Our Favorite Things to Take on a Road Trip From the Dollar Store!
We’re coming up on spring break which for us means… ROAD TRIP! We’re excited to get away for a bit but I also know it can make for a long day in the car. So to help keep our sanity I made a trip to the dollar store to stock up on some new and fun things for the kids to do. The dollar store (or dollar twenty five store now) did not disappoint. Let me show you some of my favorite items I found!
They have some awesome sensory toys right now. You’ll find Pop It’s, bendy tubes, bubble bracelets, gummy toys and more. We stuck to getting these kilk & snap sensory toys pictured above to give them some variety from all the pop it’s they already have.
They also have an assortment of kids favorite games. These are great travel size so the kids can pull them out onto a cookie sheet or clipboard to play. It will hopefully help break up the hours of driving.
If you have some older kids these would be awesome to snag. They have different brain teaser 3-D Wooden Puzzles they can work on.
I might regret getting this for our long car ride but hopefully it will be entertaining. I remember having one of these as a kid and it was always fun to see how many we could recall.
These will be fun for the kids to learn how to draw in as well as the couple of coloring books and funny face sticker books I snagged. Don’t forget to checkout their adult coloring books you can pick up for yourself.
I also love these felt fun kids made by Crayola. They’re great to use over and over to create different scenes and let them use their imagination. Each kit includes one 11×9-in. reusable felt board.
Hopefully these fun new things will help make the road trip a little more manageable. Don’t forget to checkout our tips on how to keep your sanity on your next road trip!
25 Expenses YOU DON’T NEED!
Budgets are tight, we all know that. So I’m sure it’s crossed your mind where you might be able to cut back. Here is a list of 25 things you can do without and while you might not want to go without, in the end you’ll be glad you did! All it takes is a little creativity and planning ahead to avoid buying these 25 things.
Eating out
Netflix/subscription network
Cable
Subscription boxes
Kindle/book purchase
Music subscriptions
Movie snacks
Salon services
New clothing
Paid apps
Gym membership
Food delivery service
Pre-packaged items
Dry cleaning
Soda/coffee/smoothies
Bottled water
Club memberships
Makeup
Lawn service
Oil changes – bring your own oil
Credit card interest rates
Video games/online gaming
Impulse purchases
Dryer sheets
Books/Movies & Magazines
The best way to save money it to not spend it on unnecessary items. You can do this!
Ways to Save Gas on Your Next Road Trip!
There’s lots of information out there on different ways you can save on gas but today I have some for you that you might not have thought of. We recently packed up the kids and took our family 1400 miles and while driving I started realizing there are ways we could have planned a little better to save ourselves even more money. Here’s what I came up with;
Make sure you pack right. What I mean is if you have a full car on the inside and need to carry some of it outside of our vehicle try borrowing or purchasing a luggage hitch that goes behind the car rather than one on top. Cars are made to be aerodynamic to give you better gas mileage. But when you change the shape and add something that’s wind resistant to the top, you’re causing your car to work harder to go faster costing you money. Also make sure you pack as light as possible!
Next you’ll want to watch the weather. This became a big deal when it came to our gas mileage. At the beginning of our trip we spend about 5 hours in a head on wind meaning our car was working against the storm to get us where we were going. So if you’re able to be a little flexible try to watch the weather and stay away from stormy, windy days.
Get your car tuned up. Set up an appointment with your local auto repair shop before you head out on your road trip. Make sure all your fluids are full and let them know you’ll be traveling beforehand so they can check and make sure you’re good to go. It’s not fun having the car breakdown on your way to your destination. Also don’t forget to check your tire pressure!
Make sure you know the roads and avoid any toll roads. We ran into this issue when we were traveling back east and unknown to us we had entered a toll road and ended up having to pay the price to drive on it. For locals who know the roads, they know where they are but if this is your first time traveling the area make sure you plan ahead.
Know when to use the cruise control. Using your cruise control while on straightaways is great as long as there’s no hills. If you’re traveling through the mountains and rolling hills turn off the cruise control and maintain the speed in a more efficient way. Learn to coast instead of brake and pump your breaks.
Enjoy the trip and remember these few tips to help you save on your gas!
