From the Archives: 10 Tips for Healthy Cleaning and Living

Whether you have kids or not, its good to be (Im so sick of this word )"green". Its mainly good for you - which is most important. Lots of cleansers & household products are extremely harmful - which is why the companies never post the ingredients to their formulas; they don't want you to know you're buying something that's quite toxic. Well, here are a few ideas from the past that I've revamped :

1. Fix a squeaky hinge; door, box, wheel, etc. How do you do this? Easy, just spray the hinge with cooking spray like PAM or whatever type you use. Olive oil will also work, but it can get a bit runny.

2. Freshen up a room: Option A - get a small spray bottle -say 2 oz. - fill with water and a lovely smelling essential oil. (tip: use peppermint oil to really get the stench out of the room. My sister, who is a nurse, says this is what they do at hospitals when ...accidents happen). Shake it and spray til the room's scent is to your liking. Option B-Just get a small decorative jar and fill it with baking soda and a few drops of essential oil till its scent is to your liking - this works great in the washroom. I love the lemon/eucalyptus blend. God knows what is in Febreze!

3. Get a large spray bottle 16+ oz., fill with water and about 25 drops of Lavender & Tea Tree essential oil (its a combo oil). This should kill any mold and mildew thru out your home, just spray on surfaces and let air dry. It also smells great and works well as an air freshener too.

4. Use 1/4 cup vinegar during the rinse cycle when your doing laundry. It will work as a fabric softener without all the chemicals but with all the softness. And no, your clothes won't smell like vinegar.

5. Clean your windows, mirrors, glass with a spray that 50/50 water and vinegar (add an essential oil to tame the vinegary smell if you like) - but the smell goes away very quickly.

6. Try not to buy things new. If you can find them at the GoodWill or Salvation Army, do it. You can always find Target's clearance items at these shops so you can buy things 'new' too! You help others as well as finding cool stuff.

7. Used coffee grounds work to keep pests away from your plants. Make sure your plants can tolerate the acidity the grounds may add to the plant soil tho!

8. Kill weeds by spraying them with vinegar - careful not to spray what you want kept healthy in your yard/plant/garden. Vinegar can kill the important stuff too! Its better to use this then items like Round Up, which is very toxic.

9. Use baking soda to scrub just about anything - the oven range, toilet, bath tub, sinks, your teeth, etc. Dab some mixed with a bit of soap to get stains out of clothes as you would with Shout.

10. If you do buy any cleansers I highly recommend Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds. Its like an all-purpose miracle cleaner! Use it to wash your laundry; floors; bathrooms; counters; walls; dishes; car; fruits & vegetables; plus its mild & gentle on the skin. I swear it gets our hardwood floors looking cleaner and better than Murphy's Oil Soapdoes. And it lasts a LONG time - so its totally with the $9 - $12 for a 32 oz bottle - a little goes a long way.

Ok, thats all 10! I hope it helps anyone who needs it!

Image above from The Economist

Read More

Handmade Holiday Idea: CrankHeartPony & Local Goods Chicago team up for jewelry making event!

If you've been wanting to get creative and make some handmade gifts this holiday season, then come on over to Local Goods Chicago on Saturday November 30th to make some wire wrapped nest pendants with me! These can be made into earrings, worn as a pendant on a necklace, as a brooch, a hair pin, add it to accent another piece of jewelry, and so on. Sign up here! It helps if you're in the Chicagoland area :)

Read More

DIY Deodorant that WORKS.

There has been a lot of discussion about the effects deodorant has on the body. Personally, I have been sick of using it because I have no idea what the long term effects really are and many people think they have no choice in the matter, other than being a reeking, smelly pig. As of late, it has made me break out in hives..and this is the "natural" stuff. I knew God didn't put us on earth for man to develop crazy chemical laden, and sometimes dangerous concoctions, if there are natural solutions to our health problems. Ever since I had my brief brush with acute and painful arthritis (that has now subsided and not come back- ptl) I have been exploring natural remedies opposed to man-made poisons from Big Pharma. So, I have been searching for the best DIY deodorant recipe and sort of stumbled upon something so incredibly simple; Castor oil and baking soda. I add a scent, like pure tangerine oil or whatever just because I don't wear perfume.

This has been working fantastically. All you do is pour a nickle (or quid) sized dollop of castor oil into your palm (add a scented oil at this point if you like - but make sure this oil is safe on skin) rub your palms together and apply it onto the skin. Follow with about the same amount of baking soda and you are done. My husband has now switched to this method, and as a man who works & sweats all day, he finds it just as fantastic as I do.

This is also extremely beneficial financially. You figure you probably spend close to $100 a year on deodorant, this method might cost $15 or less a year AND it's one less toxic thing you're not applying onto your body on a daily basis.

You can find castor oil online or go to A Fruitful Yield, Whole Foods, or any health food stores that are in your area. You can also find essential oils at these places, too!

Try and enjoy~ let me know how it works for you!

Read More