Miraclean – 803.984.9383 | Tag Archives: kids

Healthy, fun lunchbox packing recipes

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Kristin Posted in General Announcement .

Packing school lunch boxes can get boring, fast! Let’s talk about some easy, fun and healthy lunch alternatives.

First, be prepared. Do all your shopping for the week. Cut veggies and cheeses ahead of time and place them in individual ziplock bags, so you can throw them in a lunch box that morning. Be careful not to cut apples, pears or bananas too early or they will turn brown. Try packing their lunch as you are cleaning up dinner. The kitchen will already be a mess, so turn their left-overs into a fun lunch!

For example, if you made chicken for dinner, cut up the leftovers, grab a wrap, add some cheese and veggies and you’ve got a delicious chicken wrap. Our moms tell us their kids love EVERYTHING in a wrap. It’s fun for them and there are tons of recipes! Spread some hummus on a wrap and add some fresh veggies or try a peanut butter and banana wrap. Got taco leftovers? Send them to school with all the ingredients needed to make their favorite tacos! Or make mini quesadillas!

Another sandwich alternative is a bagel. Try a half bagel, pack some cheese, sliced pepperoni or chopped ham and a little pizza sauce and they can make their own pizzas. (Bagel Minis are perfect for this recipe!)

Crescent rolls make a great lunch, too! Lay the crescent roll flat, add some cheese, bacon or other lunch meat, roll the crescent roll and bake according to the directions. Wait for the rolls to cool, cut them into smaller servings and voila!

Say you have a little extra time while packing their lunch, assuming you are packing it the night before. Try adding a little extra, like cutting their sandwiches into fun shapes. How cute is that?!

Add a note as a reminder or for good luck!

Kids are messy, so pack them a fun colored napkin they’ll want to use!

If you are worried about them washing their hands before lunch, pack a moist towelette. These can also be handy for quick lunch time clean-ups!

Include a special drawing or picture.

Sometimes in the middle of the day, we all get that salty/sweet craving, so do your kids. Pack an extra snack like baked potato chips, dried fruit, pretzels, trail mix, sunflower seeds, pudding cups or jello.

If you pack lunches the night before, you can grab them out of the fridge that morning and go!

There are a few tips and tricks from us. What are some you use? Any fun or favorite recipes? Tell us on our Facebook page!

10 reasons you shouldn’t clean your own house

Posted on August 9, 2014 by Kristin Posted in General Announcement .

You are busy! We know that. That’s why we don’t think you should have to clean your own house. Imagine that. To walk in to your home knowing the bedsheets were all changed, the showers are clean, the floors are no longer sticky. Isn’t that nice? And now you can have some time to yourself before the hubby and the kids come home and destroy it all in a matter of minutes. (Because, face it, that’s what’ll happen.)

Here are a few reasons why you shouldn’t be cleaning your own house:

1.) Be honest, how many arguments have you and your family gotten into regarding cleaning? It’s like trying to pull teeth. No one wants to spend their limited weekend time scrubbing toilets. I’m not saying you should let your family trash the house to avoid an argument of cleaning, but straightening up a bedroom or playroom is not the same as cleaning a bathroom. Of course, kids should have some responsibilities depending on their age and how much they can handle, but seriously, how many times have you and your hubby argued over who did the last load of dishes? Avoid the argument completely by having someone else do the work for you!

2.) As stated earlier, you only get a matter of hours over the weekend to spend it with your family. Enjoy that time. Go out to eat or take a weekend trip away. Maybe go to Carowinds for the day.

3.) Try something new. If one of your major complaints is that there isn’t enough time in the day, give yourself more time. By hiring a cleaning service, usually a team can complete an entire house cleaning in about three hours. Take those three hours and meet a friend for coffee, or try a new restaurant that just opened. Go skydiving! The possibilities are endless but wouldn’t you rather do any of those things than clean your house?

4.) Take time for yourself. Could you imagine getting a massage or a mani/pedi, then coming home to a clean house?! You could get a head start on that best seller you’ve been dying to read!

5.) This is probably the most important piece of information I tell our customers, so listen up. Some people think there is a real stigma to hiring a cleaning company. Here’s my advice. How much is your time worth to you? Think about it. If you can pay between $80-$100 per cleaning and you can have fresh bedsheets and clean bathrooms in less than three hours isn’t that worth it knowing that it will probably take you all day to do what we can do in a matter of hours? How many times have you been cleaning an area and two minutes later your kids dump a box of Legos on the floor. What is the saying? Cleaning the house when the kids are home is like trying to brush your teeth while eating Oreo’s.

