Blog Goals July 2013

Hello friends! I told you that I would be sharing some of my new goals for the blog, so here they are. You might think it's a liiiiiiiittle silly to have goals about writing a blog, but let me first share with you why I think it's important & then I'll let you in on what they are.

I'm extremely goal-oriented in mostly everything I do. Most of you should know that about me by now. I figure, if there's something I want/need to accomplish, it's surely not going to happen on it's own, so whether it's tackling a massive cleaning project, having a rummage sale, or filing my taxes, I usually have goals. John & I are trying to get better at planning future goals (not just project goals) for things like vacations, big purchases, & other dreams, but it's a challenge because it's something that you really have to work hard at.

One of my favorite mottos in life is "if you don't set any goals for yourself, you certainly won't reach them" (thank you to whoever said that). If I don't start planning or saving money for a trip to Europe, it's not gonna happen; if I don't research or set aside time to tend to my garden, it certainly won't grow; if I don't think through or assess how to re-purpose an old dresser it's going to be a big ol' mess. See where I'm going here?

Now it's one thing to have goals, but it's another thing to have SMART goals. Now this is where I get even dorkier than you thought was possible. "SMART" is an acronym for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, & time-specific. So if I say that one of my life goals is to hop on a rocket ship to go to the moon, that would not be a SMART goal. A SMART goal would be something more like "attend space camp in Madison so that I can experience what going to the moon is like by December 2013." That's more specific, more attainable, measurable, etc.

I want to have goals for my blog so that I can:

• Have a clean, functioning blog that is easy for readers to navigate, that reflects who we are, & is inspiring to my readers
• Earn at least $20 a month so that I can invest it back into the blog
• Find outside resources so that I can grow as a blogger
• Meet other like-minded bloggers who can support, resource, & encourage me in my blogging endeavors
• Have fresh, unique creations so that I can share them on my blog

Now some of these things might happen without having goals, but I'm doubtful. Blogging for me is something that I really want to grow in & I figure that if I want to grow, then dang, I gotta get some SMART goals! Blogging well is something that is a challenge for me, as it is for most people just starting out. I know I have a lot of room for growth, & I want to get better at it. I want to learn how to be a better writer, photographer, & creator, & I know that these goals will help in in achieving that, or at least helping me get a little bit closer.

Here is a list of the goals that I have set up as of July 2013 (the struck-through goals have already been completed):

(what do you think of my new logo?)

Blog Design & Upkeep

1. Write 2-3 posts a week (specifically Wednesday's "What We Ate" & 1-2 others)
2. Set aside Mondays & Tuesdays to work on blog posts
3. Go through some of my poorly taken pictures & replace with better ones
1. Come up with a list of pictures that need to be replaced by August 2013
2. Make those recipes again, take a better picture, & re-post one per week
4. Learn to take better pictures with my Iphone so that I can have at least one post accepted by foodgawker &/or tastespotting
1. Find 1-2 better camera apps by August 2013
2. Buy more props, specifically 2-4 pieces of fabric, silverware, & wood boards for backgrounds by October 2013
3. Create a space to house all of my props by October 2013
4. Set 10-15 minutes aside prior to each photographing session to set up the photo area
5. Edit photos in photoshop by using contrast & other tools necessary
6. Post at least 3 pictures per post
7. Buy Tasty Food Photography by August 2013
5. Improve overall design/look
1. Create a logo & put it on all pictures, main header, etc. by October 2013
2. Improve the main header to reflect our mission by October 2013
3. Create & order business cards by October 2013

Financial & Promotion

1. Continue to submit at least one recipe weekly to foodgawker, tastespotting, & tasty kitchen
2. Participate in at least 3 collaboration boards on Pinterest by November 2013
3. Use social media smarter
1. Post to Facebook between 9am-4pm M-Th, Twitter around 1pm M-Th, Pinterest between 9am-12pm on Saturdays
4. Set up advertising on the blog by August 2013
1. Amazon associates
2. Pinch of Yum affiliate
3. BlogHer (applied in June)
4. Look for 1-3 other sources to have set up by November 2013
5. Set up domain (thehaasmachine.com) by Jan 2014
6. Move blog over to WordPress by Jan 2014

Resourcing

1. Read 2-4 books/other meaty resources on blogging by Jan 2014
2. Invest in "31 Days To A Better Blog" (online resource) & complete each of the assignments by October 2013

Community

1. Attend 1-2 conferences on blogging by Jan 2014
2. Invest in the Facebook blogging  groups, specifically by joining in on 1-3 pinning parties by Jan 2014

Creative

1. Post, at minimum, 1 new recipe each week
2. Post weekly "What We Ate" on Wednesdays
3. Post, at minimum 1 new project each month
1. Specifically, furniture make-overs once every other month
4. Set aside 2 hours a week to plan, prepare, & create a project, even if it's something very simple

Whew! There's some exciting things around the bend! In the next week or so, I will be finishing up moving the blog over to WordPress from Blogger (hoorah!) I'm also pretty pumped about 2 blogging conferences in October (1 online, another in Minneapolis) that I will be attending, as well as a 6-week home herbalist course (which will for sure inspire some blogging!)

Thank you for sticking with me & investing in my blog. I really treasure each of my readers & I hope that in the end, you've found even just a teensy tiny bit of inspiration here. Please let me know if you have any comments or questions about these goals or anything else in the comment section below.

I will let everyone know the exact date of the move to WordPress so that you don't miss any Haas Machine creations!

Wind Chimes (Two Ways)

Wind chimes! Yes, we made a pair of wind chimes that I'm preeeetty excited about. Wind chimes are so becoming my thing (what am I, like 80?). Just on Sunday we were driving to buy some groceries & we had our windows down because it was so freaking hot. While we were at a stop sign, I heard someone's chimes a blowin' in the wind. Although I couldn't see them, I could hear them. All the deep, rich, blowy tones (what are "blowy tones" you ask? I think you know... don't you?). I just love the sound of something so calming when the wind blows. It's a nice change from the usual raucous of our neighborhood. Oh our neighborhood...

The bottom line is, I love wind chimes, so here we go.

