Laundry Clean Queen

When my mama was here helping me, she ordered some supplies she believes in for cleaning and laundry. I would’ve never ordered items like this on my own accord. But, now I’m hooked and SAVING MONEY in the long run. Reordering some bottles today and want to share why. FYI: not affiliated with the brands, not sponsored, just a new fan. Also, if you’re putting an amazon order today, products can be found HERE.

The Laundress is known for being some of the best cleaning products out there. Household and clothing, sheets and cashmere, I’m hooked. I love the light, lingering smell. And have grown to appreciate how well these products take care of my towels and sheets and clothing and house cleaning. And to boot,  they are eco-friendly , safe, cruelty free thanks to using only non-toxic, biodegradable, and allergen-free materials-also free of controversial ingredients like petroleum, SLS, phosphate, phthalates, and dyes. Again, not an ad!! Just a customer.

RAINY DAY SAVINGS

Let’s start with the saving money part. I love my dry-clean only sweaters and dresses. But, during the quarantine, I wasn’t going to keep taking them in (spending so much on each one) and dragging Hayden around with masks and gloves, etc. (I’m alone with my 3-year-od son in quarantine if you are new here). So, my mom said go ahead and wear my comfy cashmere ones and wash them all with the cashmere shampoo/ detergent on delicate and line dry. Oh my goodness- it worked so well. I will continue to do this long term. No more automatically drycleaning everything just because it says it on the label. I’m slowly adding other fabrics to figure out which ones work the best. Obviously, use your best judgement on which items should still only be dry-cleaned. Also, I often use the signature and delicate that work for a myriad of fabrics.

BETWEEN THE SHEETS

Sheets that last are a investment. Nice sheet can cost us a pretty penny and I want to preserve the fabric, the bright white look (I love white sheets), so that was our first conversation about changing detergent when cleaning certain things like my nicer towels and sheets. I now use the whites bottle. I invested in some nicer towels and they started turning yellow. I didn’t want to use bleach because it specifically says on the label not to!! Oxiclean wasn’t cutting it, but this detergent is keeping them white.

OUT DARNED SPOT, OUT!

Now, if something gets on them like makeup (ohhhh the accidental mascara stain or blood from a nick from shaving my legs (rarely, but it happens), or little munchkin eats strawberries and wipes it all over himself and the towel, I spray the MISS MOUTH’s on it first. Let it sit for a while and then rub the fabric together with a white cloth underneath to not transfer the stain.

Last time Huck was here, he showed up with newly dyed fuchsia hair. His mother had dyed his hair fuchsia pink hours before and recommended I wash it out that night. Despite washing really well- it still ended up getting on some pillows, white sheets and a good portion of my white linen headboard. It took a few days, but Miss Mouth’s did the trick!!

I haven’t tried the Stain Remover from the laundress, but the reviews are so good, I have to add it. Also, just to make it easier, I have it from different locations in case they are running out, which just happened (click HERE).

THE DARK SIDE

So, I’m testing out my darks with their dark detergent. I’ll let you know what I think…

Lastly, adding this little guide that is helping me! Source unknown.

IN THE MEANTIME, LMK WHAT YOU THINK… what are your tried and true home remedies for household accidents or maintenance? Please do share.

xox

Ashley Jones

COOL KITS, COOL KIDS AND COOL (& crazed) MAMAS

Hello! Hello?? Anyone there?

Yes, I’m hoping to be back more consistently. Bear with me here, though. Thank you so much for all your support.

Who out there is in full blown back to school mode? I have some ideas for things that might make life easier. And if you are NOT in back to school mode, there are still some things I want to share in this post that you will appreciate! Plus, our friends at Stuck On You are gifting one of you a $100 gift card to start the school year off right. Woo-hoo!!!

KIT LIFE

I stayed at Hayden’s school for his first day of preschool and hung out with him. I had lunch at the toddler table with all his new friends. I quickly realized the lay of the land…. first off, WOW has the lunchbox game improved since I was in school. And I also learned about the funny account @dictatorlunches. I follow her (along with 100K other people) to vacillate between feeling inspired and wanting to throw in the towel with the whole lunch game. Just remember fed is best, but it’s a fun account to follow if you’re doing mom life like us.

I guess all the cool kids call them lunch kits now. No plastic baggies or individual containers to keep up with, these kits are all you need. I started taking mental notes and learned about the Bento kit. I noticed some of the kids had personalized kits. It was so sweet to see how proud they were to show me their NAME on their stuff.Stuck On You has the best selection. You can get personalized bento lunch kits. It’s a pretty penny, but well-made things that last are worth it. Everything is washable and non-toxic, so you save the planet and money not buying plastic bags (and yay, Earth!). It also comes with two pull out inserts, so you can wash one and use one.

And come nap time, the majority of these kiddos now had roll up nap kits! No slugging blankies and individual pillows. Boy, was I busy online that night looking up stuff. I love this one from Wildkin. But more importantly, Hayden loves it, too. The majority of the other kids already had one, so I figured I needed to look into it.

STAMP IT

I got Huck and Hayden both individual stamps to label their belongings. Everything from clothes to shoes to books can get labeled with either a permanent ink stamp or washable sticker. It’s frustrating to lose hoodies and socks and things the kids take to school and camp, but don’t always bring back home with them.

I love making my life easier one stamp at a time. lol. All of these items can be found at Stuck On You.

These stamps are so easy to apply. They are perfect for clothing and all fabric type surfaces, so blankets and pillows, too.

I got carried away and ordered the address stamp for me. Thought it’d come in handy with Christmas cards!

THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE

I talked a great deal about my water filters earlier in the year. If there’s a college bound student in your world, the Home Master Mini counter top filter is such a great send off gift. Give the gift of fresh hydration!! And at right around $50, it’s a no-brainer for anyone that needs a portable water filter that will last a year.

THIRST FOR ENERGY

Between making lunch for the boys and feeding them in the morning, my coffee is often cold by the time I can drink it. I highly doubt I’m alone in this! Have I shared my favorite on-the-go travel mug? It’s reusable, sustainable silicone, non-toxic, dishwasher and microwave safe. So, I can reheat it for the drive to school;) goSili.com $14.95. Love the pink and teal.

I go over all the above and MORE in the latest back to school column in Soap Opera Digest. Don’t forget to grab your copy!

Now, for the fun part! Leave a comment here, make sure you are following @stuckonyouofficial and me @ashleyaubra. That enters you to win $100 gift certificate for all your personalization needs! One winner will be randomly chosen this Friday!

Good luck!

Now… if you want to throw some lunch ideas at me here… I need to up my lunch kit game for the boys! Hayden can’t take nuts of any kind, but Huck can have anything. And please tell me I am not the only one that “samples” everything before I put it in the kit? Those calories don’t count, right?

xoxo

AAJ