RANDOMNESS: keeping up with 'stuff'

I know everyone has days, weeks, months, when they feel like they've just let everything s-l-i-d-e.... I've felt that way since summer.... I KNOW!  Lazy or what?!

Well, I'm trying to get back on track now.... I've made up a house cleaning schedule for myself.  Something I should have done a very long time ago.  But, cleaning is one of those things where I always feel behind, and the nagging guilt I have over it some days is excruciatingly painful and paralyzing.  Can you relate?

Anyhow, I'm 2 weeks into the schedule, and I have to say that I feel much less stress about keeping house.  And, truth is, the schedule isn't really far off from what I was doing before; it's just that I've printed it off and posted it so that it's a BLAZING reminder of my daily tasks.  And, I guess that's what I needed.... ACCOUNTABILITY.

It's funny, I demand accountability in my children's actions and the actions of others; and myself, for that matter.... just not in the context of a clean house.  Why, I wonder?.... Is it because I know the house will never, ever be totally clean (untidy).... I'm not delusional.  I have kids who create messes, I create messes.... and I'm generally the type who 'shoves' things.... thinking I'll get to them later.... but, oftentimes, later never comes.  Please tell me you understand.... give me an agreeing head nod....

I have to say, that this pressure and stress I feel over house work, is pressure I put on myself.  Why do we do that?  If you ever find a reasonable answer to that question, please enlighten me; because all of the answers I have come up with are completely insane when you really think about them.

The world will not end if I don't put the dishes away before bed.... my children will not be forced to wear dirty clothes.... my friends and neighbours will not stop speaking to me because I haven't vacuumed in two days.  I know this.

So, here's the thing.  I make this schedule, and I'm not talking 3 hours of house cleaning a day.... just 15 minutes to half an hour on top of the daily pick-up and tidy..... do at least one load of washing and drying and putting away a day to keep on top of the mountains of fabric that pile up in my laundry room.... and most importantly, MOST IMPORTANTLY, putting things away, right away - NOT saving it for the later that never comes.  HA!

It's working for me.  I'm less stressed, I'm able to rationalize house cleaning better because I know I've accomplished my daily task, I have more quality time with my family and I'm satisfied that my family is not living in filth.... ok, so my house isn't filthy to begin with, just untidy at times really; but nonetheless, I find it somewhat stressful....

Aaaanyway.... In conclusion, I'm happier knowing I'm holding myself accountable for keeping a tidy home....  Have a great day, I'm off to clean the loo!
;)

What's up....

Hey! It's been a while.... so sorry for the crickets chirpin' around these parts.... We've been busy having lots of summer fun, as I'm sure you have been as well.

Last night, after I got the kiddie-kats to bed, I devoted my ENTIRE night to the hook! Something I haven't done in a loooong time.... and I didn't feel even the slightest twinge of guilt, which is a major thing for me as I usually feel some degree of anxiety when I take time just for me (clearly, content for a future blog-therapy session).... Do you feel like that sometimes too?

So, aaaanyway, here's what worked up as I watched American Pickers (a new fave) and Dateline NBC (an old fave)....



Pot scrubbies; super soft baby scrubbies; and two super cute, sand colour 'sea star' washies.... Again, the scrubbie-love rears it's glorious head.... I just love making these up, they're so quick and more importantly - USEFUL! I'm hoping to make up a bunch more of the 'sea star' washies and list them in the shop.... They're the perfect size for doing dishes, washing baby (or yourself - they're not discriminating), using as a hot pad.... and anything else you can think of!

I also announced on my 3 monkeys inc facebook page that I'm NOW TAKING ORDERS (yelling through a megaphone) for skull and crossbones hats.... trying to get some of my repeat customer orders filled before the rush.... So, if you're interested in some pretty cool (or warm) and unique gifts for Christmas, check out my 3 monkeys facebook page or my mini etsy right over there on my sidebar....

Aaaanyway, just a quick little bit to let you know I'm still around and that I haven't forgotten about you.... I'll be posting this week, and will be back for sure on friday for our usual installment of the Friday Night Video.... Cheers peeps! Have a wonderful day ;)

What's next, a wash board?

