Surprise! We are going to Orlando for the WEEKEND!

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So if you follow my blog or my FB you know Labor Day weekend we surprised our 5 year old with a quick weekend trip to Disney/Orlando.   Not only did she get an awesome surprise trip but she also got some dresses from Little Dress Up Shop.  She just loves those dresses!  They aren’t itchy, they wash awesomely, and they are easy for her to get on and off herself when she is playing dress up.  Oh.  And most importantly for mom.  They are reasonably priced!  This trip she had the underskirt too.  It made a difference in the heat of Florida.  Kept the dress off her and kept her cooler.  And to be honest, made the dress look even better.

As always we try new things each trip and I try to learn a little each time.  Here goes for this one…

We took a late flight Friday night with Southwest direct.  Our last few trips to MCO we have taken this flight.  Part of me loves it.  Part of me hates it.  I love the fact that it doesn’t feel like we wasted a whole day of travel down.  I don’t love that we have to pay for a hotel that night and we usually don’t get to bed until 11pm/12am.  We don’t however have to take another day off from work or school.  And we do have a later start to the day the next day.  So as you see.  The pluses and minuses kind of even themselves out to the point I usually make the jump and take that flight.

This trip was our first stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge.  We stayed at Jambo House on our DVC points.  This hotel is mainly hotel rooms and not DVC.   We did have rooms originally at Saratoga, but then rooms opened up at Animal Kingdom Kidani and then we finally ended up at Jambo because a Savannah view room opened up.   Who doesn’t want to wake up to giraffes and zebras outside their room???  The location of our room was pretty perfect.  About halfway down one of the “horseshoe shapes” of the lodge.  We got one room over from our requested room that I did from Touring Plans.   The distance of this hotel is what everyone always complains about.  I don’t feel that it was a huge issue.  It felt like about the same distance from our favorite Value resort Pop Century.  If you were doing a lot of back and forth between the parks, you might pick a different one, but in general it wouldn’t stop me from choosing this park in the future.

Our day at the Disney parks was a hard one to pick.  Inadvertently we did a 3 Park Challenge (I know.  It’s probably not a thing…Can we make it a thing?). Magic Kingdom is a must of course. We did a bunch of our favorites.  Mine Train, Dumbo, Tea Cups, Pirates, Big Thunder, Small World, Buzz and of course a visit with Rapunzel and Tiana.   Ate at Columbia Harbor House (one of my faves and one of our usuals).  We did Mobile order.  I hate doing this when we are using a gift card to pay for most of the trip and you can’t pay with gift card or charge to the room yet.   However it was a time saver.  So we went for it.  My biggest mistake in this park was I accidentally deleted our fast pass to Big Thunder when I was trying to switch one from Splash Mountain. I seriously almost cried.  Thankfully it was just a fast pass.  We all survived.  We headed out right before the parade.

Next on to Epcot.  We knew it was going to be busy and it was hot.  It was the first Saturday of Food and Wine Festival.  Dan’s requirement of this trip was Test Track.  I kept checking out the app and somehow grabbed a fast pass to Test Track at 5:35.  After the shock wore off that we didn’t have to wait one hour in line, we headed over to Soarin’.  The posted wait was 40 minutes.  It was like 20.   We had time after so we rode Living with the Land.   The original plan was to head to the countries and walk them (and the food booths) on our way out of the park to Hollywood Studios.  With the crowds, heat, threat of rain, and now our fast pass for Test Track we decided to eat at Sunshine Seasons.  The food was good.  I had a kid’s version of the salmon and that was a perfect portion for me (I miss my mom on the trips with just the three of us, all the time but lots at meal time.  We tend to share meals and I waste less).   M had pasta which she devoured and Dan had the pork.  All of us were happy.

After our Test Track fast pass, a beer for Dan, and a quick stop in the DVC lounge (free snacks and drinks!) it was off to Hollywood Studios.   We took the boat from the back of Epcot.  Not an awful option but it was warm inside that thing.  And it made a bunch of stops.  If you are in a hurry, maybe try Uber or Lyft from Beach Club.  The main goal at Hollywood studios was to watch the Star Wars fireworks and walk through Toy Story Land.  Being able to ride Toy Story Mania twice was an awesome bonus.  We actually didn’t walk much of Toy Story Land because M decided it was more important to ride twice than walk the Land.  The second time we basically walked right on.  It was pretty awesome.  After watching the awesome Star Wars fireworks we headed  to the parking lots with the masses.  It was a long day and we decided to call an Uber.  The parking lot there is currently a hot mess.  Like a huge hot mess.  It made getting out of there at the end of the night pretty awful.  The poor Uber guy also had to sit in traffic at the end of the night.  It was so much better being in an Uber though.  I can’t imagine what those busses were like.  We were in a climate controlled car, sitting and comfortable.  Was worth the $15.  I probably would have paid more.

