Author: The Urban Homemaker

Safe Spring Cleaning uses just water and Microfiber! You may not love cleaning, but environmentally safe products make the job so much easier and you can even involve your youngest chidren.

Enviro Cloth – Use on windows, textured, and dark colored kitchen appliances, spot clean upholstery and carpet, lamps, plants, computers, stainless steel, walls, white boards, counters, bath tubs and sinks, toilets, fixtures, stovetops, baseboards, mirrors, cars, shelves, shower doors, ceiling fans, light switches and plates, telephones, remotes, sticky price tag residues, shines shoes – and anything else you have that needs cleaning with just water!

Window Cloth – Used in conjunction with a wet enviro cloth it polishes any smooth surface that you can imagine with little effort, mirrors, windows, jewelry, chrome, stainless steel, glass surfaces, fixtures etc. It can also be used alone with a spritz of water. Will leave a streak free shine!

Dust Mitt – Used dry for mini blinds, plants, furniture, pictures, TV, electronics, spindles, lamps, baseboards, window sills, dirty window screens etc. It works great to dry your shower to prevent buildup of lime scale and soap scum. You could use it to wash your body or your car too!!

Microfiber Mop System – Dry mop is used on all types of flooring to remove pet hair, dirt etc. Also works on walls and ceilings and ceiling fans to remove cobwebs. Wet mop cleans floors to a streak free shine, dries in minutes. The mop is also great for cleaning tall windows with the telescopic handle and the addition of mop clips. The rubber brush is a must to clean off the wet and dry mop pads and also works wonderfully to remove pet hair, and to clean stairs.

Carpet Stain Buster – Your complete carpet cleaning solution for shampooing, spot cleaning, deodorizing and neutralizing protein based stains and odors and keeps working hours after cleaning! Highly concentrated – use 1 Tablespoon per cup of water.

DeScaler – Very effective for removing lime but no toxic fumes. Use on shower doors, around fixtures, glass or anywhere you have water spots that just won’t go away! Spray, leave 1 to 2 minutes and wipe with an enviro cloth, rinse and dry.

Mattress Cleaner – Use after vacuuming to eliminate dust mites and all organic material on your mattress, sofa, upholstered chairs, pillows. Use every 6 months. Lasts a long time!

Odour Eliminator – Great in smelly laundry (use 1-2 Tbsp).  Or use diluted 7 parts water to 1 part odour eliminator for use in bathrooms, garbage cans, lockers, changing rooms, litter boxes, laundry. Can also be sprayed as an air freshener. Leaves a fresh and clean fragrance and is not overpowering. Lasts a long time! Non- toxic and safe.

Cleaning Paste – Use this environmentally friendly paste to clean, polish, and protect chrome, stainless, aluminum, porcelain and similar surfaces. Good to remove rust. Great for smooth cooktops.

Ultra Plus Laundry Detergent – Use in all laundry for bright, clean clothes, drapes, rugs, bedding etc. Highly concentrated, and low sudsing but very efficient. Use only 1 Tablespoon in top loaders. Use only 1 teaspoon in front loaders! Totally dissolves, no fillers to aggravate allergies! Works great as a carpet shampoo too!

For more information, please visit marilynmollsnorwex.com.

The more I hear about untested chemicals in our every day life, the more aware I become of the toxic environment our children are exposed to.

In this utube video, Healthy Child,  the speaker talks about how some chemicals can be 10-65 times more toxic to our children because they have lower body weights and less developed immune systems.

He states that increasing incidences of asthma, allergies, autism, ADHD, diabetes, and childhood cancers have all been linked to environmental toxins.

Yes, investing in our well-being by purchasing safer products sounds “expensive”, but the reality is that it is expensive not to!  For more information go to marilynmollsnorwex.com.

We have all heard plenty of stories, in the last few years, that questionable ingredients have been added to common consumer products  originating from China.

Did you know Whole Foods carries many Organic Foods from China?   I didn’t know any particulars about many of our food sources coming from China even in Whole Foods Stores where I would expect to find reliable choices!

This ABC – I -Team story documents some Organic Foods found in upscale Whole Foods stores are labeled in fine print:  “Made in China.”

Don’t take my word for it, watch this “youtube” documentary for yourself by Clicking Here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ31Ljd9T_Y

Made in China? How can we be sure Chinese Organics are certified and reliably labeled?

As always, buyer beware, read labels, and buy local whenever possible! And please post your thoughts below!

Ed Note: As you know, I have been encouraging everyone I know for 15 years to filter their drinking water as just basic “health Insurance.”  I wanted you to know that Multi-Pure Filters are making a life and death difference for Haitians.  If you know anyone going to Haiti for Relief Efforts, please contact Multi-Pure’s Marketing Department at 1-800-622-9206.  Details follow.

