I love TIDE.

We purchased a new to us Bosch washer and dryer front loaders.  I am in love.  They use WAY less water than our old dinosaurs, and the washing machine is so quiet.  I have had to keep going back and checking to make sure is it running.  And I have also started using Tide.  Yes, it's expensive, but after just one wash, there was a huge difference in the color of my clothes.  Especially the whites.  It is worth it to me to pay the extra for nice bright whites.  And, because machines are still in their "novelty" stage, the boys want to help me with the laundry so much more than before.  Which is you know, great, but also not so great.  But I don't want to discourage them in any way, because one day, they are going to have to do their own laundry. 

On the note of children, we started doing "Responsibility Charts".  If they get all of their stickers for the week, they get a dollar.  So far, there has only been one week where they didn't get that dollar.  I know it's not much, but Target's dollar section is the best.  And on Saturday mornings we make a trip.  If they don't see anything they want, they can save it for something they want that is more expensive.  The whole purpose of the charts to two fold.  Learn responsibility for your things and as part of the family, and money management.  Hopefully we have lots of success.  Fingers crossed.

I am reading a book that I think I am going to have to reccomend, but more on that later.  In the mean time, I would reccomend popping over to this blog tolovehonorandvacuum.com and doing some clicking around.  She is awesome.