The next day we were off to LEGOland. Dan left the hotel a little before 8 and Ubered 5 minutes to Enterprise.  We had rented through Costco and the experience with both Enterprise and Costco were good.  I feel like we got like 3 calls minimum from Enterprise making sure we were happy.   It was about an hour and 15 minutes from the hotel to LEGOland.  The park is a nice small park with lots to do for kiddos.  Probably best ages 4-8 but there is stuff to do and see for older and younger children as well.  It rained mid-day so we didn’t get to do everything we wanted but we did a lot!  They had some nice small coasters and lots of models to look at.

On the way back to the hotel we hit the Disney Vineland Character Warehouse.  Oh and the Crocs and Oakley Outlet too.   There went the “cheap” theme of the trip!   We got some good deals though!   We ate at Freddy’s (a local chain) across the street and it was similar to a Steak and Shake.  Food was good.  Ice Cream was better.

The final day was our “pool day”.  We checked our bags in at the hotel, had them hold our carry-ons and headed to Kidani to eat breakfast at Sanaa.   It’s a quick service for breakfast and you can sit and watch the animals.  Pretty darn awesome.  We hit the pool at Kidani after.  It has a nice big slide, a kiddie play area, a smaller slide, and lots of shade for this “over-protective from the sun” mom.  There is a bar at the pool side which has some sandwiches and snacks.  Not anything to write home about but it did the job for a small snack since we were having a late lunch/early dinner at Rainforest Café.  There is a nice shower and changing area up by the fitness center.  It was nice to be able to wash the chlorine off before changing for dinner and the plane ride home.  It just made me feel better the rest of the afternoon and I wasn’t as concerned about not giving Maddy a bath before school today since we didn’t get home until super late.

Rainforest Café was a nice option since we didn’t have park tickets that day and the sit-down options at Animal Kingdom Lodge are a bit much for a late lunch or light dinner.  You can still visit the location at Animal Kingdom Park without a ticket.  They have an entrance outside the park.  We are Landry’s club members and I had a few Landry’s gift cards.  We paid the balance with Disney gift cards.  They take both.  After our meal we headed back to AKL to visit the animals one last time.  And maybe have one more Mickey bar…

So the question is would I do a long weekend trip again if I found the right “deal”?  Yup.  And again.  And again.  Besides the weather delay on the way back to Pittsburgh, it was a pretty awesome weekend.  I came home exhausted, sore, and happy.  An awesome weekend.

Couponing My Way to Our Vacations…

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The last few weeks I have fielded like more question than I can count about our vacation habits.  While I get that it’s really none of people’s business (and I say that with peace and love!), I also get the curiosity.  We do like to travel a lot.  So if you have ever been curious how we do it, here are a few questions I have been asked and my answers.

Q: You go to Disney a lot, how is that possible?  It’s so expensive!

A:  Yes, yes it is.  For us the savings comes down to a lot of things.  First being our time share with Disney.  We use that as our hotel accommodations.  And, if we don’t have the points left, we stay at a value resort. Value is the cheapest, but our second favorite to the other hotels.  We also buy Disney gift cards at Giant Eagle when fuel perks are high.  I sometimes even use credit cards to buy those cards sometimes at an extra percentage of 2%-5% cash back.  We use the dining plan when it makes sense.  We don’t when it doesn’t make sense for that particular trip.  Depending on length of stay, and how soon we’ll be coming back to Disney, annual passes are sometimes a better deal than individual tickets.  Even more so when we get a discount with our Disney Vacation club/timeshare.  We get food discounts with Annual Passes and free Memory Maker (aka, they take pictures for us, a service that can be pricey when purchased a la carte, but let’s face it…when the vacation is over memories and pictures are what you have left).  We get food discounts with DVC (Disney Vacation Club).  We aren’t souvenir people, and neither is M.   We share meals sometimes.  I have groceries delivered to help with food cost for the easy things (breakfast bars, water, pop, juice boxes, etc.).  I use Southwest points to pay for our flights.  It all adds up.  Our next upcoming quick trip is costing me about $50 out of pocket (which includes a car rental for one day that we don’t usually do).  Plus food.  But, to defer the food cost a bit, I’ll be using some gift cards that I earned for free from a rebate website.

