I took to the bathroom with a bucket full of new products from MyBlogSpark and Seventh Generation and you can too. Just follow the directions at the end of this post to win your very own Spring Cleaning prize pack that is pictured below complete with bathroom and kitchen sprays, wipes, paper towels, a handy tote and a copy of The Conscious Kitchen.

The best part? All of the products are Green and good for the Earth. What better present for Earth Day this Thursday than to start changing to products with less harsh chemicals that are better for you and for the planet? I especially liked that they did not smell like chemicals. The bathroom spray had a nice clean scent and the wipes worked just as well as the Clorox ones I usually buy (and love). The recycled paper towels were pretty awesome too, and cleaned my mirrors and left no streaks. I was definitely impressed.

Here is a before and after picture of my shower. We have a glass door that is always getting soap scum and has to be cleaned pretty regularly. It just took a little spray and some elbow grease and voila!

See? You can actually see into the shower now! Also, as a Bzz Agent, I was sent a Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower cleaner which is now helping me keep that clean shower look. All you have to do is press the button once per day (after you shower) and it sprays clear cleaning solution in a 360 degree circle, reducing mold and soap scum buildup. It’s really kind of fabulous, people! If you want a $5 off coupon, follow the link. I can also send you a $3 coupon (snail mail) for future use. Just leave me a comment if you’d like one. You can also get Seventh Generation coupons on their website.

Are you inspired to clean your bathroom now? Good! You can win your own Seventh Generation Spring Cleaning prize pack (see photo). Answer one of these two questions: 1) Go to Seventh Generation‘s website and tell me one thing you learned about their products or 2) Tell me what your plans for Earth Day are this year.

If you would like to earn extra entries:
1) Follow me @laurie_pooh and @SeventhGen on Twitter and send the following message:
I entered to win a Spring Cleaning gift pack from @laurie_pooh and @SeventhGen: http://tinyurl.com/SeventhGenGift
2) Follow my blog using the Google Connect in my sidebar to the right.
3) Subscribe to my blog in a reader.

You can also help me raise money for Susan G. Komen by:
4) Becoming a fan of Hotels Combined on Facebook. They will donate $5. You can mention in their comments that you are supporting Laurie B. and Susan G. Komen.
5) Tweet the following message from your Twitter account and they will donate $10:
Please RT @laurie_pooh: Check out HotelsCombined.com! I’m spreading the word and supporting Susan G Komen http://tinyurl.com/ao2rgj

U.S only, please. The winner will be selected randomly from all valid entries on or around May 3. You must leave a comment letting me know your answer to one of the two questions above, as well as additional comments letting me know what else you have done to earn extra entries. Please also use your real first name and leave a valid way for me to contact you should you be selected as the winner. You will have 48 hours to respond.

Disclosure: I received the Seventh Generation products pictured in order to write my review. The prize pack, information, and giveaway were provided by Seventh Generation through MyBlogSpark. In addition, I also received a Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower cleaner and coupons as part of my membership in Bzz Agent. I was not compensated monetarily for this post, nor was my opinion of the products mentioned altered.

That’s why I was excited to get the opportunity to sample the entire new line of Febreze’s Home Collection thanks to Febreze and MyBlogSpark. This included a Green Tea & Citrus Flameless Luminary and three refill shades, a Green Tea & Citrus Soy Blend Candle, Green Tea & Citrus Room Spray, and a Green Tea & Citrus Diffuser.

When your husband catches you sniffing and spinning in the kitchen because you really love the smell of the Room Spray, it’s probably time for an intervention, though I prefer to be in denial.

I love clean fragrances, and the Tea & Citrus Soy Blend Candle is just that. I walk by the candle multiple times a day just to pick it up and sniff it. It.is.that.yummy. The Room Spray, Flameless Luminary and Diffuser smell just as good too. It has quickly become my favorite scent above *gasp* Bath & Works Bartlet Pear.

Not only do each smell pretty (or good enough to eat), they are also very stylish and help add a little something to your room’s decor. Personally I am not a fan of candles and fragrence products that have the brand name all over them, especially if they are meant to display within the room. I love that the candle is simple and pretty (in clear glass containers), as is the reed diffuser. They also put out a lot of fragrance which I also like. Our little dog is a stinker, and every little bit helps!

I’m not 100% sold on the Flameless Luminary though. While the concept is neat (it’s a battery opperated lamp that heats the shade while releasing fragrance), I’m not sure how practical it is. I believe the packaging said to replace the shade every week, but think ours ran out of scent before that. The good thing is that it turns off automatically after 4 hours to save your battery. I am just not proactive enough to replace a shade every week, which is why I prefer long lasting options such as plug in units or diffusers that I don’t have to worry about. The shades are pretty though, and they come in different scents and styles to match your decor.

