That "One" Thing in Life Pt.1

Part 1 of 2

Throughout life we tend to find one or two things that we just cant live without. This has a tendency to change as we grow and transition throughout life. As a kid I could not go to bed without my teddy bear 'Vera' that I had come home from the hospital with. As a teenager the new object tend to be my phone (which honestly hasn't changed much now as a young adult). However, some of those "can't live without" items have turned into more practical things. Currently I have two 'things' I can't live without. My first can't live without is the Grove Collaborative.

What is it? Why yes, it is cleaning supplies! But, it is so much more then just cleaning supplies. The Grove Collaborative is an organization based out of San Fransisco that has taken a new approach to affordable, natural, and non-toxic soaps, cleaners, household items, and personal hygiene products:

"Grove Collaborative is dedicated to helping everyone create a healthy, beautiful home. We grew out of a simple belief: the best natural products for your home and family should be the easiest to get.
At Grove Collaborative, we do the work to find amazing, affordable and effective natural products - from non-toxic laundry detergents that are tough on stains to sustainably sourced argan oil that will make your hair and skin glow.
Life is too busy for last minute errands so we deliver to your doorstep, on your schedule.
We work in collaboration with partner brands that share our values and vision. Everything you’ll find here meets the Grove Standard:

• Uncompromisingly healthy.
• Beautifully effective.
• Sustainably minded.
• Amazingly affordable.

Welcome to the beauty of Grove Collaborative."

I never thought in a million years I would end up being an adult who was obsessed with a brand of cleaning products. The Grove supplies you with Mrs. Meyers, Method, and Seventh Generation. The Mrs. Meyers scents are all natural floral scents (that tend to be seasonal, I just received my Mums
scent and Apple Cider scent). Knowing quite a few moms and friends who must use hypo-allergenic laundry detergents, I love that I can direct them to Method Laundry Detergent.

The Grove Collaborative is so much more then just cleaning products, there are more natural and safer personal hygiene products like sanitary pads and tampons, dish towels and food containers. Every month I set up an order for what I might need and it gets shipped right to my door.

Now, even I am asking myself, 'cleaning products Rebecca? You are geeking out about cleaning products?' Yes, but it is about something more then that. When I was in school and I had really big projects and papers that were coming due, something started to just stand in my way in getting these important things done. The only thing that would go through my head was, this kitchen HAS to be completely cleaned before I can even think about starting that 30 page research paper thats due on Friday. I would get that done and then look into the bathroom and low-and-behold that bath tub needs to be scrubbed, while I am upstairs I might as well change the sheets and do the laundry and make the bed. What about the bed in the spare room, oh this room needs to be vacuumed. When was the last time I vacuumed the couch? All of the sudden it would be Thursday and I was still starting at a blank Word document. 

While this cleaning trait hit at the MOST inconvenient times, I started to see that I needed a better outlet or some bumpers set up to direct myself. I feel like I am not the only one that lets little things like this in my life spin wildly out of control. My focus was so centered on this one task that everything else (much more important aspects) were being sidelined and blatantly ignored. I needed to find ways to direct and take the control away from this almost compulsive behavior. I took this control away by applying a different kind of control into the circumstance. It might seem silly that my behavior might have been cleaning but this is applicable to anything that is taking control in your life. These behaviors are part of your life, so you can never just get rid of them, but by addressing and redirecting certain behaviors a balance is found.

Getting a monthly order of cleaning and natural household items lets me geek out once a month and try out all my new products so my house smells like a garden in spring time. I allow myself this moment in creating my order and waiting not-so-patiently for my order to come in the mail, to redirect my behaviors to still be present in life. 

The link that I provided at the beginning of this post takes you to the Grove Collaborative site and through this specific link that I will once again provide HERE gives you $10 off your first order! Find simple ways in your day-to-day life to redirect negative or overbearing behaviors, so that you can live the most and best life created and designed for you (and now everything about that life will smell good too!)

Blessings & Joy