Q: All your traveling is expensive – Disney, Aruba, Vero Beach, etc.  You go to some nice places!

A: We do.  And we know we are blessed.  Each of these I have couponed my way to our vacations.  I use Websites and Apps like Ebates, Mr. Rebates, My Points, Ibotta, Fetch, Shopkicks, etc. (and if you have interest in any of these, let me know and I would be appreciative to send you a referral link!) to get cash back, gift cards, etc.  Plus regular old printed coupons.  My child has been conditioned that we probably won’t get it if we don’t have a coupon, discount or a gift card.  Extra bonus if we have all of them!  Most things go on promo eventually.  Sometimes you have to be patient.  Additionally, I shop secondhand.  A lot.  M has a ton of toys and clothes.  More that she needs I know, but a lot of that came from a garage sale, Salvation Army etc. for $1 vs the $25 it was in the store.  Including some of her birthday and Christmas gifts.  She is okay with that and I for sure am.

Q: Flying isn’t cheap.  How can you afford for all of you to go?

A: Southwest.  When the flights first become available.  Points that I have earned from our credit cards.  And I earned enough points that either M or Dan fly free for all of 2018 and 2019.  I love their companion program.  I am happy with their luggage policy.  I am happy with their direct flights to Orlando from Pittsburgh.  Just learn how to work with the system.  Ask…it’s like a sport to me, so I’m happy to share!

Q: How can you plan so far ahead?

A: I have to.  I want to show M as much of this world as I can and traveling in itself is a teaching tool.  “When you travel with your children you are giving them something that can never be taken away, experience, exposure, and a way of life” ~Pamela T Chandler~.  To do that and to do it so I can still retire someday, I do it ahead to get the cheaper flights, rates, etc.  And then I watch those rates and if they drop, I get a rebate.  And quite honestly, for Disney…you really have to.  The restaurants book up early.  By early, I mean 180 days ahead.

Sure…this is all a lot of work, but in the end, it’s worth it.  It’s a game to me.  A game that I’m really good at.

Traveling with an almost 2 year old…

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So traveling with kids is totally different at any stage, but the same too. Last week we took a trip to the beach via plane travel just the three of us, and here are a few things I found at this stage. Some were about me, some were about M and some were about my hubby. Hope these “C”lues, & “T”houghts will help other parents prepare before their next trip. I will try to throw a “L”ink in here as well…

-So what happens to your makeup during a trip??? I got up stupid early for the plane trip going and coming home. Both times I still took extra time to do hair and makeup and by the time I got to my destination I looked like a sweaty hot mess. I usually have makeup on at the end of a normal day, where does it go on the plane?!?!

-Dan and I have this balanced parenting down pretty well (except for one crazy trip to Target during the trip where we both were ready to ship her back to PA) and if one of us was frustrated, the other one does a pretty good job of having patience. It’s good for us, and good for her too.

-There isn’t much “mommy’ alone time on a trip with a 2 year old. I’m okay with that, just a fact, but something I forget sometimes. It’s true for Daddy time and M time too. M needs her alone time too. She still likes to parallel play and not really group play, so she enjoyed her beach time and digging in the sand by herself.

-On that note, everyone needs naps. M doesn’t sleep so well away from home so it took her until like the last day to sleep in the pack n play through the night. The other ones she ended up in bed with us in the middle of the night. Which meant she woke up earlier. Isn’t that what vacation is for anyway? Naps?

-You have a kid? Southwest is a great airline choice. The bag policy is needed because they have so much “stuff” and it’s great not having to pay for bags. The flight attendants were super nice to M and even though she lost her “wings” somehow on the way home, she still enjoyed the flights.

-Skip the nicer restaurants. Everyone will have a better time in a more relaxed environment. I don’t care if it’s on the beach, I don’t care if the food is high end, I just want to enjoy my meal. One of my favorite meals was at a place called BurgerFi. Check out the menu here. They are getting one where the train ride is in Ohio (See here for that post). Looking forward to getting some burgers before we go to the next ride. Fresh burgers, awesome fries, and giant onion rings. Nothing better.

