Honest Thoughts on ePantry and Mrs. Meyers

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I was pretty excited when I received my first shipment from ePantry a couple weeks ago. I had heard many wonderful things about Mrs. Myers Clean Day products, but they cost significantly more than what I was currently using. We have a tight budget, so if we're going to pay more than necessary for any product, we need a really good reason.

EPantry is a Corp B business which means they try to be intentional about offering environmentally friendly options. Honestly, I think you can take being "environmentally friendly" too far, but we should be good stewards of our resources.

The best thing about ePantry, though, is two-fold.

1. They offer discounts on expensive brands like Mrs. Myers, Seventh Generation, method, Toms of Maine, and more. (See all offerings under "Brands" on )
2. They ship right to your door every month - or however often you want, it's easy to skip shipments - so you don't even have to make a run to the store in order to clean your house.

I've had a GREAT experience so far with their team. If you chat with them online, you're immediately connected to a real person who gives real time responses. If you email them, they get back to you within one or two business days with an answer to your question. (I've done both of these, so I know first hand!) One time, I logged in to my account and could get a $2 credit just by telling them what my favorite childhood book was - how cool is that?

OK - so I think ePantry is pretty great, but what about the Mrs. Myers products I ordered? Will I be ordering them again?

Here's a list of the Mrs. Myers products I ordered (with the scent in parenthesis): Toilet Bowl Cleaner (Lemon Verbena), Glass Cleaner (Lemon Verbena), Tub & Tile Cleaner (Lavender), Multi-Surface Cleaner (Lemon Verbena), Dish Soap (Honeysuckle), Hand Soap (Bluebell), Air Freshener (Lavender).

Toilet Bowel Cleaner - honestly, as far as I can tell, it works just as well as anything else I've used to clean a toilet. So nothing special in that way, however, it didn't give me a headache when I used it! I don't remember when I could clean the bathroom without getting a headache - or, when I was pregnant, without getting a headache and getting nauseous. And I don't even particularly care for the Lemon Verbena scent I picked - definitely not as citrus-y as I expected. But no headache? My husband and I agree - that makes it worth the extra money right there!

Glass Cleaner - Wow. That's my reaction in one word. Using this over Windex - noticeable improvement. Mrs. Meyer's glass cleaner is the first I've tried where streakiness was practically non-existent. I'll get a different scent next time, as I don't really care for the Lemon Verbena, but the product itself works wonderfully.

Tub & Tile Cleaner - I did a test in one particularly grime-y part of our tub, simply sprayed the cleaner on and walked away for a few minutes. Then I rinsed off that spot. I could see where the impact of the cleaner hit the grime. It was clean! I had done the same test with Scrubbing Bubbles previously ... and there was no visual change. So not only does it work well, I don't get a headache when I use it. Again, that right there is worth the little bit of extra money. Also, I highly recommend the Lavender scent, so far, it's my favorite.

Multi-Surface Cleaner - It works, but I don't know that it works better than other ones I've used in the past. And this product gives me a headache, which hasn't happened with other multi-surface cleaners I've tried. It may be the Lemon Verbena scent - I think it's more concentrated in this product vs the others I've tried in this scent. ePantry has a "happiness" guarantee, which I'm in communication with them about, where they will make your experience 100% right if you're not 100% satisfied, so I really like that.
*update* they offered me a refund, but when I asked about an exchange (so I could see if it was the product or the scent that caused so much issue) they willingly agreed. As soon as I sprayed my counters with my new scent of choice (Lavender, which caused no issue in other products) I, once again, had an massive headache. So, for whatever reason, I cannot use this product from Mrs. Meyers. I let epantry know this, and said I understood if I couldn't get a refund since they already sent me a replacement product. They said their 100% happiness guarantee is just that - and they sent me a couple options of other cleaners to try. I picked the Seventh Generation Free & Clear multi-purpose cleaner. No headache. No scent. Just clean. Yahoo!

Dish Soap - Prior to this, we were using Ajax that we purchased at Sam's Club. My husband is the one who usually does the hand washing, and he said that this dish soap is more powerful (aka, he uses less for the same result) and smells better than Ajax (We got the Honeysuckle in Mrs. Myers, and were using a citrus from Ajax, which didn't smell citrus-y at all). I know I can smell it if I come over the sink after he's done cleaning and it's a nice scent. He does think that Dawn would probably work better than Ajax, though, so he's not sure if Mrs. Myers is superior to Dawn. We will price compare, and if Dawn is cheaper than Mrs. Myers we will try that first so we have a comparison that is more comparable before we decide if we will buy this product again or not.

