Tag: clean

Categories
Fun Ways to Organize

Keeping You Car Clean and Organized

Hey guys! 

Happy Wednesday!

I hope your weeks are off to a great start and you are staying healthy and warm, especially if you are living in a chilly place like myself. 

After all the Christmas and New Years celebrations are over, I always love to reset for the month of January. I think its a great time to get organized, do some deep cleaning, maybe even get rid of things you may not need, and start on some new goals for the year.

I’ve been doing pretty well with my resolutions which is always a good feeling. 

For many people, a goal for the new year may be to keep spaces clean or get things organized, whether it’s a specific room in your home, your workspace in the office, or your car.

While I wish I could offer advice for cleaning and organizing all these areas, you would be reading this post for the next day, but I can offer you some tips for cleaning specific areas. 

Today, we are talking about to keep your car clean and organized. 

Must-Haves

Here’s my must haves for your car (these can be kept in your trunk or in the back of your car):

-Emergency kit for cars or first aid

-Blanket

-Water 

-Non-perishable snacks (nuts or crackers-filling and something that lasts long)

-Change of seasonal clothes (in case of emergency or you get stuck and are in need of a quick change)

-Jumper Cables

*all of these can be put in the trunk or back of the car*

Here’s a look at what I keep in the trunk of my car.

-Cell phone charger

-Important Car Documents

-Hand Sanitizer or Wipes

-Extra masks (in today’s day and age, it’s a must)

*these can go in your glove compartment or center console*

Here’s what I keep in my center console.

Other things that I keep in my car that aren’t musts but are useful to have:

-Body spray/perfume/cologne (depending on girls or guys, I always have travel bottle of body spray in my car whenever you need a quick refresher)

– Towel (for rain storms, messes or a quick clean-up)

– Go-to toiletry bag (this is just any must-haves you may need in a pinch (for girls- hair tie, chapstick, contact solution, tissues, gum, anything you may think you could need in an emergency)

-Recyclable bags (these are helpful for trash or any wet towels or clothes)

I always have go bag and boots if I ever need it for work in my trunk too. (I have storage below where I keep emergency things)

Keeping it Clean

Once a week I do a quick car clean. I use a Clorox wipe to clean off the high touch point areas like the handles, the wheel, and the controls. I use a leather wipe to clean the seats and headsets.

I got a mini car vacuum for Christmas (yes, you know you are old when you get excited about getting a vacuum for a gift) and I like to use that for quick cleaning.

This mini vacuum is definitely a new favorite for me!

Now, for a more extensive cleaning, I turned to an expert in car cleaning, someone who taught me everything I know about cleaning, my boyfriend, Ethan. He helped me write the second half of this post!

“Routine car detailing doesn’t have to be hard, time consuming or expensive. With the right mix of affordable products and a little bit of know-how, keeping a car in top-notch condition is a relatively simple task.

Exterior Cleaning

The first step is to clean your car. Start with the outside, and rinsed the vehicle. Then, using a dedicated car wash soap that you can buy at any auto store, fill one bucket with soapy water according to the instructions on your soap. Fill a second bucket with clean water. Then, using a microfiber washing mitt or cloth, liberally cover the car in soapy water. As you wash, make sure to rinse the mitt periodically in the clear bucket.

After thoroughly washing the car from top to bottom, rinse it off with a hose and dry it with a microfiber drying product like a towel or cloth.

Interior Cleaning

Then, move to the inside, and when it comes to car detailing, if you can only do one thing, vacuum. Vacuuming will make the biggest difference in the appearance of your car, and it’s fairly quick to do. Make sure to thoroughly vacuum every interior surface including seats floors and floor mats. Make sure to remove the mats and vacuum beneath them.

After a very thorough vacuuming, it’s time to zero in. If your mats have not been cleaned in a long time, use a cleaning product like Tuff Stuff. It’s an aerosol spray, and it works wonders lifting out dirt. It’s also super versatile and can be used on most surfaces in your car. Best of all, it’s affordable. Handle the mats with tuff stuff and a stiff-bristled brush, mixed with some elbow grease. Wipe them dry with a microfiber towel, and then vacuum again. On your car’s interior, I like a two-in-one clean and shine. Unless your car is especially grimy, this will clean and polish in one step. If your car is beyond belief, use tuff stuff to blast away dirt, and then apply the polish with a microfiber towel. Cloth seats can be cleaned with tuff stuff, and leather ones need a dedicated leather cleaner. 

Finally, clean the windows, but DO NOT USE WINDEX. It can ruin the tint. Use a dedicated car window product, and make sure to roll the windows down to get the tops. 

When you’re done, stand back and admire your work. 

