Top Ten Tuesday. Non Toxic Cleaning Products.

Tuesday's theme is now a list of ten of my favorite products in a specific category. I decided to start it with cleaning products because they are extremely important. Everybody should own cleaning products. I am very particular about the products that I use and try to keep in mind the effect it will have on our living environment as well as the planet. 

TOP 10 Non Toxic Cleaning Products according to the OCD Lady

10. Earth Friendly Products Everyday Stain & Odor Remover- helpful in keeping your carpets, rugs and clothing stain free. 

9. Honest Window & Glass Cleaner- works great! Leaves your mirrors and windows streak free. 

8. Mrs. Meyer's Lavender Surface Wipes- Everybody loves the convenience of a great cleaning wipe. This wipe smells great, is gentle on hands and leaves counter tops clean. 

7. Honest Bathroom Cleaner- When it comes to the bathroom it is important to see and smell the difference once you have completed cleaning. With the Honest Bathroom Cleaner you know that you have a fresh and clean bathroom when you have completed cleaning. The spray works extremely well when shining faucets and has a fresh peppermint smell. 

6. Honest Floor Cleaner- This floor cleaner is perfect for any hard flooring. It is a great product because it is gentle on your flooring. It comes in a convenient spray bottle, just spray and wipe. When your floor is dry there is no left over film and it doesn't leave floors feeling unusually slick either. 

5. Citra Drain Natural Enzymatics- clean the pipes without all of the harsh chemicals. This drain cleaner works like a charm and has a sweet citrus scent. 

4. Honest Dishwasher Packs- these super convenient dishwasher pods are so easy to use. Pop a pod in the dishwasher and start it. They work perfectly.

3. Mrs. Meyers Honeysuckle Dishsoap- This soap is great. Many of the natural dish soaps do not get very sudsy and they leave you feeling less than satisfied. This soap has a beautiful scent and works very well. When you are through with your dishes, you don't need to wonder if they are clean. Mrs. Meyers dish soap comes in several different scents. 

2. Honest Laundry Detergent- This detergent is great. My clothes are left smelling fresh and clean. It is gentle enough to use on my Baby's clothing as well as my delicates. I was pleasantly surprised by this product because the Honest laundry pods are absolutely terrible. I very rarely use stain remover this detergent does the trick almost 100% of the time. 

1. Simple Green All Purpose Cleaner- This cleaner has the strength to clean almost anything. From a dirty BBQ to filthy floor, Simple Green gets the job done. It is a concentrate so it is important to dilute it. For most jobs you really only need a very small amount. You can see this cleaner doing its job as you use it. The smell is a little overwhelming so I only use it on the dirtiest of objects. 

This is my list. What are some of your favorite cleaning products? Is it important to you to use natural products?

Modify Monday. DIY Headboard.

If you are a Pinterest addict like myself that you may have seen some of the amazing DIY home projects my fellow crafters have posted. Many of the DIY projects that I have seen look very difficult and intimidating and others are easy enough for even the non crafty's out there. I have attempted and completed several home decorations that I have found on Pinterest, it is a hobby of mine.

Not long ago I was looking for a DIY headboard idea. I felt that my bedroom really needed the added character and our bed frame did not come with a headboard. I searched online for quite some time and found several different ideas that were possible for me to complete on my own. I compared all of the options and settled on the headboard that was going to fit our bedroom style perfectly.

This project is so simple. Anybody and everybody that is in need of a headboard could and should give it a try. I am so happy with the way it turned out. Our bedroom is complete.

1. Go to a lumber supply store with your measurements.
-Planks should be even with or a bit longer than the width of your bed. We have a queen bed so I needed a plank that was cut 62 inches long. I decided to go with five 4 inch planks. The staff at the lumber store will cut your planks to the length that you desire, if needed.

2. Pick out your stain or paint color.
-The finish that you go with can make a dramatic difference. We have a beach styled home so I decided to go with white paint. I always have white paint on hand, so I used what I had.