6.) Get rid of that, “I swear I JUST cleaned this!” feeling. You know what I mean. You sweep and mop the kitchen floor and in run the kids, “I’m hungry! She’s looking at me! He won’t let me in his room!” Before you know it you’ve got crumbs all over the counters and little footprints all over your freshly mopped floor.

kids interfere with cleaning

7.) I don’t know about you, but occasionally I find myself asking “How can we live in this mess?” Not that my house is disgusting, but yes there are areas that get cleaned more than others. Summertime in the South means that my fans are on high circulation constantly! It’s those times where I flip I switch and realize there is about a pound of dust on each fan blade and jeeze someone should clean that. Then the germaphobe in me kicks in “Oh wow, we’ve just been breathing in this mess for weeks! How can we live in this mess?!” Hiring a cleaning company can help because they follow a guideline to make sure areas you don’t think about, like ceiling fans, get dusted on a regular basis.

sheldon

8.) Who wants to clean? Seriously. After taking the kids to and from school, soccer practice, dance lessons, cooking dinner, going grocery shopping, doing laundry, planning the upcoming week, who has time to clean anymore? If you find yourself thinking, “if only there were a few hours more in a day,” then we are the cleaning company for you!

9.) This is the excuse I used to tell my mom when she would have me make my bed in the morning. “Why? I’m just going to sleep in it again tonight?” I’m 28 years old and I still don’t make my bed….ever….because of this same reason. So what’s the difference between that and the rest of the house? Why clean when it’s just going to get messy again, right?

unmade bed

10.) Lastly, leave it to the pros. There is no stigma in getting some extra help around the house. We know you are busy and we know you are responsible for an ENTIRE family! That’s a lot to keep up with nowadays! Take some stress off your plate and let us help. We use a 66-point checklist to make sure your home is sparkling clean. (Here it is, if you don’t believe me.) Plus, our customers say we clean their house better than they would any way.

And there you have it. Ten reasons why you shouldn’t be cleaning your own house. We would love to take some stress off your plate! We use all-natural products that are safe to use around kids and pets. All of our employees are bonded and insured. We have tons of references and we are probably already cleaning someone’s house in your neighborhood! Schedule your free estimate today by calling Kristin at 803-366-1766.

How young is too young for kids to have a cell phone?

Posted on July 27, 2014 by Kristin Posted in General Announcement .

While cleaning a customer’s house the other day, she did something I had never thought of doing.

Her kids, all in elementary school, were planning on walking to the park with their friends. She gave them a walkie talkie and simply said, “Keep in touch. Let me know if your plans change.”

Cool, right?! She said it was her way of keeping them “cell phone less” for a little while longer. What a great idea!

My niece recently celebrated her eighth birthday. When I asked her what she wanted, her requests were: “a cell phone, an iPad, a Nintendo DS” pretty much nothing under $100. Of course, she has no idea the value of these items. She sees her friends on a phone, so she wants a phone.

So, do you give in and buy the kid a phone?

How independent/responsible are your kids? Do they need to be in touch for safety reasons or social ones? Some folks have been ditching the old home phone. If you work and your child needs to check in with you once they arrive home from school, then it may be time to get them a cell phone. Make sure you limit the options of the phone. Start with a simple plan, one that only makes phone calls and allow them a certain amounts of minutes.

Does your kid understand the concept of minutes and apps downloaded?

Speaking of apps downloaded, depending on what age your child, are you ready to open them to the portals of the Internet? Cyberbulling, location sharing (which raises questions about children being stalked), and being on-call to all of their friends are a few concerns parents have when deciding if they should buy their kids a smartphone.

WedMd suggests not considering a cell phone until your child is in middle or high school, as the younger kids are more likely to be with you. Before you add a line to your current plan, consider establishing rules and punishments for breaking the rules.

