I tried it! - Homemade Dishsoap

I make a lot of homemade cleaning products, and I am always looking to find things that fit this criteria:

1.) All Natural
2.) Cheap
3.) Effective (as in, they work!)

Dish Soap was something I hadn't tried yet- it just seemed complicated to make anything "liquid", so up until now I have been buying Seventh Generation Dish Soap, which unfortunately comes in a plastic squeeze bottle.

I have been reading a lot of one of my new favorite websites, Trash Backwards, and found they had a list of 100 Things you Never Need to Buy (be still my beating heart). Lists like that get me excited. I love not buying! One of the things on there was dish soap, and the recipe was ridiculously easy : baking soda and essential oil ( I used a few drops of lavender). Baking soda comes in a cardboard box, and essential oil in a glass vile, so we have plastic-free dish soap!

I was skeptical, I didn't think it would work. My husband even said, "If baking soda cleans dishes, why are people spending all this money on dish soap?" to that my response was, "marketing?".

I didn't even have to nail holes into a jar lid as she recommended, because I had an old glass paremsan container just waiting to become a dish soap container.

The verdict? Holy guacamole! This stuff works! Even I was surprised, with a sprinkling of this and a scrub  brush my oatmeal pot (pictured at left) was clean! An you know what it's like to scrub gummy oatmeal...

That just made my day. I love finding cheap, natural cleaning recipes that work : )

Do you make your own cleaning products? Would you try this?

Photo Friday #5 Morning Visitor

Once again, Friday came and went without my "photo friday". How the time gets away from me!

The quality of the photo is bad, I know. But I was having trouble getting a clear shot of this visitor I had sitting in my backyard. I took it from inside, these buddies will charge at you and I wasn't going to take any chances. Check out those horns.

We frequently get groups of 10 + deer in our backyard, but usually they are women and children. I guess this fellow just needed to take a break.

Have a great weekend!

Katie

Inspirational Quotes- Children Learn What they Live

I love inspirational quotes. My husband always brings them to me when he finds one he knows I like, even though he thinks they are silly. I just love hearing all the great things people say.

Here is something I have hanging in my kitchen-

Children Learn What they Live

If a child lives with criticism,
he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with ridicule,
he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame,
he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance,
he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement,
he learns confidence.
If a child lives with praise,
he learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness,
he learns to be just.
If a child lives with security,
he learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval,
he learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship,
he learns to find love in the world.


And  I read it when I stagger into the kitchen in the morning, while I am waiting for the coffee to brew.
And I try to be the best parent I can be everyday.

Becoming Habit

I was having a conversation the other day when the subject turned to laundry detergent (I know, don't be jealous, I lead a very exciting life.)

It got to how we mentioned we can't use the smelly stuff, because it gives us headaches, and I mentioned I make my own laundry detergent. "Oh," my friend said "I could never do that. To much work and time. I just buy free and clear."

I thought about it, and to be honest, I really don't think it takes much time to make laundry detergent. I have been doing it for so long it's just part of my routine. Then, I got to thinking of other "low waste" activities in my life, and how to someone totally unaccustomed to this type of "lifestyle" (if you want to call it that), it may seem time consuming.

But, once it becomes habit, it doesn't.

I haven't bought paper towels in over a year. At first, it was a pain in the butt to get use to the "rag" system, but now I don't even blink. It's not something I even think about. I just do it

I try to remind myself every time I begin a new low-waste endeavor, that while it may seem like a lot of work now, eventually it will become part of my routine (I am hoping this is the case with cloth diapers!)

Although, I have to emphasize, that the point of a low waste (or zero waste) lifestyle is not that it's easier, or convenient (although I find not having to buy lots of beauty products is a lot easier for me, personally), but I do it because I feel passionate about being the best steward I can of the (abundant) resources I have been given.

What's the most tedious housework/low waste/environmental change you've made? Mine would be cleaning the tub/shower. I don't just spray bleach on it anymore. I make homemade soft scrub, and I actually have to scrub.

Photo Friday #4 Autumn Sunrise

The numbering of photo posts seemed really boring so I thought I'd give this one a name. And, I am so clever I am calling it "Autumn Sunrise". I do realize it is Saturday, I had a busy day at work and then took my son to celebrate his school's 50th birthday, I was so tired I got in bed at about 8 last night. These last couple weeks of pregnancy have been a doozy. I'm quite moody :)
I woke up to see the sunrise ( I don't sleep for very long these days ), brewed my coveted pumpkin coffee, and headed out to the deck to take a picture and enjoy the view.

