tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79996505050342040932024-02-07T22:24:23.889-08:00The (not so) clean mommyAshleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-18144576522357656612022-01-22T14:22:00.001-08:002022-01-22T14:22:50.390-08:00Making the Switch to Behavioural Intervention<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> In March 2020, the Coronavirus pandemic shut down the world and it was the beginning of the end of my licensed family childcare centre. With children not attending, and then only a few children at a time, it was very hard to stay open, even with limited government supports. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">During this time, my daycare was before and after school only. I loved being able to volunteer in the school library or my kids classrooms and go on field trips. But with the pandemic, parents were unable to be in the schools, so it was time to find something to do with my days. I found an ad online looking for a preschool support worker for a non verbal autistic 3 year old, and given my experience with my sons speech disorder and other children I've worked with over the years, I applied and connected with the child. While the preschool support position didn't work out (the school hired someone before the family could pass my name on), I did join the home therapy team. So I started looking into this type of work and 4 months later made the decision to close my family daycare and switch to BI full time.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">What is a BI?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A Behavioural Interventionist is <span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(55, 55, 55);">is someone who helps with behaviour in children. B</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(55, 55, 55);">ehaviour Interventionists primarily work with children who have autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as with children with other developmental disabilities. </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 55, 55);">The primary job of a behavioural interventionist is to execute individual autism treatment programs to help the child develop the skills they need to function in society and as an adult. Since every child’s ASD is different, these skills may include help with social skills, help with learning, and help with motor control for repetitive movements. For children in school, a focus can be to help them reduce disruptive behaviors in the classroom. The programs are written by a Board Certified Behavioural Analyst (BCBA) or Behaviour Consultant and monitored by them. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 55, 55);"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 55, 55);">What does my work look like?</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 55, 55);">To start, a lot of my work with a child looks like play. It is important to have a good relationship with the child so that when we start working on harder skills, they want to work with me and know that I'm fun. Once I've developed a relationship with the child, we will introduce the programs that have been written. These vary greatly depending on the child's needs. For non verbal children this includes a lot of speech modelling and repetition, as we try to get the child to use their words to ask for something. Some more traditional table work programs include imitation or matching. Some play based programs include following instructions, gross or fine motor skills or peer interactions. Typically a session is 2 hours long with the first 15 minutes being preparation and set up, and the last 15 minutes being notes and data charting. Some parents stay, some like to watch and be involved in the session, but most of the time, they either leave the home to get errands done, or they do other things around the house. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 55, 55);"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 55, 55);">What experience do you need?</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 55, 55);">Typically, none. Each consultant will train you for the programs that they run and how they take and chart their data. You will definitely need to have experience and a passion for working with children, especially more challenging children. Patience is required, but don't think about your patience with your own children, as my own children will tell you, this does NOT translate the same when working with other people's kids. Any experience with special needs children will help. My son has a speech disorder and the skills I learned by going through speech therapy with him from the age of 2 to 6 has been a HUGE benefit when I work with the non verbal kiddos. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 55, 55);">In addition to the above, I do have a Bachelor's Degree with an Early Learning Minor. Most of my courses focused on Education and Psychology including Child Psychology, Developmental Disorders, Research Methods in Psychology etc. I didn't even realize it back then but I did basically train to work in this field. My end goal when I was in school was to be a high school counsellor. But my exposure to the field of ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis) and knowledge of discreet trials and all of the language that is used in this field really did help. Most of this is always covered in a consultants training, so really no previous education is an absolute necessity. If you have the passion and the patience and can connect with the child, you can definitely be successful in this line of work.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 55, 55);"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 55, 55);">How do I get a job?</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 55, 55);">Right now, in BC, each family with an ASD diagnosis is given funding to use for their child's therapy. Typically, the family will hire a BCBA (Board Certified Behaviour Analyst) who will then help them put a team together. Once a service provider is 'hired', the family will submit their information to the Autism Funding Unit Department (AFU) and that service provider can bill monthly directly to the government. Getting the funding approved and set up, and then getting each service provider set up does take about 1-2 months, but once everything is set up, the process is quite simple. There is an online portal where I submit my invoices, and I am paid within about a week. Each child's funding agreement will reset every year at the end of their birthday month, but new forms can be submitted for each service provider and then billing can resume for another year. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 55, 55);">SO, as each family hires their own team, you need to connect with families or consultants who recommend you to their families. When I started, I found work through Facebook. There are definitely Facebook groups to help connect service providers with families in need, and there are a LOT of families in need. Now that I've worked with different consultants, I typically find new families through my consultants, as they take on new clients and feel like my skills and personality might fit well with a child.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 55, 55);"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 55, 55);">What does your schedule look like?</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 55, 55);">When I started in this field, I still ran a Before and After School daycare so I only ran sessions close to home and only worked a 9-11 and 12-2 session each day. When I decided to close my daycare, I added a 3-5 session each day and occasionally work an evening or weekend session. There is a lot of flexibility in this field which appealed to me since my daughter was starting high school. As a French Immersion student, she didn't go to the closest school, and getting to and from school on her own wasn't an option. So now I work 3:30-5 sessions on the days when I have to pick her up and get her home. I also work very close to home, with most of my sessions being less than a 10 minute drive from my house. If you aren't wanting to commit to changing careers right away, there definitely enough need that you can work just evenings or weekends, and take on maybe 1-2 children to start to see if it is a fit.