Cleaning the Fridge - Ugh!

Don't you LOVE cleaning out your refridgerator? I am laughing as I type this because I dislike this task with a firey passion (that is why Haley says because I do not like her to say she hates anything because we have always said that hate is too strong of a word!)

Well I tackled this along with my kiddos and I was so glad we did after I had switched over to Shaklee because as I cleaned out  my fridge with my Basic H2 cleaner I knew it was non-toxic, totally safe, so I didn't have to worry about putting my food and produce back into my fridge and having it contaminated with any harsh chemicals.

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE Basic H2 Organic Cleaner? LOL I know you are probably so tired of hearing me say it!

Here is my fridge - eewww it was not terrible but it really wasn't great at all!

Everything was just crammed in. And YES there are bottles of water in my fridge. And YES I am trying to go more green but from time to time we need bottled water. Especially my husband with where he works he has to take everything with him. But I do have my water bottle I refill through the day. (don't judge hehehe)

Crazy huh?

See that disgusting rust stain? I try to clean this every so often but I have had a big struggle on finding anything that works on this. I even tried those harsh lime, rust, removers that seriously are so hard on my to clean with because of my asthma specifically but the chemicals they contain are not good for anyone.

I thought oh super this is a great chance for me to use my Get Clean (R) Scour Off.

As my husband stood and watched me use this new product we had (he has been a bit skeptical the entire time) I thought I will try a little bit at first to see if I need more. I promise see that little teenie tiny amount? That is all I used.

Seriously check it out above, you can barely tell that I even used any of the Get Clean (R) Scour Off.

I took the rag and wiped it over the hard rust stain. I am 100% serious I didn't scrub I wiped. Even as my husband stood there he said seriously babe you need to make sure you emphasize that you didn't scrub any! He was astonished but I wasn't. I knew this product would work wonders! My best friend had raved about it and I knew she would never give me a bunch of rubbish. Seriously this stuff is wonderful!

CHECK IT OUT Shaklee is trying to make 50,000 homes healthier and safer during the month of April. It is Earth day this month! Just check it out - seriously it costs you nothing to just check it out! Feel free to Contact Me if you have any questions.

Quick and Easy

As I struggle try to make healthy changes in our house, finding a snack food that is healthy, easy, and enjoyable can be tough from time to time

However, Haley and my hubby man love pasta salad! I tried to make this snack (mini meal) as healthy as possible.

I chose to go with vegetable pasta. This Garden Delight pasta has a full serving of vegetables in a 4 oz. serving. Then I picked up an Italian dressing when I was at Trader Joes today.  I couldn’t fathom understand why people would really wanted to shop at Trader Joes but as I try to turn a new leaf I understand how important it is to live a more healthy lifestyle.

Haley tried the sundried tomatoes in her pasta salad at Trader Joes and loved it so I figured I would go ahead and splurge to add these to the recipe. Michael loves feta cheese and this was already seasoned – he said it is fabulous!

So here it is – the final product. One box of Garden Delight Pasta, One bottle of Tucson Italian Dressing from Trader Joes, One cut up cucumber, One bag of Sun Dried Tomatoes, and half a container of crumbled Feta Cheese from Trader Joes. Cook the pasta, drain, cool, and throw all the stuff in and shake it up!

It is THAT easy! And I have heard it is great! (You know I would never eat it! I am the pickiest eater ever and I can’t stand for my stuff to be mixed!

Hair Choices - I need help- VOTE!

I Need a Change! Over the years I have done many things with my hair but lately I seem to be stuck in a rut - I need help! 

Here is some of my styles over the years (I have had a shoulder length cut before but can't find any pics - sorry) but I am preferential to LONG hair.

Most like my hair now.

About 2 years ago

Couple of years ago (before my Lasiks)

About 2 years ago

March 2010

Almost black

OK - I normally don't dress like this but this was for our Halloween party in Fall of 2009.

OK - below are some of the choices of hairstyles and colors I would possibly consider. It makes me nervous more about cutting than coloring.

Choice #1 - I like the color and the cut

Choice #2

Choice #3

Choice #4

I want to hear from you! Please let me know by number which cut and which color you like - or you think I might look good with. I know it would totally help if I actually looked like them to pull the hair off but can't do anything about that so oh well!

I can't wait to hear your vote - I need a change!

