Decluttering the corners of my house...and my mind.

This is not my photo, image googled from around the web.

Recently I have been working really hard to declutter my home. It seems as those my everything in its place home became more cluttered after Baby A was born.

A mixture between all the junk mail that you get when you have a baby ( almost daily!), baby toys and other baby stuff, less time to get things done because it is no longer dedicated to cleaning, it is split between cleaning and Baby A. Obviously with Baby A being the priority.

Now that Baby A is getting a little older, I have noticed that she is accumulating more stuff. Everything from birthday and Christmas presents, to unneeded gifts from well meaning givers. That and every one seems to want to get her big things. We live in an apartment. 

Needless to say, this means that I need to figure out how to organize the situation ( situation being our home). 

In getting rid of things, I want to do it in an eco-friendly manner of course. Recycling and donating things where I can. I want to make as little waste as possible.

Did I mention our apartment has a lack of storage space? This makes things difficult, especially as Baby A grows out of clothes, I need to find a place to store the boxes of clothes as she grows through each size.

Any other first time mommies finding space suddenly an issue where it wasn't before?

I admit, this cleaning/organizing frenzy was inspired by this blog : http://zerowastehome.blogspot.com/

I really was amazed at how creative and UN-materialistic these people are. It is REFRESHING.

In a world of "I wants" and "buy more and save", I find myself wanting to get rid of more things, I want less things that I don't need, or that don't serve a purpose to me. It's almost an itch really. I am so happy that I am starting on this journey.

I have so many goals this year, and I am adding this to my list. Granted, I know that I could not go as far as the Zero Waste home, but I would love to get my life to be less materialistic, more open, and have more organization and space to breathe.

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli

Ask Me Monday! : Eco-friendly Cleaning!

" What are your favorite household cleaners? What are good eco-friendly ones?"

I am not one to buy the latest green fads in the store. I like to make my household cleaners out of simple things that are easy to find and do not cost a fortune.

I clean my house with these:

1. Hydrogen Peroxide
2. Rubbing Alcohol
3. Baking Soda
4. Vinegar
5. Tea Tree Oil
6. Dish soap
7. Water
8. Lemon Juice
9. Olive Oil

#7 is beccause I use my steam cleaner a lot. I steam clean the carpets, couches, bed, curtains, baby toys, etc. The list goes on. It is wonderful for cleaning the shower as well. A good steam cleaner makes eco-friendly cleaning much easier.

I am often asked how I treat laundry stains. It depends on the stain, but I often find a mix of Dawn Original dish soap and white vinegar do the trick! If it is a light/ easily removed stain, sometimes I will just put laundry soap directly on the spot and rub it in, before washing.

You don't need fancy stain removers to keep your clothes spot free! The sun is an amazing stain remover too! I love to hang my whites on a drying rack in front of the window for extra stain removal.

I will sometimes use baking soda and tea tree oil to clean my mattress. Rub into mattress in circular motions ( be sure to spot test on your mattress before doing the whole thing), and then vacuum up. That easy. I keep my mattress clean in between with the steam cleaner.

I polish the wood in our home with juice from a lemon and some olive oil.

My multi-purpose kitchen cleaner is 50/50 vinegar and water mixed.

My bathroom cleaner is 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 3 parts water, put in a spray bottle. I use it to clean counters, shower, toilet seat, etc.

1 cup baking soda & 1 cup vinegar poured down tub drain clears out many clogs. No need for expensive drain cleaners. Let it sit in drain for 10-30 min then pour boiling water down the drain ( be careful not to burn yourself!) and voila!

I use rubbing alcohol on faucets and on mirrors to make things clean and shiny.

There are so many other ways that I clean my home natural. If you have a question about how I clean a particular area of my home, please leave it in the comments and I will get back to you!

I hope this helps! There are many inexpensive and non-toxic ways to clean your home :) 

Be Happy Healthy and Strong,

Lolli

This post is for entertainment  purposes only and not intended as advice of any kind. Use common sense when cleaning your home. I am not responsible for actions taken as a result of reading this post.