Multi-Pure TM has received many phone calls about Haiti  so I would like to share with you what’s happening with Multi-Pure’s efforts there.   They are working with several emergency response organizations in order to get the filters to people who desperately need them.   We have already shipped out some of our MP911 and EF8 units to doctors and nurses who are transporting them in their suitcases as they’ve flown into the country.

They are currently designing a special filter for Haiti to meet their unique needs.  A very large shipment of those filters will be sent from their factory into the Dominican Republic and then carried across the border, since the seaports and airports are struggling to keep up with their activities.

I feel very grateful to be associated with a company that offers important products  and is actively working to distribute effective filters to people who are struggling with the very basics of survival. Clean water is one of the very first concerns in a disaster. Clean water makes a difference in the lives of those suffering the after-effects of a disaster or just trying to maintain basic health.

If you are traveling to Haiti soon and would like to include some of our emergency filters in your suitcase for delivery, please contact Multi-Pure’s marketing department at 1-800-622-9206.

Lately I have made it a challenge to spend less energy on traditional menu planning and weekly shopping.

I know it sounds a bit heretical, but instead, I have been searching through my freezer, pantry, and refrigerated produce bins to see what needs using up and then thinking of a recipe that would use most of the ingredients that are on hand or ready to go bad.

For example, I made a Layered Mexican casserole with the following on hand ingredients:

Crushed leftover tortilla chips, taco seasoned hamburger, fresh cilantro going bad, leftover sour cream about to go bad, leftover Monterey Jack Cheese about to go bad, a smidgen of cream cheese, frozen cherry tomatoes, an avacado, and a can of diced green chilis.

I can’t give the exact measurements, because I just used what I had.  Surprisingly,  a delicious Mexican flair casserole was served with a salad on Saturday movie night.  Mary and I both remarked it was delicious.

Tonight, I made blueberry muffins with frozen blueberries that had been in my freezer over a year, and sour cream in my refrigerator with some previously milled Kamut flour from my freezer.  I served the muffins with Hash Brown Quiche, made with leftover frozen hash browns that had been sitting around for about 6 months, leftover frozen grated cheddar cheese, eggs, milk, and frozen diced green peppers.

All was yummy, all was made with a little of this and that just sitting around.

What can you make with what’s been sitting too long in your freezer, pantry or refrigerator?

Tell me about your adventures in making something delicious with on-hand ingredients!

Photo courtesy of janetishungry.blogspot.com/2007/05/onion-and-…

A scripture that I has perplexed me for nearly twenty-five years is James 1:2:  “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

In fact, the truth is I have wrestled with understanding that trials can have benefits, and perfect my character so I will not be lacking in anything.

No, I have never really wanted to admit, until more recently, that my character needed a little honing.

Nor have I ever understood that “The Joy of the Lord is my strength”. (Nehemiah 8:10)

John 15:10-11 gives me a little more insight:  “If you keep my commandments you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.  These things I have spoken to you, ‘that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full’.”

Obedience, instead of being burdensome, is associated with joy, according to Jesus.  It just clicked in my head.  The fifth commandment admonishes children to obey their parents and it will go well for them.  Likewise, if we obey our Heavenly Father, it goes well with us, and that will bring us joy.

Joy is a choice, not a feeling.  Feelings lie, joy is not like happiness which is only fleeting and based on circumstances.  Most circumstances I have no control over.  Joy is a choice I have the ability to choose.  Today I choose for the Joy of the Lord to be my strength.

“Man cannot live without joy; therefore when he is deprived of true spiritual joys it is necessary that he become addicted to carnal pleasures.” Thomas Aquinas

Image from sjbrown58.wordpress.com

Today was going to be my kitchen cabinet/counter/lighting/flooring, etc shopping day except it has turned into a snowy, icy road day.  Yes, I am starting to undertake the huge,  gigantic project of Kitchen Remodeling!

You see, my kitchen, built in 1975, has never been updated.  The appliances are hanging in by God’s grace, and the dishwasher gave up over a year ago.

The dark, poorly designed outdated cabinets, combined with a small 10 X 10 kitchen space with a low ceiling, and boxed in fluoresent lights all contribute to the closed in boxy feel of the room.

Friends who know my love of cooking can not believe I have put up with this small outdated space as long as I have.

But as I begin the challenging project of selecting  cabinets from the myriad of woods, styles and finishes to say nothing, about appliance choices, counter top choices, lighting choices, and so on, the project becomes overwhelmingly complicated to me.

Fortunately,  God, in his goodness, has provided a good friend with an eye for design to join me in sifting through all the options and zeroing in what will work with the rest of my home, my taste and my limited budget.