The wind chimes pictured above were super easy to make. When John, Ruby & I went to Florida in March, we collected a ton of shells. You know, it's what you doooo when you go to Florida. I didn't know what I wanted to do with them, but they were too special to leave just sitting there alongside of the ocean, helplessly waiting for the next tourist to scoop them up. So I happily picked out about a sandwich-size baggie full of them & plopped them on my craft table in the basement when we got home & kinda forgot about them (like I do with way too many treasures I find). A few weekends ago, I had a bit of inspiration to finally do something with them.

These shell chimes are so delicate & tranquil. Yep. Tranquil. I have since hung them right above my kitchen sink so that when even a slight breeze comes in, they bump into each other & make such a sweet, peaceful sound (or when we have a more violent wind/rain storm like we've been having the last couple nights, they sound quite concerning, which takes away the tranquilness, so I'm forced to shut the window a bit).

And the best part is, they were a cinch to make. All of the shells already had existing holes in them (I specifically picked most shells with holes) so all I did was use a bit of fishing line & tied them all together & then onto a piece of drift wood. It was kind of a cheater creation because it was so easy peasy.

The other chimes I want to share with you, were a  b e a s t  to make. First of all, you have to spend like a year drinking beer & pop from bottles. Talk about torture. Then you have to take the tiniest drill bit ever & attempt to drill two holes on opposite ends of the bottle caps & shreek every time you do because you think you're going to drill straight through your thumb. Then you sheepishly hand over the drill & thousands of bottle caps over to your husband so he can do it for you.

I don't mean to be sexist or anything. Maybe you are a woman & are super handy with power tools. That's fantastic & I am super jealous of you. I am boarder line terrified of them. I've never been in an accident with one or seen anyone's hand cut off or anything, but my mind always goes there. My imagination+tools=almost always a mistake.

So yes, John mostly did these chimes. He dutifully drilled holes in each cap & then I strung them onto fishing line. For the first cap on the string, I strung the line through both holes & then tied a knot by wrapping the line around the bottom hole twice, if that makes sense. If that doesn't make sense, comment below & I can post a clear picture of what I mean.

I made strings of all different sizes & then strung them onto some driftwood too. They have a very unique sound to them... it kinds makes me thirsty, but I think they look pretty cool. Maybe a little college dorm-ish, but still pretty cool. 

Don't judge us. Sometimes we drink cheap beer (& sometimes our friends bring over cheap beer & we're forced to suffer through it). What projects have you been creating lately?

One Crunchy Mama's Wellness Tips

How crunchy are you?

According to Urban Dictionary, a "Crunchy Mom" is: a member of an increasingly growing group of moms who are neo-hippies. They generally believe (for varying reasons) that there is something bad or less beneficial about buying mainstream products or doing other common activities in the mainstream way.You might be a crunchy mom if you:

1. Bake all your own bread 
2. Make your own jam, jelly, pickles, applesauce, etc. 
3. Gave birth at home -- by CHOICE! (With a midwife, doula, or unassisted!) 
4. Prefer to teach your children yourself at home instead of letting the public or private schools do it for you. 
5. Grow your own food as much as possible, and buy the rest at farmer's markets or health food stores. 
6. Are vegan or vegetarian. 
7. Choose not to use birth control. 
8. Don't wear a bra or shoes. 
9. Don't use shampoo or soap, but instead maybe sea salt or a variety of other things. 
10. Had your placenta chopped up for an anti-depressant pill or smoothie. 
11. Have no television in your home -- and actually read BOOKS for entertainment! 
12. Grind your own grain to make your own bread with (did you know that wheat looses about 90% of it's nutrients within 7 days of being ground?) 
13. Don't cut your hair or wear pants (not going around half-naked, but wearing skirts! Silly people! Get your mind out of the gutter!) 
14. Can add 10 more things to this list that I didn't even think of!

OK, so I might be more crunchy that I even realized, since I can check off at least 9 of the above mentioned (can you guess which ones?) This post might put all that over-the-top, but I thought it could be helpful to share.

The other week Ruby & I were coming down with a bit of a cold. Immediately, I started doing many things you will see on the list below & thought to myself, "We (I) are (am) so weird. Maybe there are people out there who want to be more weird like us?" Maybe that's the case, maybe it's not. Either way, here is a collection of some of the rituals we do either to prevent sickness or to nurse ourselves back to health.

I would love to hear if you have anything to add to this list or if you have any questions regarding some of the things we do. Please know that I am not a Dietitian, nor am I a Doctor or anything fancy like that. These are just some things that have worked for me & my family. Please see your family Doctor if you are needing medical attention!

