THRIVING WIVES

  

Last time, I shared my favorite all purpose cleaner made with only water, vinegar and the fabulous essential oil, Thieves. I only hope you remember how all those "natural" commercial cleaners, weren't all that "natural at all. Today, I am going to share my favorite, homemade cleaning products for around the home. Not only are these products safer, work better, smell better and more cost effective but they also make cleaning simple! 

ALL PURPOSE For instance, this all-purpose cleaner...I use it on everything! Kitchen counters, bathroom counters, sinks, tables, toilets, showers, the floors when I mop, you name it. My kids love to help me clean (hooray!) and I don't have to worry about the chemicals they're being exposed to when handling the cleaner or touching the freshly sprayed surfaces.  Double win for this Thriving Mommy! 
     
      
GLASS
Now, my go to glass and mirror cleaner. I always suggest starting with glass spray bottles (especially if you're using any citrus oils as they can leech the plastic).  If you aren't in the mood for investing in a collection, you can just go to the store and buy a glass bottle of club soda (with a standard size mouth), make yourself a drink...(or dump it out), and screw on a nozzle from an old bottle of cleaner. Works like a charm! Then whip up the recipe below and you are set! You'll have sparkling clean, streak free glass... and best of all, it smells great!

CARPET
Next up, carpets. Have you looked at what's in that commercial carpet deodorizer you buy?  Be prepared to be horrified. Here's an easy replacement to keep your carpets fresh and not stress over what your family is breathing. Some oils I like to add are Lavender or Purification. Simply store in an airtight container (mason jars work great!), shake well before each use and sprinkle over carpets before vacuuming.  You can even poke holes in another lid and swap it out when you use your cleaner to make sprinkling easy!


     
BATHROOMS - SOAP SCUM
Hard soap scum driving you crazy? Here is a great, quick, one use scrub recipe. This is intended to be used right away, so whip it up, scrub it down and watch your shower sparkle! If you want to store some for next time, make it the same as the carpet cleaner and then add the water to the specific amount listed. Don't forget to test a small spot for possible scratching before using. Once tested, use a soft brush or cloth to clean any desired scummy surface.


     
Who needs Goo Gone when you have Lemon oil?! I always get so frustrated when price tags and stickers leave that residue behind. Not anymore,  just put a drop on a q-tip or cotton ball and rub that goo right off!

AIR FRESHENING     
Not sure if you've seen, but there's some pretty scary information about air fresheners and candles out there. Previously, I was an avid candle burner but now, my diffuser is constantly freshening up our home with wonderful, safe scents. Purification smells like citrus heaven and is great for neutralizing odors. My favorite? To diffuse it in the kitchen. Another great trick to freshening up your garbage cans, is to put a couple of drops on a cotton ball and set in the bottom. You can even place these cotton balls in the vents of your car, smelly shoes, really, anywhere you want to freshen up the air!
     
As you can see, the possibilities are truly endless when it comes to transforming your home with essential oils and getting ready for that Spring Cleaning...ok, all cleaning!  I can't tell you how much they have changed my family's life. I have such peace of mind knowing that I'm on my way to creating a healthy environment for my family to thrive in!

I'd love to help you get started on your new and improved cleaning routine! Getting started with basics is my speciality! Plus, I promise I won't be creepy and sales-like...Em can vouch for me!

Email me at happyoilerlife@gmail.com and I would love to help you get started.

Thank you Nat!!! Let me say, I use ALL of these, love them and ask Nat about 1 million questions a day regarding oil usage...she is the best! 

I love to clean. I look forward to it, it makes me feel good and I am open about how anal I am.

From an early age I learned how to do something "the right way". Rushing through and trying to cut corners didn't fly in my house. My mommy would make me do it again...and again if needed.

I was taught when cleaning you had to move everything, get underneath and work from top to bottom.  I developed a deep passion for order and love a dust free, fresh smelling, counter wiped, vacuumed/mopped home.

Is that so wrong?

I can honestly say Spring is one of my favorite times of year, just because I love any excuse to organize/clean. I mean an entire season that dedicates itself to gutting closets, dumping drawers and redecorating rooms? I am IN!