Vacation Tips to Save You Money on Your Next Adventure
Are you trying to plan a vacation on a budget? That can be a stressful task, but it’s not impossible! Vacation costs can quickly get out of control so if you follow these vacation tips to save you money on your next adventure, you’ll find yourself having a blast on a budget!
Staycations or nearby trips are often what we think of when we think of saving money on vacations, but there are tips out there that can help significantly to save on even bigger vacations and farther away adventures.
Vacation Tips to Save You Money on Your Next Adventure
Go Camping
Camping is so fun! I tend to like camping resorts that offer fun activities for the kids like swimming pools, game rooms, etc. We have a membership to Thousands Trails camping resorts and it has served us well! We have had some seriously fun experiences at their camping resorts. Our membership was about $450 for a year and as much as we go camping, it is well worth it!
Check Groupon
I know I mention Groupon a lot, but there’s a reason! Groupon has some seriously AMAZING deals available. You can find all inclusive resorts, nearby hotels, camping deals and more!
Be Flexible
If you are flexible on when and where you are going, there are some really good tools out there for finding deals! Both Google flights and Kayak, you can use the “explore” option, it will show you the cheapest flights from your nearest airport. I live on the west coast and I have found round trip tickets to Florida for $140, Mexico from $200, Vegas from $48 and even to Denver for $70! So many good deals out there!
I am in the process of looking for a graduation gift vacation for my teenage daughter and I’m seeing so many options! It’s kind of an addiction and I find myself checking out these websites daily.
5 Easy Ways to Save Money on Gas
Gas prices are rising and it’s getting hard to keep up with them! This past weekend I’ve been driving a lot and notice how gas prices are really hurting my budget. So I’ve come up with 5 different ways to save money on gas. These are easy things you can do that in the long run will save you big.
- Carpool. This is such a lifesaver for both time and money. Often times you may only think of carpooling to work, but do you think about carpooling to other activities? I have four kids that play different sports and do different activities. Finding a friend that I can carpool with saves me so much time and money, especially now that gas is so expensive. If I can share those drives to kids’ activities I’m saving so much gas.
- Use public transportation or other modes of transportation. Not driving your car is the way to save a ton a money on gas, right? So try to find some ways to get here and there without driving your car. Can you walk more? Can you bike more? Changing your mentality of always driving can save you so much money. Try walking the kids to school or riding bikes to the library. For longer distances look into your public transportation.
- Shop with Rewards. I shop at my local Kroger store called Smith’s. This store offers fuel rewards points when I make purchases. Since I’m shopping their anyways, I might as well earn some fuel points that can then save me money at the pump. I do need to clip the coupons, so be aware of those grocery stores you shop at and clip those fuel coupons if available.
- Check & Compare Prices. When I was traveling this weekend I was in a town where the gas station right off the freeway was $1 per gallon MORE than a gas station 1 mile off of the freeway. It was definitely worth it for me to drive that extra mile to snag that much lower price on gas. Be aware of prices near you and go to those cheaper places, even when you’re traveling.
- Use Gas Apps. Have you hard of Gas Buddy? It’s an app that helps you compare gas prices near you. Give it a try and see what you think. This would definitely come in handy when you’re traveling and as prices keep changing.
3 Things to do in the Kitchen Each Day
Is housework taking over your life? Are you ready to get it under control? What’s the worst room in the house that you have to deal with? Which room gets you more stressed out day by day?
For me, the most stressful room in my house is the kitchen. I have 3 kids and I feel like I am cooking and prepping meals ALL THE TIME. Also worth noting is my children’s ages. They are 17, 15 and 5. My teenagers are gone seemingly all the time as they are both in sports. If it isn’t a game day, it’s an hours long practice, so while they do pitch in and do some chores, most of it is left to me (who wants to wait and wait until the kids get home to get the house cleaned?). Until I learned these 4 things to do in the kitchen each day, I was finding myself waking up to a messy kitchen every day and I was going crazy!
3 Things to do in the Kitchen Each Day
Wash Your Dishes
Don’t leave yourself with a sink full of dishes to wake up to. No one likes to wake up to that. Spend 5 to 10 minutes each day washing your dishes and it will save you a ton of stress throughout the day.
