Mommy Octopus

Thank you for everyone that prayed for my grandfather the past few weeks.  I was able to spend an enormous amount of time talking with him and just being together.  He passed away at his home on Thursday, March 21st at around 6:10 pm with my mom, my aunt, and myself at his side.  It was very peaceful and we are happy to know that he is in heaven.

There is something remarkably peaceful about watching a man who loved The Lord with all his heart take his final breaths.  He was at such peace the entire time and kept his eyes focused right on his eternal healing.

My grandfather loved my grandmother so much that he actually died on her birthday.  She had passed away 11 years ago.  I can almost picture him surprising her in heaven by arriving on her birthday.  What a joyous reunion that must have been.

I know I will have some good days and some sad days the next few weeks, so there may be some days without many posts, but my assistants will be keeping an eye on things and bumping up their postings as needed if I need a day off to myself.

Thanks again for all the prayers during this time.  I appreciate knowing I have such wonderful readers.

Erin

I am so excited that spring is finally here! Like I told you in a post on Monday, I am in the mood for spring cleaning. Today I want to share with you a few ways I green my clean. I tossed conventional cleaning products several years ago when I began to learn about the toxic ingredients that I was using to clean my home. The health risks aren’t worth it, it costs less to make your own, and it’s incredibly easy. You are going to be surprised how simple it really is and I bet you will have most of the ingredients on hand.

Window and Glass Spray

1 cup white distilled vinegar

3 cups water

1-2 drops of liquid dish soap

Simply combine all the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake to mix. Conventional glass cleaners leave a film on your mirrors and windows. The liquid dish soap will remove this film. Once you have removed this film, it’s no longer necessary to add the dish soap. I add a couple of drops of orange or lemon essential oil. It adds to the cleaning power and also gives it a nice scent.

Furniture Polish

3 tablespoons beeswax beads (found here-Beeswax Organic Pastilles, Yellow, 100% Pure 16 Oz)

8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Melt the beeswax in a crockpot or a double boiler. The easiest way is to melt the beeswax in a small glass jar using the double boiler method. I use a small mason jar. Once the beeswax is melted add the oil. Be careful not to burn yourself. I add about 15 drops of lemon essential oil. You could use teatree essential oil, or any woody essential oil if you prefer.

All Purpose Cleaner

1 gallon of water

1/3 cup white distilled vinegar

10-15 drops tea tree essential oil (found here-Tea Tree (Melaleuca) Essential Oil. 10 ml. 100% Pure, Undiluted, Therapeutic Grade.)

 

10 drops citrus essential oil (I use this-Orange Essential Oil. 10 ml. 100% Pure, Undiluted, Therapeutic Grade.)

 

I usually combine all these ingredients in a bucket and use it to dampen a cloth for cleaning my kitchen and bathrooms. Then I use it for mopping the kitchen.

For areas that need scrubbing like the toilet or showers I simply use baking soda, either plain or with a few drops of essential oils. I like tea tree essential oil for it’s antimicrobial properties and citric essential oils for their disinfecting and antifungal properties. Remember not to apply undiluted  essential oils directly to your skin. 

I think you will be pleased to learn how easy and inexpensive it really is to clean your house naturally and you get the peace of mind knowing that your home is chemical free.

Did you grab up the deal on coconut oil? It’s still available! Here’s a great way to use it. Making your own deodorant is one simple and easy way to go natural and save money at the same time. Conventional deodorants are full of chemicals that can be toxic and natural alternatives are often pricey and sometimes not as chemical-free as you might think. It’s easy to make your own with ingredients you probably already have around the house in just minutes. Here’s what you need:

1/4 c. cornstarch or arrow root powder

1/4 c. baking soda

6-8 tsp. coconut oil in it’s solid form

3 drops teatree essential oil (found here-Tea Tree (Melaleuca) Essential Oil. 10 ml. 100% Pure, Undiluted, Therapeutic Grade.)

9 drops orange essential oil (found here-Orange Essential Oil. 10 ml. 100% Pure, Undiluted, Therapeutic Grade.)

