draw-eros: March 2013

Sunday, March 31, 2013

A Cottonelle Review and a Dog Bath.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cottonelle for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

This is one dirty dog! I decided it was time to give her a bath so I plopped her in the tub, grabbed a dry rag and started washing.

What? You don't think I can wash dog with a dry rag? Apparently my dog didn't enjoy this too much either.

A couple weeks ago I talked about using Cottonelle,flushable wipes in the bathroom and this week I'm here to tell you again.

You would not bath your dog without water, so why would you use dry tissue alone after going to the loo? It's now time to bring that logic to the bathroom. With a cloth-like feel and now a touch of cotton, Cottonelle Fresh Care Flushable Wipes and Cottonelle Clean Care toilet paper will leave you feeling fresher and cleaner than using just toilet paper alone. As I mentioned in my previous post Cottonelle is unveiling a series of hidden camera videos to show people that nothing from a kitchen table to a car can be properly cleaned without the combination of cloth and water.

While you may think I'm crazy for trying to give my dog a bath without water, check out these folks who went to get their hair washed at the salon without water.

Ok, so you think you know everything about being clean? Did you know that can test your Cleaning Logic at Cottonelle.com? Now through June 30th, you can visit Cottonelle.com to watch the Cottonelle Wash Test videos and submit your entry for a chance to win one of four grand prizes of $10,000 bathroom makeover!

How exciting would that be if one of DIY Home Sweet Home's readers won a $10,000 bathroom makeover? But thats not all you can win! Cottonelle is giving away a Cottonelle care package to one of DIY Home Sweet Home's readers!

The care package will contain the Cottonelle Fresh Care fluishable wipes and Cottonelle Clean Care toilet paper! Would you like to win? Here are the sweepstakes rules:

Like Cottonelle on Facebook.
Follow Cottonelle on Twitter.
Come back to this blog post and leave me a comment (with your e-mail address) letting me know why you want to win.
Contest ends April 30th, 2013

What are you waiting for? Hurry up and enter!!

GOOD LUCK!!

What's on your Spring Cleaning Checklist?

This post brought to you by Dollar General. All opinions are 100% mine.

Spring is here!!! (Although for many of you it may not feel like it.)

Do you have any spring cleaning to do? This Spring the hubby and I are cleaning out the garage. I also plan on organizing our master closet as well as going through all of our kitchen cabinets. Over the years I have learned a few tricks to help me stay clean and I would like to share some with your

Keep some Clorox® Bleach Foamer in your shower caddy. Just give the tub and shower a quick spay every time that you take a shower.
Make a cleaning bucket. Fill a bucket with everything that you would need for cleaning. A few items would include All-Purpose Cleaners, Viva® paper towels, dusters, Tilex®, Clorox® Bleach, and Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes. This way you'll have all your cleaning supplies in one location and will ba able to grab it fora quick clean up around the house.
Clean up as you go!! Wash dishes as you use them, clean up messes as soon as they are made, and put items away once you are done using them. Keeping Viva® paper towels in every room makes it simple to clean up quick. These tasks only take a second to complete yet will same you several minutes of cleaning at the end of the day.
Every time you leave a room, take something with you. If your going to the kitchen, look for any glasses sitting around and carry them to the kitchen with you. Going to the kids room? Pick up a couple toys as you go. Have any tools or garage items laying around the house? Set them by the back door and be sure to grab them next time you head outside.

Did you know that you can get all of these spring cleaning supplies at Dollar General? With one quick stop you can have everything that you need to keep your home clean. Not to mention their unbelievable prices.

One of my favorite products from Dollar General is their cleaning sprays - Spray every drop®. Get to the bottom of the bottle with NEW Smart Tube® technology from Clorox®.

Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes are another favorite of mine. They are a simple solution for cleaning and disinfecting a variety of household surfaces. Keep a container in every room for quick clean up.

Dollar General will also be holding a sweepstakes. You can find more information about the sweepstakes Dollar General is holding by clicking HERE --> spring cleaning supplies at Dollar General

What about you? Do you have any great cleaning tips? What are your favorite cleaning products?

More the Merrier Monday

Welcome back to “More the Merrier Monday” where you show off your creative side. Link up your blog post with any crafty tutorials, recipes, or tips.