Hand Soap - This was a freebie add-on for a promotion they were running when I joined ePantry, we haven't tried it yet as we still have a bit of hand soap we had previously purchased. Honestly, the generic stuff we're currently using works just fine, so I can't imagine this will blow us out of the water and convince us to switch products.

Air Freshener - Love this. Most air freshener's, you guessed it, give me a headache. And aren't particularly pleasing scents anyway. This does not give me a headache, and it is a nice scent. It also works. We don't use air fresheners often, so this will last us awhile, but when we do need more, I imagine we will be purchasing Mrs. Myers. Note - I have not tried using this instead of Febreeze, like a de-odorizer. We use febreeze if there is an odor we need to kill, like in the diaper pail, or the moldy smell when we first moved into our house and there was a leaky faucet. I haven't tried this to see if it would work to the same purpose or not, but it works great if you just need to freshen the smell of the room, or even if there's just a lingering odor in the kitchen you can't get rid of even though you've cleaned.

So there you have it - the good and the bad about my experience thus far with ePantry and Mrs. Myers.

Have you tried ePantry or products from Mrs. Myers? What was your experience?

Want to try ePantry for yourself? Sign up through my referral link, and you'll get a $10 credit to use on your first order!

Mrs. Meyer's original image source

If you sign up through my referral link we will both receive a $10 credit to our accounts. I was not paid to write this review and am not compensated in any other way. 

DIY: Organize Your Daughter's Hair Bows!

I don't know about you, but my daughter has SO MANY HAIR BOWS. They overflow if I have them in a container, and then I have to dig through to find the right one for the day. And she's only a toddler! And any hair ribbons? Those are a royal pain and virtually impossible to keep neat and accessible.

We were given a painting awhile back that we used for a time. Then we moved and didn't have a place for it. It was just sitting in the closet, and the frame had some scratches on it, but I don't really ever like to just get rid of things. Then, Sunday, it hit me! Here is the perfect solution so all of my daughter's hair bows are neat and easily accessible!

All I used was the frame, a staple remover, pliers (for the stubborn staples), ribbon, and hot glue. 

When I removed the backing from the painting, I noticed they had used staples to keep everything in place. That meant I didn't have to add staples or mess with taping down ribbon, so I kept as many staples as possible in place during the process. 

I did go and put a little hot glue over each staple, as some of them didn't seem very secure (I mean, we're talking about "Made in China" here, better safe than sorry).

Obviously, I used thin ribbon, doubled up. I also went straight up and down or side to side. After putting hair bows on this, I definitely recommend using a wider, thicker ribbon. It makes it easier for the hair bows to grip and not slip down. Also, I recommend shoe-stringing the ribbon. You can get the ribbon much tighter this way (this is what I did for the 2nd frame I made). 

Remember how I mentioned the frame was made in China, so I questioned it's quality? I tied a ribbon on one of the staples, and it just basically disintegrated! 

I did go back and put a dab of hot glue over all the knots I tied, just to make sure nothing came loose, and to cover the staples, in case any others wanted to do this!

As I mentioned, for frame #2 I shoe-stringed the ribbon. This made the ribbon noticeably tighter than tying it at each pass.

And there you have it! How to make your own Hair Bow Organizer! Of course, you may need to make some changes to suit your particular frame, but hopefully this gave you some ideas. 

For the hair ribbons, I decided to tie them into bows on the organizer - that way I could see ALL my ribbon options at once, and they wouldn't get tangled and spill everywhere. Boy were they a pain before - this is much better ... and cuter! 

Cute. Easy. Functional. Does it get any better? Oh yeah, built in wall art. So adorable.

Like this post? Share it with your friends! 

All about Owls

Whoooo doesn't like owls? They're cute, they're mysterious, they're super trendy. They are certainly a bird you won't forget seeing! Historically, they've also been viewed mystically as full of evil boding. We think of them as wise. Their swiveling head is surreal, and their talons: fearsome.

Did you know there are over 200 species of owl? Whoo knew?! If getting a layman's glimpse into the variety of owls piques your interest, Matt Sewell's book Owls: Our Most Charming Bird is definitely for you. The books covers 50 different kinds of owls, conveniently divided by region: Dessert Owls, Tropical Owls, Wilderness Owls, and Woodland Owls.

