Laundry Room Series: Natural Stain Remover

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As I shared in my previous post on detergent, what I cleaned my clothes with was a huge concern for me after beginning to switch to natural alternatives. Detergent was one of the first to change. Last year, I discovered a wonderful natural stain remover, too, that I've put to use often with my active little man. So far, it has removed:

• Grass stains
• Blood stains
• Puke stains

What IS this amazing stain remover? One of the most simple answers on the planet...

Laundry Room Series: Natural Detergent Options

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Soon after discovering the high toxicity levels in the products around my home, laundry detergent was high on my list to replace fast. The clothes that are against my skin all day, all the time have soaked up the toxins in the soap they're washed in and are transferred to my body. And what's absorbed through my skin goes into my blood stream, thereby affecting my entire body. When broken down as such, it sounds a little scary, right? It did to me anyway, so I looked for a solution. Many natural bloggers offer DIY solutions involving things like boiling huge amounts of liquids, grating soap bars, and other labor and time intensive activities. That was an immediate turn off! I have found simple, natural laundry detergent solutions!!

Kitchen Cleaner Series: Wrap Up

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I have put up a lot of posts on cleaning your kitchen naturally without chemicals, so I wanted to take a moment to link them all together for you here so they're easier to find.

• DIY Non-Toxic All-Purpose Cleaner: Use for cleaning your stove top or non-granite counter tops
• DIY Natural Disinfectant for Scrubbing in Bathrooms and Kitchens: Use for scrubbing your sink and tile grout
• DIY Natural Kitchen Counter Cleaners
• Natural Hand and Dishwashing Soap

Kitchen Cleaner Series: No Ants, No Harsh Chemicals

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The weather is ripening for ant infestation, isn't it? About a month ago, right in the middle of a few hot days, we noticed some ants on our kitchen counter. It took me a couple days to figure out where they were coming from since there was no distinct trail. There's a gap between the floor and the wall behind our stove, which was letting in ants and spiders (lovely!). We still haven't put molding back there; since I was able to get the ants to go away, we haven't thought about it, so it's on the to-do list. I have heard of MANY ways to get rid of ants and other bugs naturally, which I definitely wanted to do in the kitchen. I'm not concerned about roach bait motels in the garage, but in the house, I'm trying to use natural pesticides.

Feel Good Friday: Soak Yourself into Health

I have some critical information to share with you today, folks. Don’t be alarmed, but did you know

roughly 60% of Americans have a magnesium deficiency? Yes, that means that number probably includes YOU. I know what you’re thinking…you eat right, you take your multivitamins, there is no way you are deficient in anything. Well, I hate to break it to you, but you probably are lacking in the magnesium area, and if you’re on the east coast or part of cubicle nation like me, probably also Vitamin D, but that’s for another post. How did you become so deficient in magnesium, despite doing all the right things? Well, I’ll tell ya:

Kitchen Cleaner Series: Easy, Non-Toxic Oven Cleaner

photo credit: idreamofclean.net

Ever notice some extra scent coming from your oven when baking something? If that’s the case, it’s time to clean it! My last oven definitely needed a cleaning before we moved last summer and, unfortunately, didn’t get the proper cleaning! Opps! One time I was going to run the self-cleaning cycle it had, but it was going to take hours!! I wasn’t going to be around and wanted to use the oven, so I cancelled the self-cleaning and never got around to it.

Kitchen Cleaner Series: Buying Produce and Washing It

A produce box from last summer

Whether you get your produce from a store or delivered to your door from the farm (like me!), it needs a wash!! At some point, it was growing, out of the ground, next to bugs and dirt, and goodness knows what else!!

Produce from the Store
If you don't have the privilege of shopping at a Farmer's Market or getting your produce in a CSA box of some sort, then, I'm sorry. Truly fresh produce is amazing, period. But, you have to live with what you have, right? Anyways, if you buy your produce at the store, I highly suggest organics. According to the EWG, two-thirds of produce samples recently tested by the government had pesticide residue in them!! AHHHHH!! Their full report explains that children are more susceptible to the toxins in pesticides, which have been linked to "pediatric cancers, decreased cognitive function, and behavioral problems." Adults can suffer from similar problems, especially with prolonged exposure.  What can you do?

Feel Good Friday: DIY Coffee Scrub

Happy Friday! The weekend could not get here soon enough. Is it just me, or do the weekdays seem a little longer when the sun is out and begging us to come play? I am thoroughly looking forward to spending my Saturday and Sunday outdoors, either riding my bike or just hanging out in the park. This is, by far, my favorite time of the year.

Before indulging in this weather, I always spend some quality time exfoliating. Sloughing off dead skin cells before going outside leaves a smooth, even canvas to soak up the vitamin D that the sun so graciously provides us, not to mention it makes the skin glow! I actually exfoliate with a body scrub at least weekly year-round, but when summer rears its beautiful head, I bump that up to 2-3 times a week. While there are TONS of scrubs and exfoliating products on the market, I generally don’t bother with those and prefer to make my own with natural, good-for-me ingredients that pamper my skin. Today, I’m sharing one of my many scrub recipes that I use regularly. This scrub uses a blend of coffee and coconut sugar to exfoliate the skin, and coconut and olive oils to moisturize and soften. Read on for the recipe!

Kitchen Cleaner Series: Mopping

First, I will say, I don't have wood floors and never have, so I don't know about cleaning those yet, but I'll look into it if you want me to!! I have always had tile or linoleum in the kitchen and bathroom areas though and have used numerous things to clean them with poor to decent results, including: Swiffer dry and wet sheets, water and a few squirts of soap, a store-bought floor-cleaning concentrate added to water. If you've been reading this blog, you know that store-bought cleaners are no longer my go-to cleaners because they have loads of toxic chemicals, they're expensive, and they don't get the job done well. Anyone else resonate with these feelings? Here's what I use for mopping now:

Kitchen Cleaner Series: The Dishwasher

What's lurking on your dishes that you can't even see?! Does your food ever taste soapy? like chlorine? Is white residue plaguing your dishes? A few years ago, I answered "yes" to all of those questions, so I went looking for a solution because your dishes can actually just be clean without residue, seen or seen, left on them. A repair man recommended powdered detergent for our dishwasher, so that's what I looked for and ended up with Seventh Generation Automatic Dishwasher Powder (link to EWG report) and plain citric acid to deal with the white residue, which is caused by hard water. When I purchased this dishwasher powder, it was the best thing available that I knew of, but I will get or make washing soda when I run out of this because it has some ingredients in it that may cause cancer.

What's growing in your garden?

I have a huge area in my front yard that gets full sun most or all day. Plus, it gets hot here, so we wanted drought-tolerant plants. And, I'm an amateur gardener, so I wanted plants that were easy to care for; all I do is pull weeds and clip or pull off dead leaves and flowers. Within the last few months I've planted several new plants that are looking beautiful now!! Here are my current favorites:

Verbascum chaixii

Feel Good Friday: My Favorite Deep Conditioner

photo credit: Atalanta Black Star

Happy Friday! I don’t know about you, but we here on the East Coast are just finally getting a taste of warm weather. After such a brutal winter, the sunshine is a most welcome change. These first few days have done wonders for my spirits and help to banish my winter blues. My mind isn’t the only thing eager to shake off the doldrums of winter; my hair is practically begging for some moisture after the harsh, dry winter months. So, this weekend, I will treat myself to my favorite deep conditioner, which helps to restore moisture, shine and elasticity to my hair. And, of course, I’m sharing it with you! This deep treatment is chock full of natural ingredients that are awesome for your hair and can be found right in your own kitchen.