Put Your Dishes Away
Yes, I did already put wash your dishes on the list, but you may be surprised to learn that many people don’t equate the two things. Even if you don’t wake up to a sink full of dishes, it’s still annoying to wake up to a load of dishes that you need to put away. Just do it and save yourself the annoyance.
Sweep Your Floor
Seriously, you guys. Just sweep your darn floors already! Assuming you don’t have an industrial kitchen, it won’t take you that long. The average kitchen size ranges from 70 (tiny apartment) to 700 (huge house) square feet. This will take you just minutes to sweep and boy does it feel good to know you have a clean floor.
Save Money on Your Phone Bill with These Tips
Are you paying too much for your phone bill? Cell phone bills are a huge expense that are hard to get away from. As a mom and wife with two teenagers, I can tell you a little bit about paying too much on my cell phone bill. Did I mention that we also have my in-laws on our cell phone plan. Yikes, it gets expensive!
If you are looking for tips on how to save money on your phone bill, check out this great list below! I know that following some of these helped our bill go down significantly.
Save Money on Your Phone Bill with These Tips
Do Not Finance Your Phone
Do you remember being able to buy a phone for $0.01 when signing up for a new contract? Boy those were the days! That is not the case anymore though, because WOW are phones expensive. Don’t go for a high end expensive phone that you have to finance and it will drop your bill tremendously.
There was a time that my husband, myself and my two teens all had our phones financed into our plan and those fees added up to over $100 per month added to our bill.
Check for Employer Discounts
Be sure and find out if you have any discounts available through your employer, union or any memberships you have. I know through my husband’s work we get an extra 15% off of our bill each month.
Check for Prepaid Phone Plans
Many prepaid phone plans (Straight talk, etc) use towers from the major carriers, yet offer their plans for much less than you will find through the major carriers.
Use Wifi
Unless you use an unlimited data plan, be sure and use wifi as much as possible to cut down on the amount of data you use.
How do you save money on your cell phone bill? What changes have you found that make a difference?
Season Passes That Are Perfect For This Summer & WON’T Break The Bank!
Summer is quickly approaching which makes it a great time to invest in a season pass! We love using our season passes for days we just need to get out of the house and have some family fun but some season passes can get quite expensive. With seasons passes they usually require you to pay a larger amount to begin with but after just a few visits they pay for themselves. Plus you won’t feel the need to stay hours to get your money’s worth like if you were to purchase a day pass at some of these locations!
Here’s some great Northern Utah season passes that you can purchase to create some fun summer memories without breaking the bank! And remember, these go on sale too! So sign up for their newsletters so you’ll get informed when they run promotions and sales on their memberships!
Cost to visit – Adults cost $17.95 through the summer and children are $13.95 (with children 2 and younger being free)
Cost for a membership – The cost of a family membership is $199 (this includes 2 adults and up to 10 children under the age of 18)
Other Benefits –
- Free, unlimited admission during regular Zoo hours for one full year from the month of purchase. Excludes ZooLights!
- Invitations to members-only events
- Ability to purchase Member’s-Only Wild Ride Punch Pass
- Discount on gift and food purchases
- Monthly member e-newsletter
- The Safarimember magazine
- Discounted admission to over 125 zoos across the country
- Discount on ZooLights! admission
- Discount on Zoo education classes and ZooCamp
Cost to visit – Adults cost $5 and children (2 to 12) are $10 and youth (13 to 17) are $5 (with babies 1 and under being free)
Cost for a membership – They have 3 different levels of family passes.
- Level 1 – 2 adults and 1 child cost $80
- Level 2 – 4 adults or youth and 2 children cost $110
- Level 3 – 4 adults or youth and 3+ children cost $140
- Leve 4 – 3 Adults and up to 5 children (grandparents) cost $200
Other Benefits –
Treehouse members receive unlimited, free regular admission, and also can reserve free tickets for our Storybook parties and events, including the Fairy Tale Ball in April and the Enchanted Woods in October, as well as the Treehouse Troupe plays for families in November, January, and March each year. Memberships are valid immediately upon purchase and are good for one year plus one month from the date of purchase. The extra month compensates for our annual cleaning closedown in September.
