TBH 4: Reasons Cleaning Is The Absolute Worst by Matt Bellassai

Who is Melisser Elliott / Check out The Urban Housewife

"The Urban Housewife – she’s like a regular housewife, only with a heck of a lot less space to work with.

She’s also me! I’m Birdy Slim, and not too long ago Husband and I moved to our tiny love nest in Brooklyn. If you’ve ever lived in a city, you know the struggles that come with cramming an entire life (and a shared one at that) into a Polly Pocket-sized apartment. And the challenges don’t stop there. The walk from my place to the store is too long. I’m too short to hang the curtains I trudged all the way across town for. My imagination is way to big for my small third floor walkup. And my budget makes a shoestring look like one of those plush velvet ropes outside the club I’m too tired to go out to on Saturday night.

But the Urban Housewife is always up for a challenge! That’s why I started theUrbanHousewife.com - advice, tips and tricks for the big city girl with a small domestic space."

Check out The Urban Housewife

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1. Melisser Elliot
2. Buy The Vegan Girl's Guide To Life

5 most toxic household cleaners

"According to the Organic Consumers Association: “In 2000, cleaning products were responsible for nearly 10% of all toxic exposures reported to U.S. Poison Control Centers, accounting for 206,636 calls. Of these, 120,434 exposures involved children under six, who can swallow or spill cleaners stored or left open inside the home.”

Cleaning products provide us with a range of health concerns. Some cause hazards such as skin or respiratory irritation, watery eyes, or chemical burns, while others are linked with chronic, or long-term, effects such as cancer. No thanks!

Let’s take a look at the top offenders. And let me be clear. Anything you buy that is commercial is going to be somewhat toxic. Check out Environmental Working Groups website to check out which cleaners beyond this list are hazardous. Believe me, I only picked 5 out of about 200 that scored an “F”.....

1. Lysol Disinfectant Sprays
2. Mr. Clean Multi-Surface Spray Cleaner
3. Walmart Great Value All Purpose Cleaner with Bleach
4. Green Works “Natural” Cleaning Wipes
5. Trader Joe’s Next to Godliness Multi-Purpose Cleaner

See explanations @ Mary Crimmins (dot) com

16 Common Product Combinations You Should Never Mix

1. Bleach + Vinegar = Toxic Chlorine Gas
2. Ammonia + Bleach = Toxic Chloramine Vapors
3. Rubbing Alcohol + Bleach = Chloroform
4. Hydrogen Peroxide + Vinegar = Parecetic Acid
5. Baking Soda + Vinegar = Ineffective Cleaning Solution
6. Two Different Battery Brands = Corrosion
7. Medicine + Grapefruit Juice = Adverse Effects
8. Acetaminophen + Alcohol = Irreversible Liver Damage
9. Red Bull + Milk = Stomachaches
10. Glycolic Acid/AHAs + Retinol = Ineffective Skincare
11. Ibuprofen + Alcohol = Torn Stomach Lining
12. Compound Henna Hair Dye + Hydrogen Peroxide = Foul Chemical Reaction
13. St. John’s Wort + Contraceptives = Ineffective Birth Control
14. Morel Mushrooms + Alcohol = Morel Poisoning
15. Retinol + Sunshine = Risk of Sunburn
16. Antibiotics + Dairy = Reduced Efficacy
See entire article with explanation @ Buzzfeed

Life hacks you never knew existed

"These simple yet effective life hacks aren't just time savers, they're also money savers too. Take the post-it life hack for example; no need to spend money on fancy tools to clean those hard to reach areas, just use an old post-it note to get the job done! Another great life hack is the toasted sandwich idea. By placing two slices of bread in a single toaster slot you can create the ultimate toasted sandwich. Never again will a BLT be the same!"

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Bedroom Design - "I Do" soundwaves on wall

"Sound waves from when each said "I do"

Credit

Apartment Therapy

*Click pic to go to site

 

 Cleaning tips, DIY tips, etc

 

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Homeward Bound: Why Women Are Embracing the New Domesticity

"Amid today’s rising anxieties—the economy, the scary state of the environment, the growing sense that the American Dream hasn’t turned out to be so dreamy after all—a groundswell of women (and more than a few men) are choosing to embrace an unusual rebellion: domesticity. A generation of smart, highly educated young people are spending their time knitting, canning jam, baking cupcakes, gardening, and more (and blogging about it, of course), embracing the labor-intensive domestic tasks their mothers and grandmothers eagerly shrugged off. Some are even turning away from traditional careers and corporate culture for slower, more home-centric lifestyles that involve “urban homesteading,” homeschooling their kids, or starting Etsy businesses. They’re questioning whether regular jobs are truly fulfilling and whether it’s okay to turn away from the ambitions of their parents’ generation.

How did this happen? And what does it all mean? What happens to American culture as a whole when our best and brightest put home and hearth above other concerns? Does this sudden fascination with traditional homemaking bode ill for gender equality? What role have the media and blog culture played in making domesticity look so darn appealing?

In Homeward Bound, acclaimed journalist Emily Matchar takes a long, hard look at both the inspiring appeal and the potential dangers of this trend she calls the New Domesticity, exploring how it could be reshaping the role of women in society and what the consequences may be for all of us. In riveting interviews with all kinds of people from coast to coast, Matchar examines the motivations of those who have embraced this movement, from Southern food bloggers to chicken-keeping “radical homemakers” on the East Coast to Etsy entrepreneurs in Provo, Utah, to attachment parenting devotees in Chicago, and many more. This groundbreaking reporting on the New Domesticity is guaranteed to transform our notions of women in today’s society and add a new layer to the ongoing discussion of whether women can—or should—have it all."

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Houseplants and air care

Houseplants Air Care

*Credit: Reader's Digest

Cleaning tips you have not heard before

Credit: Reader's Digest

Houseplants and air care

Credit: Rt:reader's Digest