3. Paint or stain your wood immediately.
-If you decided to paint or stain your wood it needs to be done immediately. If your wood is kept outside without getting painted it will begin to warp. If you can't paint your wood immediately you should keep it covered or inside. I wanted a bit of a warped look because of our beach theme, so I kept our wood outside on our porch for two days. (My Husband did not understand why I would do such a thing)

4. Hang.
-Once your wood is dry and looking good, it is time to hang. Make sure that you have a level on hand so that your wood is placed straight across. I started right below the top of my mattress so that there was not a visible gap. There are several different ways to hang the planks, go with whatever you think is going to fit your style best. You can nail the wood into the wall, use picture hangers or drill it in.

Flea Market Friday. Oceanside. Never. Again.

Last Saturday I made plans for my family to shop the Oceanside Flea Market. We weren't really sure what to expect because neither my husband or I had ever been. It is in a giant lot that used to be occupied by a drive in theater. The large movie screens are still in place, which makes it look a little creepy but as we all know, we should never judge a book by it's cover. When we arrived to the market mid morning we were surprised by the lack of vehicles we were seeing in the parking lot. Usually flea markets stay pretty busy, especially on a Saturday or Sunday morning.
We paid the $1 entry fee and immediately started checking out the booths. What we found was a surprise to both my husband and myself. There were very few vendors. Many of the booths were vacant and for some odd reason vendors were setting there booths up every 20-30 feet, which made it look even more empty. The lot looked like it was ready to house hundreds of vendors and maybe in the past it had, but it was completely lacking vendors and business last Saturday.
As we walked the grounds, from booth to booth we noticed that the quality of the items being sold was very poor. The vendors didn't seem as if they were there to sell, they never greeted us or acknowledged that we were interested in their items. When we stopped at a fruit stand, we gathered several different items while the vendor continued to have a conversation with a family member, not acknowledging us until we asked where we could pay. The entire experience was very odd.
We did find a few items: fruit, veggies and a house plant. They had great deals on plants and the man that was selling them was very friendly and informative. I am very happy that we weren't entirely skunked but I guarantee we will not return to that flea market.
I took a few pictures of our experience.

A few lessons that I learned last Saturday. 

1. Always look up reviews on the flea market that you are interested in visiting. 

2. It's worth a longer drive to get to a better flea market.

3. I can find something to buy anywhere items are for sale. 

Organizer Thursday. Jewelry Organization.

Lucky ladies collect fancy jewelry, trendy ladies collect costume jewelry and then there are the ladies that collect both. All ladies need a way to keep their jewelry organized. There is not a single jewelry organization method that I have not tried. I have had several different jewelry boxes, cabinets, drawers, etc. Some methods I have been a fan of and others I have detested. After years of trying to find the perfect fit for me, I have finally found the organizer that I can no longer imagine my life without.

I found this jewelry organizer on Amazon. Originally I thought that it was priced too high for what it is, but now that I have everything organized and in clear view, I realize that it may even be worth more than what I paid. Rings, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, all organized and on display in one place. The best part about the organizer is that in the morning after I get dressed I can walk by my jewelry, take a glance and pick the accessories that are best suited for the day. 

 

Modify Monday. Fab File Cabinets.

O is for organize. Being organized is not just a luxury in my life, it is a necessity. I organize, reorganize and organize some more until I find the best method for organizing whatever it is I am trying to organize. You see? 

My Sister recently gave me a file cabinet that she was no longer using. (She's always sending me home with treasure) I happened to stumble upon some really cute file cabinets on Pinterest that had been redecorated. I love the idea so I've decided that I need to have a redecorated file cabinet of my own. So, that's what I am going to do. Modify my file cabinet into a beautiful new organizer. 

I already bought all of the hanging files and manila folders and started to organize every loose paper, picture and piece of fabric in our home. It is going to take the rest of this week to complete this project. By next Monday I will post the completed file cabinet, maybe a couple of updates between now and then too. 

There is no shortage of inspiration for this project on interest. Of course mine will have to be different and better. ; )

What is my modified file cabinet going to look like? You'll have to wait and see. 

Sunday Celebration. Phase 1. Party Planning.

I am planning a baby shower for my Husband's cousin, who is also a dear friend of mine. My Sister in law is hosting the party but I volunteered to do the decorating and help with the planning. I am a sucker for parties and decorating, so it's a perfect match. Baby shower planning has become one of my specialties.
Today we met up to discuss the details of what we are doing. It is critical to have a game plan when planning something as important as a Woman's baby shower, what a special day. The Mom to be has thirty people on her guest list, totally doable.