Cost to visit – Adults cost $16.95 and children are $11.95 (with children 2 and under being free) pay less when you plan ahead and buy tickets online
Cost for a membership – The family membership is $249.95 for 2 adults and up to 4 children (you can add additional children for $34.95 each)
Other Benefits –
- Unlimited Aquarium Visits for one year
- Discounted gift shop purchases
- Discounted café purchases
- Discounted Animal Encounters
- Discounted Birthday Parties
- Free access to the Play Center in Tuki’s Island
- Exclusive Member Activities
Cost to visit – Adults cost $7.00 and children (2-12) are $5.00 each ( with children 2 and under being free)
Cost for a membership – a Family membership cost $60.00 and includes 2 adults and all dependent children
Other Benefits –
- 1 FULL YEAR of admission to the Dinosaur Park
- 50% OFF regular admission to all park special events
- 10% OFF all Gift Shop Purchases
- 10% OFF all purchases at the Raptor Café
- 10% OFF Gem Cave, Gold Sluice and Geodes
- 20% OFF Dinosaur Day Camps
- Members Only events admission
2018 Reciprocal Agreements (Subject to change)
- TUESDAY admission to the Tracy Aviary is SLC
- WEEKDAY admission to the Ogden Nature Center
- WEEKDAY admission to the Ogden Union Station
Cost to visit – Adults cost $15.95 and children are $11.95 (with children 2 and under being free)
Cost of membership – their basic family membership cost $100 for 2 adults and all dependent children
Other Benefits –
- Unlimited FREE general admission, Pony and Mini Train Rides
- FREE admission to Mountain Man Camp, Liberty Days, Pioneer Days, & Little Haunts
- Monthly “This Is The Place Messenger” e-Newsletter
- 10% discount on purchases at Heritage Park Gift Shop and ZCMI Mercantile Store
- 10% discount at the Huntsman Grill
Cost to visit – adults and children cost $12.50 (with children 1 and under being free)
Cost of membership – a family membership is $195 for 2 adult cardholder + 2 guest per visit ($25 for each additional guest added to membership)
Other Benefits –
- Free parking for up to 2 hours
- 10% discount on birthday parties
- Membership discount on workshops and summer camps
- Invitation to exhibit openings
- Membership partner discount at local businesses
Cost to visit – Museum of Natural Curiosity $24 for adults and $19 for Kids (2 and under free)
Ashton Gardens $24 for adults and $19 for kids (2 and under free)
Museum of Ancient Life $24 for adults and $15 for kids (2 and under free)
Farm Country $10 for adults and $10 for kids (2 and under free)
Cost of membership – a family membership cost $275 and includes 2 adults and dependent children
Other Benefits –
- Admission to all Thanksgiving Point venues (Museum of Natural Curiosity, Farm Country, Ashton Gardens, Museum of Ancient Life, etc)
- Discount on admission for accompanying guests (Members must be present to receive benefits)
- Discounts on movies at the Mammoth Screen in the Museum of Ancient Life and Canopy Tours in the Museum of Natural Curiosity.
- 10% discount on food, retail, & Signature Experiences
- 10% discount on Youth Education, Gardening, & Cooking classes
- 25% discount on purchase of a Photo Pass
- Early notification & registration for camps, classes, events, & other programs
- Access to monthly members-only email blast with special offers & discounts
- 10% discount at Brick Canvas on in-person salon and spa services, fitness and yoga classes, and Fraiche Café
- ASTC Passport Program: The ASTC Passport Program provides free admission to more than 350 museums and science centers worldwide. Institutions less than 90 miles away from Thanksgiving Point or your residence are not included. Proof of residence (photo ID) may be required.
- The American Horticultural Society’s Reciprocal Admissions Program: The American Horticultural Society’s Reciprocal Admission Program provides free admission to nearly 300 gardens throughout North America and the Cayman Islands. Institutions less than 90 miles away from Thanksgiving Point or your residence are not included. Proof of residence (photo ID) may be required.
