Everybody Poops. Just Not Usually in Their Own Backyard.

Life has been a bit of an adjustment the past few weeks. In essence, we lost two pets, but gained a house and a yard. We're still not unpacked, and we have more items arriving - new furniture was delivered today and next week our POD will be delivered. (I don't even remember what the hell is packed in that thing other than my dining room set, china and crystal. Oh - and my Kitchen Aid mixer - never used).

One big adjustment that we've had to make involves the large tank residing in our backyard. You see, we are now the proud owners of a septic system. This means, for those of you that are uneducated in this realm, that our waste resides in our backyard, and is not flushed away into a giant don't-have-to-see-it-city-sponsored-system.

At closing, I was told by the previous owner of the house that I had to be very, very, very careful about what went down my drain. Since that day, I've been trying to educate myself, because it seems that any mistake involving a septic system costs around $15,000.

I've started with small steps - incorporating natural products into the household cleaning process. I've come to know and LOVE so many products that my favorite bloggers have shared with me, so I thought I would return the favor. So far, I've come across two favorites that I must share (since anyone can benefit from using products that don't burn off your nose hairs):

Clorox Green Works Natural Dish Washing Liquid in Water Lily: This stuff ROCKS. Seriously - every time I smell it, I smile. It has such a great scent, and it washes just as well, if not better, than my previous dish washing liquid, but with all natural ingredients. Because of the wonderful results, I suspect that I'll try and love additional products from this line, but honestly, I would keep buying this stuff for the smell alone.

Seventh Generation Natural Laundry Detergent - Blue Eucalyptus and Lavender:




Again, I was wooed by the amazing smell of this detergent, but our laundry looks great too. The eucalyptus smell is a tad masculine, and the lavender, a tad feminine - so both my husband and I are happy about the way we smell. All of our usual stains have come out and I love that it is safe for the environment.

(And yes, my life is so f-ing exciting right now that I'm blogging about clean dishes and underwear. My life is tres glamorous, no?).

Speaking of which, both of these products include the claim that they were not tested on animals. I hate that some products have to be tested on animals to ensure that they are safe for humans, but why on Earth would we have to test things that we know are NOT safe for humans? Oh, really? Bleach burns? No shit Sherlock! If you know something is harmful to ingest, such as laundry detergent, I say, stop testing it!

And yes, I will post some "before" and "after" pictures of the house, as soon as there is an "after" to speak of. Now, we are honestly one milk crate away from being a frat house.

Finally, I just want to thank all of you for the amazing outpouring of love that I received with the loss of my fur-babies. I'm so touched by your support, and feel so lucky to have made such wonderful friends through blogging.