WORK WEEK at the Alexanders!

My dad came to help us on our property for a week. We re-did our septic system field lines, pushed out a new driveway, trenched for a sprinkler system and outdoor electrical. He ran the backhoe for 2 full days, then helped Creighton map out the electrical/sprinkler layout. It was an amazing week. We got so much done. AND he saved us thousands of dollars....

The 25th was his 65th birthday. My sister flew in to surprise him. We had a cookout, invited local friends, and all 16 children sang happy birthday to Papa. :)

Obsession de jour: Justin Robinett

"Somebody that I used to know" COVER: Justin Robinett

Cleaning up!

When we moved to Alabama, I realized that our property has a septic tank. If you don't know what that means it is simply this: An individualized waste-water disposal system. The house is 50 years old so our septic system is struggling a bit, but still working for now. Nevertheless, because a septic system relies on bacteria to break down waste, one has to be extra careful what they put down the drains. That's right. No more "anti-bacterial" cleaners for the Alexanders (shocker to me because I am crazy about bleach). This is good, because for years now I have been trying to figure out how to make the switch to organic and plant based biodegradable products. I just thought they were cost prohibitive. Now, I don't have much of a choice. For now, these are the products I have found and have been using for months. They smell great, work great, and yes - they are more expensive.

Myers, Method and Kirkland (Costco) have good solutions for dishes. Whether my kitchen sink or dishwasher - I have to be mindful of what goes down the drain!

I filled up a spray bottle of vinegar water. This is what I clean around all my drains with. For an abrasive scrub, I use baking soda on EVERYTHING! And I know I can be safe with Myers' All Purpose Cleaner.

For hands: all my bathrooms have Myers hand soap. It smells divine.

For showers: I love Dr. Bonners Castille soap. It's expensive, but transcendent. I am trying to figure out how to make my own shower gel. But that is about 5th down on the list right now. I have tried washing my hair with baking soda, and conditioning with apple cider vinegar. It was a good experience, but I have not gotten used to the feeling of no suds. :)

Laundry, I have been using ECO, a product I get at Sams. And Myers fabric softener. My friend Meredith has started making her own laundry detergent. She gave me a sample which I have been using the last couple of weeks. So far, so good. She is going to teach me how to do it. I will post about that in a few weeks.

I'm Outdoorsy.