- The knowledge you are supporting Thanksgiving Point’s mission to cultivate transformative family learning
Cost to visit – adults cost $19.99 and children are $13.99 (25% savings when you buy online) (kids 2 and under are free)
Cost of membership – a personal annual passport cost $49.99
Other benefits –
- FREE, Unlimited Visits For One Year
- FREE, Feeding Token 6-Pack
- FREE, Birthday Month Interaction*
- 20% Off Birthday Parties & Private Events
- 20% Off Premium Animal Interactions (Mon-Fri)
- 25% off Admission For Guests
- 10% Off Gift Shop Purchases
- Expedited Member Entry
- Invitations to Exclusive Member Events
- Monthly Newsletter
- Member Only Sales & Promotions
Cost to visit – Adults cost $5 and children are $3.00 (with kids 2 and younger being free)
Cost for membership – a family membership cost only $50.00
Other benefits – With an Ogden Nature Center membership, you also receive free admission to Dinosaur Park during the week, free admission to all of the Union Station Museums anytime during open hours, and free admission to Tracy Aviary in SLC every Thursday. A great value!
4 Fun Things to do in Orlando that are NOT Amusement Parks!
We recently went to Orlando, Florida and had the best time. When you think of Orlando the first things you may think of are Disney World and Universal Studios. Those are super fun places but also SO expensive. If you want to enjoy the warm Florida sun during the winter, there are still so many fun things to do that don’t involve an amusement park. Check these out:
- Boggy Creek boat ride with gem mining. We were able to score a Groupon for this fun adventure. Our kids loved the boat ride and then mining for gems. You can choose different adventures there. It was fun to be in the swamps and see alligators!
- Rainforest Cafe. If you haven’t been to this cafe, try it out. The ambiance is so fun your kids will love it. The way that we were able to save money on our meal was to grab gift cards from MyPoints. If you haven’t used MyPoints before, you can sign up here for free and start earning FREE gift cards to fun places like Rainforest Cafe.
- Beach Day. You can’t go to Florida and not see the beach and ocean. Our favorite beaches are Cocoa beach and Clearwater beach. They are on opposite sides of the peninsula, so check out which ever one is closest to where you are staying.
- ICON Park. This park is not your normal park. If you want to go to some fun museums and activities, check this place out! It has the wax museum, aquarium, trains, Ferris wheel and more. There are deals on this park so be sure to check out the packages they offer. If you don’t want to spend money, then head here and walk along the park. They have some fun bridges and water to walk by. You could even grab a treat from the vendors.
4 Tips That Will Help You Save Time on Laundry
How often does your laundry become out of control? You know what I mean. That endless pile of laundry that seems like it will take hours or even days to conquer. If you have kids, you probably know exactly what I mean.
I have 3 kids, two of which are teenagers that do sports which means multiple changes of clothes every single day. My laundry is out of control more often than not. In recent years though I have discovered these 4 tips that will help you save time on laundry.
4 Tips That Will Help You Save Time on Laundry
Sort Your Laundry
Use separate hampers or laundry baskets to organize your laundry. Teaching your family to place their laundry in the appropriate baskets as soon as they put their laundry in the baskets will help you to save time so that you don’t have to do the sorting when it comes time to do the laundry.
Organize Your Laundry Space
Want to save time on laundry? Make sure your laundry room is organized and easy to navigate. The less time you have to spend searching for dryer sheets and laundry soap, the easier it is to get the job done.
Put it on the Schedule
Do your laundry on a schedule. If you choose a specific day to do your laundry and make sure to do your laundry on that day every time, you’ll find that your laundry does not pile up quite as much.
Get Rid of Some of Your Clothes
Let’s be real here. You probably have more clothes than you need. More clothes equals more laundry. I cannot tell you the amount of times that I have ended up washing clothes that I know have not been worn. I do have a teenage daughter after all. She is great at going through multiple outfits each day and tossing them on the floor as she goes. If you have fewer clothes, this won’t happen nearly as often.
5 Ways To Improve Your Personal Finances In 2022
If the uncertainties of the last few years weren’t tricky enough on our finances, it’s disheartening to now see media outlets such as the New York Times commenting on how inflation is rising at the highest rate in 40 years.
The cost of energy and essentials such as food and housing are all on the rise, and some would suggest it’s just the beginning. So, now more than ever, it’s become vitally important to look after our money, but it’s a daunting prospect. Finance website AskMoney suggests organizing a budget is way down on most people’s list of priorities. However, it doesn’t have to be so troublesome, so we’re here to help as we’ve compiled a list of five handy tips to help you get started on your path to looking after your dollars, and improving your finances through 2022, and beyond.
