This Full House Reviews

January #GreatStarts Challenge: Creating a Family Organizational Center in a Small Space

CONFESSION: I am NOT the most organized person. Seriously, you could lose a small child in the paperwork piling up on my desk.

What??? You, too?!? PHEW!!!

Living in a 7 room house, my husband and I have learned to be creative when it comes to disguising the fact that we have accumulated a lot of stuff over the last 20 years:  most of it goes in the garage.

Sharing a home office with 6 people hasn't helped any, either.  The kids share one desktop, for school work and for play, so  time management issues need to be addressed, as well.

Oh, and here's another hurdle:  we're facing our second round of college preparations (HOLD ME!!!) so my annual resolution of getting our family organized (for the last upteen years) seems more crucial than ever. 

This year, I got a little help from my friends at Kelloggs and their January Photo-A-Day challenge of staying organized:  we were sent a Pottery Barn gift card and a month to ACTUALLY MAKE IT HAPPEN, DARNIT!!!

We flipped some furniture around and carved out a beautiful new workspace in our playroom/laundry room.

I accepted the challenge and enlisted the kids (free labor!) to help create a workspace in our small playroom, which also serves double-duty as our laundry room (yeah, I know, good luck with that, right?!?)  Aaaand, no one had to move out, or into the shed, to do it :)

I also vlogged it, so you can see for yourself, here's what happened:

Energizer Family Safety Kit Giveway: Did You Remember To Check and Change Your Batteries, This Month?!?

COMMENTS ARE CLOSED:  So glad to be sharing this awesome and important safety kit with you, Fawn H (comment #67) please check your email for further instructions, thanks!!!

2 weeks ago, at this very moment, our family was preparing for Hurricane Sandy:  what the Weather Channel predicted to be as one monster of a storm, or #Frankenstorm.

Sandy made landfall here in New Jersey, 90 miles from our home:  it was the largest Atlantic Hurricane on record, lives were lost and entire communties destroyed.  

We were lucky:  we lost power for 6 days.  14 days later, our kids are FINALLY back in school, however, there are STILL folks in town without power.

November 4th marked the 25^th anniversary of the annual Change Your Clock Change Your Battery program and I had all good intentions of posting about this program for Daylight Savings Time.

Even though the time change has passed (not a BIG fan, btw) I thought it would be a good idea to remind all of my online friends to make sure to check and change your batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors: as well as share an awesome Family Safety Kit with one of our online friends.

Extreme Home Do-Over: Don't Have Room? Make Room with the Online Room Planner

I stumbled upon UrbanBarn.com via Pinterest (my current virtual addiction enabler of choice) and just had to share this awesome online room planner with other DIY lunchtime warriors out there:                                            Source: urbanbarn.com via Liz on Pinterest

Aaaaaand, it's super-easy to use:  just enter the dimensions of your room and the things you want to put in it.  The online room designer helps you come up with ways to arrange it.

As if I needed ANOTHER reason to ignore the laundry, right?

FIND IT HERE:  http://www.urbanbarn.com/Room-Planner

© 2003 - 2012 This Full House

Disclosure: no payment, product or any other consideration, besides the chance to share cool stuff with online friends, was received for this blog post.

 

The Vegetable Garden: Garden Calendars and Monthly Gardening Tips

We live in Zone 6, which means it's pretty safe to start planting in this part of Jersey after May 15th. 

So, I stopped by my favorite garden center and tried really, really hard not to go crazy about wanting to grow EVERYTHING under the sun and decided to stick with stuff I know my family will eat.

They didn't have any cherry tomatoes left and were fresh out of basil (sort of like shopping for swim suits, in July) so, I ended up at my OTHER second home (a.k.a. Home Depot) and picked up a few more Bonnie Plants.

Oh, and dirt.  Lots and lots of dirt.

I'm heading out into the vegetable garden this morning and am super-excited to plant a variety we've never tried before:  black cherry tomatoes.

