My Top 10 Natural & Non Toxic Cleaning Supplies

This year when deciding to go cruelty free I had to take a good hard look at what that exactly meant.  My first intention was to just go cruelty free with my make up collection...it would be easy and it would be a good thing.  But like a lot of different things in life, this decision turned into something deeper.  This cruelty free journey pushed me to re-examine a lot of things in my life and my cleaning routine was one of these areas.

In my search to be authentic this year, I came to realize that there were a lot of things in my cleaning routine that were unhealthy (products, cleaners, etc) and not cruelty free.  A big realization for me was that just because it's not make up doesn't mean it's cruelty free.  Arm & Hammer, for example, tests on animals.  So if I'm making safe, home cleaners to use...shouldn't that align more wholly with my values?  Using a non-cruelty free brand of baking soda doesn't align with my goals.

So, I decided to make more conscious choices - less waste, cruelty free where I could, and more mindfulness in my cleaning routine.  Here are my top 10 favorite natural & non-toxic cleaning supplies.

Microfiber Towels

One of the first, biggest choices I made was to reduce my paper towel and disinfectant wipe reliance.  (That was a big sentence right there!)  I purchased these microfiber towels on Amazon after a recommendation from A Beautiful Mess.  While we still buy paper towels, I've consciously made a decision not to go for these guys first.  When I wash my hands I reach for the dish towels.  When I clean the counters, the mirrors, the toilets, etc I reach for the spray cleaner and the microfiber towels.  My dependence on single use wipes is dwindling!  I've realized there't not much more a paper towel can offer me than a microfiber towel can.  Since this pack comes with different colors I've assigned a certain color to a certain room - kitchen is yellow, upstairs bathroom/laundry room is green, downstairs is blue, downstairs bathroom is orange.  That way it's easier to know which cloth goes where and I'm never short!

DoTERRA Laundry Detergent

I like this for multiple reasons - it's not made from petrochemicals, the overall scent isn't overpowering, and when I forget the laundry in the washer it doesn't get stinky.  Ever since discovering essential oils, I've been on a battle with fragrance.  This laundry detergent, while scented in the bottle doesn't lay too much scent onto the clothes.  While I'm fine with this, Zach really isn't.  If it's not scented, it's not clean I guess!  That's why I picked up the dryer balls (mentioned below in this list).  I have noticed that with Zach's work clothes, stink can linger a bit so I am on the hunt for a stronger, natural detergent to supplement.

The detergent is ultra concentrated and it can go up to 64 washes.  It also works great in high efficiency washers.  With a wholesale membership this bottle will make each load about .43 cents.

Wool Dryer Balls

I never used dryer sheets prior to getting my dryer balls so I didn't have much to change except remember to throw something in the dryer.  My big goal here was two fold - enhance the scent of the laundry when it comes out of the dryer and reduce static.  I have been lazy on the dryer sheets since forever because I don't think that they are necessary and I'd rather not spend the money on them.  Laundry detergent did just fine with the scent and I don't care about the static.  But, Zach doesn't like that his laundry smells like....... nothing. So I want to make it smell fresher when it comes out of the dryer. 

DoTERA Cleaner Concentrate

This is another doterra product that packs a punch.  I use this to clean nearly every surface.  You only need a few tablespoons in a spray bottle and you have an all purpose cleaner for every room in your house.  You can even use this to mop with this solution or do dishes with the cleaner.  I don't buy any spray cleaners any more, this covers everything.  I use it in every room of the house!  You may remember this post about creating a cleaning caddy for various rooms in my house .... I've replaced those harsh cleaners with a spray bottle of this concentrate and microfiber cloths!

Vinegar + Water (and Lemon Essential Oil)

The absolute best window & mirror cleaner is vinegar and water.  A lot of these recipes will tell you to use distilled water but I find plain old tap water works fine and we have hard, well water.  If you add in a bit of lemon essential oil - a de-greaser - it works great to cut any residue on the surface of the glass.  I have a spray bottle of this in each of my cleaning kits as well.  I can't tell you how impressed I was the first time used this concoction...I never thought of going back.  

Castile Soap

This is going to replace any and all soapy stuff I need in my house.  For cleaning I have in a scrub brush in my shower to clean the shower and I've got it on my sink for dishes.  We're still using up some regular dish soap and I think it's going to take some convincing for Zach to realize that the soap in the hand soap thing is also the soap to use to wash the dishes.  

I plan to use castile soap for body wash & my shampoo in the coming months.  I just need to discover something for conditioner.  But seriously if you need soapy lather this stuff is the bomb!

Baking Soda + Citric Acid

So baking soda makes a great scrubbing agent (so does salt!) and when you add citric acid to it and throw it in some water you get a great fizz.  I'm not sure if there is science behind the fizz actually lifting anything but I totally think it does.  I use baking soda & citric acid in my toilet cleaner so I think the citric acid actually does something!

Here's where I want to share another idea - just because you're making it yourself, doesn't mean it's cruelty free.  I've been using other brands of baking soda in previous DIY's but cruelty free is something I'm attempting to think about in many areas of my life including my cleaning supplies.  With that being said, Bob's Red Mill Baking Soda is the baking soda that I've found to be cruelty free.  I haven't come up on much research or information about citric acid brands, however.  But when I know better I will do better.

Essential Oils

I have a whole cleaning video on my YouTube channel as well as another post with the top essential oils for cleaning.  These guys are versatile because I use them in my glass cleaner, in my laundry, as a fabric refresher, and to plain ol' diffuse.  These guys are just the greatest for a lot of things around the home.

Pure Haven Dish Washer Detergent

My cousin is a Pure Haven rep and when I can't find something from doTERRA that I love I generally go over to Pure Haven to purchase.  Of the DIY dishwasher tab recipes I've found, none of them have really worked.  Since I'm not in the habit of reinventing the wheel I went with something I know will work.  I've repurchased this once already and plan to continue to do so.

