Keeping Your Kids Healthy this Cold Season

It’s November and that means everyone has been back to school for a few months now, and has been exposed to plenty of germs and now the weather is starting to change. Which also means that your house will inevitably be hit with colds, if they haven't already. Here are some natural ways to combat colds:

TO PREVENT COLDS:

1. A Good Multivitamin- I have my kids on the best children's multivitamin available which is Shaklee's Increditives. My kids love these!  They are actually the first children’s chewable multivitamin in the U.S.with lactoferrin, which helps kids’ immune systems stay strong.
Most kids consume more than 25% of their calories from junk food, and French Fries are the number one vegetable source in their diets.  What is your child’s diet like?

Studies show that kids who consume diets lacking adequate nutrition perform poorly in school.  Poor nutrition can negatively impact a child’s immune system, bone growth, and overall physical development!

 

Incredivites are packed with 23 essential nutrients – with 600 IU of vitamin D to support strong bones and teeth, and 100% of the Daily Value of all eight B vitamins and vitamin C.

• No artificial flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives added
• Naturally sweetened with xylitol, which does not promote cavities
• Gluten free
• Packaging is safe from BPA, phtalates, and toxic inks – and it is recyclable.

I give my 6 year old 2 chewable Incredivites a day and my 3 year old gets one a day crushed up and added to applesauce, or you can also crush and add to drinks.

Here is a short video that talks about the Shakleekids products.

*if you need gluten and casein free vitamins try The Ocean Wonders Vitamins


2. DHA-
DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid and is a major building block of brain and eye tissue.  Adequate intake early in life is vital to proper brain and visual development and to ensure the cells of the brain, retina, and other parts of the nervous system develop and function properly.  Foods that are high in DHA are things like tuna, sardines and organ meat…not really foods high on a kid’s list! :)
Mighty Smarts is 100% natural, ultra-pure DHA.

Mighty Smarts are gluten free, have a natural orange flavor, and contain no artificial colors, sweeteners or preservatives. Just one Mighty Smart a day is all you need!

3. Vitamin C-
Vita-C Chewables are formulated to make daily supplementation a simple pleasure for children and adults who have trouble swallowing tablets. Tangy,citrus-flavoured source of vitamin C helps build strong bones, cartilage, teeth and gums. Your body can't make or store vitamin C, so it is important to eat this powerful antioxidant often.

I give my kids 1 chewable per day as a preventative. When they are sick, I will give them 2-3 a day.
If you need to you can crush up and give in applesauce.

4. A Healthy Diet-
Feed your kids a well balanced diet that is organic as possible. Now we all have our days when we hit the fast food line for a quick dinner, but I really try to stay away from there as much as possible. When you feed your kids crap, they feel like crap! So try to feed them the healthiest food you can get them to eat as often as you are able to.

5. Sleep-
Everyone needs a good night's sleep! Infants need 15-16 hours a day (including naps), Toddlers 1-3 years old need 12-14 hours a day (including naps), Preschoolers 3-6 years old need 10-12 hours a day, School age kids 7-12 years old need 10-11 hours a day, and teenagers 13-18 need 8-9 hours a day. Sleep is a vital to every one's health and well being, so make sure you and your kids are getting enough!

6. Hygiene-
Be sure to wash hands when you come in from outside, when you come home from being out, before you eat or prepare foods, and after you blow your nose. I go one step farther and change clothes after the kids come in from playing outside (allergies) and especially when we come home from a doctors appointment. My favorite hand soap is Shaklee's Hand Wash Concentrate and dispenser, this super mild, sudsy wash has wheat germ oil and algae extract to moisturize; soy protein to condition; aloe, marshmallow (Althaea officinalis), and linden flower (Tilia cordata) extracts to soothe; and rosemary and arnica extracts to energize and it has a mild refreshing scent. Stay away from soaps with triclosan as it has many adverse affects on your health.

 To Combat Colds-
Once the cold or flu bug hits, here are some ways to combat it naturally and help you get back on your feet sooner.
 
1. Vitamin C-
Vita-C Chewables are formulated to make daily supplementation a simple pleasure for children and adults who have trouble swallowing tablets. Tangy,citrus-flavoured source of vitamin C helps build strong bones, cartilage, teeth and gums. Your body can't make or store vitamin C, so it is important to eat this powerful antioxidant often.

2. Humidifier-
 Use a humidifier in the bedroom at night- this helps to keep the air moist, making it easier to breathe.
My favorites are the Crane humidifiers. Be sure to clean them properly once a week.

3. Elevate your head-
Prop mattress up a little under your head- try sticking a pillow under your mattress directly under where your head lies. This help with keeping drainage going down, not up into your sinuses.

4. Saline-
Flush out stuffy noses with saline. I stock up on the little noses non-medicated saline drops. Since it is just saline you may do this as many times as needed. Helps thin out mucus, making it easier to breathe. Also for little ones, who are not able to blow their noses yet, it may be helpful to get a nasal aspirator (or as we call it in our house- the nose sucker)

5. Stay Hydrated-
Drink plenty of fluids and eat lots of healthy food like fruits. Try to get some chicken soup down too!
Our favorite hydration drink is Shaklee's Performance Drink.

