Top 5 Cleaning Essentials

I think every ones first thought after Christmas is about getting the tree and decks down and giving the house a really good clean so i thought id share with you my top 5 cleaning essentials.

1. Antibacterial wipes.

I love these things!! they are so versatile and you can use them everywhere, the kitchen, bathroom, lounge, on doors, on TVs, the list is endless.
I always like to have 2 packs of these, I keep one with my cleaning supplies and the other in the bathroom. As I am the only female in the house they come in handy to give the toilet and quick wipe after one of the boys has been in.
I also like to use them on door handles, remotes and light switches as these are the places where most germs like to live.

2. Zaflora.

Oh zaflora, well iv only recently learnt of this miracle product from a facebook group i belong to. The ladies on there were raving about this does all liquid so i thought id have to give it a try. Well it is amazing and i would never be able to be without it now. Here is a list of things you can do with zaflora : Dilute into an antibac spray
              Add a cap ful into the mop bucket
              A few drops into the washing machine and your clothes come out smelling amazing
              A few drops on a cloth a rub over radiators and light bulbs (both cold) and when heating and light are on the smell will fill the room

3. Hoover.

I live to hoover. I must say it is by far my favourite cleaning task. I find it so satisfying (sad i know). My hoover at the moment is the trusty Dyson which i love. The extender on it is so long so it fits my needs perfect, and it is brilliant with picking up the animal hair and sawdust from the gerbil.









4. Steam Mop.

Again another versatile product i just couldn't live without. Not only does it effortlessly clean my floor with no need for harm full chemicals but i can take it apart and use it to clean my windows, my shower, hob, oven, sink and so on. My steam mop is the H20 X5 and was a very reasonable price when we bought it. Here is the link to where you can buy one:







http://www.thanedirect.co.uk/h2o-x5-steam-cleaning-system-614?gclid=Cj0KEQiAtri0BRDLoaCF95e7o_sBEiQA_pgRQ7evO3qdKhUhVAgCn7JLceNKXJOsVpjLQ0ZDhwDxZNEaAkOo8P8HAQ

5. Oxy Stain Remover.

Now if your like me and have messy children then this is a must. just one scoop in your wash and it keeps your clothes stain free. I have tried the more expensive brands but i have found that this works just as good. Also its very good at cleaning rugs and carpets too. Just add a scoop or 2 to some warm water and work it into the stain, leave for 10 Min's then rinse.






I couldn't do a cleaning post without mentioning bi-carbonate of soda and white vinegar. These two product you should always keep in your kitchen as they can be used for so many things. bi-carb is a deodoriser plus an abrasive so is good for cleaning out fridges and bins. W
hite vinegar is good for cleaning windows and mirrors and cutting through grease. I will be doing a separate post on natural cleaning product so keep and eye out for that.

Id love to hear what cleaning essential you couldn't live without!

2015 Reflection

Happy New Year!!!!

I feel the new year is a time everyone is setting goals for the year ahead. The normal of no more chocolate, stopping smoking and more exercise. me however, I like to take the time to think about what iv learnt in the past 12 months.

This year has been a challenging one when it comes to James. At the start of January he was a cheeky 3 year old with the normal behaviours of a toddler but as the year went on he seemed to change. His behaviour become more challenging. he stared to back chat and deliberately do things he knew he was not allowed to do. Some days i felt like i was at the end of my tether and just was at a loss with how to control his behaviour. I turned to a method that his nursery was using.

It was a visual aid of the sun, a cloud and a rain cloud. every day he would start on the sun, if he did something he knew he was not aloud he would be moved onto the cloud, if his behaviour persisted he then moved onto the rain cloud and a toy or privilege was taken away from him for a period of time. he then had to work his way back up to the sun. it took a while to get it right but once we did it helped so much and things with him got better. i think the type of child James is he needs constant stimulation or he just gets bored and starts to create.
So that is one thing i learnt this year, to stick to your guns and be consistent.

The second thing i learnt was to take time for myself.
I am a big people pleaser and find it hard to say no. I'm not saying that is a bad thing but sometimes putting everyone else's happiness first can be draining. I work hard to raise my boys, look after my husband to be and run my home. I was finding that i was running around every day doing things for everyone else,  getting run down. I wasn't looking after my body or mind and you could tell. Most days i should not of left the house!!. After i got ill for a few day i realised i needed to start taking some time for me, if that was reading a book for an hour or having a shower in peace or even going to bed early to paint my nails.It really helped lift my spirits and gave me the chance to start feeling like Tara again and not just mum.

So why don't you take the time to reflect on the past 12 months and think about what you have learnt!!