Each owl gets a page spread - on one page is a watercolor illustration of the owl, drawn by Matt, and the other page is his description of the bird. The owls are hardly Audubon's but they do whimsically capture the essence of the bird while being highly recognizable. The text is no more than a couple paragraphs for each bird, and is hardly scientific. In fact, the descriptions are largely fantastical, imaging birds as various concoctions of leg of newt, coal ash, and dragon fire. That doesn't mean it's all irreverent, he does also mention what makes a particular owl unique or how that particular bird was viewed historically.

My biggest disappointment with this book was its size. Like with Things I've Said to My Children, I expected a coffee table display sized book. Instead, it's small, only about 5.5"x7.5" - admittedly, given the brevity of description, it doesn't need to be larger, but the book is definitely more pocket-sized that coffee table sized.

The pages themselves are crisp, clean, minimal, allowing the focus to truly be on these magnificent, quirky, unusual birds. He even includes a "field guide" checklist at the end of the book, in case you want to go searching for these solitary birds, so you can mark which ones you see.

As with most books on nature, there are comments assuming evolution as fact and jabs at humans if a habitat is diminishing. All in all, though, if you are looking for an amusing take on these distinguished birds, and not a scientific one, this is sure to be an enjoyable addition to your library.

And, not going to lie, the artwork is totally frameable and would be super cute as a collage on a wall. Even if you don't like the descriptions, it could be worth the purchase just for the gallery you'd get. Or buy two copies. The gallery idea is really enticing. Just saying.

I received a complimentary copy of Owls from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest opinion. This post does contain affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I may receive a small commission for referring business. Thank you for your support!

Sing Freedom! (A True Story)

History is filled with unusual events. We are, alas, familiar with war and bloodshed and countries vie against each other, or seek independence. What is less common are successful, peaceful protests that have lasting national effect - Estonia truly must have a story like no other nation.

Sing Freedom! A Country Wins it's Freedom Through Song is a tastefully written and illustrated book for children about the true story of the unique singing revolution in Estonia that freed the nation without bloodshed. Seriously? The nation won independence through song, not war. Crazy! The story is easy to understand, but there is a glossary in the back of the book for potential problem words. The pictures are well done and easily communicate mood. 

I highly recommend this book. I received a complimentary ebook in exchange for my honest review, but like the book so much I want to get a printed copy! This is a great book to add your home library and use in your elementary homeschool or classroom!

This post does contain affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I may receive commission for referring business. Thank you for your support!

The Creep Factor {and Existing Double Standard}

Women, how many of you have encountered something like the following? You're out watching a movie and hear guys behind you making comments about the woman on the screen. You're scrolling through facebook and see a couple guys going on about the hot waitress who served them last night. A couple old guys are sitting in front of Cracker Barrel ogling the women who walk by.

I bet you're mad. Furious. Creeped out. Maybe you even give them a piece of your mind.


But how many times has something like this shown up in your facebook feed amid likes and laughs and encouragement?

 "That's funny," we might see written, or "you go girl!" 

Why?

Why are we upset or grossed out by the one, but not the other?

Why is the reaction any different when it comes from a woman?

It shouldn't be.

There should be no complacency when it comes to females doing the same thing we abhor from males.

We have a cultural double standard, it seems. Women can do whatever they want sexually like this, because women were subjugated and now we're empowered. We need to show the men that we're equal to them - by degrading them into sex objects? 

Since when did equality mean degradation? 

I know, some of you will tell me I need to lighten up, that I'm too serious.

But this IS serious. 

Even if the spirit is one of jest, how would you feel if a man made that kind of joke about a woman? It's inappropriate, and it's not becoming. Especially not for a Christian. 

We are called to be set apart. To be different. To be holy. 

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Things I've Said to My Children

By now, you've probably seen the posters on the internet that graphic designer Nathan Ripperger has shared of bizarre things that left his mouth because of his children. He also sells the prints on Etsy for about $12 a piece.

But if you love his work in this area, there's really not much to see. I mean. The same posters appear everywhere with pretty much no variety. And, if you're a parent like me, you know this can't be because he's only said a handful of weird things to his kids. If this has bummed you out, his book is releasing today!

This book features all the ones that pop up on the internet, plus many new ones. While the book is 96 pages, with only a handful of words on each page, it goes by fast. And some of the graphics are double spreads. 

