Category: 2015

2015 · activities · christmas · decorations · diy · toddler

Paper plate Christmas trees, 2 ways. {Toddler Craft}

JustBindy1 Comment

Hello lovelies!
Yesterday we had a day that was so terrific it deserves a blog post. 
I recently wrote a very honest blog post about feeling like I lost some of the sparkle out my life, I was trying to get it back – it was almost there… But not just yet. 
But yesterday, that day sparkled and it sparkled hard. Maybe it was the fact LuLu used most of the contents of a huge gold glitter shaker or maybe it was because yesterday was just really, really lovely.
Now, the day didn’t start off super splendid. My day had started at 5am when Trent got up for work and then we were all up. Thankfully I was able to persuade LuLu to have snuggles for an extra hour, but she was pretty insistent that I get up and make her some breakfast.
Now at the time I often do not enjoy dragging myself out of bed, but I do actually love getting up early, especially in the warmer months. I can get lots of jobs done when it’s nice and cool (before the Summer heat kicks in) and I just feel very productive which in turn makes me feel great.
Anyway, we had an early start on the day, not by choice – but I am glad we did…
I got my jobs for the day out of the way early and then I decided LuLu and I would attempt a Christmas craft. Our first Christmas craft.
We made paper plate Christmas trees in 2 styles. We made 1 of each for our house, my parents and for my Nin. These sweet little crafts make lovely little gifts to Grandparents from your child, we delivered the finished product to my Mum yesterday afternoon and it was hung straight away on the fridge. 

Our sparkly Christmas trees. 

I just used items I had laying around the house so you could do this too with your littlies. 

For this craft you will need;

  • Paper plates
  • Scissors
  • Stapler/tape
  • Green paint
  • Glitter, embellishments, pom poms – anything you have laying around.
  • Optional – magnet. (Attach to back with glue or tape after child has finished decorating, for easy display on a fridge)
Directions;
For the flat layered Christmas tree I just cut 3 triangle shapes out of a plate and stapled them together. After cutting out 3 of the same shaped triangle you are left with 1 very small triangle, I used this as the trunk and just stapled it all together.
For the cone shaped Christmas tree, I cut a section of the plate out and then just formed a cone shape and stapled it together. You could also cut the plate in half and then shape a cone out of the half. 
Sorry I didn’t really use a pattern, I just free handed everything. So it was all trial and error and they are by no means cut out perfectly. I actually didn’t plan to blog about them either which is why I didn’t take photos of all the steps. And just a note, when buying paper plates, find the cheapest ones possible. The more expensive ones tend to have a clear coating over them, you want proper paper plates to do crafts with.
Step 1; Do not squeeze your paint tubes so hard the nozzle end shots off and into the cup of paint. Great start to the project Bindy, good job Pinterest Mum… 
Next I just gave LuLu a pot of green paint (I mixed some craft paint I had with a green glitter paint) and let her paint all the trees. She did incredibly well, this was her first ever Christmas craft.
The paint needed to be applied very thickly in LuLu’s opinion. 
While we let the trees dry we went outside for a play, to hang out the laundry and to check out our tomato bushes. We picked the little tomatoes and sat in the sun and ate them… Yum!
Yummy home grown tomatoes – the perfect snack for in the back yard.
After the trees were dry (“I had distracted LuLu long enough to let them dry as much as they could”) I set LuLu up to decorate her trees. I gave her a pot of craft glue and a paint brush, a box of embellishments like old ribbon, cut up pipe cleaners, pom poms, sequins and her favourite decorative touch – the gold glitter shaker.
Now I warn you, if you do this and want to use glitter – be prepared it will get messy. Ours did – there was glitter everywhere. And that is ok. LuLu was having fun and in my opinion glitter is the prettiest mess you can have.
I personally think the glitter adds a nice festive touch to the floor and this maybe a new favourite photo of mine.
I sat there in awe watching her dip her brush into the glue and paint the tree, carefully picking out sequins to push into the glob of white glue and then grabbing the shaker and covering the tree, the table and the floor in gold glitter. Moments like this are what I dreamed of being a Mumma. Just having fun, doing crafts, making memories and a mess and just being together. 
LuLu took decorating her trees very,very seriously. Every tree (& the table & floor) needed a good healthy dose of gold glitter.
Our craft table afterwards. Clean up was pretty easy. I picked up the pieces I wanted to save/reuse, cleared the table, rolled up and tossed away the drawing paper that covers the table and did a quick vacuum. Easy! We then went and jumped in the pool to clean and cool ourselves. 
One of LuLu’s masterpiece proudly displayed on Ninna and Poppa’s fridge.
That sparkle, I love it and it’s coming back, in full force. We take our sparkle very seriously.