6. Honey-
To help soothe scratchy throats and coughs try some honey before bedtime. Honey has many antioxidants that can help you fight off the cold faster and because it is thick and sweet it helps coat and soothe the sore throat from coughs. It is best to let kids cough during the day to get the mucus up, but when coughing is keeping them up all night, when they need rest try some honey. For kids ages 2-5 try 1/2 tsp, ages 6-11 try 1 tsp, and ages 12-18 try 2tsp.

DO NOT GIVE HONEY TO INFANTS UNDER 1 YEAR OLD- may cause a rare, but serious case of botulism.

I usually give my kids honey mixed in with something they like, usually I mix it with a little applesauce and warm it for 3 seconds in the microwave so its goes down smoother, you could try to add the honey to some warm (not hot) water.
http://suite101.com/article/honey-may-be-best-cough-medicine-a169827

6. Clean-
I find it helpfully to change the sheets everyday or at least every other day to get rid of the germs quicker (can be hard if you are the one sick). I also will run  every one's toothbrushes through the dishwasher and replace them after illnesses. And clean and disinfect with soap and water and vinegar. Keep in mind to do all door handles, phones, computer keyboards and also remote controls- you know the items every one touches all day, but you never really think to clean.

Here's to a happy and healthy fall and winter!


You may also like-
Fighting colds naturally
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FALL Cleaning Tasks

 

Ahh! The crisp cool smell of fall is in the air.

While the days are still warm and sunny it is snugly weather at night- which I LOVE!!!

The trees are still green, but some are starting to turn their brilliant autumn shades.

When you look around you will notice all the little critters start to prepare for winter-

so let's take a cue from them and start our Fall Cleaning Tasks.

 

Here's what I do each FALL

• Make appointment to have oil burner cleaned and inspected  before the Winter (I call in September for an appointment in October)
• Make an appointment to have Sprinkler System winterized and turned off (I call in September for an appointment in October)
• Close the swimming Pool (September)
• Steam Clean all the rugs in my house
• Remove Air Conditioners in windows
• Close up and winterize wall Air Conditioner
• Wash and either rehang or swap out curtains in all the rooms
• Wash all Window Screens
• Check all Windows and Doors- re-caulk if necessary
• Flip all mattresses
• Wash all Bedding and pillows
• Give each room a good deep cleaning, by moving big pieces of furniture and dusting/vacuuming behind/under them.
• Change out every one's clothes for Fall and Winter (when weather warrants it)
• Clean out Fridge
• Clean out Freezer
• Clean out Pantry
• Clean Over and Toaster Oven
• Clean Microwave
• Wash outside of kitchen cabinets
• Clean inside of kitchen cabinets
• Turn OFF outdoor water hoses and store hoses (once temps at night start to teeter around the freezing mark)
• Clean and store all patio furniture
• Test Smoke alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors- change batteries if necessary
• Rake and clean yard
• Check and clean out gutters
• Go through toys for donations- I usually do this in November to make room for the massive influx coming at Christmas!
• Try on all winter coats and gloves and purchase new if necessary
• Clean out the inside of all vehicles
• Wash outside of all vehicles
• Start buying salt every other week or so to stock up for winter to put down to melt the ice
• Winterize lawn- cut it and put down and fertilizer needed
• Bring shovels towards front of garage and start the snow blower to test it before we need it

Happy Fall Cleaning! What else do you do in the fall to get ready for winter?

 

 

You Might also like:

Kid-friendly Coat Solution

How I Clean Naturally

Spring Cleaning 101

How to Dust



 

THE REAL DIRT ON CLEAN

 

ARE YOU LIVING IN A HEALTHY HOME?

You know that good, healthy feeling you get when you’ve just cleaned house? Sorry to spoil it, but you may have just made your home dirtier.
Think of it this way. You wouldn’t let your kids play with toxic chemicals, so why would you let the baby crawl over a floor that’s just been wiped with them? That’s much more dangerous than the orange juice that was just there. How dangerous? Just take a look at these statistics.

• Over 90% of poison exposures happen at home.
• Common bleach is the #1 household chemical involved
  in poisoning.
• Organic pollutants, found in many common cleaners and
  even air fresheners, are 2 to 5 times higher inside your home than out.
• A person who spends 15 minutes cleaning scale off shower walls could inhale three times the “acute one-hour exposure limit” for glycol ether-containing products set by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.
• Common cleaners give off fumes that have been linked to
  increasing the risk of your kids developing asthma, the most common serious chronic childhood disease.
• 1 in 13 school-aged children has asthma. Rates in children under five have increased more than 160%from 1980 – 1994.
• Children are highly vulnerable to chemical toxicants. Pound for pound of body weight, children drink more water, eat more food and breathe more air than adults. The implication of this is that children will have substantially heavier exposures than adults to any toxicants that are present in water, food or air.
• If your home is anything like the average U.S. home, you generate more than 20 pounds of household hazardous waste each year (the EPA designates toilet cleaners, tub and tile cleaners, oven cleaners, and bleach as hazardous waste).

 CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE GET CLEAN LINE OF NONTOXIC CLEANERS.

CHEDDAR POTATO SOUP

Fall is in the air and I thought I'd share our family's favorite fall soup-

CHEDDAR POTATO SOUP

• 3-4 large baking potatoes
• 3 cans cheddar cheese soup
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Start by cleaning the potatoes and drying them. Poke several hole in each with a fork and microwave on high for about 7 minutes or until tender to the touch. Then let cool for about 10 minutes. Once cooled take a knife and peel most of the skins off (it is ok if you leave some- it's a rustic soup). and cut into bite-size chunks.

In a large pot pour in the cheddar soups, chicken broth and milk. Add in the garlic, salt and pepper and heat on med/high strirring with a whisk until the cheddar soup dissolves into the other liquids. Bring to a boil. Then add in the potato chunks and turn down to a simmer. Let simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes to reheat the potatoes. Then remove from heat and either mash the potatoes with a masher or use an immersion blender to break up the potatoes until you get the desired consistancy. BYOC (be your own chef) if you like it thicker- mash/blend less, if you like it creamier- mash/blend more. Taste the soup and add more salt, pepper, garlic as needed to taste.

Top with your favorite baked potato toppings; sour cream, bacon, fried onions, scallions, cheddar cheese, croutons, crackers, etc.

Back to School Lunch Gear

I used to love the fall, until I had kids that were old enough to go to school. Now back to school dampens my favorite time of the year :( 

 

Whether you love or hate back to school, you still need to do the back-to-school shopping for supplies thing. So  I am sharing my favorite back to school lunch essentials.

 

 

1. You need a lunch box. Pictured above is the LapTop Lunch System by Bento-Ware. They are a great little company that makes SAFE lunch containers and carriers. Click Here for my post about them.

 

 

 

2. You need Baggies. Ditch the not safe, and not earth-friendly plastic baggies and go for the reusable, washable kind. My favorite is lunchskins2 they are free from toxins, come in fun colorful patterns and are available at Target. You get a large and a small coordinating 2-pack that can easily be washed in the dishwasher or washing machine. These will soooo pay for themselves very quickly!

 

 

 

3. You need drink ware. My favorite are the FUNtainers by Thermos. They are double-wall insulated providing up to 12 hours of coolness, have a hygienic push-top lid with a silicone straw, and are made from unbreakable stainless steal. And all parts are dishwasher safe and are BPA free.

 



4. If you need utensils try not to do the disposable plastic thing. But if your kids keep tossing your good utensils then you may have to do the plastic-thing, or buy cheap plastic reusable ones. I like to use the old toddler spoons for this as they clean up well in the dishwasher, come in fun colors and I don't mind if they don't make it home because they are easy to replace.

 

5. Now that you have all your supplies the big question is what to make? For lunch ideas try Momables a great website and blog that plans the lunch menus by week, gives you shopping lists and recipes for a small subscription fee.

 

 

Happy Back to School! :) /  :(





Kid-Friendly Coats Solution

Hi there! Back to School is in the air as the fall chill is starting to break through the August heat. If you haven't already started back to school then you are about to.  :( And with school starting that means coat weather will soon be upon us once again.  So I thought I would share a light bulb moment I had last winter on how to store our coats so they were easily accessible and the kids could get them and start to get ready when mommy said its time to go.

Are you ready.....this one was REALLY DIFFICULT!!! Just kidding ;)
I purchased this coat rack from target (I wanted one that the rungs did not stick out far) and hung it at kid-level next to the front door. Instant storage for coats and hanging them low and by the door gave the kids ownership and now they can start getting ready without mommy having to open the closet to grab coats to high up for them.

How I save $100 a year on Dish Soap

This stuff is like liquid gold!! Not only does it clean my dishes with one tiny drop, but it gets them cleaner than any other dish soap AND one bottle LASTS for like TWO MONTHS!!!

Besides its cleaning power it is biodegradable, safe for the environment, gentle on your hands and non-toxic. Other soaps would make my eczema flair up when I washed dishes, NOT Shaklee.

 

The Clean side was with Shaklee Dish Soap and their Miracle Scrubber Pad.

If you join Shaklee as a member, the dish soap costs only $6.90 and I go through one bottle roughly every two months. I was using one bottle of Dawn foaming dish soap every week/week an a half before I switched at around $5.80 a bottle. So you do the math! OK... I'll do it for you; let's be conservative and say I went through one bottle of Dawn every two weeks that would be roughly $11.60 a month, with Shaklee Dish soap at the end of the month I still have about 1/2 a bottle left, but even if I used the whole bottle I have already saved $4.70, using half the bottle for the month means you spent $3.45 a month on dish soap giving you a savings of $8.15 a month. $8 a month adds up to just under $100 a year.

