Whatever animal March is, it better not be bringing more snow. This is a long month for my family; no days off from school and the countdown to spring break seems to happen oh so slowly.
So let’s start the month off with the second edition of My Love List. This is a highly scientific and heavily researched list of things I use (or watch) and recommend; they are tested, approved, and ready for you!1. Better Life cleaners
I’ve been using these all natural cleaning supplies for years. The names of the products are so clever – I Can See Clearly Now (glass cleaner), Simply Floored, Even the Kitchen Sink (cleansing scrubber), and my favorite, what-Ever! Which I use for, well, whatever is dirty.
I’ve made an effort to go greener with my cleaners, and I’ve found these products to be really effective. They are 100% safe with no harmful chemicals. You can order online with free shipping for orders of at least $25, but they are also popping up in stores. A little goes a long way; I’ve had my granite cleaner for over a year. Maybe that’s a reflection of how much I clean.
2. Awesome beauty trick
3. No bake raspberry cocoa granola bars
I found this recipe online during my sugar detox, and made it immediately after I was done. It’s a completely clean eating recipe, sweetened with honey. I’m a granola bar/protein bar junkie, and I’d like to break that habit. These did the trick! They taste better than they look – I haven’t mastered the art of getting them out of the pan in neat and pretty bars.
4. Pitbulls and Parolees
This is a reality show on Animal Planet. Matt always has the dumbest shows on, and I started ragging on him when I saw this one. But I was sucked in within minutes. Villalobos is a pitbull rescue facility in New Orleans, and the owner only hires parolees as employees. Second chances for dogs and people. If we didn’t already have Nellie (who doesn’t like other dogs), I just might get on their website and find myself one. I’m convinced that Nellie has some pitbull in her, and she is the sweetest dog ever. Quirky and odd, but sweet.
5. Listen to Your Mother
…and I made it! I will be reading one of my pieces in the Listen to Your Mother Baltimore show. I’m so excited to be on stage with fourteen other women, sharing our perspectives on motherhood. If you live in the area, I’d love to see your (hopefully) smiling face in the audience.
Even though I can’t tell you what I’m reading for the show, I have to give special thanks to Lizzi, who has read the piece and given me such wonderful feedback. I know you didn’t know it, but you are part of the reason I decided to go for it, Lizzi. Thank you!
That’s it for March – check back on the first Monday in April (the 7th) for more things to love. And tell me – what’s on your Love List this month?
You had to be thinking of me when you shared that chocolate granola recipe. As soon as I saw that I hopped over there and pinned that for sure! Love chocolate and I’m all about eating it cleanly if you can! I would love to try those cleaners! I think I will one day. The names are hysterical!
Aren’t they? I’m a sucker for a clever name. And that granola bar recipe is addictive – I can’t make it too often or I would inhale them all. At least they are healthy, but they aren’t particularly low calorie.
i have never heard of better life cleaners, i’m definitely going to look into it, especially with a baby on the way. here the green brands i know of are: the honest company and mrs. meyers. better life is on amazon! i am going to order some products!
They have a some products for the nursery – hope you find something you can use!
So insanely excited for you that you made the cast of LTYM. And I’m now following the Did someone say Chocolate lady. I say chocolate every day – at least three times!
Me too! Those granola bars are yummy, although I’m sure not as good as YOUR granola, which I cannot wait to try!! Even better because you make it, and not me 🙂
Congrats to you Dana! That is so exciting! You are going to be awesome! The pitbulls and parolees program sounds wonderful…my sister in law told me in Denver they have a prison program where they train dogs and she says they do a great job with it. You can adopt your dog already trained directly from them.
Thank you Michelle! That program in Denver sounds awesome; I hope it makes its way to more cities. It’s really a win-win for everyone involved.
Pitbulls and Parolees is one of our favorite shows too. The show manages to re-educate folks about 2 misunderstood beings in a bare bones entertaining way. The idea of how to make the samples last is fantastic. Why don’t I ever think of things like that?
I ask myself the same thing, Barbara!
I use that Whatever cleaning stuff and I don’t think it does a good job on my wood surfaces, although u like it for the bathroom and kitchen.
I love the pin hole idea for free samples! That is genius.
I also love all things pit bulls. I’m glad you found that show too. They do good things for our pittie friends.
I don’t think I’ve ever used the stuff on my wood surfaces – thanks for the heads up. Pitbulls get such a bad rap, don’t they? I hope this show changes perceptions of them.
The Listen to Your Mother shows sound so cool! That is really great that you were selected. Are the granola things baked? If not, you might try rolling them into balls instead of pressing them into bars. That always works better for homemade versions of healthy treats for me. (Like homemade Larabars….mmmm….)