Glass Spray Bottles

In my Cleaning with Essential Oils video I mention that you can use either PET plastic or dark amber/blue glass bottles to store your DIY cleaning supplies.  I love using these amber bottles from Amazon to store all my cleaning solutions.  The mist can be fine - for like cleaning glass - or more targeted for cleaning your counters or other surfaces.  They feel well made and the weight of the glass bottle isn't too heaving.  The sprayer doesn't seem to clog as long as you close it after your done with it.

Transitioning into a non-toxic, more green cleaning routine doesn't have to be intimidating.  In this post I shared tips about transitioning to cruelty free and you can use the same guidelines when making over your cleaning routine.  It is all a learning process.....I'm still figuring things out as I go.

But the biggest thing is to partner with someone & with a company that you know, love, and trust.  For me DoTERRA and my own Wellness Advocate helped me learn a lot of stuff about natural, non-toxic, and green cleaning...and that is what I'd love to do for you.  I want to be your personal Wellness Advocate.

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If you're looking to get started using essential oils everyday in your own home, there is a perfect starter kit available for you.  When you purchase a starter kit & become a wholesale member you'll have access to me + a whole community dedicated education!  Shoot me an email if you're ready to learn more, or click here to browse the kit options!  Once you've chosen a kit, add it to your cart and proceed to check out.  Click the Become a Wholesale Member in the upper right to join me on your essential oil journey!

How have you made over your cleaning routine?  What supplies do you recommend?

xoxo, Moe

Make it Monday // DIY Tub & Toilet Cleaner with Essential Oils

Tonight I'm hosting my second essential oil class!  This one is all about cleaning with essential oils but it's not your average class - instead of just saying 'hey essential oils are great to clean with! I want to share with you the science behind why essential oils make effective cleansers.  We'll talk about the science behind the chemical make up of oils that makes them effective - because chemical isn't always a bad word!

Today I want to share with you how to make a tub & tile cleaner for your bathroom that is super simple and effective.  Prior to using this scrub, I'd use a pretty common cleaner that I actually found very effective - except for the fact that I would cough every time I sprayed it!  Listen, I'm not here to tell you what to do.  I am not here to preach to you about certain harmful chemicals that can be in our everyday cleaning products because I'm sure you've already heard it.  I'm not here to make your life more complicated because now you have another thing to worry about.  I'm just here to share with you a simple and effective cleaning recipe that can save you a little bit of money and not make you cough when you clean.

Why do essential oils make effective cleansers?

Essential oils are the natural, highly concentrated essences of various plant parts.  Chemically, these concentrated plant essences are made up of various compounds with different chemical identities that make them effective cleansers.  For example an oil that consists of Alcohols, Phenols, and Ethers have surface cleansing properties.  Alcohols are mostly denoted with and ending of -ol.  Essential oils with alcohols include Peppermint (menthol) & Melaleuca (terpinen-4-ol).  These oils are naturally repellent & cleansing.  Phenols are a subcategory of alcohols also denoted with names ending in -ol.  Thyme & Oregano have these phenols.  Peppermint and Melaleuca also contain ethers that boost their surface cleansing properties.

Everything is chemistry & everything is made of chemicals.  Chemical isn't a bad word and it isn't always synonymous with toxic.  Though there are certain toxic chemicals sold in the cleaners you can purchase off of store shelves, it is also important to note that essential oils aren't a cure all or novel item.  Essential oils are highly concentrated essences - which is why we use or apply a few drops at a time.  As an example, excessive exposure to Peppermint oil has demonstrated toxicity.  It is important to note that this excessive exposure goes far beyond the recommended daily amount but it is still important to take caution when using essential oils, not just peppermint) around children.  It might be a good idea to keep children & pets from areas you've sprayed with a peppermint cleanser until the solution has dried.  Here is more information about the chemical make up of Peppermint and Eucalyptus essential oils.  I implore you to use common sense when using essential oils with your family including, but not limited to, storing essential oils properly - up and out of reach of children.

What essential oils are best for cleaning?

In the Cleaning with Essential Oils Class we'll talk mainly about Peppermint, Lavender, and Lemon as they are a part of the mini cleaning kit offered to anyone who signs up as a Wholesale Customer or Wellness Advocate during this class.  Below is a list of doTERRA essential oils that work great in homemade cleaning supplies:

• Lemon
• Lime
• Wild Orange
• Douglas Fir
• Eucalyptus
• Melaleuca (Tea Tree)
• Purify Cleansing Blend
• Thyme
• Peppermint
• doTERRA On Guard® Protective Blend
• doTERRA On Guard Cleaner Concentrate

How do I make an effective tub & tile cleaner?

What I look for in a cleaner for my bathroom is versatility.  I would really like to clean my toilet bowl with the same thing I can clean my tub with...because #lazy.  So a foaming, fizzing, and bubbling cleanser that will break up the grime really calls to me!  After making the bath bombs in a previous essential oil DIY I've grown to love the combination of baking soda & citric acid.  Here's how to make your own tub & tile cleaner:

supplies // baking soda, citric acid, lemon (or other citrus oil), glass jar or container, mixing bowl & mixing utensil reserved only for essential oil projects, dust mask

optional : vinegar, spray bottle

as a side note: Arm & Hammer baking soda is not cruelty free.  I keep forgetting to make searching for cruelty free ingredients a priority.  Just because it isn't make up doesn't mean it is automatically cruelty free.

Combine 2 cups of baking soda with 1 cup of citric acid in a bowl.  You'll want to wear a dust mask for this as the powders will enter the air, so protect your lungs!  Add in 10-20 drops (though I am usually heavy handed!) to the dry ingredients.  Mix to combine the ingredients well.  This makes enough to store in one large pasta jar or in two Target Dollar Spot large glass jars.

Store in a glass jar in a dark place.  Though dark amber or blue glass is recommended for storing essential oils, I've used jars I found at the Target Dollar spot & recycled pasta jars.  These should be fine containers if you plan to store your products under the sink or in a dark space.  Again, take care to store essential oils and cleaning products out of reach of children.