-Never underestimate the kindness of strangers. Most people like kids and have patience with them. Especially other grandparents and parents. I can think of at least two great situations on this trip where I was worried that M was making too much noise and acting crazy. Both times, strangers reminded me she is a kid and most people understand that. I know that, but in the moment sometimes you forget.

-Nothing irritates me more than someone using a “Family Restroom” or the larger stall in the bathroom that has the changing table and is handicap accessible that doesn’t need it. A healthy 20 something year old male walked out of the family restroom that I had been waiting for a while in FLL. By himself and his luggage seemed to be his only handicap. I was not amused.

The most important things I found? Don’t forget to download the Disney Junior app before you go, a pack n play can be your best friend while trying to contain your kiddo in an environment that isn’t baby proof, and one good strong margarita makes everything better.

Happy Travels to all!

 

Which is better? Whole Foods or Trader Joes?

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So, we all know I’m a Trader Joe’s fan. I like Whole Foods, but I just like Trader Joe’s better. Now if Trader Joe’s would put a store in Robinson, I would be the first one in that store. No seriously. I would probably take the day off from work.

I was talking with my sister-in-law last weekend about the Whole Foods vs Trader Joes debate this weekend and then I got an article in my email the Monday after. It was a sign that I needed to write this post. It didn’t hurt that I had to talk Dan out of buying some pre processed sauce with all kinds of crap in it that I couldn’t pronounce when we were at Target this weekend. He was not happy with me. 

“C”lue-My favorite part of the whole article? “Trader Joe’s claims the following for all products under the “Trader Joe’s” brand name (which is a large percentage of food sold there): “The finest quality, natural ingredients.” NO artificial flavors, colors or preservatives, NO MSG, NO added Trans Fats.” Are they all healthy for you? No, but they are a heck of a lot better. I didn’t promise I would only eat fruits and veggies this year, just promised I would eat things that are better for me.

“L”ink-Want to read the full article? Check it out here.  I have mentioned the app fooducate before. It rocks. Again I don’t use it for every single thing, but when I’m looking for a better juice/yogurt/bread it’s the first place I check.

“T”houghts- I had to talk Dan out of buying some pre processed sauce with all kinds of crap in it that I couldn’t pronounce when we were at Target this weekend. He was not happy with me.  I don’t have time to read every single label out there, but I try when I can. And let’s be honest. There are some labels I don’t want to read. For example…I love me some Smarties candies. I don’t want to know what is in there. They are just good.

Our Trip to Sesame Place

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So we just got back from a long weekend to Sesame Place in Langhorne, PA which isn’t far from Philadelphia. Not going to do my usual “clues, tips, and thoughts” all broken out but will give you how we went about out trip and you can take what you like from it. You always learn a bit from each trip you take somewhere and get some ideas how you might change the next time! Prepare for a longer blog post!

Trip –

Day 1: Since it is about 6 hours away if we didn’t stop, this definitely isn’t a one day trip. Because of that, we decided to leave Friday morning and come back Monday morning after breakfast.  She was good in the car and I created little prize bags for her for every hour on the trip.  A board book, set of Sesame Street Characters, toys that I had gotten in kid’s meals…just little things.  After checking into our hotel, we headed to the park to get the lay of the land, ride a few rides, grab some food and even caught one of the shows. Grab a map when you get in.  Easy to miss, but ask at Guest Realtions if you can’t find them.  There we almost no lines so M was able to ride almost all of the “dry” rides (there were a few down because they had just opened Monster Land this past week and still needed a few tweaks). After dinner and a show it was back to the hotel. On the way out we scoped out a shady spot over by the Count’s Splash to stake out when we came back to ride the water rides the next day.

Day 2: Maddy decided she wasn’t sleeping in the portable crib the hotel supplied the previous night so she woke us up early at 6:30 by getting two inches from our faces saying, “Mom!” “Dan!” (She sometimes calls him what should be Dad but sounds like “Dan”…they are pretty close. You can’t blame her!). We got up and ate our free breakfast provided by the hotel.  They had everything from waffles to bacon to yogurt. All three of us were happy campers.  We then got ready and headed to the park for opening at 10. We wanted to make sure we could park our stroller and stuff in a nice shady area for the day while we enjoyed the water stuff. The bad part? The Count’s Splash Castle was ICE COLD. Soooo…after riding a dry ride while we were still dry we went off to explore the other water stuff.  We hung out at the park until about 2 and Maddy fell asleep on the way to the car.  She was out enough for me to gently scoop her into the car seat.  That night we headed to Iron Hill Brewery in Phoenixville to meet my college roommate and her family for dinner.  Good food, good friends, and good beer.  The trifecta!

