Month: June 2018

A Force to be Reckoned With

A Force to be Reckoned With

by Engineered Mama ♥ 1 Comment

Force of Nature

Alright, guys… I fell for a Facebook ad.  Ok, so it’s not the first time, but hey, it’s worked out well every time I’ve fallen for one, so that’s a good thing, right (just nod your head in agreement… it will make me feel better)?  Maybe I’m a good skeptic and only fall for the ones I know will work out in my favor or maybe I’m just lucky, but back to the original reason I fell for the Force of Nature ad.

No, I’m not talking about a hurricane, tornado, or any other natural disaster: it’s a cleaning product.  One you make AT HOME.  Weird, right?  Now, if you know me well at all you know I hate bleach.  So much so I don’t even know if we currently have a bottle of bleach in our house right now <gasp!>.  But seriously, guys… bleach has been proven to be more harmful than beneficial (don’t just take my word for it… do your own research. No, really.  Do it… you’ll thank me later) and there are other cleaning products out there that disinfect as well or better than bleach.  This ad claimed that the cleaning product is proven to be more effective at disinfecting than bleach, is completely safe around infants and pets (yes, Rem the chiweenie… it’s safe for you, too, buddy), doesn’t stain or discolor fabrics, deodorizes, is cheaper to produce, does your laundry, and cooks breakfast for you.  You can’t just blow up my Facebook feed with these claims and not pique my interest, sneaky marketing people.

Since they had such a “great deal” with a Facebook discount code I decided what’s the harm in just trying it.  I mean, I’m getting a good deal!  Yeah… just let me believe that, k?  So… after it arrived, here’s what happened…

I. Love. It.  No joke-this stuff is amazing!  I’ve been using it for about a year now and I have to tell you… it’s my go-to for cleaning almost anything.  Here’s why I love it:

  • Safe around kids and pets
  • Disinfects better than bleach
  • Doesn’t stain my fabrics
  • Deodorizes (hey… I know you have stinky shoes, too… don’t act like you don’t)
  • Cost effective
  • Refills may be ordered on Amazon… AMAZON, YOU GUYS.  If that doesn’t sell you on this product, I don’t know what will…

How it Works

Force of Nature uses only salt, vinegar, and water that uses electricity to create electrolyzed water making a product that disinfects and deodorizes in a safe, non-toxic way.  A starter kit includes a spray bottle, a mixing bottle, a 5-pack of salt and vinegar mix refills, and the device that electrifies the salt, vinegar, and water to create the Force of Nature cleaner.

The Verdict

The Good…

So far, so good.  I’ve had great luck with it as a cleaner and deodorizer and it is far cheaper than purchasing multiple products.  My favorite part is that it is so safe I sometimes spray down my child’s pacifiers, rinse, and they’re good to go!  It is now my everything cleaner from counter tops, sinks, bathroom counters, stinky shoes, wet dog smell (looking at you, Rem), and any general messes  I come across.  I’ll have to confess I always forget to try it out on carpet stains.  We generally don’t have massive stains in our carpet, but what I do come across I find myself grabbing the Resolve and forgetting all about my handy-dandy cure all on my counter top.

It’s really simple to make the cleaner and even easier to order refills.  I purchase mine on Amazon, because, well… Amazon.

The Bad…

The negatives here aren’t even really completely negative.  They’re more minor annoyances I’ve found, which to me don’t outweigh the perks of having such an effective non-toxic every day cleaner.

My spray bottle has somehow managed to become defunct, which, to be brutally honest didn’t disappoint me, but gave me a reason to purchase a super cute new spray bottle from Target with “So fresh and so clean” emblazoned on the front of it.  Who wouldn’t want one of those???

More on the bottles… the bottle system used to create the solution is, well, leaky.  Maybe it’s just me, but it leaks like CRAZY when I pour the finished solution into the spray bottle.  What do I see when it leaks all of my brand spanking newly created cleaner down the sink?  Literal $$$ down the drain, people.  However, I never use all 12 ounces created in a 14-day time frame anyway, so it’s not that devastating.  It actually just now occurred to me that their customer service may have a solution or a replacement, so… contact them I did.  I’ll update you on how that turns out when they respond.