WedMd suggests six cell phone rules for your kids:

Buy them a basic phone: Yes, you can still get a phone that doesn’t include a camera, Internet access, games, and texting. If you’re passing one of your phones down to your child, turn off all the extra features. And if your child complains, remind her that phones are tools, not toys. It’s about safety, not social status or games.
Set limits: Most cell phone companies allow you to cap the number of texts a user can send or receive as well as the number of minutes the cell phone can be used. If a child goes over the designated plan amount, have her pay the extra charges. (Older teens can be responsible for their entire cell bills.) You also can block Internet access and calls from unapproved numbers on most phones.
Set more limits: Designate times that the cell phone needs to be turned off — for instance, during family meals, after 10 p.m., and during school hours. If your teen is a driver, insist that he or she not use the phone when driving. Some families don’t allow cell phones in children’s rooms at night to keep kids from texting or making calls after bedtime. Insist that your child answer your calls and texts right away, and teach your child not to answer or return calls and texts from people they don’t know.
Follow the same limits yourself: Let’s face it: You have to walk your talk. If you don’t want your child to use the phone during meals or while driving, follow those rules yourself. If you don’t want him or her to compulsively check the phone, don’t do so yourself. You are your child’s No. 1 role model, whether your child admits it or not.
Create some distance: For now, until the radiation risks are clearer, use ear phones instead of holding the phone up to the ear. Also, don’t let kids sleep with their phones under their pillows. He also advises against carrying cell phones in front pants pockets, due to a potential radiation risk to the reproductive system.
Teach good behavior: Children aren’t born knowing the rules about how to use cell phones respectfully, including not using them to spread rumors, not taking (or sending) photos without people’s permission, not sending inappropriate photos or texts, not having personal conversations in public places – and, of course, never communicating with strangers, no matter how they present themselves. It’s up to you to teach them.

According to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation study, 85% of those aged 14 to 17 — have cell phones. So do 69% of 11-14 year olds and 31% of kids aged 8-10. That’s twice as many kids who had cell phones in 2004!

Be responsible. You know your kid and you know their maturity level.

What are your thoughts? How old should kids be before they get a smartphone? Tell us at www.facebook.com/Miraclean

Entertaining your kiddos on the cheap

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Kristin Posted in General Announcement .

Summer is here! It can be expensive keeping your little ones entertained! We wanted to prepare our mom’s with a few ideas on how to keep the kiddos busy. Of course there are always summer camps and other activities they can attend, but here are a few ideas if you are on a budget or just want to spend the day with your munchkins. 🙂

1.) Our friends at www.notimeforflashcards.com suggest a find and count bug hunt in the backyard. You’ll need a clipboard, a list of bugs (I like the picture next to the words! How fun?!) and a pen to keep a tally. Walk around the yard and tally each bug you find, then count your tally marks and circle the number.

2.) One of my favorites is to host a book and snack party. Choose a book, like Dr. Seuss’s One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish and serve a snack that correlates to the book, like Swedish Fish.

3.) Grab a tarp (or painter’s plastic) and a hose and create your own slip and slide!

4.) Our friends at www.sixsistersstuff.com had this awesome idea! Use an old sheet or drop cloth to make art on the lawn!

5.) Who doesn’t love sidewalk chalk? Color a pretty picture. Write words on the driveway. Make a hopscotch board.

6.) Grow a small garden in the backyard.

7.) Have an ice cream or banana nut sundae party. Invite friends and have them bring their favorite toppings!

8.) Make a scavenger hunt with leaves, rocks, feathers, dandelions, etc.

9.) Create your own bird feeder. I remember rolling a pine cone in peanut butter, then bird seed. I’m sure there is an easier (and less messy) way to make a birdfeeder nowadays. 😉

10.) Plan a night under the stars. Grab a blanket and find stars, constellations, and planets.

Do you have any more ideas on the cheap? Tell us at www.facebook.com/Miraclean

That’s why they call it work and not fun

Posted on March 26, 2014 by Kristin Posted in General Announcement .

Like most teenagers, I would complain…about everything. I didn’t want to go to school, I didn’t want to go to work. (At the time, I was an A-B student, always on the honor roll, and I worked after school at a local McDonalds. That was actually my first job.)

My mom, a single parent of three girls, would always say “that’s why they call it work and not fun.”

I can’t count on my fingers and toes how many times she told me that. So much so, that I started telling other people that when they would complain about having to pick up an extra shift or someone called out so now they had to go in to work.

