Dishwasher detergent can get expensive...especially if you like the nice stuff instead of the dollar store junk. It's ridiculously easy to mix up a batch for yourself.
You use equal parts of Borax and Baking soda, mix in some essential oils....and tada! You have dishwasher detergent. I use one tablespoon per load, BUT using just that mixture will leave a funky white film over all of your dishes. Most people use powdered citric acid mixed in to prevent the white stuff, and apparently you can even use a couple packets of Lemonade Cool-Aid. I have an aversion to Cool-Aid, so I haven't tried it. What I do is use....wait for it.....vinegar! I have a handy dandy spray bottle of vinegar under my sink, and I just use it and spray vinegar into my detergent mixture after I put the tablespoon of it into the dishwasher thing. I just keep spraying until the container is mostly full, then close it up and run the dishwasher like normal.
The End.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Reduce your paper towel waste with.....Unpaper Towels!
So my older sister (one of them) is in town to visit and it just happened to have been her birthday yesterday. So I made her some unpaper towels for her kitchen. Basically, they are paper towels, minus the paper. I took lots of pictures while making them so I could give you a tutorial on how to make some for yourself. Sure, you could buy them off Etsy or something but it's way more fun to make your own!
First, pick out your fabrics. I like using woven cotton on one side and terry cloth on the other. Makes for a good weight so they stand up nicely on a vertial paper towel holder. And that way you have your "scrubby" side and your "pretty" side. My sister said her kitchen was brown and green, so here is what a trip to Joanns came up with:
Then, just attach your snaps and you're finished! I need to get a picture still of them all snapped up and finished. :)
First, pick out your fabrics. I like using woven cotton on one side and terry cloth on the other. Makes for a good weight so they stand up nicely on a vertial paper towel holder. And that way you have your "scrubby" side and your "pretty" side. My sister said her kitchen was brown and green, so here is what a trip to Joanns came up with:
Next, you're going to cut all of your fabric up. I made them 11" x 8"....came out a pretty good-looking size if you ask me. (Tip: If you are using more than one kind of material for the cotton woven layer, buy 1/3 yard of each. That's 12 inches, then you just slice it up into 9 inch pieces and you will automatically get 11x8 because of seam allowances)
After you've cut out all of your terry and cotton to the right sizes, you will take a piece of terry and cotton and put them right sides together....like this:
Now pin it together (or not if you don't want to) and sew around it with a 1/2 inch seam allowance, but leave an opening to turn it right side out, and then clip the corners to make it rounded to make it turn nicely:
Turn it right side out:
Now pin the opening closed by turning the two layers towards the inside so it looks like the rest of it. Then sew all the way around with as small of an allowance as you are comfortable with.
When you are done topstitching, tie knots with your threads, thread them onto a needle and pull them in between the two layers and cut so that the thread is lost inside. Does that make any sense?
Then, just attach your snaps and you're finished! I need to get a picture still of them all snapped up and finished. :)
DIY Deodorant....and it works!
I have been making my own deodorant for a while now and have perfected the process to my satisfaction, so I am going to share! My recipe, that is...not my deodorant. Back off!
There are SO many deodorant recipes floating out there on the internet and I have tried most of them. Some consistencies ended up too melty....but that's pretty much the only problem I have found. It's ridiculously fun to customize it as you're making it, too. In the mood for citrus smelling deodorant? Or flowery? Or just plain clean? Hopefully you have a mini-stash of essential oils hiding somewhere in your cabinets, or else you may want to get some!
Anywho...this is what you'll need:
Empty clean old deodorant container
Coconut oil
Corn starch
The all-powerful Baking Soda
Essential oils of your choice
Probiotic capsule is optional
The first time I made deodorant, it was way too melty-melty. It was like smearing goo on your armpits. Very strange sensation, I must tell you. There was a simple enough fix for that though: less coconut oil. I started out trying equal parts of coconut oil, baking soda, and cornstarch...but quickly modified it to less coconut oil and more dry ingredients. My last batch was quite nice and I used 1/4 cup of coconut oil, 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1/2 cup of cornstarch.
So first thing, melt the coconut oil. And don't yell at me for using the cheap stuff from Walmart.... *ahem*. I microwaved mine....don't yell at me for that either. I suppose you could do it on the stove as well, but microwave is faster.
After you melt it, add your baking soda and cornstarch...and your probiotic capsule if you're using it (not the whole thing, silly...dump the insides out into it). And don't make a giant mess like I did.
Stir it all up until it's completely blended and a smooth consistency...kinda like frosting. Then add your essential oils and stir again. I used about 20 drops of Tea Tree Oil and a few of lavendar.
