Moments of Musing

8 Spring Cleaning Tips

Filed Under: Uncategorized //

This post is sponsored by Premier Surfaces in Buffalo, NY.

With highs in the 70’s today and tomorrow, it feels like Spring is FINALLY in the air, thank goodness! I don’t know about you but the one thing I love to do when the weather becomes warmer is go through a huge deep clean within my house. The room I always need to tackle is my kitchen. It’s the heart of our home but most importantly, it’s the place where so many germs and clutter occurs without me even thinking.

Today I’ll be sharing a few tips and tricks on how to get your kitchen ready for spring, one dirty dish and dust rag at a time:

1. Begin With An Empty Sink– Personally, dirty dishes are yack in my house! Let’s tackle it together! Either put your dirty dishes in the dishwasher, or hand wash them and put them away. By getting rid of that awful thing you hate first, everything will be a bit easier to manage!

2. Get Rid of Clutter and Trash- If there is one thing I hate it’s so many items that I never use anymore or worse, gross and smelly trash everywhere. Put items that belong in other rooms into a box or bag and set it aside. Put items that you’re wanting to donate in a different box or bag. Use a third bag to gather up all the trash and put it outside. Phew! Now doesn’t that look so much better!

3. Let The Light Shine In – Remove all your old curtains and take them into the laundry room for a good washing. Yes that’s right! Those get dusty and even moldy! A good clean wash will always keep them looking their best and you get a bit of natural light while you continue to tackle the kitchen!

4. Clean Cupboards And Drawers- Working one at a time, remove everything and clean the interior. Put expired spices and unwanted gadgets into a trash bag or a donation bag as you work. Once you’ve finished cleaning the inside of the cupboards and drawers, move on to cleaning the exterior including the handles! Be sure to get the hinges as greasy dust collects there too!

Image: Premier Surfaces New York

5. Give Your Countertops A Good Wash – Remove everything from your countertops. I use a warm soapy water and microfiber cloth to give it a good wash because my counter tops are from one of my favorite stores, Premier Surfaces in Buffalo, NY. They offer friendly customer service, amazing variety of various countertops to choose from and easy installation to get the dream kitchen and counters you deserve! Sometimes if my countertops have a big or stubborn food spills, I’m able to use a bit of baking soda and water to get rid of it. Supre easy and durable, it’s the only store I will go too to keep my kitchen looking it’s best!

6. Tackle That Trash Can– Emptying the trash is simple so go ahead and get rid of all that waste by bringing it to a bin outside! Wash the trash can with warm soapy water and rinse it thoroughly. Let the trash can air dry in the sun if possible- the sun helps to deodorize and disinfect it!

7. Clean Out Your Oven And Clean The Refrigerator – Leave the windows in the kitchen open to avoid the overpowering smell that sometimes can happen. Don’t forget to vacuum the coils of your unplugged refrigerator. This is a great time to also sweep and mop under it to if you can find someone to help you move it out. Be careful of scratching your floor but it’ll be worth it getting that dirt and grime out!

8. Sort Through Freezer and Fridge – Throw out any expired food, mostly empty containers ( super guilty of this ) and items that you bought and never used. Put the stuff to keep on the counter. Take out the shelf and drawers and begin carefully washing the glass. Wipe down the entire inside of your fridge and freezer before replacing the shelves and food.  Don’t forget to wipe down and clean the oven according to the directions on the oven cleaner.


Some other tips to cleaning your kitchen? Make sure to gather all your supplies first. Reward yourself by ordering in for dinner! Close the newly cleaned kitchen at least until breakfast the next morning. I always put music on, an audio book or a foreign language tape to get keep my motivation up. This really helps to pass the time a bit more quickly and have a more enjoyable experience.

Enjoy your spring cleaning, friends!

Babies “R” Us Registry is No More… Now What?

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This post is sponsored by MyRegistry.com but all opinions are my own.

