Top Ways To Make Your Home More Green-Friendly

June 11, 2016 By Anne

In life, we are always trying to find ways to be more green-friendly. Not only is it essential to help the environment, but it’s also ideal to save money on bills. Here are some ways you can make your home more green-friendly.

Change bulbs to eco-friendly ones

One of the top ways to make your home more green-friendly is to change your light bulbs to eco-friendly ones. It’s an excellent way to help the environment and to save money on your electric bill. As this article reveals, by using bulbs such as fluorescent light bulbs, you will end up using only a quarter of the electricity of regular bulbs. They can last much longer too.

Pexels

Use green products

Another way you can make your home more eco-friendly is to use products which are green-friendly when cleaning your home. Check out how they have been created to ensure they do not harm the environment by polluting the air. You can also hire a cleaner to tidy your home who is green-friendly. There are many around such as http://betterlifemaids.com/, who will do green-friendly cleaning for your home.

Keep heating to a minimum

You should also be ensuring you make your home more green-friendly by keeping your heating to a minimum in your home. A lot of people have the heating on during the day when they are not home which is not necessary. It will just pollute the air, as well as causing you to have high bills. Therefore, set your heating, so it only comes on when you are in the home. You can also keep your heating to a minimum by keeping the doors shut in your house and windows closed to make your home warmer and more green-friendly. It will also reduce your high energy bill at the end of the quarter.

Reduce meat consumption

Another thing you can do to be more green-friendly is to reduce your meat consumption. You should be attempting to eat a broad range of foods in your home so that you can help the environment. There are so many delicious vegetarian dishes that you can try. We discuss here how you can even reduce the meat consumption of your pets by buying non-meat dog food at the supermarket.

Image Source

Use less water in the home

You should also consider how much water you are currently using in your home. You might be running the tap for ages waiting for the sink to fill up. But this means you are using vital water which could be being used in the environment. You could consider using a circulating water pump to ensure the water heats up very quickly. That way, you will end up saving so much water. Also, you should consider how long you currently take in the shower. If you find you are in there for a long time, it’s time to have a quicker shower or take a bath instead. Also, consider putting your clothes out to dry on a hanging line rather than always in the dryer, which will use up so much energy.

You know by following the above that you are doing your bit to help the environment by making your home greener.

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

Experience Delicious Coffee with the iCoffee Opus Single Serve Brewer @iCoffee

June 10, 2016 By Marijean

Coffee is a must in my house. I drink at least 2-3 cups a day and my husband drinks much more since he works an off shift. We need a good home coffee maker that makes exceptionally tasty coffee. I have had a Keurig brewer in the past and loved it at the time, but we prefer the just brewed taste so we sold it and went back to a traditional coffee maker. I have missed the 1 cup machine though, I always loved the convenience of just popping a K-cup in and that is it.

I had the chance to review the iCoffee Opus Single Serve Brewer. I heard that the coffee brewed from this machine is a lot better tasting than coffee brewed from the new Keurig 2.0, so I was excited to give it a try!

The SpinBrew™ Technology in every iCoffee^® single serve brewer spins, steams and stirs right inside any K-compatible cup to brew coffee that always tastes Impossibly Smooth™.

All iCoffee^® single serve brewers are compatible with every K-Cup®, OneCup™, RealCup™ capsule, and all private label cups**.

Exclusive SafetyLock™ locks the single-serve brew head during the brewing process, protecting consumers.

FEATURES

SpinBrew™ Technology
- – Spins, steams & stirs inside the cup
Dial-a-Brew™
- – From 4 to 12 ounces in ½ ounce increments
Large 75 ounce water reservoir
Energy Saver mode and automatic shut-off
Removable drip tray allows for larger mugs, including most travel mugs

BREWER SIZE & WEIGHT

Size: 13 1/8″ (H) x 10″ (W) x 13 1/8″ (D)
Weight: 10.75 lbs

This brewer comes with a 6 pack of Fulton St. brand K-cups in flavors Breakfast Blend, Colombian and Dark Roast (Breakfast Blend is my favorite, such great taste!). It also comes with a reusable iCup which will work with any of your favorite ground coffee. I was excited for this because I love Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks ground coffee.

