Spring Cleaning Week!

Spring cleaning is a task that many people dread. You have to get rid of all your winter clutter and get rid of all the cobwebs lurking in dark places. But I look at spring cleaning as an opportunity.  It’s an occasion to clear out the clutter and start over fresh. It’s a chance to give your house a makeover and create a home that is clean and organized.

From March 30 – April 3, 2010, TheHouseholdHelper is hosting Spring Cleaning Week.

While there is no real way to make spring cleaning fun, I’m hoping to make it tolerable by giving you the how-to’s and resources you’ll need- plus a little motivation. For the entire week, I’ll be posting on my blog all my tips, tricks and tools to help you get your home decluttered, cleaned and organized this Spring. I’ll be sharing how I spring clean my own home.

Plus – there will be giveaways! I’m still working on the list of prizes, but you’re going to be excited!

You might be saying to yourself “Cara, how can I give my home an overhaul this Spring and make it clean and organized? How can I participate?”

Simply join me!You do not have to be a blogger to participate – just keep coming back and comment on my posts with your status. Share with us all your progress while spring cleaning.

If you are a blogger I encourage you to participate and post about it on your blog. I have a handy-dandy buttons you can add too:

<a href=”http://thehouseholdhelper.com/spring-cleaning-week-2010/” target=”_blank”><img style=”border: 0pt none;” src=”http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/girlie0226/springlcleaningweek_125.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”spring cleaning” width=”125″ height=”125″ /></a>

<a href=”http://thehouseholdhelper.com/spring-cleaning-week-2010/” target=”_blank”><img style=”border: 0pt none;” src=”http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/girlie0226/springcleanpostit_125.png” border=”0″ alt=”spring cleaning” width=”125″ height=”125″ /></a>

BECOME A SPRING CLEANING WEEK GIVEAWAY SPONSOR

If you represent a product or service that helps mom’s clean or organize her home, sponsoring a giveaway is an excellent opportunity to build build buzz about your product/service and potentially develop stronger relationships and brand loyalty with customers. Read more about becoming a Spring Cleaning Week sponsor.

The Luck Of The Irish Won’t Keep The Roads Safe

Are you headed out with friends after work this Wednesday to celebrate the holiday?  No?  Well when you and your family are on the road headed to choir practice, a t-ball game, or coming home from school, you may be sharing the road with those returning from a fun St. Patrick’s Day event.  It’s time to spread the word about the dangers of buzzed driving and to remind people that Buzzed Driving IS Drunk Driving, and the best way to stay safe is to plan ahead.

Let’s remind everyone about the importance of remembering to:

• Designate a sober driver before you leave for your event.
• Be ready to take alternate transportation such as a bus or taxi. Have the phone number of a taxi service stored in your phone before you leave for the party.

Even if you will not be celebrating this St. Patrick’s Day, keep in mind that in 2008, 1,179 people in other vehicles were killed in crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers.  And for those who don’t plan on over-indulging, a buzzed driving crash looks the same as a drunk driving crash.

Global Influence is working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Ad Council as they continue their efforts with the ‘Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving’ PSA campaign. Buzzed drivers drink and drive, but do not consider themselves a hazard on the roadway because they have had ‘only a few drinks’. The campaign hopes to educate people that consuming even a few drinks can impair driving and that Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving.

We need your help in keeping the roads safe for everyone this St. Patrick’s Day by spreading the word that buzzed driving IS drunk driving.

To learn more about the impact buzzed driving can have on a life, please watch this important video about the financial and personal repercussions of getting a DUI: http://buzzeddriving.adcouncil.org/sign.php#video

Remember: Buzzed Driving IS Drunk Driving. Plan ahead and ask your loved ones to do the same.

For more information, visit Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving on Facebook and Twitter (@Buzzeddriving).

Clear Your Calendar – Spring Cleaning Week Is Coming!

Read all about it here.

Giveaway Winners!

