Thursday, April 12, 2012

Blue Sky Presents: April 21st South Sound EcoGuild

We are honored to be a part of the 3rd annual South Sound Green Building Tour. Please join us on April 21st and 22 at the Northwest Eco Building Guild's weekend extraordinaire.

I will be giving a workshop: "Creating a healthy and residue free home" on Saturday @ 10:15am at the Resource Hub in downtown Olympia
http://www.ecobuilding.org/guild-chapters/olympia/green-tour For details, go to their website and check out all the festivities. ( address 403 Capital Way; Olympia WA)

Over the course of two days, there will be great workshops and booths. Plus, you can actual tour the healthiest, most sustainable, energy saving homes in the Olympia area. If you are looking to do future building or remodeling, this is a perfect place to meet your next builder and gain ideas!

"The Northwest Eco Building Guild is a 501(c)(3) community of builders, designers, suppliers, homeowners, and partners concerned with ecological building in the Pacific Northwest. The Guild empowers people through education to transform the built environment for long term sustainability."

If you want to improve the health and happiness of your own family, please come join me on Saturday morning. I will be discussing 6 of the most common but often sneaky toxins/allergens and irritants that find their way into our homes.

Don't worry I won't leave you hanging with only the bad news. I will give you 4 sound practices to help you minimize those sneaky 6! There will be plenty of time to answer your questions, South Sound Eco Building Guild has thought ahead. After my talk, I will be answering questions for another 45 minutes in a special discussion area! SWEET!

So come find answers and ideas for your own home. I look forward to seeing your there!!

As always, wishing you a healthy and happy home.
Denise Frakes
Co-owner of Blue Sky Services
Certified Healthy Home Specialist NCHH

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Begin with the end in mind... Leave nothing behind

Yesterday, I sent out our first ever e-newsletter!! For all visiting our blog site today, welcome!

I think and study about cleaning, health, homes and even the philosophy of cleaning more than any normal person. But like us all, I'm not normal, normal doesn't really exist. I believe normal falls in the same category as perfection. They are both like a spring breeze, lovely to think about but try to hold on too tight and you will squeeze the breeze right out.

Why do I think about our homes and health so much? Because I believe every family has the right to be joyfully, healthy and happy. When we are sick, lacking energy or depressed this right is like the spring breeze, it is gone and becomes a distant longing. If I can shed a little light and health back into your life and your families lives, then all my my abundantly normal time spent learning and contemplating will be worth every second.

Today, I want to continue visiting with you about creating a Residue Free Home. My last couple blogs have talked about the basics of a residue free home. This blog is looking at the final principle which is... leave nothing behind. Stephen Covey in his book, Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, says "begin with the end in mind". This is exactly what we want to do in the care of our homes: Begin with the end in mind. The end is leaving our homes free of unwanted toxins, allergens, irritants and contaminates.

If there is one common that has followed Dallas and I in our 20 years + in cleaning is RESIDUE! The number one thing we see or see signs of, is residue left behind. Residue is often cleaners or chemicals over applied, sprayed around, mixed and unsuccessfully removed. When you spray a cleaner, fragrance, an aerosol, a pesticide, paint, disinfectant, perfume, or hair spray..... where does it all go?

In green cleaning, the focus is usually on safer products. I'm all for that!! But what is not usually talked about is the method those products are used. Of course, we start with the mildest and safest means possible in our cleaners and products but this is not the whole story. How we use and how often we use those products matters a great deal!! Unless we are putting oxygen into our air, then strive to leave nothing unwanted behind.

Here are three easy ways to minimize residue left behind
1. Do not spray chemicals into the air- minimize exposure
2. Open up windows, turn on exhaust fans - removes chemicals and allergens
3. Rinse and dry - make sure there is always a removal process

Of course, I will be writing more on residue free homes but these three ways will get you started. The air we breath is essential to our vibrant health. Keep your home's air clean, fresh and free of unwanted chemicals, allergens etc.

As always, wishing you a healthy and happy home
Denise
Co-Owner of Blue Sky Services
Certified Healthy Home Specialist with NCHH