First, I have to prepare the beds (UGH!) and, well, this is the part of gardening that is a real pain to me...literally...just hope my back holds out.

I found this awesome online resource to help home gardeners (like me) find some really useful information on growing a vegetable garden:  The Vegetable Garden has gardening tips on how to plant, grow and harvest vegetables, as well as plan and design a garden according to your state's gardening/hardiness zone.

Yes, but I don't know what my state's hardiness zone is:  Just enter your zip code here to find out what USDA zone you are in and you'll be given the option to view a detailed monthly to-do list or a general seasonal calendar.

FIND IT HERE:  http://www.thevegetablegarden.info

In the meantime, if anyone needs me, I'll be outside, working up a sweat and pretending like...you know...I know what I'm doing.

5/18 UPDATED TO ADD:  Better Start Hoping for Rainy Days

© 2003 - 2012 This Full House

Disclosure:  No payment, product, or any other consideration, besides the chance to share stuff we like with online friends, was received for this blog post.

Guest Post: Gardening Supplies - What to Buy Online for Less

Lots of stuff scheduled on the calendar for this month (what, you too?!?) however, being stranded at the airport in San Diego on Friday night was NOT one of them.

Still, I was able to get back to Jersey just in time for my youngest daughter's band concert on Saturday and then prepare for a mini-family reunion here at the house on Sunday.

Aaaaaaand, then it rained...and rained...dang, if it wouldn't stop storming ALL NIGHT..and, well, I was going to go outside and dig in the dirt a little.

Instead, I'm nursing a sore back (stupid sciatica, dumbass hernated disc!) and sharing some really awesome gardening tips courtesy of Kate Forgach, Consumer Specialist for Kinoli, Inc:

Extreme Home Do-Over: I Pinned a Pillow and I Liked It!

Source:  pier1.com via Liz on Pinterest

Changing out throw pillows each season is like getting a new couch...okay, almost...so, I saved this pretty little pillow to Pinterest with the added comment:  a pair of these pretties would look super awesome on our red living room couch!

Aaaaand, I was ABSOLUTELY correct, so I added one more note to my pin:  Okay, just put a couple on hold for pick up and took advantage of sale, bagging 2 for less than 1 at original price = SCORE!!!

Gosh, but I love when that happens and I am SO digging my rad new pillows :)

Speaking of rad new pillows, feel free to check out our latest giveaway -- when you have time, of course:  Robin Wilson Home Hypoallergenic Bedding Collection - Down Alternative Luxury Bed Pillow.

© 2003 - 2012 This Full House

Disclosure:  No payment, product or any other consideration, besides a chance to share when I do something right, for a change, was received for this blog post. 

Robin Wilson Home: Hypoallergenic Bedding Collection & Down Alternative Luxury Bed Pillow Giveaway

COMMENTS ARE CLOSED: So happy to be able to share this awesome pillow with you, Danielle E (comment #30) please check your email for further instructions, thanks!

Energy efficient fact: hypoallergenic pillows, mattress/duvet covers and weekly laundering can lower allergens in your sleeping environment by 75% [source]

As 1 of the 5 people suffering from seasonal allergies in our house (my husband sneezes once or twice around the middle of May and he's done, so he doesn't count) I feel it safe to say that springtime is a bittersweet time of year.

I truly empathize with the folks who have to deal with environmental allergies 24/7/365.

I was recently contacted by the good folks representing Robin Wilson Home:  Ms. Wilson is the designer of the Kennedy Green House, the LEED certified renovation project of Robert Kennedy Jr.'s 1920 home ravaged by black mold.

As a family STILL dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Irene (the witch) I feel it safe to say that dealing with black mold sucks wet poodle.

Robin Wilson Home has launched a new line of home furnishings and we had the opportunity to road test their Down Alternative Luxury Bed Pillow.