Most of my jobs were little $8 an hour cashier or secretary jobs, until I decided to start Miraclean. (To get the whole scoop on how and why I started Miraclean, check out my previous blog post here.)

Anyway, the other day I reminded of my mother’s famous saying while I was cleaning, except my work WAS fun.

Let me start over. Scrubbing soap scum from a leaky shower…not fun. Wiping all sorts of fluids from the bathroom, buggers off of walls, ok, ok, that’s not fun. But, the feeling you get from cleaning is fun.

I’ll put it to you this way. I have been procrastinating on cleaning out my second bedroom. I just don’t wanna! It’s stupid, I’m never in there and I keep the door closed so I don’t have to look at it….BUT I know what’s behind that door. Tons of crap that just needs to be tossed, but who has the time for that? Apparently, my boyfriend and I because I told him that was our plan for the weekend and he held me accountable.

I came home from work on Saturday and he already had everything pulled out of the closet. (What a guy!) So now there was no excuse. “Fine. Let’s just do it and get it over with.” Three overstuffed trashbags later (seriously, where does this crap hide?!) we have a place for everything and everything in it’s place. It literally took an hour, maybe a little longer with the both us working together. Afterward, we stood back, looked at our room (oh, hi floor…it’s been so long since I’ve seen you!), high-fived each other and took a nap.

The point being, we felt that feeling of accomplishment. In with new, out with the old. Now, my skin doesn’t crawl when I know I need something from that room.

It’s the same way when you’re cleaning houses. Usually, someone hires us to clean because they either don’t have time or they would much rather spend their free time at home with their family than yelling at the kids to clean up, upsetting the husband for making him work around the house on his day off, whatever, whatever. It’s just easier to hire a company like us to get everything done in a matter of hours.

The customer comes home to a clean house and BAM all of a sudden their entire weekend opens up. They can go to the park or take a weekend trip or visit friends and not have their skin crawl thinking they have four dirty bathrooms at home that still need to be cleaned and 100 loads of laundry that need to be washed.

That’s what makes me feel good inside. Those families that are absolutely grateful and thankful to have us clean and make their lives easier. So many tell me on a regular basis, “AHH!!! We love Miraclean days!” And that’s what makes it worth it.

I can’t tell you how rewarding it is to know that you are helping someone. Whether it is helping them spend more time with their family or helping them with a problem around the house. We clean for a lot of older folks, too. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve walked into a bathroom with a black tub, not because that is the color of the tub but because it is dirty-dirty! We get that tub back to its original shade of color, after a lot of sweat and scrubbing, but it is worth it to see the look on their face when they walk into their bathroom and don’t even recognize it because it is so clean.

The other day, I was cleaning probably one of my favorite family’s house. They are adorable. Southern belle momma, Daddy brings home the bacon, they have two girls and a boy and a big, beautiful home in Fort Mill. The house takes a crew of two girls a little over three hours to clean, but we absolutely love it! We gawk at the chandeliers in the bathrooms and check out the new coats of paint in the kids’ rooms. It is such a nice house to clean and that’s when my mother came into my brain.

“That’s why they call it work and not fun.”

But, this is fun. Ok, for the most part it is fun. I get to work with people I enjoy working with, I get to feel appreciated at work (most of the time), and I get to help families. What is more fun than that?

I almost ruined Christmas!

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Kristin Posted in General Announcement .

What the hell is an Elf on the Shelf?

Being 27 years old with no children, there are some “phenomena” that I don’t understand. A few months ago, dozens of little girls were ranting and raving over some chick called Sophia the First.

The First what?

Anyway, another one of those phenomena is this Elf on the Shelf character. Between my friends’ children, my little cousins, and my customers’ children, I’ve gathered he is an elf who watches the children and reports back to Santa. The elf tattle-tails on the children’s behavior and Santa determines if the child is naughty or nice.

Quite a few people have said they wish they could leave the Elf out all year long, but it is tradition that the Elf comes out the day after Thanksgiving and stay until Christmas Eve.

Ok. I’ve got that much. Here’s my confusion.

First, according to almost every kid I’ve asked, their Elf has a name that THEY (the children) got to pick out. My little cousins’ Elf’s name is Red McStuffins. How he came up with that, the world may never know. My niece’s Elf’s name is Sugarplum, “But he is a boy, not a girl,” she informs me.