Track your spending
Do you know how much you spent last month on fuel, clothes or eating out? One of the best ways of managing expenses in this fast-paced, ever-changing world is utilizing your smartphone for something other than checking social media or playing Candy Crush. A host of free apps such as ASIC’s MoneySmart’s TrackMySPEND make keeping tabs on spending easy, convenient, and painless.
Reduce monthly bills
One of the best ways to take control of your budget is to reduce those regular monthly outgoings. It’s easy to forget about things such as Netflix, as they just come out of the bank account. But did you know it pays you to scrutinize how much you pay for your service? That doesn’t just go for TV subscriptions, too. One really simple way of improving your personal finances is by following these Tips for Saving Money on Utilities as prices for utilities often differ, so if you can price match or get even better value by either staying with your current provider or switching to a new one, do it. All it often takes is a phone call.
Cut up the cards
If you’re struggling to make ends meet, is that because you’re relying on credit cards? If you keep using them as a stop-gap, you’ll quickly see the debt growing, especially with high-interest rate cards. As the balance creeps up, what goes down is the ability to go out of that meal with friends, save for retirement or that dream car you’ve wanted for so long. Leave the credit card at home when you go into town, or cut it up and throw it in the trash.
Set up a saving plan
One of the most effective ways to improve finances is, arguably self-explanatory, putting some money aside. But there are ways in which you can save without really selling yourself short; remember we mentioned reducing those monthly bills? If you were successful and cut your outgoings, you could put away that amount you’ve saved to one side. It won’t be an added outlay, as you’ve been used to spending that amount already. Maybe you’ve got a tax refund, or you just set aside an amount from each paycheck. By setting up a savings fund, small gains now will amount to significant returns in the long run.
Can your employer help?
Your company may offer additional employee benefits that you’re not taking advantage of; while some people don’t find them beneficial, many more do. These benefits can often relieve you of paying out of pocket for other expenses. Are you paying for the gym but can get it for free at work? Think about how much it costs over a year; it’s not a small sum, is it? So, as you can see, it’s beneficial to evaluate your options. After all, you’ve worked for them.
4 Exercises You Can Do with No Equipment Needed
It’s just about spring and for many people, that means it’s time to get fit! I know many people struggle with working out because of the cost of the gym or equipment that they believe is required to exercise. Lucky for us, this is not always the case!
Sure, if you want to ride a bike, you need to have a bike and if you want to lift weights, you need to have the weights on hand, but guess what?! There are many other exercises that you can do that don’t require investments such as these! For example, here are 4 exercises you can do with no equipment needed.
4 Exercises You Can Do with No Equipment Needed
Walking
Walking is simply one of the simplest and cheapest exercises you can do! It costs you nothing (other than a usable pair of walking shoes, that is) to lace up your shoes and take a walk along the block, or a park trail or just about anywhere you want to go!
Walking is good for you too, because all of that fresh air is incredibly beneficial!
Hiking
I would bet that if you looked, you’d find some really great hiking trails near where you are right now. You may have to drive a little ways to get there, but once you hit the trail, your mind and body will thank you! I love hiking. It’s one of my favorite workouts to do because I am constantly able to enjoy all of the beautiful nature around me.
I happen to live in a state that is home to some beautiful waterfall hikes and I could not love them more! Hiking can be challenging, but in my opinion, it is a workout like no other!
Exercise Videos
If you have the internet (of course you do, because you are reading this right now), you have an unlimited supply of free workout videos available to you on YouTube and often other streaming services. Hit play and get your body moving!
Calisthenics
You remember the calisthenics portion of PE class, right? Those burpees and lunges and push ups and situps? These are all great exercises that you don’t need any equipment for. Trust me, if you are doing burpees every day, your chances of getting in shape are going to increase a lot!
Even More Interesting Ways You Can Use Dryer Sheets
Yesterday we talked a bit about some weird ways that you can use dryer sheets outside of the laundry room. Today we are going to expand on that list a bit. Do you ever use dryer sheets for something other than their intended purpose?
