Green and Crunchy
UNO
I've fallen head-over-heels for Method, a brand of cleaners found at Target. With no harsh chemicals, this stuff is absolutely, positively awesome. I heard it was on the Oprah's Earth Day show this year.
One of our bathrooms is tough to clean because the previous owners didn't know how to yield a spray bottle and a scrubbing pad on a regular basis. We tried harsh products (Lime Away is JUNK, btw. It ended up leaving calcium deposits along with a horrible smell.), which didn't seem to have any positive effect. We tried Melaleuca's Tub&Tile concentrate, but it was of little help to tackle the mildew conquering the shower.
But Method's tile cleaner? {Insert heavenly music here.} My husband eagerly tackled the bathroom, and excitedly pulled me into check it out. Not only did it smell wonderful (no scent of chemicals what-so-ever, only the lovely smell of Eucalyptus and Mint), but it actually looked... clean!
Also, we purchased the cucumber scented surface cleaner. Usually, scented cleaners smell more like chemicals with a touch of perfume, but these cleaners smell like body spray. (Seriously, I had to confisgate it from him so he wouldn't douse himself with the stuff!)
DOS
Alright, so I'm not 100% green and I'm not 100% crunchy mama either, but I do have my ways that certainly qualify under these "labels". (Which, I'm not particularly fond of labels, but whatever.)
Anyway, it can be tiring to listen to the comments of "What, you're using a midwife?" and "You would actually have a homebirth?" or, "Why in the world would you want to have a baby completely.....*shudder*... naturally?". I usually don't share such information with extended family, not because the majority wouldn't be supportive (because they would), but a select few (cough, paternal grandmother) would likely have a heart attack and blame my mother for installing such ridiculous ideas in my head. Granny can understand natural birth, hasn't yet objected (at least, not to me) about my choice of midwife over OB, but would probably be stunned to find out that my husband and I would actually love to have an unattended homebirth.
And by unattended I mean:
Just me. Just my husband.
Alone.
Me, relaxing in around the house until my labor progresses and leads me into our oversized tub (I'm dreaming here, because we have yet to remodel the bathroom).
Prefer to have the children elsewhere once my labor progresses, as I definitely wouldn't be able to focus.
As I have mentioned before, our UC (unassisted childbirth) will probably happen with my next pregnancy/labor, and not this one, simply because our home is not prepared, and quite franky, I'd really like to see how it works out with the midwife.
I'm really excited about this birth, thrilled, eager... GAH! I can't stop thinking about it.
I wish there were magazines more geared toward what I want and what I'm doing... but it seems the majority of magazines believe you should do every test possible during your pregnancy (even though most of them are not necessary), vaccinate your child because "the government says to" and "studies the drug company paid for say they're great!", and so on.
Now, I don't cloth diaper my children, but I definitely have thought about it, and might even try it once I get the hang of laundry after our baby arrives. I have seem cloth diapers featured all over the popular mom and pregnancy magazines, so obviously, they are opening their minds in some directions- but when, oh when, will they see the other side of other things?
Hmm.
Anyway.
I think I may consume more of those delicious cookies DD and I made this afternoon.