Living Simply, Happily

I've been making a strong effort to reduce, reuse and recycle household items. Whenever I can, I first try to ask myself, "Is this something I really need?" and also, "Is this available with less packaging, made in the US, and/or can this be sourced locally, or is this something I could make myself?" It's amazing how many changes we've made by simply asking these questions. We've started buying an awesome, locally sourced laundry soap called Mugwort Maggie's that smells incredible, comes in a small paper bag, and is ground so finely it dissolves straight away even in cold water (why waste hot water and set stains in laundry?) We've switched from dryer sheets to using a 1/2 cup of vinegar added to the rinse cycle for fabric softener (or if we miss the rinse cycle, I just dip a rag in vinegar and toss it into the dryer with the clothes), which makes clothes incredibly soft, I was surprised clothes could come out that soft!

I've been using homemade mouth rinse for quite some time now, saving on all those huge, horrible plastic jugs of mouth wash that are too strong anyway. Simply mix 1/2 tsp salt and 3 drops spearmint essential oil into 8 oz water for a gentle mouth rinse that doesn't upset the natural flora. I've been making a simple, luxurious shaving cream for my hubby of 4 Tbsp coconut oil, 1/4 c castille liquid soap, 1/4 c glycerin with rose water, and a little Sweet Orange essential oil which is whipped up fluffy that is so gentle and moisturizing on his face, meanwhile we don't have to buy those aerosol cans of store bought stuff. We've been picking up locally crafted soaps at the Farmer's Market and they are far superior to store bought soaps, and use less packaging, in fact, we buy the " irregulars" that our vendor offers that have no packaging at all. We plan on going back to refillable shampoo from the Co-op as soon as our current supply is used up. One of my goals is to make homemade shampoo using soapwwort or snow berries! This idea comes from, of course, ForestGroveBotanica. For hair conditioner, one only needs a little olive oil, coconut milk or avocado!

I've blogged elsewhere about my switch to cloth/reusable feminine hygiene products, which was mostly because I've developed a sensitivity to the store bought products, and it has the added benefit of being WAY better for the planet! When I learned that the production of pads and tampons creates dioxin that lives in the product itself, it made me happy about making the switch, and now the only thing against my naughty bits is plain, soft cotton that is good for me and doesn't end up in our waterways! Moreover, they have superior absorbency and comfort. My only wish is that I would have discovered all of this sooner! I was happy to learn that many women are using and switching happily back to cloth pads and menstrual cups or caps. I made my own pads using these awesome patterns from the very funny shewhorunsintheforest, but there are many awesome places to purchase these items online (Lunapads, GladRags, PartyInMyPants)and through Etsy. Here's a photo of my red "rag bag", my Diva Cup (from Lunapads), and my very rustic homemade pads!

I've been making my own homemade shower spray (1/2 c hydrogen peroxide, 1/2 c cup vinegar, 2 tsp dish soap, 1-1/2 c water, 5 drops tea tree essential oil), although I do still wonder wonder about using it and leaving it on the tiles because vinegar can erode the grout, but it also helps prevent mildew buildup, so I do like using it. It's difficult for me to clean the bathtubs because of my back, and this eliminates the need for washing the tile walls. It's so easy to make it seems laughable to have been buying it! We use a squeegee on the tiles after showering to get the moisture off the tiles, as well. For other cleaners, we've been replacing them with either homemade versions (vinegar, baking soda and lemons are virtually all you need to clean most anything) or switching to Seventh Generation. We've tried other dishsoaps, but the saponification seems so lacking, and we've been happy with SG. I may try Meyer's brand, or see if the Co-op offers refillable versions. We loved the Watkins Apothecary dish soap, but the bubbles fade away fairly quickly, so would be our second choice.

It's been so much fun exploring all the ways to reduce what we use, and to come up with recipes for our own products, as well!