I encourage you to have a go at this super simple craft and let me know how you go. I would love to see the photos of your little ones masterpieces. 
If you don’t have any green paint at home, making home made paint is super easy, check out my recipe HERE.
I also have a Pinterest board full of Toddler Christmas craft ideas that you can check out HERE.
Also, I have a give away running on THIS post, so make sure you check it out and ENTER! (2 days left to enter!)
Have a lovely weekend and if you do this craft, share your trees with me on my social media.
Facebook; Modern Wife Life 31
Instagram; @Modernwifelife31
Twitter; @Modernwifelife3
Snap Chat; Bindy_30

2015 · bullets · christmas · craft · diy · housewife to huntress · shooting & hunting · video · youtube

Tutorial; Recycled Ammo Christmas Bauble {VIDEO}

JustBindyLeave a comment

Hello!
It’s nearly Christmas – it’s nearly Christmas! Ok, a little while to go – but it’s close… 
I tried to keep the Christmas posts until December – I did… But I did this awesome craft over the weekend & it’s super basic, but I am in love with it – it takes next to no time at all (can totally be done during your child’s nap time!) and I was so excited about it – I filmed a video. Yes, I FILMED A VIDEO! And I have been so excited to share it with you all… So I am sharing a Christmas craft tutorial – in November… But hey, it’s late November – so that is ok, right? 
Oh heck, even if it isn’t right – I am proudly waving my festive freak flag! 
Now, I know this may not appeal to everyone – but the beauty of this craft is you can totally customise it to your own taste… You can add whatever you like…
I made “recycled ammo Christmas baubles” or “bullet baubles”… 

But you could add into the bauble anything you love… 
I know a lot of people don’t have surplus of empty shells laying around like I do – but I know some of my readers are fellow hunters & shooters.
This ornament would also be a great addition to a gift you are giving to someone who maybe interested in hunting or shooting. Just wrap the gift in brown paper, tie with brown string and attach the bauble – I think it would look really great. 
This is the perfect ornament for “manly men” – my husband, brothers & Dad don’t care that much for Christmas decorations – they just go along with whatever is put out or on the tree – but they thought these were really cool. And because it’s made from empty shells, bullets they actually shot – it makes it a little more special. 
The baubles I used are from Lincraft and I got them when they were on a 50% off Christmas stock – I can’t remember the exact price but I am positive they were under $4. I’ve also seen clear shatterproof baubles at some cheap stores.
So here is the tutorial, (if by chance the video isn’t showing up please click HERE)


I really love how these turned out. I made 4. 1 for our tree, 1 each for my brothers & their girlfriends and 1 for my parents. They were all really impressed with them.

If you recreate this craft, please send me a photo on one on my social media – I would love to see!!
Facebook; Modern Wife Life 31
Instagram; @Modernwifelife31
Twitter; @Modernwifelife3
Have a wonderful day! 

2015 · blogtober · LuLu

Day 9; Flashback Friday. {Blogging Challenge}

JustBindyLeave a comment

Day 9; Throwback Thursday. Flashback Friday.