• Hand washing
  It's very basic, but it's one of the best ways to prevent spreading sickness. Wash your hands before you eat, after you use the bathroom, after handling money, after diaper changes, etc.
• Safe cleaning at home
  We don't have anti-bacterial anything (we make all of our cleaning recipes). Outside of the home, I'm a bit more diligent about disinfecting (things like shopping carts, high chairs, & table tops, etc. especially with little ones who touch everything & put their hands in their mouth).
• Nutrient-rich eating
  Food is fuel for the body, so what do you want to fill it with-- junk or food that will nourish your body? (we eat lots of whole grains, lean proteins, full fat dairy products, colorful vegetables, & some fruits & try to stay away from processed foods, empty sugary drinks, & lots of sugar). Check out this winter immune boost.
• Eating fermented foods that are filled with probiotics
  Yogurt is our fav & it's super easy to make at home in your crockpot! I also give Ruby probiotic supplements when she's sick, but especially right after she started eating solid foods or if she's had to take antibiotics for any reason. Probiotics are super beneficial for a healthy gut & healthy body!
• Vitamins
  Look for ones with no funky ingredients or artificial sweeteners (I recommend Rainbow Light).
• Raw garlic
  It has to be raw! Raw garlic is a natural immune booster. I like it best minced on some scrambled eggs so it's easier to eat.
• Garlic ear oil
  We use this to naturally heal ear infections (instead of taking antibiotics). Even when Ruby has a cold I put the drops in to prevent ear infections. I just put 3-5 drops in each ear 2-3 times a day.
• Snot suckers during snotty times
  When I first saw the Nose Freida, I thought it was a joke. But then I heard all the rave reviews & caved. Although Ruby still isn't a huge fan, it really helps to clear out her nasal passages, especially right before bedtime or naptime. It works so much better than those ball syringe things & it's WAY easier to clean!
• Ecalytpus essential oil on the feet with cotton socks
  I mix a little bit of oil (olive oil or sesame oil) with a few drops of essential oil & then rub them on Ruby's feet to alleviate coughs. I love Aura Cacia oils.
• Vapor rub on the chest &/or feet
  I also like to use this vapor rub on our chests when we're stuffy or coughy. LuSa Organics is local & smells amazing!
• Homeopathic medicine 
  We love Hylands line of medicines for coughs, allergies, & teething.
• Steamy, hot showers 
  Shut the bathroom door & crank on the hot water to loosen mucus! You can take it one step further & hang sprigs of eucalyptus from your shower head or sprinkle the essential oil on the tub floor for an even more refreshing shower.
• Unless dangerously high, we leave fevers alone
  Fevers are our bodies way of fighting infections, so I'm not big on giving Tylenol or any other fever reducer unless it's really necessary. We snuggle a lot & drink lots of fluids (namely tea, water, & 100% fruit juice) & I just keep an eye on Ruby's personality, which can be a big indicator if she's really dangerously sick or not.
• Homemade pedialyte when dehydrated
  Pedialyte has so many funky ingredients in it, but if Ruby has been throwing up, it's important for her to be well-hydrated. This more natural recipe is one that I've used to help replentish her electrolytes. I haven't tried it yet, but I've also heard amazing things about coconut water.
• Nursing
  My original goal was to nurse Ruby until she was 1 year old, but after I learned all of the benefits of continued nursing, I changed my mind. The World Health Organization actually recommends breastfeeding until age 2 or beyond to provide incredible nutrition for the child & many health benefits for mama, too. Check out this site for some humorous myths about nursing into toddlerhood & this site for a few other benefits.
• Restful sleep/naps
  Sleep is one of the most important things when sick. There have been times where that means I need to sleep with Ruby if she's having a hard time napping during the day or just needs more cuddle time (she's a very cuddly sleeper!) I really think that sickness is often our bodies way of saying "slow down & rest!" & if we just keep go-go-going, we will just feel miserable longer.
• Drinking lots of water (sometimes with lemon)
  Water is my cure-all for most things. Have a headache? Feel dizzy? Trying to kick a cold? Guzzle some water. When I'm starting to get sick, I aim to drink about a gallon of water a day with some fresh lemon. If it's hard for you to drink straight up water, try one of these refreshing recipes (I also like sticking cucumber spears in my water). Water is so important to me that I have even set an alarm on my phone every couple of hours so that I remember to drink more throughout the day (yes I am a super dork).
• Smoothies packed with healthy fruits & yogurt
  Sometimes when we're sick, we don't feel like eating, but it's important for our bodies to get good vitamins & minerals. We eat this smoothie (or a variation of it, depending on what we have available) a lot so that we have energy to fight off the sickness.
• Fresh air/sunshine every day
  I'm a big believer of outdoor therapy. There have been many days where Ruby was teething or fussy about something & just a 30-minute walk would alleviate her symptoms (or at least help me from not going too crazy because we were out of the house for a bit). If I have a headache, often times a good stroll will help me feel better. Fresh air & sunshine are restorative for your body! If you're not convinced, here are 10 reasons kids need fresh air.
• Drinking tea
  Try peppermint & lavender for headaches/tension/anxiety, nettle for allergies, camomille for teething, etc. Kids can drink tea, too (non-caffeinated of course). I just steep it for 3-5 minutes & then pour it over ice so it is lukewarm. Ruby loves tea! Here is an exceptional tea blend to help with allergies (I swear that nettle tea has cured my allergies... I promise).
• Essential oils for headaches & migraines
  I especially have found relief with peppermint & lavender oils. I usually take a hot bath & put some oils on a wash cloth & then put that on my forehead for 20 or so minutes (I love Aura Cacia's essential oils).
• Neti pot for cleaning out the sinuses
  This works wonderfully if you've got a cold or are suffering from allergies (once you get the hang of it). Just make sure you don't use tap water.
• Washing your face often during allergy season
  If you're sensitive to pollen, it's a good idea to at least rinse your face off before bedtime so that you aren't bringing a bunch of pollen with you to bed. Here are a few other helpful allergy prevention tips.
• Using raw, local honey for allergies
  There are literally hundreds of benefits to eating raw local honey, but allergy relief is one of the best ones I've experienced!
• Exercise
  I know I already mentioned getting outside, but if it's rainy or something, we still try to do something physical. I like to start most days off doing a 40 minute yoga session (sometimes Ruby joins in if I'm too lazy to wake up before she does). We also like to go for an hour-long walk or bike ride most days & generally walk or ride whenever we have errands that are within a short-ish distance (we live right on the edge of downtown). Exercise is so important, even when you're sick, but make sure you don't overdo it.
• Massage
  Massage is amazing for so many reasons, but I especially enjoy it for preventing headaches & for more comfort while pregnant. It can even help babies with teething or colds!
• Hazlewood necklaces
  We have used these on Ruby for teething pain as well as clearing up ezcema & they really work! Last spring she was having some pretty funky skin rashes & after wearing her necklace for a day it was completely cleared up.
• Amber teething necklaces for teething
  Amber necklaces are a little more popular & we have also tried these to help with Ruby's teething pain. The evidence hasn't been as obvious as with the hazlewood necklace, but there have been times where she wasn't wearing the amber necklace & was exceptionally cranky... who knows.
• Homemade cough drops
  I don't like to take most cough drops because they contain so many sugary, fake ingredients (check out Halls cherry cough drops: Menthol 7 mg, Eucalyptus Oil, FD&C Blue 2, FD&C Red 40, Flavors, Glucose Syrup, Soy Lecithin, Sucralose, Sucrose, Water). These cough drops don't take much time to make, don't have artifical colors, & taste sooo much better.
• Epsom salt baths
  A lot of people are deficient in magnesium. Epson salt baths are a super easy way for the skin to absorb some good-for-you minerals. Especially when you're sick these baths are beneficial to help remove toxins from your system. I like to buy the plain epsom salt & add a few drops of my favorite essential oils in before mixing the salt into hot water.
• Chiropractic care
  We love our Chiropractor! Both Ruby & I go every 6 weeks or as needed (especially if Ruby has a bad fall or has a cold). For me, it helps prevent migraines & headaches & was especially helpful while I was pregnant. For kids it's very important since their little bodies are going through so much growth & trauma all the time (it's especially helpful for newborns since being born is kind of an event for them). And I bring Ruby when she's got a cold, too, to help prevent against ear infections & even strep throat! I started bringing Ruby to the Chiro when she was 7 or 8 months old, but I will definitely bring our future kid(s) within days of being born.
• Natural ingredients to treat sunburn
  This is the only thing I'm suggesting that I haven't actually tried: putting a mixture of aloe, coconut oil, & raw honey on sunburn. I think I'm going to give it a try this summer!