Baking bread is so much simpler than kitchen remodeling!

Try Marilyn’s Famous Whole Wheat Bread Recipe Today!

Ed Note: The following information is from ParentalRights.org. It doesn’t necessarily represent the views of The Urban Homemaker or Marilyn Moll, but it does offer food for thought and your consideration.

<<<One week ago, the unthinkable happened; the state of Massachusetts elected a Republican senator, and that in an election with a very high voter turn-out.

Since then, we’ve heard countless pundits telling us precisely what Senator Brown’s election does and does not say about our nation. As a general rule, of course, no two of these pundits can actually agree.

Regardless of what the “experts” say, it’s clear to us that Americans are simply tired of out-of-control government and even more out-of-control spending. We want less government, more respect for our money and our personal rights, and greater control over our elected officials.

We’re tired of telling our lawmakers what we want, only to have them ignore us and spend billions of dollars on whatever they feel like anyway.

We want to turn back to the days of limited government and strong personal responsibility. We want to get back to respect for the Bill of Rights, which preserves personal liberties by placing specific government limits into the text of the Constitution.

Water is a cleansing, nourishing, and life sustaining substance that our bodies crave.   Too often we feed our water starved bodies sugary drinks like pop, juice, and sweetened iced teas (and if you live in the south, you know how sweet sweetened ice tea is!).

This means that 2/3 of your body weight is water!

It’s toning skin and muscles, transporting oxygen and nutrients, eliminating toxins and wastes, lubricating joints, and regulating body temperature.

To find a complete list of the contaminants in your water, check out the EWG’s website and enter your zip code into the box on the right hand side of your screen (you don’t have to fill in your water treatment facility).

I looked up my own city and was unsettled to find that there was no information listed because our water treatment facility has failed to regularly test our water!

Last week, my Neighborly Neighbors Club invited Theo Colburn to speak to us at our monthly meeting.   Theo, a Paonia, Colorado resident, has devoted her life’s work to researching Endocrine Disruptors.

Endocrine Disruptor’s are chemicals that mimic natural, god-given hormones and interfere with our body chemistry, particularly in boys because of the estrogenic qualities of many chemicals found in food, water, and air.

Theo’s research shows that chemicals effect males more frequently than females and are associated with increasing incidences of very serious health problems including male and female reproductive problems, autism,  learning and attention disorders, diabetes, obesity, immune disorders, cancer, asthma and many other illnesses.

Her compeling DVD, The Male Predicament, documents the research that has been done and is available at www.Endocrine Disruption.org, or writing The Endocrine Disruption Exchange at PO Box 1407, Paonia, CO 81428.

Norwex Enviro Products is one way to drastically reduce our chemical exposure in our homes.  Each week, my daughter Laura and I are going to be describing effective ways to reduce our exposure to chemicals by highlighting one Norwex Enviro Product home or personal care product.

My new website, marilynmollsnorwex.com describes all the products available.  Below is pictured the Enviro Cloth, the most basic and useful cloth ever.  Read more below.

Norwex Testimonial by Laura Coble

I began using Norwex microfiber during college when my mom gave me a microfiber Enviro cloth to test out.  “Here, I’m starting to sell this Norwex microfiber.  Tell me what you think.  You can use the cloth on just about anything,” she said.

I decided to try my cloth out on some carpet spots in my house.  I had tried to spot treat my carpet with some commercial cleaner, which had only made the carpet spots dirtier because the commercial cleaner left a sticky residue that picked up any and all dirt.  I simply wet the microfiber cloth and rubbed at the stain.  The microfiber cloth worked a miracle!  Not only did it clean up the dirt from the sticky residue, but it cleaned up the original stain which the commercial cleaner had failed to clean completely.  I didn’t need a bunch of chemicals, I didn’t need a special machine, just water and microfiber and ta da!

I began washing walls that had grown grimy from dirty fingerprints.  My roommate and I cleaned out our fridge…which wasn’t a pretty sight—until we used microfiber!  I used it to get stains out of a shirt, to clean grease off my stove…the uses for this cloth seemed endless.  The best part was that instead buying a different chemical for each cleaning job, all I had to do was add water to one basic cloth.

We all need ways to make our cleaning simpler, safer, and cheaper.  The Window Cloth is a great polishing cloth for streak free windows, mirrors, chrome, computer screens, jewelry and more.

All Norwex Microfiber Cloths have a sixty day money back guarantee and two year warranty.

Special Offer: Now through March 2010, you can enjoy a 15% saving on all Norwex Orders of $35.00 or more by using coupon code:  “spirisponge” and there is a flat shipping rate of $4.75 regardless of order size when ordering at my new Norwex website, marilynmollsnorwex.com.