Create Mental Space During the Holidays

I love to look at beautifully decorated homes all decked out for Christmas.  However, I find pleasure in bringing out just a few of my favorite Christmas decorations. 

The simple Christmas décor in my home has a calming effect on myself and my family.  It is a bit of a mystery but, less décor = more mental space. 

Perhaps, you could use more mental space this holiday season.  You may want to consider less decorations in exchange for more mental space.

Take it a step further and create a simplified gift list.  Maybe you began your Christmas shopping, but are feeling overwhelmed.  Maybe you have not even begun shopping and yet feel overwhelmed, either way, you'll find some relief in this post!    

Countdown to Thanksgiving Checklist

 

We want to help your preparation for Thanksgiving go as smoothly and stress free as possible.  Make sure you have your bases covered. 

Read on for our Thanksgiving quick checklist PLUS Black Friday shopping tips and more!

Halloween Can be Healthy

Halloween can be a balancing act for parents who are in the business of raising healthy kids. 

With intentional good choices Halloween does not need to be a free fall of junk food extravaganza for kids.  On the other hand, what is Halloween without the collection of sweet delights!  So how do you balance it all?

Make it a Minimalist Holiday and Stress Less

Ok, I just checked the calendar and there are only five weeks until Thanksgiving!! Whoa… and only nine week until Christmas!!  Do you feel the stress coming on?  How about considering a minimalist holiday?  Strip away the holiday trappings and get down to the essentials!

Tap into what is of greatest value. 

·         Adjust your expectations and commitments according to your values. 

Pace yourself.

·         Beware of over-committing.  What do you want to do this holiday season?  Who do you want to spend the holidays with?

·         Start a holiday planning schedule that will allow margin for mind, body, and soul.  Your schedule should reflect your values.

·         Budget wisely.  Stop over-spending and live within your means!  This will reduce much tension and stress!

Cherish the small stuff.

·         The little notes, the handmade gifts; these can be more meaningful than expensive store bought gifts.

·         Time is a gift in itself.  How much time will you spend with those you cherish.

Keep your home simplistically tidy.

·         Stay on target with your weekly green cleaning routines and you'll avoid the trap of a mad cleaning spree before company comes!  

·         Stay well stocked with great, non-toxic, aromatherapy green cleaning products.

You can enjoy this upcoming holiday season with less stress with the right focus!

Stay tuned for more encouraging tips to navigate the holidays.

"A Healthy Halloween" post coming up next!

Green Cleaning Routines Are Like Preventative Medicine

We have all heard of preventative medicine; caring for our bodies through proper diet, exercise, and routine health checkups at the doctor's office. 
We have all heard of preventative maintenance for our vehicles and homes.  Preventative maintenance for our vehicles such as oil changes, tire rotations, fluid/belt checks, etc.  Maintenance for the home as in:  furnace filter replacements, air conditioner tune up—to name a couple.

Can green cleaning your home be considered a key preventative act?  Absolutely!

Five Reasons Green Cleaning is Preventative:

Green Cleaning Routines Like Preventative Medicine

We have all heard of preventative medicine; caring for our bodies through proper diet, exercise, and routine health checkups at the doctor's office. 

We have all heard of preventative maintenance for our vehicles and homes.  Preventative maintenance for our vehicles such as oil changes, tire rotations, fluid/belt checks, etc.  Maintenance for the home as in:  furnace filter replacements, air conditioner tune up—to name a couple.

Can green cleaning your home be considered a key preventative act?  Absolutely!

Five Reasons Green Cleaning is Preventative:

In Pursuit of Your Passions

Are you living with a level of frustration that gnaws at you?  In your mind's eye you can envision where you want to be and what you want to do.  Your dreams and passions are there, but just beyond reach.   

Take a step back to get to the future.  Go back??  Shouldn't I be heading forward?

Strategic Ways You Can Help Families in Crisis

Have you known of a family in crisis and with the best of intentions told them, "If there is anything I can do to help, let me know."  Did that person take you up on the offer?  More times than not, the extended offer is not taken.  Why?  For most of us, it is very difficult to ask for help, even if we really need it.

To avoid missed opportunities to serve a family or individual in need, our offers of help must be specific and targeted. 

