Mom's Tried and Tested

November 5, 2019

Belvedere Home Natural Scented Soy Candles, Decorative Tin Set of 4 Giveaway Ends 11/15/2019

We are giving one lucky individual the chance to win this gorgeous Belvedere Home Natural Scented Soy Candles Decorative Tin Set of 4 Candles. These beautiful tins are reusable for a myriad of purposes once the relaxing aromatherapy scents of lavender, rose, ocean, and orange finishes burning.

This giveaway is part of the SMGN Holiday Gift Guide. Be sure to visit to find great products and giveaways for all of your holiday gift-giving this year.

READ OUR REVIEW HERE

Giveaway Details

The giveaway is open to residents age 18+ of the United States only. The giveaway begins at 8:00 a.m. Eastern on November 1, 2019, and ends at 11:59 p.m. Eastern on November 15, 2019. Void where prohibited. Only one entrant per household. In addition to the regular entries, there are daily entries as well to give you more entries into the giveaway. Winner will be chosen at random from all verified entries.

Enter the Giveaway!

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Giveaway Disclosure

This giveaway is in no way endorsed, affiliated, or associated with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other social media networking site. This giveaway is valid in the United States only and entrants must be 18+ years of age to enter. This giveaway ends at 11:59 PM (Eastern) on 11/15/2019. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email sent from kimatliah@gmail.com or a new winner will be drawn. You may want to put this email address in your safe sender list as it could go to spam. The sponsor is responsible for shipping of the prize to the winner. No bloggers associated with this contest are responsible for prize fulfillment. If you would like to be a sponsor of a giveaway like this, please email Kim Miller.

April 13, 2016

Tips on using the public bathroom with your kids

I am a stay-at-home mom but I like going out with my kids at least three times a week. That includes buying groceries, refilling at the gas station, going to the library, park or wherever my daughter likes, some window shopping for relaxation and just roaming around looking for clearance items. LOL.

The only thing I do not like about going out is the part when my daughter wants to go to the bathroom. Oh yes! She can be very demanding when she's in the bathroom. "Lock the door immediately", "Do not look!", "Put tissue here, here and here!", "Can you give me more wipes, please?", "Can I touch this and that?", "Make sure somebody does not come in". Oh my. I have a baby on one hand but I have to like obey my other daughter's commands in an instant. But what scares me the most is when she says, "I want to sit!".

It's even harder for me because I think I have OCD so I just don't touch anything, and I do not let her do the same! The thought of germs are killing me already. That's why I came up with some tips about using the public restrooms with your kids.

1) Before roaming around the store, be familiar with the amenities. Know where the bathroom is so you won't have to go searching when your kids demand a break.

2) Tell them that they need to say in advance if they feel the urge to go to the bathroom. This maybe hard because sometimes, they just need to go. But there's no harm trying, who knows, you can have 5 minutes to walk and not rush yourself to the bathroom.

3) Bring a lot of wipes! Not just for cleaning the you-know-what. Wipe the knob, the 'seat' and anything they might touch. Better yet, consider getting a potty cover. I got a few samples and I like how it makes me feel that my daughter can safely use the bathroom. It's available at Amazon for about a dollar each. They are individually wrapped to avoid contamination and so it'll be easier to put in a bag. I don't use it every time, just when I am in a hurry and can't really help my kid. As I said, most of the time, I have another baby to look after.

4) Wash hands before and after using the bathroom. For after it's no-brainer, but why before? Because I bet s/he already touched some other stuff (how about the door knob?) and s/he can avoid spreading it on her body by doing so.

It's not just the germs on her hands that worry me, it's the kind of illnesses like UTI perhaps (though UTI is not really an illness, but you get what I mean, right? Those tips only applies when you're out with your kids, but perhaps not at school. And also, don't worry if you're not as OC when your kids uses public restrooms, I just hope to you bathe them once you get home. :)

How about you, what do you teach your kids when using public restrooms?

April 3, 2016

When to replace AC and furnace filter

If you still haven't, now is the time to replace your furnace filters. This prevents dust from building up in your old one and releasing them in your home. If you notice dust particles on top of your shelves or glass stuff really quick, ~~not that I am saying it's the only cause but~~ that could mean your filter is filthy. I experience it like almost everyday, even after vacuuming and wiping! OMG. I remember it wasn't like that before. And then my husband said it's because he hasn't replace the filters. And I was like, "Seriously?! We have a baby!".

I've read people change their filter twice a year while some change theirs every 60-90 days. When and how often you should replace your filters depend on several factors:

If you are expecting, you have a baby or kids at home.
If you have respiratory-related illnesses
If you have allergies
After a recent construction at home
Before you turn on your heater
After using your heater/Before you turn on your AC
At anytime, after checking if your filter and filthy

There's a lot more advantage to replacing your filters than not. I only know one disadvantage of replacing furnace filters, if it's expensive! Oh yes, sometimes they're just way out of your budget. But these kinds that could affect your health should not be compromised. There are a lot of different kinds available in the market especially online where you can find affordable furnace filter.

What I recently provided a 6-pack (Yes, six!) of MERV 8 furnace filters from Aerostar to review. I think the quality's fair for the price. Each has pleated electrostatically charged synthetic materialsupported by very thick neatly cut cardboard. It's fairly thick and I found no holes on the filter. If you prefer higher MERV ratings (the higher, the better!), check out their product page here.

I read indoor pollution is worst than the outdoor and I believe that. So I want to know, when was the last time you changed yours?