I have been known to be a little of a pack rat.  I am not one of those hoarders that you see on television, but I have a lot of little things that I use for crafts or baking or things that I want to keep in case I need them.  This probably wouldn’t be a problem except for that we live in a very small house and storage space is at a premium.  My husband tries really hard to get me to throw away things that I won’t ever use, but we have come to an agreement that I can store things in our storage room.

I have been loving my Brother P-Touch system over the past few months (Don’t forget to check out my first post about the durability of the labels).  I have taken it to school to label my binders and book baskets.  I have used it in my basement to label my crafts.  And, I have used it to organize our storage room as we changed it from a music room into storage.  We now have space to store some of my stockpile that I have been collecting using my coupons!   We have also been able to take TJ’s old clothes and baby items and packed them away in tubs for future use.

Here is what our storage room looks like now after purchasing some shelving and tubs from our local hardware store:

Here are some of the labels up close:

Here are some of my tubs of cake decorating supplies that I need to get organized and labeled, this is my next project.  The Brother P-touch labeling system makes this so easy and a lot of fun!  The label maker has over 15 styles for your labels.  You can purchase different sizes of labels (and in different colors) which will come in handy for larger items that I want to label. 

I have already used up this roll of labels after going crazy in the storage room and in my classroom.  Luckily I can find the P-Touch labels at most office supply stores as well as online.  So far they have been extremely durable, but be sure to come back in a few months as I update my post about how well the labels have stood up to the test of time!

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Brother P-Touch and received a product and gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

With the holidays right around the corner, my husband and I are in super cleaning mode.  It’s almost like spring cleaning, however we decided to take the approach of “fall cleaning” and not only winterize the outside of our home, but we have decided to get the inside ready for the company that we will be hosting in the next month.  With the help of several handy products from SC Johnson, we have been able to get our house in tip top shape and keep it that way- even with a toddler and a wild dog.  My husband is obsessed with the Pledge Multi Surface Everyday Cleaner.  He uses it to dust tables, clean counters , clean our television screen and even mop our laminate wood floors!  It’s a cleaner for any man – just one can for any job.   It’s convenient and cleans without streaks or smells.  He also uses the Windex Electronic Wipes daily on his “man toys” like his Iphone, Xbox and flat screen t.v.  These wipes are great at safely taking off baby fingerprints and smudges because of Windex’s gentle formula.  But while he’s cleaning his toys, I am loving the Pledge Fabric Sweeper that is specifically made for Pet Hair.  As much as we love our dog Brady, he sure sheds!  We have become accustomed to vacuuming our couches weekly but the Pledge Fabric Sweeper is the perfect quick topper to pick up any left over hair the vacuum doesn’t get.  I like to use it when I need a quick sweep of the couches before company or if I think I can’t handle the hair until the Saturday cleaning day.  Just like the spray and wipes, the sweeper is super convenient and easy to use – it’s a great chore for your kids!