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 55, 55);"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 55, 55);">How much do you make?</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 55, 55);">When I started, each family paid me around $20/hour. This is before taxes and as an independent contractor, we do have to make sure to put money aside for when tax time comes! As my experience and skills improved, some families have given me raises, of a few dollars at a time and now all of my families pay me more than when I started! I also ask for a higher starting rate when starting with a new family because I know that I have a lot of skills and experience. On some teams, I have taken over administrative duties or training of new team members and with this also comes a higher rate. There are also options for more training and moving into more of a consultant role. A Board Certified Assistant Behaviour Analyst (BCaBA) can make between $40-$80/hour and a BCBA will typically make $120+/hour. I know myself and know that my true passion is with being on the floor with kiddos, so I know I will probably never move into a full consultant role, plus that takes a masters degree which I am not wanting to do right now, but I am looking into working towards BCaBA as an assistant. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 55, 55);">When I look into what I am taking home from this job, I actually make more than my daycare was making before I switched. The daycare wasn't full, so per hour, I was making much less. My home daycare was me plus up to 7 children when this is one on one. On long days, I would typically work with those children for 8-10 hours but BI sessions are only 2 hours long. The work is definitely more demanding, but it is also so much more rewarding. We collect data on our programs and can see the progress that these children are making. Some days I get yelled at, spat on or hit, but most days I get cuddles, smiles and songs. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 55, 55);"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 55, 55);">I want to see if Behavioural Intervention would be a fit!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(55, 55, 55);">Click on this link and fill out the short form. I know many consultants looking for BIs and if you aren't in my area I can connect you with some Facebook groups where work is posted. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfXgEvNnDeUZx7uH0biM6pylgdA0fpXar3cuK0fQUDKsVJchQ/viewform?usp=sf_link" target="_blank">Click here</a></span></p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-31933068299467825502022-01-03T20:47:00.002-08:002022-01-03T21:09:56.612-08:00Disney Disability Access Service (DAS)-my family review<p> As a family who recently visited Walt Disney World, and made great use of the Disability Access Service (DAS) I wanted to share my experience! The system is brand new and just launched in the Fall of 2021. </p><p>Please note that this is simply an overview of my family's experience. I do not work for Disney and am not qualified to say who qualifies for this service.</p><p><br /></p><p>What is DAS?</p><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(37, 59, 86);"><span style="font-family: times;">Disability Access Service (DAS) is a program offered at Walt Disney World theme parks to assist Guests who have difficulty tolerating extended waits in a conventional queue environment due to a disability. Please contact Disney staff to determine if you qualify. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(37, 59, 86);">More information: </span></span>https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/guest-services/disability-access-service/</p><p><br /></p><p>How to pre-register for DAS?</p><p>You can talk to Guest Services at the park, or 30 days before your visit, you can do a virtual video chat to sign up online. When the new system launched the wait times were insane. I tried on 3 different days, one being an entire Saturday, 15 hours waiting. I think my issue was that after being open for a few minutes, even though my computer stays on, my browser goes to sleep which disconnected the chat. For future chats, I avoided Safari and had much better luck. </p><p>To do your video chat click this link: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/guest-services/disability-access-service/register/</p><p>Near the bottom of the page, there will be a box that says 'Request Live Video Chat'. Click there to begin the process. Once connected, your cast member will send you a form to fill out, and then you will do a live chat. They can determine eligibility and set up your pass if you qualify. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1yhWNykzSfDQNv1GLeuEb4s6h9Z2kv_HFqpvO8dCbHfAAL0t_m0xvqrmLiiFupNZEQPoTgyxNBXc_fien7Dp9PbDUUAja8hLanr7MB82oOrK6PjnXoUOC4IUCn5XrmhktqGGwrNKboAs9iwwrGl2tK4g6ThRhvfqfn61bru-bLRWW0Jb8hThU62D4Ag=s1682" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="1682" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1yhWNykzSfDQNv1GLeuEb4s6h9Z2kv_HFqpvO8dCbHfAAL0t_m0xvqrmLiiFupNZEQPoTgyxNBXc_fien7Dp9PbDUUAja8hLanr7MB82oOrK6PjnXoUOC4IUCn5XrmhktqGGwrNKboAs9iwwrGl2tK4g6ThRhvfqfn61bru-bLRWW0Jb8hThU62D4Ag=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>How to pre-select your rides</p><p>After your pass is set up, you can pre-select two rides per day. The cast member who set up your DAS will transfer you to this department, or you can return another day by clicking this link</p><p>https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/guest-services/disability-access-service/register/</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEin8zIdjDF_WMX9qRp3m7UUxpmp7i5N1cLx1USQEX-oDQROuivsisTWkcrD0o2TJ7taHg1TpP64mWBWwNui0MFVdd7_ZGXCq2F2sdZBlh0bRQ_gOpuy82rHbew43xWVtiDjc-Dba3BJ-2uolrOmdQ6dV33eIXQXvOEcEQG7NQPLd9qS4aqJ28CLfH-NeQ=s1550" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="1550" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEin8zIdjDF_WMX9qRp3m7UUxpmp7i5N1cLx1USQEX-oDQROuivsisTWkcrD0o2TJ7taHg1TpP64mWBWwNui0MFVdd7_ZGXCq2F2sdZBlh0bRQ_gOpuy82rHbew43xWVtiDjc-Dba3BJ-2uolrOmdQ6dV33eIXQXvOEcEQG7NQPLd9qS4aqJ28CLfH-NeQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>More information about the DAS Advance Selections:</p><p>Not every ride is available for an ADVANCE selection. See your options here: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/faq/guests-with-disabilities/attractions-available-for-das-advance/</p><p>Your advance selections DO NOT impact how you use your DAS at the park. These are simply two rides per day that are booked in advance. This made using our DAS and planning for the day much less stressful. We tried to have our advance selections a bit later in the day but knowing that we had those two rides already booked was very comforting.</p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiliRfuoN946VLDVF0fGrj7_ZxSW15zM_d8iqJaYJst_l9SNnfFoJVAm9YX41RfI8SPWFUqngtMiQnjBBFFmhRJvze3pvpiPrGNY0WlPqra5yD7EpzHtXgxNjGUxpPOU81UMjn7ANJAu3R0jG0ARo2-KoU0cSWryGdi5WHatAb-sbJo9HM65nkch3wOtg=s1264" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1264" data-original-width="594" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiliRfuoN946VLDVF0fGrj7_ZxSW15zM_d8iqJaYJst_l9SNnfFoJVAm9YX41RfI8SPWFUqngtMiQnjBBFFmhRJvze3pvpiPrGNY0WlPqra5yD7EpzHtXgxNjGUxpPOU81UMjn7ANJAu3R0jG0ARo2-KoU0cSWryGdi5WHatAb-sbJo9HM65nkch3wOtg=s320" width="150" /></a></div><p></p><p>You can see in the above screen shot that I have an advance selection scheduled, and a DAS ride booked. </p><p><br /></p><p>HOW TO USE YOUR DAS:</p><p>You must have the My Disney Experience (MDE) app on your phone. Once your ticket is scanned for park entry (this can be a paper ticket, magic band or through your phone) and you are connected to the park wifi, then the DAS box will appear in your app when you tap the 3 lines on the bottom right. If this box shows on your app but doesn't do anything, make sure you are scanned into the park and are on the Disney wifi. