grandma's tea cup collection

 Sunday's, I don't set my alarm.  When I wake up, I wake up.  No to do list is waiting.  And every Sunday when I'm home...I find myself wandering into a little project.  This morning was cleaning teacups.  My grandma Ella had a big collection of teacup.  Grandpa had made her 8 tea cup cabinets to hang on their walls.  Each held 9 teacups.  When she passed my sister and I were gifted her collection.  

At the time, I wasn't having tea parties.  Frilly, fancy teacups weren't really my thing.  As much as I love my grandma, I didn't really want a giant collection of teacups.  I didn't even like pink or fancy dishes.

Of course, growing up, I didn't like broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, or beets either.  Everyday you lose cells and gain new cells.  Every 7 years we become new people.

A few weeks ago, I cleaned out, organized, rebooted and downsized all my dishes, my grandma dishes, good dishes, tea cups everything you would find in a china cabinet.  Which is funny because, I also never wanted a china closet and yet somehow, I had enough good dishes and such to fill a china closet.  90% of which were gifted to me or wandered into my life. 

Over the years, I fell in love with tea parties and vegetables.  A friend of mine endeared me to the art of tea.  Sitting, enjoying a cup of tea during a work pause or after work satisfaction.  Maybe I learned to love tea parties by reading about Wabi Sabi, or going to Iona, or from my aunt Darlean.  Or maybe I've always be destined to love tea parties.  I'm a slow bloomer. 

Like the dishes I didn't buy, tea parties wandered into my life.  I didn't search them out, and yet they found me anyway.

This morning, as I was washing my tea cup collection.  (My own collection whittled down to 9 tea cups with saucers.)  I was wondering.  As many tea cups as my grandma had did she ever have tea?  Did she use her tea cups as tea cups?  I never saw her have tea.  And yet, as much as she like collecting tea cups, I can't remember one time her using those tea cups.  Maybe she used them when I wasn't there.  My hunch is, she loved collecting tea cups and making cookies, pies and the most amazing sticky pecan rolls.  But the actual tea party...I don't know.

Now I find myself falling in love with tea parties, tiny bites.   Moments you savor slowly, absorbing the moment as well as the food and tea.  Tea served in a tiny cup feels special.  Deliberate, better?  I'm awake.  Mugs of hot tea go well with books, afghans and afternoons.  Teacups, are used awake-present.

I know my grandma loved her tea collection.  Going to garage sales, on day trips, finding a teacup calling her name.  Having the means to buy something beautiful just for the sake of beauty- was a gift to her.  She grew up very poor.  Her china closet was more than just dishes.  

I understood why she loved teacups.  This morning as I was washing each tiny plate, little cup, I was present. I was so present.  This is what a tea party means to me.  Savoring a moment.  Being fully present and tasting life.  Pausing from my own life to slow down, slow way down and simply sip, or taste a bite a tasty bite.  Tea parties, even tea for one, when served on tiny plates and little teacups with a special treat...makes me... happy. 

With a tiny tea cup you take tiny sips.  You hold your posture a little straighter.  The table set just so.  It's a tiny moment in life. It is special.  Tea parties are special moments.

Thank you, grandma, for my tea collection that took a long time to be appreciated.

If you have a teacup collection.  Dust them off.  Wash them.  Take them out of the cupboard.  Brew a bit of tea.  Make a tiny treat.  Sit up straight, breathe slow and deep - satisfying breaths.  Invite a friend over.  Tea parties don't have to be fancy.  Little peanut butter and jelly sandwiches do just fine.

               Denise

I have an update to this tea party... Yesterday, my mom and I got into a conversation about sewing machines and tea parties.  I gave away my sewing machine this summer.  On paper, I should love to sew. My mom is an amazing seamstress, so is my step mom. I'm not. I'd rather be doing pretty much anything but sewing.  To be fair, I love to sew straight lines, go buy material and fantasize about all the things I could create...but that's as far as it goes.  I was telling my mom I was loving tea parties.  She told me something I don't think I realized.  Denise you have always loved tea parties.  She would know, she is my mom.  Thinking about it, I can't imagine a time that I would turn away a tea party.

