We all know, and are also being reminded as April rolls around, how important it is to spring clean the inside of your home. Fall and winter have come and gone, and in many cases, they will have left behind traces that are all too familiar to people who like to freshen up their homes periodically. Traces which weren’t that apparent during the early sunsets and dull days from October onwards are now very clear to see. And while you’re bringing the inside of your home up to a more exacting standard, it is important not to forget what is going on outside.
The exterior of your home is easy to forget, particularly if you tend to work from home. It’s a shell, it has a hardwearing practical job to do, protecting you from the elements. And, particularly across the colder and rainier months of the year, it absorbs a lot of punishment. And when you’re having that much-needed spring clean inside, it might be worth checking on the toll those months have taken on the outside. Because it’s going to need some work, too.
Start from the top and work down
The first part of your home that is exposed to the elements is, unsurprisingly, the part that is highest up. Rain, snow, and any amount of loose-blown leaves, as well as the wind itself, can do a number on your roof. Check for any holes or loose tiles, or any incipient cracks that could become leaks, and consider professional eavestrough cleaning for the gutters around the edge of the roof. Dirt and detritus can become the origin of decay in your gutters, and what starts one autumn can be finished the following year. What you do to the outside of your home in spring can allow it to deal more easily with the next switch to colder days.
Check the condition of your siding
We only ever get to see part of what the exterior walls of our houses go through. When giving our home a fresh lick of paint or making repairs in the sidings, it’s easy to think that the wall will stay in this state for the foreseeable future. In reality, as days get hotter and colder, the walls will be expanding and contracting, and the more those materials move between states, the greater the wear and tear on the outside. So make sure you are using the right materials to carry out repairs or renovation, and if necessary call out professionals to guarantee several more years of vital service from your exterior walls.
Spring clean your garden
Some plants are perennial, while others come and go with the seasons. But one thing you can guarantee is that weeds don’t care what time of year it is. They’re exceptionally hard-wearing and persistent, and they won’t have spent the colder months hiding under the soil. The first garden job of the spring should be to have a thorough look around the garden and remove weeds at the roots. Then audit the annual plants like rose bushes and fruit trees, pruning away any branches that are in poor condition and giving the flowers a chance to flourish. Along with the above, this will ensure your home looks as good from the outside as it does internally.
Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post. All opinions are my own, 100% honest & unbiased. Affiliate links are posted throughout. Feel free to read my Disclaimer Page for details and information on sponsored posts, affiliate links, and more.
Some people love to repair their home appliances and upcycle furniture, but others prefer to pay someone else and use the time for their work or interest. However,…
You may want to cozy up your home for spring to stay warm and relaxed as the weather slowly improves. But warmth aside, creating a warm and inviting space also allows you to enjoy the natural spectacles that come with the season, such as storms, greenery, and fruits and veggies.
There are many foods that warm us, both figuratively and literally. And even though we are coming out of winter, spring is sunny, but it can remain cold until later in the season. However, spring also brings new vegetables for use in your cooking. And many of the season’s goodies are amazing when you use them in recipes for soups that will warm you up as you watch a spring storm on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Pretty much the thing soulful dreams are made of.
Use Flowers to Cozy Up Your Home for Spring
Fresh flowers and plants can bring color and life into your home, making it feel more inviting and cozy. Plants can brighten up a room right away and make it feel warm and welcoming. They not only give your home color and texture, but they also clean the air, making it feel fresher and cozier. You can also think about adding seasonal flowers, like tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths, to make the room feel even cozier and bring some spring sunshine into your intimate spaces.
Scatter Some Comfortable Throws
Soft fabrics like throw pillows, blankets, and rugs can help make your home feel warm and cozy. By adding these to any room in your home, you can make it feel more inviting. You can also consider using plushy fabrics like velvet, chenille, or fake fur to make the room feel much softer. Further, for a peaceful atmosphere, you can also carefully consider the colors. So, try to choose textiles in warm, soft colors like cream, beige, or light pink that act to brighten up the room.
Try a Little Aromatherapy
Spring has a lot of wonderful smells. And aromatherapy is the use of essential oils to make you feel better emotionally. Here are some things you can do at home to use aromatherapy:
A diffuser is one of the most common ways to use essential oils.
You can also put a few drops of essential oil on a tissue and inhale that way.
Essential oils can be put on the skin after being mixed with a topical skin product.