They aren’t baked – I guess I could try a ball. I made them for the second time yesterday, in a smaller pan so they are thicker. That worked pretty well. But thanks for the suggestion!
Congrats on “Listen to Your Mother,” Dana! I know you will do very well. I had never heard of Better Life products, but like you, I’m trying to go green as much as I can, so I will check them out. And the pinhole idea: priceless! Had I known it, I would not have torn one of the Origins samples that I opened last night. But I’m wiser now! LOL
I do that all the time, Alison – just tear open a sample and then whatever I don’t use right away just dries up. Now we both know better. And thanks for the congrats!
I have a tip for you for #3 that might make your April list if it works out. Buy the Reynolds wrap baking (even though there’s no baking) foil. It’s in the yellow and blue box. I can almost guarantee that they come up easy and pretty. Do you have a suggestion for substituting raspberry. I don’t like raspberry anything. Would craisins work? I’ll click over and take a look at it. I might have all the stuff (minus) raspberries.
Super congrats on #5!!!!
I will try that, Kenya – thanks! And I actually didn’t use raspberries because I couldn’t find them. I used a dried berry mix from Trader Joe’s. Craisins would definitely work, or even raisins. And thanks for the congrats 🙂
Congrats on your reading gig! That sounds really exciting for you!!
Those raspberry cocoa granola bars look and sound delicious! Yum!
Thanks, Debbie – it is exciting. And I made my second batch of the bars yesterday – they are delish!
How exciting is this? Getting on LYTM. Well done you. Do so wish they did something similar in Canada. Gotta say I got a lot out of your post today – that pinprick idea is smashing. Missed it even though I read RS back to front. And those raspberry bar numbers? Ohhhhhh they look good. Love that you can’t get them out of the pan in a pretty fashion. I’m hopeless at that myself.
I did better the second time around, Kelly – so there’s hope. And thanks for the congrats – I wish you had something similar in Canada too!
Congrats again on LTYM! Your dog is so precious – looks a lot like our border collie with the black and white. My husband always watches weird stuff, too, but once in a while it turns out to be something interesting.
They did tell us at the SPCA that Nellie was at least part border collie. But when she starting putting weight back on I saw how barrel chested she is, so my guess is there’s some pit bull in her. I’m sure she’s a mix of at least a dozen breeds!
So very cool about the live reading – you will be awesome!! I hope you have someone video your portion and share it with us after the fact since we can’t all come and see you in person!
It will be on the LTYM YouTube channel, and I will definitely share that, Kim. Thanks for your vote of confidence!
Cassidy goes through the granite cleaner a lot, which makes me think he really is as neurotic as I thought. Ahem..er…thorough.
Nellie is adorable.
LTYM is amazing. And it will be on my anniversary so that is good luck! Wish it could be in June when I’m maybe coming down. I haven’t ruled it out, ya know! It will be tough, though.
Happy early anniversary! I’m still holding out hope for June. If it doesn’t work maybe a New Jersey rendezvous?
Oh, anytime! I go there a lot in the spring/summer because it’s when it’s everyone’s birthdays! And I have a photo shoot/baby shower in West Orange, NJ in May.
Cool – I’d love to work something out!
Oh WOW! DANA!
WOW! *floored*
Okay, so I’m gonna have to go back through all my comments ever and try to find out which one it is. Unless (without blowing the gaffe) you can confirm that it’s my absolute favourite ever thing you’ve written (though I’m happy for you to surpass yourself at some point – I’m not trying to hold you back) and the one which made me so happy inside to read it that I nearly burst, because it was *perfection*.
Ohhhhhh I really hope it’s that one. And SO VERY WELL DONE YOU! And I’m totally completely jealous that I don’t get to see you read it, and I really, really hope they put it on YouTube so I can see, because WOW!
Oh I am doing CARTWHEELS OF GLEE for you, Dana 😀 So, so proud of you for this 😀
You are one of my biggest cheerleaders, Lizzi – I can’t tell you how much that means to me. And could you possible vlog your cartwheels of glee? Those I have to see. 😉
OOoooo next time my VloggyFriend’s here. If it’s dry. FOR YOU, I might just…
And ALWAYS glad to cheerlead you, Dana. Truly 😀 <3 <3
Congratulations on being chosen for the show!!! I wish I lived closer to Baltimore!
Me too, Kate. There’s one in Boston – do you know Julie from Next Life, No Kids? She’s in that cast. And you don’t have to be a mother to be in the show; the piece just has to be about mothers/motherhood. Hint hint for next year!
Wowza!!!!! Congratulations! What an honor and great thing that you’ll be part of LTYM!!!!
