If you're trying to remove toxins from your home, a good place to start is with your cleaning supplies.  Many of them contain hormone-disrupting chemicals that are not good for you or kids to be breathing.

An extremely simple way to get started switching to natural cleaning products is to use Norwex products.  I was sent the household package to try out, which includes an Envirocloth, a Window Cloth, and a Dusting Mitt.

This package gives everything you need for most of the common cleaning you would do.

When using Norwex cloths, all you do is add water to the cloth and clean like you normally would.  The specially-made fibers attract and trap dirt much more effectively than a regular cloth does.  The cloth can hold up to seven times it weight (in other words you can clean a very dirty surface without having to rinse your rag!)  Antibacterial silver woven into the fibers inhibits bacterial odor, mold, and/or mildew growth within the cloth.  Your cleaning cloths will not get nasty and have to be thrown away like a regular rag would.

I enjoyed using the dusting mitt to clean my ceiling fans.  It made the job much easier since my hand was completely encased in the cloth.

My kids had a little different idea.  They decided to clean the bathroom floor with it.  At least they tried to be helpful, right?

My favorite item by far, though, is the window cloth.

I absolutely love how well the window cloth cleans glass.  All you need is water, and there are no streaks!

I can wet the rag and turn my kids loose to go wash windows without worrying about letting them use window cleaner or whether there will be streaks all over the window!

My mother-in-law bought me something very similar for Christmas several years ago, and I loved it!  If you're Christmas shopping for other ladies you know, I am sure any homemaker would be grateful for anything that will make her job easier.

If you're interested in finding out more about Norwex products, you can connect with Michelle Morgan on Facebook, and she will be happy to answer any questions that you have!

I'm looking forward to exploring some of the other products Norwex offers.  They have a large selection of non-toxic cleaning products as well as personal care products.

Which product would you want to try first?

The post Natural Cleaning With Norwex (Christmas Gift Guide) appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

If you would have asked me during my growing up years, I would have claimed to be a tomboy: climbing trees, rambling through woods, and staying far away from dolls and “girly” stuff. By the time I hit college however, I had discovered there is a fun side to being female. Things like makeup, hairdos and accessories became a fun new world to be explored!

I think I have come a long way from my tomboy days…at least I hope I have! I have to say I enjoy dressing up, getting all “beautified” and the primping that comes with it when I have the time.

That is one reason I jumped at the chance to review Younique's Moodstruck 3d Fiber Lashes. It is not just a mascara, this 3-step process is a whole new way to pamper and define your lashes!

One eye with 3D Fiber lashes, one eye without!

I received the product from Younique in a nice case to hold both tubes of product. It already felt fancy!

Inside is a tube of Defining Gel and another tube of Natural Fibers. The best way to learn how to use these is to watch the video, but basically you put on a coat of Defining Gel, then while that is still wet you follow it with the Natural Fibers. Complete the process with another coat of defining gel, and you are done! The whole process doesn't take very long at all!

My beautiful cousin came to try it out with me.

Things I liked:

It is easy to use. It doesn't take any more time than regular mascara.

It defines your eye without a whole lot of makeup – I find I use less eye shadow when I am wearing this.

It washes off pretty easily. I use makeup removing wipes and it wipes right off.

The fibers are natural, not chemical. They are green tea fibers and I love that I'm not putting harmful things on my eyes!

It is feminine and fun!

Beautiful gal, beautiful lashes!

My one complaint:

I find that because you re-apply the defining gel after applying the fibers, the gel gets clumpy because fibers get inside. At first this resulted in clumpy eyelashes. I have found I can avoid most of the clumping by using strokes that go all the way from the root of my eyelash to the tip. However the gel does still tend to be more clumpy than regular mascara.

You can try Younique Moodstruck 3D Fiber lashes for yourself by clicking here. I also found it on Amazon but it was more expensive…just showing you that this is a great company to buy from!

I'd love to hear if you have tried it and how you like it! Have you ever used any other Younique products I should know about? Please share!

The post Younique Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes Review appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

As a former Cosmetologist I must say I've been skeptical of Jamberry Nails and their claim to a long lasting product. Over the years I have tried Acrylic nails, Gel nails, Gel polish and many other nail products only to be disappointed when the nails would pop off or not work as they had been advertised. We won't even talk about the damage that is often times left behind! Personally, I had come to the point of no longer wearing anything on my finger nails, but kept my toe nails polished, lets face it, toes need all the prettying up they can get!