Pair it with Shaklee's great Reusable Microfiber Sponges or their excellent Miracle Scrubber Pad for those tough jobs and toss out those toxic Brillo pads!

So get yours today and start cleaning healthy and saving!!

10 Reasons to Love Basic H

Get yours today!!!

You might also like how I clean naturally

My Secret for Night Time Leaks

Now of course I mean the kiddos leakage, not myself. 

One night whilst changing the entire bed so I could put my freshly redressed and now crying son back in at after finding him soaked through. I had a "light bulb moment"- there has to be a better way to do this. Upon waking wet he would cry and cry- it took two of us to change everything over; one to change and console him and one to change the sheets. So I set about a way to make changing the bed in the middle of the night easier- if I could double up the bottom, fitted sheets and mattress savers maybe I could streamline this unpleasant process. Well the fluffy mattress savers I had were too bulky and made the sheets fit funny. So eventually I found some thinner ones and here is the application I came up with and the items I used :


1. First I covered the mattress in an organic cotton dust mite allergy barrier
2. Then I placed an organic cotton waterproof mattress pad with straps
3. Then a fitted sheet on top of that
4. Next I put a crib-sized organic cotton waterproof mattress pad in the middle of the bed, the area most likely for an accident to occur.
5. Topped that with the fitted sheet that went with his top sheet and pillow case.
6. Finish making the bed as usual.
*Please note these links are the items that I used in case you are interested. You can absolutely pull this off with other brands of waterproof mattress pads.*

How this works? Well the next time we had a late-night leakage issue I was able to pull the top fitted sheet and crib-sized mattress saver off  while he was still sleeping by pulling one side up, shifting him to the dry side and then pulling the other side of top fitted sheet and crib-sized mattress pad off to reveal a completely dry set of bottom sheets below it. Then as long as his shirt was dry and I didn't have to change it, he would sleep through me changing his soaked pants and diaper/pull-ups/underwear. (Usually the top sheets would be dry, but those are easy enough to change without disturbing the kid.) Viola- I had solved the problem!!!!! :)  In the morning or later in the next day you simply "reload" the bed (so to speak) with a fresh crib-sized pad and fitted sheet.

I also found that once I changed brands of diapers to the Honest Company Diapers I have rarely had any night-time leakages so I feel the quality diaper has A LOT to do with dry nights! :)


You may also like my blog post on the Honest Company Diapers.

Nontoxic Mattress

Most Mattresses are Toxic
The boys were in need of new mattresses so I decided to do some research into the new nontoxic mattresses. Typical adult and crib mattresses contain dangerous chemicals and toxic gases that are not healthy for anyone, but particularly not safe for babies. The primary filling material used in nearly all mattresses today is polyurethane foam. Polyurethane foam is highly flammable because it is essentially a petroleum product. In fact, the National Association of State Fire Marshals refers to it as “solid gasoline.” While new mattresses off-gas toxic chemicals, older mattresses can be just as bad- as they age the materials they are made of break down and become part of your household dust and you are exposed to the toxins. Both children and adults can become ill by repeated and continuous exposure to the low level of chemicals continuously emitted while sleeping. Babies are particularly vulnerable to these chemicals, and there is research that suggests that the toxic gases emitted from mattresses can be a cause of crib death or SIDS (see article on toxic gases and SIDS).

What is a Healthier Option?
I chose a 100% organic cotton mattress which is the safest, most non-toxic mattress material available. Cotton is also firm and breathable and provides a comfortable sleeping surface. Other nontoxic mattresses can be made of wool or latex which can be allergens, so cotton is the most hypoallergenic choice. And does not have any toxic flame retardants applied. The Mattress I chose was The Naturepedic Organic Cotton Quilted Deluxe Mattress. It is GreenGuard Select certified – the most stringent certification for off-gassing. It is completely safe, non-toxic and firm.


How is it made Fire Safe?
Organic cotton is a far superior filling material and is significantly less flammable to begin with.  Naturepedic uses an exclusive fire protection system that is based on the unique fire retardant properties of  baking soda and hydrated silica permanently bonded to cellulose. This results in an inherently flame resistant barrier that does not break down. The cellulose fiber used is derived primarily from eucalyptus and poplar trees and has a low carbon footprint.


Now How do I make it Leak Safe?
 You will need something to protect the mattress from the baby’s or child’s fluids and night-time “accidents.” The typical vinyl (PVC) or polyester laminate waterproof mattress pads may be toxic and can contain phthalates, so you will want to avoid these. An organic waterproof mattress pad is recommended to protect the mattress from wetness and Naturepedic also sells these or you could by the 2-in-1 Ultra Mattress which has one side that is leak-proof.