The Habit Poem...A year of tiny practices

"The first time you actually do it differently - whether you're delighted or disappointed in the results - you throw a pebble in the pond. The pebble sends out tiny, barely visible ripples of movement toward the center. No one else notices.....But one day, all those small but indelible moments of private courage will burst through. And both you an your world will have changed in an authentic moment."        Sarah Ban Breathnach Simple Abundance

 Greetings January!!

         When you are creating new years resolutions...  Think daily practices...they turn into habits...and habits create your life.   You can do this...one tiny practice at a time...one pebble, one day, one moment.

                         May you be persistent and consistent in your dreams,  Happy New Year!!

                                                                                                    Denise Frakes Home and Life Coach

The Habit Poem

I am your constant companion

I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden

I will push you onward or drag you down to failure

I am completely at your command

Half of the things you do, you might as well turn over to me 

and I will do them - quickly and correctly

I am easily managed- you must be firm with me

Show me exactly how you want something done

and after a few lessons I will do it automatically

I am the servant of great people

and alas, of all failure as well.

Those who are great, I have made great

Those who are failures, I have made failures

I am not a machine though

I work with the precision of a machine

plus the intelligence of a person

You may run me for profit or run me to ruin

it makes no difference to me

Take me, train me, be firm with me, and 

I will place the world at your feet

Be easy with me and I will destroy you.

Who am I?  I am Habit.

Author unknown

Easy Mask Cleaning...reducing acne and residues

 Masks are part of our lives...for the time being anyway.  Taking care of our masks and making sure they are free of contaminates and chemical residue is essential.

Contaminates get in our system three main ways.  We breathe them in, absorb them into our skin or ingest them because our masks are on our faces...keeping our masks clean and free of contaminates is essential! And super easy. 

 I've created two quick videos to first tell you why this is essential...and secondly how to clean your masks - the easy and residue free way

                                        What you may not know about your mask... 2.3 minute video on the why

 Super easy, portable cleaning demo on mask cleaning... the easy and residue free way.

Lots of things have changed over the past few months.  The basics of cleaning remain the same.  Clean easy and residue free.  

        stay clean and safe out there.  Denise

                     

Rebooting our Immune System

Good morning, It's early Sat morning as I writing you.  How are you doing this morning?  We are in some strange and stressful times.  How are you managing all this?  I've found I have days of feeling super confident and powerful which will be followed by a day of wondering and low energy.  I know this is normal, it is stress showing up.  We all have stress.  The stress level of our entire world has exponentially increased.

Yesterday I was reading one of my favorite books.  Born to Run- if you follow me, you know I'm a huge fan of journeys. exploration, nature, human nature and running... this book has it all in spades.  It's about modern day ultra athletes and an ancient running people the Tarahumara.  On page 37 they are talking about a group of Tarahumara who started living the modern life...with it came foods they had "rarely eaten - soda, chocolate, rice, sugar, butter, flower.  They developed a taste for starch and treats.....that was twenty years ago. "Now, there are no runners in Yerbabuena."  What I know for sure...Food is Medicine.  Food can also be a thief.  Poor food choices steal our health.

This passage struck a cord with me.  I've been giving myself more than normal treats, comfort foods, baked goods, chocolate, butter... rich foods.  My body doesn't work as well on these foods. My brain gets foggy.  My immune system isn't as powerful.  I know eating has a tremendous impact of my own vitality.  I've known this for years.  Just because we know something doesn't mean we always are perfect- hardly. 

 Nutrition and stress are directly linked.  Up your nutrition...your stress decreases...lower your nutrition...your stress will increase.

