Cleaning Tip of the Day

Washing your Cabinets

 

Today when I was on my kitchen floor (I don’t even know why I was on the floor, probably picking up food that my baby was throwing at me, lol) I noticed how gross my cabinets have been looking.

I usually wipe them down weekly or when needed but they were pretty bad today so I got out my Basic H and went to work.  I just sprayed on the all-purpose solution and wiped off. 

Before:

After:

Basic H2® Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate is naturally derived, supersafe, and superconcentrated formula with a thousand uses.

Basic H² is all you need for thousands of household jobs

Ultraconcentrated – 16 ounces makes up to 48 gallons of super powerful cleaner when mixed with water.

Versatile and powerful cleaner – removes dirt, grease, and grime from any washable surface, inside and out.

Dilute according to directions.

No rinse, no residue, streak-free formula.

Use on any washable surface – indoors or out

Walls, Windows and Mirrors, Countertops, Floors, Appliances, Stoves, Sealed Woodwork, Pots and Pans, Furniture

Clean Credentials

Nontoxic

Natural

Doubly concentrated

Biodegradable Surfactants

How often do you wipe down your cabinets?

What did you clean today?

Bonnie :)

For ordering or  more info, please visit my online Shaklee site.

Nature's curtains

I’m having a magical day. I’m sitting on Nature; sitting under a sky of green grapes...

What could be more romantic than sitting under a grape-covered porch sipping the fruits of your own labor? Ah yes, is pure bliss around here! The right combination of hot days and cold nights has made this a phenomenal summer for grape vines... and so, our back porch is beautifully swathed in grapes.

Tiny little finger-like twines of a magical vine wrap themselves in whatever they can get a hold on. If you are not careful enough, they’d wrap themselves around you too... especially around your hair!

Our porch is a billowing green corridor of curly grape vines right now... the vine has taken over it in a delicious way; it's like living inside Nature, or in a living tree. I particularly love how my favorite place in the whole wide world gets dappled in shade by Nature’s most wonderful curtains... and the best part of it is, I can eat them too!

Eating "Nature’s curtains" is a delicious way to get my daily doses of flavinoids!

And oh by the way, did you notice something wonderful and sweet on my table? No, not the grapes! Ah yes, a different kind of bird came to visit me today... he sits pretty on the lid of my new teapot and I just love it!

As I mentioned here, this cute teapot was a “Just Because” gift from dear Fairy Tesa and her sweet mommy... Tesa loves birds just like me, and when she saw this cute teapot she knew exactly who would love it as much as she did! The white porcelain vase (so perfect for my red roses) that came with the teapot was part of the gift too, but that I will have to show it to you later, because something that pretty it sure deserves a post all for itself...

We’re certainly approaching fall around here, and although I never ever going to love winter ever, I have to admit that cooler weather has brought some dreamy days and evenings; particularly lovely are the mellow evenings... perfects for tea hosted by elves, wouldn't you say!

Magic lingers in the evening air, you can hear the crickets chirping their nighttime lullabies until all of the sudden the gentle hum of the garden brings the world to a hush... I’m wrapped in rare calm, into that dreamy silence I immerse myself; the faintest brush of cool air against my face... and I laugh in secret joy.

I only wish I could bottle this magic and share it with you!

Show Off Your Cottage Monday

Welcome to "SHOW OFF YOUR COTTAGE MONDAY", a blog party I host at the beginning of each week to celebrate the things we love about our homes and how we live.

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The small house situated in a rural community in Northwest Netherlands had been uninhabited and neglected by previous owners, but for Elly it was love at first sight. The minute she walked on the property, she knew she would sacrifice anything for it... a careful and sympathetic renovation, plus an addition of a master bedroom and a bathroom turned this house into the lovely cottage of Elly’s dream. Walking into this light-filled turn-of-the-century cottage today, it’s hard to believe the place was once a dim warren of a tiny house. Ah yes, I'm sure you'll love this cottage as much as I do, so let’s take a peek inside, shall we?

Don't you just love this charming little cottage! And you can see more at Elly's blog. Would you please visit Elly and tell her I sent you! She's expecting you! If you are participating in "Show Off Your Cottage Monday", please link back to THE HOUSE IN THE ROSES. Linking back allows the readers of your blog to find the other participants, thus increasing visits for all who are joining in.




Pssss... Have I told you lately how humbled I am by your warmth and friendship? Ah yes, I adore reading your comments and the sweet emails I get every day, some of them with charming photographs of enchanted fields or a lovely rose garden you've seen during your walks. How special these emails are to me! And how blessed I am by having you in my life. Thank you... thank you for taking time out of your busy days to come here and read my ramblings.

May your day be filled with blessings
Like the sun that lights the sky,
And may you always have the courage
To spread your wings and fly!

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D?

Vitamin D has been a hot topic in the news. Recent research studies show that vitamin D - the "sunshine vitamin" - offers a multitude of important benefits including supporting healthy heart function, immune and bone health. Yet, surprisingly, up to 80% of Americans may have insufficient levels.

Are you getting enough Vitamin D?

Get the answer with Vitamin D-ology, a new online quiz developed by Shaklee Scientists.