When Mary Ellen posted the Jamberry Nail sample for the Christmas Shopping Guide I decided to take the plunge one more time into the nail product realm. The application process was easy, there was no filing or buffing my nail bed causing damage and the product really does last! I'm so glad I gave this a try.

Here are my official Jamberry Nail Challenge pictures:

I chose, what I consider to be, my very best nail polish to go head to head against the Jamberry sample. As you can see my best stuff did not last the full challenge week. To be honest, I have actually repainted my nails twice since applying the nail wrap and currently (day 8) am looking at chipped fingernail polish next to, a still perfectly good looking, nail wrap. This girl is SOLD, 100% on the durability of the Jamberry product!

With over 300 nail wrap options to choose from, including solid colors, transparent wrap patterns and wraps especially for child fingers you are sure to find something that will peak your interest! Go ahead and give Jamberry Nails a try; I am so glad I did!

One of your fellow readers here at Imperfect Homemaker has submitted this product to the Christmas Gift Guide.  When you purchase a product through these links you are helping to support a fellow homemaker.  If you would like to include a product of your own you can find out how to do so here.

The post Jamberry Nails Review appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

I had the privilege to attend a Christian school through 5th grade.  I loved every minute of it and I think my attendance there played a large part in shaping who I am today.

I especially enjoyed the opportunities for active play with my friends, and I had plans to play on the basketball team as soon as I got into junior high.  I even won the award for “Most Athletic” one year.  Just thinking about myself now as “Most Athletic” now seems laughable.

I have moved all of my homeschooling posts to christianhomeschoolfamily.com. You can go here to read this post at the new site.

You can go here to read this post at the new site.

The post Why You Need P.E. in Your Home School appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

There are so many odds and ends that I feel we have to keep in the car, but there is only so much room.  I began the hunt for a compact travel system so that I could make other moms with growing families aware of it.

I specifically wanted to find a compact travel system rather than just a stroller because it is so nice to be able to just click the carseat out of the carseat base and into the stroller rather than having to transfer the baby (especially if he's sleeping!)

Here's what I found:

The Urbini Touri Compact Travel System not only lives up to its name as far as being compact, but it has lots of other fantastic features too!  (Disclosure:  I received the travel system free to facilitate this review; however, as always all opinions are 100% my own.)

Pros:

• Stroller is a comfortable height and has a comfortable handle design
• Stroller rides very smoothly
• Stroller folds extremely compact
• Cup holder included with stroller
• Stroller recline angle adjusts to wherever you want it (and does so very easily)
• Stroller has adjustable footrest to make it the most comfortable for baby's size
• Stroller changes from swivel wheels to locked wheels to make pushing on rough terrain easier
• Stroller is easy to fold and unfold
• The sunshade on both the carseat and stroller provides lots of coverage
• Carseat includes a preemie insert for tiny babies
• Carseat cover and buckle cushions are easy to remove and wash
• Carseat harness is easy to adjust
• Carseat is lightweight

I was really surprised at how much coverage the sunshade offers.

On the left is my umbrella stroller. On the right is the Urbini Touri stroller. They are pretty much the same size!

The stroller was packed very nicely for shipping. There was a lot of extra padding to prevent any part of it from getting damaged.

Cons:

• The basket under the stroller is small; I guess a larger basket would not allow the stroller to be folded so compactly!
• Latching the carseat in and out of the base or stroller is not extremely convenient.  Not a terrible deal, but it's not the easiest I've ever used.
• It doesn't seem like the most durable stroller in the world.
• The buckles do not buckle and unbuckle terribly smoothly.

The basket is small, and the bars underneath do not allow it to stretch out any larger.

Overall, the Urbini Touri is a very nice travel system at a very nice price.  (Walmart.com has it listed at $149.)  It has every feature I could wish for in a stroller, all in a very compact size.  This is a great option for any family with small spaces and a small budget!

The post A Compact Travel System for Your Growing Family appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

When I think of baby essentials, I naturally think of larger items like a crib, stroller, and car seat. But then I realize that babies need so much more than that. Smaller essentials like baby wipes, baby wash, and diaper cream also need to be collected before a new baby arrives in the home. I prefer to use only products with natural ingredients on my babies (and on myself for that matter.)

We have used and loved Burt's Bees diaper rash cream for every single one of our babies because it is the only one we've found that does the job on even the worst diaper rash — and it usually clears it up overnight!

