Natural cleaning products…if they can clean my house…they can clean ANY house!

I’ve decided my house should be a test house for cleaning manufacturers to try out new products on (all natural of course:)…because if it can clean the sticky, grimmy mess my three boys leave behind, it can clean any house.

Two nights ago my little monkeys…I mean boys were eating dinner. I ran up stairs for a second (because I was crazy enough to think I could actually go to the bathroom alone for once) and within about 30 second blood curdling screams were coming from the kitchen. I ran down to see who was hurt and it turns out they were actually screams of joy. The boys were having their first organized food fight. It’s not unusual for one of them to lob something they don’t want to eat on the floor. But this was the single biggest food mess my kids have ever made. While it probably would have been better for me to take a picture and laugh it off (as my husband who was not there to clean it up did)…I was FURIOUS! It had already been one of THOSE days and I was not amused!  I went around and scolded each of them while muttering about the fact that C.J. has so conveniently missed out on the messy event.

As the dog was helping me clean the melted plasticky vegan cheese and garbanzo been bread off of the floor (maybe that is why they decided to throw it instead of eat it:)) I wondered how many germs he was leaving behind with each lick of his tongue. Now a good mother would have put the dog out and cleaned the mess up to perfection, but it was the end of a long hard day and I appreciated the help:) Anywho, The commercial for the Seventh generation cleaning products popped into my head. There is a part where they talk about the “five second rule” as a mother bends down to pick up her baby’s pacifier off of her very clean and oh so “green” floor. I wondered if her dog had helped lick up any spills or messes that day…probably not:)

I have done a little research and I have  some suggestions for natural cleaners:

*Basic H: Went to their website and liked what I saw…it looks like Oprah gave it away as one of her “Favorite Things”. That’s great, but it’s hard for me to imagine Oprah on her hands and knees scrubbing cheese and dog siliva off of her floor. I think I will order a bottle though. It looks like it is soy free and it is gluten free too which is huge for anyone with kids on the autism spectrum.

* I bought the seventh generation all purpose cleaner last night. It smell good, it’s all natural and it cleaned up the honey Sawyer smeared all over the kitchen counter this morning.

Honestly I think a lot of the natural cleaners out now would be good choices…but they are also more expensive than bottles of ammonia and bleach. Sooo, being the budget Nazi that I am… I just spent like $8 and bought a book on do it yourself natural cleaners from amazon.com. I just read an excerpt on what you can do with lemons and I was sold!! I’ll let you know how it goes!

* 66 All-Natural Cleaning Solutions – AOL Home.

You may be asking why in the heck a natural cleaning product is any better than the heavy duty chemicals….I don’t really know that they are, but I do know that I am looking to simplify life. That means buying things with fewer ingredients, and not purposefully bringing harsh chemicals into my house and in contact with my oh so crazy enough children. There are so many chemicals and things I can’t pronouce in EVERYTHING from food to soap, to make-up and cleaners…I just want to see what life is like without them. And if our house can be peaceful and zen like it is in the stinking commercials…Ok that’s a stretch but  maybe we will at least be a little less crazy:)

I am always looking for great organizational tips, healthy recipes and natural beauty treatments!!! So keep em coming:) While I never know what I am going to write about….planning ahead would take way to much organization for this girl…I will keep it in the areas of cleaning/organization, laundry, meals, and ahhhhh me/you time:):)

Down and Dirty…settle down, this is a G rated blog…for the most part anyway!

Just so we’re clear…I have no business posting a blog today. I have laundry (clean and dirty) up to my ears, the house is a disaster and my kids have been sleeping with no sheets on their beds for the past three nights because I just haven’t gotten around to putting them back on after washing. (Seriously, their just going to wet the bed as soon as I put them on…I know it.) Hmmm I’m wondering if I should really share that…oh well:)

Anyway, I just wanted to write a quick note to say I am going to start blogging again…it’s been on my heart for a while now…so as I like to say, it’s time to put on my big girl undies and do it:) This time I am going to focus on tips to ease life with kids. I MUST get some sort of order around here before I eat my children…I mean so I can be a better mother:)

So if you’re at all interested in reading about me being a test dummy for lots of tips and tricks to make a happy household stay tuned…I’ll try them first so you’ll know what you’re getting yourself into.

