In an effort to save on household expenses, I decided to try Target’s brand of liquid laundry detergent, Up & Up Liquid Laundry 2X Concentrated Detergent. It’s $8.99 for a large bottle, but I can usually find a $1 or $2 coupon to make the detergent even cheaper. I’ve been using the detergent for two months now, and I’m happy to say that it works very nicely. It cleans our clothes, the kids’ clothes, cloth diapers, cloth dog pads, etc., perfectly. The Up & Up detergent is available in two scents, which are both light and pleasing, and an unscented version, which would probably be ideal for those with sensitive skin.

So in summary? Save on the cost of laundry detergent by giving Up & Up Liquid Laundry 2X Concentrated Detegent!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

We’re typically a Charmin kind of family, but in the interest of saving money, I have been switching over to the generic varieties of some products. Note I said some. There are some things I won’t scrimp on, and they include cosmetics, hair products, and laundry detergent. The hotels you’ll find at Gatlinburg vacations destinations may offer generic everything, but not this household! So anyway, toilet paper. Like I said, I normally purchase Charmin, particularly the Ultra Soft variety, but recently I’ve noticed that it’s… different. It isn’t as soft and plush as it used to be. When I mentioned this to my mom, she said that she too noticed it felt different. Even more interesting is that we’re obviously not alone with this opinion, as “Charmin Ultra Soft changed” came up as a search suggestion at Google!

So when I was at Target about a week or so back, I decided to try their generic toilet paper: Target Up & Up bath tissue. Right on the package it claimed to be just like Charmin’s Ultra Soft. And I’m not going to turn down twelve rolls of toilet paper for $5.94!

A week and six rolls later (What can I say? We’re a family of three (there’s a fourth, but he isn’t potty-trained yet), and we’ve had a lot of company over, including two friends who stayed with us for two nights!), I’m sold. It may not be Charmin, but it’s close, and the price is most definitely right!

In all seriousness, Target Up & Up bath tissue is pretty damn close to Charmin. There is a very, VERY slight reduction in quality, mainly just thickness. Other than that, it’s spot on! I’m definitely going to be purchasing this toilet paper from now on.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

A little bit ago I received a set of goblets and tumbler from The Green Glass Company. This company takes beer and wine bottles and turns what would otherwise be trash clogging up our landfills into gorgeous, one of a kind, functional glasses, goblets, tumblers and more.

Looking at the set of goblets and tumblers I received, I would never imagine they came from dark brown and icky green beer and wine bottles! The goblets are particularly interesting, because according to The Green Glass Company’s about page, the goblets are always made from the top half of bottles, while the tumblers are made from the bottom half, without any waste left over. All of The Green Glass Company’s glass products are made in Wisconsin, with all of the glass products coming from waste streams and special partnerships with other companies. The unique process of turning trash into gorgeous, one of a kind glasses is free of hazardous by-products, and the glasses themselves are strong and durable. I should know – I have already left one in the fridge, another in the freezer, put all four in the dishwasher, and my daughter already dropped one on the floor!

I really like the glasses and tumblers. I only wish I had more to pull out for parties and the Christmas lunch we are busy planning!