The 413 Mom

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Recipe #diy #momwin

I ran out of dishwasher detergent today and a trip to the store was not on the agenda. Tried this homemade solution and it worked perfectly!

Just add to the machine’s soap dispenser cup: 

• 3 drops of regular dish soap
• Fill the cup 2/3 with baking soda
• Fill the remaining 1/3 with table salt
•Run the machine as usual 

I've run two loads of dirty dishes today and both came out shiny clean! I'm so delighted to have found something that works and doesn't require a separate trip to the store. Hope it works for you as well! 

Stay Holiday Ready with Biz Stain Fighter

Thanksgiving was amazing -- a house full of family given and chosen; so so much food; and all the laughs. It was a perfect day. The only fallback is that my favorite tablecloth barely survived. It was gross, y'all. There was coffee, sweet potato casserole, turkey grease and gravy. At least those were the stains I could identify. 

This is the only tablecloth I have that fits my "guest" table -- the size of my dining room table with all the extenders in place. I did NOT want to have to buy a new one before Christmas which is when we host the next big, family meal. I have enough to shop for this time of year. Biz Stain Fighter to the rescue:

 

I pre-treated as many of the glops as I could find. I just poured a bit of the stain treatment directly on the offending food and rubbed it in a bit. I let it sit for about a half hour and then added another capful of Biz to the wash along with some regular detergent, chose a warm water cycle and and hoped for the best. And hooray, hooray! LOOK:

 

All better! Ready for the next big holiday meal. I'm seriously in love with this stain fighter.

BIZ Liquid:  

• Cleans up to 80% BETTER than detergent alone
• MORE STAIN FIGHTERS than other brands
• Fights tough stains BETTER THAN OXI CLEAN guaranteed!
• Contains a UNIQUE blend of enzymes which quickly dissolves stains and odors
• Made with BIODEGRADABLE surfactants (a substance that tends to reduce the surface tension of a liquid in which it is dissolved)

You can learn more about this little miracle product here. Locally, you can find BIZ Liquid Stain Fighter at Wal Mart and you can even download a coupon for $1 off.  Your holiday laundry will thank you! 

*Photos by Eden Berry

When you're too BIZy making messes...

I've never been the type of mom to worry whether someone got dirty. I don't often complain about muddy knees. Or glitter on the carpet. Or marker covered shirt cuffs. Fortunately, I actually enjoy doing laundry. However, I don't always get to it right away. We might be too busy cleaning up a river, painting a masterpiece, or chasing a muddy dog. 

Which is why my go-to laundry savior is BIZ Liquid Stain Fighter. It's a super simple laundry booster -- it helps any laundry detergent work harder. Just add a capful to any load. It also works as a great pre-treater (when I remember) applied directly to a clothing stain. BIZ works on all types of stains: blood, grass, paint, grape juice, chocolate, mud...whatever a creative/outdoorsy family can dish out. 

 

BIZ Liquid:  

• Cleans up to 80% BETTER than detergent alone
• MORE STAIN FIGHTERS than other brands
• Fights tough stains BETTER THAN OXI CLEAN guaranteed!
• Contains a UNIQUE blend of enzymes which quickly dissolves stains and odors
• Made with BIODEGRADABLE surfactants (a substance that tends to reduce the surface tension of a liquid in which it is dissolved)

Pre-treat stains directly with BIZ liquid by wetting the area with warm water and applying BIZ. Rub gently and wait 5-10 minutes then wash as usual. Or, add BIZ to every load to boost the power of your detergent.

You can learn more about this little miracle product here. Locally, you can find BIZ Liquid Stain Fighter at Wal Mart and you can even download a coupon for $1 off.  Your laundry will thank you! 

DEAL ALERT: Dinnerly -- the deliciously affordable meal kit delivery service *FREE shipping on first order*

I’ve often wondered about the boxed meal delivery kits available – there are great incentives out there to give them a try…but then I think, who needs help cooking dinner? I cook dinner for my family just about every single night the old-fashioned way: buying ingredients at the grocery store, pulling a recipe out of my head and making a meal. How can a meal kit make it any different?

But then Dinnerly asked me to try out their service. And curiosity got the best of me. Because maybe there is a better way to do things.

I picked out three recipes to try from their collection:

• Grass fed beef burgers with fried pickles and tangy slaw
• Crispy chicken fingers with honey mustard and green beans
• Pork Souvalki meatballs with romaine and toasted pita salad

Maybe, like me, you're wondering how this works? Please allow me to enlighten you. Once you're registered with the subscription delivery service, you can place your order online and pick your delivery window. My Dinnerly box arrived right as expected around 5:00 p.m. on the day promised. I had already planned a meal for that night so I unpacked all of the food items and put the perishables away. One of the gel ice blocks in the box had burst and melted making a bit of a mess but all of the ingredients arrived in excellent condition. I was excited to try out the recipes the next day!

