Our Special Village

This is a sponsored post.

My work with families and children takes me to every one of my children’s homes, and even though I’m there for play therapy, I typically get very practical questions like how to clean children’s messes, or how to cook vegetables so that children find them appealing, or how to make the house smell better.  Young children tend to be quite messy and leave a trail of not-so-pleasant odors sometimes. 

Because of this, I am always on the quest for cleaning products as well as for products that make the house smell clean and pleasant.  I have tried many different things which I’ve shared with my families, and conversely, there are many products that they share with me whenever they find something that they like and is effective.

I have traded information on candles, incense, and now, the Arm & Hammer Garbage Disposal Cleaners which help keep your kitchen smelling fresh.  If you follow the instructions (run disposal and water for a minute, then turn off disposal and run water on a slow stream, then drop capsule into disposal and turn on for a few seconds), then you will have a fresh-smelling kitchen whose freshness will last for days. I know: We tried this in our own kitchen!

I really like getting home and being greeted by the citrus smell stemming from the kitchen.  Nobody likes getting home to unpleasant smells (right?).  My husband knows this and always prepares the house before I arrive so that it always smells pleasant.  One day, as I am approaching the kitchen, I noticed the citrus smell.  I knew that it was coming from the kitchen, but I couldn’t really tell from where exactly it was coming from.  As it turns out, he had used the Arm & Hammer Garbage Disposal Cleaners in the disposal.

What I noticed using this product was that the citrus smell that I really like stays in the air for a few minutes, but the unpleasant smells from the garbage disposal disappear for days, even weeks!  I has been a while since we started using the Arm & Hammer Garbage Disposal Cleaner balls and the bad smells have not returned!

Bottom line:  For busy moms and dads who are struggling with the day to day activities of taking care of their children, cooking, cleaning, AND keeping their homes smelling fresh, this is a simple and easy product, easy to use, that can save you lots of time around the kitchen. 

Next time you get home, and you are greeted by the fresh citrus smell from this Arm & Hammer product, you will thank me!

This is a sponsored post. Ideas and opinions are my own.

Now that we are in March and we are all excited for spring, there are a few things that we need to keep in mind.  We may be safely starting to host more people in our homes, having more play dates, and participate in more adult activities. Because many of us are still dealing with safety concerns and perhaps worried about disease transmission, it is a good idea to talk about disinfecting surfaces and doing it in a way that is not harmful to ourselves and those around us.

With this in mind, I decided to try Arm & Hammer Essentials Disinfecting Wipes.  Why these wipes in particular?  I really like to use cleaning products that either eliminate odors or smell good, but don’t act as a “cover” for bad odors.  I’m looking for a stronger odor-eliminating system.  I also prefer products that don’t contain harmful chemicals as I use them on surfaces that are touched by little hands and little pets.

I also prefer to use wipes because sometimes I carry items in my car that may need to be disinfected.  The wipes allow me to quickly and thoroughly wipe those surfaces and gives me peace of mind.  I love how easy it is to pull the wipes out of he container and how the shape of the container makes it easier to store.  When I’m on the go (and I’m normally on the go!), the best product is not only the high-quality one but also the product that is user-friendly.  With the Arm & Hammer Disinfecting Essential Wipes I’m covered on both fronts.

In terms of the particular fragrances, I really like both, Renewing Rain and Lemon Orchard.  They both have a citrus base scent even though the Lemon Orchard is much stronger.  I typically like “lemon” scents in my kitchen so using these two products in my kitchen (in particular the Lemon Orchard) has been a no-brainer.  I remember the day we started using these wipes:  As I was walking in the door from work, I could smell the citrus scent as I soon as I walked in the door, coming from the kitchen.  What a wonderful way to be welcomed in my own home!

But of course, you are not limited to your kitchen!  I use them to clean toys so that they are disinfected and cleaned in between uses, and to disinfect other surfaces, likes knobs and handles.  You can keep them in your car (as I do) or in your purse for when the need arises.  And if you clean your car with it, it will smell incredible when you return to it!

I definitely recommend Arm & Hammer Disinfecting Essential Wipes for your every day, quick fix up messes and for your everyday disinfecting needs!

Happy Cleaning!

This is a sponsored post. As always, opinions and ideas are my own.

It’s been a long winter!  Personally, I cannot wait for the sunny days ahead, while I enjoy the sunny days we get here in New York in March.  March in New York is a mix of sunny and cloudy/rainy days, warm days and cooler days, and some other days that are downright cold.  But every year, when March comes around, the warm and cool mix reminds me of the task ahead:  Spring cleaning!

