As I sit here,I hear the scratching of little claws in the wall behind my desk, it is a squirrel. He has taken up residence in our wall and often goes out foraging for food and returns home through a hole where the AC tubes and wires enter the attic. Aha, we thought it would be so easy now…we'll close it up while he's out. Well, turns out it's not so easy to catch him because he just scurries up to his hole when he sees you and he just peeks his head out at us, like he's in a cuckoo clock or a game of whack-a mole. I often picture DH up there quickly nailing up boards all criss cross like a la Wiley Coyote. Roscoe is napping at my feet, right next to the wall… couldn't care less about the weird noise coming from the wall.
Today I am home sick from work… not much energy so I plan to knit until I am hungry.
yeah, finally the eggplants are growing.
Tomatoes to share with my neighbor… you should see the beets he brought me.
I've made some changes in the laundry room. Fabric softener sheets were clogging up my dryer lint screen and the machine is only 2.5 years old! I have replaced the sheets with a glug or two of white vinegar poured right into the fabric softener cup in my washing machine. It really does leave my clothes softer, static and residue free. I'm hoping to put up a clothesline, but need to be mindful of it being away from my mischievous dogs…maybe I'll do a temporary test to see if they cannot help themselves or not. The 365 powdered detergent from Whole Foods is not really that much more expensive than the other well- known brand I was using, and I like the citrusy smell. The EC-OVER delicate wash is super, and I do a lot of hand washing. The Bac-Out works well but I am over the moon about the Earth Friendly Products Oxo-Brite. I had a chocolate stain on a new favorite embroidered blouse. I soaked it while I was at work….came home and it was sparkly white again. I am amazed by this product.
and in the kitchen… I've replaced both the dishwasher detergent and my dish washing soap with eco-friendly products…and they both smell so good. Scent is a big deal in my world. The Bon Ami is a perfect sink scrub and is perfect on my stainless cookware. I've stocked up on this because I have found myself reaching for it every day. The Method all purpose cleaner for the counter tops…of course. I have knit a whole drawer full of dishcloths (no more sponges) and have a basket full of pretty dish towels. Sometimes I still need to reach for a paper towel, so I switched to recycled.
This is not meant to be preachy but simply to illustrate how just sneak in a few small changes with some of the products I've tried. All this is not new… eco-friendly products have been around for a very long time, they've just come along way. As a So Cal teen (I graduated in 1983), I remember scrubbing up with Dr. Bronners and smearing Rachel Perry Cantaloupe Lip Lover lipgloss on my lips. DH loves his peppermint Dr. Bronner's.
Bean & Noodle 