I run a pretty clean personal health ship because I like to feel good.  When I'm stressed, I up my self care...which includes nourishing foods. foods that reduce my own stress.  Lately I'm feeling signs of high stress... I'm more emotional, fuzzy brained, up's and downs in my energy, lowered decision making... that's my body, mind and spirit talking to me.  I'm listening...

I invite you to join me.  For the next two weeks, I'll be upping self care and lowering things I know drop my vitality, focus and immunity.  Two weeks isn't very long. It's doable.  I know from experience rebooting my vitality is priceless.- it is essential.  

Why I'm getting up at 5:30am during this quarantine

Why am I getting up at 5:30am, during this quarantine?

 Waking up early is like putting on my own oxygen mask.  You've heard the saying in the airline safety announcement... "put your oxygen mask on first".

 At first when we got asked to stay home, I went into speed drive.  Then I relaxed my normal schedule and started sleeping in.  But an interesting thing happened...my stress when up, my confidence went down. 

So I shifted my own plan.  I don't really like getting out of my nice warm bed any more than you do... but waking up early, drinking hot water and then going for a run or walk starts my day beautiful.  Since I returned to my early wake up and early morning nature... my anxiety and stress have dropped by at least 80%!  That's significant!!!!

What's the law of physics?  Things in motion tend to stay in motion...Things at rest tend to stay at rest?  It's the same for routines and rhythms.
           

Start off well...end well. 

 Start off muddled = end muddled

You may or may not need to wake up early, get am fresh air and keep a clean house... This works for me.  Find your own rhythm.  What works for you.  Maybe you do better with a great night time routine.  Listen to yourself.  Our actions have cause and effects.  This is especially when we are under stress.  The greater the stress the higher the need for better self care.

When I'm on vacation..I can sleep in and eat more junk..apparently but not during a world stress event.  Nope, now I need to wake up early, be at my best and put my oxygen mask on first...

Because the healthier, more confident, vibrant we are.. the better we will be at problem solving, resilience, compassion and supporting others.  This is true for all of us.  

My rules of thumb...

              When I wake up I get up and wash my face

               I go outside...listen, see beauty, smell the flowers and fresh air

               I reach out to others

               Tidy up my home

               Eat healthy...not crap.. drink water

               Relax before I go to sleep

I know it's hard out there.  We are all stressed.  Be kind to yourself.  Practice kind habits.

 I'm here for you!!  

                        Denise

When in doubt...sit

Today, I was faced with a decision.  I couldn't come up with a clear answer and it was making my stomach turn.  I laid down for a 20 minute nap and when I woke up I had my answer: be still.

We have many opportunities and options in our great country.  We are blessed with abundance and with abundance comes choices. More is not always better. There is an ease to having fewer options.  Your mind can relax.  It becomes more creative with less.

This is our Penny kitty.  She understands stillness. 

I help people let go of the "too much" world.  I am not immune to this world.  Maybe I don't collect things but it is easy to collect ideas, tasks, opportunities, possibilities.
Tonight before I toddle off to bed I wanted to share my thoughts with you.

If you can't decide- don't.  Become very still and listen
Before going forward clean
      clean out your projects, your procrastinations, your unfinished beginnings
By going back and cleaning up, you gain insights into where you want to go.
By becoming still, you ground yourself, your breath deepens as does your internal wisdom

These are my thoughts before I sleep.  July is a good month to clean out and breathe.
          Denise

The Practice of Forgivness

 Leave the weight of the world in December by practicing forgiveness 

 Before the new year starts- let go of the weight you carry with you.

The following is an ancient forgiveness practice called Ho'Oponopono

 This prayer or practice is simple, powerful and healing. It clears and releases you and who/what you direct it toward.  Say it quietly or out loud.  

I started using this practice about a month ago.  It has since become one of my favorite clearing mantras for releasing life's residues.  I especially like it to use toward family, pets and myself. It works especially well when I feel anxiety, regret, guilt or helpless. 

Anyway you use it seems to work. 