Neat things about Dinnerly:

• Recipes include six ingredients and only five steps or less for simplicity's sake
• All recipes require minimal chopping as the goal is "package to table in 30 minutes or less"
• Their recipe cards are only found online
• The cost is only $5/serving and is designed with quick weeknight cooking in mind
• With the subscription service, customers will receive a chilled box with fresh, seasonal ingredients to make three simple meals. You can skip a weekly shipment at any time -- there is no quantity requirement.

 

I eagerly tried out all of the the recipes which were delicious (we ate every bite). I found the Dinnerly recipes truly easy to follow and I appreciated that they encouraged me to use new ingredients -- I had never made lamb meatballs before. Also new to me: fried pickles. The recipes are broken down into logical steps so you feel confident that everything will indeed be ready in 30 minutes or less. While I enjoyed all of the meals, the chicken fingers were my favorite because I have the palate of a first grader and could eat chicken fingers daily. The honey mustard sauce was delish and the chicken came out perfectly crispy. 

I also appreciated the simplicity of the ingredients and recipe steps as it made it easy for the kids to help me prep dinner. Dinnerly kits would be a great introduction to cooking for kids who want to be more independent in the kitchen. I can also see Dinnerly being a great gift for the elderly who still love to cook but may have mobility issues which make it difficult to get to the store for groceries. These meal kits really are a great intergenerational fit for the whole family. 

While I’m not a person who needs inspiration to cook dinner – I do it every day – I do appreciate that the Dinnerly recipes encouraged me to try slightly different ingredients than I would chose myself. And the meals were delicious. I will try the service again when I one of those pesky cooking ruts hits and I need inspiration for something new. 

I’m grateful to have given Dinnerly a try. The only drawback for me is the waste associated with a meal delivery service. I was able to recycle about 60% of the packaging that arrived with the kit. I would estimate that I’m able to recycle about 90% of food packaging for meal items I purchase at the grocery store as I shop with minimal waste as a goal. 

Dinnerly pricing plan is as follows:

A couple box containing 3 meals that will feed two adults for $30.00, plus $8.99 shipping.
A family box containing 3 meals that will feed four adults for $60.00, plus $8.99 shipping.

Right now you can get FREE delivery on your first Dinnerly order by following the links on their Facebook or Instagram. 

Especially with the free shipping deal, the Dinnerly kits really are an affordable dinner option. I hope you enjoy the meals as much as we did. 

 

Make more time for the serious Bizness of Summer Fun with Biz Liquid

What is your favorite messy summer fun? Mine is mud runs. Yes, I actually pay good money to run through mud pits, carry weighted sack bags and climb ridiculous cargo nets. I think obstacle runs are some of the most fun you can have as an adult. I love the camaraderie. The competition. The laughs. 

The only part I don't love? The disgusting laundry afterward. You all know I'm too committed to being green to throw away my clothes and sneakers afterwards. Which means I return home to the drudgery of soaking muddy workout clothes and sneakers and then attempting to get the stains out in the wash. I don't enjoy all that extra work. 

One product I've discovered that really helps makes the job easier is Biz Liquid. I love this stuff because it is NOT bleach -- it is safe for colors, and although you can use it as a pre-treatment -- you can also just add it to a load of laundry as easily as adding detergent. No extra steps. Just dump in the liquid along with your regular detergent and get back to running. 

No more laundry woes! I can return from a race, rinse my muddy clothes off with the garden hose and toss them right in the washing machine with my usual detergent and a capful of Biz Liquid. Much easier than climbing a 20 foot cargo net! I can spend less time doing laundry and more time getting back to the Bizness of Racing! You can find out more about Biz here. 

Biz Stain & Odor Eliminator is proven to beat Oxi Clean on tough stains like grass, sweat and grape juice. The product also comes with a money back guarantee which you can download here, so you have nothing to lose.  

It's budget friendly too -- 50 ounces will cost you around $5.00. And you can even save $1.00 by downloading this coupon here. 

What are you waiting for? Summer is a short season. Make the most of it with Biz -- it helps you spend less time doing laundry and helps you have more time for summer fun. 

What do teachers really want at the end of the school year? #teachergifts #thankateacher

We all want to get it just right: that end-of-school-year teacher gift. How can we express our gratitude for all that our kids' teachers have done for them this past school year?! 

Well, I took a very scientific poll (or not so much) on Facebook to find out just what teachers love to receive at the end of the year and I shared the results on The Better Western Mass show on Western Mass News. (Spoiler alert: it's a lot simpler than we all think). 

Embrace Mud Season!

On yesterday's Better Western Mass Show on Western Mass News I shared some easy tips to help you embrace mud season. Don't keep the kids from going outside this time of year! Mud is magical for child development in so many ways. Use these tips to help contain the cleanup so you can yes to the mud! Check out the clip here. 