For example: 

Avoid saying:  If it would help to have a dinner brought over, just let me know.

Better stated:  What evening would be good for me to bring dinner over?

Tacking on the phrase, "just let me know" will 98% of the time not be responded to.  Telling the individual that you will be making dinner for them, they simply need to tell you what night to bring it alleviates to a larger extent the uncomfortableness of the offer.  If also shows that you really mean business and will follow through.

Perhaps childcare is more of a need during the crisis.  Offer a specific event or place you would like to take their child(ren), name the date and time unless there is more flexibility for the parent in need to give you that information.

If time is not something you can devote, then mail a card or drop by their place with a card and include a gift card for gas, grocery, or restaurant.  The unique need will dictate the proper gift card.

Another way to bless an individual or family in need would be to pay for a green cleaning company to clean their home.  In crisis, a family's attention narrows done to the immediate circumstance while other tasks simply cannot be handled. 

The ideas to serve are too numerous to write.  Be aware and attentive to the possibilities and then be specific in how you can help!

Would you like to do more but…

Your lack of available time plague you when it comes to helping people in need

Your lack of time keeps you from volunteering at the organization you are passionate about.

Stay tune… You won't want to miss our next post on time stealers as we look at ways many people have been able to "get time back."

We hope this post has given you inspiring new ways to come alongside people you know who are in crisis or great need.  Let us know if this has been of help, leave a comment! 

 

 Harmony Aromatherapy Cleaners   

100% all natural , aromatherapy, green cleaners

Household Cleaners and Your Health

There is a growing body of research that points to serious health effects from the use of chemical laden cleaners including laundry detergents.  Individuals most susceptible to chemical laden cleaners are infants, young children, those with asthma, allergies, and respiratory issues as well as those with weakened immune systems (including cancer patients).    If the research, coming from varied institutes and locations all point in the same direction, why are there not stronger warnings, messages, and even bans placed on these dangerous cleaners?  

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is said to be monitoring about 300 environmental chemicals that have been found within the human body. Many of these chemicals can be found in household cleaning products.  Why are they simply monitoring these chemicals?

Take for example asbestos:  How long was asbestos "being monitored" before something was done about its dangerous health affects?  We now have thousands of people with mesothelioma!

EWG reported a 2010 study done by the New York State Department of Health found that "children born to women who held cleaning jobs while pregnant have an elevated risk of birth defects."   Are women being warned of this occupational hazard?

What's the hold up?

"Big money" is at stake if these products were banned.

Regulating industries is a touchy subject, especially if lobbyist' money is at risk.

 A necessary baseline:

People should have the right to decide what products they want to use.  With that said, for the health and safety of the consumer, there needs to be much greater levels of transparencies regarding the chemicals used in household cleaning products and their true dangers.

What can YOU do:

At the grass roots, one way consumers can make a change on a national scale is to "vote" with their wallets.  This is occurring within the food industry as more and more people are purchasing organic foods, more organic food choices are becoming available.  The same, grass roots effort can bring positive changes in other industries!

For the sake of yourself, your family, pets, and environment seriously think about the household cleaners you have in your home.  If they are NOT 100% all-natural, you are more than likely inviting unwanted health issues into your home.  If you already have family members that have asthma, allergies, and or weakened immune systems; chemical laden cleaners will further aggravate their health problems.

HG Labs family of green cleaners: Brightly Green, Harmony Aromatherapy, Baby Harmony, are 100% all natural, sustainable and non-toxic.  Grandmother of ten, Sharron McAdams, founder and owner of HG Labs LLC. made sure that her green cleaning products were safe!  If they are non-toxic, green clean safe for her grandchildren, they are safe for your family!   

If you own a residential/office cleaning company, seriously consider the ingredients in the cleaning products you use.  For the safety of yourself, your employees and clients—avoid toxic cleaning products! 

HG Labs' Brightly Green Cleaners is a leader in providing wholesale green cleaning products.  For more information, click link: green clean wholesale distributor.

HG Labs' Harmony Aromatherapy Cleaners can be found in several Whole Foods Stores.  You can also purchase Harmony Aromatherapy online!

