31 Days of Healthy Living | Day 8

Hello! 
Today, I'm going to let you in on my secret to getting our sinks, tubs, and floors super clean. It's safe, natural, nontoxic, has no fumes or odors. It's Shaklee's Scour Off Heavy Duty Paste. Once you try this amazing scouring product, you will never go back to Comet, Ajax, Soft Scrub, or any other toxic and dangerous cleanser! This stuff WORKS!
We use Scour Off to get the grime out of our sinks, get ring around the tub out of the boys tub, get crayon off ceramic tile, easily clean pots and pans...really the uses of Scour Off are endless! 
Scour Off is a paste, so there are no dust clouds, no gross fumes, you don't have to clear out the house to use it. It's made from cherry pits (abrasive), and other natural mineral and biodegradable cleaning agents. No chlorine, no bleach, no dyes!
Check out some of the ways we use it in our home!

31 Days of Healthy Living | Day 7

Hi there! Today is Day 7 of my series, but I'm definitely a few days behind. It's been harder than I thought it would be to blog every day!
To catch up on the other days, you can go here! Today I'm going to talk about my favorite fabric softener. You guessed it, it's Shaklee's Get Clean Soft Fabric Concentrate.  Last year, I wrote a post titled, What is in My Fabric Softener?, that discusses all the harmful chemicals that may be in your fabric softener. You might be surprised! Yuck. And I don't know about you, but I'm not a fan of being able to smell people when they walk into a room...the overpowering fragrance of some fabric softeners really makes my head start to ache. 

Well, we've been using the Get Clean Concentrate for just over a year and I love it. LOVE IT, and here's why:

• It's super concentrated. This 32 oz bottle will soften 64 loads of laundry, saving lots of money!
• It's nontoxic, biodegradable, natural, and does not contain any phosphates!
• It's compatible for both HE and standard washers!
• Shaklee's Get Clean Concentrate rivals Melaleuca's fabric softener for softening your clothes!
• It controls static and makes ironing easier!
• The Get Clean Concentrate also has a super light, lavender scent...it's not overpowering at all. In fact, some of my clients (even me) who are super sensitive to scented cleaners have raved at how much they like the light fragrance of this fabric softener!

I always recommend using this great fabric softener with our Nature Bright Laundry Booster and Fresh Laundry Concentrate! For the best deal, the Get Clean Starter Kit is the way to go....not only do you get all the laundry products, but you get all of Shaklee's other Get Clean products so you can clean your entire home naturally AND save a ton of money doing it! Check it out here! I've had such a great response so far to this 31 Days series...thank you for all your Shaklee orders and for helping support my small business...I so appreciate YOU!

31 Days of Healthy Living | Day 6

Today is Day 6 in my month long series about healthier living. I'm a few days behind, though! If you've missed my previous posts in this series, you can check them out here! Today I want to talk about my favorite way to help with the stress in my life. I know I write in a pretty upbeat tone most of the time here on the blog, but let's get real for a moment: I'm human...I'm a wife, a mom, own two small businesses, and keep our home running...all on a daily basis. Like most of you, I'm on the clock 24/7! And I get stressed...a lot. Probably more than I should, but I try to pray about it and give those stressors up to God and let him help me through it! On that note, I've started taking Shaklee's B Complex supplements everyday to help with my stress levels. Now you may be wondering...wait didn't Jessica talk about taking Vitalizer everyday as a way of taking care of herself? And doesn't that have B Complex in it? Indeed I did and indeed it does (you can read about it here!). But I usually take an extra two B Complex supplements everyday...yes, I can be that stressed out! :)  I can tell a difference in my stress and anxiety levels if I've missed my B Complex...I'm a little too amped up without them. What's so great about Shaklee's B Complex is that I can tell it starts to work in about 30 minutes!
What is B Complex? Basically, there are 8 essential B vitamins that work best when they work together. Unfortunately, our typical Western diets don't provide enough whole grains, leafy green veggies, and fish needed to get the 100% of the Daily Value.  B vitamins are critical nutrients for all things mind-related like mood and memory. The B's can help with anxiety, stress, lift depression, boost your energy, and help with PMS. Win!! It's no wonder B Complex is also known as the Happy Pill, right?? Do you suffer from anxiety or stress? Have you tried taking B Complex yet?