My little girl turns 2 in 9 days. 2. TWO! My girl who was a teeny tiny little newborn that I feel like was just in my tummy is turning 2. 
I will be a Mumma of a 2 year old…
As you can tell I haven’t fully come to terms with this. I am always so thankful each day we wake up together that we are both healthy and growing older every day, but at the same time some days I miss those tiny newborn days. The constant feeding & cuddling. The hours that would drift by as we both just sat in the feeding chair getting to know each other. Thankfully she is still a snuggly little girl, but she is also active, fun, wild and so smart. Everyday for her whole life she has amazed me at what she knows and understands. I am so lucky to be her Mumma, as much as I would love to rewind the past 2 years and play them again or even just have 1 more day with my newborn LuLu, I am so excited to have a little 2 year old. 
This is where I may end this blogging challenge for now. Not because I am not enjoying it, but life is going to get crazy busy over the next week and I want to solely focus on preparing LuLu’s big girl room and also finishing off her birthday decorations. 
I will update on instagram and facebook when possible but for now, I think I’ll have a week off to focus on celebrating my darling girl, the light of our lives.
Talk soon,

2015 · birthday · blogtober · truth

Day 7; 27 lessons I’ve learned in 27 years. {Blogging Challenge}

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Day 7; Seven lessons I’ve learned so far this year…  27 lessons I’ve learned in 27 years.
I am going to alter this one a bit… Last week was my birthday, I turned 27. So I thought I would write 27 things I’ve learned so far in my life…

  1. “I spent a lot of years running from believing and looking for another way to save my soul. The longer I’ve lived the more I see it, there is only one way home” (John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16 – Keith Urban) For me, knowing God & Jesus has been a wonderful & a beautiful positive in my life. I don’t have to fully understand everything about God to love him. I am so grateful for the life I have. I trust in God, but this does not make me immune to hard times & hurt. But He does give me strength to get through those times.
  2. Honesty is always best.
  3. Let go of anger, hate, resentment, bitterness – just let it go. It lightens your load, your soul feels free and your life becomes sweeter. So forgive when you can.
  4. You cannot change people. You can’t change their type of crazy, their behaviour, their perspective or opinions. You don’t have to understand them or always agree with them, but try to be respectful. Just focus on those who love & care for you, those who understand your choices & listen to what you have to say. Don’t waste time with those who don’t see your worth. 
  5. Celebrate everything, make it an occasion – invite the family, take photos. One day those memories and photos maybe treasured. 
  6. Leave your past where it is, make peace with it. You can’t change it. If you are unhappy with choices, situations & actions you’ve made – let them go, make sure it never happens again, but don’t dwell on the past it will just mess up your present. 
  7. The key to happiness is being content more so than getting what you want. Happiness is always a choice and it’s always a matter of perspective. If you keep searching for reasons & things to make you happy, you’ll never be happy. Learning to be content with what you have now – will bring you happiness. Things do not equal happiness.
  8. Team work, mutual sacrifice, forgiveness and love are the keys to a strong marriage. 
  9. Setting boundaries & standards for everything in life is important & makes true freedom a possibility. The way people treat you, your behaviour & reactions, how much you spend/eat/drink/work/play etc. Self control & control of situations you open yourself up to, is important. 
  10. Never let fear stop you from doing something you can’t stop thinking about. You will never be 100% ready to start something, you just have to learn to deal with the awkwardness, nerves & fears – just do it!
  11. You will never regret being generous or helping some one.
  12. Praying is more about listening to God, not just handing Him a list to fix or talking endlessly. 
  13. Over prepare for every occasion, event & outing. Then just go with the flow.
  14. Try to control your words. It’s better to have a moment of biting your tongue than saying something you can’t take back. (I am still working on this)
  15. Your instinct is normally right, if you feel uneasy about a situation, place or person – your feeling is normally right. Walk away.
  16. Be kind as much as you can. Kindness is so important.
  17. Cry if you want. 
  18. Your children only have 1 childhood, do everything in your power to make it positive & memorable. 
  19. Treat others how you want to be treated. It’s a simple & basic principle taught at primary school. Also treat your spouse how you would want your child to treat & be treated by their future spouse.
  20. Your mind controls your life. Positivity and negativity come from the same place, your thoughts. Fill your mind with positivity & your life will change. 
  21. Drink water. Lots of water – make it your drink of choice. Your body will love you for it.
  22. Surround yourself with people who build you up. People who you connect with, that have good energy, good vibes and people that will teach you new things & help you grow.
  23. Use your special perfume, put the good linen out, burn the special candle, drink the special bottle of wine. Don’t wait for “some day special”, the present is special.
  24. Only own things you find to be useful, beautiful & special. Discard the rest. 
  25. Record as much as you can. Write it down, photograph it, film it – live in the moment, but don’t forget to capture it somehow – one day that captured moment could bring you so much joy.
  26. Always have a book you are reading. Read when you can, feed your mind.
  27. Count your blessings daily. This life is a gift. 

