With the holidays coming just around the corner, it’s about that time when you start to plan for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and every religious holiday that fall in and around those days. 

While the holidays are wonderful, it also means the kids are out of school and you have to think of things you could do with them —so they’re not watching 8 hours of  TV, day in and day out. 

Just recently, I wrote about 5 budget-friendly games you could play on Labor Day, but really, you could play it on any day. 

Games are a life-saver when you can’t think of anything to do or you simply just want to stay home.  Whether it’s entertaining guests or keeping your kids busy, it’s the perfect remedy to a boring day. 

So next time you go shopping, stock up on some classic games like Scrabble and Monopoly and of course get some games that are more age appropriate for your children.  When your kids get completely bored out of their minds or your party reaches a flat note, take out a game to bring some excitement to the hour!

 I can confidentely say that Bona is one the best companies out there when it comes to cleaning products.  I discovered them while shopping for my cleaning products at Living Green.  At the time, I was expecting a baby and moved into a new place that was covered in hardwood floors and there was a lot of it (at least for me).

In front of my home, they had just started demolition of a parking lot, ready to start construction on a huge luxury apartment complex.  With all the dust that was coming through the window and covering my floors, I needed an alternative cleaning solution that was non-toxic and green.

After telling my consultant at Living Green what I had needed, she introduced me to Bona products.  At first, I thought it was pricey because it was a few dollars more expensive than it’s non-green and toxic counterparts.  But because it was non-toxic and green, I thought it was worth the price.

Once I got home, I tried it out on the floor and it was amazing.  I don’t want to seem like a slob, but after the first round, the towel I was using was almost completely black.  It literally removed whatever layer that was on top of floor and I’m sure was not good for my family’s health.

Just recently,  Bona came out with Bona Hardwood Floor Mop Motion which takes Bona products to new heights.  This product makes my life so much easier than before.  With this floor mop, I can use the Bona floor cleaning solution simultaneously.  The floor mop uses sonic motion to deep clean while you can spray the floor as you go.  It’s so convenient and time-saving (it reduced my cleaning time from 30 minutes to about 15 minutes).

Top - New unused cleaning pad. Bottom - After first use.

Top - Close-up of cleaning pad after first use. Bottom - Cleaning pad under different lighting

My kids love cleaning with the floor mop because it’s super easy to use.  They love listening to the sonic buzz and they especially enjoy the fact that they can spray the floor (like a water gun) which makes it feel more like a toy than a cleaning gadget.

If you want the convenience of cleaning with a non-toxic and green product, Bona is at the top of their game.  They’re pretty much a better for you and better for the earth counterpart of The Swiffer.  I’m totally going to invest in another Bona Hardwood Floor Mop Motion, not only because I love it, but because my two kids are constantly fighting over it (plus, it doesn’t hurt to have both kids cleaning the floors).  This product retails for $49.99, but you can get it for 20% less at Bed Bath & Beyond with your store coupon!

From August 29th, 2011 until November 11th, 2011, you can also enter to win one of 11 weekly prizes in the Love Your Hardwood Floors contest.  All you have to do is answer a weekly question and wait to see if you win.  You can also enter to win the Grand Prize, a complete floor makeover worth over $3000, just by uploading a picture of your old worn floors and a story of why you should win.  To me, it sounds like a win-win situation.

(Disclosure: The Bona Hardwood Floor Mop Motion was provided for review purposes from the company and does not affect my views or feedback of the products.  This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)