Featured Blogger!

I am so excited to share my friend, Lauren's blog with you!  She is the newest distributor on our Shaklee team and she has an amazing blog geared toward moms who want to keep our planet green and make healthy choices for our families.
Here is what Lauren says:

I’m the germ-a-phobic mom who was cleaning all the baby toys with Clorox wipes as my son’s playgroup was still at our house – because I was so afraid of germs! My friends can attest to this!

I can honestly say that I have tried every cleaning product on the grocery store shelves. You name it, I have bought it at least once in my lifetime. I love to try new things to see which products work the best. I always thought the cleaner things smelled, the cleaner they were. However once my son was diagnosed with Asthma at age 3, I started doing research to eliminate the Asthma triggers in my own home and found this startling fact:

COMMON HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS GIVE OFF FUMES THAT CAN POTENTIALLY INCREASE THE RISK OF CHILDREN DEVELOPING ASTHMA.

What? I thought I was preventing him from becoming sick as I scrubbed everything down with the most “effective” chemicals known to man… You mean these “tried and true” cleaners that generations have used may be the reason my son was up at night, coughing until he threw up? Was so tired all day every day with dark circles around his eyes?  Came down with pneumonia twice in a 6 month period?  Was on medicine around the clock? Antibiotics, nebulizers, inhaler, steroids, Zyrtec, Singulair… Numerous trips to the doctor, chest x-rays, etc.  A LOT of money was spent, and even more tears were shed – by everyone.  All I wanted was for my little boy’s pain to go away and to feel “normal” again. 

So then I was on a mission to find non-toxic cleaners that actually worked.  Again, I tried many different brands of “Green” cleaners but nothing “worked” as well the conventional ones.  Until one day I found SHAKLEE.  It’s been around for 50 years and everything they make is safe for you, your home, and your planet.  Every product in their “Get Clean” line has exceeded my expectations.  You cannot get their products in the store.  The only way to get it is to order through someone.  I was wrestling with the decision to become a distributor but have taken a leap of faith and decided to go full steam ahead.  I am being completely sincere when I say that I am not in this for the money.  It’s a way to get their products more affordably for my family!  Plus I want everyone to know how safe they are, how effective they are AND to help prevent anyone else’s child from going through what my son went through.   

My favorite fact: Shaklee is the FIRST company to become certified in the U.S. as Climate Neutral – they completely offset all of their CO2 emissions – leaving a net zero impact on the environment.  Also all of their products are bio-degradable or recyclable.  I love this company’s philosophy and I know you will love their products too if you give them a chance.

Update on Chase: He is completely off of all medicines since March.  Not only have I changed all of my cleaning products to non-toxic ones, I have also made some changes to the way we eat including buying organic whenever possible and staying away from processed foods.  He is one happy boy these days!  

Amazing, right?! If you visit Lauren's blog, leave her a comment and tell her how you found her!

There are only two days left to join Shaklee and receive a free lifetime membership.  If you are interested, click this link and add the membership to your cart.  Then shop for any products, making sure you spend $30.  The membership fee will automatically be deducted when you check out.  This is a great chance to join if you have been considering it!

If you aren't sure what would be best for your family, I would love to speak with you about some choices you could make.

Shark Vac n Steam

Ohhh I just got the shark vac n steam and I love it!!! Our entire home is hardwood floors and I have been looking for something that would make the cleaning of them easy and chemical free.  This is the perfect answer!  I vacuum first and them steam the floors.  Today I did my kitchen and it took me about 10 minutes to vac and steam.  The steamer uses only water but you can put basic h in for a little more disinfecting power;)

I went to bed bath and beyond used my 20% off coupon and I saved around $40!
Look at my floors after they were cleaned!  So shiny and so easy!  I am in love;)

Basic G

I get a lot of questions about what I use to clean my bathrooms and to disinfect.  Shaklee has an easy answer called Basic G.  It's a much safer, more effective alternative to Lysol.  It's nonflammable, non toxic and biodegradable.  All you need is 3/8 tbsp mixed in 16 oz of water.  

Basic G has a three year shelf life and its residual effectiveness lasts up to three days.  Bleach only lasts an hour!  And it kills 99.9% of bacteria!!!

Safe for stainless steel and aluminum

Safe on hard, non porous surfaces

EPA registered

Kills 32 pathogens while Lysol only kills 8!

According to EPA standards, bottles must be labeled according to what is IN the bottle.  More than 80,000 products are not registered with the EPA or labeled correctly.  This is a plus for Shaklee and their reputation for integrity in that it is registered and labeled correctly.  So when it comes to the concentrated form of Basic G, if what is IN the bottle were to be consumed, it is toxic by EPA standards.  However, it is not nearly as toxic as other cleaners. However, in it’s properly diluted form it is completely non-toxic and not harmful at all.

So I use Basic G on my doorknobs, the bathroom sinks, toilets, the appliance handles in my kitchen, my kitchen sink and anything else that needs disinfecting!

And great news for this time of year--you can use basic G as a weed killer!!! I haven't tried yet but this week I am going to mix a batch for the garden.

one gallon of water

1 tablespoon basic g

1/2 c white vinegar

Shaklee also carries Basic G wipes that are a quick easy way to wipe down things that need to be disinfected.

***Remember, the free membership deal ends on May 20!  Spend $30 get a free lifetime membership which entitles you to 15% discount on all products forever!!!***

Fitting it all in-Springtime

My priorities in the spring shift from organizing the inside of our home to spending time outside with my family.  There's been a lot going on around here.  My kids really live outside especially in the spring.  We go out around 10 am, eat lunch outside, come in for naps and then return to the yard for the remainder of the day.  I love the freedom they have to play, the no-mess meals outside (the booster seat hasn't even made it in for four days) and just the energy that the kids get to use up.  All of that being said, not much organizing or even cleaning has been happening inside!
I try to do the upkeep of the house in the morning...usually I get two loads of laundry done and then I fold during naps.  I keep up on the dishes as they come but lunch is an easy clean up.  I do the upstairs while the baby naps and the older two watch Curious George (a household favorite).  I move pretty fast and can get everything looking pretty good in those first few hours of the day.
Some of my everyday cleaning things are different in the spring.  I have to sweep the laundry room several times a day because of everything that gets tracked in.  I think it saves me time to spend the two minutes sweeping rather than have dirt tracked all through the house.  I also beach towel washing and hand washing bathing suits (which is really a pain).
There's really not much of a point to this post except to check in!

Special

Shaklee is running an amazing special right now that I thought was worth mentioning.  They have put together a special bundle of their cleaning supplies for $30.  The package includes  "Basic H2 (16 oz), Two Spray Bottles, Get Clean Super Microfiber Cleaning Cloths, Get Clean Dish Wash Liquid Concentrate, Get Clean Fresh Laundry Concentrate (32 oz), and Shaklee Energy™. Only available at the time of sponsoring, at the amazing Member Price of $30.*"
If you purchase this, you also get a free membership.  This is a great opportunity to begin the journey to a healthier home!  I encourage everyone to use "green" cleaning products.  One of my members is purchasing this package/membership for her mom and grandmother for a mother's day gift...what a great idea!
Basic H is organic and one 16 oz bottle makes 48 gallons of cleaner!

Kitchen

 In the boxes are supplies that would normally be kept in a "junk" drawer.  I love white boxes to hide stuff!

 Using all one color dishes is an easy way to make your cabinets look really streamlined.

This is the top part of her "pantry".  Not too special but I love these big glass containers that hold flour, sugar and another mystery white baking substance;)