If your bottle doesn't have a sprinkle/shaker top, use a nail and a hammer to create holes.  Sand down the top of the jar to prevent cutting your skin on accident after holes are made.

To clean a tub, lightly moisten the inside of the basin & walls of the shower with water.  Sprinkle the cleaner generously over the surface.  Leave for 15-30 minutes then scrub, wipe, & rinse.  To add another level of activation, spray the surface with vinegar then clean.  The citric acid will react with the water on the walls of the tub/shower.  This will bubble and help to lift the grime.  Adding vinegar to the concoction will activate the baking soda which will also start to fizz.  Lemon essential oil is known to cut grease thus making it perfect to remove the soap scum and all around gross stuff left in the shower.  Yuck!

To clean the toilet, sprinkle the cleaner in a slightly drained bowl.  Make sure to get the powder on the side of the toilet bowl.  The citric acid will react with the water & begin to fizz.  Leave the bowl fizzing for 15-30 minutes then scrub.

If you're interested in joining in on the class being offered tonight, be sure to check out the Facebook event here & sign up for the class here.  The only way to attend is to register for the class through this link.  You'll get a free Ultimate Cleaning List with Essential Oil tips when you register.  You'll also find the link to the class in the email after you register.

Essential oils have changed the way I interact with cleaning products.  I find it super simple to make various cleansers using some ingredients I already have on hand and these powerful aromatic compounds.  If you'd like to learn more about essential oils, you can check out all of the posts on the blog here.  If you're reading to jump into using essential oils for emotional & physical wellness, click here for how to get started with doTERRA essential oils!

How do you use essential oils in your cleaning routine?

xoxo, Moe

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.

3 Productivity Tips for the Extremely Unmotivated

I like to think that productivity is a strong suit of mine.....but most of the time it isn't.  When I get to a task I can complete it, but the motivation to do it is rarely there for me.  So dishes sit undone, packages sit unmailed, emails go unanswered, and blog posts get pushed to the side.  Do you know what I'm doing while I'm procrastinating?  Nothing enriching, I can tell you that.

Productivity is part motivation but mostly discipline.  Discipline is doing what needs to be done even if you don't want to do it while motivation is just the push that makes you show up.  Procrastination puts off the inevitable, eventually you're gonna need to do that thing so why not just show up now & do it?

Here are my three, no fail tips for getting the motivation to be productive every day :

The 2-Minute Rule

Do you know how many tasks take less that two minutes to complete?  You could unload & load the dishwasher in less than two minutes.  You can take out the trash in less than two minutes.  You can wipe down your kitchen/bathroom surfaces in less than two minutes.  There are a lot of boring-yet-important tasks that can be done in less than two minutes.  So if it can be done in two minutes, just do it now.  Just. Do. It.

Set a 30-Minute Timer

Second question - do you know how many tasks can be completed in only 30 minutes?  You can tidy up a room in 30 minutes.  You can organize a drawer in 30 minutes (or less).  You can get a lot of stuff done in 30 minutes.  I set a timer for 30 minutes each night to clean one room in my house.  Set that time, get your butt moving.  The best part of this 30 minute clean is I'm also fitting in a bit of exercise - vacuuming really gets your heart rate up.

Just Show Up

You're already in the kitchen, might as well clean up.  This is the inspiration for this tip.  If you just put yourself where you need to be then you're already there and you might as well do it.  Pair this with the timer option.  Open your computer, set a timer, and start writing down and idea for a blog post.  Get some copy going, organize your points, and before you know it you have the meat of the post done.  If you've got graphics, elements, links, etc to add and you have more time than the 30 minutes you allotted yourself, then keep going.  Just showing up is half the battle!

These three tips help me to get my tasks in perspective.  We often see the whole picture rather than it's parts and we often think we can't consume the whale all in one bite.  But if we start small & show up, we can complete larger tasks.  Many goals have smaller supportive components that, when we focus on those, lay the ground work for completing the broader goal.  We can also get a grasp on daily routines that seem overwhelming by consistently showing up.  

The biggest example for me on tackling daily routines is in keeping the house tidy.  I am a messy person who should not be left alone with an empty table and free access to my craft supplies.  I've been known to have the coffee table, my craft table, and the dinning room table filled with something I'm working on!  I set things down where they don't go and I've been known to leave a glass or seven on the coffee table.  Because I hated cleaning my house all in one go on a Saturday when I could be binge watching Ancient Aliens, I created a cleaning routine that broke the house into zones.  Each zone is assigned a day and I show up to each zone on that day to clean for 30 minutes.  I don't tackle other rooms, I don't focus on the overwhelm, I simply clean for 30 minutes.  The Three Waves Cleaning method is what helps me to keep my mind focused only on this task.  Now, because I'm consistent in showing up to my task & completing it I don't need the full 30 minutes for one room any longer.  It now takes me about 40 minutes to tidy up the whole down stairs (save if my craft area is extremely messy) rather that just 30 minutes in the living room.  The downstairs in our house is the living room, my craft room, & a spare room I use for yoga/meditation.  So cleaning that up all in one go is amazing! 

The more I show up for my daily tasks the more I show up in other areas of my life.  The motivation just keeps going because you're on a roll...why stop now?  If you get up and start doing then the task will be done, done quicker, and you'll end up with more time on your hands!

This doesn't have to be for cleaning either.  I'll show up to my blog and spend an hour writing out the copy for a few posts.  Then I'm done with the hard part, have the majority of maybe 3 articles to publish in the next week, and can move on to the creative part like taking or editing the pictures.  Once I've showed up to the task I'm more likely to keep going because I've suddenly found the inspiration!

I hope this helps you to tackle the to do's that you're not really excited about.  Once you're in the routine you're able to get more done!