Based on the answers to 8 simple questions, the Vitamin D quiz will quickly calculate the Shaklee Health Sciences recommended level of Vitamin D. The level of vitamin D supplementation you may need depends on many factors including where you live, time of year, your skin color, how much sun exposure you get each day, your age, if you are overweight, how often you eat fish or vitamin D fortified foods and how often you exercise.

Take the quiz today!

 

Vita-D₃

 

Add Some Sunshine to Your Day Vitamin D, also called the “sunshine vitamin,” offers a multitude of health benefits. Our bodies produce it when exposed to the sun, but a majority of people may not be getting enough of it due to geographical location, the time of year, sunscreen use, and skin color. Vita-D₃ is the perfect choice for overall health and well-being. Each easy-to-swallow tablet contains 1,000 IU of high potency vitamin D₃, the most potent form of vitamin D, to help your body thrive.

 

 

Studies show this essential nutrient helps:

•Support healthy heart function

•Promote immune system health

•Facilitate healthy cell development

•Maintain strong bones and teeth by increasing calcium absorption

 

I hope that you have a great weekend!

Did you take the Vitamin D quiz?

What did you get?

Bonnie :)

Excerpts of my life...

Enchanted creatures? I am the Tinkerbell of my little world. I fly around this flower-laden land deadheading here, pulling weeds there, cleaning this and watering that and only stopping for a little bit to rest or maybe take time to make some refreshing fresh fruit smoothie... those delicious, creamy, frosty fruit drinks that are so wonderfully yummy on a hot afternoon in the garden...

Do you love smoothies? I love them! For a basic smoothie, I use the following:

1/2 to 1 cup fruit (I love mangoes and strawberries—my favorite)
1 cup plain or fruit yogurt (I like plain better)
1/2 cup fruit juice (I usually use orange)

Add about 4 to 5 ice cubes, or more if you like it thicker, and combine all the ingredients in a blender. Process on high until the ice is completely crushed and the drink is smooth and creamy.

I like to add a dash of cinnamon to my smoothies sometimes, or nutmeg or vanilla, you can also add honey or maple syrup... add whatever you want; be creative, there is nothing more delicious on a summer afternoon than a creamy smoothie... and smoothies are a good way to add extra nutrition to your diets too!

It’s been hot around here, I mean really hot like in the 105 degrees... I am amazed, and sometimes mystified, by how my garden thrives in the heat of August. Despite the usual amount of bugs and fungal diseases that comes with the heat of summer, my roses are as healthy as they can be, and I think they must have confused the seasons too and think is June, for they're madly putting spectacular blooms everywhere again and again! Is pure bliss!

While browsing the Internet the other day I found the most delightful site, filled with gorgeous free vintage images... This one in particular brought some nostalgic tears to my eyes. It has magic powers, I tell you... like a twister in the path of memories, it takes me back in time to those days of my childhood when the most important person in my little world was my dear sister Lissette...

I remember that both Lissette and I (I am almost 2 years older than Lissette) had massive amount of hair; particularly Lissette. I can remember being at the pool in the summertime, and enviously watching our friends’ hair dry gracefully into shiny Pantene waves while ours dried leaving us looking like members of Whitesnake. It amazes me how we both, still at this point in our lives, have kept our hair long... We have this thing with Rapunzel you know...

Oh, and take a look at my new pink vintage earrings!

I found these lovely round pink vintage earrings at St. Michael’s thrift store the other day. They were in a box outside the little store, along with all the other “free stuff” they put out every day for whoever would want them... I could not believe my eyes when I saw them! I decided to wear them to the office today with my black top and black and white skirt. They certainly add an extra sassiness to the otherwise austere look. I just love them!

(Pictures taken this morning at the office.... brought my camera with me! Tee-hee!)

I received the loveliest of package yesterday from dear Fairy Tesa and her sweet mom,... a "Just Because" gift! Aren’t those gifts the best gifts ever? Just because gifts convey an extra special meaning because they are sent when there is no occasion just to make someone feel special. They speak of unconditional love to me. I am thrilled and will be showing you what I got soon... and here is the lovely Ms. Tesa (dark hair) in her pretty fairy dress... isn't she the sweetest!

I peeked outside last night and gasped at the sight of the moon... I love taking pictures of the moon although my camera is not the best for doing this. I still love what I was able to capture... the mystery of the moon behind shivering leaves... Just amazing!

Oh, and did I tell you that I had to hurried up inside after I took those pictures? Ah yes, I was all alone out there in the garden taking pictures of the moon and all of a sudden it turned scary; real scary... an unfamiliar and mysterious place if you would. I could hear estrange noises amidst the bushes, unidentified creatures lurking in the growing darkness. Vines grew hair and fingers with long nails and I could hear this shallow breathing behind the darkened butterfly bushes... when I turned around, I thought I saw the creepiest of image across the water in the moon illuminated birdbath. Something cold, like a shiver I felt, and run inside.

Don't you just love imagining things? I also love to hear what you have been up to lately, so would you please take me to your world and tell me all about it! And oh don't forget to come back on Monday for another "Show Off Your Cottage Monday"! You would not want to miss what we have in store for you! See you then!

Wishing you all a happy weekend. From a magical and warm and sunny garden...