31 Days of Healthy Living | Day 5

Welcome to Day 5 of my series!
Today I'm going to chat with you about a natural way to freshen the air in your home.  Before we found a healthier, more natural way of living, we were really big in to Febreze and other artificial air fresheners. Ugh, what were we thinking?
The Natural Resources Defense Council tested 14 air fresheners and found that all but two contained harmful phthalates. Phthalates are chemicals that can cause hormonal imbalances, birth defects, and reproductive problems. Also, air fresheners may contain allergens and volatile organic compounds, as well as carcinogenic chemicals like benzene and formaldehyde. (from 360YourLife.com)
YUCK!
I don't know about you, but I just do not want my family breathing in that junk!
Our home is almost 30 years old and sometimes gets a musty smell to it. So on days we can, we open the windows to let the fresh air circulate through the house. On other days, we use essential oils and a diffuser to make our home smell great! Essential oils are a safe, natural way to freshen the home without all those gross toxic chemicals!
I just love using essential oils! Most of them smell amazing and have wonderful health benefits! I like to diffuse lavender and peppermint together for a great air freshener. Also, I like to diffuse Thieves to help get rid of any airborne bacteria that may be lingering. We do have two kids in preschool and they bring home lots of germs! :) 
I don't really have a preference on essential oil brands, but if you use them, make sure the oils are pure, food and therapeutic grade. There are a lot you can buy at the local store, which may be fine, but do your research first! I know that Young Living, doTERRA and Spark Naturals are great oils to try. 
Pay attention to this!! One of my great friends who LOVES her essential oils is offering a special just for my readers! Purchase any Spark Natural essential oils and receive 10% off your order!! Simply enter crunchyurbanmom in the coupon box when checking out!! 

Now that you know about essential oils as an air freshener, how do you do it? You'll need a diffuser. There are so many diffusers on the market and many of them are super EXPENSIVE! 
However, I bought this a few weeks ago and so far I really like it. It's the Greenair Spa Vapor. It's quiet, and really works well to diffuse the air, plus it was only about $33! Bonus! It has these color changing LED lights, which I'm not too sure about...they're a little too 'far out' for me, but some people might like them! :) 
I hope you found this interesting and informative! What do you use to naturally freshen the air in your home?
Have we connected in my Facebook group yet? See you there!!

31 Days of Healthy Living | Day 4

Welcome to Day 4 of my 31 Days of Healthy Living Series! 
I hope you're enjoying it so far! Today, I want to share with you my all time favorite bleach alternative. What? There's another way to disinfect without that nasty bleach smell?? You betcha! And it's SAFE, NATURAL, BIODEGRADABLE, and NONTOXIC! It's actually the safest on the market!!  I'm talking about Basic G, Shaklee's Natural Germicide! Basic G is a safe alternative to bleach, Lysol, 409, Clorox Cleanup...any of those hardcore disinfectants that you may use around your home.

And it's so easy to use, too. Mix 3/4 teaspoon to 16 oz water and you've got a full bottle of disinfecting power! Because it's so concentrated, a little goes a long way and saves money! Basic G has a three year shelf life. Its residual effectiveness lasts up to THREE DAYS after application. Chlorine bleach used as a disinfectant is only effective for about an hour. Basic G is perfect wherever disinfectants are needed and kills up to 99% of bacteria! Basic G also kills 38 pathogens, while Lysol only kills 8 pathogens! So here's a quick run down on Basic G and why I think you'd love it as much as we do! Cleans Deodorizes Free of bleach and alcohol Gets rid of fungi (mold) and viruses Kills 99.9% of E. coli and salmonella bacteria EPA registered Super concentrated - 1 quart makes up to 64 gallons = CHEAP!!

Here are the many places you can use Basic G! Bathroom

• Toilets (this and Nature Bright are my only toilet bowl cleaners..safe and effective!)
• Garbage pails
• Sinks and faucets
• Showers

Kitchen (note: not to be used around food)

• Countertops
• Sinks
• Refrigerator handles
• Kill salmonella after preparing meats
• Trash can
• Use as a mopping solution (just mix 1 tablespoon to one gallon of water)

Other uses

• I use it to get my husband's stinky soccer clothes extra clean! Just add 1 teaspoon per laundry load. 
• Use it to clean your reusable grocery bags. Read about how I do it here. 
• Great weed killer!
• Safe for all surfaces: stainless steel, aluminum, hard and non-porous surfaces
• Can even be used as a weed killer! Use 1 gallon of water, 1 tablespoon of Basic G and 1/2 cup of white vinegar.