Play with it.  Be consistent.  Use it in unexpected places and ways  

Try it for 21 days and let me know what you discover

Please forgive me

I'm sorry

Thank you

I love you

We are all imperfect- it is a human condition. 

Wishing you happy holidays
May we all find peace by giving peace
 Denise

Where cleaning is a game and mud puddles are for jumping in

Most people think because I clear clutter and owned a restoration cleaning company that I'm one of those super tidy, home always immaculate kind of gals....nope!  The thought does makes me smile though.

I don't care if you have dust bunnies or a full house. I do care if your eyes sparkle.  I care you live in a healthy space.  I care you are surrounded by that which gives you joy. I care that you feel loved and connected. I care there is space for you to thrive.  This is what I care about.

Perfect homes don't exist.  I love simple imperfect spaces.  I love homes that are unique, authentic, easy, effortless, funny, bright and full of fresh air.  I love families that love easily, love endlessly and love openly.

When I coach simplicity and de-cluttering,  I'm not looking for imperfections.  I'm looking for what gives you radiance and vibrancy.  I'm looking for those juicy parts of your life that need TLC.  I look to see you.  Sometimes we just need to clean off a bit of life's residue. The real you- your essence is always present.  The gift of what I do is to create space for you to breathe.

When I think of residue free living, I think of my niece.  At three years old, there isn't much life residue or clutter build up.  She thinks cleaning is a game, dandelions are beautiful and jumping in mud puddles fun.

wishing you inspired living, work and homes
                   Denise

         

Catch a fish, write a poem, listen to opera

What is living residue free?  Go shopping and watch people.  Go to different places.  Box stores, discount stores, farmers markets, thrift stores and the candy store.  Go to the post office, the library, the gas station and the park.  Go watch a soccer game played by 28 year olds and then 5 year olds.  Go to a watch a band, an artist blow glass and go to the beach when the sun is out.

 Watch people and you will know what it is to live with residue and without residue.

Go outside at the crack of dawn, dig in dirt, run with your dog, take a shopping cart back to the store for a frazzled mom trying to contain 3 toddlers.  Sit and watch TV for hours, scroll through Facebook and then watch more TV.  Go see the limbs of a tree move, catch a fish, write a poem, talk to a bird and get up and dance.  Notice, try new things, watch people, do old things, wash the dishes and sing songs. Smile when no one is looking.

Living residue free is different for everyone.  It is living without residue.

             Happy travels

                          

Habits for a life of prosperity or ruin....

We are our habits.  Our habits save our brains a tremendous amount of energy.  This is good.  But... and there is always a but isn't there?  But our habits are often formed without our noticing.  Many were formed in childhood.  There aren't really even your habits, they are the habits of your environment. 

   Habits can create healthy, vibrant and extraordinary lives.  Habits can also get you stuck, unhealthy and exhausted.  It takes time, consistence and awareness to shift habits.  This is where intentions, rituals and practices come in.  Before I dive into how to shift habits here is one of my favorite quotes:  The author is unknown but the thought is timeless.

I am your constant companion

I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden

I will push you onward or drag you down to failure

I am completely at your command

Half the things you do you might just as well turn over to me

and I will be able to do them quickly and correctly.

I am easily managed

You must merely be firm with me

Show me exactly how you want done and after a few lessons I will do it automatically

I am the servant of all great men and alas, of failures as well.

Those who are great, I have made great

Those who are failures, I have made failures

I am not a machine

Though I work with all the precision of a machine, plus the intelligence of a man

You man run me for profit or run me for ruin

It makes no difference to me

Take me, train me, be firm with me

And I will place the world at your feet

Be easy with me and I will destroy you

Who am I?

I am habit

     Anonymous

Stay tuned, this month we are playing with habits,

                        Wishing you all the kindness of the heart and the spirit of an adventurer!!

