Lemon vs. Awesome

"Almost everything you do will seem insignificant, but it is important that you do it." –Mahatma Gandhi

Over the weekend, I had the undeniable pleasure of trying out my first natural cleaning regimen: toilet bowl cleaner.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner #1:

Combine 2 tablespoons of baking soda with one tablespoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of your favorite scent (I used lemon juice). Throw this concoction into your toilet and scrub away!

The smell of lemon juice was MUCH better than the smell of bleach and ammonia. I recommend trying this one. My toilet was sparkling afterward.

Just for kicks, I tried another recipe on the second toilet in my house to see which I liked better.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner #2:

Pour 1 cup of vinegar (white, distilled) into the toilet. Then throw in a handful of baking soda. Let sit for about 10 minutes and then scrub-a-dub-dub.

Guys. This. Was. Awesome. When I threw in the baking soda, it foamed and fizzed. It was like doing a science project in my toilet. I thought it was going to overflow for a half-second and then it simmered down. So definitely use that ratio or face the consequences.

There were pros and cons to both recipes, but I think I liked the first one better... probably because of the lemon zesty smell. Naturally, lemon smells much better than vinegar. But maybe I will alternate between the two, because I think the second recipe probably cleaned the toilet better (and it was just really, really cool).

I know there are some cynics out there. These are the people that want their toilet to be the cleanest and most germ-free place ever, so they use the strongest, deadliest cleaning products that man can legally sell. But I, honestly, think this cleaned just as well. And it was inexpensive. And it was cool. So there.

The Goods

“Buddy, I think you been spending too much time inhaling them cleaning products.” –The Terminal

Armed with a list and a jubilant spirit, I walked through the aisles of Target on a mission. I knew to head toward the cleaning supply area. But once I got there, it took me a while to spot what I was searching for. Word to the wise, the ingredients I was looking for will either be on the bottom shelf or the top shelf. Next time, I will be bringing a tall friend or step ladder. There are only so many times that I can strategically scale the side of a shelf without it collapsing to the ground. The odds are not in my favor. Have you seen how unstable those things are? I mean, really... do they think all eco-friendly people are tall? But I digress.

My shopping list:

Borax

Baking soda

Washing soda

Vinegar (white, distilled)

A spray bottle

Sponges (because my old ones are contaminated by toxic chemicals J)

Lemon Juice

Liquid soap/detergent (I sprung for the natural variety)

Olive oil

Most of these things are not foreign to me... but are products that I would not typically use for cleaning purposes. But it is kind of comforting to know that I will be cleaning mostly with products that I use to cook. Thus, surely if it’s safe to ingest them, it’s safe to breathe while in their company.

I’m proud to say that I made it home safely with all of the above products in tow... and I only had to shop at one store. So far, not so complicated. And even better, I got the large sizes of everything and spent under $30! I think I just got a little bit more excited about this, if that’s even possible!

Cleeeean

“You don’t get anything clean without getting something else dirty.” --Cecil Baxter

It’s important that you know that I’m one of those weird people who enjoys cleaning. I get a strange satisfaction out of making something sparkle and shine.

Doing dishes relaxes me. Organizing my closet is what I do for fun on the weekends. Dust is my enemy. If I take notes at work/school and they are messy, I rewrite them. And I never lose things, because everything has a place. Hi, my name is Stephanie and I’m a neat freak. I admit it.

But if I’m going to have a problem, I think this is a good one to have.

So my next endeavor is crazy exciting to me. This month, I will be making my own cleaning supplies! Get hyped.