And in case this wasn't entertaining enough, check out this funny video on sh*t crunch mamas say. I know it's old, but it still makes me laugh so much. Whew! That was a lot of things... what do you like to do to treat or prevent sickness naturally?

(This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something from amazon, I will get a small compensation).

Whipped Coconut Body Butter

Turns out I'm not the only one who's sort of obsessed with coconut products these days. I love eating them in things like chocolate chip cookies, coconut bread, chocolate pie, & coconut chicken nuggets. That is pretty normal. But what I've really been getting into as of late is using coconut oil for skincare products.

I am so in-love with this recipe for homemade lip balm, which uses only coconut oil, beeswax, vitamin e oil & essential oils- all things you can find at your local coop (or often times cheaper on vitacost or amazon). I've made a couple batches of peppermint & lavender lip balms & they are probably going to save me thousands from "splurging" on all those $3 tubes of natural lip balm I'm so often suckered into buying.

This lastest recipe for whipped coconut butter is quite a treat as well. The ingredients again are minimal & it's extremely cost effective. If you're one who doesn't quite like a good, greasy body butter (coconut oil is, um, an oil), then you might have to re-think this project. I happen to looove that feeling (until I need to touch something), so it is near & dear to my heart.

Have you used coconut oil for any skincare products? Please share in the comments below!

Whipped Coconut Body Butter
Ingredients
1 cup coconut oil
1 tsp vitamin e oil
Few drops of essential oil for scent (optional)

Directions
Put everything into a KitchenAid mixer & mix on high for 6-7 minutes, using the wire whisk (make sure your coconut oil is in solid, not liquid form, or it will not whip). Spoon your whipped coconut oil into a glass jar with a lid. You may need to keep it in the fridge if your house is so warm that it becomes melty!

Recipe taken from Living the Nourished Life

Black Bean Spinach Enchiladas

I guess I never really knew that you could make your own enchilada sauce, but that's pretty naive, because you really can make most things from scratch. I've just always bought the green canned enchilada sauce because, well, it's easy & delicious. But then I found this recipe & now I am forever ruined.

Of course, we will still make our plain-Jane chicken enchiladas or our chicken enchilada pasta, probably with green canned enchilada sauce, but every now & then, I will "splurge" & take the extra 10 or so minutes it takes to prepare this sauce & I will oogle at the fact that it is both homemade & scrumptious.

These enchiladas are both (super) filling & very tasty. They are the perfect vegetarian meal, but still packed with protein from lots & lots of black beans & cheese. Plus, they are loaded--literally packed-- with spinach. Don't think they taste like you are eating a salad, though, because once they are doused with cheese & the sauce, they taste like something out of a dream.

I'm thinking that these babies would freeze quite well, too, for those lazy summer days when I hardly want to cook a piece of toast, let along gather together a whole meal. I would just freeze the sauce separately from the enchiladas & I think all would be well.

Enchiladas are kind of a big deal in our house (besides their taste, I kind of believe they helped make my labor begin). What are your favorite versions of enchiladas?

Black Bean Spinach Enchiladas

Ingredients 

(For the sauce)
3 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. chili powder
Salt & pepper

(For the enchiladas)
15 oz. black beans, rinsed & drained
2 cups corn (I used frozen, thawed)
6 oz. fresh baby spinach
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
3 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
8 whole wheat or flour tortillas
Additional thinly sliced green onions & chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375. In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add tomato paste, flour, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, & chili powder. Cook for 1 minute, continually whisking. Whisk in broth & bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, & cook until slightly thickened about 8 minutes. Salt/pepper to taste, & set aside.

Saute the spinach in olive oil over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until slightly wilted. In a large bowl, combine the beans, spinach, corn, green onions, cilantro, & 1 cup of cheese.

Pour a small amount of the enchilada sauce to coat the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Generously fill the tortillas with the spinach mixture, roll up tightly with ends tucked in, & place seam side down in dish.
Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas, coating evenly. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake about 20 minutes & then broil on low for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Let sit for 5 minutes & then garnish with cilantro &/or green onions.

Adapted from The Garden Grazer

Creating Clean #4: Bathroom & Bedroom Cleaning

Welcome back, faithful readers! I hope that you've enjoyed taking a look at my cleaning routines, homemade cleaning recipes, & planning methods for cleaning & I hope that it's helped you figure out a way to clean that works best for you.

I want to assure you that I am no superhero when it comes to cleaning. Obviously there are things that come up from time to time & I am not able to get to cleaning. Sometimes a family member is sick & we can hardly get dinner on the table, let alone clean, or I'm just too unmotivated/busy/lazy to wash the floors. Life happens & we need to just go with the flow sometimes. I've learned that it's always way more important to play with my daughter than it is to scrub the toilets, or unload the dishwasher, & that's partly why I do the bulk of my cleaning during her nap on Thursdays (the other "part" is that it takes me waaaaay less time to clean when I don't have a mini obstacle around my ankles).

I've also learned that it can be something that I do with Ruby when I'm feeling especially energetic. For example, she loves to take a rag & "dust" with me, "vacuum" the rug with her elmo vacuum, & my personal favorite, she loves to sweep the floors with me after mealtimes. I got Ruby her very own mini broom, so she gets pretty excited to help mama instead of insisting that I hold her or color, etc. I also like to have her help me unload the dishwasher sometimes. Sure, it takes a lot longer to finish, but she gets a huge sense of accomplishment from it & I like that we're doing something productive together. Win win.

I do not, however, let her help me clean the bathroom. There's just too much potential for things to get stuck in the toilet (one of my biggest fears... ahem, see the lock on our toilet in the picture below), &/or for her to touch really nasty things. I save the really dirty cleaning for when she's fast asleep.