You don’t have to just take my word for it though! I also received a $20 Wal-Mart giftcard to give away to one of my readers. That means you can sample the different styles and fragrances of Febreze’s Home Collection for yourself!

Simply answer one of these questions in the comments (required):

What is your favorite home fragrance scent or What product from the Febreze Home Collection do you most want to try?

If you would like to earn extra entries:
1) Follow me @laurie_pooh on Twitter and send the following message:
I entered to win a $20 Wal-Mart gift card from Febreze and @laurie_pooh: http://bit.ly/2xPk61
2) Follow my blog using the Google Connect in my sidebar to the right.
3) Subscribe to my blog in a reader.

U.S. only, please. The winner will be selected randomly from all valid entries on or around October 28. You must leave a comment letting me know your answer to one of the two questions above, as well as additional comments letting me know what else you have done to earn extra entries. Please also use your real first name and leave a valid way for me to contact you should you be selected as the winner. You will have 48 hours to respond to my e-mail before another winner is selected. Good Luck!

She would have been 97-years old today. I am celebrating her in a big way today thanks to the new movie, Julie & Julia, Le Creuset, and Moroch Entertainment. I won an awesome prize pack that included pots, pans, a knife set, both books the movie is based on, a load of gourmet dark chocolate, a grocery tote, and an apron.

These are some serious quality cooking materials, and honestly probably some of the coolest things I have ever won. Unfortunately I am not a big cook, at least not in the my-pots-and-pans-are-worth-more-than-my-designer-handbag kind of way. I like to fry a pork chop, cook up some soup, or make a nice pasta on occasion. I just never knew there was something substantially better than my red KitchenAid pots and pans. None the less, this has definitely inspired me. I want to take some classes and do Julia proud. I’m not even 36 yet, so there is still lots of time for me to get started, right?! Bon Appetit!

Hanging around the house practically 24/7 has opened my eyes to all the things I’d like to improve. You’ve seen my attempts at landscaping and lawn care in the past few weeks, and now I’ve set my sites to indoors. First on my list? Good-bye carpets, and hello beautiful wooden floors!

The only problem is, there is no way D and I are going to attempt to do that kind of job on our own. We would have no idea where to start. That’s where ServiceSpider.com comes in. Their website connects homeowners with local contractors that can help you get the job done.

I know it is frustrating and hard trying to hire and find companies to complete home improvements. You have to go through a long drawn out contract and negotiation process. With ServiceSpider, the process is simple. All you have to do is log on and post about your project. After that, local contractors actually bid to begin working on your job. You have full control over who is selected. Best of all, it is free to use. Every potential contractor has their own information page that includes feedback scores based on customers who have already worked with them in the past, so you can make an educated decision on who best fits your project. I really like that you are able to upload and include photos of what you are looking for too. Since it is free, I plan to use it to see how inexpensively we can get our hardwood floors installed for later this year.

In addition, ServiceSpiderpro.com helps contractors market themselves by building them a professional website that helps bring in potential clientele.

I can’t wait to see how beautiful our house is after installing hardwood floors! What kinds of home improvements are you looking to start? What has your experience been with finding a contractor? What do you think of this online process?

We have a new friend. He joined us around Easter. Usually we spot him at night. I snapped a picture of him. I think he was eating our weeds. How embarrassing. A few days later, I saw him during the day. I usually see him when I’m letting Brownie outside. I even threw him some carrots. I don’t know if he ate them, but they’re gone so I assume he did. I do know that Brownie chased him and he almost ran into the house several time because I had the door wide open watching them. That would have been bad. Don’t worry, I supervise and wouldn’t let him get hurt. He’s much faster than Brownie anyway. Meet Thumper:

Last week you might remember that I pulled the tree back up when it fell over from the heavy winds, and put new mulch and a fiberglass ring around each tree. I am really hoping this helps the one that just won’t stand upright. Here is closeup:

My red gerbera daisies that I planted in the beds close to the house are starting to bloom again too! I have never really been the gardening type of person, but I knew when we had a house I would at least try my hand at it. I don’t have a green thumb, but I am excited to see something that I planted actually survived a whole entire year. This is a big deal folks, celebrate with me!