I must say that this brewer is sharp looking. I love the blue lights that come on when I turn on the machine, gives it a very techy look. When I start the machine it doesn’t take long for the water to heat up. Something I love about this machine versus the Keurig I had is that this machine has very little noise when it is brewing. The Keurig always seemed so loud, so this is a nice change. It only take under a minute to brew which is awesome!

The Dial-A-Brew function takes the select-a-size feature to a new level, allowing users to choose their size from 4-12 ounces in 1/2-ounce increments. While other machines allowed a small-medium-large assortment of choices, the iCoffee Opus is a little more precise, allowing for easy filling of a regular coffee mug cup or a tall travel sized cup. My husband is a big fan of this function!! It also includes a magnetic removable drip tray to allow space for taller travel mugs. I like this because majority of the time I drink iced coffee, so I need the taller mug option.

I really wanted to test the iCoffee Opus Single Serve Brewer out against Keurig’s latest brewer, the 2.0. Luckily, a friend of mine has one so I was able to do a taste test comparison. I brewed the Colombian K-cup in the iCoffee and another in the Keurig 2.0. Hands down the iCoffee won. The flavor was so much better and much smoother.

All in all I do believe the iCoffee Opus Single Serve Brewer is much better than the Keurig machines. I can absolutely tell a difference in the taste of the coffee. I believe this is due to the SpinBrew Technology it has. My kids are even excited to now have Hot Chocolate K-cups and have hot chocolate whenever they please (even if it is 90 degrees out here in Florida).

Bed Bath and Beyond has the iCoffee Opus for $139.99 right now, and if you order online you will receive free shipping.

Give the iCoffee Opus brewer a try, you won’t regret it!!

Connect with iCoffee: Twitter | Facebook | Website

*I received a complimentary brewer in exchange for my honest opinion. This review is based on my experience with the product. I am not affiliated with the company and everything in this review is my opinion.

Marijean

My name is MJ. I have two wonderful children and work part time as well as volunteer at my children's school.

Loose Tooth Trouble Book Review and Giveaway #review #giveaway @MKowalcyk

June 9, 2016 By Mariella

Loose Tooth Trouble

We can all remember the anticipation of the Tooth Fairy when having a loose tooth. Melissa Bixby’s adorable book, Loose Tooth Trouble reminds us what it’s like to wait for a bothersome loose tooth to finally fall out so the Tooth Fairy can visit. This book with it’s unique storyline finds creative ways to help the main character, Bobby, loose a tooth and comedic predictability that children love. After reading the book to my boys, my five year old seemed to love the illustrations and thought they were hilarious. My seven year old said he “loved all the different ideas, they were super-weird! They’re funny.” Loose Tooth Trouble is now a staple read whenever one of my boys have a loose tooth. Synopsis: Every time Bobby wiggles his loose tooth, it hurts. Journey through this imaginative character’s day, as he receives some hilarious, outrageous, and comical suggestions, on how to remove his troubling tooth. This quirky, fun story, coupled with creative and hilarious illustrations, tackles a universal dilemma that all children are faced with during their childhood, and guides the reader to appreciate that sometimes the simplest solution is the best one. “My young son once spent an entire dinner discussing new and off-the-wall ways to remove his loose teeth,” explains the author. “As a writer at heart, my head got spinning with ideas, and the book was born. But there’s a serious side; I wanted to create something that added some light relief for children who are anxious and scared about their teeth becoming loose and falling out. I was terrified of the idea as a kid – I wish someone had written me a story to make the whole ordeal somewhat funny!”

‘Loose Tooth Trouble’, from Books by Bixby, is available now.

For more information or to order, visit the author’s official website: http://www.booksbybixby.com.

Copies are also available from Amazon: http://amzn.to/1NvepLo.

Beautifully illustrated by Adam Barney

	Follow me on Facebook
	Follow me on Twitter
	Follow me on Pinterest
	Teachers…check this out!

