Time Savers for Busy Moms

Here are a few money-saving tips for making your home sparkle and your life easier!

Tidying up: Make a collaging art project one weekend to decorate old boxes by gluing magazine pictures on the sides. Use glitter glue and fun fabrics as well to make the boxes bright and happy. When they are dry (after a day or two) use the boxes to organize a messy room: cars go in one box, Brats dolls in another, Legos in another.

For the living room or den, use baskets bought cheap from a thrift store like ARC to organize bills, keys, magazines, throw blankets, etc.

In the kitchen and office, use mugs bought from thrift stores to organize spatulas, pens and pencils, thumb tacks, etc.

Make it a game to pick up clutter and organize in your new containers!

More on clutter: Put a few boxes in a corner of your garage where you can toss give-away's. Make it a monthly or quarterly family ritual to toss old but good clothes, toys, and household items that you no longer use into the boxes. When you get a postcard saying "A truck will be on your street" from a charity, leave the stuff on the curb to give away.

Dusting: Save used dryer sheets in a mesh bag (one that held produce is great). Once a week get out the sheets and use them to dust; they pick up dust like a Swiffer. Make a game out of it with young children by pretending to "paint" the furniture, window sills, and plant leaves. Microfiber cloths work great, too: Costco has big bags for cheap.

My favorite cleaner: Borax! It's found in the detergent aisle in the grocery store, and is cheap. Works great for getting out soap scum and other stains in the bathtub or kitchen sink, with no bad fumes, no toxic residue, and very little elbow grease. Can also be sprinkled lightly on beet seedlings to soften and sweeten the beet roots!

Wipe windows, faucets, and mirrors clean with a bit of diluted white vinegar on a damp microfiber cloth.

Vacuuming: If you have an infant, wear her in a sling or Asian style carrier while you vacuum. The sound is soothing to them and you have hands free!

If you have the kind of vacuum that has a separate brush for carpet and hard floors, just use the carpet brush for hardwood or pergo, but turn off the rotating brush so it doesn't stir up the dust.

Freshening: Put a small bit of lemon peel down the garbage disposal to kill odors. Use peppermint or thyme essential oil to deter bugs, disinfect, and odorize counters and floors.