Homemade Cleaning Supplies Not Just for Home

A few years ago my sister sent an amazing book called Clean House, Clean Planet ( see 28 Jan 2009 post). I love how the author rates each product in terms of effectiveness against a similar store bought brand. I have been faithfully using a few of the recipes but decided to try out a few more out and bring them to work. Why not spread the love?


I work in an office and often do a spot clean up, especially in the slushy season. I much prefer this to the commercial stuff the staff use as the smell is overpowering. This has an effectiveness rating of 90%. Mix with equal amounts of white distilled vinegar (recommend Heinz brand) and water. Add 15-20 gtts of peppermint essential oil.




This surface cleaner works very well. I use it to wipe off my desk and any table top surfaces. Smells great too. According to the book it has an effectiveness rating of 70-80% but I find it to be closer to 100%. Mix 2 tsp vinegar with 1 tsp borax. Fill rest of bottle with hot water. Mix until Borax dissolves. Add 1/4 cup liquid soap and 15 gtts of essential oil. I used peppermint.



Ingredients: baking soda and lemon essential oil. Don't waste your energy making this!

Last but not least, the bathroom air freshener. Someone in my office is addicted to a popular store bought brand. The fake smell makes me want to gag. This is much better. Effective rating 90% but I would rate it even higher. Once I find another spray bottle to bring to work, the other brand may go "missing". Fill a spray bottle with distilled water and add 30 gtts essential oil. Give a little shake before using and for the love of God do not get this stuff in your eyes. You will not go blind or anything but you will not forget the experience either. Again I used peppermint essential oil but lemon would also work great. This is my favourite because of the cost savings. It costs $7-$15 to buy an organic type air freshener but only pennies to make your own. You can go and buy yourself a few organic chocolate bars with the savings.

On a last note, I was too lazy to buy distilled water. Tap water was used in all of the recipes.

Little Accomplishments

Managed to pull myself out of bed to see Carolyn-the-Torturer yesterday. I never work so hard as when I am with her, but can only afford to go once a week. I need activity in my life, but working out under her direction puts it at a whole different level and feels great ( about half hour after working out, that is). I made a promise to never tell her I can't do something. I will collapse or vomit before quitting. She is the professional and always brings me to the edge, but never over the edge. I trust her. She laughed when I told her I haven't been running or biking, or doing any activity at all even though I have a race to do in a few weeks. I told her once I fall off the routine, fatigue sets in followed by the Big Slump . She told me she never stops. Indeed, you can never stop. It sucks.

I lack in natural athletic talent, but have come to realize physical activity feeds my mental state. A healthy mental state leads to a positive outlook, and for this I must keep going no matter what. Balance is everything.

The run the other night gave me a much needed lift. I hope not to fall into fatigue again. Life got busy and I am in adjustment mode. One of the realities is that if I want to see my trainer then I will have to suck it up and rise at 4 am in order to do the things that need to be done before leaving the house. Oh Lord, give me the resolve to follow through with this plan.

I have been changing my perspective on education these last few years due to learning first hand the practicality of a "good education". This question came to mind again as I sat in my frozen dead car the other day when temps dipped to -41C .

I am educated, have a good paying job, and am reasonably intelligent. Still, my immediate solution was to take a $30 cab ride to where I had to go and then call my garage to come deal with it for a couple hundred dollars. Thankfully neighbour Bill came to the rescue and showed me how to charge my car battery instead. Neighbour Bill has a wealth of knowledge. He grew up on a farm back in the day and that pretty much says it all.

Charging your car battery is seriously easy if done correctly.
Go out and buy one of these things right now.



Get someone who knows about cars to show you how to use it properly. Then read about it in your car manual for good measure. I don't want to be responsible for someone reading my directions wrong and ending up with battery acid all over their face.

Knowing how to start your car in this crazy ass weather is what I call good education.

Training

Decided to try skating after 15 years in preparation for the upcoming Ice Donkey event in less than a month. Although never a great skater, I was surprised to learn I can barely skate now at all. The ice trail at The Forks is an ideal training ground for those of us worrying about falling on a child (you can easily jump off the path if needed!). The ice is choppy which I figure is close to river skating conditions.



This photo was taken from the Forks pedestrain bridge you can skate on. There is a river clearing below, but I wasn't about to be the first one to try it.



Crossing the bridge.







Construction of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
All in all it was a great spot to do some training. Now if only I could pull a team of almost skaters together so I won't be the only one fumbling around out there on race day.

Happy New Year - Auld Lang Syne by Sissel (Live).wmv

Running Edmonton

This is some awesome opportunity to do stair training. 187 stairs! On the walk up yesterday , the B man commented that his quads were burning. Thanks to my trainer, Carolyn-the-Torturer, my quads faired quite nicely. This day, however, trying to run up with a backpack was another experience and I was reduced to walking a lot of it.


Part 2 of the stairs.


I have a poor sense of direction (ummm, that is an understatement). Here is one of my shoe signs. Surprisingly it was still there on the way back.

This is a beautiful walk area in Oliver area.
The valley. So many places to run below.
The bridge I feared for nothing.
One of the best things about running Edmonton were the motorists. Every single vehicle I came across stopped to let me cross the street. Every single one. Thank you Edmonton. What a great city to run in!