So, you get a second babysitter of sorts that you get to name? How is that magic? Shouldn’t your Elf come with a name and back story like, “oh…he’s the most strict of all Santa’s elves!” Just a thought. Ok, so the kid gets to make-up the back story. Got it.

Next, what is up with this Elf’s behavior?! He is a mischievous little guy that according to Facebook and Instagram gets stuck in a lot of strange situations. Some innocent, like a hand in the cookie jar. Some not so innocent, like under the covers with Barbie. (You know who you are, you naughty Elf on the Shelf lovers!)

Anywho, this Elf is supposed to be checking your behavior; yet he is running around your home causing a ruckus?! What the french, toast?

Finally, the “magic” part. The children cannot see the adults touch the Elf. No one can touch the Elf. The Elf magically ends up in these situations.

I told you all that so I could tell you my Elf on the Shelf story. I was cleaning a customer’s house when I came upon the Elf sitting on the bottom part of the staircase handrail. I took my cloth, sprayed the handrail and picked up the Elf to dust underneath it. Just as I picked up the Elf, the children came running down the stairs, “Adults can’t touch the Elf! Adults can’t touch the Elf! Now he’s lost his magic!”

What?!

The first thing I could respond with was, “Oh no guys, I called Santa and explained to him that I had to get the house nice and clean for his arrival and in order for me to do that, I may have to clean up after his elves. Santa said that it was okay because he liked a clean house and he knows his elves can get pretty messy.”

Kids: “OHHH!!! But, you promise you called Santa.”

Me: “I pinky swear Santa knows and he said it was ok.”

Kids: “Ok! Yay! Our Elf still has his magic.”

And off they went.

Holy cow! Crisis averted! Jeeze, I had to think quick on my feet for that one.

The moral of this story is for parents.

Parents, please fill us non-having children folks in on your little magic tricks and give me a heads up before I go breaking your kids’ hearts.

😉

Is your kid the smelly kid in class?

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Kristin Posted in Cleaning Tips .

Do you smell?

I mean, do your clothes smell?

You may not notice, but washing machines have a tendency to smell bad due to their design. Water sits in certain components, which then become a breeding ground for mold and mildew causing unpleasant odors.

If you live in a humid climate, constant moisture in the air prevents the water from completely evaporating.

So, how do you fix it?

By cleaning your washing machine.

It makes sense. You use your washing machine to get your dirty clothes clean, so let’s talk about ways to make your washer more efficient.

TOP LOADING:

1.) Set washer to run on the hottest water and largest load setting. Do not add clothes or detergent. Once the wash bin is full, add 4 cups of vinegar to the water and allow the machine to agitate for one minute.

2.) Add ½ cup baking soda and agitate washer for one minute.

3.) Stop washer and allow it to sit for 30 minutes to one hour. Take this time to wipe the top of the washer, the knobs, and any dispensers.

4.) Allow washing cycle to resume until the water begins draining.

5.) Use a clean cloth to wipe the inside of the wash bin, the lid, and any other parts you did not get during the initial clean.

Remember to leave the lid open after each load, so the washing machine can dry completely.

FRONT LOADING:

1.) Set washer to run on the hottest water and largest load setting. Do not add clothes or detergent. Once the wash bin is full, add 1 cup white vinegar to the water (via the dispenser) and allow the machine to agitate for one minute.

2.) Wipe down door gaskets, seals and door interior with a soft cloth soaked in a separate 50/50 vinegar and water solution after the wash cycle finishes.

3.) Rinse the door gaskets and seals after cleaning them with the vinegar solution to prevent deterioration and damage of the seal.

4.) Make sure doors, gaskets and seals are completely dry. Leave the door slightly open to allow the wash bin to air out.

There you have it. A safe way to clean the appliances that keep you clean.

Maybe you’re wondering… “I’ve never washed my washing machine and I’m fine.”

Maybe.

But as put by University of Arizona microbiology professor Charles Gerba, “There is about a tenth of a gram of poop in the average pair of underwear.”

Fecal matter can carry different germs like E. Coli and salmonella. Underwear and towels are the worst culprits.

The acidity of the vinegar helps dissolve soap residue in the wash bin and is helpful in dissolving lime deposits in pipes. Baking soda cleans soap scum and deodorizes.

Want to see before and after pics of my washing machine? Check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Miraclean

Don’t forget to ‘like’ our page while your there!