There are just some things that do not get brought up in polite conversation. We’re taught that we are not supposed to talk about religion, politics, or sex. As a mom, you start to share things you never thought that you would share. And yet some taboos remain. For the longest time, I kept my dirty secret.

Not anymore! It’s out in the open. I don’t care about the teasing that I get from some of my friends. In fact, I’ve actually turned a few of them onto it. And a few others have confessed to it as well.

What is my secret that I held so long out of embarrassment? I use a cleaning service. There. I said it. I hate to clean. I’m not good at it. I’ll do anything to avoid it. I know “good wives” are supposed to keep things spotless and enjoy the therapy of a good scrubbing. I don’t. I enjoy adding plugins to WordPress sites, generating blog posts, and working on backlinks. I will do just about anything to avoid cleaning a toilet, including paying someone else to do it.

I started typing a whole paragraph justifying my decision but deleted it all. I don’t need to justify it to anyone. If having someone clean my toilets keeps the peace in my family and doesn’t break our bank, no one else should care.

Now you will understand why I will be hiding in the basement during my blogging webinar today. I can’t take the chance that you will hear the vacuum!

(And by the way…my cleaning service does NOT look like the picture above. If they did, my husband might not ever leave for work.)

Car Emergency Kit

What happened? The friend had a dead battery and needed someone to jump her car. I quickly volunteered and ran out to my car to grab my jumper cables. I was confused when I couldn’t find them. I know I had them at one point. In fact, in college I had a car with such a bad alternator that I had to use them once a week. But where were they? I searched everywhere and even called my husband to see where they might be hidden. It turns out that not only did I not have jumper cables in my car but we don’t even own any anymore.

I wasn’t the only one who didn’t have them. Of the owner of the car, two other friends, and myself, not a single one of us had any. 4 women in a deserted parking lot and none of us had an emergency kit. Not smart.

Fortunately it was a nice evening and still light out, so we could all stand outside together and wait for help in the form of a husband to come to the rescue. But we shouldn’t had to have. We should have been prepared ourselves.

Are you prepared for an emergency on the road? Does every automobile in your garage have at least the basics? If not, head over to Amazon and grab a roadside emergency kit. Prices range from about $10 to over $100 depending on what they include. At a minimum, you should have jumper cables, a flashlight, batteries, and some kind of flare or glow sticks. Whether you need it yourself or for someone else, I’m betting it will someday come in handy.

One of my favorite times of the day is getting the mail. I know it’s crazy, but I often get some really good stuff. Because I belong to a number of different survey and free stuff sites, I can expect to get something cool at least twice a week. Whether it’s a sample to try out myself, a coupon for something I use anyway, or a set of sample to share with friends, I always get excited by the mail.

I’ve been a member of Vocal Point since they started and am always excited when I see something from them. They are owned by Procter & Gamble and are a legitimate survey/coupon site. You get email newsletters as well as coupons and samples via snail mail. Most of the time you are then given an opportunity to give feedback about their products–whether they are new or just improved. You’ll also find recipes and little household tips (like the many uses for fabric softener sheets).

If you like getting free samples and coupons and are not already a member, you should definitely give Vocal Point a try. It’s free and will definitely save you some money.

I just saw a commercial for Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil and did a double take. In a time when other companies are making boxes smaller and charging you the same price, Reynolds is actually including 5 extra feet of foil in marked packages. With the holidays coming and all of the foil that I use, it is perfect timing!

I also found some other interesting information when I visited the Reynolds website. They have developed a new space saving box that is more durable and houses the foil better. Did you know that all Reynolds foil is made in Louisville, Kentucky and Richmond, Virginia? The aluminum itself is made in Hot Springs, Arkansas. A true Made in the USA product!

I will be the first to admit that every now and again when I need a lot of foil I buy the generic version. But I think this year I want to give my business back to Reynolds and support a company that is doing its best to do right by its customers. You can see the Reynolds 5 Feet Free commercial on their website.

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