Have you recently made the switch to HG Labs' Harmony Aromatherapy Cleaners? 

Share your story by leaving a comment!

21 Day Challenge for a Greener Clean Home: Part Two

 

End the cycle of weekend catch up green cleaning and organizing. 

 

Take control of your stuff and stop allowing it to control you! 

 

One way to do this is by turning your closets into cash!  Here's how…

 

 

Eco-Conscious Fourth of July Entertaining

Holiday events of any nature are a time to gather together and what is one of the main things we do when we gather?  That's right--EAT!  Read on for our top three picks to green your Fourth of July celebration.

Create a Summer Vacation at Home!

VACATION.  Ahhh, that special time when we draw closer together as a family; creating new memories!  Some years however, a summer vacation trip may not be do-able.  If this is that kind of year for you, don't give up on your summer!  Plan a stay-cation vacation for the family!  You just might be surprised at how much fun and memory making this type of vacation has to offer! 

What is a stay-cation vacation?

21 Day Greener Clean Home Challenge: Part One

A month ago we shared ideas on how to Set Your Weekends Free.  To fuel this endeavor we have a 21 Day Greener Clean Home Challenge for you!  Overcoming our weaknesses will only empower strength in all areas and will help you have consistently Freed up Weekends!! 

Part One begins in the kitchen.  The hub of home activity and one of the top places where we need to find the space peaceful looking and green cleaned!

Father's Day Vacation!

"When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant. I could hardly stand to have the old man around.  But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years."       ---Mark Twain

We thank all dads for the wisdom, love, support and sacrifice you give on behalf of your families; even when it goes unnoticed!

 Celebrate your Father in a special way this Father's Day!

Take dad on vacation (even if for the day!). 

Statistics show that over 40% of dads would like a family trip over a gift.  What does that tell you?  Dads like spending time with their families!  So surprise him with a day away!

In preparation for the surprise Father's Day outing, spruce up the family vehicle green cleaning it inside and out!  Harmony Dish Wash effectively cleans the exterior without damaging the surface.  Clean plastic and vinyl interiors with Harmony Multi-Purpose Cleaner. 

Fuel dad's trip with a special new travel mug for his Father's Day vacation!

(Father's Day is a couple weeks away—that should give you time to plan this little vacation for your deserving dad and husband!) 

Harmony Aromatherapy Cleaners understands the value of families!  That is why we have made it our priority to create non-toxic, 100% all natural, aromatic cleaners safe for families, pets and the environment.

Have infants and toddlers in the home?  Use Baby Harmony Pure and Free Cleaners for an extra gentle, non-toxic clean!

Increase Your Productivity by Doing Less

Accomplishing more by doing less is not as farfetched of an idea as you might think. 

 Clarification of what is truly important holds the key. 

Add this component to your daily green cleaning routines and you will have a winning combo!

Set Your Weekends Free

Simply put; end the use of weekends as catch-up cleaning days.  

Don't be the person stuck in the garage organizing and cleaning it when you could be hiking, biking or picnicking with the family! 

Don't be the person stuck indoors scrambling to clean the whole house, when you could be enjoying the beach or a relaxing day topped off with a night out on the town!

Everyone needs margin.  Margin is that space in our lives where our bodies and minds are not rushing to accomplish tasks and goals.  Margin is that downtime where we become renewed, refreshed and re-energized in body and mind.  Margin helps reduce and manage stress.  Margin allows time for relationships to be grow.  Bring back margin to your weekends! 

Stick with a weekday green cleaning routine!  Here's how...

Green Cleaning Spree for Special Occasions

What special event planned at your home is on your calendar?  Do you feel like it is "crunch time" to get your house in order before guests arrive?

Consider our tried and true, quick and effective green cleaning tips.  (Tested by HG Labs social media representative, Brenda, before graduation Open House event at her home.) 

Washing walls in record time:

Are your walls looking grungy? 

 

Don't think you will ever have the time to get around to green cleaning them! 

 

Spray Harmony Aromatherapy Multi-Purpose Cleaner on a microfiber mop cloth and wash walls without a bucket of water or rinsing. 

 

This is a HUGE time saver!!

Greasy kitchen surfaces—no problem!

