When I set out to renovate my kitchen, I just thought I would redo a few things and pretty much keep things as they were. That was until a friend of mine and I were talking about it. She turned to me and asked, “Have you thought about how you want to live in your kitchen? Who you are in your kitchen, and what do you want that to look like???’’. OMG!!! I realised I had not thought it through and had never really allowed myself to look at the space as a place that would invite me to explore, learn and be inspired.

I took time to reflect and write down how that space may look like. What was important for me to have and how I want to feel in that space. The list grew longer, and yet it also started to come together as a unified vision. Pieces began to fall into place as I dreamed about actively moving around in the space. What my friend made me aware of was how personal our living spaces are. And that before we make changes, we should also consider who we are as individuals, as couples, as families and how we want to live in that space. 

It’s not just about what you love. It’s about how you can do the things you love efficiently

There is a tool that most kitchen designers work with, and that is the kitchen triangle. The idea is that the fridge, sink, and stove/oven are placed in the kitchen to form a triangle. This creates a triangle which is the most efficient way to move and work in the kitchen. As I started putting plans together, I realised there were so many other factors contributing to making the space-efficient for my family and I. Efficiency is key. One thing we don’t think of is how efficiency saves so much time and energy. It’s an approach we can take to how we design our lives! If you are about to renovate your kitchen or any living space, here are a few vital tips to make the changes a success.

1. Write down how you want to feel and live in the room, whether it be a kitchen or other room in the house.
2. Make a list of all the things you would like to have in the space.
3. BUDGET!!! Don’t forget to keep a detailed account of expenditure and stay within your budget. You can up-cycle a lot of things. It’s more often a case of rearranging and making simple but effective changes that make all the difference.
4. Reflect on what works for you in the space right now and the things that don’t. How can you change this? I know that lighting is a critical issue in our current kitchen, and it’s something I am determined to make sure I get right. We hardly use any of the top shelves in the cupboards because they are too high. It’s wasted space. Simple things like power points for appliances are easy to forget but make such a difference in the right place. 
5. Does the room connect well with other spaces in the house? Do you want to make it more open or more intimate? Opening a wall can bring rooms together and give a sense of more generous space.
6. Outline the room on a piece of paper. Start placing the things that you are sure you want to keep or have put in. If it’s a kitchen you are doing, think about the kitchen triangle and where you place appliances. I have done countless drawings trying things in different ways. Often, it’s a process of elimination. When you work out what you don’t want, what you do want comes to light.
7. Create a Pinterest account where you can keep visual ideas and inspiring photos. What are the materials and colours you want to use.? Do you want it to be lighter or darker? Start putting samples together. 

The post Seven things I have learned renovating my kitchen. appeared first on Sheevolves.world.

Marketing is an incredible tool to get us to think we need to buy things to live the lifestyle we aspire. It is very deliberate to make us feel we are missing out or inadequate if we don’t use certain products. No part of our life is left untouched. Including the products we buy to clean our households. We are made to feel our house won’t be clean if we don’t use certain products. Using the wrong detergent will leave our clothes stained. Our bathrooms and ovens won’t shine. The list goes on.

What advertisers don’t mention is the long list of harmful ingredients used to make these products. Some are mildly dangerous to human health. Causing eye irritations, skin rashes, headaches, and asthma. Others are potentially fatal and proven to be carcinogenic. Many cleaning products contain VOC’s which are volatile organic compounds, including ammonia and bleach. As the American Lung Association warns, “Cleaning supplies and household products containing VOCs and other toxic substances can include, but are not limited to:

• Aerosol spray products, including health, beauty, and cleaning products;
• Air fresheners;
• Chlorine bleach*;
• Detergent and dishwashing liquid;
• Dry cleaning chemicals;
• Rug and upholstery cleaners;
• Furniture and floor polish; and
• Oven cleaners.1,2

*Never mix bleach or any bleach-containing product with any cleaner containing ammonia. The gases created from this combination can lead to chronic breathing problems and even death.’’ Their report goes on to explain, that recent research reveals natural fragrances in cleaning products, especially air fresheners, can react with the ozone from indoor air sources and outdoor air to form formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen. And ozone is a harmful but invisible gas, that worsens asthma and other lung diseases. Such particles can cause heart attacks and stroke.

Not only are these products expensive, but they are also harmful to our health. The reality is our grandmothers had clean houses, clean clothes, using only natural products that worked. Here are some of our tried and tested tips to make sure your home clean and healthy without wasting your money.

