Just wanted to say a quick hello. The garden and spring cleaning has been taking up a lot of my time in the last few weeks. I’m expanding my garden (pictures to come) and because of that, I have more to plant and double dig.

The great thing about that is…I’ll have more produce this year than ever before.

We’ve already planted peas, carrots and radishes in pots.  My 4 year old daughter helped me plant them and she is giddy with excitement about seeing her plants come up! It’s adorable.

Talk to you soon!

Are you doing gardening this year?

I have had my ups and downs as the keeper of my home. I’ve worked hard and gotten the house clean, only to have it look like a junk tornado came through a week later.  I needed HELP!

A few weeks ago my husband and kids pitched in and we got the house CLEAN. But, that’s been done before. What is going to make this time any different? How do I know we aren’t going to slip back into old habits and make our home a mess… AGAIN?!

I think I may have the answer to a cleaner house and a happy Mama…

A Shiny Sink.

Seems simple, right?

Not so fast! That means that I’ll be cleaning up the kitchen after each meal including shining the sink.

It’s been clean for weeks now and I just want to say… there’s nothing like waking up to a shiny sink and clean kitchen to make me feel like I’m ready to tackle the day!

Give it a try and see what a difference a shiny sink can make!

Go to We Are That Family and you’ll find wonderful tips on Works For Me Wednesday.

When we last heard from our heroine homemaker she was on a quest for answers.

After reading and researching she found out that most of the ingredients in her new cleaners were toxic.

After learning to avoid the top ten most toxic, she found some recipes to make her own cleaners.

She started to use them and was surprised at how well they worked and were only a few cents to make!

Our little homemaker was happy and she and her family was safe.  Now she could have a lemon fresh, germ free, sparkling home; just like she had dreamed of.

THE END

If you haven’t already guessed it, our little homemaker is yours truly.

During that time I started to switch out all of our laundry, cleaning and body products as well.

Whenever we would run out of something I’d buy or make the non toxic version.

Here are a few homemade cleaners that have worked great for my family.

* Soft Scrubbing Cleaner

Just take baking soda and mix with water until a soft paste has formed.  Usually I’ll just sprinkle it straight into the sink or onto the counter.  Scrub with a cloth until clean.  This has worked as well as other soft scrubbing cleaners, but without the beach and other nasties.

* Laundry Booster

Have you ever forgotten to take a load of laundry out of the washer, leaving it there overnight?        Yuck!   Talk about stinky!   To solve this problem wash the load again in the warmest water you can, but add a cup of white vinegar when you put in the soap.  The vinegar really helps to get the stink out!

If you’d like to have more recipes for homemade cleaners here are some great links:

Clean and Green: Natural Homemade Cleaners

Antibacterial Bathroom Cleaner Recipe

Homemade Cleaners

In keeping with my recent post about staying well, I thought I’d share how we get things clean around my house.

Our story begins a few years ago…

Once upon a time there was a young homemaker that wanted a clean, germ free, lemon fresh, sparkling home.  So, she went to the store and bought the best new cleaner on the market.  You know, the one that the TV ads said would make her home the most beautiful, the cleanest, the best smelling…

Our little homemaker couldn’t wait to try out her new cleaning products!

The first room to clean was the bathroom.  “If these handy dandy products work in here, they will work anywhere!” she said.
She sprayed and scrubbed, from the toilet to the tub.   But by the time she got to the shower a strange thing started happening.

After spraying the shower with some kind of chemical cocktail our heroine started to cough, sneeze and wheeze.  Her hands and eyes felt like they were on fire!  Something must be wrong!!!

When she was finally feeling better, she began to try to understand why those nice people on TV were saying those cleaners were so wonderful.

Why did she feel like she had been poisoned, gassed and burned with acid?  All she wanted was a nice clean, germ free, lemon fresh home!

She stared to read and ask questions.  The things she learned shocked her!

All those chemicals were actually dangerous to her health and the health of her family!

Something had to be done.

Stay tuned tomorrow to find out what happens to our little homemaker!

My Works For Me Wednesday tip is…

Frugal, Non Toxic, Germ Killing Cleaner!

Take two bottles; fill one with peroxide (from the drugstore) and fill the the other with white vinegar.

Spray one then the other, in no particular order, and wipe with a paper towel or cloth.

This spray is non toxic and it kills all the nasties better than straight bleach!

You can use it on your cutting boards, counters, sinks, plastic toys, in the bathroom, and also as a fruit and veggie wash!

“To help kill bacteria such as E. Coli on fruits and vegetables, add a quarter cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide to a sink full of cold water. immerse, rinse with cold water and drain. By killing bacteria this will also help keep fruit and vegetables fresher for longer. You can also use a spray bottle containing a 50/50 mix of 3% hydrogen peroxide and water – just spray and rinse.”

(Quote from: Green Living Tips)

Isn’t  funny how the things we use to clean our home and clothes get really dirty, really fast?

Like how the vacuum gets dusty and the washer and the dryer tops get nasty in a hurry.

We walk through our laundry room on the way to the garage, so it’s nicer to keep that room tidy!

This quick tip has helped me to keep our washer and dryer tops clean.

While you are putting your towels into the washer, grab one of the cleaner washcloths and get it damp with the hot water coming into the washer.

Do a quick wipe down of the washer and dryer knobs and then the tops.

Throw the washcloth into the washer and that’s it.  Simple and quick.

That’s my kind of cleaning!