Due to the natural tendency kitchens have of collecting grease, even on windows and blinds, opt to use Harmony Aromatherapy All-Purpose Degreaser on these surfaces for faster green clean results.  Allow Harmony Aromatherapy All-Purpose Degreaser to sit on the surface for a minute.  Harmony Aromatherapy All-Purpose Degreaser does the work of loosening grease and grime from surfaces; saving you elbow grease and time!

Lightening round dusting:

Slide on a microfiber dusting mitt and spray Harmony Aromatherapy Wood Floor Cleaner on the mitt. 

Wipe down dusty surfaces in a jif! 

Non-carpet floor surfaces ready for action:

No time for a bucket of water and rinsing; you've got a party to get ready for!  Spray floor surface with Harmony Aromatherapy Wood Floor Cleaner or Harmony Aromatherapy Granite and Tile Cleaner and wipe clean! 

Find Harmony Aromatherapy eco-friendly cleaners @ Brightly Green Store!

Five Ways NOT to Green Your St. Patrick's Day!

Can't we lighten up and not worry about what we are doing to the environment or to ourselves for just ONE DAY! 

 

Don't "Green" St. Patricks' Day...

HG Labs Green Cleaning Company Spotlight Shines on...

 

CLEAN HOMES COLORADO, LLC

Who is Clean Homes Colorado?

A top-notch, eco-friendly house cleaning service dedicated to making the homes in Boulder County and North-Metro Denver safer, greener and cleaner.

Clean Homes Colorado began with a vision Sarah Cecil had to make her home and the world safer for her children.  Sarah dedicated herself to the quest of finding solutions to the problems of traditional house cleaning which could be summed up as the use of toxic chemical cleaners, and excess water and paper usage.

Clean Homes Colorado's solutions to traditional house cleaning woes are simple:  use 100% all natural green cleaners, eliminate paper cleaning products and use digital scheduling and receipts. Sarah and her carefully screened team of professional cleaners are committed to the preservation of the safety of their clients, their families, and the environment.

Clean Homes Colorado is driven to exceed client expectations.  They want their clients' homes to not only be clean but to feel clean.  Going the extra mile is seen through their attention to details, professionalism, and above-the-top helpfulness.  Meeting the expectations of clients is not enough for the professional cleaners of Clean Homes Colorado, they strive to exceed expectations on a daily basis!

The right green cleaners MATTER! 

HG Labs' quality all natural cleaning product lines Brightly Green and Harmony--deliver!

HG Labs LLC family of green cleaners produce the same top quality, safe, non-toxic, green clean.  The Brightly Green line focuses on concentrates which are perfect for commercial needs as used by Clean Homes Colorado LLC.  The Harmony line is HG Labs' retail line found in Whole Foods Markets.  Baby Harmony of HG Labs specializes in green cleaners formulated especially for the needs of infants and small children.  While all of HG Labs family of quality green cleaners are safe around infants and young children, Baby Harmony is extra  sensitive for baby! 

All HG Labs family of green cleaners are available for the public found at
Brightly Green Home Store

"HG Labs Brightly Green cleaning products give us a wide variety of choices to use on the surfaces we encounter every day.  We love them because they complement our work in every way.  We don't find ourselves exerting extra effort to wash those extra tough areas, and we love that we have unscented options and that the whole line of products are gentle on our hands but get our homes CLEAN."                       --Sarah Cecil

Clean Homes Colorado's team of professional green cleaners are asked daily, "What are you using?  My house is so CLEAN!"  The safe, green clean homes clients of Clean Homes Colorado receive on a weekly basis keep the referrals flowing in! 

Make your home the next recipient of a safe, non-toxic, thoroughly green cleaned home by Clean Homes Colorado LLC!

Green Cleaning Through the Seasons: Jumpstart Spring Cleaning

Closets have often been associated with fear. For children, they fear monsters are in their closets.  Thriller movies keep you in suspense because of who may be lurking in the closet.

Closets are sometimes just plan scary-- you could get a concussion from whatever falls out of them when you open the door!

Jumpstart your green spring cleaning by taking the fear out of the closets! 

Begin with a PERSPECTIVE ADJUSTMENT.