I've been making my own laundry soap for quite some time now... seems like forever, really... and I find it's been working just as well as commercial grade soap. Of course, I still use bleach once a month in my whites just to fight the dinginess that somehow overtakes anything that is white; and I can't seem to give up my fabric softener addiction.... admittedly though, I have cut back to half of what is suggested per softener usage and started buying bulk Costco brand instead of my favourite Downy scent.... Aaaanyway, here's the recipe for the soap if anyone is interested in trying it out:

Laundry Soap
1 bar pure soap grated fine (I use sunlight laundry bar)
1 cup washing soda
1 cup borax
3/4 cup baking soda

Mix everything together in a large freezer bag or an air tight container. Use 1-3 tablespoons depending on your machine and water hardness.


After much experimenting, this is the recipe that works best for my extremely hard water (that by the way, is also softened with a water softener...uggg, I hate hard water and so does my hair) and my 13 year old trusty Maytag top-loader. You can certainly use this recipe as a guide to find your own formulation... much is dependent upon your own water and machine...

This recipe makes roughly 32-48 loads (1-1/2 to 2 tbsp soap)... here's the cost breakdown of the ingredients:

Soap Bar $2.49 for a package of 2 (wal-mart or grocery store)
Washing Soda $5.99 3kg(Zehrs grocery store)
Borax $5.99 2kg(Sobeys grocery store)
Baking Soda $4.99 2kg(any grocery store)

I haven't yet calculated how many cups are in each ingredient box... and will keep track from now on, so I can give a more accurate price per batch... Roughly speaking though, each 32-48 load batch is under $4.00 .... but; this is also a variable cost, as the ingredient prices will vary from store-to-store and town-to-town and be dependent upon the bar soap you buy.... so many variables, is it really worth it???? I say yes... for me anyway... I like knowing what is going next to my children's skin, I like knowing that I am making a more environmentally friendly choice, and that I'm saving a little money too. Hey! Works for me!

There are soooo many recipes on the net if you're looking for something a little different, all you need to do is search Homemade Laundry Detergent... the possibilities and recipes are endless. You'll find recipes for liquid or powder... I like the idea of liquid; but, as I found it a little difficult to find a 5 gallon pail and the space in my crampy laundry room, I opted for the powder and have been very, very happy with my choice.

This time around, I chose Dr. Bonners Peppermint Castile Soap (available at most health food stores) which was definitely not cost effective; but every now and then I like to change the scent up a bit... and a light minty scent is very energizing... I guess my point in this is that I know the ingredients, they're pure and natural and not toxic to my family.

Have a fantastic Monday everyone ;)

Re-vamping my "green" cleaning...

So, recently I hosted and enjoyed a girls' night with my beautiful girly-friends... our conversations range from silly to serious... and this night we touched a little on what cleaning products everyone was using around their homes...

I love my vinegar/water/lavender spray and was sad to find that it's not the optimal choice for cleaning my counter tops... I do still use lysol diluted with water once a week to give my kitchen a good cleaning, however, after this revelation, I jumped on the internet to find a better, green choice for my everyday cleaning... soooo, here it is...

Disinfectant Spray*
2 cups water
3 tbsp liquid soap (I use a pure liquid soap, available in the health food aisles of my grocery store)
20-30 drops of tea tree oil or any other essential oil with disinfecting properties (optional)

So simple and effective and plays right into my plans for ridding my home of unnecessary chemicals... not to mention a complete money saver... and who doesn't love to save money???

So, I'd like to once again thank the ladies for a fun night of chit-chat, food and wine/coffee... Special thanks to Becky for opening my eyes about my vinegar/water spray... I now feel totally comfortable getting rid of my Lysol too...

Have a fantastically green Sunday ;)

*disinfectant spray courtesy of Redbook online, follow the link for more great cleaning recipes...
http://www.redbookmag.com/recipes-home/tips-advice/green-cleaning-recipes

Bandwagon-jumping...

Yes, yes it's true... I can be somewhat of a bandwagon jumper... especially when the pros far outweigh the cons, and especially when no harm will happen to anyone or anything...

Recently, I joined the "No-Poo" revolution... no-no, not what you're thinking... "no-poo" as in no shampoo. I first read about it here, Sayward at Bonzai Aphrodite has a great passion for living a chemical-free life, hop on over and have a read of everything she has to offer...