Burt's Bees sent us a package with some Baby Bee Nourishing Lotion, Shampoo and Wash, Chlorine Free Wipes, Cream-to-Powder, and Multi-purpose Ointment.  We have enjoyed trying out these other products, and I love that there is a whole line of baby care products that is based on natural ingredients.

Now, I'll be completely honest and say that while most of the ingredients in these products are easily recognizable and definitely natural, there are some that I would need to check into a little further.  I also would prefer that they didn't contain soybean and canola oil as those are usually genetically modified, and I like to keep exposure to GMO's to an absolute minimum, even though it is only external exposure.  (Remember, your skin is your largest organ.)

With that said, I'll go back to saying that I'm okay with using the diaper rash cream for the reason that it works so well.

I just want to be completely honest with you.

I like the way Burt's Bees products work, but I do think their ingredients could be cleaned up even more than they are.  Are they better than some of the alternatives?  I think so.  You'll just have to make your own call on this one.

Update: Burt's Bees has offered the following information about their products:

“We actively engage with our suppliers regarding their sourcing practices, including the starting materials they use for our ingredients. Both the suppliers of our soybean oil and canola oil have signed a declaration that these are non-GMO ingredients.”

That's nice to know!  That actually makes me love their products so much more!

Baby products that work really well and are natural and non-GMO?  Yay!  I love it!

(Maybe Burt's Bees should add to their packaging that their products are non-GMO for the paranoid mothers like me?)

Some of the other natural ingredients you'll find in Burt's Bees products:

• Buttermilk for moisturizing.
• Beeswax to help lock in moisture.
• Shea butter to soften dry skin.
• Aloe vera to soothe irritated skin.
• Coconut oil to help nurture, young sensitive skin.

Want to know more about Burt's Bees baby products?  Follow them on Facebook:

How will you go natural with your baby?

This blog post is part of a paid SocialMoms and Burt’s Bees blogging program. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own.

The post Starting Natural from Day One appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

People.

I have 4 kids 6 and under.  Some days I wonder if I have a brain left at all.

Anything I can do to give myself a little more sanity is a big, big plus in my book!
And since diapers are also a very big part of my life right now, it is extremely important for me to find something that works great and doesn't cost a fortune in order to preserve what little sanity I have left.

I was recently sent a package of Huggies Little Movers to use on my “little mover”.

Here is one of my latest Instagram photos:

See nothing but a blur?  Me too.  The caption says “Literally 147 tries later and this is still the closest I could come to her looking at the camera.”

She's crazy, y'all.  (She gets it from her mother.)

Huggies Little Movers have Double Grip Strips for a comfy fit that lasts, a SnugFit waistband for all around stretchy fit, and the trusted protection Huggies LeakLock system.  The also have new colors and graphics (because diaper changing should always be as enjoyable of an experience as possible.)

What's even cooler is that when you buy Huggies Little Movers at Walgreens, you get rewarded.  Yes, ma'am.  I'm all about getting rewards for something I'm going to buy anyway.

Here's how it works:

-Buy Huggies Diapers at Walgreens
-After purchasing Huggies Diapers at Walgreens, go to Huggies.com/alittlemore and enter the Huggies Rewards code and Walgreens receipt number to earn great rewards.
-Play the instant win game (no purchase necessary) and earn great rewards like gift cards, and Huggies Diaper coupons.  (See official rules here.)

All right, moms.  Ready for a little more sanity?  Enter below to win a $25 Walgreens Gift Card to get you started with A Little More!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post A Little More Sanity (Plus a Giveaway!) appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

As our kids get older, my husband and I try to think ahead and plan for what they will and will not be allowed to do, and why.  I don't want things to catch me by surprise. (Although I'm sure there are plenty of things that will anyway.)

One of the things we have talked about is the issue of cell phones.  Call us old-fashioned, but we don't think our children have any business being able to call or text whomever they want whenever they want, play games all the time, or access the internet on their cell phone.

One of us said how it would be nice if there was a way for parents to set which numbers the phone can call and receive calls from, as well as to control how much the phone is able to be used at all.

Shortly after that conversation, I received an offer to post a sponsored post about Kajeet, a wireless service devoted to kids.  Since I never post anything sponsored just for the money, but truly try to serve you, my readers, and post only things I would buy and use myself, I did what I always do and scoured the information to make sure it was something I could truly recommend.

After looking at all of the information about Kajeet, I can honestly say it offers everything my husband and I were hoping for and more!

