Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Happy Holidays Everyone!!

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Tim Burton's 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'


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If you have never watched this movie, please do.
It's fantastic!


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However you choose to celebrate this festive season...
have a great one!

Monday, December 22, 2008

A new way of painting

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Some of you may already know that I try to live a chemical-free lifestyle. By chemical-free I mean using household products that don't contain a lot of harmful or toxic ingredients. For instance, I use vinegar and baking soda for many cleaning chores around the house. I use a scent-free and phosphate free laundry detergent. I use a hydrogen peroxide-based safe bleach. I do not use fabric softener because those synthetic fragrances are really not good for you and many times they make me feel nauseous or give me a headache. Ditto with my dish washing soap. My bath soap. My shampoo. My deodorant.

So, when it came time for the new house to be painted, my husband and I knew that we did not want VOCs' (volatile organic compounds) floating around in the air during and after the painting process. We opted for a relatively new brand of paint from Benjamin Moore called Aura. This paint has no distinct chemical smell and is guaranteed to be very low on the toxic emissions. Hence good for you and for the environment.

The paint was exceptional! It went on opaque. It dried very fast. Seamless touch ups. And it did not leave any lingering smell in the house for days afterwards, the way most household paints do.

Was it expensive? Yes. It was twice as much in cost than regular paint would cost.

Am I looking forward to painting the other rooms in the summer with Aura? You bet.

Do I work for Benjamin Moore?
No. I just know a great product when I use it and Aura paint is a fantastic product.
Even my father-in-law who is a seasoned painter and who is partial to his own paint brand, was impressed with Aura.