No more bleach!!

I just read an article on Science News Online (that I found because of an article on Grist.com) about a non toxic cleaning method for countertops that I found really interesting. I'm not a huge bleach user, but I will begrudgingly resort to it for really stubborn germies. I do, however, use vinegar and peroxide all the time for cleaning, just not together. I'm pretty impressed at the exponential disinfecting power acheived when using them at the same time. I will be retiring the bleach immediately, and making up a bottle each of vinegar and peroxide, and using them with the cloth wipes that I keep in an easy to reach place in the kitchen. 

I've also been so into the cleaning recipes that can be found in Make Your Place (affordable, sustainable nesting skills). It's a really sweet little book, written in a very familiar and comfortable tone. I found it at my local library, but now that I've seen what a great resource it is, it's on my list. If you can't find it locally, it's available at amazon.com, where it can be found for just $7, about the same price of a container of Clorox wipes (that you will never need to use since now you know how to make better ones for less!).

I'm an Ambassador!

 

I've been such a huge supporter of companies and organizations that are dedicated to providing safe products and information about reducing waste and toxins in our home. When I heard that one of my favorite sources of green gear, Reusablebags.com, was looking for people to join their ambassador program, I wrote them right away.

I'm proud to be teamed up with such a great company, and hope that as part of their program, I can help spread the word about reusables just a little bit further.

Mmmm, this is good! And Yummy! Can I have some more please?

We've been incorporating more raw foods into our diet, and I've also been trying to change the cold cereal for breakfast every morning routine. So, when a friend talked about the Raw Chia Pudding that she's been making, I decided to make it for this morning's breakfast. I made the recipe exactly as written, except for adding a tiny bit more sweetener and about an inch long piece of an organic vanilla bean.
It is so good, and super quick to prepare. The kids were thrilled, they ate two bowls so quickly that I didn't have time to grab the camera to catch their huge smiles. Henry asked me to make it every day, so I'll be sure to have the camera at the ready next time.
If you've ever thought about trying a raw recipe, this would be an excellent one to start with! Chia has tons of antioxidants, amino acids, and EFA (especially omega-3). It also is full of fiber! I'm looking forward to trying some more new recipes soon!

Oh, the things I can do!

Highlights of my past week's accomplishments;
Typed with both hands, ate with a fork, cut my own nails, cut the kids nails, folded laundry, used a key to open the front door, scratched an itch on my left shoulder, put Juni's hair in a ponytail. But, the one that I was most excited by is something that I haven't been able to do in quite a while...
I used chopsticks!!
With no numbness, pain, or weakness!
I still can't fully straighten my arm, and have a lot of strengthening to do, but it's amazing how much more I can do now. I started physical therapy this morning, and will be going twice a week for a while. Over a year of reduced function will take a while to rebuild, but I've seen so much progress in just the past week that I'm fairly certain that I'll be where I want to be before long.

healing

had surgery on my elbow, too much typing hurts. i should be able to fully use my arm late next week and then i'll update the blog. i've got some new photos to share :)