The Zoey dog
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
Cleaning house, au natural
I do not consider myself a crunchy mom, a granola mom, or a green mom, but I do try to make the best choice for my family that save us money and the planet. I am well aware of the harsh chemicals in cleaners and the impact they have on our air and watershed, not to mention our immune systems, but I am also conscious about how to have a clean, germ free home. I, like the next mom, had always used what my mom used, and what her mom before her used.
Like the old adage goes, a house is only as clean as it smells, and that smell was always bleach and harsh chemicals. The chemical smell always annoyed me and gave me a reason to hate cleaning bathrooms, not to mention the dry, cracked and irritated hands, persistent cough, and watery eyes that resulted after spraying down the shower. All this makes for such an enjoyable experience, right? If only I followed the directions on the bottle, you know the ones that say wear gloves when using cleaner and use only in well-ventilated areas. Right, because all bathrooms are well ventilated with the tiny fans and the windows that rarely open. When DH and I bought our condominium, I decided to switch to the popular brand green line cleaner. You know, the one with the yellow daisy, but with the traditional name still it on. I found the cleaners’ worked well, but they still had the smell, and they still irritated my hands.
When we moved into our new house, while we were expecting, my mom helped me clean the house. She went out, bought the cleaners and left a bottle of bathroom cleaner on the kitchen counter; it fell over and spilled on the counter and floor. It ate away the finish on the laminate counter and the floor. My husband cleaned it up before he went to work and threw the in the sink, it burned the stainless steel sink. The offending cleaner left black marks in my sink, a white spot on my floor, rough patch on my counter, and me wondering what caustic substance is in my household cleaner. Moreover, why am I using it in my house? At that moment, I decided all cleaners with unpronounceable names and chemical ingredients were no longer welcome in my house.
My search was not difficult I came up with many solutions. To narrow down my choices, I ask myself, can I pronounce the ingredients and if ingested, would I be ok? If the answer is yes, it can come in the house. If no, it stays at the store. Even though my cleaning products are generally safe, I keep them up and out of reach of the curious little hands that like to put everything into her mouth. I no longer use window cleaners – I use Norwex cloths. Toilet bowl cleansers or all-purpose cleaners are now replaced with all-purpose vinegar. I started using Method disinfectant for the Lil’ Cupcake’s toys and high chair, and I keep Clean Well hand sanitizer wipes in the diaper bag ready for use when we are out and about. I feel better about my cleaning products and the minimal impact they have on my family and my environment. I no longer have to worry about my hands or choking on fumes, but I still hate cleaning bathrooms, but my house smells fresh, looks clean and if I want to eat a piece of fruit off the floor, because I dropped it again, I don’t have to worry about what chemicals I am eating inadvertently, which is always a good thing when you have a child.
Like the old adage goes, a house is only as clean as it smells, and that smell was always bleach and harsh chemicals. The chemical smell always annoyed me and gave me a reason to hate cleaning bathrooms, not to mention the dry, cracked and irritated hands, persistent cough, and watery eyes that resulted after spraying down the shower. All this makes for such an enjoyable experience, right? If only I followed the directions on the bottle, you know the ones that say wear gloves when using cleaner and use only in well-ventilated areas. Right, because all bathrooms are well ventilated with the tiny fans and the windows that rarely open. When DH and I bought our condominium, I decided to switch to the popular brand green line cleaner. You know, the one with the yellow daisy, but with the traditional name still it on. I found the cleaners’ worked well, but they still had the smell, and they still irritated my hands.
When we moved into our new house, while we were expecting, my mom helped me clean the house. She went out, bought the cleaners and left a bottle of bathroom cleaner on the kitchen counter; it fell over and spilled on the counter and floor. It ate away the finish on the laminate counter and the floor. My husband cleaned it up before he went to work and threw the in the sink, it burned the stainless steel sink. The offending cleaner left black marks in my sink, a white spot on my floor, rough patch on my counter, and me wondering what caustic substance is in my household cleaner. Moreover, why am I using it in my house? At that moment, I decided all cleaners with unpronounceable names and chemical ingredients were no longer welcome in my house.
My search was not difficult I came up with many solutions. To narrow down my choices, I ask myself, can I pronounce the ingredients and if ingested, would I be ok? If the answer is yes, it can come in the house. If no, it stays at the store. Even though my cleaning products are generally safe, I keep them up and out of reach of the curious little hands that like to put everything into her mouth. I no longer use window cleaners – I use Norwex cloths. Toilet bowl cleansers or all-purpose cleaners are now replaced with all-purpose vinegar. I started using Method disinfectant for the Lil’ Cupcake’s toys and high chair, and I keep Clean Well hand sanitizer wipes in the diaper bag ready for use when we are out and about. I feel better about my cleaning products and the minimal impact they have on my family and my environment. I no longer have to worry about my hands or choking on fumes, but I still hate cleaning bathrooms, but my house smells fresh, looks clean and if I want to eat a piece of fruit off the floor, because I dropped it again, I don’t have to worry about what chemicals I am eating inadvertently, which is always a good thing when you have a child.
Monday, January 30, 2012
A case of the Monday's
As a full-time working mom, I often commute to work wondering why I do it. Why do I work? It is obvious, to pay the bills, and put food on the table, but other than that, why? I would rather be home playing with the Lil’ Cupcake, baking, painting toes and fingernails, reading stories and having living room dance parties. Now that sounds like much more fun.