When I first heard the news about Toys “R” Us closing, I was heartbroken. I was a total Toys “R” Us kid growing up! I was also worried because that meant Babies “R” Us was shutting down too, along with its coveted baby registry, and a lot of expectant mamas would be scrambling to find a registry alternative.
When I was a first-time mom, Babies “R” Us was my go-to when it was time to create a baby registry. From baby gear and essentials, to adorable baby clothes and toys, they really were the ultimate one-stop baby shop. And you couldn’t beat their perks, like 10% registry rewards, either. My husband and I got hundreds of dollars back due the rewards and were able to get a bunch of baby items, including a crib with the money!
If you grew up with Toys “R” Us like I did, you probably also assumed that they’d be around once you got pregnant. Now that its baby registry is no longer an option, where should you register?
MyRegistry.com has been a savior for those new moms that had their registries shut down. As a universal gift registry service, they’ve been helping former Babies “R” Us registrants transfer their gift list to a MyRegistry.com account and find exact replacements or similar products at other stores—sometimes at even better prices!
They are even working with manufacturers like Graco to be able to offer their members products in colors and patterns that were once exclusive to Babies “R” Us, which is a huge relief for us pickier moms!
Here are some more reasons why I think MyRegistry.com is the perfect alternative to Babies “R” Us:
You can add gifts from literally anywhere
Their browser button (like the Pinterest button) allows you to add any product from any website to your registry. That means you can shop around and get exactly what you want at the best price. If you’re in an actual store, rather than online, their mobile app turns your smartphone into a barcode scanner for an old-school registry experience.
You still get to take advantage of rewards
Retailers have tons of benefits to entice you to create a registry with them. In fact, the Endless Earnings program is what made the Babies “R” Us registry so popular. MyRegistry.com is partnered with popular retailers like Amazon, Target, Pottery Barn Kids, and more, so you can sync your store registries to your universal gift list. This way, you get ALL the store perks while managing your registries in one place. 
Not just for baby registries
One of the things I like most about MyRegistry.com is that it’s not just for baby registries—you can create a wedding registry too. You can also create wish lists for birthdays, holidays, housewarmings, or just because, and it’s all accessible on the same account. Can you say super convenient? 

So head on over and check it out!

Health Care Savings

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This post is sponsored by SingleCare but all opinions are my own.

As a soon-to-be mom of two, I understand the importance of health care savings. Mortgage, bills, and costs for caring for our firstborn are expensive enough so my husband and I are interested in ways we can cut corners and save money. Add in prenatal care, costs associated with banking Baby #2’s cord blood and tissue, and our future labor and delivery bill, and we could sure use all the health care savings we can get… That’s why SingleCare seems like a great service.

SingleCare offers savings on prescriptions, dental, vision, and on-demand virtual doctor visits. It benefits everyone, so no worries if you do not have insurance. Whether it’s a life-saving drug or a routine dental cleaning, it believes consumers should be able to compare costs for healthcare services and get care without worrying about networks, coverage limitations or deductibles. If you do have insurance, it is a good supplement because it can be cheaper than your copay. (We all know how costly copays can add up to be…)

The SingleCare pharmacy savings card is accepted nationwide at over 35,000 pharmacies, including Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, and Kroger’s. Simply bring your card to the pharmacy and ask the pharmacist to process your prescription using the BIN and PCN number found on your card. This extensive availability and simplicity of use is very convenient for consumers.

SingleCare’s number one goal is to help people save on the medications they need. It is free to join and members save money when they fill a prescription using their SingleCare card or when they visit a SingleCare dentist, optometrist, or have an online doctor visit. More savings equals more money to spend on things you like and want to do, such as vacations!

It’s Baby Month!

Filed Under: baby #2, pregnancy //

This post contains affiliate links, purchases from which I may benefit.

 

It is so surreal to me that we will be adding another little family member to our tribe this month. My husband is excited and pretty cool as a cucumber… I, on the other hand, am torn between wanting to meet him already and not have this big bump versus loving his kicks and needing the next few weeks to prepare for his arrival.

Admittedly, grieving while in my last weeks of pregnancy has been tough but it has also pushed me to try to think more positively. I know that’s what Abby would want me to do. She loved kids, loved S and was excited for Baby #2. I was/am so sad that they won’t meet here on earth but people have reminded me that they will cross paths above and she’ll send him down with extra love.