The winner of the Progresso Souper You Gift Pack is…Lorene! Congrats – check your inbox for an email from me!

Now, in all the craziness of the last couple weeks (craziness = sick kid), I never drew the winners for the Free Banquet Family Dinners! Those winners are…Paula and Marci! Congrats Ladies – check your inbox for an email from me!

St. Patricks Day Round-Up

I did a few posts these past couple weeks for St Patty’s Day – yes I’m Irish. Here’s a round-up from me and around the web. (If you have a cook St. Patrick’s Day post (recipe, craft) feel free to share in the comments!)

My super easy slow cooker corned beef recipe.

A cute St. Patty’s Day coloring book from TheHouseholdHelper and MenuPlanningCentral

Christine, “The Menu Mom” has more free recipes for you download.

10 beautiful Celtic Memories songs that are free for download.

Easy hand print four leaf clover craft from NoTimeForFlashcards.com

Four leaf clover and a leprechaun coloring pages from ActivityColoringPages.com

DLTK-Kids.com has a template for a springy spiral snake craft

Raffia St. Brigid’s cross is appropriate for the season (PS: She’s also the patron saint of preemies!)

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh! (St. Patrick’s Day Blessings Upon You)

Coupon Booklets!

Coupons.com has added several coupon booklets you can get! Just sign-up for the free newsletters for brands like BettyCrocker® and Pillsbury®. Click here to print coupons and sign-up!

(Thanks for the head’s up Cindy!)

Splenda $1.00 Printable Coupon

Print a coupon for $1.00 off Splenda Brand Sweetener here.

Free Home Made Simple Newsletter

Sign up for Home Made Simple newsletter and be among the first to know about special offers, samples, coupons, and sweepstakes offers from brands like Cascade®, Dawn®, Febreze®, Mr. Clean®, and Swiffer®. Get new ideas for your home in the free Home Made Simple newsletter. Click Here

Free St. Patrick’s Day Craft and Recipe eBook

Plan your St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Over 40 pages of crafting fun with what to wear, how to decorate, gifts to give and fun activities. Bonus: Ten famous St. Patrick’s Day recipes. Click Here>Click Here

Keep A Goal In Mind: Thrifty Thursday

I HATE MY KITCHEN! It’s a 1954 galley kitchen in 1970’s harvest gold. Enough said.

So I’ve set a goal to save money for a new kitchen. Something like this one. I have this picture hanging on my fridge.

Anyway, because I have a goal in mind, I’m motivated to save money. Each time I am going to purchase something, I ask myself “Do I want this or the new kitchen?” If the answer is kitchen, I will literally transfer money from my checking to my savings account in the amount of that item I was potentially going to buy.

I figure, if I was going to spend that money on that item, then I have the money. Might as well save it instead.

Do you have a goal? Do you question yourself each time you’re about to make a purchase?

Progresso Souper You (Review & Giveaway)

I often make my own soup. But I admit I have a few cans of soup on hand for emergencies. I get so wrapped up in being a mom, wife, and blogger that I skip lunch. Then I get the shakes, get cranky, and cannot perform any of my duties. So instead of grabbing junk, I grab a can of soup.

I recently received samples of Progresso soup courtesy of My Blog Spark. Progresso has 40 soups that are 100 calories or less per serving. I received a nice sampling from them and was anxious to give them a try.

Surprise! Soup from a can that doesn’t taste like soup from a can. I find most canned soups to be salty tasting, but not Progresso. And they are unexpectedly hearty. With real ingredients, fiber and a full serving of vegetables, they fill me up and keep me going.

My favorite is the Light Chicken and Dumplings – it’s yummy, filling and comforting. Hubby’s favorite was Italian Style Meatball with Penne (figures – lol). Each of these is just 80 calories and only 1 point on Weight Watchers.

Overall, the Progresso soups taste pretty good. I wouldn’t say they’re like homemade, but I’d buy them. And I’d recommend them to any mom who get’s too busy to eat lunch. They are tasty, filling and convenient.