The key that I keep bringing up is finding a system & schedule that works best for you. Maybe you need your partner to do more chores & that's a conversation you need to have or maybe you need someone to play with your kids so you can get more done. Maybe you'd rather clean one room a day or spend a bigger chunk of one day cleaning. Find something that works for you & your family! Some people have way stricter cleaning routines than I do-- others wash their sheets a few times a year without batting an eye. Whatever works for you, works for you. Here's what works for me (make sure you refer back to this post for all my cleaning recipes):

Bathroom Cleaning

 Me vs. toilet

Toilet (once a week)

• I sprinkle about ¼ cup of baking soda in the bowl & then squirt white vinegar in the bowl (make sure you use enough to make it fizz). Take your toilet bowl brush & give the bowl a good scrubbing. If it’s not getting clean, you may need to let it soak for awhile. 

Tub & shower (once a week)

• I use Bon Ami cleaner on our tile walls in our shower & the bathtub. I first wet all of the surfaces a bit & then sprinkle a little bit of the cleaner on all of the surfaces. I then use a scrubby sponge & dig into cleaning. I also keep a spray bottle of white vinegar in the shower & spray all of the surfaces after showering so that we don’t get buildup (we have really hard water). 

Sink (once a week)

• I remove everything from the sink area & then wet it down. Then I sprinkle Bon Ami on all of the surfaces & scrub with a scrubby sponge & rinse.

Floors (once a week)

• I remove everything from the ground—the rugs, garbage bin, step stool, etc. & then give everything a good sweeping. I use the floor cleaner mixture in a bucket, along with 1-2 clean rags. I dip the rag into the cleaner, ring it out, & get on my hands & knees & scrub away. I actually enjoy this in a weird therapeutic kind of way (invest in some nice rubber gloves). I use a fresh rag when I need more water to keep the water clean (I used to use one rag per room, but would need to fill up the water bucket several times because it got dirty). 
• I wash the rugs as needed 

Towels (once a week)

• I wash our hand towels & bath towels along with the kitchen laundry. I wash them all on hot & then put white vinegar in the rinse cycle to keep them from getting musty. In the summer, I dry them for about 20 minutes in the dryer & then stick them on the clothes rack outside to finish drying. In the winter, I dry them all the way inside. 
• I usually do 5 loads of laundry a week- 1 of towels, 1 of clothing, & 3 of our cloth diapers. If you are interested in reading about how to wash cloth diapers, check out my post about that here.

Bedroom Cleaning

Sheets (once a month)

• Some people really are good about washing their sheets more than once a month… I’ve never been one of those people. Sure, I love fresh sheets, but I find it to be exhausting to strip the bed, wash everything & then put it all back together. At any rate, I get to it once a month. I take off the douvet cover, pillow cases, sheets, & mattress cover & wash them all on the bedding cycle on our washer. 

Pillows (every 3-4 months)

• Use a gentle detergent that is ideally scent-free (we use Country Save). Press out as much air as possible before loading it into the washer. For top load washers, do 2 at a time for balance (front load washers don’t have an agitator so you can do 1-2 per load). Set your machine to run a full cycle using warm water. Run a second spin cycle to help eliminate excess moisture. By removing excess moisture, you’ll help reduce mold growth and any unpleasant odors from developing. To dry, take 2 tennis balls & split them into 2 socks. Tie the socks to secure the tennis balls in place. The tennis balls will help beat out excess moisture while putting them in socks will prevent the smell & color of the tennis ball from transferring to your pillows. Put the pillows in the dryer using a low heat setting. It may take a few cycles to fully dry the pillows. Once dry, take a deep smell of the pillow to test if there’s still moisture in the pillow. If it’s warm & sunny enough outside, you can even just set them out in the sun for a few hours. 

Mattress (every 3-4 months)

• I do wash our mattress cover every month when I wash the sheets, but just about every 3-4 months, I actually sprinkle some baking soda, mixed with a few drops of lavender essential oil, onto the mattress itself. I usually let it sit for about an hour & then I vacuum it up. 

Dusting (once a week)

• I most often use a micro-fiber cloth & dry dust all of the surfaces in our bedroom. Occasionally I might use a product like Ecosense. 

Floors (once a week)

• I remove everything from the ground—the rugs, garbage bin, etc. & then give everything a good sweeping. I use the floor cleaner mixture in a bucket, along with 1-2 clean rags. I dip the rag into the cleaner, ring it out, & get on my hands & knees & scrub away. I actually enjoy this in a weird therapeutic kind of way (invest in some nice rubber gloves). I use a fresh rag when I need more water to keep the water clean (I used to use one rag per room, but would need to fill up the water bucket several times because it got dirty). Our bedroom floors are hardwood, so I just make sure that the rags are rung out very well & just lightly damp before washing the floor. 
• I wash the rugs as needed. 

Thank you for checking out this series on creating clean! I hope that you have found it to be at least a little bit helpful. Please, if you have any questions or comments, leave them in the comment section below! And if you've missed any of the previous posts, check them out:

• Creating Clean #1: Planning & Cleaning Recipes
• Creating Clean #2: Kitchen Organization
• Creating Clean #3: Kitchen Cleaning

*Most of my cleaning methods have come from the book, "Organic Housekeeping" by Ellen Sandbeck (an incredible resource from a lovely Duluth native!), but also from these fine sources:

• Crafty Little Gnome
• Make It Do
• One Good Thing By Jillee
• How To Clean Stuff
• Behind The Studio
• Clean My Space

Creating Clean #3: Kitchen Cleaning

Welcome back to my mini series on creating clean! If you haven't read the first post on planning, preparing & cleaning recipes or the second post on kitchen organization, make sure you get yourself caught up. Today we're going to get down to business & talk about my system for cleaning our kitchen.

Cleaning is really a lot of work. I will never understand people who really love to clean (contrary to what you’re reading, I would still way rather spend my quality alone time doing something else). I just really enjoy being in clean spaces. I find that I’m more productive, creative, & sane when I’m surrounded by clean, so I try to shoot for a clean-ish house whenever possible. Obviously, my definition of clean has changed since having a busy toddler around, but I still am determined to do my best at getting things clean enough.

Some of these things I do daily or weekly, others I do every month or every couple of months. As discussed in my first post on planning, it really helps me to put these things on my google calendar & set it up to repeat so I won’t have to think about when the last time I cleaned the fridge. Plus, it allows me to ignore the charred on mess in the oven because I know that I have a scheduled time to work on it later. It’s a win-win for me.

