Ditch the Plastic

Plastics and disposable products are everywhere we look. If you are alive and have seen any sort of news piece, you know that plastics are under fire for many reasons;  from floating trash piles the size of Texas in our oceans to the inability to breakdown in the environment (think--every piece of plastic wrap and every baggie you've ever used is still with us on this planet somewhere). Now, I'm not writing this to make you feel guilty, but to encourage you and show you alternatives.  These alternatives will save you money (direct bonus) and help contribute to a healthier environment in and out of your home (no leaching plastics into your food and less waste).  I see most people toting their re-usable bags to the grocery store (way to go)...again not, judging I've been spotted without mine too!  But here's the deal, check out the flier below to see more ways you can Ditch the Plastic. 

 

Please share more ideas that you have to stop using plastics and disposable items.  My non-Norwex ditch was last Christmas when I asked for Mason jars and Pyrex bowls with lids for a gift.

Upcycle, Repurpose, Recycle, Reuse...just do it

There are hundreds of things to pin on Pintrest guiding you how to make something new out of something old.  Therefore I'm not going to go into too many "how to's" here.  But rather a little picture gallery of things to inspire you that I've done on my own.  Just try something new, you never know, and what's the worst that can happen, you have to throw it away?

Celery, Roses, Potatoes, Pallet Gardens

Celery Starter and Roses with new buds

Celery growing from rooted organic celery that we ate and didn't throw out the bottom.
Simply put the bottom cutoff in a dish of shallow water, let roots grow, let leaves pop up and plant in the ground.

Potato plants growing in a bag we made from our old pool cover and Trader Joe's potatoes that grew eyes,
 so I put them in the dirt!  We'll see what we have for a harvest.

Pallet gardens!  Broccoli and lettuce are growing

I've also created a Compost Bin for my kitchen by simply using the
Family Pack Wegmans Organic Animal Crackers container
and I've made a K-cup Holder out of an old Oatmeal container, Scrapbook paper and Modge Podge (unfortunately those pictures are on my phone and I'm not tech savvy enough to load them here!)

What are some of your favorite reuse or upcycle creations?

Spring will Come

NO really it will, Spring always come. And after a few glorious days of green grass and flowers peeking through the ground then people will be complaining about mud.  Even with what feels like the longest winter to some and news media sources coining new phrases like "winter fatigue" and Facebook scrolls being loaded with complaints about more snow and cold I promise spring will come. I hear you, I'm ready for a little more sunshine and warm air too.  But rather than getting bogged down by worrying about the forecast....as I sit looking at the March calendar with a cute bunny munching green grass, with a word bubble above it's head in which my son said we should write "Watch Out, Danger!"

Just look a little harder, spring is just around the corner

Why is it that people get in a flurry to clean their homes and air things out in the spring!?  Is it because they know they can finally open their windows and just about no one feels safe bleaching things in their home or doing deep down cleaning without opening the windows or running fans.

I've come to realize since I can't open my windows for about 5 months of the year that winter is the perfect time to clean... I mean if I'm going to be stuck inside on a minus 20 degree day I might as well work up a sweat and start cleaning!  But I can't open my windows....no problem now that I use Norwex Microfiber cloths to clean my surfaces, kids toys, floors, windows, fireplace, couches, shoes, walls, cabinets, laundry I don't have to worry about fumes or residues permeating my house....and I simmer a little lemon oil in some water on my stove and some lavender essential oil in my bathroom and we're as good as spring around here!

SO here's to kick off your end of winter, how much longer is this going to last, bring on spring, and when it gets here your house will be clean so you can go outside pre-spring cleaning tips!

#1. Start decluttering...where do you start?  Somewhere anywhere, pick one area, don't worry about cleaning it, just start taking out all the stuff that doesn't belong there (put it in a needs to be put in its place bin), get rid of things in that area that you never use (give it away or put it in a sell pile for a garage sale) and get that space organized.

#2. Keep going.....organize and declutter at least 1 space per week, until we hit the first day of Spring.

#3.  Choose another day of the week and start cleaning.  Look up some weekly checklist. Here are a few areas I like to get tackled:  -Take a wet Enviro Cloth and wipe down your kitchen cabinets.  -Wash the inside of the windows....when it gets warm then you can tackle the outside.  No more paper towels and window spray cleaner to tote.  Take a wet enviro cloth or a spray bottle and followup up with our polish cloth, streak free shine, no spray, no waste!  -Dust all the bedroom furniture.

Don't have any Norwex items yet, feel free to get in touch with me and I'll help you tackle your specific areas and cleaning challenges....but also know that most people start with the Basic Package, a window cloth and an enviro cloth.....or upgrade to a dusting mitt too!  Start saving money today....DO NOT go down the cleaning aisle at your grocery store and buy the latest thing that you just saw advertised on tv.  As a mom of 3 little ones....let them help spring clean alongside you...give them their own cloths!

PS.  I only have openings left for shows in April & May.

Black Marks go BYEBYE

Since we've moved in to our house (3 years ago) I've been frustrated with the way the bricks on our fireplace wall have black marks on them.  Well I'm also unsure what to do with the orange very huge mantel, but that's another blog post for another time (suggestions welcome and I promise I'll post an update if you give me an idea!)

BEFORE: Black soot marks on bricks

Last night, I got the itch to "clean something" So I decided to tackle the bricks.
 20 minutes of scrubbing with water, a few holes in my scrubby corner cloth later, some elbow grease, trusty old toothbrush for the grout, and Norwex Cleaning Paste....
well you tell me if there is a difference!

AFTER: I was so excited to take the after pic that I think the bricks are still a little wet,
so might be a little darker than they really are now!

