Kids and household messes really seem to go hand in hand, and while they seem to love making those messes, getting little ones to clean up after themselves can be a bit of a challenge.

Of course, when the kiddos don't clean up, that usually means more work for mom. On top of all the other stuff we have to do on a daily basis, we really don't need any added chores piling up, right?

The day always goes much smoother when you can convince your children to chip in and help around the house -- and here are a few tips on how to get your kids interested in cleaning up after themselves.

Oh, life. Full of rainbows and roses and shiny, happy things. Also? Full of thunderclouds and thorns and really really annoying things. You know what I'm tawkin' about. We all have our list of stuff that drives us crazy. In JoAnn From Bensonhurst's case, most of that stuff happens when she's doing routine -- one might say mundane -- household chores, the kind of things we all do as moms. It's not surprising. She's our very own version of a real (not desperate) housewife here at CafeMom Studios YouTube Channel. One with a very pronounced Brooklyn accent.

Anyway, the things that annoy JoAnn are probably very similar to the things that annoy you too. They range from telemarketers ("They should actually be auctioneers. They talk so fast that before it hits your brain after it hits your ear, you're tellin' the guy yes") to grocery scanners ("I don't deal with robots") and so many other irritants in between. You should hear what she has to say about cable TV ... 

Regardless of which two teams are playing in the Super Bowl (it's the Patriots and Giants, right?), men definitely see the big game as a good excuse to pig out on delicious snacks, throw back a beer or five, and hang out with their buddies for a nice little male-bonding session. The game is basically a hall pass to enjoy a few hours of mindless entertainment, which members of both sexes definitely need from time to time.

Of course, the aftermath of a bunch of guys hanging out together watching football for an entire evening typically results in potato chips ground into the carpet and empty beer cans stacked on the coffee table, making your living room look and smell like a frat house the next morning.

Odds are good that you'll be the one cleaning up after the hog fest, but you may be able to bribe your man into at least helping you vacuum and dust with the promise of letting him buy a new toy.

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As a mom, I’m sure you know all too well the need to take on many different roles or “hats” to ensure your family has everything they need day in and day out. Whether it’s being the family “doctor,” “chef,” or “accountant” in addition to “Mom,” finding product solutions that improve life’s daily demands are MUST-DOs on your never ending TO-DO list! If only you had insider access to discovering ways to get the job done right the FIRST time around, ultimately helping to transform life’s daily demands for the better ... Sound too good to be true?

If you're super lazy or super busy, there's a new company out there that promises to make your life easier. It's called TaskRabbit and it's basically a personal assistant service but with way less status. So if you're too swamped to head to the grocery store or whatever, all you have to do is create a job ticket online and a TaskRabbit employee will handle whatever is on your to-do list.

It sounds a little too good to be true -- a "friendly neighbor" from TaskRabbit is going to do all my crappy chores for me at a fair price? Come on. What's the catch? 

During cold and flu season, most of us know to swipe the kitchen counter with an antibacterial wipe and clean our faucet handles frequently. But germs lurk in some surprising places, and despite those precautions, you still might be missing a major source of viruses and bacteria that could make you sick.

If you want to reduce the chances of your family catching a cold and/or the flu this year, follow these six easy steps to germ-proof your house:

Did you ever go to a doctor that seemed a little distant and remote? Well, in England, doctors are about to get a lot more remote. Literally.

They’re unveiling a pilot plan that allows patients to take certain medical tests at home and upload the results so doctors can remotely monitor their patients. Awesome, right? No more waiting for busses, looking for parking, and spending an hour and a half in the waiting room so you can do a five-minute test. Instead, you can do it all in the comfort of their own home.

Except they haven’t taken one thing into account: Often the homes of most busy moms are no where near as clean and organized as a hospital or doctor's office. In fact, if my doctor monitored me in my home, she’d either call 911 or have me committed.

I’ve had my share of early-morning and late-night annoyances. The guy across the street from a summer place I used to frequent kept his porch light on all night, and it was like a headache-inducing beacon invading my dreams. He also mowed his lawn first thing in the morning. Thing was, he did so with his shirt off, and he was built like Andy Roddick, so all was forgiven.

Apparently Phil Ray Gage of Oklahoma does not have the same charms -- or he pushed his neighbors too far -- because he was very nearly taken away in handcuffs while mowing his lawn. His crime? Mowing too early.

Before you look, ask yourself how early is too early. 9:30 a.m.? 7:30 a.m.? How early do you think it was?