                                                                                         Denise

If you like this post, you might like to read my post on practices - click here to read

Playing small doesn't serve the world

Do you ever doubt yourself? Are you ever afraid?  I am.  I wish I could say, no not me I'm always super confident and amazing.  The truth is I doubt, I shrink, I fret.  Sometimes, I think who am I to write, coach, create workshops, give presentations, even garden or create recipes?  But then there are other times, more and more, that I smile and know.  I like those times better.

Today, a friend of mine and I were visiting about this very topic.  She sent me a poem writen by Marianne Williamson.   If you are having a day of doubt read this and see if your inner knowing doesn't perk up a bit.

As always, I wish you oodles of confident and splashes of brilliance,
      Denise

"Our Deepest Fear"

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small doesn't serve the world.

There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us.  It's not just in some of us;

It's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates others."

Marianne Williamson

Creativity and clutter are roommates

     It is the wee hours of the morning and creativity has struck.  As I write, I'm still in my pjs drinking my little cup of hot lime water and snacking on a little orange.  I'm up early to get my work done today.  But before I settle in my office for some early morning -very productive- efficient- serious work, I pause and play.  My morning play usually consists of yoga, watching my cats play, morning stares and whatever else strikes my fancy.

   While stretching this am, I'm inspired to read a few pages from Elizabeth Gilbert's new book: Big Magic.  For those of you who want to join me in this conversation, I'm reading chapter 2 Enchantment.  Here Elizabeth is giving you two ways to be creative. One is the old method of suffering.  Another way is a partnership with inspiration.

   "You can receive your ideas with respect and curiosity, not with drama and dread. You can clear out whatever obstacles are preventing you from living your most creative life, with the simple understanding that whatever is bad for you is also probably bad for your work." pg 40-41

    Elizabeth gets struck with inspiration and has decided to partner up with her idea.  And this is how she starts...

    "I then did what you do when you get serious about a project or pursuit, I cleared space for it. I cleaned off my desk, literally and figuratively." pg 42-43

   And there you have it!   Are you following me??   Clearing your clutter is not about your stuff it is about living your live with creativity, with spark, with your spirit of adventure and with your full attention!!

   Clutter - whether it is the stuff that fills our homes, the to-dos on our to-do lists, the conversations that loop over and over in our minds, the time we spend doing things you don't like and that probably don't as much attention as we give it.  It is the wasted evenings, the foods that weigh our energy down.  It is the weeds that grow in our own personal gardens.

    So when you start balking at clearing your clutter and the residues in your life, pause and wonder.  What spark of creativity is wanting to grow??  Which would be more fun? Looking at an overstuffed bookcase, filled with dusty and forgotten books or opening up your space for a splash of creative play???  Hummm, I'm just saying...

Today I wish you a day of inspired creativity with fewer weeds sucking the life out of your soil and soul!

      Happy clearing,
            Denise
 

Eat Pretty for beautiful skin

Last night I ordered myself a new book.  Eat Pretty by Jolene Hart.  It cost me $9.85.  When I think of all the lotions and potions I can put on my skin, $9.85 is a screaming deal.

   Over the years, I have found the principles of residue free cleaning can be completely transferable to skin care.  Less is more.  On slate floors when a coating has been applied, my first instinct is to cringe.  For a couple of reasons.  First of all the coating has completely covered up the essence of the slate. It no longer looks and feels like slate but is now a plasticky, shinny shadow of the original.  Secondly, I know at some point this coating will need to be stripped off.  The stripping off process will require unnecessary chemicals, serious agitation and inevitably a bit of extra wear and tear not only to the floor but to us too!  

   I pause here to give a heavy sigh....

  At this point you may be wondering what does a coated slate floor have to do with a new skin care book called Eat Pretty!  Everything!!!  When we coat our faces with layers of beauty products we are essentially coating our slate floors.  Our natural essence has been hidden and at some point - usually at night before bed, we will need to strip off the coating.  This practice can't be good for your tender face skin.

