Mamavation Monday: Cleaning up

So I think I need to just call this Mamavation One-day late post since I am never on my computer on Mondays to write but anyways, here it is one day late.

The topic this week is non-toxic cleaners.  I honestly never thought too much about what I used to clean until I had Ravebaby.  DH has very sensitive skin but I want things to look and smell clean so I would just buy stuff anyway.  Now that I'm making the move to making my own cleaners, I've noticed that DH's skin and allergies are better so I guess I owe DH a huge apology.  I just never made the connection between cleaners and our health.  Yep I'm that girl.

So with a husband, daughter, and myself all having sensitive skin, I have slowly been making my way to buying less cleaning stuff and turning to the internet for recipes to make my own stuff.  The only issue I've had with finding recipes is the call for orange.  DH is pretty allergic to oranges and I'm afraid to use any citric in the things I make since I don't want it to be exposure that puts on permanent Epi-pen alert.

The stuff I use the most to clean is borax powder.  I use it for my bathroom.  My mom who has cleaned houses and used just about everything on the market has also switched to borax powder.  She says nothing else cleans as well, lasts as long, and most importantly she doesn't break out after using it.  We also use borax in the kitchen to clean the stove and counter-tops.  It is also one of the main ingredients in my homemade laundry soap.  Here is the link for the soap.

So that is what we do, borax powder.  How about you?

2014 Hidden Village Music Festival the countdown . . .

The Hidden Village Music Festival is set to return to Standpipe Coffeehouse on March 8th!  I've got the Spotify music list going on the sidebar of Wheatless Mama or down in this post.  The line up is fantastic this year, just like it is every year!



Be there people!

Moving forward? Time for a CV

So I'm still in the process of deciding why I am getting my doctorate.  I get asked why all of the time and outside I'm being lead by God, which leads to some strange looks, I haven't really been sure.  I want to homeschool my child; however, I'm not the sort of woman who can stay at home with her kid all day.  Stay-at-home moms work their asses off and I ain't that girl.  So I have been thinking and thinking and getting my resume out there.  I'm not in a serious job hunt since I love my job as a GA but I am looking for full-time work to see where I might land and see where I am being lead. 

In an ideal world I would work part-time outside of the home as a lecturer or librarian.  I miss the library world so much!  The funny thing about being a lecturer is that I'm really only qualified to teach in a library program and the closest one is at Sam Houston, which is the rival to my current university SFA.  The rivalry thing aside, the commute is not that bad especially if only a couple of time a week.  This has me working on my CV.  A university wants to know that you are a researcher and can bring "honor" to the institution.  Here is the thing, I never planned on not working outside of the public school field so I've never presented at a conference or published a paper.  I've done the work and have some projects and papers that might would have been worthy but I never thought I needed it so I never got off my butt.  Now I need it to create a CV and I feel like I'm years behind! 

I am going to present a research paper with one of my co-hort members in a couple of weeks.  I'm not sure I have a lot to say so I'm nervous.  I feel like my professional life is suddenly on the line.  I know that that is not a true statement.  There will be jobs and opportunities a plenty in my future but I like a plan and I like working towards something so here I go.  I recently submitted a paper for publication.  It will be weeks before I hear back but I'm daring greatly and getting myself and my research out there.  I expect to be rejected.  I need to be rejected.  I'm not ready for publication but I also know that I'll never believe anything different until I get my first piece published.  I mean I never would have thought I would keep a 4.0 through 15 doctoral hours and yet here I am.  I am a researcher and I'm going to make it work along with being a homeschooling mother.  I can do this. 

This is my current jam (enjoy!  Ravebaby has me playing it day and night):