May the Force Be With You

More cleaning stuff!

Today I got some fun stuff in the mail:

Yep! More cleaning things! And it's only "fun" because it came in the mail just for me - because I do not like to clean really! LOL

You might notice all the items are from Method - and as from the previous post, I do use Method and I do like them very much. So you can imagine my surprise when a few short weeks ago, someone from Method (okay, really it was someone from an advertising company representing Method) sent me an e-mail asking me to contact them about their Method Maven Program.

I had already read about one Method Maven party from a blog I followed, so I was SOOOO excited. (this isn't the one I read, but this blogger also was one too) Not too long after I went downtown to talk to the very lovely lady who contacted me (and also, she has a British accent and I just loved to hear her talk LOL). Well, I learned Monday they picked me to become one of the Chicago Method Mavens!

Woo-hoo! This means I get to have a great party with my friends and they will send me stuff to try (hence the package today). The only downside is the party is NEXT WEDNESDAY! Which means I've given most people a one's week notice, which also means so far I'm hearing more no's than yes's - mostly due to the fact that people can't rearrange schedules to go. Although I am hearing it sounds like fun and they wish they could make it.

Anyway, I'm so excited about this opportunity and I know some of you reading this here blog are in the Chicago area and really how much fun would it be to meet up? And wouldn't it be even more fun if we got to meet for the first time at a party with food and drinks and free cleaning supplies?!?! No, really, if you are from around here, and can be downtown Chicago next Wednesday (the 24th) and want to meet me in person, let me know! I'd love to invite you and meet you too =) I swear!

On cleaning ...

I use a WIDE variety of cleaners - I took a sample shot of them today to show you:

You can see Method, Burt's Bees, Palmolive, Scrubbing Bubbles, Seventh Generation, Shaklee and Clean Well. This does not include the water, vinegar, lemon, baking powder that I use either! Because I also use lots of those things too!

As you can see, I don't have a favorite brand or much brand loyalty - I look at the amount of chemicals, how well it works, are there alternatives, the price, and then look at the brand. So we end up with a wide variety. And we switch as things go on sale or special. I did not buy the Shaklee though. I won that. I use it. And I love it. However, that we won't buy unless the company changes their policies because we don't want to be locked in to buy a certain amount each month - which stinks, because I would probably buy from them otherwise. Also, I won't be buying scrubbing bubbles anymore, but the frugal part of me needs to finish the spray before replacing it - although maybe not so much anymore - it might be gone very soon - more on that later.

Anyway, my point is, I use lots of products and it doesn't bother me that I do that. I will say that right now we are trying to use less chemicals in our house - I have a child with neurological issues and a child with asthma - both of which are documented to be irritated by lots of chemicals in the products we use. My house is not chemical free - we have nonstick pans, some of our furniture has been treated with the fireproof agent, I'm sure my carpet is releasing VOC's into the air (along with our paint, furniture, and other things). We are not eliminating them completely to be sure, but we are trying to make small changes that can help a lot - and cleaners is one area it's been easy to do that with.

I'm sure you are scratching your head right now - it's okay ... this post will make a lot more sense once I make my next post. But it's a way for me to give you background without creating the longest post in the history of this blog! LOL

Living Platic Free

Could you do it?

I've often said I couldn't do it. As far as I can tell - it's EVERYWHERE! And if you go plastic free, does that mean you never use plastic again (thereby throwing all the plastic you currently own?) or do you just not buy plastic from this day forward?

I guess each person who takes up the challenge will decide - and I bet much has to do with why thy are giving up plastic. Is it to be more environmental? Or is it because you think plastics are unhealthy? I'd have a hard time chucking all the plastic I own out because it seem so wasteful to me. But we don't heat our plastic and I don't feel too worried about the chemicals in it yet (although I will admit reading that they can now detect bpa in people's blood does indeed make me want to rethink that stand!).

Anyway, I don't have any plans to go plastic-free. I have personally cut back on plastic in our house - but only the convenient plastic to ditch (mainly plastic bags from stores) and we are buying less, which in general means less plastic. But our efforts have not be herculean nor have they been hard.

If you would like to go plastic-free or just greatly reduce how much plastic you are using, here is a list of some blogs and articles that I have found all about the topic. I will be perusing them too as I get a chance ... and who knows, maybe at my house we'll begin to work a bit harder at using less plastic!

any more that you think will help!!
Life Less Plastic
Month without Plastic
Plastic Free Picnic
Click for Carbon Plastic Challenge
Plastic and Physics
Living Plastic Free
My (almost) plastic free bathroom
Products to help make your kitchen plastic free
Life without Plastic
Living Plastic Free – year 2
Fake Plastic Fish

Long time no post!