I am so happy to be another year older, the way I see it growing older is much better than the alternative – dying young.
Every day on this earth, in this life is a gift & I am so grateful for it, even the hard days. The hard & hurtful times just make the great times that much sweeter.

2015 · blogtober

Day 6; My pet peeves… {Blogging Challenge}

JustBindyLeave a comment

Day 6; 6 Pet Peeves…
Right… Pet peeves, annoyances, things that irk me… 

  1. Lies.
    This is my number 1 thing I hate. I cannot stand it. I have ended friendships with people because they continually lied to my face, I hate being lied to. And I can tell 98% of the time if someone is lying to me. It makes me sick that someone can stand there and lie to my face. 
  2. A messy house.
    Well, my house. If it isn’t at a certain standard of clean I almost lose my mind. Clean freak? Yes, that’s me…
  3. Bad drivers.
    Enough said – I think everyone gets frustrated by some drivers on the road.
  4. People who don’t respect personal space.
    You know those people who stand in line behind you at a store, like they could almost lick your neck they are that close – GET AWAY FROM ME! Personal bubble buddy, personal bubble. 
  5. Being unprepared & having things happen at the last minute.
    Now I am ok sometimes for the odd last minute invite or surprise drop in, but most of the time I like to have everything planned out. So that way I am prepared in every way possible.
  6. People who lack common sense, basic life smarts, manners & tact.
    I am a huge fan of just good, honest, life smart, well mannered, down to earth & humble people. People that know how to do things, that aren’t silly & ditzy or immature, that aren’t rude & disrespectful and you can have an intelligent and good conversation with without wanting to strangle them. 
So they are my top 6 pet peeves.
What are yours? Let me know!

2015 · blogtober

Day 5; Top 5 favourite movies… {Blogging Challenge}

JustBindy1 Comment

Day 5; Top 5 favourite movies…
Ok, if you have been a reader/follower of my blog/s, social media etc. You will know I am a huge movie fan. I have a DVD collection that could revival a video shop – hold on DVD shop, wait… Do they even exist anymore? I only know of 1 DVD rental place left in our town! 
Anyway, I love movies. 
Narrowing it down to my top 5… Gee, that’s hard. Really, really hard. But let’s try…

1. The Blind Side. 
I love, love, love this film. 
2. Milo and Otis.
What can I say, this movie still blows my mind how they filmed it. I have loved this film since I was a child. I love watching it with LuLu.
3. The Help.
Just brilliant, I really enjoy this story.
4. The Others.
I do love a good thriller & this one is one I’ve watched for years. 
5. A League of Their Own.
Amazing, brilliant – I just love this movie. I’ve been watching it since I was a little girl.