*Note: our oldest child is only 6 years old and the only time he is away from home is when we are with him.  We aren't thinking about getting him his own phone — yet.  But we are definitely tucking this information away to revisit when is a little older.

Here is what we found out about Kajeet:

1. Free, unlimited, parental controls that are manageable from a computer and allow parents to:
a.) Set time limits on phone use to prevent late night texting (or simple over-use of the phone.)
b.) Block unwanted calls, but always ensure that those from mom and dad get through.
c.) Manage what websites can be accessed (even on Android smartphones).
d.) Decide who pays for certain services, like games or ringtones.
e.) Find your child (or his/her phone if it gets lost or stolen) with GPS locating (included in select service plans or as an add-on)

Note about time limits: If your child's phone is not able to be used during a certain time period, you can set the controls to ALWAYS allow calls from mom and dad to come through, no matter what.  No other service has this ability.

2. Affordable plans that start at just $4.99/month.
a.) No activation fee.
b.) No termination fee.
c.) No long-term contract.
d.) No hassles if you need to change your plan. Change it whenever you need or want to, with no penalty.

3.  Choose a popular Android smartphone (including the Samsung Galaxy S III 4G LTE or the LG Viper 4G LTE) or a more basic, “starter” phone (like the Kyocera Domino).

4. 4G LTE coverage is available on Kajeet (on select 4G LTE devices and in regions where 4G LTE coverage is available).

Kajeet has received awards and recognition from PTPA Media, the Mom’s Choice Awards, iParenting and NAPPA (the National Parenting Publication Awards), and it is easy to see why!

You can purchase a phone from Kajeet directly on the Kajeet website. (Be sure to verify whether or not there is coverage in your area.) You can check the Kajeet coverage map here.

I don't think your child's safety is worth messing around with.  If they're away from home, be sure you always have a way to contact them and vice versa.  At the same time, make sure that same safety device is not endangering them in the sense of their being able to access the internet without permission or call and receive calls from questionable friends.

Do you have any other tips for keeping kids safe when they're away from home?  I'd love to hear them!

The post Cell Phone Safety for Kids appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

My kids are required to have a quiet time every day.  I personally need that time to recharge in that middle of the day.

They are usually pretty good about staying in their rooms and being quiet.  But there are other things that go on…

Yes, somebody likes to color.  She's so quiet that I think she's asleep.  Then when naptime is over — surprise!  Look at my pretty picture, mommy!  I don't think there is a blank wall left in her room.

Am I the only mom who has a kid like this???

Enter my new secret weapon in the war against naptime mischief:

Yes, baby monitors aren't just for babies anymore!  (Disclosure: VTech sent me a VTech Safe & Sound Pan and Tilt Monitor to review.  All opinions are my own.)

I seriously love this monitor.  (I don't use the word LOVE unless I really mean it.)  It's hard to describe such awesomeness in one short blog post, but I'll try:

1. Instead of just hearing audio, I can see what's going on with this video monitor.  Since my little girl is a pro at stealth tactics, I need the visual element.

This occurred as I was composing this blog post…

The video quality is actually quite a bit better than what you see in the pictures too.  I was having a hard time getting a good picture.  It also has full color video, but the color doesn't really show up if it is dark in the room.

2. If she gets out of my line of vision, I can use the monitor to move the camera that is set up in her room and see whatever I need to see.

Ah, there she is…

I can move it side to side and up and down so that I have a view of the entire room.  I can also zoom in if I need to.

3. If I need to talk to her, I can press the talk button on the monitor and she will hear me from the camera in her room.  It is so sensitive that I can talk in a whisper and she hears me.  I love this because if I go in there her baby sister will sense that I'm there and wake up, but if I whisper through the monitor the baby doesn't wake up.

4. This system can have up to 4 cameras connected to the parent unit (must purchase additional cameras separately).  I would love to get an extra camera for the boys' room.

One of the most important things I wanted to know about this monitor was whether or not it was secure.  After reading a scary news story about a family who had someone hack into their baby's video monitor and watch their child and talk to him in the middle of the night, I wanted to be sure there was no danger of that happening to us.

As it turns out, since this monitor is not connected to the internet in any way, it would be very, very, very, very, (did I say very?) difficult for someone to hack it.  I am happy to know that I can watch my kids and talk to them without some strange creep having that ability too.

So now I can keep an eye on this little artist of mine during naptime!  I wish I had gotten one of these a long time ago; we would have a lot less painting to do!  (But it's a beautiful mess; remember that mama!)