We have a second story deck so that's why you see the tree tops. The sky started out an orange color and then turned to this pinkish purple. It is very pretty, but I couldn't stay out for long because the morning temperature was 43 * F. Too chilly for my tastes.

The sunrise is a really great time to pause, take a deep breath, and clear your head for the new day. I try to acknowledge my negative feelings, and then let them go to make space for a new day. I tend to hang out to thoughts and stew, so this is a good way to "clean house" for the new day.

Have a great weekend!

Katie

True Confessions: Low Waste Fails, and Giving Myself Grace

Hello all. I am in week 36 of my pregnancy, and I am large, tired, and cranky. Not much longer to go.

And I have to confess. I have not been diligently living a low waste lifestyle.

I have been too tired to making yogurt, and resorted to buying it in a plastic tub.

My dryer is running. It is cold a damp and I took the easy route.

I have not made the 14 mile trek to the bulk foods store. We are eating cereal out of a box* and almonds in a plastic bag.

*(The box is cardboard, and the bag is wax paper. I reuse the wax bag for other things around the kitchen, and the cardboard gets recycled).

I feel like a failure. I am upset with myself. But, I am trying not to drag myself down with guilt and showing myself a little grace.

This stage of life isn't forever, and I am trying to do what I can at any given moment.

Photo Friday #3

Ah, once again the week has gotten away from me. Between working a shift at the CSA farm we belong to, (splitting garlic, my large pregnant self is no good for farm work), and a church volunteer function, I have tuckered myself out. Being 8 months pregnant will do that to you :)

The weather here has been rain, rain, and more rain. So I thought I'd pull out a picture (s) from vacation. Last summer we went to Cape Cod, and rode out on the ferry boat to Martha's Vineyard (which I think Joy @ JoyfullyGreen went on a similar vacation this summer..)  It was one place I went snap happy with my camera. The beauty of Cape Cod; one minute you are at an ocean beach, and 10 minutes away you can go to a beautiful lake beach. Not to mention you have great hiking. As a lover of the outdoors, I thoroughly enjoyed myself (other than the car ride to get there!) These pictures were taken on the ferry ride leaving Cape Cod.

Have a great weekend!

Katie

Low Waste Gift Idea

Yesterday was my Grandma's 92nd birthday. She's still going strong, living in her own house and driving.
Today we are having a party for her, and I have been thinking a lot about what to give her. She always says she does not need anything, (and you can imagine, after 92 years of living and accumulating things, my grandma does not need any more stuff). So I decided on a delicious, decadent fudge recipe that is super easy to make. Food is a good gift to give/receive, it allows you the pleasure of giving something, and then not having to store anything (once you eat it up!)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

(It is Gluten free, but by no means healthy. This is a rich treat, or as we say in our house, a "sometimes food". :)

Ingredients:

1 pound of butter (2 sticks)
3 heaping tablespoons of smooth peanut butter
1 pound of confectioner's sugar
3 heaping tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method:

Melt butter and peanut butter together.

Mix powdered sugar and cocoa in bowl.

Pour melted butter/peanut mixture into sugar/cocoa mix.

Add vanilla and stir.

Spread into an 8 x 8 dish.

Refrigerate until firm.


That's it, easy peasy lemon squeezy. I then cut it up into squares and put it in a tin/container. I save containers if they are cute so I have something to give my food gifts in.

Do you make homemade/low waste gifts? Please share your ideas!

Katie

Photo Friday #2

I was hoping to have another post out before Photo Friday, but unfortunately I have spent the week battling a nasty cold. Cold + 34 weeks pregnant = blah. So, my free time was spent resting, not blog post writing. (It beats when I had whooping cough (pertussis) during my second trimester, which is a story for another day).

The picture this week wasn't taken by me, but it is a photo of my family for anyone out there for a burning desire to know what we look like.

I am the lone female, Mike (who gave me permission to use his name) my husband, and the boy. So, there we are. This was taken at my son's preschool graduation, which was June 2012. We are obviously due for an updated portrait, but I figure we might as well wait until the new little guy joins the family.

Have a great weekend everybody!!

Katie