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKEMguA6bcwveltGOB924HYojBDjmEPpXezYL_hOImVt5-6HPr41HSpSTCbd324cTZUeDrni4SOMhCrBfnzIhdPHFaLt1lTxMQys285DtR5f6GQl0aZGsapBCQd7mhkdwOWKaTMIxUae9tK1KEbdkgYplDhrhFCZCQL59S4v4QRMdARkYoKQmiP1881A=s1256" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1256" data-original-width="596" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKEMguA6bcwveltGOB924HYojBDjmEPpXezYL_hOImVt5-6HPr41HSpSTCbd324cTZUeDrni4SOMhCrBfnzIhdPHFaLt1lTxMQys285DtR5f6GQl0aZGsapBCQd7mhkdwOWKaTMIxUae9tK1KEbdkgYplDhrhFCZCQL59S4v4QRMdARkYoKQmiP1881A=s320" width="152" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>You are able to make your first ride selection as soon as you enter the park, even if you have advance selections scheduled. You can make your next selections as soon as you scan into the first scheduled ride. Most of the time, this means that while in line, you can pick your next ride, however the Disney wifi doesn't work inside most of the buildings, so often we had to wait until after the ride was done and we were back outside. </p><p>To redeem your DAS, you will enter each attraction through the Lightening Lane. There will be a clock that shows the time and you can scan your ticket (or phone or magic band) when the ride shows the time of your reservation. The person in your party who the DAS pass is for will have to scan into the ride first, and then the rest of your group that is reserved on that pass can scan. Most of the time you will have to scan again closer to the start of the ride. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqM2_BeXsKl8i3P4RhivtTG71IDEYSqeDWDiO6eKqbtu3h740Cf_uJkeBSCNcziGYmWiGunkX9GG8S577HTEzuTeAqqVpKd5OGUgpNyhYTaEERg0Yr2OHvhN6pleEJKfjqSwftudqrsk5K06iaOhPqRnhn-A5s3lcn9l9f4F5YDvjrmnpCJH88ZvrHRQ=s1264" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1264" data-original-width="602" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqM2_BeXsKl8i3P4RhivtTG71IDEYSqeDWDiO6eKqbtu3h740Cf_uJkeBSCNcziGYmWiGunkX9GG8S577HTEzuTeAqqVpKd5OGUgpNyhYTaEERg0Yr2OHvhN6pleEJKfjqSwftudqrsk5K06iaOhPqRnhn-A5s3lcn9l9f4F5YDvjrmnpCJH88ZvrHRQ=s320" width="152" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>You have a one-hour window to use your DAS. If you miss this window, just talk to the cast member at the Lightening Lane entrance and show them that you had the ride booked. </p><p>Every ride in each of the parks is eligible for the DAS, except Remy's Ratatouille Adventure at Epcot which uses a virtual queue. If a ride isn't showing on your app that means it is either closed, temporarily unavailable (broken down), or the standby line is too long. Yes, even rides that aren't an option for the advance scheduling are available for the DAS when you are in the park. This includes popular rides like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Rise of the Resistance, and Flights of Passage. </p><p>To scan into a ride using your phone, scan as shown below, do not hold your phone flat against the scanner. Once the system acknowledges your eligibility, the light will turn green and you can go. As mentioned earlier, the person who holds the DAS must scan first, and then the rest of the party can follow. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZuAdvRWU9jzM8WNa185pBq6VpSurczMYqFFiCNhbsdYEbhRVLtoBZejML772CKLC2EIQgaezNqgRBuaiEHC2q-tLJnqeP1qU-3M68COMoQMrSq99FN21eWu1H8BHA42AItlgDP_eazRibxV3S0AK84txx6Ja8rEY2YIVDLA6rhhKw4m2__icaA1v4CQ=s1240" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1240" data-original-width="980" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZuAdvRWU9jzM8WNa185pBq6VpSurczMYqFFiCNhbsdYEbhRVLtoBZejML772CKLC2EIQgaezNqgRBuaiEHC2q-tLJnqeP1qU-3M68COMoQMrSq99FN21eWu1H8BHA42AItlgDP_eazRibxV3S0AK84txx6Ja8rEY2YIVDLA6rhhKw4m2__icaA1v4CQ=s320" width="253" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgauU3n9bCqouGuVpWl6urlEYXvL0Fs09LIdY_IGx1QSxzX9MCF3yOcJJmSZRoEhypVDbso_5VXSyrFSRtSvjo_PYb002xY4H4K2v_RzqOHkkcVovKe-ugf6pcePHNQFZS9Wz3GreAIu-2oa_1K_5cHtQtU3z3D8nArTIaB4j_jRhilIq2Lv3ziMhCWYw=s1166" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1166" data-original-width="976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgauU3n9bCqouGuVpWl6urlEYXvL0Fs09LIdY_IGx1QSxzX9MCF3yOcJJmSZRoEhypVDbso_5VXSyrFSRtSvjo_PYb002xY4H4K2v_RzqOHkkcVovKe-ugf6pcePHNQFZS9Wz3GreAIu-2oa_1K_5cHtQtU3z3D8nArTIaB4j_jRhilIq2Lv3ziMhCWYw=s320" width="268" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Troubleshooting:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sometimes, we would select our whole party when booking a ride even if not everyone was going to ride. If not everyone in the party goes on the ride, they don't scan into the system and they aren't removed from that ride. The system thinks they they haven't yet gone on the ride and they already have a booking, so they can't be scheduled for another ride. Most of the time I could go back into that scheduled selection and select 'cancel' for the person still waiting to ride, and then proceed with a new booking. A few times, however, there was a glitch and I wasn't able to do this through my app, but a quick visit to a guest services cast member at a blue umbrella and they could easily fix this. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We also had to click 'confirm' a few times, sometimes, before the booking would actually go through. On our first day at Magic Kingdom, the wifi was very sporadic and glitchy. We would often have to walk around to find a better connection in order to book our rides. The rest of our week was better, but we were there the week of American Thanksgiving, so it was very busy. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The other concern was around phone battery. Between the DAS, maps and quick service food ordering, we were on our phones a lot, but other than our first day, I only needed to charge my phone at the park on the days when my phone didn't charge properly overnight. On our first day at Magic Kingdom we were still figuring out the system and it felt like constantly trying to stay connected to the wifi, so we did go through our battery more. I'm glad we had portable battery packs with us, but we didn't need them everyday. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Genie+ and Lightening Lane</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Disney has changed the Fast Pass system to the new Genie+. This is a paid service, at $15 USD per person per day to skip the standby line. This system is very similar to the DAS but is only available for select rides, and specifically excludes 2 rides per park. Those rides offer an Individual Lightening Lane where you can pay specifically for one ride. Even if you add Genie+, you still need to buy an Individual Lightening Lane in order to skip the standby line for those two rides per park. The prices range from $7-$15 per person per ride and change based on season and demand. If you purchase an individual lightening lane pass for a ride, you cannot purchase it again and would have to wait in the standby line to experience that ride again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Except for the Remy ride, the DAS pass works on EVERY ride, including those that offer the Individual Lightening Lane purchase. So if you qualify for DAS, it is NOT necessary to add the Genie+ service, or pay for an individual Lightening Lane. Plus, you can use the DAS multiples times for the same ride. On the day we were at Animal Kingdom, we started and ended our day with the Flights of Passage ride, as it quickly became our favourite. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We loved being able to use the DAS. We only waited in standby lines that were relatively short, and while we were waiting for our reservation time on another ride. For a lot of our rides, we had to run up the ramps to get to the start as we bypassed a very long standby line (at one point it was a 4 hour wait to ride the Rise of the Resistance ride). We constantly had standing reservations while we either went on other rides or took a break or had something to eat. It felt daunting to be able to do all the rides we wanted but this system made it much more manageable. </div></div></div><p></p>Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-85187467601010027382021-11-10T06:49:00.002-08:002021-11-10T06:49:39.031-08:00Canadians heading to Disney during a pandemic<p>In July 2019, our friends booked a cruise. There was a kids cruise free deal, and Kyle and I decided to crash their vacation. They then booked a 3 bedroom timeshare in Orlando for the week before the cruise to do Disney World, and invited us to crash that too. We would spend most of November 2020 in Florida and the Caribbean. We would dock 4 days before our daughter's 12th birthday, and 9 before their twins turned 9. It would be the trip of a lifetime.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Enter covid.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbMM7TFXUu7pStHP24Eokz46xOJiBngjmx-2WlTPeH4caaBLozDLJ_ZcH9MkX4mHN_3sMqFlnlAGbWDhEif7P_8w3b57XSSmufRmvGwFdqx3g7ARkzMWq2ZTKa0v3qQLthsgw4d6Vz0KV/s828/2020+Cancelled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="828" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbMM7TFXUu7pStHP24Eokz46xOJiBngjmx-2WlTPeH4caaBLozDLJ_ZcH9MkX4mHN_3sMqFlnlAGbWDhEif7P_8w3b57XSSmufRmvGwFdqx3g7ARkzMWq2ZTKa0v3qQLthsgw4d6Vz0KV/s320/2020+Cancelled.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>So we postponed the trip. We would spend November 22-26 at Disney World, with the 26th being my daughter's 13th birthday. The new cruise would sail November 28-December 5th, 2021, December 1st being our friends twins 10th birthday. This might work out better!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Except covid didn't go away. Vaccines were introduced and requirements came into effect. But that's ok, all of the guests aged 12+ are fully vaccinated. Nope. The two dads had the Astra-Zeneca shot combined with Moderna. And the US CDC doesn't accept that combination as fully vaccinated. So once again our trip was in limbo. There was a LOT of back and forth, and a LOT of uncertainty and SO MUCH anxiety but we finally came to a decision, which isn't easy when there are 2 families with 9 people waiting to figure it out. </p><p>In October 2021, the US government announced it was going to open the land border and would start to accept mixed vaccines as fully vaccinated! Things were finally starting to come together. Case numbers in Florida had started to decrease drastically. But there were still too many unknown about the islands our cruise was to visit. So we cancelled the cruise, again, and kept the Disney vacation. </p><p>Then came the realization, I am one month away from going to Walt Disney World for a week! Time to start super planning! There was the normal stuff: clothes, toiletries, etc. But with a trip like this came some new fun things: new walking shoes ($300 for 3 of us) and supportive socks, new Disney Ears, matching t-shirts (which only our family will have, our friends refuse to participate), refills for the first aid kit, airplane snacks and activities which a new adventure with pre-teens! </p><p>Other than packing, there was another layer of planning-what we do while we're there! Both my kids have ADD/ADHD so we can get the Disability Access Service (DAS) passes. That was an ordeal of 3 days online to get a video chat done. Then pre-booking rides with those passes, which took another whole day on hold. We finally figured out that was probably because of the browser I was using, which kept timing out. We also could book dining, but at this close to our trip, which is also over Thanksgiving week, dining reservations are few and far between so we will probably stick to mostly quick service food, which is fine with us. </p><p>At this point, with less than 10 days until we fly, we still need to get our travel insurance, rolls of US quarters for the tolls and a few other accessories but even those we can get down there. </p><p><br /></p><p>Time to celebrate, we are actually going on vacation!!!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-32032248728273748822018-03-18T22:04:00.000-07:002018-03-18T22:05:19.533-07:00Vacation's over, back to realityOk so we've been home for a week but I was in denial about getting back to real life. And after living in real life for a week, it's time to get back to the challenge! I'll take this first week back to catch back up to where I had gotten before, so I'll go over the kitchen, pantry and dining room for a quick 'refresh', and then move on with the challenge. <br />
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I just hope my dining room refresh includes fresh flowers again! <br />
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For those followers who are doing the challenge, where are you in your home? What's your favorite room so far and what's been your biggest challenge? Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-131225626988294822018-03-10T14:33:00.000-08:002018-03-10T14:33:25.844-08:00Getting the most out of your toiletries<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our family recently spent 2 weeks in the beautiful Punta Cana, Dominican
Republic. My biggest concern was how the kids, aged 9 and 6, would
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When the first bottle became 'empty', I remembered something I do with my face wash and creams. <br />I cut the end off and scoop out what's left inside.</div>
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This time, I went one step further and opened up the entire bottle. Since I didn't have regular scissors, I used a small pair of nail scissors. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxNp_JmdMQK5FuPW7U7H8iPtm7anlEwRFSNosmp_pAYObkimqOthfYLbzOPJQFnKYJGHDvOEKm-RzMqYarG179MaAHZ_GLXL5g0qY0INohfhVuYdUMKeeDQmOx3fKjKRrkHG2g3V2DoZS/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-03-10+at+2.19.06+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="567" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxNp_JmdMQK5FuPW7U7H8iPtm7anlEwRFSNosmp_pAYObkimqOthfYLbzOPJQFnKYJGHDvOEKm-RzMqYarG179MaAHZ_GLXL5g0qY0INohfhVuYdUMKeeDQmOx3fKjKRrkHG2g3V2DoZS/s200/Screen+Shot+2018-03-10+at+2.19.06+PM.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-R6GO1VabykHJVcTusqZa47OINsbteyDux4zy_fM_Clj6SJoAU5Ma7FcLIVmCV9KEYMI4VmP6V_u6G4Ec0BTSS9OYNJr3setv5GQQwHwjrSFLgBOSCOhck3Qh8K_rbEJ4jLW_9QFLMZlR/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-03-10+at+2.18.22+PM.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="595" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-R6GO1VabykHJVcTusqZa47OINsbteyDux4zy_fM_Clj6SJoAU5Ma7FcLIVmCV9KEYMI4VmP6V_u6G4Ec0BTSS9OYNJr3setv5GQQwHwjrSFLgBOSCOhck3Qh8K_rbEJ4jLW_9QFLMZlR/s200/Screen+Shot+2018-03-10+at+2.18.22+PM.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoKNiVzoQvQst1Bghk7I1n7arHJEJUJlGIhYrhY9jVtviALwT-E5gOtbU0EcRBBpja6xMbMJokSoh-_RuwN4aHxedC534fVikUBZLRVpSygJnW1f1e-ATaboGAL_5kbefCbycm_q8HFU06/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-03-10+at+2.18.55+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="557" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoKNiVzoQvQst1Bghk7I1n7arHJEJUJlGIhYrhY9jVtviALwT-E5gOtbU0EcRBBpja6xMbMJokSoh-_RuwN4aHxedC534fVikUBZLRVpSygJnW1f1e-ATaboGAL_5kbefCbycm_q8HFU06/s200/Screen+Shot+2018-03-10+at+2.18.55+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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My favorite part of this was that what was left in this 'empty' bottle completely covered two adults! I did this again with another bottle, and that one had even more left inside.<br /><br />Use this trick with any toiletries you have in soft bottles, especially the expensive ones! </div>
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Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-1059674559002267902018-01-21T18:07:00.000-08:002018-01-21T18:07:29.544-08:00Starting on the Dining RoomSo, in the Organization Challenge group, people are posting pictures of their completed spaces. Along with fancy house envy, it's a great way to get ideas for your own house. So today, when I took the kids out of the house to get some steps, we went to Walmart and Costco, and picked up a table runner for the dining room table from Walmart, and I bought some bright flowers from Costco to brighten up the room, and hopefully help me keep it tidy. I also finally hung up my family established Wall Art from <a href="http://www.ashleighstotes.com/" target="_blank">Thirty-One Gifts</a>. <br />