Now for some honourable mentions…

Hocus Pocus  – best Halloween movie!
Cinderella – Both the original and the current version are so lovely.
About Time – I really like time travel movies. Age of Adaline is also lovely.
Step Mom – It is such a sad but nice movie, but I really love it.
Steel Magnolias – I do love a good a Dolly Parton movie. 
8 Seconds – A movie we’ve been watching in my family for years!
Almost Famous – When I lived alone and was 19 I would watch this movie almost every weekend.
Lawless – I really enjoyed this movie and have re-watched it a few times. 
The Vow – Such a sweet movie, I love all those Rachel McAdams movies. 
What To Expect When You’re Expecting – I watched this a bit when I was pregnant, it was actually very relatable for me in a handful of the scenarios.

Now I also have a little but growing collection of Christian movies, I really enjoy them. They are good & honest movies with lovely meanings to them.
I thought I would include a photo of my small collection, I have watched all of these and re-watched a few 3 or 4 more times. 

(Also I realise some people don’t like “Noah” the movie, I agree that parts of it aren’t very true to text or nice… It was a good movie, but not very true to the Biblical version. For entertainment purposes it was ok, but I do agree that some of the “Hollywood additions” took away from what is, a very important Bible story and made it almost, mythical/unbelievable – perhaps?) 
The top favourites for me were…
God’s Not Dead.
Mom’s Night Out.
Heaven Is For Real.
Facing The Giants.

I also have a fairly decent horror movie collection and a wonderful Christmas movie collection. If you would like to see either of those make sure you let me know!
I hope you enjoyed this list and possibly found some new movies to check out! 
Let me know what your favourite movies are! 
Facebook; Modern Wife Life 31
Instagram; @Modernwifelife31
Twitter; @Modernwifelife3

2015 · blogtober

Day 4; The story behind my blog name… {Blogging Challenge}

JustBindy1 Comment

Day 4; The story behind my blog name…
I actually get asked regularly what made me create a new website, why did I rename my blog, why I chose Modern Wife Life31 and what does the 31 stand for?
So let me shed some light…
I created a new blog at the start of this year (2015) because I wanted to start fresh. 
It sounds cliche but since having my daughter I feel I am a different person, I have different ideals & values and I feel my blogging style has changed a lot. I wanted a new space to display that, so I was brave and created a whole entire new site. My original blog “Bella In Bindyland” is still active and I am not ashamed of any of the work I did over there, but it was time for a change – a fresh start. 
Now for what made me pick this name… Well, it was the product of me brain storming with 2 friends. I had spoken to them about creating a new blog back in December of 2014, I kept having a really strong urge to write again. I had just taken over year off to spend with LuLu after she was born, but I felt I was ready to get back into writing. I wanted to create a blog that was about being a wife, mothering, life & trying to encourage & inspire other Mums and wives. Giving parents fun ideas to do with their little loves, displaying cool new products, sharing recipes (I am not a food blogger though), sharing household tips and occasionally sharing snippets of our lives. I needed a name that reflected that, a name that summed me up. I love being a house wife, I love being a Mumma and I love having this platform to speak to you all on. 
My friend sent me a list of great name ideas (she is a creative genius) and I showed it to another friend and we decided “Modern Wife Life” was perfect. I added the 31 for myself, a nod to my favourite Proverb, something that every time I saw my blog name I was reminded of the woman I aspire to be, to remind me to keep this place positive & encouraging. 

I also have another section of this blog I occasionally write about, my “Housewife to Huntress” – this name was once again brain stormed with my super smart & amazing friend. The name speaks for itself, I enjoy hunting, it’s something I want to do more of (one day, hunting kind of has taken a back seat – being a Mumma comes first!) and I enjoy practicing shooting targets. This series is about documenting my journey from being a “Housewife to Huntress”.
Now I have been back blogging for about 10 months… And guess what? Recently I have been having a really strong urge to sit down and talk to a camera again… Yes, film videos again!! So I’m trying to heal my voice (I have laryngitis – fun times) and once I’m better, if I still feel like it – I will try to get back into filming some videos!
Let me know what you think about that, would you want to watch videos by me? If so, what sort of videos? 
So I hope this has explained to you, why my blog is called “Modern Wife Life31”. If you have any further questions please feel free to ask!
Facebook; Modern Wife Life 31
Instagram; @Modernwifelife31
Twitter; @Modernwifelife3

