is it spring, yet?

because i got my spring clean on.

and its just want you wanted to read about on monday morning, right?

how i clean?

prob not, but too bad.

because it made me feel very very good about myself and my house. well, so far, just my kitchen. but one room at a time.

and my house is officially "toxic-gross-cleaner" free.

i have used them up and will not purchase any more. ever.

i've scratched the surface about how i've been slowly kicking chemicals out of my house and my food and my morning routine before. you could read more here and here, and i have lots more changes/updates but that's another day.

this was the last phase and i'm never going back.

so what do you do? you ask.

i use baking soda, peroxide and vinegar.

that's it.

read about all you'll ever need to clean your house, here.

it's where i finally got the kick in the pants to get this done.

now or never.

and with just these two things, i got my kitchen cleaner than it ever has been.

(i used the vinegar on the hardwood floors.)

all done with minimal effort and time.

huh?

yep. and ZERO toxic chemical smell or health hazards for me. my husband. my dog.

(2/3 of those things are used in food!)

first i went to the grocery and bought all new bottles of all 3.

i had some of each, but i wanted these to be kept under the sink for the sole purpose of cleaning.

they were around $2 each, give or take.

then i stopped by the section where they have all the travel sized shampoo and toothpaste, etc.

they had empty spray bottles for $3, so i got 2 of those (making sure they'd fit on my vinegar and peroxide bottles.)

i also got a sponge, which i hate for their bacteria hosting skillz, but it was made of all plant products... and i used it in the kitchen for a deep clean, and now i'm going to use it to clean the bathrooms tonight and then toss.

when i got home, i got started.

i have quartz countertops and i just sprayed them down with peroxide and wiped them up with paper towels. sprayed the window with it. wiped with a paper towel, sparkling. on both the counters and the windows, not a streak to be found.

then i moved onto the kitchen sink.

its stainless steel and always feels a little dingey to me.

i sprayed it down with peroxide. let it sit for a few minutes.

then sprayed again and sprinkled some baking soda all around, on both sides.

i used an old kitchen scrubber to... scrub.

rinsed with water, and it shined like i haven't seen it in the 3.5 years we've been living there.

entirely gross and amazingly awesome at the very same time!

then i moved to the appliances.

they're all white thus they get a little dingey, too.

it happens when cooking grease and junk and hands and dirt combine and its inevitable.

clorox kitchen clean-up, which is what i used to use, never got that legit grime junk off.

this did:

i put a little baking soda on a plate.

then i sprayed it down with peroxide.

then i pre-sprayed the area i was focused on with peroxide, smooshed this stuff into my sponge and went at it... it doesn't even take serious scrubbing. just a mild to moderate rub.

your paste will get a little dry so each time you re-apply it to your sponge, just spray it down with more peroxide. you'll have to rinse everything with a clean, watered down sponge or run it under water like i did with the knobs, to get the baking soda off once clean.

but this mixture, it got it. all. off.

i am so happy. i had high hopes, but was seriously not expecting this.

and this is the only before/after photo i have for you because i was on a roll and didn't think about doing this until the very very end. i wish i would have sooner. just for that gallon of satisfaction that it brings.

the inside of my microwave.

the (now) white handles on my fridge and freezer.

the entire surface of my gas range/stove.

clean.

holler.

i dare you to try it.

JILL

one lovely blog award!

very exciting stuff!!!

the blue house was given the one lovely blog award by

emily @ sweet southern comfort.

she actually made my day with the sweet comment she left telling me so.

and i am so grateful... thanks emily, you rock.

but i just wanna say, i'm really grateful for each and every one of you, too.

i just wanted to start a blog to keep track of the junk i like and the junk i find awesome and inspiring... glad i could share it with you party people.