So here's the thing: if you love what you've seen from him so far, you'll love this book. And with a list price of $15, this is the route the go. You couldn't buy two of his prints for this price! If you are amused, but don't love his work, I'd skip it. This is the camp I fall in. The posters mildly amuse me, but just don't really strike my funny bone. 

Honestly, though, the biggest thing I am disappointed in is the size of the book. I was expecting a large coffee table kind of book. The kind you can set out that sparks interest and conversation. This is a rather small volume considering it contains poster-type images on every page, measuring just over 8x7 (but over half and inch thick). 

Still, the volume isn't too small to appreciate his graphic talent, and, honestly, if you want some of his prints for the wall, these are of frameable quality, if you're ok with their size. Some of these could be pretty cute in a playroom collage, reminding all parents that kids really do bring out the bizarrest phrases from us. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest opinion. This post does contain affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I may receive commission for referring business. Thank you for your support!

The Best Survey Site

Surveys are often touted as a great way to make some extra income on the side. I'm been participating in surveys off and on since I was in college. Quite honestly, most are less than impressive. When I first started taking surveys there was discrepancy between how much your points would get you in actual dollar value.

This meant some survey sites were great and others were less than stellar. It was also common for there to be a tiered system, meaning, the longer you held on to your points waiting to redeem, the more value you would get for your points.

This is not true anymore.

Point values have largely been standardized. Basically one point = one penny. So whether you are going through Swagbucks or Ipsos (the two I still actually do recommend) you're honestly largely looking at a waste of your time. Is 90 points for a 30 minute survey really worth it? That means you're making $1.80/hour. Or 45 points for a 20 minute survey - $1.35/hour. We're talking really meager pickins.

I participate in these when I have to be stuck sitting down ... which pretty much means, when I have to pump, or maybe during lunch. I mean, if I HAVE to be immobile for a few hours a day when I can't do much anyway, I might as well make that time count for something. So I do these surveys, and I read.

My by-far favorite survey site, though, is YouGov. The reasons why this one is superior are manifold.

• If they send you a survey, you pre-qualify. None of this taking 10 minutes to answer a bunch of questions and then get a consolation penny or nickel. Instead of one point equally one penny, however, it takes twelve points to make a penny. Even so, this is a better deal than the other sites! Read on to see how
• Every survey earns you at least 500 points. This means about $0.42/survey
• Their surveys ALWAYS take me less time to complete than they estimate. This is almost unheard of. Most survey sites say "20 minutes" ... it may take 20 minutes, but many times I'm going ok this is definitely more like 30 minutes ... or more. Additional time for no extra points decreases value.
• YouGov usually estimates their surveys to take 5-10 minutes to complete. This means you're making $2.50-$5.00/hour. Except usually the surveys don't even take me that long, which is a value adder. Score! This is easily double (or more!) the other survey sites out there I've found. I consider that significant.
• The options for redeeming your points aren't exhaustive, but they're still helpful - Michael's, CVS, Regal Cinemas, Lowes, Old Navy, Target, and more are all options for gift card redemption. (Note: I usually redeem in the 30,000 points for $25 gift card, 60,000 for $50 gift card is the same point value as the former, but takes longer to achieve. The store options do differ though. The best point to dollar value is the 100,000 for $100, if you don't mind waiting that long for redemption.)

For a long time I was super sporadic in answering these surveys, so it took me a long time (read, years) to earn enough for a $25 gift card. I changed my settings now to get survey invitations as frequently as possible. That was one month ago, and I'm already over a quarter of the way to my next $25 gift card!

This isn't your get-rich-quick-site, but it is a way to easily bring in an extra $100/year without much time or effort. That's nothing to sneeze at. They take marginal time, are actually enjoyable, and don't waste my time. This is one survey site I heartily recommend to everyone.

I like using my points for Regal gift cards. Going to movies isn't something that is in our budget - it's so expensive! - but it's something my husband really likes doing. This way we can have free date nights...Woohoo! 

Bonus! If you sign up through my referral link, you'll earn an extra 2,000 points ($1.67) once you complete 3 surveys, putting you that much closer to earning your first gift card. It doesn't get much better than that, does it?

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By signing up through my referral link, we both will receive 2,000 points credited to our accounts upon completion of your first 3 surveys. YouGov did not ask me to write this post and is providing me no further compensation. This post does contain affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I may receive compensation for referring business. All opinions are my own. Thank you for your support!