I really really keep intending to pop in and post. Sadly though, I haven't taken any recent pictures of the garden, but lots of good things are going on.
Things are growing! The tomatoes, which didn't change size for about a month, have finally starting growing! The potatoes are HUGE (I didn't know they got that big). The first planting of carrots have sprouted. I did a second planting but they haven't sprouted yet).
We have actually eaten some lettuce from our garden! And it tasted fabulous!! Next year - I need to plant more lettuce and start it sooner. I also need to do the first carrot planting sooner and plant some carrots more often.
Today I used fresh herbs from the garden too which was awesome!! =)

Speaking of, I got sort of creative with dinner tonight! I REALLY wanted meatloaf for dinner tonight. Our house was already 82 degrees when I wanted to cook - I had all the doors and windows open (our air isn't set to turn on until 84 degrees) and I didn't want to get the house hotter and keep the air off or shut the house up and let the air run. [Sorry, I'm rambling and I don't mean too!]. So, I "baked" my meatloaf on the grill. We have a propane grill - I don't know if it's any better or not than the oven, heating the house, and turning the air on. But it worked. It tasted delicious. It cooked faster than in the oven. And my house didn't heat up! =) Yeah!

(my meatloaf and potatoes right before I pulled them out to eat!)

I've also been making jam lately and have done my very first hot water bath canning! It has been fun. Although it's making me tired - I do it all in the evening when the outside air has cooled the house off a lot. Because, jam making, created a lot of heat I think. Two burners are on on my stove and it takes time.

(yeah, yeah, some jam is on the stove I know LOL!)
I've done too batches - at two different times. Next time I need to try to do them back to back so that I only need to fill the pans up once. Because it also takes a lot of water.
The first night, I kept the water and used it to water some plants the next day. Tonight, I took the very hot water and poured it into my sink, added soap, waited for it to cool, and used it to wash the non-dishwasher dishes! So, I'm trying to at least find other ways to use the water instead of just dumping it down the drain. But really, the jam tastes sooooo yummy!!!

A batch of strawberry kiwi jam - which I might add, tastes an awful lot like plain old strawberry jam with just a hint of something in there and it's delicious!!!

Anyway, I'm hoping I can come back Sunday with some garden pics to share - and also, pictures of our very first composter!!! Yeah!!!

Sunday Garden Shots!

So, today I worked in the garden some more! I took a few plants out, put a few new ones in and just moved a couple to some other location. I do believe, however, everything is where it will be staying for this summer. I do believe that next year I will fight for a bigger garden .... however, due to the garden being smaller than I wanted it, my deck now looks like:

Somehow I need to make it look a bit prettier, but I'm not sure that will actually happen this year. We'll see ... I need to put together some wooden platforms that the pots can sit into, but I'm not about to pay for that and I don't know how to make it!

For now, I will sit back and think about all the delicious peppers and lettuce and kale and other yummies these containers will provide for my family - and since the round containers were free, well, I can not complain one bit about how they look!

In other garden news, both potatoes and peas have sprouted!

This makes me so excited. I planted those seeds, what, 2 or 3 weeks ago now? And there are the plants - so beautiful and wonderful to watch grow.
The carrots have not come up yet though, which really makes me wonder if they will grow at all. If nothing happens in the week I think I will dig them up and try to replant and hope it works this time. I think I put them too deep in the soil and so it's totally my fault.

Ah well, live and learn - and it does appear that at least some of it will turn into actual food! =)

For more of my garden photos, visit here.
And to see other people's gardens, visit here!

Sunday Garden May 25

Not much has changed in the garden. We added the tomatoes and 2 celery to it though. Somehow the cherry tomatoes have disappeared. I'm so bummed. Should we find them, into pots they will go.


(The pictures aren't the best ... I took them at dusk but they will have to do!)

I also added some plants to the front ... these I should be able to cut all summer long and have some nice flowers sitting on the table whenever I want to (well, at least I hope so! LOL)



We put our strawberries out too - we are going to try them in hanging baskets and we'll see how it goes! (You can see one of them in the right corner of the picture!) And I need to definitely add some containers here and there and everywhere I can .. but I haven't purchased any yet. I think that will be next weekend's job list.