Stuff That Makes Me Go, "DER! Why Didn't I Think of That?": Scrapbook Layout Wall Hanging

Source:  scrapbooksetc.com via Liz on Pinterest

I love, Love, LOve, LOVe, LOVE how you can easily change out the photos, whenever.   Also, glad I didn't throw away that old curtain rod!   #packratsunite

© 2003 - 2012 This Full House

Disclosure:  No payment was received for this blog post.  Just sharing cool stuff I find down the rabbit hole that is Pinterest DAMMIT!

Lysol No-Touch Kitchen System Giveaway

Yep, our poor dishwasher is STILL sick.

We received a sample of the NEW Lysol No-Touch Kitchen System, last month -- an automatic "hands-free" dispenser and multipurpose cleaner -- and, considering our dishwasher is not feeling very well (poor thing) this product continues to be one of my favorite finds, this year.

Please feel free to read my full product review here: http://www.thisfullhouse.com/reviews/2012/02/favorite-find-of-the-week-lysol-no-touch-kitchen-system.html

Today, I am very excited to be able to partner with the good folks over at Lysol by taking the Undercover Kitchen System Challenge and offering one of our readers the chance to win a No-Touch Kitchen System and a year supply of soap.

Because, we roll like that.

Guest Post: Gardening the Easy Way! 1-Hour Herb Garden & Climbing Roses

Can you believe it's March 1st, already?  You know what that means, right?  Only 19 more sleeps until springtime!!!

Then again, if you're like me and can't wait to go dig your hands deep into some nicely de-frosted dirt, maybe you've been collecting seed catalogs, dog-earing magazine articles and/or surfing Pinterest, creating the perfect garden (in our heads, anyway) since January.

The good folks at Hearst Magazines have harvested expert advice and inspiring photographs from some of MY FAVORITE magazines:   Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Country Living and Woman's Day!

Gardening the Easy Way hits the stands on March 6th:  however, we get to share a sneak peek at the issue with an awesome article on 1-Hour Herb Garden and Climbing Roses.

LIVE CHAT! TODAY! February 21st (1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. EST) Let's Talk Gardening!

COME AS YOU ARE:  as you will be able to participate in this Lunchtime Gardening Chat LIVE! and in real-time, right here, on this blog post TODAY at 1:00 p.m.!

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LIVE CHAT! Tuesday, February 21st (1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. EST) Let's Talk Gardening!

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Favorite Find: Butt Bench Bath Seat - Yes, REALLY!

With 6 people, living in a 7 room house (seriously, see for yourself!) I feel it safe to say that the number one challenge of owning a small home is keeping our every day necessities neat and organized.

Add a couple of kids (or, twenty) into the mix and, well, then we're lucky if we can keep the clutter to a minimum.

I was contacted by the owner and president of a local company here in New Jersey called Bath Extras.  She and her husband invented a new product called the Butt Bench.

I know what you're thinking.  Because, I probably thought the same thing too.  Butt Bench?!?  Really?!? 

Still, in an effort to shine a light on small businesses (most especially, if they're local) I am SO GLAD to be able to introduce you to this week's favorite find -- yes, REALLY!

Storage Tricks: Hanging Up Mah Boots!

Source: houzz.com via Liz on Pinterest

Sometimes it's the simply obvious stuff that has me go, "DER! Why didn't I think of that?"

© 2003 - 2012 This Full House

Disclosure:  No payment, product or any other consideration besides sharing stuff we like with online friends was received for this blog post.

Thinking Spring With the Help of My Friends at Willow House

Photo credit:  Sylvia Joy Witcoff of Willow House

We've gotten away with relatively warm-ish weather, here in Jersey [knocking on wood until knuckles bleed] so, I've started my spring cleaning...early.

Who am I kidding?  It's taken me THIS LONG to put away the Christmas stuff, YO!

Wine not included (dagnabit!)

In doing so, I came across the Willow House catalog I received from a friend of mine  [cough, cough] back in October [cough, cough] along with this awesome entertaining bucket and tray which, once I placed a saucer in the bottom of it, makes a great plant holder, btw.

The OTHER good thing about Willow House?