Plan of Attack

1. Budget. It is extremely important to know what you're working with in order to plan the event. 
2. Theme. Our budget is not a very significant amount, so we need to work with items that we already have. We have decided to do a feminine, rustic, vintage, country inspired theme. 
3. Time. The time of the party determines what kind of food needs to be served. If it is during the hours of a meal, you will need to provide that. If you're looking to do appetizers or dessert, you should throw the party between meals. 
4. Food and Beverages. We are throwing the shower from 2-4 pm, between meals. We will be serving appetizers and dessert. No alcohol needed since it is early in the afternoon. 
5. Invitations. Invitations should be sent out in advance and should reflect the theme that you've chosen. Depending on what the occasion is, you should give people 4-8 weeks. For this occasion 4 weeks will suffice. The invitation we chose can be seen by clicking link below. 

http://www.costcophotocenter.com/greetings/product/G/G0000230/FLT57V/2?category=BabyShowerGirl

1. Decor. After coming up with a rough estimate for food, beverages, venue (if not at home) and invitations, you should know what is left for decorations and miscellaneous items. Come up with a list of decorations that will make a big impact and list in order of importance. The top of the list should be the first items budgeted for. 

Items I have: tables, chairs, linens, mason jars, chalkboards, wood rounds, center piece vases, burlap, glass drink dispensers and galvanized buckets.

Items we will need to purchase: paper straws, paper flowers, fabric garland, fresh flowers, paper garland and balloons.

Any ideas that you think would go well? What do you think of the planning so far? What was the theme of your baby shower? 

Saturday Style Spotlight. Choosing a style.

There are several different options when it comes to decorating your home. Hundreds of different styles and thousands of ways to make the style unique.

I can imagine myself with a country home in a small town, a chicken coop out back, a giant garden, several acres, an old white barn with chipped paint, three gorgeous horses, vaulted ceilings, thick wood plank floors, antlers on the wall, blush pink, grey, white and natural hues, and a wrap around deck lined with upholstered swings and sturdy chairs.

I can imagine myself with a penthouse downtown in a big city, three levels, large windows with a grand view of the city's skyline, several balconies adorned with the few plants that the small space will allow, large furnishings, open floor plan, oversized bedrooms, clean lines and metallic accents.

I can imagine myself in a shingled cottage near the shore, a small grass lawn in the front, an outdoor shower for rinsing after a swim in the Pacific, coral, white and turquoise, large rustic beams, shells, grass rugs, bamboo, a patio table, fire pit and outdoor bar.

It is difficult to pick a style and stick with it, especially if your attention span is as short as mine. I could constantly be redecorating. In my opinion the style has to be fitting to where you are located. The house decor should enhance the natural beauty of it's surroundings. When choosing a style for your home decor you should take several things into consideration, here are a few.

1. Location, location, location. The location of your home needs to be considered. Your home decor should reflect your location. i.e. coastal decor when you live by the beach. 

2. The structure. Whether you live in a condo building, stucco home or stained redwood house, your decor needs to harmonize well with the architecture of the building. Nobody wants a modern design with rustic interior.

3.Your lifestyle. It is important for the homes furnishings to be practical and fitting to your lifestyle. A home should bring you peace and be fit to your personality. Decorate with items that you like, things that make you happy and furniture that you are comfortable in. 

4. Stick to a color palette. You should choose a color palette and stick with it. Homes look better when there is a common theme. When you choose a palette of a few colors that compliment each other the house will have a great flow and navigating through your home will be easy on the eyes. 

5. Budget. You don't want to have caviar taste on a tuna fish budget. Your home will never be completed if you can't afford any of the items that you like. Set a realistic budget and seek out stores that are fitting for you. The internet makes it so easy, you can find everything you need online on any budget. 

6. Theme. Finally you need to pick a common theme for the house. Country, Bohemian, Shabby Chic, Rustic, Modern, Coastal, Eclectic, etc. The home will come together completely if you stick to a common theme throughout. Study the theme you chose, get inspired and start shopping.