As far as preparation goes, we have been so busy the last few weeks-months so it’s been a bit difficult to truly prepare for his arrival. I am hoping this weekend we will hopefully begin getting things in order. By that I mean washing a lot of newborn and 0-3 month clothes and organizing.

We are in desperate need of shelving for the boys’ closets and in the boys’ bedroom and playroom so hopefully we can around to that, too. I found a really nice website with an overview of Montessori shelves. I also plan to pack our hospital bags, or at least start so I know what else is needed. The baby is pretty set but his dad and I, on the other hand… not so much.

We also have to order S’s big brother present(s). He’ll be getting a new baby brother and some cool new toys (we’re thinking something like this). Lucky him!

What are some things you did the last weeks of pregnancy to prepare for your new addition?

Lessons from Abby

Filed Under: positivity, team abby //

My strong, beautiful and brave little cousin Abby became an angel last week after her nearly 1.5 year battle with cancer. Words do not suffice but she was such a fighter. 


Though It hurts like heck that she couldn’t stay here earth-side with us, she saw to it that her family and friends would receive a little bit of consolation by leaving us a series of letters … That in and of itself speaks to the big-hearted, caring and compassionate person she was. 

To give a little background about Abby, she was loved beyond measure and sweet as can be. She was an amazing person and writer. She was strong and boy, was she intelligent. Toward the tail end of her battle, she was able to find out that she’d received multiple college acceptances and full four-year scholarships. She embodied all that a good person should. 

That’s just a tidbit about our Abby. I could seriously go on and on about how much she reminded me of myself. Though she considered me a big sis and looked up to me, for the last 1.5 years I have looked up to her, and now, I forever will. 

In her honor, I’d like to share three of the most important life lessons Abby taught me:

1. Perspective is important.

“This is just like any other obstacle in life. It hurts and it’s hard. It has the power to break me but I won’t let it.“- Abby


Back in October 2016, I woke up to an ominous text from my brother in the middle of the night before my second or third day back to work after maternity leave. He spoke about visiting Abby in the emergency room … I texted and called to find out details. The possibility of the dreaded “C” word (cancer) was thrown out there. My heart stopped. My thoughts immediately shifted from being anxious over my first week back at work as a mom to concern for my little cousin’s health. I regretfully never told her (because I did not know how to) but she helped me with my transition back in a way I could never really articulate. I’d gone from having anxiety attacks over my return to feeling grateful that I had a baby and a job to go back to because my worry was now not about leaving my baby for work but rather whether my baby cousin did indeed have cancer and whether she would survive… She helped me then and will always help me now to keep things in perspective. 
2. Live life fully.

“Cancer sucks but I won’t let it get in the way of me living my life– if anything, it’s pushed me to do more.” – Abby

Abby did not stop living, not even when her life here on Earth was almost up. She made sure to travel as much as she could; had a boyfriend; went to Sweet 16s, concerts and the movies; continued going to school up until recently; wrote in her journals; and attended as many family gatherings as she could. She applied to colleges and was looking as forward to the experience as she could. She was her sweet and sassy self through and through. I will try my best to follow in her footsteps and remind myself to seize every opportunity, make the most of everyday, and love wholeheartedly. 

3. Smile everyday.

“I promise myself I’ll smile everyday.” – Abby

When Abby was first diagnosed with cancer, she promised herself she’d smile everyday. And that she did. She remained optimistic and not once did I hear her complain about what she was going through. She preferred to rock her shaved head with a smile and without a wig, and she was still the most beautiful ever, realizing that beauty wasn’t defined by our hair or other physical features but by our humanity. She laughed and smiled throughout it all… and now whenever I feel like I’m having a bad moment or day, I will remember to smile despite whatever it is that’s bothering me. 

Abby, thank you. For teaching me more in your 18 years than others have. For being proud of me. For being you. 

You will be loved and missed everyday, Abs. At last you are not suffering.