  Partly because I'm terribly lazy when it comes to make up and partly because I hate it's feel and partly because coatings make me cringe, I wear very little make up. I do love healthy skin so instead I make my own skin care oils and try to take care of my skin from the inside out.  And after one long drawn out conversation...this is why I ordered the book Eat Pretty by Jolene Heat for $9.85 last night.

Wishing you radiant skin and good eating,
      Denise

Natural Beauty Shines Through

This morning in the wee hours of the day, I was mesmerized by our slate floor.  The early morning light was dancing off the stone's natural texture.  It got me to thinking about how beautiful the natural essence of stone is.  In our business of cleaning, that is really what we are trying to achieve, uncover the natural essence of the surface we are working on.  

As a general rule of thumb, we don't add finishes or coatings to stone.  Sometimes we will enhance a stone's finish but we try not to do that either.  Because when you look closely at most stone you will see it is really art.  No two stones are the same, they are millions of years old and they came out of a mountain!  

On our slate floor we have yellows and oranges, greens and grays, there are browns, tans and even purples- how great is that?  Beyond the rainbows of color there is more to the stone.  There is a texture and when clean and free of soil, residues and manmade coatings there is clarity to the finish that is breathtakingly beautiful.  You will never get that kind of clarity when you mask and cover up its natural essence.

And the truth is that’s how we are too.  When our natural essence shines through we are all beautiful.  I remember going to visit my grandma Ella in the nursing home towards the end of her life.  She was in her 90's, sitting in a wheel chair, lots of wrinkles and could no longer see clearly with her eyes.  And yet she was undoubtedly beautiful!  Her eyes sparkled.   My grandma was insanely curious and even though her body was giving out her natural essence was still very much alive and well. This was where her radiance came from.

True beauty comes from our natural essence.  It never comes from a coating added- make up on our faces or acrylic coatings on our floors.  It comes from the twinkle in our eye, our natural passions and curiosities.  Our essence shines through when we are thoughtful of others and notice the beauty surrounding us. When we unexpectedly get the giggles or well up because our hearts have been touched.  

You can't put your finger on the exact place we show our essence because it isn't stagnating but alive.  Each day, each month, each year we have many reasons to let residues build up not only on our floors but in our lives.  The key to having our natural essence shine through is to keep cleaning off the residues and never let them build up.

As always, wishing you happiness, health and natural radiance!

            Denise

The secret practice of home care

" Gratitude is the heart's memory."
An Old Proverb

This morning I did dishes. I do dishes multiple times a day. Like me, most families do dishes multiple times a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. It is what I call a daily task. No matter how busy or successful you become there will always be daily tasks. Maybe you don't do dishes, instead you shop, drive to work, do laundry, pay the bills, mow the grass, care for a family member.... the list is infinite and as unique as we all are.

The definition of insanity is doing something over and over expecting different results. How do you do your daily tasks? Do you ever find yourself rushing, delaying, pressing through, plodding or grudgingly doing? If you are human, most likely emotions other than pure joy pop in from time to time!

What if you took the time and task- the daily chore- do practice something beautiful? As you pick up and sort your laundry looking for spots and checking pockets, what if you also consider how lucky and grateful you are to have a family, clothes, a washer and dryer....?
What if while you wash dishes you offer prayers and blessings to your family and neighbors?

This daily practice is not easy and it may sound a bit corny but in reality it is a gift. It is a gift in gratitude, in mindfulness and in giving. Instead of your focus being on getting through or frustration, your focus is on something worth every once of your time and energy.

Home care is the perfect practice. It is repeated, automatic and always available- no matter how busy your schedule is. My grandmothers must have done their meditation this way. On the farm, there was no time to run off for yoga practice or sit down for 30 minutes of daily meditation, my guess is their daily chores was the fertile soil of their practice.

Next time you start to do a daily task, pause for a moment and consider a new approach. Relax your shoulders, stand tall, smile - just a touch, pick a practice and mindfully go about your task at hand.

As far as residue free goes... the emotions you express can also be left behind. If you are going to leave a residue behind, it might as well be the residue of gratitude.