My absolute least favorite part of cleaning is the bathroom.  Unfortunately, it’s the room that needs it the most and the one that will be frequently visited by our company this holiday season.  Luckily, Scrubbing Bubbles has decided to make my job easier!  Before I get started on the bathroom, I spray Scrubbing Bubbles Extend-A-Clean Mega Shower Foamer on the walls and tub of the shower to let it sit as I’m cleaning the rest of the bathroom.  Then, when it’s time to scrub the shower, the Mega Shower Foamer has already done my job by literally loosing up the dirt and grime that normally would have to be scrubbed off.  All I have to do is wipe it down and rinse and it’s ready to go!  What’s even better about the Extend-A-Clean is the active cleaners in the solution that work for days after to keep your shower clean.  But let’s not forget about the toilet.  Scrubbing Bubbles Continuous Clean Toilet Cleaning Gel is super easy and helpful to use.  Basically you just stamp on the gel disc to the side of the toilet and the disc will clean with every flush.  One package lasts up to 6 weeks, which will run us just past the holidays so there is less time spent cleaning those dreadful toilets!  Scrubbing Bubbles’ products have eased my bathroom duty as well as my mind, ensuring me of a clean bathroom for my upcoming guests.
Another product that has saved me a lot of time as we get our house ready this holiday season is the Shout Color Catcher.  Instead of running small loads of different colors, I can combine them into one larger load and throw one of these sheets right in the washer with the clothes.  The Color Catcher sheet will change color and absorb any loose dyes that may become free during the wash as well as prevents dyes from bleeding and running onto other clothes.  These sheets have saved me tons of time sorting the many piles of laundry that accumulate up in this family!
But as we wind down from a day of organizing, cleaning and preparing our home for yet another season full of family and friends, I truly enjoy lighting yummy scented candles that fill up our house with a welcoming feeling as people enter the door.  Glade offers a variety of candles, including the Scented Oil Candle which comes in a variety of smells perfect for the holidays.  The candles come in a pretty decorative glass holder that you can purchase in your choice of colors.  It is mess free and burning time is about 3 hours – which is the perfect timing for entertaining my guests.
Let SC Johnson help you prepare for your friends and family this holiday season.  To learn more about these products or to get inexpensive tips on how to spruce up your home this fall, visit their website at http://www.rightathome.com.

Win It

One (1) lucky reader will win a SC Johnson products gift pack from across brands  (valued at $25).

Want to win?

Leave a comment and tell me how you prepare for the holidays!

(You must complete this entry before completing any of the bonus entries)

Bonus Entries:

• Follow me on Twitter and Tweet: Win cleaning products from SC Johnson and A Mom’s Impression Enter here: http://wyn.cc/n48fx
  (You may enter daily, just leave a comment with each Tweet’s link)
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• Grab my Button and post it on your blog.
• Subscribe to A Mom’s Impression by Email (2 Entries, please leave 2 comments: Please remember to confirm your subscription)
• Comment on any non-giveaway post on A Mom’s Impression. (just tell me what post you commented on)
• List this giveaway on any giveaway site, or share on Facebook.

Please leave a comment about each entry, include a valid email address or you may contact me directly with your contact information.
Open to continental US residents only. This giveaway will end at midnight on December 10. Winners will be picked from Random.org. 
Good Luck!

This giveaway was made possible by SC Johnson. I was not compensated other than a sample for review purposes.  All opinions are 100% mine.

It has been about 3 months since our new Whirlpool Duet Washer and Dryer arrived and I still pinch myself every time I go into the laundry room.  These appliances have been amazing and I have loved every experience I have had with them.  It is hard to pinpoint my favorite feature of the Duet, but here are some of our most used features.

Precision Dispense

This very clever feature allows you to fill the Precision Dispense Ultra cartridge one time, and it will dispense just the right amount of detergent, bleach, and liquid fabric softener  for up to 36 loads of laundry!  This washer is so smart that it will automatically determine how much detergent is needed based on cycle, load size, and the soil level.  All you have to do is pour in your detergent, set the concentration level, and wash away.

Washing Machine Cycle Options

There are several different washing cycles available on the Duet washer.  There is a special cycle for jeans, delicate, whites, and for bulky items.  There is also an Allergen cycle that we use for our dog bed and bedding because my husband suffers from allergies and asthma.  If you normally hand wash some of your laundry, the Duet washer has a hand wash cycle that eliminates the need to hand wash items yourself!

Dryer Cycle Options

The dryer hasn’t been left out when Whirlpool created specialty cycles.  My favorite cycle so far has been the Quick Refresh option that allows me to put in a few items that are wrinkled (because I hate to iron and I often forget to get my clothes out of the dryer right away to avoid this from happening in the first place) and run them through the cycle.  They come out read to wear!  The Deep Clean Steam Cycle  penetrates deep into fabric fibers, breaking down and dissolving tough stains. The Jeans cycle makes sure that when the cycle is over your jeans are not damp while the rest of the load is dry (haven’t we all been there?).