 This cleaning paste has 3 simple ingredients and does a powerful job, no wonder some people call it elbow grease in a jar.  Some of you might wonder if I'm bummed about the hole in my Scrubby Corner Cloth.  Yes and No....but really no, yes b/c it doesn't look great, but NO because its still effective AND I was scrubbing bricks with it, what do you think would happen!?  Also since I get a 35% discount as a consultant it's not a big deal to replace if I want to.  

MY TOOLS: Cleaning paste, Scrubby Corner Cloth, Toothbrush and H20

Just after I did this project I saw someone on our Leadership team asking of the many uses for Cleaning Paste....perfect timing.  Here are some of the many uses for this small powerful container!  This will replace so many things in your home, along with an Enviro Cloth of course.  Here are 29 ways put together by our awesome Leadership Team! 

1. Ceramic/Glass Stovetops:  This has got to be my favorite, I use to clean my stovetop with baking soda, talk about time consuming & messy!  Now, I just use a little paste on my wet enviro cloth on any spots/spillovers and that former pesky to keep clean stove top is shiny EVERY DAY!  Not because I clean it everyday but b/c it stays cleaner longer from the paste and I always wipe it down at the end of the day with a wet Enviro Cloth.

2. Little tykes toys from garage sales
3. Burner covers on your stove
4. Permanent marker off tile or hardwood floors
5. Make stainless steel sinks shine
6. Clean headlights that have frosted over
7. Bottoms of pampered chef pans
8. Takes the rust off of outside grills
9. Watermarks from the outside of windows
10. Bathtub paired with the bath mitt or spirinet
11. Outside of coolers
12. Clean white textured folding tables
13. Red hair dye off of a toilet seat
14. Clean jewelry
15. In place of "goo gone" with an old toothbrush
16. Stainless steel appliances working with the brush marks
17. Scrubbing the greasy buildup you can get above your stove or on cabinets
18. Polish silver with the paste worked into a fairly wet enviro and a light touch – half the time of just polishing cloth; takes off years of tarnish in no time with very little effort
19. Cleaning your grill or oven if you do not have the oven & grill cleaner
20. Works wonders on grout
21. Scratch marks off of dishes
22. Resin stains off of countertops
23. Kool-aid stains off of countertops
24. Make tennis shoes looks almost new again
25. Rust stains from bath tubs or sinks
26. Old dirty car floor mats
27. Works as a carpet stain buster
28. Great for getting stains and marks out of porcelain sinks
29. Cleans leather

Do you need these products for some of your own cleaning problem areas OR are you interested in getting 35% off your purchases and sharing these amazing chemical free cleaning products with friends?  If so, February is the perfect time to try out some amazing products and get the Norwex kit for $7.99 (handling fee) and have NO sales goal to meet, everything in the kit is yours to keep. 

Get in touch with me or your Norwex Sales Consultant for more details!

Give me the basics

How did you ring in the New Year?  Did you make a resolution?  Have you kept it?  Did you make a list of things that you hope to accomplish in 2014?  Truth be told, I haven't done any of those things.  Coming home in the new year after a long trip abroad with a cold snap that kept us inside for 3 days was both a welcome sight and one that has caused me to be a little stir crazy.  Why you might ask?

Well the post holiday clutter and tripping over toys gets to me after awhile, but I'm grateful to be able to say, "No we can't go anywhere today, its too cold" The holidays are such a blessing, our family was given so many thoughtful, useful and fun gifts.  But despite the blessing I struggle to focus on what's important and keep my heart and mind straight amongst the sea of "things" that are strewn about the house because of the newness of them and excitement.  

For me when things have a place and they are in them I have a weird sense of peace. (God is really working on me to find my sense of peace ONLY in HIM-a Frosted Grace post to come I'm sure) 

Finding new ways to get organized comes to the top of the list for me in 2014. I like to have a place for things.  But it is also helping me to realize we have too much stuff and the need to simplify. After the kids were in bed one night, in about 5 minutes, I filled up a garbage bag full of toys and things that we have multiples of or the bin that they belong in was overflowing.  The bins get dumped everyday in hopes of finding a lost treasure (truth be told I think most of the treasures tend to stay buried).  I also am desiring toys of high quality and multi-purpose for the kids....my friend Sara at Egg & Twig just posted a really fun one about her new Quatro toy from Germany.....I was so in love with all the toys, furniture and surroundings of Switzerland (close to Germany).

What does all this have to do with the basics...well its what I desire and what I'm trying to implement in our home.  I'm slowly combing blogs, asking for advice, and trying to implement the simplicity of life that I so desire.  I come across so many ideas, but its taking time to implement them.  We purged toys before Christmas, now we are purging again.  We ask for gifts that will allow the kids to enjoy something outside of our home (zoo & museum memberships, college fund gifts, books).  

  I'm thankful that Norwex is offering this month its Clean & Polish pack special  These two cloths(enviro&polish) can replace MANY of your household cleaners (cut the clutter under your sink by 3/4).  I no longer make any of my vinegar and baking soda combinations to spend 20 minutes trying to get my stovetop sparkling clean....or trying to figure out just the right mixture of things to make a streak-free glass cleaner for my kitchen table.  Norwex makes it easy with Clean & Polish...just a wet enviro cloth followed up with a dry polish cloth to clean EVERY surface in my kitchen to a sparkling streak free, chemical free shine.  

PS. I want to give a little prop to the Bubble Bath/Bathtime Fun package....why?  Because its made with only 3 ingredients and helps me to feel good about being able to give my sweet little ones a bubble tubby every once in awhile.  It has this very lovely cherry scent and the kids really enjoy the bubbles!  

Takeaways from this post: get rid of your kitchen cleaners, save time and don't make special concoctions, order the clean and polish, and if you need some extra time to fold laundry while sitting in the bathrooms supervising bathtime, the bubble bath is the perfect playmate :)