I realize how gross no shampoo sounds; but, I have to say that my hair has never felt better, and my scalp has been itch-free for two weeks! This excites me like you wouldn't believe. I posted a while back about how sensitive my skin is and how I seem to rash just walking by certain body care products (an obvious over-exaggeration)... aaaaanyway. Yes, I do wash my hair; but now I'm scrubbing my hair and scalp with a mixture of baking soda and water. It's totally amazing how clean my hair feels when I wash with this stuff... then I massage and rinse the soda out with a mixture of apple cider vinegar, water and a few drops of lavender essential oil. Stinky, you'd think, but surprisingly not at all. Even my husband comments on how nice my hair looks after I wash... which I do every second or third day. I'm not saying everyone should go "no-poo", I think it totally depends on the type of hair you have. It works for my hair because I have lots of hair, lots of body, and a normal-dry texture... on someone with thin, straight and more oily hair, something like this may not work as a routine method of hair cleansing... however, I can totally see this working for everyone as a once a month way to de-guck your hair... it's a fantastic way to rid yourself of build-up. The added bonus are the benefits to your hair and scalp - stronger hair, and healthier scalp... vinegar has the same pH as skin therefore it returns your skin/scalp back to normal after washing... read more about it with Sayward at Bonzai Aphrodite or google it!

When we were on vacation in PEI a couple of weeks ago, we had the opportunity to visit this lovely place, The Great Canadian Soap Company. They have created a superb line of goats milk products that, while they smell fantastic, are beneficial in so many ways!... WOW! I have had my eyes opened up to the kind of crap I have been washing my body with my whole life... and have realized that all of my skin issues have probably been caused by using harsh detergents hidden in pretty little packages and masked by enticing scents. I am totally sold on the goaty goodness! I purchased soap for all the babes which will last at least four times longer than the zillions of bottles of J&J baby head-to-toe stuff I have bought past and present... by the way, J&J is nothing more than a "gentle" detergent - EEK! And their baby lotions all have parabens - YIKES! I feel like a more responsible parent/consumer, knowing that I am purchasing and using products that are better for me, my family and not harmful to our earth.

Do I sound like a hippy yet??? Maybe I will after you read this ;)

I had said a while ago, how I wanted to try making my own laundry detergent... well, I did. And I LOVE it... I made a powdered detergent, which I am totally not accustomed to using, but have found very effective for cleaning our clothes. I still keep a bottle of the chemically-laced-massed-produced-not-good-for-you-or-the-environment-liquid-stuff on hand for those extra dirty things, but use only a teaspoon of it along with my homemade stuff. I love the smell of it... I used the old fashioned Sunlight Pure Soap bar, When grated up and mixed with all of the other ingredients, it gives all of our laundry a wonderful lemon chiffon smell.... yummmmm! If anyone is interested in the recipe, I'd be happy to share!

What things have you been doing to better you and your families lives lately? What do you think of the whole "no-poo" revolution? Share your tips and hints for healthier living...

Enjoy your evening everyone ;)

Back to basics...

So, recently, I have been reading up on stuff... lots of stuff... sunscreens vs. sunblocks... nasty chemicals that are housed in most of our beauty care products... better-for-the-planet household products... the list goes on and on and on...

What I've come away with is this: I need to get back to basics... a return to the age when mass-produced, chemically formulated, convenience products never really existed and what people used were products that were natural and pure and for the most part, homemade... That being said, it is widely known that many natural products, natural additives and natural preservatives do not have the research behind them supporting their safeness or effectiveness for human use or consumption... A catch 22 for certain...

Anyway, I personally like the idea of using products that have more naturally occurring ingredients than those that are synthetically engineered...

So here are a few things that my family has been using:

White Vinegar -
By mixing 1/2 cup vinegar and 2 cups water you'll have a very effective glass and hard surface cleaner, mix it in a trigger spray bottle and add 12-15 drops of essential oil of your choice to make it a little more pleasant smelling...

Due to its acetic nature, vinegar has been used by some as an effective green weed killer, it has been labelled as a green because it has been shown not to be absorbed into the roots of plants...

Vinegar can also be used as a rinse agent in your dishwasher or as a fabric softener in your washing machine...