What if I can't afford to replace my mattress right now?
Well without purchasing a nontoxic mattress you won't be able to completely illuminate the toxins, but there are steps that can help reduce the exposure. I would do these steps and start saving for a new organic mattress in the mean time:
-Purchase an organic cotton mattress cover
-Purchase organic cotton waterproof mattress pads
-Replace your pillows with organic options.
-Replace your bed linens with organic cotton options.
-It is hard to say no to your kids when they want those popular character sheets, but they come covered with toxic flame retardants. So wash them many times until you no longer smell anything coming off them and be sure to use some vinegar in each wash as it helps to break down the flame retardants.

Sleep Safe!!!

Shaklee Savings

 

Now through July 31st, when you purchase any Shaklee product, we will waive your membership fee and give you a 15%

off dicsount on your order and any future orders.

Hello healthy savings!

 

 

Shop Here!

 

Promo Rules

- A product offer of at least 1PV must be made at the time of sponsoring to recieve a free membership.

-Offer valid July 1-31, 2013.

-Offer subject to change without notice.

 

 



How I Clean- Naturally

If you have been following along here you know I try to do things as naturally as possible. So of course cleaning would be no different. About a year ago I found this wonderful company called Shaklee that had this line of nontoxic cleaning supplies called Get Clean.
I started off with their product, Organic Basic H2.

They said it cleans everything and is one of the only products you'll ever need to clean and they were right!!

 

 

 

Basic H comes concentrated and you dilute it for the job you need; windows, all-purpose, and degreaser.

 

 

Not only does Shaklee's Get Clean Products work,

they Cost pennies!!!

One 16 oz. bottle of Basic H2 diluted per label directions makes 214 bottles (28 oz.) of ready-to-use all-purpose cleaner.

 

Here's a comparison chart on Shaklee's H Get Clean Products and other Name Brand Products

 

It has been over a year, and I still have more than half my bottle of Basic H2 concentrate left. And I have washed everything inside and outside of my house several times over. I do my windows, counter tops, floors, tables, bedroom furniture, sinks, bathrooms, toilets, carpets, cars, siding, play sets, kiddie pools and other outdoor toys.

And all with the piece of mind that I am

using nothing harmful to my family!!! :)

 

 

 

Because it is concentrated, it is also much better for the environment. You dilute it and use it in the same spray bottles and reuse and reuse them until they don't work any more. Recycle them when they finally break and recycle the concentrate bottle when you finally use it all up. I haven't gotten there yet, it's been over a year and haven't run out of the Basic H2 concentrate or had their spray bottle stop working. :) 

 

I know once you try it, you'll love it like I do!!!

 

 

 So what are you waiting for? Order your Get Clean Starter Kit today!

 

Invasion of the Insects

Hi All! It's Summer and you know what that means... the insects are out in FULL FORCE!!!

We have had a bit of a wasp problem over here. The past two years it has been ants in the Spring time, but last week hubby found 2 small yellow jacket nests forming under the edge of our above ground pool, near the ladder and on the swing set and this week we had wasps hanging out by the front door.

I HATE chemicals and try to avoid them when and where ever possible so I started researching how to tackle these buggers (pun intended) naturally.

ANTS-
For ants try checking out my post on 10 NONTOXIC WAYS TO COMBAT ANTS

YELLOW JACKETS AND WASPS-
First we had little nests, just starting to form around the pool so we felt we could handle this ourselves and wanted to do it using as little toxins as possible. My researched yielded using basic dish washing soap would work. So we purchased a garden sprayer for the hose and added our Shaklee Dish Wash Concentrate into it (about 1/2 cup) filled with water and sprayed first somewhere away from nest until the soap starts to come out. Then sprayed the hell outta that nest!!! We did this about 2-3 times over 2 days. It dries up the nest and suffocates and dries up the wasps. Once we were convinced they were gone, we took down the nests and crushed them then bagged them and disposed of them. Then the following week the nests were back on the other side of the pool. So we sprayed again with the soapy water, this time after we knocked the nests down we went around the pool and sprayed DW-40 in the areas the seemed to like and so far two weeks later, still no nests. Then we noticed very tiny yellow jackets coming out of the kids play set. We hit this with water several times and have seen less of them, but they are not totally gone because the nest is not exposed. So we found the soapy water will kill them and the nest, however it doesn't do much to keep them from coming back. Using DW-40 on areas they seem to like has done the trick and killed one on the spot when the hubby had one come at him.
Am I happy about using DW-40, well... I feel it it safer than MOST of the sprays for yellow jackets and wasps... so I guess I am OK with it.

Then this past week we had wasps congregating and trying to get in the front door. OK! This is where I DRAW THE LINE!!!!! It was time to call in the professionals. I called a local company that was GREEN SHIELD CERTIFIED this means they have technicians that are trained in using options that are safer, and employs methods that use physical, mechanical and biological options using less toxins and reducing your exposure.

So in the end if you feel backed into a corner by pests (or in our case, backed into using the back door) look for a GREEN SHIELD CERTIFIED exterminator or try searching natural or ecobased companies and products like EcoSMART because there are less toxic ways to deal with these intruders.