It all started when I was cleaning my bathroom and had to leave the room for a few minutes because the fumes were making me light-headed. I understand that the chemicals need to be strong in order to kill germs, etc. …but does that mean it’s killing my brain cells in the process? Is it safe for me to be frequently in a confined space (i.e. my bathroom) with such harsh products? I was skeptical, so I put on my nerd gear and did a little research.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a study that found “indoor air to be twice as polluted as outdoor air.” Say what?! I thought my indoor air was supposed to be pure and clean and uncontaminated. Turns out, I was dead wrong. The harsh chemicals that we use indoors (not only in cleaning products, but also in perfumes, air fresheners, paint, etc.), there is nowhere for all of it to go. So we end up with these toxic cocktails and they are trapped inside. Yikes.

To me, it’s bonkers to think that all of the time and effort I put into making things safe and clean is actually making things polluted. So this month will be about trying to find a way to keep my environment clean without killing my brain cells. I sincerely hope this is not too much to ask.

Plaza Mayor

It seemed that every place we visited in Spain had a large square called Plaza Mayor. I’m thinking that this is their version of a Main Street. This is the one in Madrid. It looked oddly familiar to me and then I learned that it has been in several movies. So maybe that’s why.

This is the one in Salamanca, where we were lucky enough to stumble upon several bachelorette parties and a “flash mob.” I use the term “flash mob” loosely, because they announced that they were going to perform a “flash mob” before any dancing had occurred. So it was more just like dancing in a public place, but sure. We’ll let them think what they like.

Plaza Mayor in Salamanca is often called the “living room of the city,” which I thought was a good way to put it. It’s a great place to hang out and people watch in the heart of the city.

If I could be an edifice, I would be a cathedral.

Salamanca is a fantastic, small university town about 2 hours west of Madrid. We spent about two days exploring Salamanca, which is often called the “golden city” of Spain. Oddly enough, the city did have a certain glow about it. However, the main thing that drew us to this town was the majestic cathedral for which it is famous.

 I straight-up love cathedrals. They are awe-inspiring, architectural wonders. We don’t have anything like them in the United States. In my opinion, skyscrapers look like mere child’s play in comparison.

Cathedrals always give me a sense of calm and peace unlike anything else. So naturally, this is where we spent the majority of our time in Salamanca.

I also taught Molly the term “flying buttress,” which can be seen below. A buttress is essentially a perpendicular wall that supports the main wall. But a flying buttress is one that is only connected at the top. Someone please tell me how people in the 17^th century figured out how to construct that. Freakin’ prodigies.

Magnificent, no?

Chocolate (Spanish style)

We went on a day trip to the charming town of Vila Joiosa, home of the Valor Chocolate Museum/Factory. Valor is the Hershey’s of Spain. So it’s kind of a big deal.

Fun Fact: Spaniards love dark chocolate. I have never seen so many different varieties of dark chocolate. And it was shut-the-front-door awesome. I’m starting to think that this is one of the many reasons why Europeans are typically thinner than Americans. You can eat one small piece of dark chocolate and be content, while it takes a lot more milk chocolate to satisfy your chocolate craving. But I totally just made that up from my own assumptions.

My friend and I were definitely the only people on the tour, so we had our fair share of free samples. Yum!

During my Spanish adventure, I also developed a love for churos. For those of you that don’t know, churos are a delightful food, akin to funnel cake dipped in delicious hot fudge sauce. In Spain, they eat this for breakfast and/or a snack. We tried it both times of day. I preferred it as a snack but adored the freshly squeezed orange juice that accompanied it at breakfast. So really, it was a bi-winning situation.

Benidorm!

After visiting the wonderful city of Madrid, we made our way to Benidorm, which is on the coast of Spain. Due to the unique skyline formed by its many tall hotels and apartment buildings it is sometimes called the “Manhattan of Spain.”

 I’m not sure I completely agree with that comparison. I would probably call it the “Myrtle Beach of Spain.” It was definitely a hopping place, with numerous restaurants, bars and clubs. Some parts were not the most classy, but other parts were quite lovely. Like this:

There was a large British population (mostly of retirement age). But it also appeared to be a popular destination for bachelor/bachelorette parties. So there was an interesting age dynamic. All around, I really enjoyed Benidorm... even its trashy tendencies.