simple homemade toilet bowl cleaner

i recently used up the remainder of our store-bought toilet bowl cleaner, so it was time to create my own homemade version.  we have been using the eco-friendly options from the store for a long time now, but man are those expensive (especially if you have multiple toilets in your house)!  here is my super easy, super quick, inexpensive option that really cleans!

 the ingredients are simply borax, baking soda and tea tree oil!

 measure out 1 cup of baking soda and pour it into your mixing bowl.

 measure out 1 cup of borax and pour it into your mixing bowl.

 mix these ingredients together.

add 1 tsp. of tea tree oil and mix together.  tea tree oil is great to use in this because of its disinfecting properties.  pour your mixture into your toilet bowl and scrub it clean!  as an optional last step you can pour 1 cup of vinegar into the toilet to aid in the cleaning process (plus it is fun to watch it fizz!).  leave the toilet like that for 2 hours and then flush.  then you shall have a super sparkling clean and disinfected toilet! yay!

Redwings Horse Sanctuary

last weekend my husband and i visited Redwings Horse Sanctuary.  i recently read Black Beauty--i never read it as a child.  when i finished reading it, i wanted to be around horses.  i had a desire to spend time with horses that were rescued and would no longer be used and abused by humans.  i did a quick Google search for sanctuaries and found the Redwings Sanctuary was only a couple of hours away by car.

it was so beautiful and peaceful there.  it was at times difficult to hear the back stories of many of these horses (as is usually the case when hearing the stories of many animals in sanctuaries).  but the good news is that i can take comfort in that these amazing horses (and burros!) now have a wonderful home that will take care of them and not use or abuse them for the rest of their lives.  it is definitely a relaxing and rejuvenating experience whenever i go to visit animal sanctuaries--i find it hard to leave and return home.  i would definitely recommend looking for a horse sanctuary or farm animal sanctuary near you to visit--you won't regret it!

happy spring!

english primrose from my mini garden

happy first day of spring everyone!  this is one of my favorite seasons--although i do love all seasons and get excited as each one approaches.  i love the beauty as all the flowers start to bloom, the renewal of life and new life forming.  i love being surrounded by pollenating bees and graceful hummingbirds.  it is such a beautiful and refreshing time of year.  of course all this beauty does bring on seasonal allergies in many people (more on that in a future post).

i have many goals for this spring season--cleaning out the house, getting the garden back in working order, coming up with new healthy vegan recipes, and continuing my yoga practice to name a few.  here's to a beautiful spring and a new beginning!

call the midwife

i just finished reading this book.  i had originally seen one episode on PBS (back when i was watching tv) and loved it!  obviously i had to check this book out of the library... there were several holds on it, but after a few months it was my turn to borrow it.  i was quite excited and had high expectations after the one episode i saw, and i was not disappointed--this is an excellent book!  it reads like a fiction novel, but it is a memoir/biography.  it is a fascinating look at midwifery in the 1950's in the UK.  one of my favorite stories is the one about len and conchita warren.  i loved how he was such a devoted husband and stayed with his wife throughout labor which was unheard of in that time.  a truly lovely story! highly recommended!

the joy of walnuts

ah, walnuts!  the sweet and delicious nut that looks like a brain...  this is one of my favorite foods to munch on each day.  walnuts are full of omega-3 fatty acids--which help reduce inflammation and help reduce the risk of many diseases.  they also help lower cholesterol!  walnuts are also a good source of antioxidants--providing health benefits against aging, cancer, and neurological diseases!  they are a good source of vitamin e which is good for your skin (amongst other things).  they also have many of the important b vitamins and minerals (such as zinc, calcium, and potassium).

you can see why i love walnuts and make sure to eat them on a daily basis!  they are so packed with nutrients, how could i resist them?

i have mostly just been eating these raw, but i am now planning on coming up with a handful of recipes for my walnuts to be a part of.  check back soon for pics of these!