cleaning with BETTER LIFE

image via BETTER LIFE

I don't really like the act of cleaning. I know some people get great satisfaction from it but I much prefer to organize or even do laundry. One of the main things I dislike about it is all the chemicals that typically go along with cleaning products. I worry about Booker and what the harmful effects might be if he licks the floor right after I have washed it or why I get such a bad headache after cleaning the bathroom. And while I have been using "green" products for some time now it wasn't until I found the company BETTER LIFE that my worry subsided and I don't mind cleaning...as much.

BETTER LIFE is a local St. Louis company (another bonus for me) that was founded in 2007 by two Dads - Tim and Kevin. Tim is the brand man and Kevin is the chemist. All of BETTER LIFE's products are plant derived and are: GMO free, cruelty free, made in the USA, fragrance free, sulfate free and petroleum free and to top it all off they work! When we moved into our rental house I struggled for months to find a cleaner that would not leave streaks on our stainless steel appliances (confession - I even tried non-environmentally friendly cleaners) and nothing worked until I found EINSHINE. EINSHINE leaves no streaks and you don't have buff like crazy. I also really like what-EVER! their natural all purpose cleaner which I use in the kitchen and bathroom. Also they have great packaging design by Halski Studio which I always appreciate. 

image via Dooby Brain with package design by Halski Studio

I haven't used all their products yet but plan on only buying their line from here on out. Also just in case anyone was wondering this is not a sponsored post just a full fan endorsement :). Check out their website for a complete list of products, to order online or to find a retailer near you. 

artist feature: sharon montrose

I am a big animal lover which probably explains why I love animal themed home items. Animal brass figurines, prints, wallpaper, fabrics - the list goes on and I sort of can't get enough. They just make me happy. I especially love the work of photographer Sharon Montrose. Sharon with her husband and small team at the The Animal Print Shop, capture animals in a beautifully refined and playful way. Her prints are often featured in nurseries but I think they easily transcend to more adult spaces. Personally, I want one in every room but that might be a bit overkill.  Here are a few favorites:

1. via The Animal Print Shop by Sharon Montrose  2. room by The Animal Print Shop by Sharon Montrose with designer Morgan Satterfield  3. via The Animal Print Shop by Sharon Montrose  4. via The Animal Print Shop by Sharon Montrose  5. via The Animal Print Shop by Sharon Montrose  6. via The Animal Print Shop by Sharon Montrose

a quick history...the mortgage crisis

As a continuation of the first time homebuyers series, I thought I would do a quick history of the mortgage crisis - haha just kidding. But what I do want to do is direct you all to the two part series entitled The Giant Pool of Money and Return to the Giant Pool of Money created by the radio show This American Life. For those of you who don't already listen to This American Life, it is a weekly public radio show broadcast that has a theme to each episode and presents a variety of stories on that theme. 

The Giant Pool of Money episode first aired in May of 2008 and presents an amazingly thorough and easy to understand explanation of the housing crisis. The second episode in this series aired in September of 2009 and does an equally great job of following up with the original stories. While it has been almost six years since the stock market crash and five years since the first episode aired, the stories are still very relevant as they provide a context to the post mortgage crisis environment that first time homebuyers are operating within. And again, I am not an expert so I will not go into detail about what characterizes the post mortgage crisis environment but I think we all can agree that times have changed. 

When I think about buying now (which in all fairness I didn't think much about buying a home prior to 2008 as I was 20 years old) I feel an immense amount of fear. Fear of taking on a mortgage that is too big for us, fear that we won't be able to sell the house when we are ready, fear that we will have to take a loss when we sell and the list goes on. I know that when we do decide to purchase we will try to be educated as possible and hopefully will be able to reduce (but not eliminate) some of this fear but buying a home seems to be a pretty scary thing these days.  I try to balance the feelings of apprehension with thinking about all the positives of owning your own home and there are a lot. So my recent homeowners/lookers, how do you feel about it? Would love to hear your thoughts!