In order to play along, you’ll need to add the following button to your post. Edit and then simply copy & paste the html code into the top or bottom of your post. Optional, if you’re on Twitter, tweet it out so people can see it!

 <a  href="http://diyhshp.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img  src="http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab68/The_Hammonds/Jamies%20blog/Buttons/MMMbutton300.jpg"  alt="More the Merrier Monday" border="0"/></a>

If you link up, please take a second to view and comment on the 2 posts above you! This way we can really get to know each other, make new friends, AND everyone gets comments.

MMM will be open through Friday so you have plenty of time to complete those craft projects.

Add your handmade projects, parties, crafts, and DIY tutorials.

Social Spark.

Get paid to blog!!

Saturday, March 30, 2013

SPYTEC Nanny Cam Review

Some of you may already know that before this blog of mine came into existence I used to run an in home daycare. Throughout my daycare career I heard numerous horror stories from other providers as well as the parents themselves about caregivers causing harm to the children that were under their watch. This is the reason that my husband and I are so picky about who we trust to watch our own kids.

Thankfully, there are a few wonderful companies out there who have been working hard to fight these issues and help parents keep their children safe. And I have to say that I was beyond thrilled when SPYTEC contacted me to do a review on one of their Nanny Cams.

The good people at SPYTEC sent me the Zetta Z12 - Motion Activated Spy Camera to test out. The fist thing I noticed about this camera is the size. The width and length are smaller than a credit card so that you can easily conceal the camera just about anywhere.
Also included with the camera are

5v DC Adapter
5V Car Adapter
USB 2.0 Cable
Quick Start Guide

The Zetta Z12 has tons of amazing features. One of my favorite features are the recording triggers You can set up the camera to start recording when it senses motion, feels vibration, or detects voices.

To test this camera out, I set it up in the girls room. After I let it record for a couple hours I popped the ScanDisk into my computer to view what it had recorded. The camera began recording as soon as my oldest was in view. She was at the opposite corner of the room (about 20 feet away) and even though she was not talking very loud, I could very clearly hear her entire conversation. The camera recorded the entire time that the girls were in the room and once they left the room the camera stopped recording.

The camera also has night mode that I tested out in my super dark garage. I was pretty impressed. Even though it was almost pitch black in my garage while I was recording, the recorded video showed up slightly lit and I was able to make out everything in the garage.

I can think of so many uses for this camera:

Place it in your teenagers car to keep an eye on him/her while she is out.
Keep an eye on your housekeeper/maid while you are not able to.
Find out which family member has been sneaking cookies out of the pantry.
Keep an eye on your home while you are away for a weekend.
Find out who has been smashing all of the mailboxes in your neighborhood.
Let friends and relatives borrow your car without having to worry about them being responsible drivers.
Not sure if your pre-teen/teen is mature enough to stay home alone? Set up the camera and give them a test run.
Do you suspect inappropriate activity going on in your child's school or daycare? Send them to school with a nanny cam.
If you have an indoor dog, set the camera up before you leave to find out what your pet does all day while you are gone.

(Note: I would not recommend spying on friends and family. If you choose to record someone you should talk to them about what you are doing and why you feel the need to do it.)

Overall I am highly impressed with this camera and I would definitely recommend.
Click here to purchase your own Zetta Z12 - Motion Activated Spy Camera

What do you think?

Has there ever been a time when you wished you had a nanny cam?
Do you think purchasing one would help give you peace of mind?
How would you feel if someone you babysit for asked if they could place a camera in your home while you were watching over their child?

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Simple Taco Casserole

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken breast or tenderloin

1 16oz can refried beans

1 16oz can red beans

1 16oz can corn (drained)

2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup salsa

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1 cup sour cream

1 package taco seasoning.

Cook your chicken in a pan and cook according to package directions. You want your chicken just barely cooked because we will be placing it back in the oven.
While your chicken is cooking place the refried breans, red beans, corn, salsa, 1 cup of shredded cheese and half of your taco seasoning in a pan. Heat on a stove and mix until the cheese is completely melted.
Once your chicken is cooked take it out of the oven and make sure your oven is set to 350*
Spread your bean mixture evenly over your chicken.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese over your bean mixture.
Mix your your remaining taco seasoning with the sour cream and spread on top of the cheese.
Place your dish back in the oven for another 20-30 minutes or until heated through.
Once your dish is cooked top with chopped tomatoes and serve.