Haven't tried Shaklee yet? Check it out! They are not just about cleaning. But they also have products for Healthy Beauty, Healthy Nutrition, and Healthy Weight Management.

My Home WAS Toxic

I honestly thought I was keeping a really clean home. I am very anal specific to having things cleaned a specific way. I want to know my house is clean and safe. Little did I realize that the cleaners I was using weren't so safe and I was actually making my breathing air worse for my family. If you have read my blog you know that not only do I have asthma but I have been having other lung issues.

I am super happy I found Shaklee and the natural, safe, non-toxic products. AND I found some great vitamins with Shaklee which already I am super happy to know I am building a healthy body to live in my healthy safe home!  PLEASE read this is super important!

A number of studies have pointed to an association between these toxic household fumes and childhood asthma, but I'd like to focus on one particularly good study on this topic that was published recently in the European Respiratory Journal (31: 54-57, 2008).

This study measured the household chemical exposure of 7,162 pregnant women in England and looked at the incidence of asthma in their children at age 8.5 years.

A maternal composite household chemical exposure (CHCE) score was derived by measuring the pregnant mother's exposure to a number of common household products known to contain toxic chemicals.

The household products used most frequently were disinfectants (87.4%), bleach (84.8%), aerosols (71.7%), air fresheners (68%), window cleaners (60.5%), carpet cleaners (35.3%) and pesticides/insecticides (21.2%).

For information on the toxic chemicals in these and other common household products visit:

http://www.householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/products.htm)

What does that mean to you and me?

It means that it is not enough to select household products that are safe for the environment.

We also need to select products that we use in our homes on the basis of their safety for us and our family - not just on the basis of cost and convenience.

This info is from Dr. Stephen G Chaney.

What should you do?

Start by getting rid of ALL of your toxic cleaners in your home.  Read all the labels.  Are there words you can’t pronounce?  Are these ingredients harmful to your health?

Ask your city were you can dispose of these chemicals.  Think about it,  if your city has special dumping requirements for these products, then why do you have them in your home?

Replace with natural, non-toxic cleaners that will not be harmful to your health or the health of our planet.  

 When you use Get Clean, you’re never simply cleaning. While you make your home cleaner, you can make your family healthier. You also make the planet healthier for other families as well.

Start enjoying a cleaner, healthier, greener home!

To order or for more information about Shaklee’s Get Clean Line, please visit my online Shaklee Shop today!

Dr. Stephen Chaney received his B.S. Degree in Chemistry from Duke University and his Ph.D. Degree in Biochemistry from UCLA. He is currently Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and the Department of Nutri- tion at the University of North Carolina where he teaches first year medical and dental students. He ran an active cancer re- search program for 37 years. He has published 97 papers and 12 reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals as well as two chapters on nutrition for one of the leading biochemistry textbooks for medical students. He has been named “Basic Science Teacher of the Year” several times by the first year medical students and currently holds the Medical Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professorship for the period 2005 to 2009.

We ALL agreed! I can't believe it!

A few weeks ago I took the kids to get their eyes checked out - the experience was well less than optimal and I thought I was going to slice my wrists before we walked out of the office.

This time around Cody had to get glasses (remember my he thinks he knows everything and I am stupid totally awesome 12 1/2 year old!).

We tried so many different frames on and we decided on a pair that actually weren't even in the store and only in the book. I am not sure what I was thinking but hoping we came to a good compromise (and did I mention dad wasn't there? that is a disaster waiting to happen because he really does have an opinion on their shoes, jeans, and I was sure his eye glasses too!).

Waiting for the lady to get the glasses.

OK so he doesn't look like it but he did like them the minute he put them on!

They are so totally hip, cool, and totally awesome with black frames and lime green lining!

That's my handsome totally rockin awesome boy!

Cody likes them!

I like them!

AND so importantly Dad likes them!

SCORE!

Our Family is living more healthy and safe with Shaklee products!

Check It Out!

Successful Marriage - Happy Anniversary!



Allan and Teresa

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

This April 12^th they are celebrating their 36^th Wedding Anniversary!

Congratulations Mom and Dad!

We all Love you!

My wedding not theirs lol!

Panama City Beach, Florida

Panama City Beach, Florida

Kingsport, TN

Sedona, AZ

Johnson City , TN

How you can follow ME (:

So from time to time you see me bugging  urging you to follow  my blog. I swear if I hadn't learned so much from blogging in these last 3  months I would have no idea what I meant.


