Cleaning for the Cure: How to Raise Childhood Cancer Research Funds by Having a Spotless Home

As we celebrate the start of the holiday season I find that there is a lot to be thankful for this year. The girls are happy and healthy, we are making new friends and settling in in Texas, and I actually voluntarily started listening to Christmas carols before Thanksgiving (gasp).

Part of our new life in Texas has been adjusting to new stores (loving HEB), new experiences (Bucce's), and new brands. Walking through our local Walmart we're seeing brands we've never heard of before like Cloralex®, Ensueño®, Pinalen® and Pinol® (all part of AlEn USA). These brands are household names here in Texas and are quickly spreading across the country. As a crazy couponer I brought some Ensueño® Baby home on a great deal and loved the light powder scent it gave to the girls clothes. And then while researching their cleaners online I learned about their local (Houston) roots and philanthropic side.

Thanks to foundations like Curing Children's Cancer Fund (CCCF) and to brands like Cloralex®, Ensueño®, Pinalen® and Pinol® who created the campaign "Clean to Cure™” $25,000 was raised and donated to support some of the country’s leading pediatric cancer researchers.

 My friends know that I would rather read about cleaning on Pinterest than actually clean but I may have to work on that since everytime I cleaned I'd be "cleaning for the cure". Now every time the kids tip over a cup of juice, stain their clothes or draw on the wall and I clean it up I know I'm supporting a company that donated $25,000 to children's cancer research.

* Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I will be receiving some of the listed cleaning products to try out. My opinions are my own.

Parenting Wins You Won't See on Pinterest

I could post pictures of the elaborate cupcakes I created for my daughter's birthday, the quilt I sewed for a friend's baby, or the doll diapers we made for the girls' baby dolls- but some of the most useful "parenting tips" are wins you won't see on Pinterest. They sure did make life easier though.

By the 3rd kid in, the girls are wearing "boy" clothes, the boys are wearing pink diapers, and you're napping on the floor just to get some rest. 

The perfect nursery? It's a distant dream.

 

 I'm pretty sure this is not what Pinterest had in mind when they were talking about DIY dog beds but I'm not sweating it. The major question is why does the slightest noise make her run to sleep in our bed but the dog can muscle her out without waking her? 

When you don't have your sewing machine handy to whip out a quick child buckle seat that will fit on most chairs, go primitive with a stick and some bungee cords. She thought it was hilarious and we kept her away from the campfire. 

Ahh, the elusive bedtime dance. Does a routine matter? Is the room the right temperature? Shh, no noise or should there be some background noise? And why the heck won't they GO TO SLEEP! I finally found a fix that worked for us.

What can I say? I got tired of potty charts, donuts, and stickers. Sharpies are cheap and easy to carry.

Having trouble with vegetables? Hide them in "cupcakes". I fed them these for breakfast on days that I needed a few minutes of quiet. I find that days where I start with five minutes of alone coffee time go smoother.

My sanity improved a bit when I figured out a quick way to clean up toys after snot nosed children and their germs had their way with them. This is also great for when poop happens in the bath tub. What, that's never happened to you? It will. And it will be gross.

And my personal favorite time saving discovery: 

Yup. This idea struck me one day and it is still one of the best ways to buy 30 minutes of quiet. 

What parenting tricks help you keep your marbles?