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I haven't done under the tables, and there are some boxes still on the floor, but so far I'm pleased, and can spend this week putting stuff away. I also finally want to get the rest of the Christmas decorations organized/purged and put away. So here are the surfaces so far. Hope you like it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpnN_hAyaK30_iwtNW8ybLB2GFKuoNUJzgFvsoX6DuFyjz6KfVo9Gxzqn77ni_k9EkaJ4bT7mc6KwQF-WA5iBE6HTd0pgYEBoU6U0O25DdlCjI4NYc6JdQBgeZH6cZPdFF1q2ja9I132M/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-01-21+at+5.52.04+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="402" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpnN_hAyaK30_iwtNW8ybLB2GFKuoNUJzgFvsoX6DuFyjz6KfVo9Gxzqn77ni_k9EkaJ4bT7mc6KwQF-WA5iBE6HTd0pgYEBoU6U0O25DdlCjI4NYc6JdQBgeZH6cZPdFF1q2ja9I132M/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-01-21+at+5.52.04+PM.png" width="237" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8S-lGxuvl1SzoRkW8Hwht5p3g2C9y_5cqcCaAoGbfc8IsN5rh6TglhjOCQwxkq7YtPT7iX-G8q9HjN5abWEuz37d9Fq2-H7JbQg5JMfaYyULkJX5XoIUWSuALHj-3EvW3WnBEXarLE_8k/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-01-21+at+5.52.19+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="404" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8S-lGxuvl1SzoRkW8Hwht5p3g2C9y_5cqcCaAoGbfc8IsN5rh6TglhjOCQwxkq7YtPT7iX-G8q9HjN5abWEuz37d9Fq2-H7JbQg5JMfaYyULkJX5XoIUWSuALHj-3EvW3WnBEXarLE_8k/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-01-21+at+5.52.19+PM.png" width="242" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio0Rc8mB4z7cYmpvFJUSzW5m5jTPVAOYduG0aSxOYcc3jFD0U0EaQeds7i5QhJH_eeeSPV1FNLOk-b8ldp3kn7Kv4nGATKzPAJkOGG429hB95-Cv9blDNoT4L9K39KyFkaQwBAaB0wPBDw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-01-21+at+5.57.58+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="404" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio0Rc8mB4z7cYmpvFJUSzW5m5jTPVAOYduG0aSxOYcc3jFD0U0EaQeds7i5QhJH_eeeSPV1FNLOk-b8ldp3kn7Kv4nGATKzPAJkOGG429hB95-Cv9blDNoT4L9K39KyFkaQwBAaB0wPBDw/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-01-21+at+5.57.58+PM.png" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-2793943534550083492018-01-04T19:19:00.002-08:002018-01-04T19:19:41.795-08:00Working away on the kitchenWell, I'm starting the kitchen and feeling really good!<br /><br />It started with the pantry. A few good friends have gotten me hooked on the look of Tupperware Modular Mates in the pantry, so I invested. But never really had time to go through and do it all. Until today. This was getting done! And I used my brand new (bought yesterday) label maker to help. I labeled the items, and added expiry dates for those I knew! How smart! My few <a href="https://www.mythirtyone.ca/aschuman/product/4130" target="_blank">Thirty-One Gifts Your Way Rectangles</a> hold items that are prepackaged. I have one for my Epicure spices, one for dinner sides and one for snacks. Now I need a few more (and they're on <a href="https://www.mythirtyone.ca/aschuman/collection/customer-special?page=1" target="_blank">SALE</a> in January) for the bottom shelf that has pasta and cans like veggies and soup. But so far, I love it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgslk4x4weTdho6yFSQSGJeKzo1HrcytmPiQxrBlL1tGxakSYpQ5hVInT6Me458v0Q2NCVnG9qGC_xryRB9I4Oj53J3z2kCdYSO-BvQvTA3JzyrYd4Iz0B-Qj5Cy2X0IdU41LPLpB5JAjuE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-01-04+at+7.04.13+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="406" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgslk4x4weTdho6yFSQSGJeKzo1HrcytmPiQxrBlL1tGxakSYpQ5hVInT6Me458v0Q2NCVnG9qGC_xryRB9I4Oj53J3z2kCdYSO-BvQvTA3JzyrYd4Iz0B-Qj5Cy2X0IdU41LPLpB5JAjuE/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-01-04+at+7.04.13+PM.png" width="240" /></a></div>
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Then, it was onto the two corner cupboards. One has always been sort of a mish mash of stuff, and the other, mostly bowls, baking dishes, and some other random items. Oh, and I should mention that we don't use our dishwasher. When we moved, the realtor said it was better to hand wash and put away instead of having dishes in the dishwasher when showing. So we got used to hand washing, and never stopped when we moved in here. We briefly started using the dishwasher again, but the it broke, so we stopped, and used it for storing pots and pans. But, if I want to renovate the kitchen at some point, and maybe replace the dishwasher, then we need to find a better place for the pots and pans than in the dishwasher. So I decided that the corner cupboard next to the stove is where the pots and pans should be, on the bottom shelf because they're heavy. And the top shelf will be for food preparation items. The other corner shelf will be for food storage items, because there's a bigger counter on that side and would probably be where we would pack up food, and do meal prep stuff after grocery shopping. So, here's what I have so far. <br />
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All of my food storage is Tupperware, of course. And yes, I had to label it so my family would know which containers are for what.<br />
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And yes, most of my food prep and cooking stuff is pampered chef or epicure. Being in Direct Sales, I have to support my Direct Sales peeps! Plus the stuff is amazing!<br />
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And of course the part not normally shown during an organization challenge, the mess. <br />
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Yes, it's time to say goodbye to the deep fryer. And the three extra glass baking dishes, and the 6 extra class bowls, and all the other random stuff that has no match or lid or hasn't been used in a few years, if it's been used at all. <br /><br />So, now comes the part of cleaning up the mess, and getting rid of the stuff we're not keeping. I should have kept all those huge Thirty-One boxes from the crazy holiday season. Time to get the business up again and collect more boxes so I can package this stuff up and take it to the thrift store! <br /><br />Then, onto the cupboards with the dishes, glasses/mugs, and (eeek) spices. Then drawers, then I'm DONE the kitchen!Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-32550888057450051652018-01-01T18:07:00.000-08:002018-01-01T18:07:31.047-08:00New Year, New ChallengeIf 2017 taught me anything it is to embrace my past so that I can properly move forward. One thing I have to embrace is that I have a clutter problem, and that's ok. At the beginning of 2017, I found a Home Organization Challenge, printed it out, but didn't do ANYTHING with it. Ooops.<br />
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I've also started reading the book 'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up' by Marie Kondo. I went through clothes, and maybe another area or two but also didn't finish. I do, however, follow Marie's suggested way of folding and storing clothes. So, I've made some progress.<br />
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A few days ago, I took the kids into their bathroom and told them to clean it up. But instead of just putting away toothbrushes and hair elastics, I decided that we were going to CLEAN IT OUT! I grabbed a garbage bags and threw out old toothpaste and brushes, and MORE, yes, believe it or not. Old soaps, and cleaners. It felt AWESOME!<br />
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So I decided to join the <a href="http://www.abowlfulloflemons.net/2018/01/2018-home-organization-challenge-kit.html">2018 Home Organization Challenge by fellow blogger, A Bowl Full Of Lemons</a>. I downloaded the guide, printed it out and told the family. They were not excited.