As always, wishing you a healthy and happy home.
Denise Frakes

What is Residue Free????

Just what is residue free??? Residue free is simply leaving no residue behind. Residue being defined as something unhealthy and usually unintentionally left behind.

Here are the usual suspects: cleaners, disinfectants, deoderizers & plug ins, solvents, sealers, protectants, bleach, hair sprays, spray tans, perfumes, flea bombs, pesticides, craft paints, glues, carbon monoxide, lead, mercury, dust and dust mites, tobacco smoke, cooking fumes, household paints, fireplace smoke, shredding particles, coatings and finishes, dryer sheet fumes and not last or least new car smell spray! This is a partial list of chemicals being left behind in our homes at scary volume and high frequency rate.

This residue left behind adds to the attraction of soil in a home. Surfaces with cleaner left behind usually re-soil faster- making us want to use more cleaners. Fragrances and disinfectants sprayed into the air get into our lungs and bodies. The fragrances may contain solvents and phlalates. The disinfectants we use to kill living organisms, in case you didn't notice, we are also a living organism. Chemicals left behind mix with other chemicals forming new toxins. Aerosols and fine mist sprays get into the air and can float around for long periods of time- becoming the air you breathe and a potential allergen or asthma trigger. Particles come from the outdoors and indoors, over time they get smaller and smaller until they stay airborn and become your air.

Residue free is learning how to create a home with health being the focus. When you are done cleaning there should be nothing left on the surface besides the surface, no cleaner or water! Residue free is becoming mindful of how toxins enter our systems: by breathing, ingesting and touching. Being residue free is minimizing the contaminates we bring into our homes, it also minimizes the contaminates we touch, eat or breath. It is not only beneficial to your own family and your budget but also our environment. Residue free is about less being more.

Being residue free isn't hard and once you have gone residue free it is compelling to stay there. Your body, your family, your pets and your home will all be healthier and give you a big thank you!!!!!

There are essentials to a healthy home and there are essentials to a residue free home. Together this combo makes for a truely healthy home!

As always, wishing you a healthy and happy home.
Denise Frakes
Certified Healthy Home Specialist and Residue Free Expert

A wild rant

Do you mind if I rant for a second? If you do please scroll to another blog but if you don't mind, I seriously need a moment of your time.

OK, here goes my rant...

We do not need 50 different cleaning products in our homes. And the products we do have don't need to be the strongest and fastest most aggressive cleaners on the market. The reason we clean is not for our neighbors and appearance but for the health of our home and family. Taking our cleaning advice from the companies trying to sell us products is not always a smart choice. And for heaven sake, stop spraying chemicals-disinfectants-deodorizers and cleaners into the air!!!!!!!!! Our homes are cesspools of chemicals. And because we are becoming more aware of our environment and energy use, we close up our homes and those chemicals are trapped inside. It is crazy. You wonder why cancer, asthma, and auto immune diseases are up? Take a hard look at the volume of chemicals our bodies have to process.

It's not just our cleaners, it's also our pesticides, our crafts, our deodorizers, our food, our make up and personal care products. It's our paints, finishes, coatings and strippers. It's even our over abundance of electronics. This excess of chemicals is too much for a home and family. Think: LESS IS MORE!!!!!

OK, I feel a little better. The best advice I can give today is to start being curious. Look at everything. Look under your sinks, in your laundry room and garage. See just how many chemical products you have. Check out how many different products have a fragrance: candles, deodorizers, personal care products, cleaners... How many products do you spray air? Look at your window cleaners, furniture cleaners, general-all purpose cleaners, bleaches, disinfectants, deodorizers, paints, odor neutralizers and fragrances. Are you seeing what I see yet?

Start with wonder. What is in your home to begin with?

Whew! Thank you, my rant is almost over and I can start breathing again. I hate hearing about a child with asthma or a friend with cancer while knowing our homes are full of abundant, unnecessary and excessively over used chemicals. I don't rant that often, so use my wild rant as a starting point to look at your home in a new light.