Day 3: Ok, here is where I might change things next time and go…5 days with 2 full days in the park and one in the pool or somewhere an 18 month could just run. At this point she was a little short on sleep from getting up early (even though she was sleeping better in the pack n play that we switched to and put the hotel crib mattress in it to help cushion) and not taking full naps. She couldn’t touch a lot of stuff at the hotel, had to sit in a stroller a lot, and had been in a car seat for 7 hours on the way out. Too much being confined. With all that said she was still better behaved that 3rd day than some of the others we saw having full on melt downs…the beauty of going to a place full of kids under the age of 8. The other thing I might change is not going to the “special” show that Sesame Street had that weekend. M just isn’t familiar with Max and Ruby and she spent more time crawling on the bleachers than watching the show. We spent the 3rd day going on more “dry” rides and when M got sleepy we headed to the car. This time getting her into the car seat didn’t go as well.  Instead of popping her in the seat we just chilled in the air-conditioned car and M fell asleep on me. It was a good rest for Dan and I as well. We had planned on eating out of the park that night and were going to try an Italian restaurant we saw. Again maybe not the best choice. Ended up being lots of adults enjoying a good quiet Italian meal. Next time we will head to Red Robin. We finished up the night watching the parade that she loved and “spending” her treat money on an Abby doll. Heading back to the hotel for a quick swim and bed. All in all it was a good trip, but it wasn’t Disney. But is anything? 🙂

Hotel-
There are a bunch of choices that you can stay at close to SP that are considered “preferred hotels”. I chose the Comfort Inn. Few positives…
-I’m a preferred member there so with that and the AAA discount it was cheap. $105 average a night.
-They provided breakfast. It was a little buffet but all of us were happy with it. One less thing to pay for and we ended up being three doors away so it was quick in the morning too.
-New outdoor heated pool. Very nice. Almost too warm for Dan but M and I loved it. Like bath water.
-We called before we booked because I had seen some reviews on the website about a shuttle. They confirmed it would run from Memorial Day to Labor Day. This however turned into a negative. They no longer do the shuttle and the person have us wrong info.
-It says on the website that they have entertainment for the kids Friday and Saturday mornings but when we were there it was Saturday and Sunday. Face painting and balloon animals. Nice touch.
-Fridge and microwave in the rooms. Fridge was nice. Microwave not really used.
-They gave us a sheet with stuff about the area, bottle of water, and a bag of chips.  Nice touch.
-Staff was very nice and accommodating. Helped with anything we asked.

Now some negatives…
-Rooms seemed a little run down…chipping in the tub, hole in the couch, bathtub wouldn’t drain, rooms seemed high in humidity even though the ac was running. Rooms were also a little smaller than what I’m used to at a Comfort Inn
-The lack of shuttle.
-Area wasn’t the best. Besides a 7-11 and a weird Italian place, there wasn’t a lot right there.
As you can see the positives out weighed the negatives. I might look at a different hotel next time, but maybe just end up there anyway.

The park has both “Wet” and “Dry” attractions. A lot of people wore their bathing suits under their clothes. I’m not big on being squishy all day so we split it up but it’s possible.

“Dry” rides-Lots for M to ride even at her age. Dan and I were able to go on with her. There are 15 dry rides and she was able to go on 11. She even tried the bigger kid slides and was super proud of herself for going down!

“Wet” rides- Lots of baby pools and splash parks that the bigger kids and little ones can enjoy together. We went on the lazy river and they provide life jackets but it wasn’t so lazy. Be prepared for waterfalls, sprays and more! There were also a bunch of water slides but it was too cold and M was just a little too little to try them. Next time!

Shows-SP has 3 shows that are about 20 minutes long and feature the characters. M enjoyed those. She however did not enjoy their “special” show that they brought in for the weekend. I didn’t mind it because I knew the characters but if your kiddo doesn’t know them skip it. There is enough other stuff to do at the park. If your kids do like the theme of the show for the weekend jump online ahead of time and reserve. It doesn’t cost and you skip the line. Know that some of the shows are not indoors. In the shade but it was still warm. Especially when you pack people in. As for the parade (there is an afternoon and night), it was super cute! Don’t sit any further to the entrance than Abby’s surf shop. We sat closer to the firehouse and it was a great spot. The characters stop 3 times to do some dances. Take a towel, blanket or something to sit on.