If you add a few drops of essential oil to your bath water, it can help you relax.
You can also use oils, like lemon balm, in the bathroom when you clean.
Aromatherapy is a great way to use essential oils. But they are very strong, so they should always be diluted. To stay safe, you might want to see your doctor before you use them.
Let the Sun Through with Sheer Curtains
Sheer curtains can let in natural light while still giving you a sense of privacy, making the room feel cozy and welcoming. When you have both natural light and privacy, you can make a warm, welcoming space that is quiet and bright. Also, sheer curtains can add a touch of sophistication and elegance to any room, making it feel cozier and more inviting. You can filter the natural light better with sheer curtains in a neutral color, like white or beige, that will change the color.
Layer Your Lighting to Cozy Up Your Home for Spring
Adding soft, warm-toned bulbs to your lighting can help make your home feel more cozy and welcoming. Warm-toned lighting, like yellow or orange, can create a warm, inviting, and comfortable atmosphere. You can also mix and match different kinds of lighting to make an atmosphere that is warm and inviting. For example, you can use a mix of table lamps, floor lamps, and overhead lighting. These are made better with smart bulbs you can control.
Escape into a Reading Nook
A cozy reading nook with a soft chair, good lighting, and lots of pillows can be a great place to relax and unwind. Start by picking a comfy chair, like a plush armchair or a bean bag, and adding lots of pillows to make it even cozier. It’s also important to have good lighting. And place a small bookshelf nearby to store your favorite books. Or add a small table to hold a cup of tea or coffee. Make a place where you can get away from everything and read a good book.
Summary
You can enjoy all the season has to offer when you cozy up your home for spring. New vegetables mean you can warm your soul with delicious soups. And you can enhance the spring olfactory delights with aromatherapy. Or even just escape into your very own reading nook.
Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post. All opinions are my own, 100% honest & unbiased. Affiliate links are posted throughout. Feel free to read my Disclaimer Page for details and information on sponsored posts, affiliate links, and more.
With a family of asthmatics, it’s important to have quality air in our home. Airfree Onix 3000 Air Purifier has been our saving grace the last several months. …
No, this is not what you are thinking… I’m not going to show you a demo on how I get wrinkles out of my clothes… ha ha ha! But, I did want to share with you a product that my family and I have been loving lately and it has been such a huge helper for me each day. You see, laundry for a household of 5 people can be a daunting task and I’m thankful that my eldest son Kevin Ka’eo has that chore to do. But, clothes get wrinkled… especially when your sons like to toss them in a basket for later use. With my husband needing freshly pressed clothes and the fact that I am constantly ironing my tops, the Downy Wrinkle Release Plus has been a huge help for me and my family.
Do you ever experience those days where your child wakes you up in the morning, telling you that they forgot to inform you the day before that their band uniform needs to be ironed because they have a concert at school that day? Well, my child has – on more than one occasion. And, that is just a small tidbit of what goes on in our household when it comes to wrinkled clothes. While clothes are clean, most the time they are a wrinkled mess… due to running late in the morning and tossing clothes everywhere through out the day. There truly is no time to pull the iron and the ironing board out of the closet in time to make the morning tardy bell for school. That’s where Downy Wrinkle Release Plus comes to our rescue. This awesome product (which is available in travel size, I might add) has been our lifesaver since first discovering it a month or so ago. I don’t know how I got ahead without it… oh wait, I do – I rushed to iron clothes the traditional way… ha ha ha!
Using the Downy Wrinkle Releaser Plus is so simple. You just spray the clothing (sheets and other items work too), tug and smooth the garment and hang to dry. It literally is ready in seconds and perfect in a pinch. I like to spray the clothing item in the wrinkled areas and toss it in our dryer for a quick, no fuss wrinkle release. Hanging to dry doesn’t take long however and most the time it’s ready within a matter of minutes – usually I have the boys put on their shoes and socks or make their snack for school and then put their shirt on. The Down Wrinkle Releaser is safe on virtually all fabrics, though they do advise that fabrics that may water-spot (silk and rayon) that you should test in a hidden area first.