How do you manage your productivity? What motivates you?

xoxo, Moe

Trend Tuesday // Dollar Tree Home Essentials

Saving money is an important thing to me.  I like to spend money but I like to spend it wisely!  The Dollar Tree has become essential store for me & my budget.  Finding affordable solutions for various areas of the home is sometimes hard to do.  I know the Dollar Tree hasn't always been my first choice for anything but recently I've found affordable and attractive decor & storage solutions as well as quality everyday essentials.  Not to mention you find something new nearly every time you walk in!  Here are my home essentials from the Dollar Tree.

(this post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.)

Kitchen Utensils

I break a lot of things in the kitchen.  I can't tell you how many times I've broken a glass just by looking at it.  So I buy a lot of my kitchen essentials from the Dollar Tree.  The main thing I purchase from the Dollar Tree are wooden spoons and various other serving style utensils.  Wooden spoons aren't supposed to go in the dishwasher (this is why I try not to have wooden handled knives as well).  I was everything in the dishwasher.  If it isn't dishwasher safe, I don't buy it.  So I purchase a lot of my serving utensils from the Dollar Tree because I'm only out a few bucks when they eventually crap out on me, I break the, or they just don't make it through the dishwasher one last time.  The Dollar Tree has a great array of kitchen utensils to choose from (some even name brand like Betty Crocker!)

Organizing Essentials

In this post about creating various cleaning caddies with Dollar Tree products, I used some super cute plastic bins.  I also mention how those caddies help me with the 3 Waves Cleaning Method here.I love the Dollar Tree for the various storage solutions they offer.  If you want the best selection of storage containers in store, I've found the best time to go is at the beginning of the year.   If you're looking for a specific color I'd suggest looking during a holiday that color would be more common.  For example - pastel durring Spring/Easter, brown during Fall/Thanksgiving, purple during Halloween, red during Christmas, etc. They do offer an array of colors in general but shopping for storage solutions seasonally will give you the best chance to match any existing colors you my already have going on in the space you need storage for.

Seasonal Decor

Fall is nearly here and Halloween will be around the corner.  Dollar Tree is my favorite place to go for some essential crafting supplies.  While sometimes the supplies may not be as full - like a bundle of flowers, for example - I love picking up smaller filler pieces and wreath bases.  These more affordable starting points and accents are great to add more to a project you may have started from the craft store.  I love to purchase things like wreaths to use as a base to make a fuller wreathe because I'm paying $1 for a base rather than upwards of $3-$5 to start my project.  Their Fall selection of decor is warm & inviting while the Halloween offerings are creatively frightening.  If you haven't checked out the Dollar Tree blog for creative inspiration you should check that out as well.  They've got quite a few fund projects to try using their seasonal products!

The bulk buying option also means you'll always have what you need on hand.  While that may not be the best for kitchen utensils, it is great for gifts & decor as you get more bang for your buck!

Do you frequent the Dollar Tree?  What are your money saving must haves?

xoxo, Moe

How I get More Done // 5 Tips for Productivity

A long while ago I started on this journey to be productive and organized.  This started with purchasing a planner, developing a cleaning routine, expanding on that cleaning routine, finding planner peace, and talking more about my cleaning routine (cleaning routine & cleaning routine).  I credit this obsession with my cleaning routine for making me more productive.  Today I want to share with you 5 tips on setting your mind frame in order to create more productivity in your day.

Decide what activities are important

This is the first part to being productive.  There are things you do in your daily life that take priority over other things.  The first thing to do is decide what is most important to you.  For me, I decided to make cleaning a priority.  I made it something that had to be done in my daily life and I sucked it up and did it for a few weeks straight until it became habit.  You may find that there is an activity you want to complete during the day but haven't made time for it - make this activity a priority for a few weeks, then it will become habit.  Also there is no easy way to do this - suck it up and get it done.  Then it will seem out of place to not do it.

You may also need to prioritize things differently.  I love to sleep the frick in on every damn day of my life.  I dislike what 5am looks like.  But I found during my day to day life if I woke up 30 minutes before I have to leave for work, my day tends to stink.  I get to work still tired, I'm thrown into the thick of if still hazy, and I'm yawning well into 1pm.  I found that if I woke up early enough to enjoy time to myself and allow my body to adjust to the burning sunshine my day was more pleasant.  I wasn't playing catch up with myself all day.  (Pro tip on waking up - don't hit the snooze, it will only make you feel more tired.  I'm not a scientist, but I do play one on TV)  Re-prioritizing something that you may think is important when in actuality it might be detrimental to your productivity levels, may help you.

Create & Test Routines

Re-prioritizing things in your day to day life may lead to new routines.  I find that if I complete certain tasks in a certain order I feel more efficient and more productive.  Even if it is in minor increments, keeping to a schedule is key to feeling productive.  In the morning I wake up at 5:10am, I take Sweetie potty and am back inside to have her fed and my coffee brewed by 5:25am, then I cuddle back up with her in bed and mess around on my phone, watch TV, etc until 5:55am when I start to do my make up (if I feel like it), I get dressed by 5:18am, put up Sweetie, and if all is on track I'm out the door a little before 6:30am.  I didn't sit down and decide on 5:18am being the time I start to put my pants on, I just found that by re-prioritizing the things that made my morning better that this was the routine the fit best for me.

By creating and testing different routines you'll be able to develop what works best in what order.  I can't give you the scientific breakdown of it but you should be able to develop a routine that flows together organically.  For me it is pointless to walk to the kitchen and brew my coffee before going into the bathroom because the bathroom is before the kitchen.  So then I'll get that over with, wash my face, etc.  Then my dog has to pee so of course we'll go downstairs and outside, etc, etc.  The routine you develop should be organic.

You may find that if you switch this and that you're more productive (or less) and you should evolve your routines.  One thing I am absolutely horrible at is adapting my routine when something changes. I am horrible at it and my whole life is thrown off for weeks at a time.  