About the Author: Melissa Bixby was born in Park Ridge, Illinois, and grew up in Glenview, IL. For fifteen years, she taught in Schaumburg, IL schools. She taught students with special needs, language arts and social studies, and also served as the library media teacher. Loose Tooth Trouble is her first children’s book.

GIVEAWAY

Would your children love this book? One lucky reader will win a copy! U.S. Only, Ends 6/23.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This review is based on my opinion of this book. I am not affiliated with the company and everything in this review is my opinion.

Mariella

I'm a stay at home mom of three beautiful boys. I'm a former teacher and a recent Florida transplant. I enjoy reading, traveling, and living the salt life.

Getting Back Into Work After You’ve Had A Baby

June 9, 2016 By Anne

Image link

For some mothers, once they have their baby, this becomes their full-time job. However, other mothers wish to or need to return to work. So, how can you make this transition from new mom to working mom a manageable one?

Of course, the most ideal piece of advice you can be given is- Don’t return until you are ready. It makes sense. Being ready, both physically and mentally, is crucial. However, it may be that you have to return to work sooner for financial reasons.

If you’re moving to a new job, make the process as easy as possible. Start applying for jobs in advance of when you want to return. Have a close friend or grandparent look after the baby on interview day, so you can be focused and not covered in baby fluids! Gather together any paperwork you might need. This might be things like references or proof of identification, like a birth certificate. Be upfront and honest about the fact that you have recently had a baby. There is no point trying to hide it, as they will find out eventually! They will appreciate your honesty, also. You never know, the interviewer may have just become a parent themselves! This will give you some common ground, and an air of understanding between you.

If you are returning to your old job, you are in more of a position to negotiate how many hours you will work on your return. The chances are they will be so happy to have you back, they will help accommodate you. A very good way to help make the transition more manageable is to increase your hours over time. Instead of going straight in at five days a week, start off just working one day a week. Increase this to two days, then three, over a number of weeks. Not only will this get you back into work, but it will get you used to being away from you baby. Not to mention, it will get your baby used to being away from you!

It may take a few weeks to adjust, and that’s okay. It’s also very normal. A few wobbles are okay, but try and remain professional when at work. You don’t want your boss or colleagues to think you are too emotional or unreliable.

However, if you are struggling too much when you return to, speak to a Doctor. It could be that you are suffering from postnatal depression. This is a very real illness, and should be taken seriously by you, your loved ones and of course, your employer and colleagues. The earlier you are diagnosed, the faster you can learn how to cope, and the nearer the end will be.

Once you are back at work, be sure to make the rest of your social calendar a tad empty. Your body will need to adjust to working and being a mom, and you could be more tired than usual. Just give yourself time, and you will be balancing work and motherhood like a pro in no time!

Anne

Check out these new clips from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows #TMNT2

June 8, 2016 By Marijean

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES:

OUT OF THE SHADOWS

Watch the Turtles in action in these new clips from the film!

“Halloween” Clip

https://youtu.be/QuK0VH2ltiw

“Manhole Covers & Nunchucks” Clip

https://youtu.be/dFvvllISw2c

“Melo” Clip

https://youtu.be/Ce4IFrWagnw

“Take Out the Trash” Clip

https://youtu.be/7nXviuCACDo

“Airplane Jump” Clip

https://youtu.be/nG91gbH8cM0

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS is in-theaters today!

Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, and Raphael return to theaters this summer to battle bigger, badder villains, alongside April O’Neil (Megan Fox), Vern Fenwick (Will Arnett), and a newcomer: the hockey-masked vigilante Casey Jones (Stephen Amell). After supervillain Shredder (Brian Tee) escapes custody, he joins forces with mad scientist Baxter Stockman (Tyler Perry) and two dimwitted henchmen, Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams) and Rocksteady (WWE Superstar Stephen “Sheamus” Farrelly), to unleash a diabolical plan to take over the world. As the Turtles prepare to take on Shredder and his new crew, they find themselves facing an even greater evil with similar intentions: the notorious Krang.

Official Website

http://www.teenagemutantninjaturtlesmovie.com/

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/TMNT/

Twitter

https://twitter.com/tmntmovie

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/tmntmovie/