My family and I are always on the go so having something that can assist at a moments notice helps to cut down my busy schedule. But, while Downy Wrinkle Release takes care of the wrinkles, it is also an odor eliminator, fabric refresher and static remover. I love that I have so many ways to utilize this product. I spray Downy onto my car seats and on the floor to help eliminate the odors from shoes and stuff and it has made a big difference. You can also use Downy Wrinkle Releaser as a fabric refresher and static remover or use it to aid in ironing (like spray starch). I love that I have so many options for this product that I literally keep one in every room. It’s perfect to spray our beds with if we are going to be out all day – because it really freshens the whole room and house.
Okay – now that I have shared with you my little secret helper, how’s about you head on over to your local store or check them out online and pick one up for you. Reasonably priced, great fragrance and it takes out wrinkles… well now, sounds like a keeper to me. Check out your local store to see if they have Downy Wrinkle Releaser Plus in stock or visit: http://downywrinklereleaserplus.com for more details.
Disclosure: Some of the products featured in this post were sent for editorial consideration for Honeygirlsworld.com. This post may contain affiliate or referral links. For more details, an outline of my product review disclosures and policies, affiliate links, etc. please visit myDisclosures page.
As a busy mom, I’m always looking for ways to cut my cleaning time in half. Whether it be delegating the duties at home to a “willing” helper or accomplishing each chore a little at a time to get it done… I try my best to make it happen. Though, I’ll be honest – I always think to myself, “Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could all have our own personal Robot like they had in Bicentennial Man?” Well, not really… because I’d probably develop a motherly bond and have difficulty letting go, just knowing me… lol. But, I think I have a solution and my family and I have been loving it the last month. Today, I introduce you to bObi Kaho’ohanohano, the new baby in our house. But, bObi is not your traditional or typical baby. Nope – she is a robotic vacuum.
When my family and I was given the opportunity to give bObi a test run, let’s just say we were quite overjoyed and completely ecstatic to receive her. She came bundled in a sturdy box, well packaged and even included a little card that welcomed her to our family. The directions are easier to follow than I would have ever imagined and getting her going and started was a complete breeze. We were all excited to try her out… well, almost all of us. Ikaika who is our King Charles Cavalier Spaniel is still currently on the fence about her and still hasn’t decided if he likes her or not.
Our family has a traditional vacuum, which I’ll be honest – I really enjoy. It does it’s job but obviously, it can’t do it without someone behind the wheel actually doing the vacuuming. I don’t mind running the vacuum, it’s kind of soothing – but finding the time in my hectic schedule can pose many issues. We have a small house in general, so a standard vacuum will surely do the job without issue in very little time, but finding the time in my day is what seems to be the biggest problem.
Immediately after receiving it, my boys were so excited, they couldn’t contain their excitement. While our living area is small, we were eager to try bObi out for ourselves. I plugged her in the night prior to let her charge through the evening and then the next day, we were able to take her for a run. Our biggest challenge is a small living area and the fact that things move around in our house consistently. The boys have a table they do their homework on and it gets folded up and put away when we vacuum usually, so we wanted to be able to leave it out and have bObi work around it. The vacuum learns a pattern of where everything is in the house, or you can easily use the remote control and guide it in the direction you want for yourself. There is also a sensor on the vacuum so you do not have to worry about it bumping into things. It has run me over a few times, but I noticed it’s normally when the sensor is on the opposite side of the unit.
bObi has a small sweeper attached to it with brushes that work to pick up all the little pieces or sweep them into the cleaner… it’s awesome. I love that it gets near to the base boards in my kitchen or in the areas where dog hair gets caught and sweeps it up quickly and easily. bObi does not get all the rubbish in certain areas all the time, but it’s still learning to make its way around our house the the boys ever-moving their things around the rooms. While it won’t get that piece of lint or hair the first run sometimes, as it comes back around – it picks it up and leaves my house clean. With bObi’s dirt sensors, she is determined to go back around and get it done – so no lint or dust will be left behind.
I set bObi on a timer so it will run a sweep through the house and kitchen area each day at 10am while I’m sitting at my desk working. It’s so convenient for us that I think our traditional vacuum is starting to feel a bit left out. I use bObi daily and run my traditional vacuum on Saturdays to get a really good, deep into the carpet clean. bObi will reach under the beds and tables and below the cabinets because she’s so petite. It’s nice not having to bend to get under those areas with my traditional vacuum.
bObi Classic retails for about $269.00 on Amazon ($749 USD on bobSweep website) and comes with all the attachments to get it done. A charge overnight and you’re good to go and ready to clean the next day. Mop, sweep, sanitize… have lots of fun and get a few moments of breathing time for yourself.