The main ingredients you will need are baking soda, vinegar, dish soap, castille soap and water!

All-Purpose Cleaner

 Mix 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda into 2 liters of water.

Laundry Detergent

Mix 2 cups of washing soda with the gratings from one 5-ounce bar of castile soap. Use 1 tbsp for light loads; 2 tbsp for heavy loads.

Limescale in kettles and taps

Pour half a cup of vinegar in a kettle with 2 cups of water and let boil for a few minutes. Soak tap filters in pure vinegar

Marks on Walls and Painted Surfaces

Apply baking soda to a damp sponge. Rub gently, then wipe and rinse.

This will clean most ink spots, pencil, crayon, or marker spots can be cleaned from painted surfaces 

Oven Cleaner

Moisten oven surfaces with sponge and water. Use ¾ cup baking soda, ¼ cup salt, and ¼ cup water to make a thick paste, and spread throughout the oven interior. (Avoid bare metal and any openings.) Let sit overnight. Wipe clean in the morning.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Mix 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 cup vinegar, pour into the toilet basin and let it sit for a few minutes. Scrub with brush and rinse.

Tub and Tile Cleaner

For simple cleaning, rub in baking soda with a damp sponge and rinse with fresh water. For more challenging jobs, wipe surfaces with vinegar first and follow with baking soda as a scouring powder. (Vinegar can break down tile grout, so use sparingly.

Window Cleaner

Mix 2 teaspoons of white vinegar with 1 liter of warm water. Use crumpled newspaper or cotton cloth to clean. Only use the black and white newspapers, not with colour print. Best not to clean windows if the sun is on them, or if they are warm, as streaks will show when dry. Please do not add more vinegar than the recipe states, as it may lead to etching and cloud glass.

Stainless Steel

Clean with a dampened cloth with undiluted white vinegar or olive oil. For stainless cookware, mix 4 tablespoons of baking soda in 1 liter of water and apply using a soft cloth. Wipe dry using a clean cloth. For stainless steel sinks, pour some baking soda on an absorbent cloth to clean, rinse, and wipe dry using a clean cloth.

The post Are our household cleaning products doing more harm than good? appeared first on Sheevolves.world.

We can all agree that the kitchen is the heart of the home. Whether you are an avid cook, or prefer take outs. Chances are, you spend a fair amount of time in your kitchen handling food, drinks and snacks. Which is why ensuring your kitchen is as toxic free as possible is important. As a self proclaimed foodie myself I can say that I spend a good amount of time in my kitchen.

Which is why when I was looking for a confinement project, one of the first places I looked to was my kitchen. Not only because I cook daily for my husband and I. But also because I have started making meals for my 7 month old. After doing some research I realized that in keeping with my goal of making wholesome foods, I needed to make sure my kitchen was as toxic free as possible. Here are some changes I made to my kitchen to make it less toxic;

1. Changed out my non stick pans for ceramic coated pots and pans and cast iron pots. Not only does this ensure that the food I make doesn’t get contaminated with toxic chemicals often emitted  by non stick cook wear. But I can rest easy knowing I was truly making healthy food for my family and I.
2. Made my own surface cleaning detergent: This one actually started with my husband. Like me he enjoys cooking for our little one. And after failing to find organic cleaning products he turned to the web for some advice. After reading a few articles he settled on vinegar. Since then we have been using it to clean most of the surfaces in our house. I like to mix it with lemon juice and water and only use soapy hot water to clean our chopping boards.
3. Clean out the fridge weekly: Whilst this required no real swap out. With confinement, one thing I have noticed is how much better I feel when our fridge is cleaned weekly. This can range from a deep clean to a quick wipe and reshuffling.
4. Changing out our snacks: Whilst I will be the first to admit that I enjoy a good chocolate chip cookie as much as the next person. One thing I have done is try to be more conscious of what is in our cupboards. From snacks to foods as a whole. Knowing what is in our foods takes the guess work out of food prep.
5. Investing in a fruit and vegetable brush: I am not sure what I was doing before I bought our natural fiber fruit and vegetable brush. But knowing that our fruits and veg are cleaned from any chemicals is a plus for my peace of mind.
6. Switching out plastic containers fro glass ones.

What are some things you have switched out to make your kitchen less toxic?

The post Items to replace to make your kitchen less toxic appeared first on Sheevolves.world.