There are SO many deodorant recipes floating out there on the internet and I have tried most of them. Some consistencies ended up too melty....but that's pretty much the only problem I have found. It's ridiculously fun to customize it as you're making it, too. In the mood for citrus smelling deodorant? Or flowery? Or just plain clean? Hopefully you have a mini-stash of essential oils hiding somewhere in your cabinets, or else you may want to get some!
Anywho...this is what you'll need:
Empty clean old deodorant container
Coconut oil
Corn starch
The all-powerful Baking Soda
Essential oils of your choice
Probiotic capsule is optional
The first time I made deodorant, it was way too melty-melty. It was like smearing goo on your armpits. Very strange sensation, I must tell you. There was a simple enough fix for that though: less coconut oil. I started out trying equal parts of coconut oil, baking soda, and cornstarch...but quickly modified it to less coconut oil and more dry ingredients. My last batch was quite nice and I used 1/4 cup of coconut oil, 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1/2 cup of cornstarch.
So first thing, melt the coconut oil. And don't yell at me for using the cheap stuff from Walmart.... *ahem*. I microwaved mine....don't yell at me for that either. I suppose you could do it on the stove as well, but microwave is faster.
Before melting...duh.
After melting...tada.
After you melt it, add your baking soda and cornstarch...and your probiotic capsule if you're using it (not the whole thing, silly...dump the insides out into it). And don't make a giant mess like I did.
Stir it all up until it's completely blended and a smooth consistency...kinda like frosting. Then add your essential oils and stir again. I used about 20 drops of Tea Tree Oil and a few of lavendar.
Now just pour it into your prepared container ...just fill it to the top or a little below the top. I put mine in the refridgerator to cool because I'm impatient.
As for applying it, it will be a little more melty than commercial deodorant...It will smell GREAT though and it does work. As my guinea pig, my dad used some for a few days and said he couldn't tell a difference between homemade and commercial as far as smelly goes. Obviously, it's not an anti-persperant since it doesn't have aluminum in it. Which is a good thing. :)
WARNING: This WILL return to it's liquid state in warmer temperatures. I have to keep mine refridgerated during the summer months.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Cloth diapers
Being a mother has made me much more environmentally friendly. I don't care as much about what goes into or onto my body as much as I care (almost to the point of crazy) what touches my baby or goes into their little bodies. One of the main changes we've made is using cloth diapers aka FLUFF.
Let me just say how much I love cloth diapers. I adore them! I love them! I would roll around in piles of them if I knew my husband wouldn't put me in the looney bin! They're so soft and squishy! *ahem* Sorry. :) People who love cloth diapers are generally cloth addicts. We use the codename "Fluff" to refer to them....and our accumulations are our "stashes". And yes, we probably sound insane because of it.
I admit when Alix was a baby, we used disposables. When I told my husband that I wanted to switch to cloth diapers when Erin was born, he thought I was nuts. And he didn't think I'd stick with it....but guess what, we have! Honestly, I'm not sure what deters people from cloth diapers. Here are my thoughts on why people are hesitant:
Cost? If you are considering cloth diapers and you start looking at pricing for them, your first thought will most likely be "An average of $17 per diaper?! That's just too expensive!" BUT, what some people fail to realize is that you will spend thousands of dollars on disposables on one baby. There are many websites out there that break down the costs of both for comparison, which makes for an interesting read. And even if you shell out several hundred dollars for a nice stash of cloth diapers, the savings is amazing. AND, as long as you get well-made diapers, they will last for more than one child.
The thought of washing poo out of diapers? Get over it. You're a mom. Trust me, you'll deal with or have dealt with worse. And technically, you're supposed to dump the contents of disposables into the toilet before tossing in the garbage anyway. Didn't know that? .....it's in fine print on your bag of disposables. And besides, with cloth, you don't get the awful blowouts that you get with sposies. And honestly, the poo is not bad at all. If you breastfeed, then you don't even have to rinse or dump. Just throw it in the washer because breastfed poo is water soluble. I'll admit todder poo isn't the prettiest, but it's manageable.
I would think that the cost-savings and the lack of chemicals would be enough to make anyone want to cloth diaper. Since we've used cloth diapers, we don't get diaper rashes like we did with disposables. I love it. Besides, who wouldn't want some cute cute CUTE ....did I say cute?....diapers on your baby's bum?! :)
Let me just say how much I love cloth diapers. I adore them! I love them! I would roll around in piles of them if I knew my husband wouldn't put me in the looney bin! They're so soft and squishy! *ahem* Sorry. :) People who love cloth diapers are generally cloth addicts. We use the codename "Fluff" to refer to them....and our accumulations are our "stashes". And yes, we probably sound insane because of it.