For emergencies, I always keep a few microfiber towels in my trunk. That way, I can touch-up my interior in a moment, and if I spill something, I have a super absorbent towel ready to limit the damage.”

So there you have it, some tips on how to keep your car clean and organized and some must-haves. I’m by no means an expert but I hope this helped you with some ideas on how to get started when cleaning your car can seem like a daunting task.

Happy cleaning!

Categories
Fabulous living

Essential Oils

Hello All! 

Happy Tuesday! 

I hope you had a relaxing weekend, it’s finally spring and I am so happy to welcome the warmer weather, not only is there warmer weather here, but also the final countdown of the semester is on! This year has been one of the best years yet, and I can’t wait to see what my last semester has in store for me. Today, I wanted to share one of my favorite trends with you. It’s official…I am a believer of Essential Oils. I started using oils about a year ago and now I use them every day.

I always have my diffuser going on my windowsill.

I even brought min verisons with my to Italy, I loved having the consistency of my favorite scents when I was out of the country.

Yes, I have mini versions of my oils for when I travel..no shame

I personally get my oils from Doterra. But, you can get them anywhere, I’ve seen them at Target, T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, Home Goods, essential oils are all the rave and the more people I talk to the more I find out about all the different uses for them. I have heard people using them for cooking, cleaning, staying healthy, preventing illness, and relaxing. I can’t wait to use them in new ways this summer when I am not constantly bogged down with work.  

My favorite oils-Peppermint, Orange, Lemon, Balance, Breathe, On-guard, and Serenity

Today, I wanted to share my favorite scents and how I use them in my everyday life. For starters, these are my oils I have so far, and I use them every day. I have a diffuser that goes 24/7. I typically diffuse one scent at night and different ones each day. For night time, I typically diffuse Serenity which is a lavender based oil, I have always had issues with sleeping but this year I have been sleeping better and I think a lot of it has to do with diffusing essential oils. I feel more relaxed and content when I have soothing oils diffusing. I also use the serenity for headaches as well as the peppermint which are miracle workers.

During the day I change oils frequently. For example, when the cold or flu is going around, or I am prepping to leave for a trip, Onguard is going non-stop. It is a greater fighter against germs.

Another few scents on heavy rotation especially in the winter when I want a fresh smell

When I am finished cleaning, I typically mix orange and lemon for a fresh smell or lemon and peppermint or orange and peppermint to freshen up a room. When I need a change or smell or need to reset myself Balance is my go-to. 

These are on constant rotation especially with Spring coming soon

I love how the essential oils provide a healthy smell to the room, it’s not too overpowering but you can definitely smell the subtle refreshing smell. I also like how it is an alternative scent with no harsh chemicals. By far, one of the best parts is that it’s college dorm room safe! YAY!

Have you guys tried essential oils? What are your favorite mixes and uses for essential oils? Please share them with me, I am always looking for new ones to try. Have a great week ahead, enjoy the beginning of Spring weather!!

Categories
Travel

Packing for a Trip Overseas

Hi All!

Happy Thursday! I hope you had a great weekend. I had a fun weekend full of hanging out with friends, going to a semi-formal dance (my last one in college), and volunteering. Overall, it was a well-balanced weekend full of lots of fun. More about that on Thursday. 

Are you tired of my posts about traveling and Rome?! Well, I have one last post for you today about travel and then it will be back to my regular posts about college living. After traveling over Spring Break, I have definitely got the travel bug and I am eager for my next adventure. I’ve already made a list of places I want to go and things I want to see and in order to travel more you need to pack smart. Today’s post is all going to be about travel must haves. This post is going to be geared more towards traveling overseas, but a lot of the things I will talk about can be used when traveling by plane, train, or car. Here are my top 5 tips for traveling abroad. 

  • Leave Extra Space

No matter the size of your suitcase or the length of the trip, leave extra space for souvenirs or things you may bring back with you. When I left for Rome, I only had half of my large suitcase packed, I knew I would be buying gifts for people when I was away and wanted to make sure I had the space to buy what I wanted without the stress of not having enough room to bring it back. Also, be sure to weigh your luggage before you leave, you don’t want to pay extra or be forced to move things to other bags. Thankfully, I didn’t buy too much stuff that this was a problem but I had friends who had to put things in their carry-on or other people’s carry-ons since they didn’t have enough room in their own luggage. 

My organized suitcase-half the suitcase is open space
  • Put Important Things in Your Carry-On

If you have a long trip planned and you have a checked bag, be sure to have the essentials with you in case your luggage gets lost. I have never had to deal with lost luggage and I hope I never have to, but just in case I always pack a few essentials in my carry-on.

