Dr Beckmann Service-it *Giveaway*

I hate housework (don't we all?) but anything that makes my life a little easier and cleaning a little quicker is definitely worth having! We received some Service-it products from Dr. Beckmann to help ensure our washing machine runs smoothly day in and out and I was really impressed by the results.

Dr. Beckmann Service-it Deep Clean Washing Machine Cleaner removes 99.9% of bacteria and micro-organisms from your washing machine to leave it smelling fresh and thoroughly cleaned.


Using this product after every 30 washes helps to ensure your clothes are washed as well as can be by removing built up dirt from your machine.

Dr. Beckmann Service-it Washing Machine Cleaner helps to prevent expensive call out charges by maintaining your washing machine and eliminating detergent residues that build up on the seals, pipes and drum of your machine.


It also helps to remove limescale on the machine’s element to increase it's efficiency and works best when combined with the use of the Deep Clean treatment.

After using these product ourselves I was really pleased as not only did they clean my machine well but  they helped to remove the damp smell that lingered after being used so frequently too!

*** WIN ***

For your chance to win a years supply of Dr Beckmann Service-it and Service-it Deep Clean (6 x each product) you can enter via the Rafflecopter entry form below.

The giveaway closes on 20th August 2013.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Another chance to win...

To support the new Service-it Deep Clean TV ad, Dr. Beckmann are offering fans the chance to win £100 of Curry’s vouchers to put towards an appliance of their choice! You can enter here: https://www.facebook.com/drbeckmann




*We received some Dr. Beckmann products for the purpose of this review and giveaway. The opinions given are honest and our own*

Bar Keepers Friend - Win a years supply of cleaning products!

Launched in 1882 Bar Keepers Friend has a range of products that are great for battling grease and grime at home with minimal effort. The brand has recently relaunched with a new design and two new products - POWER Cream and POWER Spray.

 

 

 Bar Keepers Friend, containing Oxalic Acid (found in rhubarb), has a unique formula which is ideal for cleaning work surfaces, sinks, hobs and even your burnt and tarnished pans! It works on stainless steel, glass, porcelain, tiles and many other materials too to help make your spring cleaning a little easier and less time consuming!

 

 

 

POWER Spray - Suitable for kitchens, bathrooms and surfaces, this all purpose active foaming spray is great for removing light and heavier stains. It helps to remove limescale and leaves the toilet sparkling!

 

POWER Cream - Perfect for stubborn stains like felt-tip, baked on food and even rust, this cream can be squeezed onto a sponge and wiped across a variety of surfaces.

 

Stain Remover - This product cleans, restores and polishes china, marble, brass, laminates and more to eliminate soap scum, coffee and dirt.

 

 

 

 

*** WIN ***

We have a years supply of Bar Keepers Friend products to giveaway which includes the 3 products mentioned above!

For your chance to win you can enter via the Rafflecopter entry form below before 15th May 2013.

 

Good luck!

 

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pocket Money Palava

The Mini Mes are at the age (8 and 6) where I expect them to keep their bedrooms tidy, put their clean washing away, put dirty washing in the basket and draw their curtains and make their beds each day. But I always wonder if they should be paid for what they do at the end of each week with pocket money or whether they should just do it as a way of learning to be tidy, organised and to look after their living space. I don't get paid for housework!

Ever since they were dinky they would help to put toys away in the toy boxes. I would time them or make it into a game so it was fun and it became second nature to them. They are generally very good at putting rubbish away and putting toys back where they belong once they have finished playing and if I give them a pile of clothes they will automatically take them upstairs and put them in their drawers.

They get bought new toys, books and games regularly anyway so do I need to give them cash as well? I also put money into their savings account monthly so they have funds for when they are older.

I feel as though giving them pocket money each week may help them to learn the importance of money and to gain a sense of achievement when saving to buy things themselves from being helpful around the home. BUT then I wonder if they will expect more money as they get older and assume I will pay them for every little task I ask them to do. Also, how much is the right amount to pay them? Should it be a set amount each week or vary upon the tasks they have completed? Should they get the same amount regardless of age?

What do you expect your children to do around the home? Do you give them pocket money for chores?

How and when do you find the time to... Meme

I've been tagged by the lovely Two of Everything to continue the 'How and when do you find the time to' meme that was created by Sex, Drugs, Rocker and... Stroller.

Rules:

• Please post the rules.
• When answering the questions, please give as much detail as possible!
• Leave a comment on Sex, Drugs, Rocker and...Stroller, so we can keep track of the meme and I can totally steal your routine tips to make my world a happier place.
• Also if you want (and I'd really like you to!) add a little paragraph at the bottom to give a general summing up about your weekly routine!
• Tag 3 or more people and link to them on your blog.
• Tweet tweet tweet #howdoyoufindthetimetomeme

Here goes...

