfect for washing walls, doors, and light switch plates.
• Laundry - pre-treats heavily-soiled clothes, soaks out stains, and washes delicate hand washables such as wool, nylons and other fragile fabrics.
• Bathroom - cuts through soap scum and grime.
• Bathing - safe for your baby and bathing your pets.
• Outdoors - washing exterior siding and decks, won’t harm your plants.
• Garden - use as an insecticidal soap to kill pests.
• Auto - clean the interior and exterior of your vehicle.
• Camping - one product does it all.
• Carpet - use to spot clean carpet and rugs or use in a steam cleaner.

You can use Watkins Organic Cleaner for cleaning just about everything. Are you wondering where you can find Watkins Organic cleaner? Visit the Watkins Online Store to learn more about Watkins and order your organic cleaner today. Or contact one of our authors, they’ll be happy to assist you.

Organic cleaning product review:

“We use Organic cleaner for all our day to day cleaning chores. It’s more convient to have just one mulitpurpose cleaner, and it also saves on storage space. We purchase the gallon size about once a year so it’s very economical. The best thing is my hands used to be rough, dry and sore but since I switched to organic I haven’t had this problem.”

Willa Mae, TN

Environmentally friendly or green housekeeping is not only good for our planet, it’s also healthier for you! You will be minimizing air pollution inside and outside of your home. We can all have a impact on air pollution and global warming with out having to sacrifice comfort or convenience. Personal health and environmental sustainability aren’t the only reasons why consumers across the nation are making the change toward earth friendly housekeeping, it’s also more frugal.

All Natural Non-toxic Plant Based Cleaners

What can you do?

The Three R’s Have It! Every time you reuse an item, recycle or use a recycled product, and reduce your consumption, you make a real difference to our planet.

• Reusable products are better for our environment and will save you money. Use reusable products rather than disposables.
• Recycle your used items. Use recycled goods whenever possible.
• Reduce your consumption of energy, resources and goods. Use energy efficient appliances, lighting, heating and cooling systems.
• Use nontoxic, natural based household cleaners that do not contain chlorine, ammonia or petrochemicals.