Tickets-Because we were going to be there for 3 days we saved money by buying a season pass. You can look at all the ticket choices here or season pass info here. We just bought the lowest level of the season pass (Maddy was free because she was under 2). If we would have thought about it ahead of time I would have bought one of us the next level up (you can buy different members in your party different levels) because it would have saved us on parking. The middle season pass gives you free parking (would have saved us $17 a day but buy online before you go because benefits aren’t retro active!) and have saved us 30% on the dine with the characters if we had wanted to go. M isn’t too fond of the characters up close. She likes to wave and blow kisses from across the street. The lower pass did give us 30% off of food and merchandise. They have these waterproof wristbands that you can get and it loads your credit card on so when you buy stuff they just scan it. It would have been very convenient if we could load our season pass on too. But when you went to buy something to get the discount they still had to scan your pass. No use in getting a locker. We just took the minimum in valuables and were able to keep an eye on the stroller most things we did.

Food- It was amusement park food. Just okay. Nothing like Kennywood. No potato patch fries or fried Oreos. Eating is one of my favorite things at Kennywood. Can’t say that about SP. Every meal includes a drink which was kind of annoying for me. I would rather see it separate because I tend to share with Dan or M. The kids meals at half the size of the adult meals but not half he price because they come with a character plate and cup. Eh…not impressed. We didn’t try the ice cream but M did get an Elmo cupcake. I’m picky on my bake goods but this was pretty good. Also, they have a cup you can upgrade too for $2.99 with a meal. It’s then $.99 for the rest of the season for refills. Dan bought it separately for $7.99 before we knew you could upgrade. Still a good deal for us because Dan drinks a lot of Coke Zero.

All in all, it was a good trip!  Will do it again!

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Car Trip with an 18 Month Old…

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So you have heard all the tips…drive when they should be napping, take lots to keep them busy…and so on and so on.  We are heading out tomorrow for a 6 hour car trip (that’s if we don’t stop) with M.  Her longest yet.  Say some prayers!

In the meantime, here are some things we are planning…

“C”lue- Snack, iPad, little trinket for each hour if she is being good ( I wrapped them in brown paper sandwich bags…easy to wrap but still fun for her to open), her little people, books, and more!  I bought one of those I Spy Bags (Look out next week for a giveaway!) and she loves looking for little things so hoping that will help too!

“L”ink- This website has some great ideas.  We have the iPad holder (got it at Walmart) and love it! Click here.

“T”hought- Once M gets a little older, this is a great idea for the car.  Keeps things contained!  Click here.

I love Dawn Dish Soap

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So, I love Dawn.  And it’s cheap.  You can find the smaller bottles on sale at CVS for $.99 and there are always $.25 coupons so for $.74 you can use it a lot!  I like the apple scent, but any plain ones will work.  Make sure not to buy the one that makes your hands soft. Doesn’t cut the grease as well.

“C”lues- I pulled some of these from Facebook, some from my personal use and some from Pinterest
Dawn Dish Soap Use…

GREASY STAINS ON CLOTHES

My favorite use for Dawn.  Just a drop rubbed into a stain will help release the grease and bye bye stain!

GREASY HAIR PROBLEMS
Kiddos get into the darndest things! My cousin’s little one and my girlfriend’s little ones put Vaseline in their hair. Dawn is mild enough to use on their hair and strong enough to remove the most stubborn grease.

HAIR PRODUCT BUILDUP
Once a month use original Dawn as you would shampoo. It will remove excess oil from your hair and scalp and strip away any build-up of styling products without any damage. Perform this once a month and you won’t have to buy expensive salon products that do the same thing.

REPEL HOUSEPLANT INSECTS & APHID CONTROL ON TREES
A safe, effective way to repel insects from your houseplants, including aphids, spider mites and mealy bugs. Put a drop of Dawn Dishwashing Liquid in a spray bottle, fill the rest of the bottle with water, shake well, and mist your household plant and trees with the soapy water.  It’s good to rinse spray with clean water when done.