First subject…cleaning the house with natural/homemade products…is it really as easy as some people say?? AND will it get my house….one of the dirtiest…as clean as the bleach I douse everything in now… I will check it out and report back.

If anyone has any EASY…CHEAP tips, feel free to share. I’m not afraid to try anything at least once:)

Just to prove I'm not lying...the rest is on my bed:)

Day 90 – Passionate Patience – yes it’s long … but not painfully so:)

10 Days ago my 90 Day Challenge ended.  If you have read any of my posts for the past 3 months you shouldn’t be surprised that I have been wondering around in a hazy fog for over a week trying to find the words to wrap up the most transformational 90 days of my life. I realized on about day 87 that day 90 fell on Thanksgiving … what an amazing day to celebrate this sobering journey of praise and thankfulness.

Our Thanksgiving was quiet and fairly uneventful. We were all so excited that we were able to get Sawyer and Thatcher to try bites of turkey (only a parent of a severely picky child can appreciate the hugeness of this occasion.) However about 5 minutes into the meal Sawyer was running to the bathroom gagging and convulsing (the boy has texture issues what can I say:) ) I sat at the table watching him run with fork in hand  knowing he was about to … hmmm how do I say this delicately…blow chunks. I yelled after him, “Don’t put the fork in the toilet!” and then I headed up to clean Thanksgiving dinner up off of the toilet seat. I was just proud that he made it to the bathroom, a few Easters ago just as we were all sitting down to eat he threw up at the table … in his plate.

Everyday I am amazed at how Sawyer progresses. Just trying new things is a really big deal for kids with autism and as his little body is able to self regulate he can handle change and new experiences in life and at some point he may even come to enjoy them. I can so relate to Sawyer’s autism on a spiritual level…I think we all can to some extent.

I failed so many times during this challenge! But I had to keep trying to see past my circumstances to praise God even for the hard stuff…and I know without a doubt that in itself pleased God. I have been searching for a way to sum up everything God has shown me during the challenge and last night driving home from Portland CJ showed me this verse out of the Message bible:

“So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.” -2Peter 1:5-9

• Good Character … (Gumption – Still want it!!)
• Spiritual Understanding … (I’m trying)
• Alert Discipline … (A girl can dream – one day my checkbook will be balanced and I will be 20 lbs. lighter)
• Passionate Patience … (The gift God has given me through this journey)
• Reverent Wonder … (Experienced daily as I watch God work in and through my boys)
• Warm Friendliness … (Only after about 4 cups of coffee)
• Generous Love … (Still learning through God’s amazing example in my life)

If nothing else this Challenge has given me perspective and shown me what is truly important in life. Loving God with my whole life…not just with my words or a christianese bumper sticker…but with all of who I am is really ALL He cares about.  He wants me to do this when life is bliss and when life is so suffocatingly overwhelming that all I want to do is suck my thumb and curl up into the fetal position.

He has shown me through YOUR comments and e-mails that I am not the only one suffering…I’ve just care about my suffering more than yours. (Selfish but true, what can I say) He has opened my eyes to the fact that … drumroll please … It’s not all about me … even in my pain … it’s not even remotely about me. But in His grace and unfailing love He still cares about every aspect of my life.

I completely realize that I am all over the place here … why do you think it took me 10 stinking days to even attempt to wrap this up? I am not the same today as I was 3 months ago. Trying to be positive and praise the Lord for everything for 90 days hasn’t suddenly morphed me into polly positive, to date I’ve yet to break out in song when some idiot (God bless him of course ) cuts me off in traffic. But it has given me an overall sense of hope and clarity. It has been the kick in the butt I so desperately needed to make me see that in the midst of heart ache and just plain crappiness  … God truly does bless us. Wether we choose to see His blessings is what determines how much joy and contentment we will be able to experience in life. So for now I have chosen to be “passionately patient” with God, life, kids, work and the 20 extra pounds of cellulitey love that lives on my butt.  Because the alternative is to return to a life of bitter resentment towards God and his plans … and I’m not that person anymore … I hope you’re not either.