All Natural Green Clean Spotlight

HG Labs' Harmony Product Spotlight…

 Harmony Aromatherapy Bathroom Cleaner

"Harmony Aromatherapy Bathroom Cleaner has a unique, three way attack on the soils found in a bathroom,"  

--Prof. Jerry McAdams (technical director & formulator for HG Labs' Harmony Aromatherapy Cleaners)



All-natural ingredients—three way attack:

Citric acid:  neutralizes hard water spots and soap scum

All-natural solvent (corn ethanol): dissolves oily residues.

All-natural soap: wipes clean any remaining soil found on bathroom surfaces.

Essential oil:  lavender (soothing, calming)

--Simple, natural ingredients that safely and effectively clean bathroom surfaces.

--Won't burn eyes or skin.

--Safe for allergy/asthma sufferers.

--Safe around infants, children and pets.

--Safe for the environment. 
 

Hard Water Stains--No More!
Hard water stains are really calcium deposits that build up around faucet and sink surfaces.  Harmony Bathroom Cleaner is more effective at removing those stubborn stains than vinegar.  Why?  Harmony Bathroom Cleaner does not emit poignant fumes, nor is harsh on faucet and sink surfaces.

For heavy calcium deposits spray Harmony Bathroom Cleaner on hard water stain and allow the green cleaner to sit on the surface of the deposit for about an hour.  Less time is needed if the calcium deposits are not that bad.  Wipe clean with a dampened cloth.  The all natural citric acid works by breaking down the calcium deposits.  The longer you allow the cleaner to stay on the surface of the deposit, the better the job it will do at breaking down the calcium.  Let Harmony Bathroom Cleaner do the work for you!

Routine green cleaning keeps calcium from being able to form on surfaces.  Prevention always saves time and labor in the long run!

Green Cleaning Through the Seasons: Part Three-- Home Gym

This is the third installment in our series:  Green Cleaning through the Seasons.  Part Two took us to the kitchen which is center stage for one of the top ten New Year's Resolutions people make—eating healthier. 

Exercise goes hand in glove with eating healthier and is also on the majority of individual's top ten resolutions.  In keeping with the winter season and our desire to help you stay on track with your New Year's Resolutions—we head to green cleaning the home gym!

February Highlights: All Natural Essential Oils

February's "Month of Love" Highlights...

Harmony Essential Oils

Essential Oils are growing in popularity as more and more people desire all-natural remedies for common ailments and personal aromatherapy experiences.  There are hundreds of wonderful uses for essential oils…

Green Cleaning Through the Seasons: Part Two-- The Kitchen

In a previous week we began a new series entitled: "Green Cleaning Through the Seasons."  To start this series, we began with the office.  If you missed this great launching point, click "Organize my Work!" and get linked to the nuts and bolts of why we need to begin here and how. 

This week we are heading to the kitchen!

If we were to take a survey of the top ten New Year's Resolutions individuals make, one of the Top Ten would be—eat healthier!  Eating healthy on a consistent basis is best done by eating at home where you have greater control over the ingredients used in your meals.  Eating healthy meals at home are also less expensive than eating out.  Changing our eating habits will reveal changes we need to make in our food storage areas and refrigerators.  

To advance this resolution, we need to get our kitchen in shape!  Let's get to work…

Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr.

We must build

embankments of courage

to hold back the flood of fear.

                           ---Martin Luther King Jr.

 

 May these words bring you encouragement today!

Organize my Work!

The first month of a new year marks new beginnings!  We are embarking on a new cleaning series: "Green Cleaning Through the Seasons."  This series will address specific areas to green clean within a particular season as well as how to more efficiently organize that space.  Since January falls in the winter season, we will start off with what you areas to prioritize in the winter months.  There is no better place to get started organizing and green-clean sprucing up than in the office!

How often have you become distracted and lost productive work time?  How many times have you misplaced an important invoice or document due to your lack of organization?

January is the perfect month to get your business off on the right foot.  Whether you have to commute to the office or simply head to another room in your home to start your work day, beginning with organizing your office, makes the most sense.  A few top benefits of a green cleaned, organized office are: more productivity, more fiscal responsibility, less time spent preparing for tax filing.

So…let's get started…