Simply combine all ingredients together until well blended. I use a clean empty deodorant container to store mine so it rolls up just like a conventional deodorant. Be sure to keep it in a cool place to prevent the coconut oil from liquefying.

Spring is almost here! This beautiful weather always gets me in the mood for spring cleaning. I like to scour the house and purge any unneeded junk hanging around from winter. Here are 5 of my favorite tips to help you tidy up and get organized.
Tip 1: For everything that comes in to your house something has to go out. So, when you return with something new find something old to toss or donate.
Tip 2: Choose one area at a time to organize and clean. Rome wasn’t built in a day and you don’t have to make over your whole home in one either. If it’s a big mess or you don’t have a lot of time you can break it down even further into sections of a room or sections of a closet even. The easiest way to quickly organize an area I have found is to be prepared before you start. Gather up any necessary cleaning supplies and set up three boxes, one for trash, one for donate, one for keep items that belong somewhere else.
Tip 3: Ask yourself how much you really need an item before you purchase it or you decide to hang on to it. Is it really worth the space it’s taking up. For example, a few years ago I tossed all the pots and pans out of my kitchen that I do not regularly use. Anything Teflon coated went and most pans that could only be used for one specific thing. I love to cook but I usually stick to my favorite pots and pans and rarely took the time to dig out specialized ones. Now I have 3 or 4 pots of various sizes and 4 cast iron skillets. I haven’t once missed my old pans and I am much happier with the extra space that allowed me to better organize my kitchen.
Tip 4: Give everything a home. Every item needs a place to live. Homeless items cause clutter and distraction. Deal with any items that seem to keep floating around your home. In my home toys are biggest floaters. To help with this problem I ration toys into 3 totes and we rotate them every three days. This way the kids don’t get bored and there aren’t tons of toys scattered around the house.
Tip 5: Have a tidy-up time. Every evening just before bed I turn on fun music and the entire family takes 10 minutes and we tidy up. It’s fun, we do it together, and it gets tomorrow off to a much better start.
I hope these tips will inspire you as your organizing your home this spring. If you want more tips on organizing your home head on over to Amazon and grab this free Kindle book I just found Conquer Clutter: 3 Books in 1 – Declutter Now, Organize Your Home, Simple Storage Systems – Discover the Secrets of a Clutter Free Lifestyle. I can’t wait to read it! I would love to hear what your favorite tips are for organizing and cutting clutter from your home. So, leave me a comment if you have a great suggestion or favorite way to organize!

 

Thank you all that have been praying for my grandfather.  We have always been close and it’s been hard seeing him suffer.  He has lymphoma and has many complications that are not allowing them to treat.  Unfortunately it seems like we will have to say goodbye soon.  That’s where I am right now and why postings have been few.  I have 2 great assistants, though that will be posting when they can.

We appreciate any and all prayers for the family during this time.

I know I don’t share a lot personally, but I wanted to say that I feel incredibly blessed to have ya’ll as my readers.  Blogging has enabled me to continue staying at home with my kids and I will forever be thankful. Below are my kids.  They are amazing and bring a smile to my face daily.  So blessed to be their mom!

As ya’ll know I had my wisdom teeth out last Tuesday.  It’s been an okay ride.  Wasn’t in as much pain as I thought and really I think it went quite well.  I did learn some things and I thought I’d share those with you:

*It’s completely possible to be sick of icecream.  And yogurt.  And applesauce.  And mashed potatoes.

*Friends will offer to bring food for your family.  Real friends will remember to bring something you can eat.

*Have childcare lined up for several days after.  That supermom stuff is impossible with painkillers in your system.

*Eat your favorite foods for several days before.  You might as well say goodbye to them for the next couple of weeks.

*I’m entirely way too reliant on straws.  I had no idea how often I was using them.  Being strawless stinks.

*And lastly, REST.  Use this time to catch up on the years of sleep lacking.  Even if you’re feeling better, sleep for all it’s worth!  As a mom, you won’t get another chance like this in the next decade.

What did you learn from your wisdom teeth removal?