If you’re not a scheduling kind of person, you’ll just have to work out a system that helps you the best (I’m not sure what that would be since I find I’m most productive when things are scheduled). Some people clean a little bit every day so that they don't spend one whole day cleaning, others don't clean until they absolutely have to. The key is finding a sustem that works for you.

Make sure you check my first post on all of the recipes I use for cleaning. Here is basically what I clean, how often, & how:

Oven (daily wipe down, actual cleaning once a month)

• Remove racks. Sprinkle about a ½ cup of baking soda on the bottom of the oven & spray with white vinegar (it will foam). Let sit over night & then wipe out in the morning with a few clean rags & water.
• We have a glass top oven, so to the best way to keep it clean is to wipe it immediately when there are any spills. If you have a life, you will forget to do this & need to do some more heavy duty cleaning. I don’t use any of the creams that the company suggests (too expensive, too many chemicals), & instead also use baking soda & vinegar. I sprinkle just enough baking soda to cover the spots, then spray white vinegar on top & place a wet rag over the entire area & let it sit for about 30 minutes. Then I wipe it clean with a fresh rag & water. You may need to repeat depending on the amount of stains. 

Sprinkle baking soda on nasty spots

 Spray white vinegar enough to wet the baking soda

 Cover with wet rags & let it sit at least 15-30 minutes

Wipe clean!

• For non-glass top ovens, simply soak the grill grates with baking soda & hot, hot water. You may need to use steel wool to scrape off the stuck on food (make sure you get plain steel wool though—nothing that contains cleaners in them like SOS pads). You can find steel wool at hardware stores. 
• For the front door, I wipe it down with a spray bottle of white vinegar & a clean, dry rag. 

Dishwasher (every 2-3 months)

• I first remove any chunks of food that I can see & then run a hot, sanitize cycle (with no dishes) with a cup of white vinegar. When that’s done, I sprinkle a cup of baking soda on the bottom & then run it through a short, hot cycle. 
• For the front door, I wipe it down with a spray bottle of white vinegar & a clean, dry rag. 

Microwave (once a month)

• I put 1 cup of white vinegar in a bowl & turn the microwave on for 5 minutes on high. Once it shuts off, I carefully remove the bowl of vinegar & take a clean, lightly damp rag & rinse out the insides of the microwave. The vinegar loosens all the stuck on food chunks so they are easy to wipe away.

Refrigerator (once a month)

• I remove everything (everything!) from my fridge out onto my kitchen table. I toss any food that is old & expired. I make note of any condiments or staples that we are running low of or things I need to make. 
• I wipe down the inside of the fridge by using a spray bottle of white vinegar & then using a clean, dry rag, wipe all the surfaces. I remove the drawers & give them a good rinsing in the sink & dry them off with a clean towel. 
• Once everything is cleaned & dry, I put the food back. 
• I also take off all of the magnets & things on the front of the fridge & wipe it down with a spray bottle of white vinegar & a clean, dry rag. 

Sink (porcelain sink) (once a week)

• I am a big fan of Bon Ami. It’s the one cleaner I actually buy. I remove all dishes & the dry rack & any visible food & then I sprinkle a little onto the sink. I spray a little bit of white vinegar on it & let it sit for 10-15 minutes & then scrub with either a scrubby sponge or for more heavy duty cleanings, some steel wool & then rinse. 
• The best way to keep your sink clean is to not let dirty, wet dishes pile in there for days on end. Either pile your dishes in stacks on your counter, next to the sink, or immediately put them in your dishwasher. It also helps to wash the dishes every night. My husband & I take turns doing this so they don’t pile up. 

Counter tops (daily wipe down, once a week more intense cleaning)

• I use the disinfectant cleaning spray on all the surfaces in the kitchen—countertops, table, Ruby’s highchair, door knobs, microwave, etc. 
• For more intense cleanings, I move all of the appliances & other items that have gathered on the counters & give everything an official scrub down. 

Floors (kitchen floor gets swept daily & washed weekly, all other floors get swept & washed weekly)

• I move everything off of the floor that’s possible to move & isn’t ridiculous (i.e. I don’t move the huge bookshelf in our kitchen, but I do move our kitchen table & stools out of the way) & then sweep everything after I’ve cleaned the sink & counter tops. 
• I use the floor cleaner mixture in a bucket, along with 3-4 clean rags. I dip the rag into the cleaner, ring it out, & get on my hands & knees & scrub away (invest in some nice rubber gloves). I use a fresh rag when I need more water to keep the soapy water clean (I used to use one rag per room, but would need to change the water bucket several times because it got dirty). Then I hang all of the rags to dry on a drying rack when I’m done (I typically use 4 rags for my kitchen floor alone). 

Garbage bin (once a month or as needed)

• I remove the bag of garbage & then give the bin a good rinsing (outdoors is preferable, but in the winter, we do this in the basement). After it’s rinsed, put one cup of white vinegar & a few squirts of dish soap in it & then fill it with hot, hot water. Let it sit for 30 or so minutes & then dump, rinse,  & let it air dry. Make sure it’s completely dry before you put a new bag in, or it will get nasty real fast. 

Kitchen towels (once a week)

• I wash all of our rags, dish cloths, & towels in a separate load. I wash them all on hot & then put white vinegar in the rinse cycle to keep them from getting musty. In the summer, I dry them for about 20 minutes in the dryer & then stick them on the clothes rack outside to finish drying (only because I don't like "crunchy" towels). In the winter, I dry them all the way inside. 

*Most of my cleaning methods have come from the book, "Organic Housekeeping" by Ellen Sandbeck (an incredible resource from a lovely Duluth native!), but also from these fine sources:

• Crafty Little Gnome 
• Make It Do 
• One Good Thing By Jillee
• How To Clean Stuff
• Behind The Studio
• Clean My Space

That’s it! That is my basic cleaning methods for the kitchen. How do you keep your kitchen clean? I'd love to hear, so please comment below!

If you haven't checked out my master spring/fall cleaning list, it's available for you here. Stay tuned for the last post in the series: Bedroom & Bathroom Cleaning!

Creating Clean #2: Kitchen Organization

Welcome back to my little mini-series on creating clean. The first post was about preparing & planning to clean in a way that best works for you. I also shared a whole bunch of green cleaning products that you can make at home, so make sure you  check that post out here.