2015 · blogtober

Day 2; Thankful Thursday… {Blogging Challenge}

JustBindy1 Comment

Hello, 
I am back for Day 2 of the blogging challenge.
This is one of those that doesn’t really line up, as it’s a “Thankful Thursday”, in Australia the 2nd of October is today and it is Friday…
But anyway, I like the idea of always being thankful, so let’s just pretend it’s Thursday.
What I am thankful for?
Every single thing in my life, the good & the bad. 
My serious and genuine reasons I am thankful for & thank God daily for are…
My husband, my daughter, my family, my friends, my pets, my home, our very lovely lifestyle, my health and my families health. Clean water, fresh air and that my husband has a good job. I am also thankful for this blog, the platform it has given me, the opportunities that come from it, the people I have met and the creativity it allows me to express. 
My shallow, first world & kind of trivial reasons I am thankful are…
My Thermomix, technology & the internet, my iPhone, our pool, my car, our ducted air con in Summer, makeup, chocolate & cake and epidurals. 

So what are you thankful for?
I would love to know, leave a comment below or on one of my social media accounts!
Facebook; Modern Wife Life 31
Instagram; @Modernwifelife31
Twitter; @Modernwifelife3
Also I am on SnapChat; Bindy_30

2015 · blogtober

Day 1; My goals for October… {Blogging Challenge}

JustBindy1 Comment

3 blogs in 1 week, what? What is going on? Well, be prepared for more!
If you follow me on instagram, you’ll notice I just uploaded an October Blogging Challenge image… 

Basically it is prompts to blog every day in October… 
I did something similar about 3 years ago over on my first blog, Bella In Bindyland & I really enjoyed it. That being said I didn’t have a 2 year old to chase after then! 
But I want to do this… I enjoy writing & having something creative to do everyday. Some days I may stray from the prompts, but for the most of it I will use them, some posts maybe just uploaded on social media as I don’t think my “outfit of the days” are worthy of a whole blog post! I also may miss a day here & there, so I apologise in advance if I skip a few! But I am going to try my best!
So let’s do this…
Day 1;
Your goals for October…
My goals this month is too firstly get well. I’ve been unwell now for a weeks, it started as a cold, then sinus infection, then I thought I was well and just the other day I got told I had laryngitis – fun times. So I feel awesome right now <- that there is sarcasm. So my main focus for the next few days is trying to get better so LuLu has her fun, energetic and patient Mumma back again.
My next main focus, is LuLu’s 2nd birthday & her party. I need to get better ASAP so I can continue planning and making decorations! Her party this year is a lot smaller than lasts, just close family & a handful of friends, but I still love decorating & making it special. 
My other goals are just the same goals I have everyday, the same things I pray for, just to for me to be a better version of myself. Be kinder, be wiser, be more patient and stress less. Be a better Mum, wife, daughter, sister & friend.
So they are my goals.
What are yours?
If you blog and want to do this challenge, please comment below so I can check out your blog – I would love to read your posts!
Well, good night loves. Hopefully I’ll be back tomorrow, I am hoping I can stay on top of this challenge!
Please follow me on my social media so you stay updated when I post a new blog or if I do one of the prompts on there.
Facebook; Modern Wife Life 31
Instagram; @Modernwifelife31
Twitter; @Modernwifelife3

2015 · cleaning · diy · domestic engineering

Domestic Engineering #4 How to deep clean your Dish Washer {Finish Give Away!}

JustBindy17 Comments
This post in sponsored by Finish. I only choose to work with brands I know and I am familiar with and personally use. Finish is a well known and reputable company, I regularly use their products, when they approached me to do a sponsored post with a giveaway for my readers I was on board. I like doing posts that highlight good products that I use and also give back to my readers! All opinions in this post are my own.