Day 89 – Hope for the Hungry

Yesterday I was listening to a Christian radio station that was doing a fundraising campaign for gospel missions around the country. They were challenging all of their listeners to “Give where you live” in order to support a local rescue mission in your town so they can supply the homeless with a Thanksgiving dinner. I love that they do this every year, AND I love the testimonies of the people who have been helped through this campaign in the past.  I was sobbing listening to story after story of how missions had not only provided food and shelter for people who were facing hard times…but how they also saved peoples lives through God’s powerful spirit of love and grace.

I’ve talked before about how hard it has been to be on the receiving end of help for the past year. God has humbled me in places I didn’t even know I had, and I am better for it. To be honest…before we were pushed head first into the most trying season of our lives, in some twisted way, giving and helping the needy gave me a small sense of superiority. (OK I know that’s disgusting, but I’m just being honest.)

I have never had to go hungry, in fact the 20 extra pounds that ride passenger on my butt everyday are examples of just the opposite. I’ve always had a roof over my head and my children have always been safe and provided for. Praise Jesus! While I can’t identify with hunger pains and truly loosing everything…I can relate to feeling helpless in circumstances that are beyond my control. Have you ever judged people that have obviously been through the system – who may or may not work hard for a living – who may or may not be on welfare – who may or may not have many children with different fathers? A couple of months ago I was in a waiting room surrounded by people from all walks of life. I desperately wanted to scream “I don’t belong here!! I am not like these people!” But instead I had to fight back the tears as I heard God tell me, “Lindsay, you are no better than anyone in this room…I love them all…they are all mine.” I begged God for forgiveness and I have to say, I haven’t been the same since.

Yesterday on the radio one lady in particular stood out. She talked about how a couple of years ago she had been the recipient of a food basket from Hope for the Hungry. She explained how hard it was to not be able to afford to put meet in her freezer for her family and then how overwhelming it was to receive a huge basket of much needed food for Thanksgiving. Now, she has shared her testimony with her church and she was helping others in her community by handing out food baskets last night. She went on to say how everything she has is because of God and everything she is for His glory. (Her words were so much more beautiful and impacting.) As they wrapped up her segment the DJ’s came back with, “Well you can’t out give God.” Ahhhhh! I don’t even know what that means and I think we can all agree that corny Christian cliché’s are so last year!! Anyway, I will no longer look at the “needy” in judgement or with pity or as a charity cases … but I will identify with their hurts and fears with love and respect.

Thank you God for giving me perspective.

Days 85-88 Luck be a Lady Tonight

I’m doing a Beth Moore study on the book of Esther. I really like how Beth teaches…she’s cute and funny and has the most adorable southern accent ever. This week she was talking about being a lady and how having manners is a lost art in our culture.

I have to say that I have never been accused of being overly “lady-like” and as for manners…One time in the 6th grade I was eating some left over spaghetti while I did my homework. My mom was very obviously disgusted by the red sauce that was dripping off my chin, not to mention my smacking and they gross sound I made each time I slurped up a mouthful of noodles. I had finally pushed her to her limit. She sat down at the table and insisted that I eat like a normal person… she told me to pretend like my child hood crush (Tyler Douglas) was sitting at the table with me. As she pretended to be Tyler I got the giggles and she wouldn’t let me leave the table. She didn’t believe me when I told her I had to go to the bathroom. So like any well behaved lady would do I peed my pants at the table. We still laugh about it because sadly my manner aren’t much better at 30 than they were at 12 (Minus the peeing my pants at the table.) Sorry mom … you lost that battle. Yet, in spite of my atrocious manners I still wrangled a pretty decent man into marrying me and here we live with our own “table-mannerless” boys. (It might be a genetic condition.)

Since my “lady-likeness” is not likely to win me any awards or make me stand out in the crowd, I decided that I would much rather stand out by being genuine, loving, and forgiving. Obviously I have a long way to go, but I just think if I am going to pour myself into something that will require a lot of time and prayer and discipline – that it should be meaningful and Glorifying to God….because God already sees me as a lady, right???