Before we get to cleaning, we need to talk a little bit about organizing. I get so much satisfaction from something well-organized, don't you? It really doesn’t matter what it is-- a well-organized speech, closet, grocery store, food blog, spice rack… they are all very attractive to me. Even though the average person who would walk into my kitchen would find it to be organized, lately it has been stressing me out & having a negative affect on my creativity.

The junk drawer that I vowed to do away with last year has become over the top annoying, the cooking utensil drawer has always been unruly, & if I have to search for one more missing lid or cookie cutter in my cupboard, I’m about to do away with them all & only use plastic baggies & buy cookies (I’m only partly kidding).

As if this needs explanation... this is our pre-organized junk drawer

On a particularly stressful day at home with my little one, I started making a mental note of all the things I wanted to improve in the kitchen. I mean, it’s where I spend easily 75% of my day, preparing food, cleaning up, planning, blogging, even playing with Ruby (she’s way into coloring now, but only allowed to color in the kitchen for fear that she might accidentally go crazy with her colors on the hardwood floor or even more frightening, her new play kitchen). 

After dinner that night, I snuck away & shopped (alone!) at Goodwill & Target & found almost everything I needed. It was refreshing to be able to think while shopping. I told John later that night that I’m so used to triage shopping, meaning that I have to quickly make decisions instead of thoughtfully taking time to make them because I shop with a busy 20-month old. The introvert in me hates this. Needless to say, I really enjoyed those 2 hours, even if it was spent shopping (one of my top 5 all-time least favorite things).

Here are some things that help me be more efficient in the kitchen. My number one thought when putting things in their place is, “where do I use this most often?” So when I put up all my measuring cups & spoons on hooks inside my cupboard, I put them in a place closest to where I prepare a lot of food. I have all of my baking supplies in one spot, all my hot beverage things together, etc. It just makes life easier.

Dish organization
Lid organizer: If one thing drives me crazy, it’s trying to find the right lid for our pots & pans, which are always shoved to the back of our cupboard. This little organizer will save me from yelling many curses. This organizer was $0.99 at Goodwll. 

See the lid organizer on the bottom shelf?

Wire shelves: We really are blessed with tons of cupboards in our house, but we also have lots of dishes. Every day white IKEA dishes, my 60's inspired floral dishes, my inherited red dishes... so many dishes. These shelves create a little bit more space for me to keep the lids for mixing bowls & small pyrex bowl close by & organized. These shelves were $6 each at Target, here's a link as close as I could find.

The racks are pretty small, but effective at adding a bit more space & keeping lids with bowls

Bins for lids: I hate all things plasticware, but they so have their place in the home, don’t they? I love these little bins & I got two: one for organizing the lids & another for other random things that usually float around in the cupboard (like cookie cutters). They were $6.99 each at Target.

Cute little cloth bins to keep all the lids in one spot

Now I can just pull out the bin when I need a lid

Hooks for measuring spoons & cups: This is my favorite for sure. I love that these little hooks hold all my measuring cups & spoons & that I can keep them organized at eye-level. You can definitely find these cheaper at a hardware store, but I got them at Target for $3.69.

 Please ignore my super ugly apple measuring cups- I still have to paint these!

Drawer organizers: both our junk drawer & utensil drawer needed serious help, so I found these organizers in different sizes at Target for $5 each (these aren't the exact ones, but as close as I could find online) & the other one at Goodwill for $2. 

Kitchen utensils are finally easily located

Junk drawer after organization overhaul! There's still a lot going on in this drawer, but at least now everything has a place.

Magnetic strip: We got this lovely magnetic strip for our knives at IKEA & absolutely love it. We put it up next to our new cutting block (also from IKEA). I love the idea of not having to get out a cutting board or fish through a drawer to find a knife/have a knife block on our counter, using up valuable space.

I wish I would have known how amazing these two items are sooner- I would have bought them many years ago!

Food organization

When you’re trying to get a meal out quickly or are on your way to grocery shop, you want to be able to locate food quickly. It drives me crazy to unload a cupboard just to see if we have almonds. I want to be able to see most items at a glance, so here’s our little system.

We save all of our food jars (from peanut butter, salsa, etc.) to hold things like beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, granola, etc. That way I can save my mason jars for canning & recycle all the jars we use (I especially like Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter because it’s delicious, but also because the jars are so perfect for food storage). This also makes it easier to organize your cupboards because you won’t have tons of little bags of things everywhere & the glass helps you quickly identify what’s in the container (unlike the ice cream bucket of brown rice on our shelf that constantly frightens guests).

A glance into our food cupboard

Overflow storage: I have a metal shelf in the basement for all of the bulk items (like bags of dried herbs, spices, loose leaf tea, paper towels, etc.). It’s usually cheaper to buy things in bulk & it also saves on shopping time because you don’t need to buy it so often. I make sure that I put the food that’s going to expire first near the front of the shelf (“first in, first out”) so that we’re using up the oldest products first.

Overflow storage in the basement

Our spices: These are in a drawer that's closest to where we prepare food. All of the bulk spice jars were purchased at IKEA. We went a little crafty crazy & sprayed the tops of the lids with chalkboard paint & used chalk to write the contents of each jar. Every time we're at IKEA we get a few more jars so that eventually all our spices will be in the same containers.

All of our spices

 Baking organization: I have put most of my baking supplies in different containers so that they stack better & are easily identifiable. I especially love these pyrex dishes for baking powder, salt, nuts, & chocolate chips. I also use these containers for baking organization. See my pretty little silicone baking cups? I'm still in love!!

Small containers are easier to stack & organize than randomly-shaped baking supplies

Freezer inventory: Yes, I am that dorky. I keep this on my fridge & update it all the time. It took me maybe 20 minutes to unload my freezer one day & write everything down, but since I did that, it’s been very helpful. Now there’s no more fishing around frozen items, trying to see if you have any bacon hiding out. Just make sure that everyone in the house marks off things when they are gone.

My super high-tech pretty looking freezer inventory

And that’s the basics of getting & keeping our kitchen more organized. I find that if our kitchen is in proper working order, then I’m better at what I can accomplish. I'd love to hear how you keep your kitchens organized- please share in the comments below & stay tuned for the next post in the series: Kitchen Cleaning!