According to Statistics Canada, 65 per cent of women in
Most women return to work for necessity, because they enjoy their jobs or for the most part a combination of the two. I am in the latter category, I really enjoy my work and I needed to return to pay the bills. I was excited to return to work, but conflicted because I had to leave my little girl. To realize that I would only get to spend a maximum of two to two and half hours with her every night during the weekday is terrible and the one thing that plagues my thoughts every Monday. These thoughts make me wonder, and search daily, for opportunities that would allow me to work from home part-time in addition to a career that gets me out of the house.
Honestly, I need to work. I enjoy working and I enjoy my career. As much as I love my family, to be the best person I can be, I need to work. I would love to work part-time in my career and part-time in a fun job. I was once asked what my dream job was, and at the time I named it, little did I know that I would achieve that dream job by 27, I’ve been in that dream job for three years, I’ve had a child, the dream has changed.
My dream job now consists of a multitude of things. First off, the organization has to be family friendly that is a requirement. Next, it would allow lots of creativity, writing, editing and creating layouts of documents along with picking suitable graphics. I would provide strategic communications advice for a variety of audiences. I would help build and maintain a brand and enhance an image. Sometimes help plan an event for local people to attend, and create the communications materials to supplement the event. I am organized, efficient and looking for the opportunity that will allow me the freedom to be with my family and still enjoy my work.
In the end, daycare has been a positive experience for our Lil’ Cupcake, but the mommy guilt is casting a shadow on it all. I would love for her to stay at daycare, but have the flexibility to work three or four days and have a fun part-time job that would allow me to have financial freedom and spend the day with the Lil’ Cupcake. On those days we would play, dance and paint fingernails.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Pintrest Party Inspiration
The founders of pinterest, I praise your ingenuity. Pinterest, if you live under a rock, is a fabulous site that acts like a bookmark of all your favorite pictures on the World Wide Web. In a nutshell, it is awesome.
I have found so many ideas on there, it has become a hobby of mine, pin, pin, pin. I have begun to neglect other things, such as blogging, just to spend time look at pretty pictures and inspirations from pintrest. I've also found a crap load, 516 to be exact, pins of delicious recipes. I can't wait to try them all.
But with all the yummy looking food, Pinterest has also made we want to throw a fun stylized party, for what, I don't care, I just want to throw a party and serve finger foods, decorate my house in fun festive bunting flags, tissue paper pompom things and pretty napkins and table linens. And of course cupcakes, or a dessert bar.
Darn Pinterest for making my eyes twinkle with anticipation of throwing a party.
I have found so many ideas on there, it has become a hobby of mine, pin, pin, pin. I have begun to neglect other things, such as blogging, just to spend time look at pretty pictures and inspirations from pintrest. I've also found a crap load, 516 to be exact, pins of delicious recipes. I can't wait to try them all.But with all the yummy looking food, Pinterest has also made we want to throw a fun stylized party, for what, I don't care, I just want to throw a party and serve finger foods, decorate my house in fun festive bunting flags, tissue paper pompom things and pretty napkins and table linens. And of course cupcakes, or a dessert bar.Darn Pinterest for making my eyes twinkle with anticipation of throwing a party.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Turning 30
September 18th, I turned 30, for the first time. Yeesh! Surprisingly enough, I actually didn't really care? I thought I'd be that person who was all crazy and at oddsover it, but I wasn't. Instead I went for a Zoo Brunch with my little family and checked out the zoo. Then laughed when I recalled pervious years that entailed shopping for an outfit and going out to party, not up early for Zoo Brunch? Oh how a child changes your life.
For my birthday, my little family of three went to Canmore for the week, to relax, take walks and just enjoy the outdoors. It was the perfect way to ring in my new year. The weather was unseasonably warm and we visited a lot of the same places in which we visited for our wedding. The Lil' Cupcake, I think, enjoyed the time to run in the mountain air and explore the changing leaves and foliage that surrounded her. The only thing missing was wildlife. The entire time we only saw three mountain goats. Three. Usually we see a bit more, but alas we only saw three.
We also checked out Lake Minniwanka in Lake Louise. It was the first for us and it was beautiful. It is a really interesting lake for Alberta and so clearly turquoise blue. The Lil' Cupcake thought it would be fun to run into the water and got her feet wet, then decided the fresh mountain water was too cold. Poor girl. But she was fine picking up rocks and running around.
So here's to my next 30 years. Cheers
For my birthday, my little family of three went to Canmore for the week, to relax, take walks and just enjoy the outdoors. It was the perfect way to ring in my new year. The weather was unseasonably warm and we visited a lot of the same places in which we visited for our wedding. The Lil' Cupcake, I think, enjoyed the time to run in the mountain air and explore the changing leaves and foliage that surrounded her. The only thing missing was wildlife. The entire time we only saw three mountain goats. Three. Usually we see a bit more, but alas we only saw three.
We also checked out Lake Minniwanka in Lake Louise. It was the first for us and it was beautiful. It is a really interesting lake for Alberta and so clearly turquoise blue. The Lil' Cupcake thought it would be fun to run into the water and got her feet wet, then decided the fresh mountain water was too cold. Poor girl. But she was fine picking up rocks and running around.
So here's to my next 30 years. Cheers
Monday, August 15, 2011
August 15
I think I should start calling this Project August, project Lil' Cupcake, but how can I not take photos of my cupcake. She is just so friggin' cute.
Enjoying her first tastes of sushi, well the rice anyways. She was really enjoying the rice and the vegetables.
Enjoying her first tastes of sushi, well the rice anyways. She was really enjoying the rice and the vegetables.
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