You can see bObi in action while she goes through our hang out area. As you can see, Ikaika (our dog) is not yet a fan. But, he’s warming up to her… especially since she keeps his area where he sleeps, nice and clean! We are looking to replace our carpet and I can’t wait to see how bObi performs on the new one.
Oh, I forgot my favorite part… bObi mops. My bObi unit comes with a mop extension and 2 mop cloths which can be attached to the unit to do a quick mop. bObi comes with a UV light that kills bacteria and filters the air with her built-in HEPA filter. She’s seriously genius! I use this specifically for my kitchen. This is the perfect way to “spot mop” or do a quick mop during the weekdays until I do my thorough cleaning and mopping on Saturdays.
Charging bObi is really easy. It comes with a charging station and you can either let it run it’s course for it’s usual vacuuming and let it return to its dock or press the “juice” button on bObi or the remote control and it finds the docking station and recharges itself… simple and easy.
I think technology advances are so fun and exciting and I’m so thankful to have bObi to help me complete a few of my chores – mopping & vacuuming… check! I have never tried a robotic vacuum before so this is an experience my family and I are enjoying and we’re very thankful for. If you are in the market for a new vacuum, I highly suggest giving bObi or any of the other bobSweep family members a try. After having bObi in our house for just about a month now, she’s settled in and is a great addition to our family. Even Ikaika is starting to enjoy her (since she’s so quiet in comparison to our traditional vacuum), he has made her his friend and even rides her from time to time, lol.
Now that you’re done reading my thoughts (and my family’s) on bObi, do you think she will join your family? We’re just a humble family with a little home that we love and I figured instead of staging or prettying up the post, you could see bObi in real life and experience what we experience – good cleaning and a little less hectic-ness and stress for mom. Hope you enjoyed!
Check out the rest of the bObi family here or the whole bobSweep family here.
Disclaimer: The product featured in this post was sent for review consideration. All opinions are my own, 100% honest & unbiased as with anything I post on my site. Affiliate links are posted through out.
“This post was sponsored by Charmin as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central.” Who doesn’t love toilet tissue that is so soft, it beats out the smooth…
With all the kiddos heading back to school for the 2016-2017 school year, Target has you covered. The “Made to Matter – Handpicked by Target” product collection…
If you have been here before, then you know from time to time I have random reviews on products I enjoy. Today is no exception. About a month ago I received the TowelLab 100% Microfiber Cleaning Cloth in the mail for consideration of review. I’m not gonna lie, I was excited to try these out because you can find a huge stack of microfiber towels in our linen closet. My husband uses them to polish and dry our cars and I love drying dishes with them or cleaning surfaces. They work better than your standard dish towel when it comes to drying dishes and I especially use them to clean my television screen which is an LCD (a good/clean microfiber cloth should remove most finger prints and add a little distilled water and you can clean off any stains, etc.) The options for use with these are endless. I even stash a few away in my beauty area to help with removing makeup or cleaning my brushes.
Like most Microfiber Towerls, these have the same feel and texture. The are engineered by TowelLab and are ideal for kitchen use, screen and windows. They are 6x lighter than a standard towel (major plus) and dry 4x faster. I especially like that they are anti-bacterial as they are treated for odor prevention. They are really soft and make it ideal for using on the skin, which I like. Each set comes with a total of 4 TowelLab clothes that are machine washable and can be reused hundreds of times. I have washed and dried mine many many times without any problems and they are still soft and durable. These are lint-free (woohoo) and offer streak-free cleaning. They are non-abrasive and won’t scratch surfaces, paints or clear coats (which make it ideal for cleaning the car).
You get 4 towels that are 12″x 12″ in size and are made of a 100% Microfiber that has a blend of 80/20 polyester / polyamide. What’s awesome is that these are affordable – retailing for about $18 regular priced but on sale right now for $8. That is a steal considering the costs my husband and I have paid on for other microfiber towels on the market.
If you have a touch screen phone as I do, these make great cloths to clean the screen with and I find that the use for these towels are ever growing. You can purchase your set here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X6T5SJA or check out more information if you so choose.
Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for review/consideration. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased and all thoughts my own. While I did receive this product for free, I was not paid to provide this review.
As a mother with skin sensitivities, I’m constantly on the hunt for products that will help to make my “mommy duties” a little less hectic and keep my…