Creating Clean #1: Planning & Cleaning Recipes

Why am I doing a series on cleaning? Good question. Although it's not something I'm super passionate about, it does get me excited to know that I'm not bringing chemicals into our house that could affect our health or the state of our environment. I super enjoy being able to save money & custom some of the cleaners according to what we like. I happen to enjoy the scent of vinegar, but John doesn't, so I make sure to add some essential oils to most of the vinegar combinations & it really helps. I like that I can have just a handful of bottles filled with homemade recipes & that they actually work.

I love being as natural & granola as possible, & I love the act of taking care of our planet, but if I had to give up cleanliness, it might be a struggle. I'm no germ-a-phobe, but any means, but I don't like clutter, disorganization, or flith. I'm not really into killing every bacteria known to us (on the contrary, I think it's good to expose our kids to some at home germs), but I am into keeping us healthy & safe.

I wanted to do a 4-post series on "creating clean" because I find having a clean-ish space really helps me accomplish the most. It helps make room for my creativity to flow because I'm not constantly frustrated by the mess around me. I'm no slave to cleaning... I do a little bit every day & focus one day a week to get most other things clean. I just wanted to share some of my tips that I've learned over the past 5 or so years since I've become greener & greener. So first, things firs... planning.

Planning to clean

Oh, how I wish I had a calendar as lovely as this! This pic is taken from Geninne's Art Blog

Yes, I plan my cleaning. I figure it’s like everything else in my life—if I don’t schedule meaningful time in my life to accomplish it, it’s not gonna happen. I also find that it gives me freedom to not worry about certain dirty things because I know in 2 days I’m going to clean it. I have come up with a system that works for me: I clean our bathrooms on Thursday mornings while Ruby is in the bathtub (a genius tip from my friend Jessica) & then I dust & clean all of the floors every Thursday afternoon during Ruby’s nap. I do a deep cleaning on other things less frequently, but they are still on my calendar (usually one of these cleaning projects once a week, for example cleaning the oven or fridge). I do this so I don’t have to think about it or remember when to clean things (do you remember the last time you washed your sheets?)

I also have a spring & fall deep cleaning list that I work from. Click here if you’d like to see that crazy list (it's available for your to download as well). It helps me remember to take a look at some of the less thought-of things to clean, like curtains, the ceiling fan, or shampooing rugs or furniture. I love this list. I’ve only used it twice so far, but it’s refreshing to me (to finish it).

Below are the basic cleaning recipes that I use & will refer to in the rest of this series (I will go into detail as to how to use them later on in the series). You really can make your own cleaners for pennies (literally, pennies!) You don’t need to buy some of the fancy green cleaners on the market, even though some of them work very well.

All of these cleaners have worked perfectly well for me, but let me say this. These cleaners work the best when they are used often, meaning that if you haven’t cleaned your toilet in 6 months & then try to dig in, it might be more of a challenge for you. I find that if I clean a little bit every week, it saves me from having to do massive, hard work cleaning.

Here is a basic list of things you will need:

1. A bucket 
2. Many rags for cleaning (you can use any scraps for rags—old t-shirts, old worn cloth diapers, ratty washcloths, etc.) 
3. Dusting cloth
4. The cheapest white vinegar you can find 
5. Baking soda (also the cheapest is fine) 
6. Bon Ami cleaner 
7. Plain steel wool (found in hardware stores—NOT SOS pads) 
8. Green liquid dish soap (my fav is Seventh Generation Lavender Floral & Mint) 
9. Spray bottles 
10. Mister bottle for air freshener 
11. Cheap vodka for air freshener (or to drink while cleaning if you're stressed...) 
12. Water 
13. Essential oils of your liking (my favorite brand is Aura Cacia) 
14. Funnel 
15. Measuring cups & measuring spoons 
16. Nice rubber gloves 

Basic Cleaning Recipes

For the cleaners contained in spray bottles, I find that it works the best to mix the ingredients in a large liquid (4 cup) measuring cup & then pour them into the spray bottles using a funnel.

Linolium or tile floor cleaner

Mix ¼ cup liquid dish soap with ½ cup of white vinegar to 2 gallons of hot water.

Hardwood floor cleaner

Mix ½ cup of white vinegar to 2 gallons of hot water.

Dusting cleaner

I still use a bit of purchased cleaning stuff (EcoSense Rustic Touch), but more often than not, I just use a dry dusting cloth to clean off surfaces.

Window/glass cleaner

White vinegar in a spray bottle with a clean rag. You can add essential oils if you don’t like the smell of vinegar.

Scrubby cleaner

Baking soda (alternatively, you could use Bon Ami, which is super cheap), in combination with water &/or white vinegar & steel wool (to scrub)

Toilet cleaner

Baking soda & white vinegar (vinegar in an old toilet bowl cleaner container).

Basic disinfectant spray (for bathroom, counter tops, etc.)

Mix 2 tbsp white vinegar, ½ tsp liquid dish soap, 1 tbsp baking soda, with 2 cups warm water. Add several drops of your favorite essential oils (I like peppermint & lavender, also tea tree oil is said to have anti-fungal & anti-viral properties).

Air fresheners

Mix 1 cup of water with 2 tbsp of cheap vodka & up to 20 drops of essential oil (such as lavender & spearmint, or any desirable combination) to a mister bottle.

Good alternatives to making your own
So maybe you’re just not into making your own cleaners, that’s ok. There are plenty of great alternatives, they will just cost you more. Before making my own, here were some of my favorite green cleaning products (with links):

• Floor cleaner: Eco-Me Dave Floor Cleaner
• Dusting cleaner: Ecosense Rustic Touch
• Window cleaner: Seventh Generation
• Scrubby cleaner (sinks, tub): Mrs. Meyers or Bon Ami 
• Toilet cleaner: Seventh Generation 
• Basic disinfectant: Seventh Generation 
• Air fresheners: Aura Cacia room spray or Zum mist

Also, I have tried to make my own dishwasher & dish soap, but haven’t liked the outcomes of either. We have really hard water (with no water softener), but have found that our dishes are able to get clean with Ecover’s powdered dishwasher soap. I also stick white vinegar in the spot where “jet dry” type products are supposed to go (it helps keep the glasses clear). We use Seventh Generation dish soap for all of the dishes that are hand-washed.

That's mostly it for preparation & cleaning recipes. Stay tuned for the next post in the series about kitchen organization!