I know most of you think if you read my blog that you are following me blog. OK OK I guess in a sense you are BUT I will admit it, I am a little vain and I need to see that you are listed under my "Stalkers". Come on I can't help it, I mean I have almost 500 friends on my facebook but I can't reach 50 on my blog ):


OH - a big shout out to all my stalkers - THANK YOU!!!


SO, I thought I would tell you how you can be one of my stalkers. I mean - come on MOM (yes I am calling you out on this one) you aren't even one of my stalkers - you gave birth to me! I know you read it because you always give me the little thumbs up on my facebook but come on Stalk me on my blog so I can smile a little bit more - so here it is if you decide you want to actually follow me (-:


You will need probably either a yahoo email or a GMail (google email). If you don't have one of these they are free and you can go to www.Gmail.com or www.yahoo.com to create a free email account.


On the left hand side of my blog you will see My "Stalkers" and right underneath that you will see  this symbol

Underneath this symbol you will see With google friend contact. 

Click on this button. The instructions are simple and easy to 

follow.

It will then ask you if you want to follow my publicly (go ahead!) 

or privately (I guess if you are ashamed of me - MOM not you!)

If you have any questions let me know! Come on people

I need a little stroke to my ego! Come on and follow me!

Car? Truck? Spoiled? I need help!

So I am a super lucky woman! I know that I am lucky, fortunate, and very blessed with all the things I have in my life and I am SO the luckiest to have my kids and my man! 

However, sometimes a girl needs wants to have a little something new! My husband and I have been debating getting a new vehicle. Now, we are really striving to keep our financial house in order. We feel like we do pretty good (I won't go all into that now maybe another blog later). But we made one decision that wasn't in our nature but we were stuck in a hard place. So currently I have a 2008 Red Jetta -

OK so this isn't my actual car but looks just like it - you get the picture!

My Jetta is paid down to where we are barely upside down on the loan (remember I said that we got into a spot before that we normally don't - so we are upside down). However, I have been making extra payments whenever I can to try to get it at least even with the market. So my car is 3 years old and I have 75,000 miles! Yes, high miles but up until 6 months ago I was driving 60 miles round trip just to work!

My husband has a 2004 Ford F150

Again - not our exact truck but pretty darn close!

(again - I know we are so lucky to have 2 super nice vehicles - so don't be going and judging me because I want something new lol! - well judge away I guess but still doesn't change I want something new!)

Now his truck is paid off but has about 108,000 miles on it. We have always said we don't want more than 1 car payment and we are actually trying to get to a point where we will not have any payment for a few years since we will have teenagers coming up in the next few years.

He has mentioned a few times about getting me a new vehicle (did I mention from time to time my AC doesn't want to kick in for about 10 minutes and remember I live in Southern AZ - can you say 110degrees in the summer?) So here poses my BIG dilemma!

Do I want to try to get a new vehicle and pay the heck out of it and get it paid off so we can then buy him a new truck? OR do I just try to pay my car off and get him a new truck?

Here are the 2 vehicles I am totally in love with! Now they are VERY different but as a mom I am sure some of you will be able to totally understand my line of thinking!

This is the 2011 Black KIA Sorento! This SUV has a third row option so you can sit 7 people! That is what I am in LOVE with about this vehicle! I think it is a sweet looking mid size SUV and sort of looks like a cross between the Lexus and Infinity SUV but not near the price. I have seen MSRP on the one with the third row for between 25K and up! I am not a girl that needs all the bells and whistles necessarily. But if I am going to get this vehicle I want the third row seating.

Here's a good pic but not in black but you get the idea!

The second vehicle that I LOVE was actually introduced to me by my man! So he is totally at fault for me wanting a new vehicle (well at least partially) I had never seen the Volkswagen CC before he pulled it up on the internet and showed me. This is totally opposite than the KIA Sorento!

Ever seen this car?

Something about the interior just sucks me in!

Depending on the features you want to get with this vehicle the 2011 Volkswagen CC Sport gets started at around 30K maybe could get a little cheaper if I went with the 2010 model, which I do like but the 2009 looks a little different.

So what's a girl to do? I want to hear what you would do? What do you think I should do? FYI - My husband LOVES the CC but he isn't a fan of the Sorento. I love both for different reasons. OR do I just pay the Jetta off and try to drive it till the wheels fall off and get my man a new truck?