The Computer Sensors

While most people might not think of this as a feature of the Duet Washer and Dryer, I can not tell you how handy the computer has been for my family.  The dryer alerted us that there was a ventilation issue and we were able to fix it.  The washer told us that we were not getting enough hot water into the washer to properly clean our clothes on the Hot cycle.  Any other washer/dryer appliance would not be smart enough to tell us and we might never have known.  We would still be trying to dry our clothes with a clogged vent pipe and we would still be washing our towels in cold water.

Whirlpool has options for everyone.  Their HE washers and dryers come in both front loading and top loading options at every price point. I would highly recommend the Duet washer and dryer as I can not say enough good things about it.  Thank you for following with me as I wrote about my experiences with my new washer and dryer.  I will continue to update everyone on my experiences with my laundry suite.

I wrote this review while participating in a test-drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Whirlpool and received a complimentary Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer to facilitate my review.

I can only speak for myself when it comes to laundry, but I have been there so many times.  The place where the stains just won’t come out, or you accidentally leave a lip gloss in your pocket and it comes out all over your clothes (I have done this more times than I can count).  So what is a person to do? Whirlpool is here to help with some troubleshooting when it comes to pesky stains.  Here are some great tips for getting stains out of your clothes:

General Rules for Stain Removal

• Treat stains promptly. Fresh stains are easier to remove than old ones. If the stain is on a non-washable fabric, take it to the dry cleaner as soon as possible. Tell them the stain and the fiber content of the garment.
• Read and follow package directions when using any stain removal product.
• Always test stain removers on an inside seam or other hidden part of garment for color fastness. To test, apply product and let stand 2-5 minutes, then rinse. If color changes, do not use product on garment.
• When using bleach, do not try to bleach just one area of garment. To prevent uneven color removal, bleach the entire garment.
• When cleaning a stain, place stained area face down on a clean paper towel or white cloth. Apply stain remover to the underside of the stain, forcing stain off the fabric surface instead of through it.
• Never put chemical dry cleaning solvents directly into a washing machine.
• Thoroughly rinse and air-dry areas treated with dry cleaning solvents before placing in the washer to avoid a fire.
• Do not mix stain removal products together. Some mixtures, such as ammonia and chlorine bleach, can produce noxious fumes.

I have been using my Duet washer and dryer now for a few months.  One of the features that I love on my washer are the 14 specialty fabric cycles that are built into the machine.  These are designed to make sure your blacks stay black, your colors stay bright, and your whites are their whitest.  The temperature control automatically uses the right temperature of water for the fabric that you choose.

My Duet washer also has my favorite feature the Precision Dispense that automatically dispenses the perfect amount of detergent for the sized load of clothing that you are washing.  The Precision Dispense also distributes fabric softener and bleach at just the right time to make sure your clothes are going to come out perfectly.  I can’t tell you how much laundry detergent I have saved using this feature.  I was one of those people who add way to much detergent into her clothing.  I was wasting money and causing problems for my washer without really knowing it.

To keep my washer smelling and working at its very best, I use affresh washer tablets to clean and deodorize my washer.  All I have to do is throw a tablet into the drum and run the affresh cycle.  I haven’t had any fowl smell come from my washer or dryer.  I also love the affresh tablets for my garbage disposal!  They make my entire kitchen smell fresh!

Stay tuned next month for more updates on my journey with my Whirlpool Duet Washer and Dryer!

I wrote this review while participating in a test-drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Whirlpool and received a complimentary Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer to facilitate my review.

Going back to school is an important time for our family.  I return to my classroom,  TJ returns to daycare and we all hope that we remain healthy with all the germs floating around us.  My first year of teaching I got twice as many sick days as teachers past their first year.  I didn’t understand that at the time, but I soon realized why.  I used all of those sick days my first year!  Germs are everywhere at school.  With a room of over 25 6 and 7 year olds, there are bound to be a bunch of sneezes and coughs throughout the year and, lets face it, a lot of germs and gross things.  If you stop and think about it, kids put their hands on everything, so the germs get spread everywhere!