DIY holiday storage (elf on the bookshelf...literally)

Our holiday book collection is a a bit out of control (shocker) and every year I struggle with how to keep the books accessible and organized. Can't believe I didn't think of this until today so I'm sharing here in case this not-so-genius-solution-right-under-my-nose is helpful to someone else.

Gather together your out of control holiday collection (AKA that pile of Santa hats and reindeer antlers, holiday stuffed animals or those seasonal Little People or Plamobil sets). 

Find yourself a sturdy lidded box. Wrap the box in some lovely festive wrapping paper. 

Corral collection inside lovely wrapped box and voila: instant, festive storage! (Elf butt on top is optional). Now we can find our holiday faves whenever the mood strikes but they're not scattered all over the living room. And the book collection is ready to go back into storage when the holidays are over. Easy peasy! #raisingreaders #stayorganized #upcycle

 

Tackle a Chore: Krud Kutter! In LOVE!

With both girls in school now, I'm finally catching up with some...ahem...long (long, long) neglected projects. Like my kitchen floor. My filthy, disgusting, kitchen floor. (I do disinfect it...I just haven't gotten into any of those little texture holes in a long time. Like maybe three years). 

I was going to buy this Krud Kutter stuff the other day at Rocky's Ace Hardware, but the price tag was $8.99. I had that "it's probably not worth the price," thought. So I passed. 

Then I found it at Big Y on sale for $2.99. And...ready for this? I had a $2 off coupon (FYI: the coupon is still available and expires October 8). So I got this stuff for $.99. And it's totally taking ALL the grime off my kitchen floor. I was in the process of collecting quotes to have the floor professional steam cleaned because no matter what I tried I couldn't get it looking clean. And instead of spending $99 on a professional floor cleaning I'm spending $.99! 

WHOOP! WHOOP! Just had to share this super score. (Also, if you Ibotta, there is a $1.75 rebate through October 22, 2017 so you could even potentially make money on this deal). 

But the important thing is: it actually works. Look at all the nasty it took right out of the divots on the floor! I used it at full strength right out of the sprayer (it can also be diluted), let it sit for a few minutes and then wiped with a rag. So easy. And cheap. Also, Krud Kutter is non toxic and comes with the Safer Choice seal and doesn't have a strong odor. Win, win, win. I'm psyched, you guys, can you tell? I hope it helps you conquer one of those long nagging jobs around your house too. #tackleachore #loveyourhome

 

50 Simple Ways to Help the Kids Be Kind to Mama Earth #earthday #raisethemup #gogreen

1. Plant a vegetable garden...no matter how small

2. If you're going less than a mile don't drive, walk awhile. 

3. Try to eat snacks without containers (think apples, bananas, oranges, pears).

4. Commit to turning off the lights when you leave a room. 

5. Upcycle small food jars instead of using plastic drinking cups.

6. Build a simple compost bin and use it!

7. Participate in an environmental clean up event.

8. Buy local whenever possible.

9. Gather up the too-short sweats, leggings with worn out knees, and torn jeans and cut into shorts.

10. Fill those recycle bins instead of the trash cans.

11. Start some seedlings.

12. Gather up all of the wire hangers in the house and bring to a dry cleaner's for recycling. 

13. Shop a second hand store. 

14. Commit to turning off electronics when not in use.

15. Hang the laundry out to dry. 

16. Plant a tree in the yard.

17. Eat meat free one day per week. 

18. Use washable rags instead of paper towels. 

19. Commit to turning off the tap when brushing your teeth.

20. Recycle large drawings and painting as gift wrap.

21. Commit to buying a few items (or as much as possible) secondhand. 

22. Get everyone a good travel mug and USE them instead of buying disposable drinks. 

23. Bring your unused plastic bags to the grocery store for recycling. 

24. Try making your own laundry detergent (the kids will love grating the soap!)

25. Give something away on freecycle instead of sending it to the landfill.  

26. Invest in metal drinking straws instead of disposable.

27. Use recyclable batteries. 

28. Pick up garbage around the neighborhood.

29. Utilize the library instead of buying new. 

30. Support a local farmer.

31. Set up a toy swap. 

32. Bike instead of drive around town.

33. Get some houseplants...they clean the air!

34. Remember your cloth bags when shopping.

35. Drink tap water instead of bottled. 

36. Give experiences instead of gifts for birthdays and holidays.

37. Don't use produce bags...just put the produce in your cart.

38. Let the grass grow a bit longer (you don't need to water it as often).

39. BYO Tupperware to the restaurant instead of utilizing takeout containers for leftovers.

40. Carpool.

41. Use the back of school worksheets for drawings and coloring.

42. Pay attention to expiration dates instead of wasting food. 

43. Take a hike.

44. Make your own household cleaners.

45. Take showers instead of baths.

46. Play outside in the fresh air and turn off the screens. 

47. Eat up leftovers.

48. Reuse plastic food containers instead of purchasing new food storage.

49. Repair instead of replace.

50. Make a DIY watering can from a milk jug (for your new garden!)