How and when do you find the time to...

....do your laundry?

The basket sits at the top of the stairs and when its nearly filled, generally every other day with all the Mr's work clothes too, I wash it and put it on the airer. I also do a Friday load of all the school uniform so its all fresh and put away for the following week.

....write a blog post?

At the moment I'm only working a few hours a week and as the kids are at school I have a fair bit of time to do as I please. I don't blog in the evenings or the weekends, that's my time with the Mr to relax together and chat - I might schedule some things to go up then though.

....look after yourself...i.e. wash your hair, paint your nails, take a bubble bath etc?

My nails are acrylic so they only need maintaining once a month really, which is a 40 min session at my fav beauty place Creative Nails. My hair I wash every other day and leave to dry naturally and I then straighten it in the morning before the school run. I can have a bath easily in the evening as the kids are sound asleep 8pm-7.45am.... peace!

 

....spend time with your other half?

I get the evenings with him once he has finished work and the kids are in bed. I'm not with the kids biological father, haven't been for over 5 years now, so every other weekend and 2 wednesdays a month they go to him which is our couple time. We enjoy going to the cinema, playing darts and catching up with family or just having a movie night in with some good food and wine!

....do fun stuff with your LO?

After school if the weather is nice we play in the garden, fields or park, go out on scooters or bikes or fly the kites. If the weather isn't so great we like to do baking an crafts indoors. We also like to play board games from time to time or cards. It's nice that the Mini Mes are 6 and 8 as they play happily together or entertain themselves too with various toys.

  

My dad, brother, sister-in-law, Mr and Minxy

....spend time with family?

Mondays we usually head to my Grans house where the Mini Mes and I also meet up with my Mum, Aunt, cousins etc for a catch up and lots of treats. We also pop in to the Mr's parent sometimes at weekends or my parents and quite often we will meet my parents at the pub or in town. We get on well.

....socialise with friends?

This doesn't seem to happen that often anymore unfortunately! A lot of them have younger children which need them at home and prevent them going out or drinking, don't have funds for one reason or another, or don't live close enough to see on a regular basis. I do see some good friends on the school run for a brief natter almost daily and catch up with close ones usually on a Thursday at the local soft play after school which I enjoy.

....prepare an evening meal juggling a baby/toddler bedtime routine?

I don't have this problem anymore but I used to put them in the play pen with some toys or in the highchair with some chunky crayons to doodle with. Slow cookers are the way forward though with small children.

....deep clean your house?

It never really needs a 'deep clean'. I do a few litle bits each day and that keeps on top of it all. I have a sort through old clothes and toys around every 12 weeks on a weekend.

....do the food shopping?

Recently the Mr has been going to Tesco on a Sunday for the weekly shop but I do sometimes do it in the evening online. If we need some fresh bread, milk etc then me or the Mr will pop to Co-op.

....bulk ironing?

I don't! I never iron, well unless something looks particularly creased. The kids wear polo tops for school as does the Mr for work and they don't need ironing.

Summary

Being organised is key. A little and often makes tasks seem easy and you wont end up with a big load sitting there with your name on, waiting to be cleaned!

I generally clean the bathrooms and change bedding every Friday, wash up and hoover daily which includes cleaning all work tops etc. Write a to do list if needs be!

I am tagging...

City Girl Gone Coastal

Johnson Babies

Patch of Puddles

My Funny Mummy

Counting Blueberries

Naturally Powered Review

Being a mum I seem to spend a lot of time cleaning, cleaning and erm cleaning so when we were offered the chance to try some new concentrated non-bio laundry powder I jumped at the chance. Anything that may help to get dirt and spilt dinner out of clothes is always helpful!





The box we received was 800g which is enough for 13 washes based on a normal load with little soiling in medium hard water. The laundry powder comes within a bag inside the box and there is a small card cup with a 30g fill line supplied to use as a scoop.

I first noticed how mild the blue and white powder was in scent, it was still pleasant but not very strong.  It is made from plant-derived cleaning ingredients and is dermatologically tested though so it's skin friendly which is great!

I followed the detailed instructions on the rear of the box and loaded my machine ready for action.

After a 40 degrees wash I checked the variety of clothing and although it was nice and clean (thumbs up) it did lack a 'fresh' scent which I've come to expect. This happened again on a 15 degrees wash - the product website states will still provide 'brilliant results'. This may be good for those that don't like an over-powering smell on their clothing but personally I like my clothes to smell fresh after a wash. I was pleased however that there wasn't any residue left on the clothes from the powder which I've found has happened with alternative brands in the past.



The product is independent performance tested and supports the production of certified sustainable palm oil. The packaging is card and therefore recyclable - bonus.

For more information on this product you can head over to Naturally Powered's website.

Available at £3.50 from Tesco


*I was sent Naturally Powered to review. My views are my own based on my experience of the product*