Write (Specific & Helpful) To Do Lists

I find that the more specific my To Do List is, the more helpful it is.  It also helps to see what actually can be done in an allotted amount of time.  If you have a task, simply writing task reminds you about the task.  If the task has certain parts to complete it, I find writing down all that needs to be done is very helpful.  Not only is a metal thing where you can check off more things but it shows your progress.  I try to break down a task (if it needs to be broken down) into 3 to 4 steps so I'm not overwhelmed.  Laundry is a great example - wash, fold, put away.  Laundry also doesn't happen all at once so you can see your progress even as your working on other things during the day.  Breaking down the task into smaller tasks makes me feel like I'm staying on track and getting things done.

I find being too specific is unhelpful to me.  I also find that creating a general, non-intimidating heading to be super helpful.  So instead of a generic YouTube as a task, I'll put Schedule Videos and break it down into edit, upload, finalize the list of videos I have.  That way I know what I'm doing but I'm not overwhelmed.  I work in batches too - batch edit, batch upload, finalize them all in one go.  Batching is super helpful when it comes to To Do lists. 

Hold Yourself Accountable

A planner does this for me.  Also, remembering the feeling I have when my house is clean and my shit is done helps me stay accountable.  Find something that works for you - because, in general, no one gives a crap about your productivity except for you.  (your job is a different story, though.)  No one cares if you got your mascara on before 6:05am in order to finish curling your hair by 6:45am, except for you.   No one cares if you clean the family room on Tuesdays or on Saturdays, except for you.  You get what I mean?  Find something that pushes you to complete your tasks.  But also don't stress on it if you can't get things done.  Creating routines and To Do lists will show you what you can feasibly fit in your amount of time.

I hope this post was a little bit helpful - it is how I approach productivity in my daily life and how I get a handle on things!  Creating routines and just seeing what I can do and when I can do it gives me a little more control over my life, you know?  And I think that is a very helpful thing to have a tiny bit of control over!

How do you stay productive?  How do you keep on top of daily tasks?

xoxo, Moe

Wednesday Decor // 5 Monthly Habits I'd Like to Start

I've fallen off the cleaning routine train in the past week and this week I'm determined to get back on it!  Because I've had cleaning on the brain I've been thinking about things that I really need to get going on every month.  This is all house/personal related stuff in regards to inside the home.  Here is a true fact - I am no good with outside home maintenance.  I'm just not.  I don't know where to begin, I don't know what to do, I don't want to do it.  So mainly the grass is just mowed and maybe the flower beds are weeded (but honestly probably not).  But all of that is for another post....hopefully.

There are a few things I know I need to do more than the blue moon that I do them.  The first step to that is making a list and acknowledging that these things need to be done, right?  Here they are:

Clean out the fridge

I hate the fridge being full of old stuff.  I am also a horrible leftover eater - meaning sometimes I don't eat all the leftovers.  I just can not eat the same thing 4 days in a row.  I can't.  Plus, being by myself means if I cook a full meal, there are leftovers.  I've started trying to cook things that I will eat all week....so far that has sort of worked out.  Anyway,  I'd like to clean out the fridge, wipe it down, throw things away, once a month.

Clean out my purse

As I'm sitting here, I know that my purse is a wreck.  I did have this purse organizer I used for a little while in my old purse so I'm thinking I may need to bust that guy out again.  Mostly I use little bags (like ipsy bags) to organize all the mess in my purse.  Right now one of those bags has fallen completely open and there are receipts in the bottom, maybe I'll find some treasure in the bottom.  Who knows.

Clean the washer

Our front loading washer tends to hold water in all it's little crevasses so I need to clean it out so it doesn't stink up the clothes.  I need to do a little bit of research on this too.  I did clean our old top loading washer when we moved in and that was pretty interesting.......

Monthly declutter

I'd really like to go through the house monthly and get rid of somethings.  I'm thinking of starting a bin in the utility room or something where I can just throw things I want to get rid of.  Currently I have a few bags of clothes and boxes of things that I need to take to the thrift store (they should really have an exchange thing going on - I'd be all over that....but then I'd have more crap!).  I've been waiting for it not to be so cold to really get rid of it.  I do want to start thinking about things to get rid of each month.

Cleaning the forgotten places

Ugh......have you ever looked up an was like WTF is that? when you see your fan?  Our kitchen fan is the grossest because of all the grease and what not that settles up there.  Our stairs also gather a lot of hair from the dog.  I should probably vacuum those when I clean the downstairs but I often forget because you don't see them until you turn the corner.  So I'll put everything away, turn the corner and then bam! pet hair stairs.  I also need to do a quick zip around the washer and free standing bureau in our laundry room.  That gathers dust bunnies like no ones business!

These are 5 things I need to mark off in my planner - I'm thinking in my home/routine section - so I can track their completion.  Here's hoping I get back on my cleaning routine.  My life would be so much easier!

What are some monthly tasks you complete?  How do you fit it all in?????? 

xoxo, Moe

Wednesday Decor // Dollar Tree Cleaning Caddy

This idea is 100% unoriginal - I have to say I've probably seen about a zillion of these things going around Pinterest.....but I just had to throw mine in the mix.  I mean, have you seen how cute things at the Dollar Tree have become?  So, you know for the sake of all the pretty things I had to make my own.

I've mentioned before that one of the key ways I keep the house tidy is to have what I need in every room.  Luckily we have a bathroom downstairs and upstairs so I can keep my caddies under the sink.  I also keep a few extras in our utility closet and in the cabinets in the laundry room.

Another reason I wanted to put this together from the Dollar Tree is that if you're trying to buy multiples of cleaning supplies.....brand names can get expensive.  If you're just trying to get started in your cleaning routine you don't want to have to drop a million dollars.  When something runs out buy the brand name if you wish or stick to the Dollar Tree brand.  The only thing I couldn't find at the Dollar Tree were the Swiffer type duster things - I usually get the generic Meijer brand at a slightly affordable price.  I prefer these to the dusting cloths, but you can find the dusting cloths at Dollar Tree.  You can also find the wet pads if you use your Swiffer to mop as well.