I love knowing that I can kill germs and not use all the harsh chemicals to do so. Basic G is a safe alternative to any disinfectant out there and works even better! To read more about Basic G and order your own bottle, please shop here! If you have questions, let me know!

31 Days of Healthy Living | Day 3

Hello, hello! Welcome to Day 3 of my Healthy Living series!

Today I'm going to chat with you about exercise. We all need to exercise, preferably everyday. I want to workout everyday (I LOVE to exercise!!), but I don't always get to because of...well, life!  Exercise is so very beneficial to us. Neurotransmitters that promote feelings of well-being, comfort and relaxation are released during exercise! Even just 10 minutes of activity can relax your mind and body, as well as burn off those calories and fat! It really is a win-win! Feeling that 'ugh' when you think about exercise? The thing that's worked for me is to find a workout that I truly enjoy! Need some ideas? My favorite workouts are:

• Yoga for relaxation, flexibility, core work
• Insanity for a high intense, sweaty, hard core, body weight resistance, gasping for air workout
• Zumba for serious cardio along with fun dance
• Power walking for cardio and leg muscle building
• Bike riding with the family for cardio and leg muscles

Real Life Note! I try to do one of these workouts every day. I don't always get in a full workout every day, but I try to at least do 20 minutes of SOMETHING. If I go more than two days without getting my heart rate up and getting sweaty, I start to feel antsy. So I try to keep up with a consistent routine!

I'm with my kids pretty much all day everyday. I don't get to the gym as much as I want to because sometimes the classes just don't work for me. So I like to do a modified Insanity routine at home and try to get my boys involved! My oldest runs the stopwatch and writes down my 'scores' on a piece of paper (it's a great way for him to practice numbers!!) and my youngest either turns the music on and off or tries to exercise with me. Sometimes it's a little stressful and I don't get my full workout in, but something is better than nothing, right?  What are your favorite workouts? How often do you exercise?

31 Days of Healthy Living | Day 2

Hi there! Here is my Day 2 of my 31 Days of Healthy Living Series!

Yummy combo!

My husband and I usually drink a Shaklee 180 Smoothee once a day. He likes it for breakfast, I like it for lunch. We don't need to lose weight, but we are big on maintaining our current weight, and we chose the 180 Smoothees for several reasons!

1. The Smoothees are a complete, balanced meal. And they taste great, too!
2. When prepared as directed, you get 24 grams of protein! That's huge! All that healthy protein keeps us from feeling hungry too soon!
3. The Smoothees are powered by Leucine, an essential amino acid, which helps you build muscle and BURN FAT! Woot!
4. They are easy to make and so super convenient! Just pour, shake, and go! (Click here to watch my Lunch in 30 Seconds video!)
5. The Smoothees are available in four yummy flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla, Cafe Latte, and Strawberry. Strawberry and chocolate are my favs!

For a quick, simple meal, simply take two scoops of the 180 Smoothee mix and add it to milk, almond milk, or coconut milk. Shake it up well and you've got a great meal replacement smoothee!

One of our favorite dinners!

We also like to blend them up with some yogurt, fresh or frozen fruit, maybe a little peanut butter, or even some spinach to make an extra healthy, extra filling meal! I've shared all the recipes here! Important Note: The Smoothees are made from NON-GMO Soy! There's a lot of talk out there about why soy may be bad for you. It can be, when it's GMO Soy. But Shaklee ONLY uses Non-GMO products! That's one reason why we chose to partner with Shaklee...their integrity speaks volumes!  Have you tried the 180 Smoothees yet?? 

31 Days of Healthy Living | A New Series

Welcome to my October series, 31 Days of Healthy Living! I hope you find some interesting and helpful information throughout the month!  Day 1: The best nontoxic household cleaner on the market! Day 2: The best meal replacement smoothie ever! Day 3: Get moving, stay healthy! Day 4: The only disinfectant you'll ever need.  Day 5: Freshen the air in your home naturally! Day 6: My favorite, natural way to take the edge off...I'm talking about stress!  Day 7: Our favorite nontoxic, biodegradable fabric softener. Day 8: The best scouring cleanser around!