You might also like:

Try going blue, Haint Blue that is. Down south they paint their porch ceilings blue to mimic the sky and help prevent insects from setting up shop.

Apply DW-40 to the area to help repel insects.

How to Kill Wasps Naturally

EcoSmart which is a company that uses plant-based products as safe pesticides.

Here's to enjoying the great outdoors this summer without pesky pests bothering you and without having to resort to toxic chemicals!!!

Thank You!!!

A big thanks to all those who have dropped by. I had 1,300 hits last month which totally blew my mind! Be sure to subscribe over on the right side bar so you don't miss a post or like my facebook page. Also be sure to check out my pinterest page.

Spring Cleaning 101

Here it is!!! My Spring Cleaning 101.

All the how-tos put together in one place and

grouped by room for you to easily access.

1. I always start with The kitchen- it is the heart of the home.
Here's how to Spring Clean the Kitchen

2. Then it's on to the next dirtiest room- The Bathroom.
Here's how to Spring Clean the Bathroom

3. Then it's onto the Linen Closet.
Here's how to Spring Clean the Linen Closet

4. Next it in onto The Bedrooms.
Here's how to Spring Clean the Bedroom Closets
How to Clean Curtains
Spring Clean the Bedrooms
How to Dust
How to Clean Your Pillows

5. Now we move on to cleaning the Windows.
Here's how to clean your windows from inside

6. Then we move to the Living Room and/or Den.
Here's how to Clean the Living Room and Den

7. Now we clean The Dining Room
Here's how to clean that dining room

8. Now we attack The Laundry Room and or Mud Room.
How to Clean your Dyson Vacuum
How to Clean Your Washing Machine
How to Clean your Dryer
Enjoy having a clean house!!

How to Clean your Dryer

OK so we just cleaned our washing machine. Now it is on to the other important machine in our laundry room. The dryer.
A few weeks back I made a post about how to get the musty smell out of your towels because I was having a smell issue with my dryer that I thought was the towels. Fast forward to last week and I was hid with a rancid smell when I walked into my laundry room. Now I had not done laundry in a few days and it had not smelt when I had removed my last load, so what was the problem?

1. First I cleaned the inside with my trusty vinegar. Now if you don't have a smell, you should still do this every so often to clean the machine. Simply spray the inside and wipe dry.

2. Then I emptied the lint tray. Here is where I noticed the smell getting stronger. So I unscrewed the trap and vacuumed it out well. Also a good idea to do twice a year even if there is no smell. Lint can collect over time and cause the machine to catch fire so maintenance is key.

3. Then I unscrewed the tubing at the back of the machine that vents out the wall to outside. BINGO! The smell was very bad there. We had found the source of the smell!!! So we ended up replacing that tubing as it reeked. Now we had some major storms pass through the week before and we are not sure if water came inside the vent and went down the tubing from outside or if the lint collected in the tubing and got moldy. You don't need to replace your tubing if there is no smell, but occasional vacuuming of the tubing will help with the lint from backing up.

 

Happy Laundering!!

How to Clean Your Washing Machine

OK, say what? Clean my washing machine? But... isn't that what it does? Isn't a washing machine's whole purpose to clean things? Well.... yes and no. Yes it cleans our clothes, but to keep it smelling fresh and doing its job properly and prolong its life- you really should clean it periodically.

Now depending on whether you have a top loader (which I have) or a front loader will depend on HOW OFTEN you need to do this. Front loaders can get moldy around the door and in all the rubber seals around the doors (I know, I had a front loader that I replaced because of mold- YUCK). Front loaders should be checked and washed more regularly and also try to leave the doors open (if you can) or at least dry the rubber seals with a towel or paper towel when you are done using the machine.

Now first step is to open the washing machine, spray the inside with your favorite cleaner. Vinegar works fine for this, but my favorite cleaner to use is my Organic Basic H just spray well and scrub. Then pour 1 cup of distilled white vinegar into the washing machine and run a load on HOT on the longest setting. If you do this regularly say like 2-4 times a year you should only have to just run it, if this is your first time washing your washing machine or you have not done this in a while I suggest let it fill up and then let it sit for an hour before letting it finish the cycle. Once done wipe the inside down again to make sure you get any grime off and happy laundering!


I use the Shaklee Get Clean Laundry Line and it helps keep my washing machine cleaner longer.
Anyone who’s struggled with sudsy buildup in their high-efficiency, energy- and water-saving washer will love the fresh thinking found in the New Fresh Laundry Concentrate HE Compatible formula. Its suds-controlling formula is kind on your washer. Its triple-concentrated formula saves money, water, energy, and space in your laundry room. Its formula is kind on your skin. Plus it’s a two-in-one cleaner: an incomparable pre-spotter and laundry cleaner.