I admit when Alix was a baby, we used disposables. When I told my husband that I wanted to switch to cloth diapers when Erin was born, he thought I was nuts. And he didn't think I'd stick with it....but guess what, we have! Honestly, I'm not sure what deters people from cloth diapers. Here are my thoughts on why people are hesitant:
Cost? If you are considering cloth diapers and you start looking at pricing for them, your first thought will most likely be "An average of $17 per diaper?! That's just too expensive!" BUT, what some people fail to realize is that you will spend thousands of dollars on disposables on one baby. There are many websites out there that break down the costs of both for comparison, which makes for an interesting read. And even if you shell out several hundred dollars for a nice stash of cloth diapers, the savings is amazing. AND, as long as you get well-made diapers, they will last for more than one child.
The thought of washing poo out of diapers? Get over it. You're a mom. Trust me, you'll deal with or have dealt with worse. And technically, you're supposed to dump the contents of disposables into the toilet before tossing in the garbage anyway. Didn't know that? .....it's in fine print on your bag of disposables. And besides, with cloth, you don't get the awful blowouts that you get with sposies. And honestly, the poo is not bad at all. If you breastfeed, then you don't even have to rinse or dump. Just throw it in the washer because breastfed poo is water soluble. I'll admit todder poo isn't the prettiest, but it's manageable.
I would think that the cost-savings and the lack of chemicals would be enough to make anyone want to cloth diaper. Since we've used cloth diapers, we don't get diaper rashes like we did with disposables. I love it. Besides, who wouldn't want some cute cute CUTE ....did I say cute?....diapers on your baby's bum?! :)
You don't use shampoo?! Ew!
No, not Ew! I admit it....I haven't used shampoo in about...I don't know...maybe 5 or 6 months? If you're thinking "Oh Gross", then let me tell you a bit about going "no poo". I started going no poo almost as soon as I heard of it. Everyone knows that shampoos and conditioners are chock full of chemicals and things that are just generally bad for your body. So if you had the option to get your hair clean without dousing your body in chemicals and stripping all the healthy natural oils out of your hair, why not? The point of using baking soda and apple cider vinegar in your hair is to bring your hair back to its natural state, the point where your body produces just the right amount of oils in your hair to keep it beautiful, manageable, and not greasy.
Here is your basic how-to:
Shampoo: Mix baking soda with water. I have a little squirt bottle that I got from a grocery store that's usually used for condiments. I use basically 2 tablespoons of baking soda to every cup of water. Everyone who does it probably uses different ratios according to what they like though, so it's no exact science which is nice. When you're going to wash your hair, just shake up the bottle to mix it up, then squirt right onto your scalp. Then just scrub it in with your fingertips just like you would shampoo. There is no soft lathering, no bubbles....it feels like you're rubbing dirt on your head. But it gets the job done and your hair is clean.
Conditioner: For your conditioner, you're going to mix one part apple cider vinegar to 2 parts water. After you rinse the baking soda out of your hair, pour the vinegar mix over your hair....preferably not directly on the scalp though. Then rinse your hair again and you're done. As weird as it may sound to be putting stinky ol' vinegar on your head, it works better than any conditioner I've used.
So there it is. After a couple weeks of using this, you will go through the "transition stage". Your hair might get a bit funky, either too oily or too dry. But it's easily managed. If you hair is too oily, don't use the vinegar rinse....either not at all, or less often, or even very diluted, all depending on what works for you. If your hair/scalp is too dry, then dilute your baking soda mixture more or try using it every other day or so until your scalp decides to even itself out. My transition stage wasn't even noticeable.
And here is my personal review: Since I've been no poo, my hair is so soft and manageable. I don't even need any more frizz control! It's wonderful! And my husband has been using it as long as I have and he no longer has the crazy dry, flaky scalp that he's had his entire life. Neither of us will ever go back to commercial shampoos. I use it on the girls too, of course. Alix's hair is amazing....her curls are so beautiful, and her hair has so much shine! Also, I've noticed since using it on Erin, no more cradle cap. :) The girls only get the no poo treatment once a week or so, and I use it every 3-4 days now without a problem.
So there you go. Feel free to ask any questions if you have any. :) Also, I have to say really quickly that the baking soda/vinegar is so much cheaper than shampoos/conditioners!
Here is your basic how-to:
Shampoo: Mix baking soda with water. I have a little squirt bottle that I got from a grocery store that's usually used for condiments. I use basically 2 tablespoons of baking soda to every cup of water. Everyone who does it probably uses different ratios according to what they like though, so it's no exact science which is nice. When you're going to wash your hair, just shake up the bottle to mix it up, then squirt right onto your scalp. Then just scrub it in with your fingertips just like you would shampoo. There is no soft lathering, no bubbles....it feels like you're rubbing dirt on your head. But it gets the job done and your hair is clean.
Conditioner: For your conditioner, you're going to mix one part apple cider vinegar to 2 parts water. After you rinse the baking soda out of your hair, pour the vinegar mix over your hair....preferably not directly on the scalp though. Then rinse your hair again and you're done. As weird as it may sound to be putting stinky ol' vinegar on your head, it works better than any conditioner I've used.