About a month ago, I received Scotch-Brite Botanical Disinfecting Wipes for the start of the school year.  I have been using these in my classroom on all of my hard surfaces.  I wipe down my tables and counters with them, and I love that I don’t have to rinse them afterwards.  It has been 34 days since school started and I haven’t had to call in sick yet!

3M Scotch-Brite™ is introducing “no-rinse” Botanical Disinfecting Wipes that kill 99.9% of household germs*, kill cold & flu viruses and leave school surfaces – such as desks, tables and chairs – residue-free. Now you don’t have to rinse after using a wipe to ensure that the spaces where your child works and plays is as clean as possible.  The wipes are available in two fresh scents, Lemongrass and Breeze. Be sure to check them out at stores nationwide!

Win It

To celebrate the new Back to School season, Scotch-Brite is giving one of my readers a back-to-school gift basket that includes the new wipes and an assortment of 3M schools supplies including Post-It Notes, Tabs, Highlighters and Pens to start the school year off on the right track!

How to Enter:

Leave a comment and tell me how you keep your family healthy!

(You must complete this entry before completing any of the bonus entries)

Bonus Entries:

• Follow me on Twitter and Tweet: Win a Back to School prize package from Scotch-Brite @AMomsImpression http://wyn.cc/niwo5
  (You may enter daily, just leave a comment with each Tweet’s link)
• Like A Mom’s Impression on facebook
• Blog about this giveaway (Please leave a link to your post)
• Grab my Button and post it on your blog.
• Subscribe to A Mom’s Impression by Email (2 Entries, please leave 2 comments: Please remember to confirm your subscription)
• Comment on any non-giveaway post on A Mom’s Impression. (just tell me what post you commented on)
• Submit this giveaway to any contest/sweepstakes site and or share on Facebook.

Please leave a comment about each entry, include a valid email address or you may contact me directly with your contact information.
Open to US residents only. This giveaway will end at midnight on October 18. Winners will be picked from Random.org. 
Good Luck!

This product review was made possible by Scotch-Brite.  I was not compensated for this review other than a product sample provided by the company or PR firm. All opinions are 100% mine

I am still amazed at how much I love my new Whirlpool Duet Washer and Dryer.  I thought that after a full month of using it, the novelty would wear off and it would go back to washing clothes as usual.  But, that is not the case.  I still get excited every time I pass by the laundry room and catch a glimpse of the silver spaceships (as my son and husband like to call them).  I continue to be amazed by all of the features on my washer and dryer.

While I continue to be amazed by the technology, I am most happy with the efficiency of my washer and dryer.  I don’t remember if I told you that it took 2 HOURS to dry one load of laundry in my old dryer, but now I can dry a full load in 37 minutes.  Not only am I saving a lot of time, I am saving a lot of energy.  The washer also saves on water as it is a front loader and doesn’t have to fill an entire drum in order to get my clothes clean.  It senses how much water is needed and it fills it to the capacity needed to get the job done.

Here are some more tips on being more efficient with your laundry appliances:

Reducing your family’s impact on the earth can be as easy as switching to more efficient laundry appliances. With an ENERGY STAR® qualified washing machine you can save over 7,000 gallons of water a year, cut energy consumption by over 40% and save up to $110 per year compared to non-qualified clothes washers*.
Over the 11-year life of the washer that’s enough money to

• Buy laundry detergent for four years
• Buy a new clothes dryer

In addition to owning ENERGY STAR qualified appliances, here are some easy ways to help the planet one load of laundry at a time.

Washer Efficiency Tips

• Wash full loads, but don’t overload the machine. Washing full loads can save 3,400 gallons of water annually**.
• Use cold water for rinsing. Warm and hot water require more energy for heating.
• Set water heaters to 120°F to achieve the most energy efficient temperature. For each °F reduction in water temperature, you can save between 3%-5% in energy costs±.

