spring cleaning

in an effort to be more green, i've been changing over my cleaning products to ones that won't harm the environment. a couple difficulties with this are that they aren't cheap and how to decide which ones to use?! there are so many out there and back to "they aren't cheap" if they don't work, you don't want to just throw it away.

so i've gone to my green resources, my mom & my baby sister. they are always looking for better, greener cleaning products and if it's in their budgets, then they'll try it. so here's what we've come up with...

dish soap - method. cleans the best, easy to find, and one of my book club friends told me that america's test kitchen just put out that this was their favorite too!

floor cleaner - castille soap (the link is to the brand you can find at target). not sure about using it on wood floors (so don't blame me...), but tile and vinyl. it's the best. cleans well, and you can find it now at target in the cosmetics aisle.

counter top cleaner - mrs. meyer's. wow. no more scrubbing. seriously this stuff has changed my life. also easy to find.

have you found a green product that you like? leave a comment and share what it is!

i spy...

BLUEBONNETS!!

that's right, ladies and gentlemen, spring has arrived in central texas. throughout the latter part of march i had been searching for the bluebonnets along the highway and my search was finally rewarded. my bookclub met out in bastrop this past weekend (hi brea!) and the wildflowers on the way out there were absolutely gorgeous. not to mention the brisket we had for lunch...mmm mmm good!

so now back to the topic of bluebonnets, i mean, brisket is yummy, but bluebonnets...be still my heart! did you know that LBJ (that's LADY BIRD, not LYNDON B.) was instrumental in beautifying our highways? there's some info on the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center site, but here's the essential info:

Right after the 1964 election, she decided that "the whole field of conservation and beautification" had the greatest appeal to her. Soon after that, she was urging her husband to see what could be done about junkyards along the nation's highways.

Today, perhaps most people think of Lady Bird Johnson as the reason why we see wildflowers blooming along the nation's highways and fewer junkyards and billboards. The Beautification Act of 1965 was one tangible result of Mrs. Johnson's campaign for national beautification. Known as "Lady Bird's Bill" because of her active support, the legislation called for control of outdoor advertising, including removal of certain types of signs along the nation's Interstate system and the existing federal-aid primary system. It also required certain junkyards along Interstate or primary highways to be removed or screened and encouraged scenic enhancement and roadside development.

It is part of that legacy that today the Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act of 1987 requires that at least 0.25 of 1 percent of funds expended for landscaping projects in the highway system be used to plant native flowers, plants and trees.

ok, education over! go out and enjoy the spring, and check out Faylas Follies because there are some new designs posted. ENJOY!

PS -- i'll get some photos of bluebonnets up for sale as soon as i get out there to get some good pictures of 'em