I love Spring time, it really makes me motivated to deep clean everything I own. I am slowly working my way through my Spring Cleaning check list. 
Today I deep cleaned the dishwasher and yes, just like your washing machine this appliance does need to be cleaned regularly to make sure it works well and also lasts.
For the sake of this post I let mine get a little dirty… So no judging!
This is a “natural way” to clean your dishwasher. 

Firstly gather your supplies;

  • White vinegar
  • Bicarb soda 
  • Borax (optional) 
  • A stiff scrubbing brush or old toothbrush
  • An old rag/cleaning cloth
  • Measuring cup


That’s it – everything you need to give your dishwasher a good clean is probably sitting in your cupboards as you read this!

So lets do this!
  1. Open dishwasher and pull the bottom rack out to reveal the dishwasher trap. 
     

  2. Remove the trap and open it up. 

  3. Rinse the trap under hot water and try to remove any large pieces of food or rubbish.
  4. Sprinkle bicarb soda on the trap and then pour vinegar over it, it should fizz.
  5. Scrub with brush gently, until clean. 

  6. Rinse again with hot water. All clean! 

  7. Repeat process if you have any other parts of your dishwasher that are dirty and removable (cutlery basket etc) 
  8. Replace dishwasher trap and any other pieces you removed. 

  9. Wet cleaning cloth with vinegar and wipe down the dishwasher. Remembering the seals, door frame, racks, blades etc. 
     

  10. Remove any other debris & gunk from the bottom of your dishwasher, if you find any.
  11. Remember to clean parts you normally overlook, when you half open/half close your dishwasher check the bottom ledge of the door, I found mine was very dirty. I vacuumed it and then wiped clean. 

  12. Once you are happy all the parts are as clean as you can make them add 1-2 cups of white vinegar to the bottom of your dishwasher and run a full cycle. White vinegar will flush out any built up grime & help your dishwasher smell fresh! 

  13. Wipe down the outside of your machine and the top of the dishwasher while the cycle runs.
  14. After the vinegar wash has completed if you want to give the machine an extra clean, you can do a bicarb soda wash, where you sprinkle 1 cup of bicarb soda (or borax) on the bottom of your dishwasher and once again run a full cycle. This cycle will polish your machine. Baking/bicarb soda is a wonderful cleaning product. It can eliminate odours, remove built up grease and help whiten stains. 

  15. Repeat. Clean your dishwasher monthly. Alternating each month between a vinegar & bicarb soda cycle will keep your dishwasher running like new! 
    Dishwasher trap, before and after.
    Dishwasher, all sparkly clean!

Now if those steps are too much effort for you, Finish has a wonderful dishwasher cleaner that can be used monthly to freshen up your dishwasher. It cleans your whole machine in 1 cycle. Easy! 
On the topic of Finish this is also the brand we use & I recommend for dishwasher tablets and also rinse aid. It is important to use a quality product in your machine and I find Finish to be very reliable and I never have to rewash dishes after using this product.

Thanks to Finish I have another competition, this time 1 of you can win a Finish gift pack! All you have to do is fill out the entry form below and you are in the draw to WIN!

Rules to enter give away & a few terms and conditions;
  1. You must be an Australian or New Zealand resident. 
  2. You must be a follower of this blog, either subscribe via Google, bloglovin or by email!
  3. You can gain bonus entries by following ModernWifeLife31 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
  4. 3 bonus entries are counted if you tweet about this competition.  
  5.  Another way to earn a bonus entry is to leave a comment below telling me your favourite Finish product or any tips on how you clean your dishwasher! 
  6.  Competition begins on Wednesday 16th September 2015 and ends Wednesday 23rd September 2015.
  7.  Winner will be announced on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter on the 23/09/2015.
  8. The winner has 48 hours to contact me with their postal address. If there is no contact within that time frame I will redraw another winner.
  9. The prize will be sent to the winner by a representative for Finish.
  10. I have no control over the postage of the item, but I have full faith that your prize will arrive in a timely manner once I pass your postal details on to the company.
  11. Prize is final and cannot be changed or exchanged for money.