The Essentials - under the sink

In the bathroom I like to keep a little caddy with all the elements I'll need to clean there.  In each bathroom I like to keep glass cleaner, disinfectant wipes, sponges, toilet & tub cleaner, & paper towels.  When I change the trashcan I do put extra trash bags in the bottom of the can that way I can switch them out with ease.  I keep a few extras in the caddy as well....because I'm lazy!

The Essentials - main rooms

In the utility closet & in the laundry room I keep a basket that I can place in a central location while I'm cleaning.  I also use this basket as the one to gather up all the stuff that needs to be moved into another room - everything that doesn't seem to belong in that room (as mentioned in this post).  Because these rooms need different things (no tub or toilet cleaner) I like to keep them separate.  In this basket I keep a duster, disinfectant wipes, full size trash bags, & fabric refresher.  Both our bedroom and the living room have mirrors but I just grab the glass cleaner out of the bathrooms when I need it.

This makes it so much faster to clean.  I don't have to spend time gathering the supplies to clean.  So helpful!  (And one less excuse!)

How do you keep your cleaning supplies stored?  Anything interesting?

xoxo, Moe

Wednesday Decor // Incorporating the 3 Waves Cleaning Method

Oh goodness, another cleaning related post.  Whoooo Hoooo!  I've recently found something referred to as the Three Waves Cleaning method in this blog post on Clean My Space.  That blog post really spoke to me, mainly because of the 'get in the right head space' rule listed.  That is the only way I'm able to clean - to have a plan and be in the right mindset.  The more I make myself do it, the more likely I am to be able to convince myself to do it!

Anyway, recently I've incorporated this 3 Waves method to get myself prepped for cleaning.  I will lay on the couch all evening if I let myself, so this really prepares me mentally for getting stuff done. It's like a warm up routine for me that guides me into the rest of the routine.  Plus, if I'm in a hurry I can stop after each step and feel that I have gotten something accomplished.

Here is how I define the Three Waves for my cleaning routine - I clean a room/section of my home a night for 30 minutes (read about how I created my perfect cleaning list here) :

Wave One - Garbage & Gather

In this wave I grab a new garbage bag for random garbage/trash, a new garbage bag for the trash can in that area, and a basket I got from the Dollar Tree for random items that need to be moved to other rooms where they belong.  This wave means I just start throwing away things that have cluttered up over the week in the certain room/area I'm working in.  I'll be going through this using our down stairs area of the house which I've lumped into one 'room' to clean on Monday nights  (see our first floor layout here & here).  I start in the living room area and work into the office and then into the spare room by picking up any trash - receipts, junk mail, a left over fast food cup, etc - as I go a long.  This is what the first trash bag is for.  I also put a basket in a central area to catch things that don't belong so I can move them into their homes later.  This first bag will also be used to catch the dirt when I empty the vacuum.  I pull the trash bag from the trash can in the office and set it by the door and place the second trash bag in it so it's fresh.

Since this first wave is little, mini tidy session, if I'm in a hurry I can just complete this step and feel accomplished because things are tidy.  This type of situation changes for each room too - in the bathroom or kitchen, for example, this first wave would also include changing the towels.

Wave Two - Swish & Swipe

I get my cleaning tools ready. Pro tip: keep the tools you need in each room/area - I have two vacuums (because my boyfriend came with one lol).  One stays downstairs and one stays upstairs.  I keep a Swiffer Duster in the closet with the vacuum and then some Clorox wipes under the sink in the downstairs bathroom.  This means I have all the tools I need in one place.  I don't have to keep running around, back and forth, to find the tools I need to get the job done.  In each bathroom is Windex and paper towels so I don't have to run upstairs to clean the downstairs bathroom.  It is all at my finger tips.

This second wave is dusting and wiping.  I get my Swiffer Duster and start with the tops of our bookshelves and work my way down, and around, the downstairs.  I also take a Clorox wipe to wipe down door handles, the coffee table, the top of my craft table, remotes, etc.  This is a quick swish and swipe session that is made easier because everything is moved off of the surfaces it shouldn't be on.  The Swiffer duster makes everything so much easier!  I even have one of the long ones to dust our fans (which I have to admit most of the time doesn't get done!)

I can also finish after this step because the room looks even more put together than after the first step.

Wave Three - Suck it Up & Take it Out

This is the final phase - vacuuming & taking the trash out.  Vacuuming is one of my favorite chores and I really have zero idea why.  I do two passes with the vacuum in our living room (dog =  shedding), one pass in the guest room, and the use my Swiffer Sweeper on the laminate wood flooring and tile in our entry way and office area.  That thing can suck up some pet hair, let me tell you.

I empty the vacuum bin into one of the trash bags and take each trash bag out to the garbage bin.  I also do a quick put away of any of the items that end up in the basket used to corral odd items that don't belong.

This is the final step!  Our downstairs area often takes either the whole 30 minute time or more because it is such a big area.  I star with this one on Monday evenings because it is the most lived in area and gets the most cluttered/dirty - especially after the weekend.  It is nice to know that I can move through the rest of the week with a clean space to relax and come home to after a hard days work.

These three waves really helped me to break down my chore into something more manageable.  It made the whole thing seem easily accomplished rather than staring at a room wondering where the heck to start.  It helps me come at the room with a plan.  Each wave slowly builds up and I know it's really not that much just to tidy up a bit with the first wave, and that generally warms me up in to the second wave, and then because I'm 2/3 of the way done might as well finish out the third wave.

I hope this helped you out a little in developing a small cleaning routine or at least figuring out how to tackle a room.  If you want to read about how I tackle a really, really messy room, read this post.  You can also find all my cleaning related posts here.