But, after the holidays, we needed to go shopping. And in an effort to save money, I thought we should do some meal planning. So I went through the upstairs freezer, and CLEANED IT OUT! Another garbage bag filled. And while I was at it, I might as well do the downstairs deep freezer. ANOTHER garbage bag filled. Phewf, that felt good. And when we got home, I did part of the pantry. Checked expiry dates, tossed food, and organized.<br />
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The official schedule for the challenge is to start the week of January 6, but I'm starting now, mostly to keep my momentum going, and to get ahead because of some upcoming trips we have this year. Please join the challenge, and the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeorganization101/">Facebook group</a>. Let's do this together! I might even post some pictures! We start with the kitchen. Here we go!!Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-79570836928729926902013-12-21T17:02:00.000-08:002013-12-21T17:02:46.801-08:00Sometimes it just feels good to throw it awayI am SUCH a procrastinator, but sometimes I get in these moods and just want to GO GO GO! So while folding laundry today, I decided to separate the items that don't fit anymore. And that turned into going through my closet, the playroom. Just grabbing items that aren't used anymore and throwing them into a 'DONATE' box. <br /><br />I guess I'll end off 2013 a little lighter, and I think that's a great way to start off 2014!Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-59606335289386543942013-12-08T15:22:00.000-08:002013-12-08T15:22:03.057-08:00Time for some professional helpI finally bit the bullet and accepted that I can't do it alone. I've tried. But I really can't do it. <br /><br />So I contacted a professional organizer and had her come in for a consult. And it turns out I'm not that far gone! There's still hope!<br /><br />I have a list now and have already gotten started on it. Hopefully by Christmas, the upstairs will be more manageable and I can tackle the office *shudder*. Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-61335016159127214542013-11-29T13:08:00.002-08:002013-11-29T13:08:56.588-08:00Time to start at the endSo in all my back and forth, I've realized that the reason why I have so much trouble keeping the house organized is because I don't know how I want it to end up. Like I want it clean, but I don't have a designated spot for everything. So as I go through each area and 'clean' it up, I end up having the same items in different areas of the house.<br />
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Before I can really start going through everything, I need to start with a plan. Where do I want to store items for business one or two, where do I want art supplies, or towels, or extra blankets, etc. I need a central SPOT for everything in the house, and once I know where everything goes, I can start clearing items out. <br />
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I guess it's time to go back to square one, by starting at the end.Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-45118193024061854332013-11-18T17:53:00.000-08:002013-11-18T17:53:03.610-08:00Time to start ChristmasLast year I posted about our felt Christmas Tree for the playroom. Read that post <a href="http://thenotsocleanmommy.blogspot.ca/2012/12/our-felt-christmas-tree.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Today I bought a new pack of command strips and put it up. I can't wait for the kids to see it tomorrow, they're going to LOVE it!</div>
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Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-87717182652312787042013-11-03T10:54:00.000-08:002013-11-03T11:04:23.904-08:00Caffeine (and Starbucks) during pregnancyIn a recent discussion about the safe amount of caffeine during pregnancy, I was told to go write a blog post. So here it is!<br />
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DISCLAIMER: I am NOT a doctor. Do not take anything written in this post as medical advice, it is simply information. I do NOT work for Starbucks, though I was an Assistant Store Manager from 2006-2012. I am NOT being paid by Starbucks or any other organization. I am NOT promoting caffeine consumption during pregnancy, I am simply providing the information and knowledge that I have about safe amounts and caffeine contents. ALWAYS consult your doctor or midwife if you have any concerns about safe amounts of caffeine during pregnancy.<br />
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In 2006, I was hired as an Assistant Store Manager at Starbucks Coffee Canada. A few months later, my Store Manager became pregnant. She loved Americanos and would order them either half caf, or full strength. The baristas (myself included), not aware of safe amounts of caffeine during pregnancy, would make her drink decaf. She always argued with us, but we didn't believe her.<br />
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A few months after she gave birth to a healthy baby boy, I became pregnant, and since I worked at Starbucks, I did some research. Here is what I found (links will be added when I have time)<br />
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MOST websites (NOT DOCTORS) recommend consuming not more than 200-300milligrams (mg) of caffeine per day during pregnancy. I followed (and for the purpose of the math in this post, will follow) the 300mg/day recommendation.<br />
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So if you are pregnant, or know someone who is, and follow this same recommendation, here is what you can order at Starbucks!<br />
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<a href="http://globalassets.starbucks.com/assets/7cd1d989cd0c4ddba75b22d53f7af8bc.pdf" target="_blank">Starbucks Nutritional Information found here.</a></div>
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Each one oz of coffee has 20mg of caffeine<br />
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One TALL (12oz) brewed coffee contains ~240mg of caffeine<br />
One GRANDE (16oz) brewed coffee contains ~320mg of caffeine<br />
One VENTI (20oz) brewed coffee contains ~400mg of caffeine<br />
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If you drink brewed coffee, stick with a tall or grande/day.<br />
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Now onto more exciting things-ESPRESSO DRINKS!<br />
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One shot of espresso contains 75mg<br />
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This is easy math!<br />
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A short or tall beverage has one shot of espresso (75mg), grande and venti have two (150mg). So, you could have 4 shots of espresso/day! WAHOO!<br />
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Not comfortable consuming that much? <br />
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Order your grande or venti with only one shot! You can do that? Of course you can! You could also order your drink half-caf (the espresso machine will mix decaf and regular espresso beans to make your shots) or decaf!<br />
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That's right, my pregnant friends, you can have a DECAF gingerbread latte this holiday season! Or need a little bit of a kick, order it half caf! <br />
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Know what else is neat? You can ALSO DO THAT WITH FRAPPUCCINOS! Yup-half calf or decaf! <br />
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Is your drink too sweet now that you're pregnant? Order it with half of the regular amount of syrup. Or one pump less. Work with your barista to make the perfect drink for you!<br />
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Don't want to be THAT customer? Trust me, it isn't any harder to make the drink, plus you get exactly what you want! <br />
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Now onto tea! It isn't AS interesting, but still good to know. Caffeinated tea has between 30-100mg/cup depending on the type of tea you order. Green tea has less, and black tea has more.<a href="http://globalassets.starbucks.com/assets/7cd1d989cd0c4ddba75b22d53f7af8bc.pdf" target="_blank">Starbucks Nutritional Information found here.</a> Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-21829395347012571182013-07-29T09:26:00.000-07:002013-07-29T09:26:17.060-07:0040 Bags in 40 Days: Days 1 and 2-Entryway Closet and Entryway<div>
I hope everyone had a successful day yesterday cleaning your entryway closets. There were some great tips on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/516721555062704/" target="_blank">Facebook Event</a>, including to not only consolidate your reusable bags, but go put some in your car, right now, ok when you're done reading this. I ALWAYS leave them at home, so this way they'll be there when you need them (thanks Anne!). </div>
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My weakness yesterday was our shoes. We have too many, well the girl and I do! So I moved shoes that are too big into the closet, unseasonable shoes (winter boots) into the bench storage, shoes that are too small either went into a donation box or in the garbage, like the boots that had holes in the soles.<br />
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I also couldn't just do the closet, since I was organizing our shoes, so I started on our shoe rack. It's just a cheap one we got at Walmart, but the is shoes are too small to fit on both bars, so I took some cardboard pieces to put on top. But since the bars are at an angle, the cardboard would just fall off, SO I hot glued some spots on the bottom so it would sit nicely against the lower bar. </div>
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One of our family weaknesses is just putting stuff anywhere. So we need to find a way to keep the bench clear, and the other surfaces in the entryway. I DO have a hanging mail organizer that we need to start using more. Cleaning that out is one of my tasks for today. And organizing the kids coats on their coat rack. I'll also do the regular cleaning in that room, so cleaning the window, the mirrored closet doors, dusting, then sweeping and mopping. I'm so excited to finally have my entryway organized. I HATE walking into the house and being instantly overwhelmed by the clutter right as I come in. <br />
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Feel free to share your tips and struggles as you work through your entryway. And join the Facebook Event for more conversation!</div>
Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-38950173547650125082013-07-29T09:25:00.001-07:002013-07-29T09:25:59.551-07:0040 Bags in 40 Days: Days 3 and 4-storage and deep freezerOur under-the-stair storage area had become a dumping ground for stuff that we didn't need right away. It's mostly our Christmas decorations and camping gear, so not stuff that we can get rid of, but not stuff we use all the time. The back of the area is organized, since it's just boxes, but the front, well, we had just shoved stuff in there. <br />
