Happy spring, dear readers! In this issue:

• The chemical-free way to clean

• Spring recipes! Yay!

• Get your picnic baskets ready

• Put a spring in your step

Spring Forward, Naturally

Pro tips on spring cleaning without harsh chemicals... and some new recipes and ideas to celebrate the season

As winter’s early sunsets fade into spring’s warm glow, many of us feel the urge to air out our homes and get a fresh start on the season ahead.

We can take a lesson from The Ritz-Carlton, one of the world's most luxurious hotel companies. For years, they’ve used only natural ingredients to clean and disinfect their hotels. Why have they eschewed chemicals for natural solutions? Aside from smelling fresh and clean, they are safe, tend to cost less, and are just as effective for most household tasks as their chemical counterparts. And that’s good for their guests and Mother Earth.

Get to know these powerful, environmentally friendly cleaning agents that are safe for your family and pets. The good news is that you probably have many of these items in your home right now.

Also, consider stocking up on microfiber cloths to reduce the use of paper towels and magic sponge erasers. These go a long way toward removing stubborn stains from delicate surfaces like painted walls and scuff marks from floors.

Before you start:

• Test natural cleaners on a small, hidden area first

• Store homemade cleaners in clearly labeled spray bottles; glass bottles are the most earth-friendly

• Keep vinegar-based solutions away from natural stone surfaces

• Open windows while cleaning for ventilation and to air out your home

White vinegar cuts through grease, removes mineral deposits, and kills bacteria.

• To use: Mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle for an all-purpose cleaner. For stubborn bathroom grime, slightly warm the vinegar before applying or use hot water.

• Hack: Add citrus peels or from those leftover lemons you use to a bottle of white vinegar and let it sit for two weeks to add a fresh scent.

Lemon juice contains citric acid that sanitizes while it leaves a delightful scent. It dissolves soap scum and hard water stains, and naturally brightens surfaces

• To use: Cut a lemon in half and sprinkle baking soda on the cut side to scrub stained cutting boards or countertops.

• Hack: Rub the leftover lemon on stains and then scrub with paste of water and baking soda.

Baking soda works as a mild abrasive and deodorizes as it cleans. Great for sinks, tubs, and showers.

• To use: Make a paste with water, about a 50/50 mix. For tough oven stains, apply a thicker paste and let it sit overnight.

• Hack: Sprinkle on carpets before vacuuming to absorb odors. Or leave an open box in your fridge to keep it smelling clean.

Essential oils instantly add a pleasant aroma and microbial properties to your natural cleaners.

• To use: Add a few drops of tea tree, lavender, or lemon oil to your cleaning solution. Pine and eucalyptus oils work well for a solution to clean floors.

• Hack: To refresh your toilet tank, add a few drops of essential oil. According to Toilet Sense, a little goes a long way.

_{Ritz-Carlton is a Registered Service Mark of The Ritz Hotel, Limited}

Spring cleaning guide

Kitchen:

• Clean cutting boards with half a lemon and coarse salt or baking soda

• Freshen drains with baking soda followed by vinegar, then flush with hot water

• Polish stainless steel with a vinegar and olive oil mix

Microwave and oven: There are several options for cleaning the microwave:

• Vinegar: To remove grease and grime, mix equal parts water and white vinegar in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 2–5 minutes. Let the bowl cool, then wipe down the microwave with a damp cloth.

• Lemon juice: To deodorize and sanitize, squeeze lemon juice into a bowl of water. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Wipe away residue with a microfiber cloth dampened with water and vinegar.

• Baking soda: To remove baked-on food, add several tablespoons of baking soda to a microwave-safe bowl of water. Microwave for 2–5 minutes, then wipe clean.

• Dish soap: To break down stains, use a few drops of dish soap. You can also try using a microfiber towel or rag dampened with water.

Bathroom:

• Scrub tubs and tiles with a paste made of water and baking soda

• Clean toilet bowls with vinegar and a sprinkle of baking soda

• Remove mirror spots with diluted vinegar and newspaper

• Unclog drains with baking soda and vinegar followed by boiling water

Living Areas:

• Polish wooden furniture with a mix of olive oil and lemon juice; a little goes a long way

• Deodorize carpets with a light sprinkling of baking soda before vacuuming

• Clean windows with vinegar, water, and cornstarch

• Refresh upholstery with a light spritz of diluted vinegar

Celebrate the season

Just like the first offerings of a kitchen garden, there are bountiful recipes online to celebrate the season’s fresh produce. Here are a few that we thought would make a lovely spring dinner.

Life is a picnic

It’s all about enjoying the little things, like fresh air, soft breezes, and the first leafy buds of spring swaying against an ether blue sky. It’s these cues that flirt with us and lure us into packing a picnic.

Ina Garten, one of our favorite authorities on all things food, likes to keep the menu simple. Her picnics often begin with a charcuterie board.

“These are certainly only suggestions for what I put on my charcuterie platter but please be creative and choose the products you like best!”

“You can go into your pantry and see what you have,” Garten explained in an interview with the Showbiz Cheat Sheet. “I always like something right in the middle as a block, and then I put things around, colorful things like apricots. I’ve got two different cheeses, one creamy, one blue.”

She also suggested keeping like-colored elements together for the most beautiful layout. “I think very often people put apricots everywhere and then they put figs everywhere, but you want to do blocks of color and then it’ll look really gorgeous.”

Garten’s suggestions include:

• Salami, sliced

• Sharp Cheddar, such as Cabot

• Triple crème cheese, such as Mount Tam (Cowgirl Creamery)

• Sliced Italian prosciutto di Parma

• Fresh figs

• Cheese straws, such as Macy’s

• Salted, roasted Marcona almonds

• Dried apricots

• Clementines

• Coarse mustard, such as Maille

• Chutney, such as Stonewall Kitchen

• Breads, for serving

Here’s one of Garten's favorite recipes for a picnic: her addictive shrimp salad. And don’t miss her Facebook page for more tempting ideas.

More from around the web:

• Sadie Dishes

• Jarcuterie!

• Neurotic Kitchen

• Rainbow Plant Life

• Family Favorite Recipes

• Healthy Little Vittles

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Put a spring in your step

Have you heard about bounce classes? Although we’ve read that these crazy-looking springy boots that are used for these workouts are safe for mature adults, we’ll let you decide. The one thing we know is that it looks kinda fun!

Let Howie Mandel and the hosts from The Today Show demonstrate. (By the way, Mandel was born in 1955.)

Learn more about the health benefits of a kangoo workout.

What are you giving rebirth to this spring?