What’s with 14 days, you ask?  Yeah… there’s another negative.  The ingredients in the cleaner break down over time, so its maximum effectiveness has a 14 day window before it becomes much less effective of a cleaner.

But What Do I REALLY Think?

Totally worth replacing many other cleaners!  My selling points: easy to make, safe, cleans effectively, competitive price.  I found myself cleaning A LOT of things in my house with vinegar.  While that’s fairly effective, vinegar isn’t necessarily safe on many surfaces and stinks.  Like, smells horrible for days. Overall, I can’t say enough good things about Force of Nature as a safe, effective cleaner.  You’ll see it on my counter top ready to kill germs and squash the stench for a long time to come!

Advertisement
Deleted my FB App. Not Sad About It.

Deleted my FB App. Not Sad About It.

by Engineered Mama ♥ 2 Comments

Yep.  I’ve done it before and I did it again and I could care less.  What do I miss about the little blue square “f” in my “Social” iPhone folder? Not much, to be brutally honest.  Here is what is missing from my life now that I can’t simply tap my app: nothing.  Not one dang thing, y’all.

After opening Facebook and seeing suicide articles posted in my feed for seemingly days it was a fairly easy decision.  I started thinking about what my life was like before that little blue “f” on my phone existed.  Better.  That’s what it was like.  I talked to people.  I didn’t have a button that let me see EVERYTHING.  Guess what?  I don’t want to see everything.  I need to not see everything.  What I need to see is my work when I’m at work, my family when I’m at home, my friends when we’re having dinner, shopping, or going to a movie.  I need to do things I love: cooking dinner for my family, playing with my kids, watching my child hitting his first baseball off a tee then chasing the ball instead of running like mad to first base (true story… feel free to chuckle at that mental image), binge watching ridiculous things like old seasons of Survivor (thanks a lot grad school Roomie) and NOT compare it to someone else’s version.

When suicide becomes almost commonplace it’s time to reevaluate.  Reevaluate technology usage and what media you surround yourself with.  No, I did not delete my Facebook account.  Why?  Because I do think when used in the right way it is a useful tool to share your experiences with your close friends and connect with those that aren’t close enough or are too busy to connect with regularly.  Hear me, though: no one’s life is what their Facebook displays.  Life is not filtered to show your perfect.  There is no filter for struggling to find time to pull your weeds in your overgrown flowerbeds, prepare healthy meals, and always have laundered and neatly folded clothes when you work, are rearing two adorable little men, trying to be a supportive, caring wife, and are workin’ on your fitness (holla, Fergie!  Yes… I know no one says “holla” anymore, but I still do…).  What you are viewing is fake.  As fake as Tyra Banks’s weave on America’s Got Talent every week (don’t lie and say you haven’t seen it… I’m sure you’re reading this on Facebook, ironically, so I’m sure you’ve seen America’s Got Talent clips this week).  Social media is a constant comparison game that will leave you feeling less than a perfect human being, which is what social media portrays.  Delete it?  No, but not having an app that I can simply press mindlessly at any time?  Absolutely.

Thanks for a useful tool, Mark Zuckerberg, but desensitized, comparative, filtered view of reality fell to its death as your little “f” icon app shook in fear as it was deleted.

Mama’s Back with New Favorites to Love

Mama’s Back with New Favorites to Love

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Well, nearly a year has passed since my last entry on this little blog of mine and man has our little family become busier than ever!  A new member joined our house of crazy in January which added even more fun and chaos than before.  Tiny man is attempting to roll his way through the house, is as vocal and as happy as can be, and is the easiest and most relaxed baby I’ve ever seen.  Big brother finished his first year of preschool, his second season of soccer, is starting his first season of tee-ball (if you’ve never witnessed 3- and 4-year-olds attempt to play tee-ball for the first time you need to make it a point to watch it sometime… you’ll laugh until you pee your pants), and is now mastering riding a “big boy bike” WITHOUT training wheels-look out, world!

With all of the crazy changes in our lives I’ve picked up a few new products, recipes, and general life “stuff” to share. So keep an eye out… good stuff is coming soon!