CLEAN YOUR HOUSE
Try this recipe from Merry Maids: mix 3 drops Dawn in 1 gallon water and fill a spray bottle with the solution. Spritz and wipe as you would with any window cleaner, clean ceramic tile and no-wax/linoleum floors.

You can also use the spray on: Woodwork, e.g., baseboards, shelves, and wainscoting. (Dry as you go–wood doesn’t like too much contact with water.)

PETS AND PESTS
Use it to bathe the dogs. It kills fleas on contact and is much cheaper than expensive shampoos.

CLEAN GARAGE TOOLS
After you have finished your automotive repair or house project, soak your dirty tools in Dawn before you put them away to remove all the oil and grime. Dawn also helps prevent rust from forming on the tools. Also works as a driveway cleaner after a project.  If you have gasoline or motor oil stains on your driveway, you can use the kitty litter method to clean up the excess oil and then use a scrub broom and a solution of biodegradable Dawn dishwashing detergent and warm water to safely and effectively remove excess motor oil from the pavement.

ICE PACK
Partially fill a strong zip-type sandwich bag with Dawn dishwashing liquid, close and freeze. The liquid soap stays cold much longer and it can be re-frozen many times. It will conform to the place you need an ice pack.

TUB AND SHOWER CLEANER…Check out my link here. Use this all the time.


REPEL ANTS
Dan hates bugs.  So do I for that matter.  Spray counter-tops, cupboards and any other area where you see ants with a solution of Dawn and water. Wipe dry. The slight residue of Dawn that remains will not be a problem at all for kids or pets, but ants hate it. Should you see a trail of ants, go ahead and hit them with the Dawn spray.

STRIPPING CLOTH DIAPERS
Add a squirt or two of original Dawn dish soap to your washer and run a hot wash, then rinse until there are no more bubbles. Dawn is a degreasing agent and helps stripping by removing oily residue. Be sure to rinse, rinse, rinse until the water runs clear.

UNCLOGGING TOILETS
A cup of Dawn detergent poured into a clogged toilet allowed to sit for 15 minutes and then followed with a bucket of hot water poured from waist height will clear out the toilet.

POISON IVY
Poison ivy spreads through the spread of the oil within the blisters. Washing the affected area with Dawn, especially on children who keep scratching the blister’s open, helps dry up the fluid, AND keep it from spreading.

OILY SKIN
Dawn makes a great facial cleanser for oily skin. A drop or two combined with warm water will do the trick.

PAINT OR GREASE REMOVER FOR HANDS
Dawn combined with corn oil makes for the perfect paint or grease remover. Simply combine a little bit of both in your hands then rub it over affected areas. The corn oil and the dishwashing liquid both help to dissolve the grease and paint – yet leave skin soft, unlike harsher paint removers.

CLEANING THE KIDDIE POOL
Plastic wading pools can get very gunky, very fast. Dump the water, then scrub the pool with Dawn and a sponge. More potent cleaners like bleach will weaken and dry out the plastic in the sun.  This worked great cleaning Maddy’s summer toys as well.   How about the big pool?  Squirt Dawn down the middle of the pool and all of the dirt, suntan lotion, etc. will move to the edges of the pool for easy clean up! AND it makes the pools sparkle.

MANICURE SECRET
Soak fingers in full-strength blue Dawn. It makes the cuticles soft and easy to work with. And it removes the natural oil from the fingernails, which allows the polish to adhere very well.

NON-TOXIC LUBRICANT
Sliding glass doors, door knobs, hinges etc. It lasts much longer than any aerosol type spray that I have tried. And Its non-toxic! It does a great job of cleaning the parts that its lubricating as well!  Just a tiny drop needed.

SIDEWALK DE-ICER
For icy steps and sidewalks in freezing temperatures, mix 1 teaspoon of Dawn dishwashing liquid, 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol, and 1/2 gallon hot/warm water and pour over walkways. They won’t refreeze. No more salt eating at the concrete in your sidewalks.  Must try this during the winter.

EYEGLASS DEFOGGER
Simply rub a small drop of Dawn on eyeglass lenses, and wipe clean. It will leave a very thin film that will prevent them from fogging up.  Baby Shampoo will do the same on this one.

“L”ink – Did I miss some?  Check out Pinterest for more ideas here

“T”houghts- There are lots of other dishwashing soaps, but Dawn truly is the best.  Nothing cuts the grease like it!