How do you clean?  Do you break it into small steps?  Any other tips?

xoxo, Moe

Wednesday Decor // How To Clean A Room

First off, I can't believe I'm going to show you these pictures.  Secondly, I can't believe I'm going to tell you how to clean a room (my mother is probably rolling her eyes!).  I'm no expert...I'm just a girl obsessed with an organized home.  I have several cleaning related posts on the blog and I actually feel pretty confident about my method.  I want to share with you the mind set I have when I go into cleaning a room, or just when I go into cleaning in general.

My regular cleaning routine involves cleaning one room, for 30 minutes, each day.  We do have a few rooms in the house that have been neglected since our renovation - they are in some sort of disarray and state of unfinished-ness (is that a word?) - and the spare room downstairs was one of these rooms.  I finally tackled it and I want to share with you how I did it.

It is only about this room

When I tackle a daily room clean in general, I only focus on that room or that task.  With this bigger task - cleaning out an entire room - this mind set helps as well.  Yes, you may be pulling stuff out of this room that goes in another room, especially if you're cleaning out room that is a 'catch all'.  So take the thing, put it in the room it belongs, but you don't have to put it away - just leave it there.  Hopefully that room will be in your rotation and you can handle that room on it's designated day.  I know that if I start putting away something in another room I get distracted and start cleaning that room.  Sometimes with bigger tasks you may make a small mess in the other room that the things belong in...but you can tackle that on the day it needs to be tackled.

Make a plan/Visual inventory

I always have a game plan when it comes to cleaning/organizing and that is probably why it took me so long to get this done. But I knew where I wanted things to go and I knew what was going to live in that room. Having a plan helps me to see the end result and focus on the task at hand.  With no plan I get intimidated and confused. 

Part of making my plan is to be sure that I have taken a visual inventory not only of the clutter in the space but of what the space can accommodate.  Once I have the visual inventory I can start to plan out what needs to be done.  This might take a bit to get in the right mindset to clean, but it does help!

Everything has a place

This is the biggest thing I've learned ever - everything should have a place.  That also goes along with making a plan because if something doesn't have a planned place to be......it really should be tossed.  Focus on putting things in their places, even if it is removing it from the room. And if you need to remove it from the room make sure it has a place to go and put it there.  For example there where boxes of extra makeup stuff for me - brushes, packaging, makeup bags, etc - I know I have room for them upstairs in my designated makeup area.  If you don't have a place for it consider getting rid of it....you probably don't need it.

 Just get started & just keep going

The biggest issue is starting to clean.  I can find about a zillion reasons not to start, but I always find that once I get started, I'm really glad that I did.  There are some tasks that seem really, really daunting.  Like when we cleaned out the garage and the shed one weekend, I really wanted to give up  the second day.  I pushed myself through as much as I could but eventually I was loosing the mind set I had when I started.  But, for the spare room, I just kept at it.  I kept my focus.  And I got the whole room done in about 3 or 4 hours.  Thats what I mean about focusing only on the room at hand.  If you start moving off into another room where something has to be moved to...you won't finish your project, you'll start a new one.  Also, having a plan can play into the time it takes to complete a room.  The less of a plan you have the more stressed you'll be about it.  You'll feel intimidated and overwhelmed.  

A clean house is not something that is ever achieved, its a process.  I would say that the end goal should be a tidy house.  If you live in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine more props to you, but I'm pretty sure that everyone has a little clutter somewhere.

Now that I have the room clean, I do have bits and bobs that made it into other rooms that need to be put away.  But these things will be handled in my daily cleaning routine.  (I talk more about my cleaning routine here.)  And the end goal is to keep everything in it's place.  If you can't keep it in it's place, at least keep it in its room...if that make sense.  The whole goal is to quit saying 'I'm just going to throw this in here' because that turns into a nightmare.  Handle as much as you can when it happens rather than dealing with it afterwards.

Now, but no means is the gospel and by no means is this science.  But I've always been horrible at being tidy so discovering what works for me is a huge deal and I wanted to share with you how I think and how I work to keep things tidy.  I found this article that may help you with a big cleaning task as well.

What is your cleaning routine?  How do you tackle big rooms or catch all spaces?

xoxo, Moe

Wednesday Decor // The Importance of the (Cleaning) Routine

So, you'd think with my obsession over cleaning schedules/routines/etc I'd have an immaculate home right?  WRONG!  I'm obsessed with cleaning schedules and routines because I suck at keeping a clean and tidy house.  It is the one thing I struggle with that really bothers me.  Not good at cooking?  No problem.  But not being able to keep things tidy is really annoying to me.  It has never been a priority - the thing I'm doing now to make the mess is the priority.  Then before I know it there are little pieces of crap laying around and I don't understand why.

So this post is just another post on what I'm doing to keep my house tidy - yet as I write this the house is a wreck!  Zach just left for another work trip, so rather than worry about the dust we wanted to spend time together.  So don't come over today......you might not like what you see.

I created a routine

I can't remember when I came up with this routine, but it's been a while - 30 min of cleaning/tidying a day in a different zone.  I'm pretty sure this isn't the first time this has been done either.  I have a blog post here about the 4 questions I asked myself in order to make my perfect cleaning list and those questions have pretty much framed my routine. (I plan on having a video on routines in my planner up in the next few weeks as well!)   I decided to clean only Monday - Thursday, 30 min a night, in one of four zones.  I have a post that goes more in depth here.  

I made the routine a priority

How can you do something regularly if you don't find it important?  I decided to track my cleaning schedule using a habit tracker.  I made it a priority to clean each day.  It was a personal goal for myself to stick to my cleaning schedule.  Keeping the routine a priority slowly meant that I was getting a better grasp on what I could do in that time.  I'd set a time and the first few days of cleaning (like I know these next few days will be) the whole 30 min was spent tidying/cleaning.  Priorities are to vacuum and to pick up the clutter.  We have a dog so the hair is what gets on my nerves though I've gotten used to it and know there is no way it's going to go away any time soon!  Eventually it would take me 15 min to clean and declutter and the rest of that time could be spent on a deep cleaning task - like the baseboards in the bathroom, or moving things around to dust/vacuum more thoroughly.  I loved that part!  Keeping up with the routine meant the chore got easier.

