4.27.2014

Shelburne Farms






 Shelburne Farms is one of my favorite places to visit with the kids, especially in the Spring time. The baby animas are hard to resist so fluffy and cute. Faris seemed to be mesmerized with the chickens and couldn't get enough of them (sorry chickens). The Farm is just starting to wake up from its deep winter sleep and you can feel nature coming alive all around you. We enjoyed some snacks from the O bakery (highly recommend it) and visited the little visitor center full of goodies, from cheddar to wooden spoons to woven baskets all made at the Farm. This was a great way to kick of the season, we are looking forward to many more visits. See you soon chickens!

4.25.2014

simplifying cleaning


I used to be the one who had a product for each cleaning need, all-purpose cleaners, glass cleaners, shower cleaners, you name it I owned it. What can I say, I loved the smell of a clean home. When I got pregnant with Hamza and we moved into our new home, things started to change. I thought about the impact my chemicals had on the future of my child but also on the environment. In the last few years I did a lot of research and slowly started eliminating all harmful chemicals out of our home. Now I basically only use a handful of things that I believe are much better for the environment.                  
Dr. Bronner's Soap for EVERYTHING: shower wash, hand soap, dish soap, removal of greasy stains from shirts you name it and I probably have used it for that (except toothpaste, some people say it can be used as toothpaste, no thank you). It smells and cleans great without harsh chemicals. 
I also love supporting local companies and Seventh Generation is just down the road from us. I love their products and I truly believe that they are trying to make a difference. 
Method is one I just started using, I am still testing it but I do like the fragrance of this particular all purpose cleaner in french lavender and they claim to be non-toxic and biodegradable as well.  
Last but probably the most important piece of my cleaning routine is my cleaning tools, haha I LOVE my tools! I use cotton or linen rags and I buy most of them at the local goodwill store, they absorb well and don't leave fuzz on glass or mirrors. I can just throw them in the wash at the end of the week voila ready to clean again!  
I believe that a clean house can smell good and be clean without the use of harsh chemicals or a million plastic bottles. My goal is to reduce this to a minimum and maybe add some reusable bottles so I can start buying soaps and detergents in the bulk section of our local co-op. 


4.23.2014









We had friends visiting all the way from Amsterdam this weekend. We stayed up late, ate good food, saw a great afro latin jazz show and spent a lot of time outside. One of the things I treasure the most is how easy going they are and how much our children enjoyed their company. They asked to visit them "at their house" before they even left the driveway. Goodbyes suck, so .... Until next time...

4.14.2014








This was a good weekend, a really good weekend. We played outside in the sunshine on Saturday all day. The boys helped with the yard work and everyone enjoyed the warm sun on their skin, this was a long time coming! We are working on a new deck and some pictures will be posted up on the blog soon.
We have a great week ahead of us, I hope to have many pictures up on the blog soon!

4.10.2014


every spring since we moved into this tiny house we've planted a garden. we started small, very small, some kale, tomatoes, carrots and herbs. each season we've added more and it's becoming a little bit of an obsession of mine. this year i plan to expand it even more making space for kale, chard, all kinds of lettuces, squash, peppers, beets, tomatoes, peas and so on ...you get the picture. i started some seeds last weekend and they are already poking their little heads out searching for sunshine. i am hoping to post some pictures of our small backyard soon and share my plans for this season. i have been dreaming of loads of flowers and herbs in my garden as well, so i am looking forward to seeing this urban garden grow to its potential.