Today I took D out to lunch, and then went over to Home Depot. If you follow me on Twitter, you know that one of the trees in our front yard blew over again last week. I pulled it back up, but I want to prevent it from happening again. I bought a big bag of mulch, and some expensive non-plastic edging that I am hoping is going to help stabilize it. Have I mentioned my thumb is definitely not green? I also bought a little cactus that I planted in a pretty purple pot. We’ll see how long that last too.

Here are pictures of Brownie and I in our Earth Day gear. I got my shirt at Old Navy for $4, and I got his “Tree Hugger” shirt for $1 at Target. Both were carried home in reusable bags. Go me!

I mentioned earlier this month that we cancelled our lawn service. We have a perfectly good lawn mower, and I have two perfectly good legs. It’s also kind of fun. For some reason weeds are a really big problem in our neighborhood. We hired a weed service last year who came and we still had weeds following their treatments. I finally had to fire them. Why pay $40 for nothing? Right now our front yard has a few, but our backyard is overrun with all different kinds of weeds. What gives? We decided to go ahead and call out a new service to get those taken care of. Here’s hoping.

It is also the time of year that D starts worrying about fire ant control. Last year we had a horrible time with them even though we had someone come out and treat our lawn for ants and other pests. I think he found a website that suggested pouring boiling water on the mound to get rid of them, but I kind of think that just peeved them off. They just moved their mound somewhere else. I am more of an Amdro kind of girl, but we were worried about Brownie’s safety and have been really careful.

I have found some good advice on the link above, but does anyone have any other suggestions for ways to eliminate ants? I want to go out and plant some tulips before Easter, but I don’t want to have to deal with them.

Edit: Scotts weed folks came today (3/23). We shall see if there is a reduction in both weeds and pests.

We didn’t bother with decorations or anything last year, and we didn’t buy any this year either. We did purchase a pumpkin over the weekend though, and for the first time as a “family” we designed, cleaned, and carved it. We think it turned out pretty good for our first try. I don’t remember the last time I made one with my family. My brother and I used to each draw a face that my dad would carve on two pumpkins, a large and small one. I think we even stopped doing that when I got to high school.

Anyway… here’s our creation:

We’re planning on going out on Friday night, but figured we might be home in time to hand out candy to a few late night kids before bed. If not, we’ve enjoyed lighting our pumpkin this week. It seems like it is shrinking, so maybe we should have waited a few days before carving it. When does everyone else carve theirs? I hope everyone has a happy and save holiday!

Here’s the birthday boy!

Thursday night while D and I were at the gym, I was watching the news while doing the elliptical machine. We had noticed how windy it was when we got out of cars and were walking into the building.

On Friday morning when he was about to head off to work and I was getting ready, he comes back in and said, “I have some bad news.” I walked outside with him, and there was one of our trees, fallen completely over– roots and all just sticking up.

We looked up and down the street, but ours was the only house with our tree knocked down. They are all held up by pretty stong wires that were nailed into the ground, but it looked like the force of the wind broke some of the rope holding them together.

The bad thing is, there is also a hose system connected to the sprinklers that was planted around the tree’s roots. You can see it in the pictures. That thing was also ripped out of the ground. I had seen this happen to a few other houses back a few months ago when we had the tornadoes, but ours had been safe. I also frequent the Homeowner’s Association website, and am paranoid because some people were on there complaining about how long someone else’s tree had been down. I don’t know the first thing about these things, but I remembered reading that someone had called the builder and they came back out to replant and brace it back to the ground. I paged my co-workers to let them know what happened and that I would be home for the day dealing with it. I had to wait for 8:00 to call Fox & Jacob’s. The rep was so rude and told me there was nothing they could/would do if we have lived in the house more than 90 days. Good thing I haven’t completed the customer service survey yet. Take that F&J! Not to mention the fact that they “forgot” to tell us that they would be building apartments practically in the middle of our neighborhood. They are suppposed to be “Luxury” from $600,000 to $1 Million, but we’ll see about that. No one is happy about that either.

D had a half day off so when he came home I suggested that since F&J wouldn’t help us we should drive around the neighborhood and look for workers that are still building in the last phase of our complex. We offered them a little cash and some cokes, and in an hour our tree was back up almost as good as new. We had tried to lift it ourselves (it’s MUCH heavier than it looks), but decided we might need some more experienced help.

In the end it all worked out, but my opinion about Centex (i.e. Fox & Jacob’s) is much changed. Seriously, how long would it have taken them make a call to send the same workers we drove around the corner and got to replant a single tree?

I am thankful our trees aren’t bigger and that we didn’t have damage to our house like my brother did a few months back. I am pretty sure they are still dealing with insurance crap and repair work.