Dryer Efficiency Tips

• Dry full loads, but don’t overload the dryer. Air circulation is important to ensure proper drying.
• Dry a few loads in succession to take advantage of leftover heat in the dryer.
• Wash and dry similar fabric types together. This ensures even drying and reduces the amount of time needed in the dryer.
• Use moisture-sensing settings to avoid over drying, which wastes energy and can cause clothing to shrink.
• Clean the dryer lint filter after each load to maintain proper air circulation and heating.
• Keep the dryer’s outside exhaust clean. A clogged exhaust lengthens drying time and increases energy use.

Last month the Duet Dryer actually alerted us that we had a clogged exhaust.  We were able to clear out the clog and the dryer works efficiently.  I know that this was a fire hazard and had no idea that it was clogged.  It is amazing what these appliances can do!

I hope you continue following my journey as I test drive the new Whirlpool Duet Washer and Dryer.  I am learning more and more about these appliances every week and I will be posting about it monthly.  Who knew that doing laundry could be this much fun?

I wrote this review while participating in a test-drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Whirlpool and received a complimentary Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer to facilitate my review.

I still can’ t believe that I am actually writing this.  Somebody pinch me!!!  A couple of weeks ago we received our new Whirlpool Duet Washer and Dryer from Whirlpool trough a Mom Central ambassador campaign.  If you could have seen our old set, you would realize what a great campaign this is for us!  Our old dryer would literally take at least 2 hours to dry a normal load of clothes.  Our washer was okay, but it wasn’t anything fancy and we really just used one cycle on it.

Over the past few weeks my husband and I have never been more excited to wash our laundry. In fact, at one point during our first load of laundry, my husband runs up from downstairs and says, “Come quick! You have got to come down and see this!”  I run downstairs to find him staring at the washing machine as it is on its spin cycle.  It is so incredibly quiet that we both just look at each other in amazement and smiled.  Seeing how fast the washer was spinning and how quiet the washer sounded was amazing!

There are so many features on the Duet Washer that I haven’t had the chance to try them all yet, but I can tell you the one feature that I am totally in love with…. the Precision Dispense Ultra!  This very clever feature allows you to fill the Precision Dispense Ultra cartridge one time, and it will dispense just the right amount of detergent for up to 36 loads of laundry!  This washer is so smart that it will automatically determine how much detergent is needed based on cycle, load size, and the soil level.  All you have to do is pour in your detergent, set the concentration level, and wash away.  It really is that easy.  I don’t know about you, but I constantly add too much detergent to my washer and waste a lot of money by having to purchase more detergent before I really need it.  Not to mention, adding too much detergent to your washer can cause problems.

The dryer dried a load of our jeans in 37 minutes.  That’s right, it only took 37 minutes!  Did I mention that our previous dryer took over 2 hours to dry a normal load of clothes?  The dryer is also very smart and told us that there was a ventilation issue, so we went outside under our deck and cleared out some of the lint that was stuck in the exhaust.  I will admit that this could of caused our last dryer to not dry as fast, but come on, it took over 2 hours!  Not to mention that it wasn’t smart enough to tell us that there was a ventilation issue.

There are so many features to tell you about with the Duet that I will be updating my experiences over the next few months.  I just read about the FanFresh feature where I can was and dry a small load overnight!  I can’t wait to try it out and tell you all about it.

Be sure to check back next month as I update my journey as a Whirlpool Mom!

I wrote this review while participating in a test-drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Whirlpool and received a complimentary Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer to facilitate my review.

I am so very excited to have been chosen as a Brother P-Touch Ambassador!  There isn’t much more I love to do than to buy office supplies and label all of my binders at school. (It is scary what will excite a teacher)  I love to be organized.  Lets face it, we need all the help we can get, so finding a labeling system with labels that will withstand our daily life is a must!  If I spend a lot of time organizing and labeling my house, I don’t want to be constantly replacing labels that are peeling or worn out.