Typically, I wouldn’t get excited just because I need to do some cleaning. But there is nothing I love more than to take out my blouses, my dresses, my shirts, and short-sleeve t-shirts.  But of course, since I work with very young children and have pets at home, there isn’t a time when I check them out and I find them to be stain-free.  There is always a pesky stain here or there that makes my washing a bit more challenging.

As I mentioned previously (see my previous post here), I’m always on the lookout for good cleaning techniques and cleaning products because when I work with my little ones, sometimes things get messy.  I also love to recommend good products to parents!  Enter Biz and Kids ‘N’ Pets.  These enzyme-based cleaners make life a lot easier!

Why?  You may ask.  Although these products are designed to remove a variety of household stains, my problem usually lies in removing markers and different types of paint (did I mention I work with little kids?).  I also do occasionally need help removing grease and oil stains (I love cooking!), and food.  These issues can be compounded when you happen to miss a stain and leave it aside for a long time, as it happens to me sometimes.

Enzyme-based cleaners are not harsh or harmful to the environment.  They are an excellent choice if you want to use natural products and not use strong chemicals in your everyday wash.  In my case, I pre-treated shirts with Kids ‘n’ Pets Stain and Odor remover spray, and it helped me tremendously.  You can also use the liquid to boost your laundry detergent, to treat your smelly clothes before you put them in the washing machine, and to deodorize.

If you have little furry children, like I do (both dog and cat), you may want to use the spray to remove the odors from blankets or kitty litter.  I usually smell them more as the weather gets warmer, so having a spray bottle of the Kids ‘n’ Pets stain and odor remover is a great solution.

And don’t forget to check out the Biz Stain and Odor Eliminator for your wash.  If you have any clothes that look like they need a second wash, or whites that are far from whites, or any other stain or odor issue, give this enzyme-based product a try.  You will not regret it.

For more information about these products, check out their website, here for Biz products and here for Kids ‘n’ Pets. See their information about enzyme-based cleaning, and then try them for yourself. I started using them and I haven’t stopped. 

Happy Spring Cleaning!

I recently read Butterflies and Second Chances, a memoir written by Annette Hines.  Annette wears many hats (wife, daughter, lawyer), but she writes this memoir as a mother of a child with a disability.  In a way, this is also a memoir for her daughter Elizabeth.  As I read Annette’s book, I was drafting my own memoir, and I could not help but notice how many parallels there are between her story and mine.  This holds true even though we had different roles in our families (she is a parent; I am a sibling), and we were separated by many years and miles in between.

Even though I noted some differences in stories, what stood out the most was the incredible similarities.  Annette evolved from being an “outsider” with little knowledge of what it meant to be part of the community of parents, family members, and people with disabilities, to being on the “inside.” She narrates with so much emotional depth how she became an insider after her daughter Elizabeth was born and medical issues began to surface.

Much like Annette, I evolved too, although my own evolution came much earlier in my life, as my brother was born when I was 7 years old.  I also became an insider little by little, learning more and more through the years, and adding my voice to the fight for equality when I became an adult.  Just like Annette, I remember the constant looking for answers.  My parents always had questions that mostly remained unanswered.

And much like Annette’s second daughter, Caroline, I felt like I was the “do-over” kid, even though I was born first.  In my case, I felt the pressure to be the “perfect daughter” all by myself, and I made sure that I would not give my parents the smallest headache.  I assumed that they needed a perfect daughter, an overachiever, a workaholic.  My long periods of perfection were accompanied by some periods of rebellion, which in retrospect were just a cry for help and my own way to show human needs.

Annette and I are also remarkably similar in our choice of loving partners.  We both married men who have supported us and provided the scaffold we needed in times of need.  In her memoir, Annette recounts how her husband stuck with her through thick and very, very thin.  I recently heard her say that she would “walk through fire” for her husband.  I remember thinking right at that moment that I would do the same for mine.

Annette’s career revolves around service to people with disabilities and their loved ones.  It did not start this way, but naturally, over the course of her life, service to the community became her profession as well as her life.  My own career and life are sometimes indistinguishable from each other.  I cannot divorce one from the other.  I have worked so hard to be an advocate that I can honestly say that my friends and family are advocates too, and many of them have chosen a profession of service to this community as a career.

Becoming part of the special needs community is a process, and no one is ever “done” learning better ways to be a full participant in this community.  In my own practice, I refer to the community as a big family, one that is constantly growing and extending its arms around the world so that we can all earn the respect that we deserve and claim our place in the world.  Annette’s focus is on building an ever-growing circle of friends, families, professionals, and caregivers, so that nobody ever feels that they must go it alone.

The parallels in our lives are so real and profound.

Thanks Annette, for allowing us into your life.  You made it easier for me to tell mine.

Get Butterflies and Second Chances here!