Progresso Light and 100 Calorie Soups are holding a contest through March 15th for a chance to win a full makeover in New York City. Visit here to enter the Progresso “Souper You Debut” contest.

Three grand prize winners will be awarded a trip for two to New York City from May 21st-23rd. The prize includes roundtrip airfare, a two-night stay in a NYC hotel, a full makeover, a $1,000 wardrobe shopping spree and personal consultation at a New York department store.  Sa-weet!

To enter, and for more information, visit Progresso “Souper You Debut”.

Thanks to MyBlogSpark I have a great Progresso Prize Pack to giveaway to one of my readers. The gift pack contains a soup mug, a jump rope that keeps track of your jumps and two cans of Progresso Soup.

This giveaway is open from today through Monday, March 15. The winners will be chosen, using Random.org and announced on on my blog as well as via email.

There are several ways to win:

1. REQUIRED ENTRY: Leave a comment after visiting Progresso “Souper You Debut” and tell me which of their products you like or would like to try.
2. Subscribe to my email list (upper right side-bar) then leave a comment letting me know.
3. Become a fan of my Facebook Page and leave a comment here letting me know.
4. Follow me on Twitter, send the following tweet and come back and leave a comment:
   I just entered TheHouseholdHelper’s Progresso Prize Pack Giveaway at http://ow.ly/1gvbV

Good Luck!

PS: Product, information and giveaway were provided by Progresso through MyBlogSpark. I did receive a Progresso Prize Pack as well as samples of their soup, this in no way influenced this product review. Further more, I was not paid to do this review nor did I get paid to host this giveaway.

Quick Dinner: Bisquick Quiches

I mentioned in my menu plan yesterday that I was relying on my old friend Bisquick® to help with dinner. If you haven’t thought of using Bisquick, you should! It’s more than just a baking mix for pancakes and biscuits.

My boys love the quiches I make for them. Seriously, love them. Hubby even freezes left-overs for his home-made microwave lunches. And I tell you, I don’t mind making them.

First, they are one dish that has most of the food groups in it. Meat, dairy, veggie.

Second, they are easy-peasy! Nine times out of ten, I have all the ingredients on hand and can throw it together in a matter of minutes.

Tip: When you have left over meats such as chicken or ham, dice them up and divide them into one-cup bags, then freeze. You’ll always have your ingredients ready for recipes such as these.

While I linked to a recipe in yesterday’s post, I wanted to share my version and alternatives that I make.

Bisquick® Ham, Spinach & Swiss Quiche

1 cup diced ham
2 cups frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 7oz can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 tbsp dried chopped onions (or 1/4 cup fresh diced onions)
1 1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup Bisquick®
3 eggs
salt & pepper to taste or celery salt

Preheat oven to 400°.
Spray 9″ pie plate with cooking spray.
Layer first 5 ingredients in pie plate. Add seasonings.
Mix together milk, Bisquick® and eggs and pour over other ingredients.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until center of quiche is firm.

The milk, Bisquick® and eggs are the base ingredients for any quiche I make. I just change-up the meat, veggie and cheese to make a different quiche. Sometimes I add mushrooms and onions, sometimes it’s something else. Here are a few of my variations:

• Chicken, Broccoli, Cheddar and Diced Tomatoes
• Shrimp, Spinach, Mozzarella and Diced Tomatoes
• Ground Beef (browned), Bacon Bits, Cheddar and Mushrooms
• Spinach, Feta and Tomatoes*
• Grated Zucchini and Cheddar Jack*
• Ground or Sliced Sausage, Peppers, Tomatoes and Parmesan

*Note: If not using a meat, increase your main veggie to 2 cups.

Try a Bisquick® quiche for a meal and let me know how it turns out. And if you have any ingredient suggestions, please leave me a comment!

PS: Bisquick® did not provide me anything for this post – no coupon, sample or money. I just love it and wanted to share my recipes with you

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