A new study finds that household products, such as perfumes, cleaners, paints, and so on, now rival auto emissions as the primary source of urban air pollution. This is a big deal. It means that the products that we are using in our houses – those products we utilize to clean, decorate, and maintain our homes as well as those we use directly on our bodies – are poisoning the air we breathe. … Continue reading
cleaning
Refilling Foaming Hand Soap Containers
We go through a lot of hand soap in our family. While foaming hand soap is expensive to buy in the store, it is very inexpensive and simple to make on your own. In addition to cost effectiveness and ease, you can control the ingredients to make certain they are free of chemical nasties. Finally, making your own hand soap allows you to customize the scent as well as make it as strong or as subtle as you like.… Continue reading
Getting Kids Involved with Preparations for a Special Day
Since Thanksgiving is tomorrow, I thought you might find a reminder about this post from over the summer helpful. In it, my friend Lainie discusses how she uses a Sticky Note Wall to help involve her kids in preparing for a big gathering or celebration.
You can find the post HERE.
This is a great suggestion for families, especially once your kids can read.… Continue reading
Encouraging Self-Sufficiency: Teaching my 7-year-old to do Laundry
Before my children move out of the house, there are a wide variety of skills that I want them to master. Basic self-care, home care (HERE and HERE), basic repair skills, cooking (see HERE), financial literacy, and many other things along these lines. One of these skills is doing laundry.
My 7-year-old, who has watched me do laundry from the time I wore him as a newborn, recently expressed an interest in doing the laundry himself. … Continue reading
DIY Foaming Hand Soap
If your family is anything like mine, everyone loves foaming hand soap (if we buy a pre-made one, we use THIS). My boys love that it magically foams up, even before they begin scrubbing. I love that it gets my kids excited about washing their hands. It also helps to reduce waste as it give them a handful of soap in only one squirt, instead of my boys repeatedly pumping regular soap into their hands until they feel like they have enough.… Continue reading
Teach Kids to Help with Special Day Preparations: Use a Post It Note Wall
My dear friend Lainie is back with another household tip. This time, she discusses how she gets her kids involved with preparations for a special occasion. Her tip about Teaching Kids to Clean with Lines (HERE) has made a huge difference in our house. I can see her suggestion about a Post It Note Wall being equally effective (especially once both of my boys can read!).… Continue reading
Teaching Kids to Clean with Lines
This post comes from my long-time dear friend, Lainie. Her ideas about practical ways to help a household run smoothly even with small children underfoot (as well as so many other things) have encouraged me over the years. I hope you find the idea she writes about here helpful as well. I certainly plan to give Lines a try with my boys.… Continue reading
Homemade Citrus Spice Air Freshener
I love diffusing the scent of Thieves oil mixed with a citrus oil. It’s a combination of spicy fall scents and fresh citrus scents that I find intoxicating.
The other day when I walked into my son’s room, it smelled musty. I decided to whip up a batch of Homemade Spicy Citrus Air Freshener in order to help clean the air a bit.… Continue reading
Teaching Kids to Work by Working Together Around the House
My boys love to help out around the house. I think kids instinctively want to contribute to a family, and to love to engage in tasks where their efforts are valued. In order to encourage these sorts of behaviors, my husband and I try to have the boys work beside us whenever we can.
When I cook, I try to find simple tasks for my boys that are appropriate for their skill and coordination levels.… Continue reading
Skin Deep: Toxins in Everyday Products
The other day I mentioned reading about the toxic chemicals contained in many “green” cleaners, and how it led me to decide to make my own (see my recipes HERE and HERE). I realized that in evaluating many products that we use around the house, I utilize a resource that you may not know about. This resource is called Skin Deep.… Continue reading