If you need your own secret weapon, you can check it out right here.

So tell me, moms — What kind of naptime mischief do your little ones get into?

The post Conquering Naptime Mischief appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

When you have kids, there are always places to go.  And when you're trying to keep up with your big kids' activities while at the same time bringing your baby along, there are several things I can think of that will make your life a little easier.

1. Diaper bag.

Okay, so this one's probably obvious!  But, what are the things that you need to keep packed in your diaper bag at all times so that you can grab and go and never be without the things you need for baby?

• Diapers and wipes – I cannot tell you how many times I think we are just going to “run to the store really quick”, so I don't bother to make sure the diapers and wipes have been restocked.  Let me just say that every time I don't make sure there are plenty in there, we end up regretting it!
• Extra clothes – Those times you regret not bringing the diapers and wipes are very likely to be times when you'll wish for an extra pair of clothes too!
• Plastic bag – See above if you can't figure out what it's for!
• Pacifier – When your family is on the go, you may end up being out during baby's naptime or feeding time.
• Blanket – If you're out during naptime, a familiar blanket may help baby fall asleep somewhere besides his bed.
• Hat – If you're taking baby to ballgames or other outdoor activities, you'll need to make sure his delicate head is protected from the sun
• Toys – Soccer games may be fun for the rest of the family, but they may not interest your baby nearly as much.  Make sure you bring something fun for him to do too!
• Snacks – when your baby is starting to eat solids, having a little snack and drink in the diaper bag will do wonders toward keeping him happy while you're out and about.

2. Nursing cover – if you breastfeed and you'll be out when baby is hungry, you may want to bring a nursing cover with you.  (By the way,  you can get a free one here!  Just use the coupon code ENBABY when you check out and you'll get one for the cost of shipping only.)

3. Shopping cart cover – when your baby is old enough to sit up, I recommend using a shopping cart cover.  Shopping cart handles have nasty germs on them and babies like to put everything in their mouths!  Not a good combo!

4. Car seat – I guess this is another obvious one!  You can't take your baby anywhere without a car seat!  I recommend the Combi Shuttle, which can be paired with any of Combi's strollers to create a travel system.  I really like that it is specifically designed to offer protection from front, rear and side impact collisions with its Combi Tru-Safe® Side Impact Protection and anti-rebound bar.    It also offers lots of comfortable padding for baby and has straps that are very easy to adjust.  You can learn more about the carseat here.

5. Car seat cover – These are so nice to have!  When baby falls asleep in the car seat, you can keep the cover down to help keep it dark and quiet so he can get a better nap while you're out.  They're also nice for keeping sun and wind off of baby when you're walking between the car and the store, and they're great for keeping random strangers from reaching down and pinching your baby's cheeks!  You can get a free shopping cart cover as well when you use the coupon code ENBABY at checkout.  You'll pay shipping only, which is somewhere around $12.

6. Stroller – When you've got older kids, a stroller is invaluable.  You need about 8 arms to keep track of everything and everybody, and trying to hold a baby at the same time just adds to the chaos.  All of the Combi strollers can be used along with the Combi Shuttle car seat to create a travel system.  Instead of having to unstrap your baby and buckle him into a stroller, you can just clip the car seat right into the stroller with the baby still in it.  (This is especially a lifesaver if your baby is asleep!)

Combi sent us the Cabria stroller, which is perfect for the on-the-go family because it folds up so small.  I have never seen a travel system so compact, but I'm glad it is because there is so much else that needs to go in the back of the van!  It's got a smooth ride, and that nice big shade keeps the sun off the baby.  It's also very easy to fold up. (Remember that part about needing 8 arms?  A stroller that's easy to fold is a big plus.)  The only downside is that the storage basket underneath is very small.  I'm assuming it wouldn't be able to fold up so small if it were bigger.  Oh well, I guess you can't have your cake and eat it too.  You can see more about the Cabria stroller here.

(Please note: Combi sent us the Shuttle car seat and Cabria stroller free of charge to faciliate this review.  However, I sought them out and requested it because I thought this would be a great stroller for a family with lots of kids -and it is! )

You can order the Shuttle car seat and/or a stroller on the Combi website, where you'll receive free shipping on orders $50+.  I also recommend following them on Facebook and Twitter so you can keep up with giveaways and specials!

What did I forget?  What else do you need as an on-the-go family?

The post Baby Essentials for the On-the-Go Family appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.