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SO-it just took a little bit of organizing and rearranging to tidy up. For example we keep gift bags, and they had been randomly shoved into two (now broken) bags and were all over the floor. So I tidied those up and it looks like a whole new room!<br />
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Today is the deep freezer. The reason why I stuck it on the list is because I KNOW we have stuff at the bottom that we won't eat, so why are we keeping it? Also-the little frost check thingy is TOTALLY covered meaning we need to defrost the freezer. But we use it regularly and it's fairly full, so moving the stuff upstairs into our (small) freezer won't be easy. What better way to tidy up the freezer and see what's in there than to clean it out! It'll give me a good idea of what to make for dinners for the next week or so so we can work through the food in there before shopping again.<br />
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And I really feel like I'm making progress! My whole entryway area is tidy and easier to manage on a daily basis! Which means it doesn't get messy, and I don't have to clean up. Mind you it's only been 4 days, but still. Taking one area at a time and working through it is a LOT easier than just jumping in at random and trying to do it all. BUT-the rest of my house has become a bit of a mess, so I do need to spend some time tidying up the rest. It's great to REALLY deep clean these areas, but it kind of defeats the purpose to just let the rest of the house go crazy. <br />
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Time to get back at it!Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-40649358610342045342013-07-29T09:25:00.000-07:002013-07-29T09:25:19.586-07:0040 Bags in 40 Days-Days 5, 6 and 7: Laundry room cupboards, Laundry room and Living roomThe laundry room in our house has been, well, a dumping ground recently. If we had to move stuff out of the entryway, it ended up in either the laundry room or the office. So one task was to go through some boxes and get rid of stuff we don't need. Or move stuff that we had out back into the storage area. Clean the floor, etc. <br />
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But one task that's going to take longer than I thought is disposing of the stuff in the laundry room cupboards. That's where we store most of our cleaning supplies. So we have old laundry detergents, bleach, and more. So I've done some research on how to safely dispose of these items. <br />
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Most of our cleaning supplies are water-soluble, which means they are mixed with water for use, and washed down the drain. The best way to dispose of these items is to use them up, or give them away so they can be used up. If they can't be used, our water treatment facilities can handle these items, so they can be poured down the drain. Solid cleaning products can be safely disposed of in the garbage, as can aerosol cans that still have products in them. Empty aerosol cans can be recycled at most facilities, be sure to check with your local recycling depots. <br />
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For more information, <a href="http://www.cleaninginstitute.org/sustainability/some_facts_about_.aspx" target="_blank">CLICK HERE.</a> If you have any questions, phone your local recycling and garbage facilities. <br />
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So now I can go through those cleaning supplies again and either use them up, give them away, or dispose of them. <br />
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My living room shouldn't be too hard, since I clean it on what feels like a daily basis. I do have some piles of stuff on the stairs to go through, and today would be a good day to go through all the socks we leave at the bottom of the laundry baskets, but it shouldn't be too bad. <br />
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Don't forget to go through your cupboards/drawers while you work through your areas. We have a lot of drawers that we just shove things into and it would make life so much easier if we had certain spots for certain items, and just threw our junk in the garbage/recycling. <br />
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I hope this is getting easier for everyone. It's almost therapeutic to go through items and get rid of so much stuff that we don't need. The house will be MUCH easier to keep tidy once we're done!Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-52727984768995503612013-07-21T17:08:00.003-07:002013-07-29T09:26:36.323-07:0040 Bags in 40 Days-PreparationSo my 40 Bags in 40 Days challenge starts this Tuesday, July 23rd, 2013. Here is the schedule: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQ0l0ujY8SeUs3dbjGCRKDIe_CLIxlmEVo2P4xa2V1zSuZSp-Kw0NuqRpBwLQLUFq6CG3LclhuXy4Q07f-EOtqGr98sIVR9MiYyTkTUvQfSREgDcD3us-NdX6nfRmaRnGl8_fLiASwFE1/s1600/Picture+19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQ0l0ujY8SeUs3dbjGCRKDIe_CLIxlmEVo2P4xa2V1zSuZSp-Kw0NuqRpBwLQLUFq6CG3LclhuXy4Q07f-EOtqGr98sIVR9MiYyTkTUvQfSREgDcD3us-NdX6nfRmaRnGl8_fLiASwFE1/s320/Picture+19.png" width="254" /></a></div>
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Not every area will apply to everyone, so adapt it to your own house. If you don't have an area, then either take a day off, spend more time on an area that needs it, or work on an area in your house that isn't listed on the schedule. </div>
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I also did the schedule strategically, starting when we walk in the front door and working our way around the areas we use most. I find nothing more overwhelming than walking in the house and being hit with a huge mess. So gradually, that mess will get farther and farther away from when we walk in. The areas should also be relatively small, so that you don't have to spend a ton of time on them. </div>
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Here are some tips:</div>
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<li>your bags don't have to be huge black garbage bags, mine will probably just be small grocery bags. The whole idea is to go through each area carefully and get rid of the items that you don't really need.</li>
<li>with each item you go through, ask yourself if you need it. No, do you <i>REALLY</i> need it? If you're debating on something, chances are you don't need it. If you don't have a home for it, and are keeping it 'just in case', chances are, you don't need it. </li>
<li>you don't have to throw everything in the garbage. If you have spare boxes, label them 'DONATE' and 'SELL' and have your garbage bags. If you don't have boxes, just use extra bags. At the end of the 40 days, you can go through your boxes/bags and decide further what to do with your items. Drop off some stuff at a local thrift store. Visit a local consignment shop or sell on Craigslist, or a local buy/sell/swap group. </li>
<li>have your Norwex Enviro cloths, or other cleaning supplies handy, since this could be a great way to get some deep cleaning done.</li>
<li>get your kids involved. In their rooms, they can put on a fashion show to see what clothes don't fit anymore. Or it could just be a really good exercise in deep cleaning, and getting rid of clutter. </li>
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Any questions? Feel free to ask. And follow along each day, comment with your successes, struggles and tips. Let's do this together!</div>
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<br />Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-89440270685644033622013-07-18T09:26:00.003-07:002013-07-29T09:26:56.794-07:00I'm BACK!!!So the whole working mom thing didn't work out as planned and I'm back baby! And I'm hosting a 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge! <br />
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I've created a public event on Facebook and you should be able to join from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/516721555062704/" target="_blank">THIS LINK</a>. I'll post updates here, and will also have daily tips and conversations on Facebook. </div>
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I'm starting Tuesday July 23rd and the last day will be Saturday August 31st, so we'll be done by September 1st. I can't wait to have a cleaner, easier to manage house!!!</div>
Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-9485016586936183122013-03-11T18:19:00.002-07:002013-03-11T18:19:50.779-07:00Big changes in the {not so} clean houseWe had a big and exciting change around here. Two weeks ago, I started a new full time job and I love it. <br />
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What does that mean for the blog? Well, as a working mom, I'll be focusing on that more, but not much should change. <br />
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What have I found so far? Well, in a way, it's easier to keep the house clean. I mean if there's no one here all day, there's no one to mess it all up. But at the same time, we still have the same amount of laundry, dishes, etc but no one here all day to do it. So I've had to manage my time better, which is NOT one of my strengths at home. <br />
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Ah well, we'll figure it out. And if I don't, you'll get to read all about it!Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-82818407518945518072013-02-20T09:29:00.000-08:002013-02-20T09:29:43.354-08:00My newest Norwex favoritesOk, so I know I talk about Norwex a little bit. Ok maybe a LOT, but I really love it! And no, I don't sell it. <br />
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This past January, I hosted a Norwex party and got a TON of free stuff. January is the Hostess Free Mop month, and yes, I got enough sales and got my free mop! But the mop isn't what I want to talk about. <br />
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Along with the free Antibac Cloth, and window cloth, and lint mitt, and hand cream, I got a few fantastic items. The Optic Cloth is amazing. I used it a few days ago to clean my glasses and OMG it was like seeing the house with new eyes. Like seriously clean. And I've been wearing glasses for almost 25 years! I did the same yesterday with my sunglasses and was SO impressed. I got one for my hubs for Christmas since he always used our window cloth and I could never find it. Great stocking stuffer and now he has his own cloth for his glasses. Well when I needed a few more dollars to get the free mop, I added the Optic Cloth so I could have one of my own and I'm SO glad I did. AMAZING!<br />
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I also got the dust mitt. Makes dusting SO easy. AND I got the kids package, that comes with a kid-sized antibac cloth, window cloth and dust mitt. M LOVES cleaning the windows with her own cloths, and dusting. In fact, sometimes she'll make fingerprints all over the windows just so she can clean them up. I don't mind, since she's cleaning them!<br />