If you are interested in seeing even more interesting ways you can use dryer sheets, look no further! These ones might surprise you!
Even More Interesting Ways You Can Use Dryer Sheets
Clean Burned On Food
Do you have pots and pans that have burnt on food? No judgments here, we have all had kitchen mishaps.I once read that If you fill up a pot or pan with warm water to the halfway point and put a dryer sheet on top of water and let it sit a while, it will turn your burnt mess into an easy to clean mess. From the looks of it, those burnt on stains will just wipe right away.
Keep Your Clothes Smelling Great
Slip dryer sheets into your dresser drawers to keep your clothing smelling fresh and clean. This works in the same way as a sachet might.
Bathroom Cleaner
Dryer sheets are great for wiping down your bathroom spaces. Showers, sinks and toilets will look brand new again after being wiped down with dryer sheets.
Insect Repellent
Want to spend some time on your back deck, but don’t want to deal with the bugs? Place a few dryer sheets strategically around your outdoor space and keep the bugs away!
Freshen Up Your Trash
Stinky trash? Put dryer sheets in the bottom of your trash can to fend off those stinky trash smells.
Revive Your Scissors
Got an old pair of scissors that don’t move quite like they used to? Rub the blades of your scissors with dryer sheets and you’ll be surprised to learn that your scissors do, in fact, have some life left in them.
What other ways have you found to use dryer sheets?
Weird Ways You Can Use Dryer Sheets
Do you use dryer sheets in your laundry routine? You may be surprised to learn this, but there are a lot of different ways you can use dryer sheets in addition to the drying cycle.
I personally don’t like using them all the time, but sometimes I just need to get rid of that static cling, you know? If you are interested in hearing all about the weird ways you can use dryer sheets, check out this list I created to teach you!
Weird Ways You Can Use Dryer Sheets
Attack Those Dust Bunnies
Dryer sheets are great at picking up dust! I have used them for this purpose before, especially when dusting things like my ceiling fan, etc, where I want to do more than just move the dust around.
Pet Hair
Do you have any pets at home? Do they shed continuously? I have a 7 month old husky/lab mix and I swear I deal with so much pet hair now! Of course I sweep and vacuum often, but it doesn’t get it all. Dryer sheets are great for picking it up!
Windshield Cleaner
Got dead bugs and other yucky stuff on your windshield? Use a dryer sheet to clean it! It works great.
Take Care of Those Smelly Shoes
I have two teenage athletes in my house and let me tell you, the shoes get smelly! I struggled for years to figure out how to fix the smell, only to discover that simply sliding a dryer sheet into the shoes at night does the trick!
Freshen Up Your Pillows
Okay, so because I’m pretty particular about the air I breathe, I probably wouldn’t do this one, but many people like to slide a dryer sheet inside of their pillow case for lovely smelling pillows. Have you ever freshened up your pillows this way?
I have a few more interesting ways to use dryer sheets that I will tell you all about tomorrow. Until then, have you ever used dryer sheet for something other than the dryer cycle?
5 Fun & FREE Things to Do on St. Patrick’s Day with Your Family
St. Patrick’s Day is next week. It’s a fun and simple holiday, but the kids seem to LOVE it. This is one holiday that you can do a few simple activities that don’t cost any money and still make it so fun. Here are 5 different things you can do with the family that are absolutely free!
- Green Dance Party. This is a super fun and easy activity. Everyone can dress in green and then turn off the lights – or most of them- and turn up the music!
- Scavenger hunt around your house/yard. Our kids absolutely love doing these hunts. You can place clues around the house and have them find them. You could add pieces of candy or a treat at the end. Find the pot of gold at the end of the scavenger hunt!
- Home Made treats. There are so many fun treats to make for St. Patrick’s Day. You could find a fun one on Pinterest and make them with your kids. These treats could even be the treat at the end of the scavenger hunt.
- Read Library Books that celebrate this holiday. There are some fun books about Leprechauns and finding a pot of gold as well as more historical ones.
- Play charades. We love playing charades as a family. You can write a few words that are fun to act out like Leprechaun, Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day, Green, Charms, Shooting stars and more.
If you still need some green shirts for St. Patrick’s Day, check out Old Navy where a lot of them are on sale.