With Spring upon us, it is time to make a plan.  When creating a cleaning routine, it is important to break down what needs to be done daily, weekly and monthly.  If anything, start with the basics; cut down on clutter and always leaving each room at "start".

Feel free to save/share our handy printable cleaning plan below!



DAILY:

• Make the bed
• Put dirty clothes in basket, clean clothes away...start a new load.
• Wash dishes and put away or in dishwasher
• Wipe down counters in bathroom and kitchen
• Wipe down stove after cooking
• Rinse out sink
• Put all "clutter" away (keys in basket, wallet in your purse, remotes in bin...)
• Leave every room at "start" at the end of the night
• Sweep/mop (that is dependent on if you are a shoe-less household like my own, have dogs or just like to be barefooted and not have things stick to the bottom of your feet...yuck).

WEEKLY:

• Dust
• Sweep/mop/vacuum (don't forget to move things around and get UNDER!)
• Laundry (I do mine daily, but I have lots of littles)
• Change sheets
• Scrub bathtub/shower
• Scrub sinks
• Deep clean toilets
• Replace all towels (if not done already, I do mine every two-three days)

MONTHLY:

• Dust blinds and windows
• Dust baseboards
• Clean ceiling fans
• Reorganize closets and drawers as needed
• Wash quilts and large bedding
• Reorganize fridge, throw out old/expired foods and wipe down shelves
• Clean out recycling/garbage cans
• Wipe down cabinets and switches

How to start? TRY and do at least some of these. I would start with cutting out clutter. It is the Devil's handiwork.

Now, while this surely may seem daunting to some, I assure you even if you make a small plan, it is a good one. Take on the season and get cleaned up for the warmer weather ahead.

Trust, you will feel like a million bucks when you are done!

Welcome home!!!

My new front yard...

Oh, how times have changed...knowing my TH still had dreams of an "estate" we started to discuss it more seriously after the twins arrived. But first, we had to figure out the details.  Where was he thinking of living? Would I be able to commute and keep my job that I loved so much or would I finally be able to work from home to be with my babies?  What about my Thriving Mommy who had completely centered her life in So Cal to help with her grandchildren? Knowing that my TM and I are very close, my TH had already long accepted that our future would always include her. We are Latinas after all, keeping family together is what we do!

The three of us chatted about our future estate for fun, but we knew it was a few years off.  That was all until the Universe answered our energy sooner than anticipated and dropped our new home right into our laps.

Upper patio

After driving inland and checking things out, we narrowed it down to the Temecula area. It was only 18 miles from Oceanside, had grown like crazy over the past few years and was considered "Wine Country of So Cal". Being a wine lover myself, I was interested in taking a closer look around.  The first time I went out there I loved it! The second time I went with just my TM and we decided to look at a couple houses just for fun. Then our new friend and real estate agent J showed us THE house. The clouds parted, sky opened up and I knew we were home.

A view of the gated backyard..Thriving Resort much?!

Our future plans were suddenly becoming today's reality. I immediately told my TH he needed to take a look at this house. I explained that while I knew we hadn't planned on moving so soon, this house was worth him checking out.  He is usually the one who brings me down from my highs, but I really thought this house was everything he had ever said his dream house needed to include...I was right!  It was on 5 acres, up in the hills and away from everything but only 6 miles from downtown. It had two, two car garages. One for just his man-cave/classic car work and one for the family. It had a place to hook up and store our trailer. The backyard was completely fenced in as was the rest of the property which was filled with gorgeous oak trees and a shimmering stream. It has a beautiful pool and built in bar/BBQ entertaining area. The living space was open and inviting with plenty of rooms for our growing family. It had the perfect spot for my TM to build a home of her own...I mean it had EVERYTHING.

Our sprawling property, complete with a stream, chicken coop and enclosed garden!

We all agreed that this was too good to be true. After much deliberation we decided to just put in an offer and see what happened. If it was meant to be it was meant to be. If it was accepted my TH and I would put our house on the market and see what happened. Well, it was meant to be alright. Our house had offers within 48 hours and before we knew it we were in double escrows (more on that to come). It was all happening so fast it truly made my head spin.  But, as I took deep breaths, I reminded myself that everything happens for a reason and that this opportunity was brought to us because we had asked for it...we just didn't expect our thoughts to be answered so soon!