Do you have any diy tutorials, organizing tips, or recipes that you would like to share with DIY Home Sweet Home readers?

If so, please fill out the 'Get Featured' form for a chance to be featured on this blog!

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Super Simple Bunny Pattern (Last Minute Basket Stuffer)

Wow! Did you know that Easter is this Sunday?

Not really sure where my mind has been these past few days but this holiday sure did sneak up on me. I am far from being prepared.

Thankfully my blogging buddy, Becky, has my back. Becky from Patchwork Posse sent me a link to her super simple (and completely adorable) Quilt Block Bunny Pattern.

I am definitely going to whip up a couple of these to add to the girls' baskets this weekend.

These adorable bunnies where made from a few spare quilt blocks and are perfect for anyone looking for a last minute Easter gift. They are so simple that Becky's 9 year old daughter can make them. Click HERE to view Becky's Quilt Block Bunny Pattern.

Need a few more last minute Easter basket stuffers?

Check out these adorable crafts

13 Simple Sewing Tutorials

16 Must Make Easter Sweets

24 Fun Foods For Easter

21 Toddler Approved Easter Crafts

8 Fun and Simple Easter Crafts

Do you have any diy tutorials, organizing tips, or recipes that you would like to share with DIY Home Sweet Home readers?

If so, please fill out the 'Get Featured' form for a chance to be featured on this blog!

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Top 10 Foods to make for April Fools Day.

Fool your kids this coming holiday with these fun recipes.

Serve dinner for dessert and desert for dinner.

Your family will surely get a kick out of these.

Hot dog made from Twinkies and Tootsie Rolls.

Meatloaf Cake

Pound cake grilled cheese with frosting and strawberry syrup (tomato soup).

Cake made to look like pizza.

Meatloaf Pie

Pound cake Lasagna

Nuggets and Fries from pound cake.

Mashed potato and pulled pork sundae

Dried fruit, roll-ups and nuts make up this chicken stir-fry

Rice cereal meatloaf

12 Fun April Fools Recipes.

What kinds of tricks do you play on your family for April Fools?

Do you have any diy tutorials, organizing tips, or recipes that you would like to share with DIY Home Sweet Home readers?

If so, please fill out the 'Get Featured' form for a chance to be featured on this blog!

Sunday, March 24, 2013

More the Merrier Monday

Welcome back to “More the Merrier Monday” where you show off your creative side. Link up your blog post with any crafty tutorials, recipes, or tips.

 <a  href="http://diyhshp.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img  src="http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab68/The_Hammonds/Jamies%20blog/Buttons/MMMbutton300.jpg"  alt="More the Merrier Monday" border="0"/></a>

If you link up, please take a second to view and comment on the 2 posts above you! This way we can really get to know each other, make new friends, AND everyone gets comments.

Add your handmade projects, parties, crafts, and DIY tutorials.

Social Spark.

Get paid to blog!!

Do you have any diy tutorials, organizing tips, or recipes that you would like to share with DIY Home Sweet Home readers?

If so, please fill out the 'Get Featured' form for a chance to be featured on this blog!

Friday, March 22, 2013

Top Craffts to Tackle Over the Weekend

Cereal Box Organizer via IHeart Organizing

Crayon Art via Light & Spoon

Burlap Frames {I can't find the original source but would be easy to make with some old frames and burlap.}

Punk Rocks via Art Club Blog

Easter Egg Wrappers via The DIY Dreamer

Flour Sack Towel via Sophisticated Yellow

Do you have any diy tutorials, organizing tips, or recipes that you would like to share with DIY Home Sweet Home readers?

If so, please fill out the 'Get Featured' form for a chance to be featured on this blog!

Thursday, March 21, 2013

5 Inspiring Mail Organizers

Spring is here!

I've been a cleaning queen these past couple of days. It must be the weather. One of my biggest problem areas paper work. I'm pretty good at tossing junk mail as soon as it comes through the door, but everything else usually gets stacked in a pile on the counter. I'm currently working on a way to keep these papers organized until I get the chance to file them. Here are 5 mail systems that I am using for inspiration.