I really am honored, Alexa – and really excited. I tried not to think about it until I heard, but now that I have I’m totally pumped!
Congratulations on LYTM!! That is SO EXCITING! You will be amazing! I bet your piece needed no help whatsoever…you are awesome! :)-Ashley
Thank you Ashley – I haven’t heard about edits yet so we’ll see!
Dana….So awesome!! Huge congratulations!! I wish I were anywhere near there, and I’d come see you for sure. Hopefully, there’s some sort of video that maybe you can stream. I’m so glad you listened to Lizzi’s cheerleading and submitted. Happy dance for you!!!
All the shows will be on the LTYM You Tube channel in June or July, so I will post my part when it’s available. Thanks for the happy dance!
This is the first I’m hearing of Listen To Your Mother – sounds awesome! I’m in south central PA, only about an hour from Baltimore, so I’ll try to come see you!
That’s so sweet of you, Katie. You may want to look into it for next year – there is one in Philly too. If you do decide to come, please let me know!
Dana, how exciting!!!!! I’m talking about granola bars.
juuuuust kidding. Over the moon happy for you doing a reading for LTYM!! And I really do like bars, too. I make them all the time. Also, so funny about the show (P&P), we’ve watched a couple episodes and they’re really such good people just trying to help animals. It’s sort of fascinating.
It really is fascinating – I’m glad Matt finally is watching a show that I like. And I’ve seen so many dogs that remind me of Nellie. Does Milo have any pit bull in him?
Not that I’m aware of. He doesn’t have that tell-tale pit bull head shape. We’ve always guessed (and the vet) that he’s got some border collie maybe because of his coloring, and I’ve seen some sort of bird hound dog that looked a lot like him, but can’t think of the name now. Does Nellie?
We don’t know – she was found on the streets, and I assume she is the offspring of two mutts. Pretty sure she has border collie and pit bull, and maybe Boston Terrier. She definitely has some herding instincts – if you let her loose she will run in huge circles, and she used to nip at my kids’ heels.
Get. Out. Milo was found on the streets, too! But he has zero herding instincts. He won’t even chase a ball. He’s sort of a cat-dog. Very laid back. No instincts at all. Lol. Well, he loves loves loves to go for walks/runs, and he likes to eat pizza crust.
Dana, that is so great! Congratulations!
Sorry about the snow. We’re getting some in Silver Spring so I imagine you are in Baltimore, too.
Oh yes – no school today and already at least a two hour delay tomorrow. Did I know that you were in Silver Spring? If I did, I apologize. We’re practically neighbors! Any chance you are going to Blog U in June?
Oh, I don’t think so. I just realized you were in Baltimore with this post.
I’m so ignorant. What is Blog U? Fill me in.
Blog U is a conference in Baltimore June 6-8. Here’s the website: http://bloguconference.com/ Email me if you want to know any more about it!
Well first off. … congrats! That is so exciting and you can almost be assured I will be in that audience. You will laugh but I actually was going to send you a save the date for that night today. .. so please tell me it isn’t a night activity??!! I have to go hit the link.
But second. .. love the cleaners and love granola bar. John asked us all to give up something for Lent (even tho we don’t go to church) and I decided desserts and sweet things.
Pit bulls scare me but I will trust you on this one.
Nellie almost certainly has pit bull in her – and you aren’t scared of her! And thank you so much for sharing my news with our girlfriends – I really appreciate it. I wasn’t nervous before, but now I am since I know I’ll have my amazing friends in the audience. 🙂
Ooh, I keep hearing about “Listen to Your Mother.” Two women I met at BlogHer last year are each helping to organize it in their respective cities (I really should check out the Boston one). Congrats! And I’m all about green cleaners. I haven’t heard of Better Life cleaners, but I will have to check it out (I’m personally a fan of mixing water, white vinegar and some essential oils to make my own…so cheap & east!)
I should try making my own, Bev. When we had our carpets cleaned, the guy told me that the best thing for stains was white vinegar and water. If a cleaning professional tells you that, you know it must work!
Huge congrats to you Dana and definitely so proud of you. And those granola bars are calling my name this morning. Seriously going to have to try them very soon. Thanks for sharing them here 🙂
My pleasure, Janine – and thanks for the congrats!
CONGRATS!!!! That is great news. You will be a hit for sure. It’s so great to have girlfriends who inspire and encourage you. Just awesome.
Those granola bars? I’m all over them. Can’t wait to try it. 🙂
They are really good, Allie. Not low cal, but all real food and minimal added sugar (most of the sugar is from the honey). Thanks for the congrats – I’m really excited!