The routine made it less daunting

Cleaning one thing a day means I'm only focusing on that one task.  I don't stand in a room and am completely overwhelmed making me want to stop before I've even started.  In previous posts I've mentioned that I choose three things to focus on each of the days and make those the priority of the day.  As long as those are done I can feel satisfied.  By being super specific the task is narrowed and I can feel more confident in my ability to complete it.  Even if it's been a busy week like the passed one focusing on three things means something is getting done to make the next time I'm in that zone easier.

A less daunting tasks is a task that gets done

Because I'm able to break my cleaning list into the most basic parts, I feel I can get more done.  Like I mentioned above - eventually, from week to week and day to day, there's very little that needs to be handled and that leaves time to focus on things like deep cleaning.  30 minutes of something I feel like I have a handle on is totally different from standing in a room freaking out!

The biggest thing for me was making cleaning the priority.  It's not going to get done if I don't do it.  I would say I'm still a messy person but I try to be more aware of it and actually do something about it.  When I'm making a mess I make an effort to clean up afterwards.  If part of the thing you're doing is making a mess, part of finishing that thing is cleaning up.

If you haven't checked out the etsy shop recently, each printable kit has 6 habit trackers and there's even a full page of habit trackers!

How do you tackle your cleaning or any task that you hate doing?  Are there any tips you have?

Wednesday Decor // How I Tackle Cleaning

I shouldn't be the one writing this post...honestly.  But I am...because I want to share with you how I tackle cleaning my house.  First off I'd suggest you not be creative in the least bit.  If you are creative you'll end up with a messy house because either you're too busy being creative to clean or your creativity is the mess.  I have both problems.

I've struggled forever with being neat and tidy.  Ask my mom.  Well, don't really....she probably doesn't want to relive that.  Ask my room mates, ask my sister, ask any one - I was and still am a messy person.  I do blame it on being creative...I really do.  Once Zach and I moved in together, though, I realized that having a place for everything really made the difference.  I'm pretty sure I've talked about this here on the blog before but being stuffed into one room growing up, one room in college, one room in a house after graduation, was the problem.  I was trying to do too much stuff with one room.  Now I'm happy that we have so much room in the house - not only can we fill it all with crap but we can fill it with the crap that goes in it's own space!  Imagine that.

I will continue to say that if you were to come over to my house today, right now, I'd probably say give me 20 minutes and then when you arrived you wouldn't be allowed in certain rooms because I threw all the shit in there...but for the most part the house stays nice and tidy (until I have something to make).

Here's how I've adapted myself to cleaning (see what I did there?)

Divide and Conquer 

Rather than run around like a crazy person and stress out each weekend when I tried to clean I decided that I really needed to break the house up into chunks.  I'm sure I saw this tip somewhere, but honestly I couldn't tell you where.  So I broke my house into - living room & office, kitchen & dining room, bathrooms, and bedrooms.  Each section gets it's own day.

Previously, I would just spend time each day cleaning that section.  That got way, way, way overwhelming especially when I had things that needed to get done like blog posts, life stuff, etc.  I decided I needed to divide even more.

Each day of the week - Monday through Thursday - I clean one of these sections.  But each day that the chore falls on I pick three things I need to clean.  So for example, Monday is living room & office day.  I will choose three things to do - vacuum/sweep, coffee table, and dust. Then the next week I will choose three more things - vacuum/sweep, bookshelf, desk.  I try to vacuum and sweep each time I do a room because it's just good to do that you know.  Plus we have a dog and though she doesn't shed as much as our previous dog did, she still sheds a bit.

Set a timer

After I'd assigned sections to each day I'd just clean until I thought I was done....but then I'd get discouraged and end up not cleaning the other rooms for the rest of the week because I wanted to do something else.  Originally I'd set the time for an hour.  I found that for me, that was too long.  I'd get frustrated that I wasn't able to execute all the things I had on my mind because I spent an hour cleaning.  Then I was tired.  Then I still had to make dinner or something.  It's annoying being an adult.

So now I lower it down to 30 min a day.  Obviously this isn't a deep clean (I still need to come up with a seasonal cleaning list) but it keeps everything nice and tidy.  If I do feel like something needs a deeper clean that will be my focus of the 30 min, if I can spare it.  The stove is one of these things.  Sometimes it just gets to where a wipe down isn't enough.  Or the kitchen floors, the bathtub, the toilet, etc.  Something that definitely needs more attention will get it.

But a timer ensures that I'm doing the chore and am not burned out on chores for the rest of the week.  Also, it's like a little game and as stupid as I thought that reason was...it seriously does help.

Create a place for everything

This is still something I need to really focus on but for the most part there are general places for things in the house.  And, if I'm cleaning an area and run into something that doesn't go there I do my best to put it back and not just set it in the area it belongs.  So like if I've got a crap ton of craft stuff on the coffee table I should sort it quickly and put it away - not just dump it all in a pile on my desk.  Right?

For me, this is where smaller, specific storage comes in.  I know that all of this thing goes in this thing so that makes it easier to put away and less tempting to just dump it all on my desk.  This also helps when you get to the next area and you are cleaning or tidying it up.  If you've put the crap away then you don't need to put it away or move it around a second time.  Saves you a bit when you're moving around your cleaning areas day to day.

Like I said, I'm not organizing guru I just know what's been helping me out to keep the house tidy.  I've posted on this topic before and I think I've since grown but I keep incorporating the same strategies.  In this post I share how to come up with the perfect cleaning list and in this post I share how I refocused my list into small, one-liner chores during our renovation.

However you do it, you've got to do something that works for you.  This is a constant struggle for me but something I do like adapting.  I've found myself complaining less about the state of the house but understanding myself and breaking things down into smaller parts.

How do you tackle cleaning?  Have you evolved your cleaning strategies?

xoxo, Moe