So there it is. After a couple weeks of using this, you will go through the "transition stage". Your hair might get a bit funky, either too oily or too dry. But it's easily managed. If you hair is too oily, don't use the vinegar rinse....either not at all, or less often, or even very diluted, all depending on what works for you. If your hair/scalp is too dry, then dilute your baking soda mixture more or try using it every other day or so until your scalp decides to even itself out. My transition stage wasn't even noticeable.
And here is my personal review: Since I've been no poo, my hair is so soft and manageable. I don't even need any more frizz control! It's wonderful! And my husband has been using it as long as I have and he no longer has the crazy dry, flaky scalp that he's had his entire life. Neither of us will ever go back to commercial shampoos. I use it on the girls too, of course. Alix's hair is amazing....her curls are so beautiful, and her hair has so much shine! Also, I've noticed since using it on Erin, no more cradle cap. :) The girls only get the no poo treatment once a week or so, and I use it every 3-4 days now without a problem.
So there you go. Feel free to ask any questions if you have any. :) Also, I have to say really quickly that the baking soda/vinegar is so much cheaper than shampoos/conditioners!
The uses of Baking Soda
I use baking soda a lot. And by a lot I mean, I go through one of the giant 4 pound boxes ever week or two. In my search for a greener, cleaner house, it has been my go-to product.
First off, here's a little bit of information about baking soda and what it is. Baking soda is another name for Sodium Bicarbonate. Yes, the sodium bicarbonate that is prescribed as an antacid. The molecular formula is Na HCO3. ....Just in case you needed to know. :) It is produced partly by a chemical reaction between brine and ammonia which I found quite interesting. It's been around for centuries though, but has been known by quite a few different names.
Here's a list of what all I've used it for, and then I will probably go into greater detail for the more interesting uses in another post:
1. Laundry detergent.
2. Household cleaner, in place of things like Soft Scrub for the shower, toilets, and stovetop.
3. Deodorizer for diaper pails and carpet, among other things.
4. Dishwasher detergent.
5. In place of shampoo.
6. It's a main ingredient in a few things like toothpaste and deodorant.
7. To help with itchy bug bites.
8. Mouthwash.
9. Body scrub.
10. Face wash.
I can't think of anything else I use it for at the moment.
First off, here's a little bit of information about baking soda and what it is. Baking soda is another name for Sodium Bicarbonate. Yes, the sodium bicarbonate that is prescribed as an antacid. The molecular formula is Na HCO3. ....Just in case you needed to know. :) It is produced partly by a chemical reaction between brine and ammonia which I found quite interesting. It's been around for centuries though, but has been known by quite a few different names.
Here's a list of what all I've used it for, and then I will probably go into greater detail for the more interesting uses in another post:
1. Laundry detergent.
2. Household cleaner, in place of things like Soft Scrub for the shower, toilets, and stovetop.
3. Deodorizer for diaper pails and carpet, among other things.
4. Dishwasher detergent.
5. In place of shampoo.
6. It's a main ingredient in a few things like toothpaste and deodorant.
7. To help with itchy bug bites.
8. Mouthwash.
9. Body scrub.
10. Face wash.
I can't think of anything else I use it for at the moment.
Disclaimer
Hello! I'm not going to ask how you are since I'd feel quite silly listening for a reply. But, I am fantabulous, thank you for not asking. Now, down to business. Here is my disclaimer: "This blog is written for my own amusement, and to satisfy my own needs of telling someone...anyone, for that matter....my silly ideas and thoughts. So don't go being all offended by my crazy rantings. :)"
Actually, I started this blog because a wonderful friend of mine suggested it. So here I am. The name "Something about baking soda" was also said friend's idea. I love it! The reason behind it is that my solution for almost everything in my house is baking soda. I will rant and rave about that later though. :)
Anywho....oh, speaking of who....does anyone obsess over Dr. Who? And if your favorite isn't the Tenth, then don't tell me because I might have to brainwash you. :) Yes, I am a nerd.
Ummm.....well, I don't want to tell you EVERYTHING about me right off the bat because what would the fun in that be? :)
Actually, I started this blog because a wonderful friend of mine suggested it. So here I am. The name "Something about baking soda" was also said friend's idea. I love it! The reason behind it is that my solution for almost everything in my house is baking soda. I will rant and rave about that later though. :)
Anywho....oh, speaking of who....does anyone obsess over Dr. Who? And if your favorite isn't the Tenth, then don't tell me because I might have to brainwash you. :) Yes, I am a nerd.
Ummm.....well, I don't want to tell you EVERYTHING about me right off the bat because what would the fun in that be? :)
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