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One item I've been very skeptical of is the cleaning paste. I've heard great things about it, but I found that baking soda worked so well that I didn't want to invest in that. BUT when I had free money to spend, I decided to give it a try and OH.MY.GOODNESS! So I won a bath mitt at the party, and whipped out the paste to clean the shower last week. AMAZING! When I would have to clean the shower again about 5 days later after cleaning with baking soda, I don't have to do it yet with the paste. And the mitt makes it so easy. Norwex was genius when they decided to make the cloths in a mitt form. <br />
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Keep an eye out for a review of the Norwex mop, and maybe a Norwex giveaway!!Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-85190750170337672112013-02-12T00:22:00.002-08:002013-02-12T00:22:47.499-08:00Let's Talk!February 12th is 'Let's Talk' Day with Bell.<br />
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Found on the <a href="http://letstalk.bell.ca/en/" target="_blank">Bell Let's Talk Website</a>:</div>
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For every:</div>
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Text message sent<sup style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">*</sup></li>
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Long distance call made<sup style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">*</sup></li>
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Tweet using <a href="http://tw.letstalk.bell.ca/" style="color: #0068a5; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">#BellLetsTalk</a></li>
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Facebook share of our Bell Let's Talk image</li>
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Bell will donate 5¢ more to help fund mental health initiatives across Canada.</div>
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So as a Bell Customer, and someone who suffers from mental illness, I'm doing my part.<br />
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In the Spring of 2010, I started medication for mild-moderate depression. I had studied psychology at school, I knew what depression was. But, as said with so many different topics, it's SO different when it's you. Life just gets overwhelming sometimes, and that's no one's fault. Due to a chemical imbalance, some people have a harder time dealing with that. It's nothing that can be controlled by the sufferer. You can't expect a diabetic to not take medication, just as someone who suffers from mental illness needs them to balance things out. <br />
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When I started the medication, I decided that I needed to tell my staff. I was a manager at work and had many staff working for me, and I needed to be honest with them. I told my district manager who knew what I was going through. Along with many of my staff members. I was shocked that so many others had been through what I was going through. And honestly, it made it all so much easier. Not only to have them be a tad more flexible to my daily emotions, but also to offer support. <br />
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And that's what 'Let's Talk' Day is all about. The only thing harder than going through mental illness is going through it alone. So don't. Let's talk about it! <br />
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Head to my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/thenotsocleanmommy" target="_blank">facebook page</a> and share the Bell image. Or tweet using #BellLetsTalk. Or if you're a Bell customer, text all day long, and make some long distance calls! Connect with some friends! Let's talk!Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-44354142327552014782013-02-04T09:53:00.000-08:002013-02-04T09:53:36.253-08:00I just need the accountabilityWell, I haven't posted in a bit. And my house shows it. <br />
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I have no idea why my cleaning habits seem to correlate to how often I post on the blog, but I'm using this Monday to get myself back on track. Especially since the hubby is home sick today so I can have {some} help with the kids. <br />
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I've also noticed that for the most part, I'm pretty good at getting the daily and weekly stuff done, but I haven't ventured into the monthly stuff. So this week, I'm going to just focus on the normal tasks and hopefully I can start adding the bigger stuff soon.<br />
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One plan is to get up earlier. I was up at 4am this morning to go line up for kindergarten registration, so hopefully I can start getting up before the kids, at around 6am and get a head start. I'll see how it works!Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-28188369597529035472013-01-30T16:17:00.001-08:002013-01-30T16:18:52.755-08:00Olivia's Room Dryer Ball Review and Giveaway<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17px;">Ok so I took a tad longer to get this up than I had planned. We passed our 10k pageviews and are now at 12k! I love my fans and we're going to celebrate with a few giveaways. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17px;">First up is a set of 4 dryer balls from Olivia's Room Boutique. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">Do you use fabric softener? Do you know how bad it is for you and for the environment. <a href="http://www.care2.com/greenliving/8-toxins-lurking-in-your-fabric-softener.html" target="_blank">Here</a>'s a quick article. </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">Ok, so now you're wondering how to soften your clothes. Enter dryer balls! Not only do they make your clothes softer, but they reduce static and drying time. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17px;">Here's what Brittany, the owner of Olivia's Room Boutique, has to say about her wool dryer balls:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17px;">Dryer balls are amazing! Wool dryer balls are even better. With just 4 dryer balls in a load of laundry, it can cut your drying time by 40%! More balls, better drying time! By using wool dryer balls, it can eliminate the need for artificial softeners also, which are not recommended for use on your child's bedding or clothing. Keep in mind, that when using artificial softeners, it builds up on your clothes and in your washer/dryer, reduces fire retardancy of clothing, reduces absorbency of towels, and can cause allergic reactions in those with sensitive skin. My wool dryer balls are made from 100% wool, with the core being all natural wool roving, and dyed or natural wool yarn for decoration and durability. I make every dryer ball by hand, and each are needle and wet felted to ensure proper felting of the wool. Felting is what keeps your dryer balls together, so I double up just to be safe!! I am a [work at home mom], so when you purchase my products, it helps my family! I also stand behind every one of my products, so if you have an issue, you contact me directly, not a huge company who might defer your concerns down the line.</span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;">Olivia's Room Boutique has a</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/OliviasRoomBoutique" target="_blank">Facebook Page</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;">and an</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/oliviasroom" target="_blank">Etsy store</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 17px;">. Feel free to check out her great products! I would like to extend a huge thank you to Brittany for sponsoring this giveaway. Good luck!</span></span><br />
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Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-76963572852045911472013-01-14T10:48:00.000-08:002013-01-14T10:48:10.389-08:00The Little ThingsI've been using lists, and more recently Apps, to organize my house cleaning and I think I've found a schedule and a system that works. And the most important part of that is staying on top of the small things. <br />
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I always know that the bathrooms need to be cleaned. Or that the floors need to be swept and mopped. And those are fairly easy to remember, and quick to get done. It's when the small things start to pile up that I REALLY start to feel overwhelmed. So I've found that if I have to skip any task, I have to stay on top of the small things. Today, my 'small tasks' include checking and restocking the toilet paper in each of the bathrooms and changing the hand towels. Other small tasks include cutting the kids fingernails, wiping down the front of the cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms, and quickly tidying up each room. Sometimes THAT is as easy as running around the house and picking up all of the dishes, or laundry, and even just doing that makes a huge difference in how clean the house feels. <br />
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I'm glad that I've split up all my tasks into daily items and if I can stay on top of it all, my house is a lot easier to maintain.<br />
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What small tasks do you need to get done today?Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999650505034204093.post-17098134683864495662013-01-11T14:50:00.002-08:002013-01-11T14:50:49.683-08:00Starting the Spring Cleaning EarlyChristmas is great. Mad rush to organize the house, lots of food, family and fun. Lots of gifts. And then the aftermath. Cleaning everything up. Finding room for all the new clothes, toys and more. Figuring out how you got all the decorations in the boxes last year. We decided to get some new shelves for the kids rooms, so they can have some books, toys and stuff in there, and keep the playroom less cluttered. I also wanted to get some hooks for the entryway so the kids could hang up their own coats, instead of throwing them all over the place. <br />
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Well, today was the start of the Spring Cleaning. Some other friends are doing mass organizing in their homes and I decided to follow suit. I got the hooks for the entryway and tidied that up. Will have to wait for the hubs to do that though. I don't want to risk missing a stud or damaging the drywall. <br />
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Next step is to get the shelves for the kids rooms and organize all the toys, books, puzzles, games, cars, trains, AND MORE! <br />
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Well, I should put away the laundry first. And then the groceries. Then the Christmas decorations. Then.....Ashleighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11084570603338877549noreply@blogger.com0