Borax and Washing Soda -
I have been using borax for a very long time now and find it a very effective additive to my laundry detergent... more recently, I have been using washing soda as well, the two paired with my store bought detergent have increased my soaps effectiveness, I also find that I use much less soap... my next laundry project is making a batch of laundry detergent, I will update you soon about that one...

Borax mixed with jam left on a plate indoors or outdoors can be effective at killing ant colonies... be sure to keep out of reach of children...

Baking Soda -
Mix 1 part dish soap with 2 parts baking soda, add a little water if needed to make a paste consistency... use the paste as a low abrasive to clean sinks, taps, ovens, pots... whatever you would use an abrasive cleaner on... tip: if using to clean your oven or anything with thick baked on or greasy grimy surfaces, apply the paste and let it sit for 10-30 minutes to loosen grime better...

Baking soda added to a load of laundry with your detergent will act as a booster and also freshen your clothes...

Add ground cloves to baking soda and sprinkle on your carpets as a carpet deodorizer, let sit for a bit then vacuum, will also freshen your vacuum cleaner...

Baking soda in your bath will leave your skin soft and smooth...

Hydrogen Peroxide -
My friend Sherry sent me an e-mail not long ago about the uses of peroxide in the home... what I came away with was an inexpensive and extremely effective toilet cleaning solution... Once a month, I disassemble our toilet seats and put each of them and their hardware in a sink of hot water and about a 1/4 cup of peroxide, then let them soak while I clean the rest of the toilets with full concentrate peroxide and an old rag... The rest of the month I use my vinegar and water solution to do my daily bathroom cleaning... with two young boys, bathroom cleaning is a daily chore...

Natural Body Soap -
I have had many skin sensitivities my whole life, harsh perfumes and sun exposure often cause my skin to break out in rash and dermatitis... For years, I have used oil free face and body lotions and Dove bar soap for my face and body... body washes and my skin just do not get along... more recently, I gave up the Dove bar on my body, for a natural tea tree oil soap. It's for body and hair; my skin has been less itchy and any dermatitis that I had is drying out and disappearing. I've tried it on my hair with somewhat favourable results; however, I still prefer the shine that commercial shampoos and conditioners give...

Homemade body lotion -
My friend Lindsay makes a wonderful line of body lotions/butters... she has been making diaper cream for me since my youngest was born... I'm happy to report that my little girl baby has had fewer than five bouts with irritated bum skin, not even a full blown diaper rash to speak of :) I've also been using it on her whole body when she gets out of the bath ;)

I use her lotion on my hands every night before bed and love the way it makes my skin feel... I feel good in knowing that there are no harsh chemicals and no unnecessary fragrances... my hands quite often flake when I use perfumed hand lotions or soaps... I have not had this problem while using Lindsay's products...

Sunscreen and Sunblock -
I've found conflicting evidence about whether or not to use sunscreen or sunblock... PABA-free, paraben-free, vitamin A-free... another catch 22 - use sun protection products to protect you from getting skin cancer; however, be aware that some ingredients in these products have been linked to cancers but not proven to be the causal effects of these cancers.... what?! I know. What does all of this mean? Be sun savvy... limited exposure to sun and sun lotions and you'll be fine... or not :S ... In other words, use a broad spectrum sun protection lotion, this will ensure that the ingredients will protect against both UVA (skin aging and cancer causing), and UVB (burning and tanning) rays... but use them sparingly as they may contain ingredients that have been found in some cancerous tumors :S ... again, I know!

That being said... there are several sun protection products on the market that are paraben-free, it's just trying to find them and not having to pay an arm and a leg for them...

I guess what I'm trying to get at with all of my ramblings is this: maybe our fore-mothers... you know - Ma Ingalls... had it just right... elbow grease, salves and poultices as the clean-all, cure-all for their families... It seems that in those simpler days before industrialization and commercialization people lived a much healthier and happier life... Can you blame me for wanting a little part of that?

Here are some links for your consideration:
http://safemama.com/
http://www.armhammer.com/index.asp
http://www.using-hydrogen-peroxide.com/using-hydrogen-peroxide-for-cleaning.html
http://www.20muleteamlaundry.com/about
http://www.soapsgonebuy.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=AH1001&Show=ExtInfo
http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/vinegar

Have a great day... stay cool ;)