When used as a stain remover, 46% more effective than OxiClean® Versatile Stain Remover and 33% better than Resolve® Max Laundry Stain Remover, and when used as a liquid laundry concentrate comparable to Method® 8X Laundry Detergent, all® small & mighty® free clear, Tide® Free & Gentle, and Whole Foods 2X Concentrated Laundry Detergent.*

• HE Compatible Formula!
• Also ideal for use in standard washers
• Available in Regular Scent or Fragrance Free
• Superconcentrated – one small bottle cleans 32 medium loads, the same number as a 100 ounce bottle of conventional liquid laundry detergent.
• Super performance in a small package – enzyme-activated natural cleaners deliver a powerful clean that rivals leading brands.
• Two-in-1 product.
• Small bottle is easy to carry, pour, and store – small size fits on your shelf.
• Extra natural enzyme power boosters for color-safe whitening.
• Formulated to help prevent dyes in colored clothes from transferring from one garment to another during wash.

Clean Credentials

• Biodegradable Surfactants
• Concentrated
• Hypoallergenic
• No phosphates
• No chlorine

How to Clean Your Dyson

Hi All! Just Cleaning out my laundry room and got my vacuum particularly dirty (post on spring cleaning laundry room coming soon) and had to clean it before I would even think of using in on the rest of my house, so I thought I would share how I clean my Dyson.

First of all, let me say, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my new Dyson. I had one previously but after having allergies and asthma diagnosis in the house I wanted to get a HEPA filter vacuum. The old Dysons are not HEPA (and that is the ONLY reason I decided to get a new one- old was was still working great after 5+ years), but they have new ones that are. Here is my Dyson.

As you can see from the picture above...pretty yucky! First I emptied the canister (outside) then I took  the filters out (there are two)and rinsed them in the sink.

Next I took all the attachments and canister and rinsed them out in the sink with warm water. Then I sprayed those with my favorite new cleaning product, by trusty Organic Basic H and rinsed them again.

Yuck!! See all that gunk!

 

 

Then I cleaned the vacuum itself by spraying with my Basic H and wiping down with a cloth.

 

 

 

Just in case you aren't grossed out enough.. here's more yucky pics.

 

I turned the vacuum upside down and attacked all the hair that was caught up in the brushes.

 





I let all the parts dry for like 48 hours and then I put in back together. All ready to do some more cleaning!!!!

Spring Clean: The Dining Room

Moving onto the Dining Room. OK I will be honest- this is my least favorite room to clean! Mainly because it it rarely used and therefore when I do clean it- it takes a long time!!!! So I try to do this cleaning twice a year and I will time it to go along with a major holiday like Thanksgiving and Easter. Because if you are hosting that holiday, let's face it...it needs to be done! So as you can tell, since I am cleaning in June, that I did not host Easter this year! LOL!
-First start by dusting from the top to bottom; ceiling, light fixtures, top of cabinets and/or hutches, walls and pictures.
-Empty out hutches and/or cabinets- take everything out and put on the table.
-What can go in the dishwasher gets put in and run through- this may take several loads as I don't overload it when I have expensive china in it. Speaking of china that is my pattern Charleston by Lenox (it's retired)
-Then hand wash the rest of the items (like glass and crystal).
-While this stuff is being washed/dried clean out cabinets/hutches with a damp rag.
-Reorganize what you have and decide if you need ALL those bowls, servers, etc.
-Make sure to clean your silverware.
-Dry everything well before putting it back in.
-Now that you can see your table top again clean it and throw any tablecloths and cloth napkins in the wash (or hand wash any delicate lace you have).
-If you are not hosting a holiday all linens can be stored, if you are hosting get out your iron and board and gets those linens ironed.
-Give the chairs a good dusting along with any other knick knacks on display.
-Give a good vacuum.

Now enjoy your clean dining room for like 5 minutes before you have to start cooking!

Vinegar as a Home Remedy

Did you know Vinegar can be used to treat some simple common ailments?

1. Athlete's Foot-  Got a case of itchy athlete's foot? Try some Organic Apple Cider Vinegar.
Add 5 cups vinegar and 5 cups water to a plastic tub and soak your feet from 5-10 minutes for 10 days. Be sure to soak both feet as athlete's foot is very contagious to make sure it doesn't spread. Dry your feet well afterwards. (Seek medical attention if you have tried this and it is not working) You may want to do this every so often even if not affected at the time as a preventative method if you are someone who gets this chronically.

2. Toe Nail Fungus- Have embarrassing toe nail fungus? Try some Organic Apple Cider Vinegar.
Add 5 cups vinegar and 5 cups water to a plastic tub and soak your feet from 20 minutes for several times a week. Be sure to soak both feet as fungus is very contagious to make sure it doesn't spread, dry feet well. Or if you don't have time you can put some undiluted vinegar into a spray bottle and spray toes with it twice a day. (You could do a combination of the two ways) Be sure to continue until the nail bed had grown out and there are no more signs of fungus.(Seek medical attention if you have tried this and it is not working)  You may want to do this every so often even if not affected at the time as a preventative method if you are someone who gets this chronically.

