Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Spring Cleaning with Whole Foods!

I love Whole Foods, when I lived out west some might have even called me a Whole Foods Junkie. (oxymoron) 
So I was more then excited when I was contacted to try out their newest brand of cleaning products. I am all about using Green Cleaners in my life. (except at work where I have no choice which makes me even more apt to go green in my life) I especially appreciated how the representative at Whole Foods sent me a gift card rather then sending me a package. I feel this option was much greener then it would have been to send me a big cardboard box filled with filler . The nearest Whole Foods to me is 45 minutes away in Cranston RI. So I was more then excited to make my first trip to an East Coast Whole Foods

So the first chance I got Annabella, Heather and I headed up to Cranston to go grocery shopping. I was so excited when I saw that they carried almost all the same products out east as they did out west. The only differences really were the local products from Sebastopol and Petaluma California that were missing. It did give me a tinge of homesickness for the West Coast, but it was quickly ignored when I saw the Butternut Squash Crab Bisque.... umm SAMPLE please?

So after spending an hour and a half in the store. We hit up the gigantic Hot Bar and headed home. My trunk full of healthy goodies for Annabella's lunch (my main goal for going there) as well as a few favorites for myself. (stocked up on Marcona Almonds, and crostoni crackers)

I got home late at night and planned a spring cleaning of the house the next day. 

The first product I grabbed was the Soap Scum Remover. I really was excited to see an Organic Soap Scum remover. My shower stays pretty clean and doesn't really build up much soap scum, but I know that when I start to notice the build up I get out my scrubber and go to work with some vinegar. I liked the idea of someone else putting together a formula to do it for me. Annabella's baths had begun to work a nice practice ring around the tub for me to try this out on.

I really liked how this stuff worked. I did have to use a bit of scrubbing to get the soap scum off, I just used a brush and some circular motion and they came off really easy. I don't mind the bit of scrubbing. I clean tubs for a living and use chemicals to do that. I still have to scrub to get the scum off. So a natural cleaner that does the same is great by my standards.

Next I tried out the Citrus All-purpose cleaner. I really liked the smell of this stuff. It makes me want to eat an orange. It got my sink sparkling again with the simple wipe of a rag and it smells so yummy good. I've decided to plant it in the kitchen to encourage the other members of my family to use the cleaner.  I wouldn't mind coming into a kitchen that always smells like this. 

Also as someone who cleans often I have to talk about the sprayer on top of the bottles that I got from Whole Foods. They are excellent quality. I have a lot of trouble with sprayers on the tops of bottles wearing out because the spring on the back gets ruined or rusty. I noticed that the design of this bottle is a bit different and it springs back easily, I believe that these will last much longer then most spray bottle tops. This will allow me to reuse the bottles for other cleaners. 

Next I tried the Unscented Glass Cleaner.  I like a good spray on my glass cleaner that way my window doesn't get soaked and you don't end up using too many rags. I lightly sprayed the mirror and got to work. It was easy and even though the product is unscented I still really like how it smelled. Not strong or like ammonia like most window cleaners that I deal with. It was also really easy to get the toothpaste off my mirror. I am always getting toothpaste and soap on my mirror so  I end up cleaning it a lot. I wouldn't mind switching to this cleaner, its great! My mirror had no streaks when I was done; the Glass cleaner was easy to wipe clean.

Finally I tried the Unscented Liquid dish soap. I am always trying out new dish soaps. I think that my house is a great tester for dish soaps. We go through tons of dishes a day, so we go through it like water (much opposition to the soaking method) My father is allergic to fragrances, so we have to be ultra careful of having scented products. Finally, my mom hates it when soap isn't foamy.

Well let me tell you this met all of our needs. You don't have to use much of the soap to get bubbles. Other natural dish soaps really lack in the bubbles area. Its not their fault, most bubbles come from chemicals. Its not even a bad thing since its really not bubbles that get things clean. Alas, we are spoiled and most Americans require a certain amount of bubbles to feel safe. 
The unscented makes me feel good because I know that my father won't break out in hives!

All the products are affordable from $3-$8. If you're trying to clean and green your home this spring. Then be sure to check out Whole Food's entire line of cleaning products, they even have laundry detergent, fabric softener, and dryer sheets now!

I received a $20 gift certificate to Whole Foods to purchase the products for this review. No cash was exchanged for this review. Thank you to Whole Foods.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Spring Goats

Today I would like to show you the goats at the farm


First we have Daddy smash with mama and her new baby! There were twins, one of them did not make it, but the new kid is up and doing great, he is skiddish like his mother, and she is very protective. 