Residue free homes are a good thing!
Denise Frakes
Certified Healthy Home Specialist
Co-Owner of Blue Sky Services

The great list

I make lists of my goals, things I want to accomplish and items I feel obligated to do. My list is called my MASTER TASK LIST. Sounds quite impressive doesn't it? MASTER TASK LIST must be very important and worthy of a special name. But it isn't really. It is just a list of things I don't want to forget, things I should do-or think I should do and things I have full intention of procrastinating about and never doing.

When I think of my MASTER TASK LIST I feel guilty and behind. It's not that I don't get a lot accomplished in the course of a year. It's just that this important list is always there reminding me I am not done. It tells me I am behind and will never catch up-not a good feeling.

This year I'm going to try something a little differernt. I'm going to rename my list. What do you think of "Really good, Don't forget and Procrastination list". That has a nice ring don't you think?

I now realized this list is just a list. I have many great qualities and one of them is procrastinating. I'm not doing to defind myself. I just thought you should know.

MY MASTER TASK LIST is kind of like all the stuff I collect over a year. I gather material/ideas/research. I devour some and file others for a later time- a time that rarely comes. I am curous and overzellous in my enthusiasm. If you put this quality in a MASTER TASK LIST you will have a long list.

This year, the the first items on my list will not cause my stomach to do twists but my heart to do a leap of joy. Next, on my list will be valuable items I don't want to forget. Like calling my grandparents, changing the fire alarm batteries or going for ice cream. Finally, I'll write my procrastination list. I now know this is not my most important list, it is just a list I created to help me along my year. a place to put things I don't want to forget.

I'm I rationalizing,? Could be, I'm also very good at that.

Happy New year,
Denise

A little slice of heaven

It's early on Christmas Eve morning. The house is still asleep and I'm wide awake. This is the first year I am completely loving the dark and quiet mornings. I used to hate the darkness and for some reason I'm growing to love this time of year. It's supposte to be a time of reflection, of rest and of rejuvenation. A gift to us all. A chance to take a deep breath and relax a bit.

I know during the holiday season this may not be how we actually feel. It's more like rushed, behind and longing. I feel those same things and yet the mornings are so quiet, so peaceful so calm. Each morning I wake up and go sit at the little coffee table my grandpa made for me years ago. I sit on the floor overlooking our back yard. Here I can see the sky and the silhouette of the trees. I sit and I write with paper and pen. The pets usually come around so I can rub their ears while I'm sitting. There are no electronics on, no music, no anything. My only light is a little salt lamp. It is a little slice of heaven.

Who knows where the rest of the day will take me. I still have presents to wrap, work to be done and places to go. This is one time residue is good. The residue left over from this quiet time seems to stay with me most of the days. It make this dark season so beautiful and my to do list a little less heavy.

Merry Christmas to all,
Denise

Residue is a sneaky little fellow!

Residue is a sneaky little fellow. This morning as I unloaded our dishwasher I found dishwasher detergent specks on my dishes. The specks told me my dishwasher didn't rinse very well last night, but they also sparked this morning's blog.

There are 4 main ways for us become exposed to chemicals: ingestion, inhalation, absorption and injection.

What does this mean to me having soapy-clean dishes? I'm so glad you asked... it means everything! If I hadn't seen the residue left behind on my dishes, we most likely would have ingested the cleaner. I use non-toxic dishwasher detergent, which is good, but I still don't want to eat it. How would I have been feeling if I didn't use non-toxic dishwasher detergent???

In this case, the residue was visible, but what if it had dried clear? In food areas please use non-toxic cleaners. This includes dishwashing, dishwasher, and kitchen cleaners. Next,be aware of little residues that may just become lunch.

Oh yeah and while you are at it, don't open up your dishwasher and breath in the vapors- especially if you are not using a non-toxic cleaner.

Hope you have a good 28th day of Autumn!
Denise