Enter the P-Touch Durability Test Kit!

I made a little video showing my experience trying to get my P-Touch label off of a piece of Plexiglas.  It was late at night and I sound very tired, but be sure to check it out:

I was amazed at how much abuse the label withstood.  I can’t wait to show you my finished project later this year.  My husband is looking forward to me cleaning out our storage room and transforming it into a organized space where we can actually find stuff.  Be sure to check back soon!

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Brother P-Touch and received a product and gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

It has been about a month since I first wrote about Affresh Dishwasher and Disposal Cleaner.  I have to say that I am still in love with this product.  To recap, Affresh Dishwasher and Disposal Cleaner keeps your dishwasher and disposal free from food particles, soap residue, and mineral deposits that can cause odor. I have been using the Affresh tablets in my appliances for the past 6 weeks. My dishwasher smells clean, and the disposal also has been a lot less smelly than before I tried out the tablets.  I can’t believe how simple it is to do!  All I have to do is put one tablet in the detergent area, throw one of the tablets down at the bottom of my dishwasher by the coil, and then turn the dishwasher on the heavy cycle.  It is so very simple and yet the results will leave your house smelling clean and fresh.  I love products that make it simple to clean.  Lets face it, we are all very busy and who has the time to get down on their hands and knees and deodorize the dishwasher?  I know I don’t!  With school starting in a few short weeks, I will have even less time to spend cleaning.

This is one product that I will definitely be using a lot of.

Be sure to check back soon as I will be reviewing another product from Whirlpool that will help keep my house clean!!! (I am so very excited to share it with you).

Buy It:

You can purchase Affresh Dishwasher and Disposal Cleaner from retailers nationwide including Sears, Best Buy, Lowe’s, Kroger and Food Lion, and www.affresh.com. The Affresh® tablets are available via a subscription through the Web site to help consumers save time and money. They retail for only $5.99 for a package of 6 which will last 2 months (with a disposal) or 3 months (without a disposal).

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of affresh and received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

If there is one thing I hate about living in Indiana, it is the water.  While there is plenty of it (just ask my basement) it full of calcium and lime because we are sitting on a limestone deposit.  Our water is hard, and while I could probably get a water softener, I really just don’t want to mess with it.  This can be a problem because calcium buidup in our dishwasher has always been an issue.  Our dishwasher runs about once a day to once every other day, with sippy cups (come on moms, you know they can be gross) and household members not scrubbing off food particals as well as mommy might like, the dishwasher can start to stink.

Affresh Dishwasher and Disposal Cleaner keeps your dishwasher and disposal free from food particles, soap residue, and mineral deposits that can cause odor.  I have tried cleaning my dishwasher with vinegar in the past and while it did clear out the residue, the smell was horrendous.  Affresh made my entire kitchen smell clean and fresh.

To use, place one tablet in the main dishwasher detergent tray and another tablet in the prewash tray or in the bottom of the dishwasher. Run on the heaviest cycle  – without dishes – using the hottest wash temperature to activate the affresh chemistry to dissolve and neutralize odor, leaving behind a crisp citrus scent.

If you also have a garbage disposal, you should follow up with a tablet in the disposal to remove odor in the drain pipe, which connects to the dishwasher. To clean the garbage disposal, place one tablet into the disposal, slowly run hot water through the disposal for 15 seconds. Turn off water and disposal, and wait 30 minutes before flushing with hot water.

I have fallen in love with these tablets and I am now hooked on them.  I had no idea that my disposal and dishwasher could smell so good.  I hope that the sippy cups are finally going to lose the smelly battle.

Buy It:

You can purchase Affresh Dishwasher and Disposal Cleaner from retailers nationwide including Sears, Best Buy, Lowe’s, Kroger and Food Lion, and www.affresh.com. The Affresh® tablets are available via a subscription through the Web site to help consumers save time and money. They retail for only $5.99 for a package of 6 which will last 2 months (with a disposal) or 3 months (without a disposal).

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Affresh and received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.