As you can see he's quickly adjusting to life as a goat, he's already mastered the art of standing on things

And Citrine following close behind her little one, we aren't really sure who the daddy of this goat is, we got Citrine from a friend of ours, who has lot of goats. She is very young
She is a great mom though

This little guy is very friendly

Its a big bummer that we didn't get any girls, we aren't keeping the mamas, we will be keeping them for a while though. We ordered a milking stand, so we will be trying to milk the mamas soon. I look forward to picking out more goats!

I am so excited to try to make soap and cheese!

These little guys are so much fun to watch run around, if you have the space, get a goat

Friday, February 26, 2010

Gardening in Pots



HOORAY! Its time to plant for spring, well those really early veggies anyways

I saw a sign a few weeks ago advertising $2.99 refurbished pots. I thought it had to be good to be true, but so far folks, its been just as good as I had hoped.

So on Monday, I went to the store and bought five.

thats right $2.99 each!

Then I went to Harmony Farm Supply 
Its such a wonderful place, they have everything, I mean this is California, and I'm from the northeast coast, so what they can grow out here is just incredible. I love it here.

I could walk around for hours
and I have.

But this trip was short, just for a few early veggies, and some herbs to have on hand,
now that I have such fancy pots, I can have some herbs stick around for a while.

 I had scored a free bag of Organic soil, from someone on freecycle. It was a hike to get to the ladies house, who lived 'just outside town' (apparently that means a half hour). But the soil was well worth the trip.

My list was

Lettuce
Carrots (dwarf)
Rosemary
Basil
Thyme
Peas
Snap Peas
Morning Glory Seeds


The basil I'll admit, was a little hopeful  for this time of year, I should have bought some seeds to put on my windowsill, but forgot

I crossed most things off my list

Lettuce
Carrots (dwarf)
Rosemary
Basil
Thyme
Peas
Snap Peas
Morning Glory Seeds
*Celery

*I added the celery, I use it a lot, and it says on the tag that I can "harvest singly for continuous supply", I think this will be a much cheaper option then buying bunches of celery, I never use them all. And I love the subtle flavor celery adds to a dish, you can't leave it out of a stuffing!

In honor of the celery, here is my 'Redventure' Celery


Next up some Moss Curled Parsley, after cooking so many recipes from my 
Carmine's Family-Style Cookbook: More Than 100 Classic Italian Dishes to Make at Home
I've needed a lot of tablespoons of parsley! Again, a lot goes to waste, no matter how many times I tell myself that I'm going to dehydrate it!

I also picked up some 'Tuscan blue' rosemary. I don't use rosemary dried very often, mostly because I don't have a mortar and pestle
Celtic Soapstone Mortar & Pestle Set

But I love the way that it tastes fresh, especially rosemary potatoes, I think that is my favorite way to have rosemary. I thought that it would look beautiful when it blooms, because its about the same color



Last but not least, Ryan's favorite herb, thyme. I chose the 'True English, broad leaf' variety, my thyme got a little out of control last year in the garden, so I'll have to be more on top of it this year,  the more you trim the bigger it gets! Last year I was madly pregnant, so I would be gardening for a week straight, and then sleeping all day the next!

I also got some Sugar Snap Pole Peas, and an 'Encore Mix' of Lettuce which has Dark Lolla Rosa, Firecracker, Red Saladbowl, Tango, and Paris Island.

Yes, you may come over for a salad

There was no more soil left for these so they will be potted tomorrow when I have more dirt!

Oh one last outdoor pic, these are the seedlings from the seed paper card that Ryan got me. These are the ones that I started outside

I can't wait to see what flowers come out of it!

The ones on my windowsill will be first for sure! They are growing like wildflowers! (and they should cause thats what they are) They always photograph well!


and another one from the other side

Thats it for the gardening, I'm anxiously awaiting more soil so that my peas and lettuce can spread their roots! I bought ten more pots today, so I'm sure that should be enough to hold me over for a while!


Thursday, February 18, 2010

SPRING!

I know that out on the east coast, it is still cold and snowy, but out here in California spring has sprung! I figured I would include some pictures for all you snow covered readers!

A Calendula (I'm pretty sure) that lives outside my door, as you can see its not the first bloom of the year! If this isn't a calendula and somebody knows what it is, I would love to know!

My landlord, is apparently a wonderful gardener, there are rosebushes all over the property, here is the one closest to our door Isn't it beautiful?!
And the lavender bush oh the other side of the door from the rose bush, I love this picture I think it came out great, the lavender smells wonderful, I can't wait for it to get a little bit more in bloom so I can walk by and smell it!
And finally my window side wildflowers from the card with seed paper that Ryan gave me! I can't wait to see what comes up! I'll keep you updated, so far only three sprouts! But I only planted it four days ago!