We interrupt this riveting week of cleaning out my dad’s toxic chemicals and other random crap to bring you a giveaway of some great organic & natural products that I personally use and love, a review of a product that I’m not 100% sure about, an update on my very glamorous life and a haiku.

My grandmother in law is here (in the city I’m in, visiting my mother in law while I’m at my mom’s – not actually HERE right now – in case you’re into details). She’s here from Vancouver and this week has been the first time she’s met Bella. She was here for Christmas 2007 when I was supposed to have her, but she was so damn stubborn even then that G.G. had to leave before they yanked her kicking and screaming from my uterus in mid-January 2008. She acknowledged her presence the first day we went for a visit and when she came to our house last week, but this week she has completely refused to have anything to do with her. She meets her last living great grandparent and I can’t even get a damn picture. Primo on the other hand? Made her day with hugs & kisses and other such stuff. And I got some pictures of him with her. So, there’s that.

I’ve had a productive few days, completely cleaning out all of the toxic chemicals from my mom’s utility room (to the tune of 15 garbage bags, not full because that crap is HEAVY) that my Dad had a penchant for collecting. After I got rid of all that, I organized and labeled to my hearts content and she now has a whole shelf labeled “light bulbs.” Poison wasn’t the only thing my Dad liked to collect.

Tonight we tackled a small portion of the outside area and added a crapload to the pile of poison to go for proper disposal later this week, and created a whole new pile for the landfill. Sorry, Earth. We’ve salvaged lots for a future garage sale too, and are recycling tires and giving away as much stuff as possible.

Though much of my week has been and will be spent among chemicals and dirty crap, I can only do that stuff when my kids are in bed so we’ve still been enjoying our days. On the weekend the kids went for their first horseback ride (pictures to follow when I get them uploaded). It was super awesome. My mom, the Big Guy and the kids and I went out to my sister in law’s parents farm to feed the horses and have a little ride. They also saw a kitten who had just opened it’s eyes, a bunny and a bunch of dogs. And played with sticks and stepped in horse shit. Ahh, country life. They loved every minute of it.

The next morning, my sister in law & I went back out and saddled up some of their neighbours horses and went for a good long ride. It’s been a long time since I rode, let alone galloped free down the side of a highway, and it was absolutely incredible. I wish I had pictures. Instead I have saddle sores and a mosquito bite on my ass. There’s that glamour shining through again.