(so along with this honor, you're supposed to share some stuff your readers may not know about you... get ready. it's wordy.)

today i've chosen to lay out our simple life for ya.

my husband and i are making a serious conscious effort and movement to simplify our lives. have you seen the documentary, "bag it"? have you watched "supersize me" yet? DO. watch them both.

it made us step back from our very processed, very plastic american lifestyle and take a good hard think.

we've already taken some big steps, and we're constantly making smaller, but with big impact when added up, decisions that make us feel better about ourselves, our globe, our home and our diet, etc. etc.

some of the stuff you may not know...

we only have one car. and we live in a city that isn't tops in public transportation. but we've found it kinda works. we work in the same building so that's easy. we eat and go out alot of the times together, and when we don't... it's honestly not that hard to figure out between the 2 of us.

my husband had a big suv that ate gas just sitting in the driveway. so we got rid of that and just haven't gotten around to getting its replacement yet... and until its needed, i don't think we're going to. even though it sounds like the opposite, it's kinda liberating. and we're saving money! working on 4 months without it.

i've cut out almost every single nasty chemical from my morning routine. i use organic/biodegradable shampoo and conditioner. (still looking for a good face soap, any suggestions?) i moisturize with coconut oil... and GOODNESS. i love that stuff so much i'm saving it for an entire post all on it's own.

i only use 3 pieces of make-up to get ready in the morning. my eyeliner and mascara are bare minerals, and i'm just waiting for my concealer to be finished up before i replace it with something better. we're using tom's deodorant to smell so fresh and so clean clean. the only thing we haven't made the switch for is our toothpaste. we switched to the burt's beeswax brand about a year ago and i got my first not-perfect-report from my dentist so we switched back to the regular for healthy teeth. but there has to be a better way. i'm on the hunt, and i want your suggestions!!

there are lots of other small things we do/have chosen to quit but i'll move on.

did you know that i put parmesan cheese on anything that stands still?

i live for that good stuff.

i don't do wooden spoons. especially the kind that have been put through the dishwasher and are rough and cracky. that makes my teeth hurt just thinking up the words to type them. won't touch em. just won't do it. ick.

i also have the same hate relationship with nail files. something must have gone wrong with me and one of those as a child.

i'm almost a vegetarian but i love bacon.

i haven't liked most meat since i was a kid. in fact, i eat more of it now than i did back then.

but i love bacon.

that's a little bit about me.

weird. i'm aware.

but i love you.

and thanks for stopping by.

you do anything for a healthier you?

love yourself some bacon?

wooden spoons make your knees weak, too?

spill those beans.

SMOOCHES.

JILL

favorite thing.

i'm going to break from the norm today and post about my new most favorite thing.

it's norwex body cloths that i use for my face.

these lil guys right here:

unassuming little suckers.

they are antibac microfiber antimicrobial cloths.

i am 28 and i had not so hot skin. in the winter months i had blemishes like a 16 year old. it was not fun and i beyond hated it...

i had tried different stuff from my dermo, etc etc etc.

then a friend at work told me about norwex. its cleaning without products = as in cleaning without chemicals. just water. i was a skeptic, too.

so was my mom so she had a party (which is how its sold) to check it out.

i kinda couldn't believe how awesome this stuff worked.

these cloths are woven with silver, which germ bugs and viruses can't live on for very long... they make hospital soft surfaces (i.e. those privacy curtains that can't be disinfected daily) with silver woven in, its a natural antimicrobial.

i was just about to drop some money on a clarisonic system to help my face... instead i thought i'd try these first for like $20.

BEST $20 i've ever spent.

my face is getting better and better by the day. not gone yet but we're almost there!!

i only use water to clean my face. no more chemicals. which was right on target with the direction my husband and i are taking our home and our bodies.

it exfoliates like a son of a gun.

my pores are smaller and my face is glowy-er.

i know that's not a word but it does, it like glows from inside now.

even if it didn't really work on my face gunk the way it is, i would still use it for how buttery creamy smooth and soft my face has become.

you don't have to believe me. you can read more here or here, and/or try it for yourself ;)

my mom swears by their other stuff,

like their window cloths and the dish cloths.

*another perk, since it's antimicrobial... it NEVER EVER molds or mildews and always smells so fresh and so clean clean.

you can only buy it through a rep.

and i'm not one. i'm not trying to sell anything.

just wanting to spread the word on what i've found.

have a great friday, lovers.

JILL