These essentials include an extra outfit (Just a simple t-shirt and leggings-but when we arrived we didn’t have access to our luggage before we headed out so I was glad I could put on a fresh shirt), my tooth brush and tooth paste (you can call my crazy but yes, in order to make sure I got some sleep on the plane and in order to do that I went through my nighttime routine, which included taking off my makeup-yes I reapplied the next day, brushing my teeth and wearing an eye mask to get some shut eye on the plane) make up wipes (to remove my makeup), my basic makeup (I had all my stuff in my suitcase but I had my mascara and concealer just to brighten up my face when we landed), some medicine (just in case I got a headache or needed help sleeping-I wanted to make sure I had it with me 

Up close of my Suitcase
  • Dress in Layers 

This is a must have when traveling on flights, if you are a frequent flyer or flying for the first time, you never know how hot or cold the plane will be especially if it’s a red eye or international flight. Dressing in layers also saves spaces in your luggage too. For this trip, I wore a blanket scarf when traveling and it was the best decision. We left Pittsburgh when it was snowing so I wanted to dress warmly. I also wore a three- quarter zip sweatshirt and had a north face jacket on. Yes, it may seem like a lot but I was comfortable when I tried to sleep and I wasn’t too hot, but if I did get a bit warm, I had layers which was helpful. My blanket scarf could also double as a blanket or pillow when I tried to sleep. Layers is best when traveling. 

My Purse-All Organized
  • Be Clean

I am a neat freak and when it comes to traveling and planes, I try to be as clean as possible. I made sure I brought wet wipes with me to make sure I could clean my seat, tray table and arm rest on the plane. This gave me comfort that the area I would be sitting at for the next several hours were as clean as possible. Germs are everywhere so having hand sanitizer is a must too. There are so many germs in an enclosed space. 

My Carry-On all packed
  • Necessary Items

I hadn’t thought to pack these things at first but when I did, they were a game changer. First, plastic bags were a must. Not only are the great for storing shoes to make sure they didn’t get on your clothes, but they were super useful for separating dirty clothes with lights and darks. I had a few plastic bags and had them separated with lights and darks so when I got back I just had to pop them in the washer. Ziploc baggies are also super important to have on hand especially when storing small items like jewelry or makeup in your carry-on.

All Packed for my Next Adventure

I am by no means a professional traveler and I don’t have all the answers, but these five tips did wonders for me and were so helpful when I traveled abroad. What are you must haves or tips for traveling? Leave them in the comments below! See you on Thursday for a fun look of the day!

Categories
Fun Ways to Organize

How to Organize: Your Tupperware Cabinet

 

Happy Tuesday!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! We finally got some warm weather, so I spent a lot of time outside in the sun. I also got back into the gym and I felt great to be back on a treadmill.

Whenever, I come home from school whether it be for a break or for summer, my parents always have little projects they want me to complete. These are little ways to help out around the house when I’m home. I am a neat freak and an organizer, so most of the project deal with cleaning. My family and I do a lot of cooking at home especially during the summer which means there is always leftovers. Our Tupperware cabinet gets a lot of use and gets cluttered easily. Today, I’m going to be tackling the cabinet and showing you how I like to organize all the Tupperware.

So , for starters, don’t get overwhelmed. It only takes a few minutes to clean it out and reorganize. I’m going to break it down in steps on how I clean my cabinets out.

Before

Step 1: Take everything out. Give yourself a clean space to work with. Even take a wet rag and wipe down the cabinet in case there are crumbs, dirt, or dust.

Clean everything out, allowing you to start fresh!

Step 2: Go through and see if there is anything you don’t need or can get rid of. Make sure you use all your containers and if you don’t or if they are old, damaged or don’t serve a purpose, get rid of them. There is no point in keeping things you don’t use.

 

Step 3: Now, its time to organize. Our cabinet doubles as a cups, plates, and bowls, a cabinet for kids since it is low to the ground. I like to organize my cabinets based on size and use. I group boxes and bins based on how big or small they are and then I put the things I use the most in the front and use the least in the back.

This side is our container side.

This side is our Children’s side, for little plates, bowls, and cups.

Step 4: Make sure everything is accessible and in a good spot and you are done! It took me 30 minutes with cleaning and organizing and getting rid of things. One way to avoid this is by putting things back where they belong. Yes, it may take a few extra minutes here and there but I will be worth it in the long run.

After

 

Now it’s your turn! How do you organize your Tupperware? Do you use labels? Have the lids on or off? I’m always looking for new ways to organize and Pinterest only goes so far!! Comment below any tips and tricks you have for cleaning out your Tupperware!

See you on Thursday!