3. Dandruff- Got a case of the itchy dandruff flakes? Try some Organic Apple Cider Vinegar.
Dandruff comes from having to much yeast on your scalp, apple cider vinegar changes the pH of your skin. Mix 50/50 solution with water and put in a spray bottle. Spritz your scalp (be careful not to get ears and eyes) and let sit for 15 minutes to an hour, then rinse and dry.

4. Yeast Infection- As mentioned above vinegar changes the pH of your skin so if you are suffering from a yeast infection this is a good way to calm things down down there until you can get to the doctor for more assistance. (Always have any female issues checked as it may not be a yeast infection at all- it could be bacterial)  Try a vinegar bath- pour 1 cup vinegar into a tub and soak for 20-30 minutes, dry well. Don't have 20-30 minutes,  try a wash cloth dampened with a little vinegar and warm water- pat the itchy area with the cloth being sure to stay externally.

NOTE- if you aren't having any luck with these please seek medical assistance!!!!

Nontoxic Toaster Oven

What? Toasters are toxic? What am I talking about???!!!

Well this story begins when I wanted a new toaster oven for my birthday- simple enough request, right? Who would have thought it would become quite a production?! I did some shopping and decided on a KitchenAid Toaster. It was pretty and new and shiny and when I turned it on for the first time it STUNK up the house SO BAD that my husband and I had headaches and I had to open all the windows and turn on the ceiling fans for hours!

A little research online revealed that other people were complaining of this from this toaster too. So I researched other brands and found the same complaint. WHY are these ovens stinking so bad? Well more research gave me the answer. Nowadays toaster ovens come with a nonstick interior and are covered in protective oils for storage which leads to a noxious smell when used and from the complaints I have read lingers every time they use it for quite some time.

Well what to do? Keep the smelly toaster? With all the hype about nonstick cookware being not good for you I kept thinking about any damage I was doing to my family by turning on this toaster oven. Nonstick cookware fumes are toxic to birds- if you have a bird as a house pet they tell you not to use them. Well if its not good for birds, how good can it be for people? I got rid of my nonstick cookware a few years ago and opted for more healthy stainless steal pots and pans, why then would I want a nonstick toaster oven? I didn't...I don't! So back to the store it went and I was back on the search for a new, new toaster- one that would not make my family sick!

Which one did I FINALLY decide on? Well as far I could find WARING is the only company that has toaster ovens that DO NOT HAVE nonstick coatings inside. Once I read and did extensive research (much more than I feel should have been necessary for a toaster oven) I decided to purchase it. Once it came, we took it out and plugged it in and did a test run as the manual suggested and guess what? NO SMELL!!! Yes! So short version- if you are looking for a nontoxic, non-smelly toaster oven check out the Waring Pro® WTO450.

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Spring Cleaning: the Living Room and Den

OK so now we are onto the den and or living room.

As always start from the top and work your way down.

1. Remove all curtains and wash them.
2. Start dusting from the top down.
3. Move all furniture and dust behind it. (you'll be amazed at how much dust accumulates back there.
4. Now is a good time to empty out cabinets and drawers, wipe them down with a rag and go through what you want to keep/toss.
5. I toss all throw blankets in the wash to refresh them.
6. Sprinkle the couches and carpets with baking soda, let sit for 15 minutes and then vacuum it up to freshen them and remove odors.
7. Wash the windows.
8. Then rehang your curtains.
9. Enjoy your clean room.

Simple Sugars

I recently ordered and received this wonderful product called Simple Sugars. Simple Sugars are all natural body scrubs made for people with sensitive skin that smell fantastic and make your skin feel great! It works by exfoliating and removing the dead skin while moisturizing the new skin. Use it at often as you like, it is safe enough for everyday use. They use only the highest quality ingredients, some of which are organic, with NO artificial preservatives. They offer facial scrubs, body scrubs and foot scrubs. I was sooo impressed with the results- it even cleared up my eczema on my hands!!! I ordered the strawberry and vanilla flavors, but there are plenty others to choose from. So if you are in the market for a new, all natural skin care product, check them out! (I have NOT been paid for this- just really like the product and thought I'd share).  :)

Laptop Lunches By BENTO-WARE

Knowing that in the fall my son is going to need a lunch system I decided to start researching them now and was pleased to find and purchase this Laptop Lunch System from Bento-ware.

I decided upon this system as it offered a way to keep his lunches contained and cool and it also had many green features. The company boasts:

Safe! NO lead, BPA, phthalates or PVC

Cost-effective - pays for itself in just 3 weeks

Reusable - lasts for years

Recycled & Recyclable

Easy to Clean

Waste-free

Food containers made in the USA

Also the containers and lids are all dishwasher safe and the containers (not lids) are also microwave safe. I was very happy with the quality of the product and many of the reviews said they have had these for several years and are still going. They are a bit more expensive that regular lunch systems, but if they last several years, I feel they are worth it, plus the knowledge that they are as safe as I can get also gives me peace of mind. So check these out of you are in the market for new lunch boxes!