Green Clean Gift Idea

Make a green clean kit for $10 or less.

-Gallon vinegar $2
-Print or write out list of cleaning uses for vinegar
-Baking Soda $2 (2-3 small boxes)
-Print or write out cleaning uses for baking soda
-Spray bottle $1 (or reuse an old spray bottle you have for free)
-Cleaning Cloths Free-$3 (make, sew out of old towels, or buy a package)
-Scrubbies Free (make out of mesh that comes on lemons and other fruit and veggies-fold up and rubber band or knot, these work great)
-Tote bag Free-$1 (recycle one you have at home, sew one with fabric you already have, or buy one, food store ones are about $1)
-Bottle Peroxide $1 (use as you would bleach on stains on counters, in shower, etc., and on clothes)
-If you got tote, cleaning cloths, and spray bottle for free you can also add a gallon of homemade laundry soap as well $2

Make up one for everyone on your list.

I would love this as a gift and it creates no clutter.

-Becky

Natural living as an idol

I just read this great blog post here. It is about Natural Living becoming an idol. I have been grappling with this myself lately, so it was great to read this post.

My thoughts are that God wants us to be good stewards of our bodies, our finances, and the earth. He gave them all to us to care for.

-Eating healthier food helps us be good stewards of our bodies.
-Making many foods from scratch is better for our bodies, plus if making these foods is a family activity it blesses God that we are spending this time with our family.
-Spending money on fillers (things that many companies are disguising as food) is not blessing Him with our finances. A bag of chips is about $3. I can get a small bag of organic apples for that cost. Eating organic, local, and healthier doesn't have to blow the food budget.
-Growing our own food is a better use of our finances, and the earth (no gas to drive to store to buy, just walk to your yard. As an added bonus gardening is great exercise.)
-Making our own cleaners is better for our bodies, our finances, and the earth.
-Eating organic and locally grown food is better for the environment (I am certain when God said for us to rule over the animals, it wasn't to abuse them. Free range animals that eat what God intended are better for us to consume anyway.)

That all being said if I spend more time researching natural living than talking with God, praying, and reading the Bible than natural living is an idol (and I am guilty of this.)

If I yell at my kids while doing above mentioned research (again I have done this) than it is an idol.

If I have an argument at Thanksgiving table with cousin over white bread verses wheat, maybe it is an idol (yes, this happened yesterday.)

My natural living should not be a stumbling block to sharing Christ. Or send a bad testimony of me (I don't want people to think I am judging them, because then they certainly will not want to talk with me about Christ.)

On the flip side God has been revealing how He wants me to live, and since I am the mom to two boys this also includes how they should live until they are old enough to live on their own. And my ultimate goal is to do His will for my life and share His good news. I have to find a better balance to do so, but I believe that for my life more natural living is a part of that.

On a side note my definition of natural living includes family as #2 priority (under God.) This means lots of time spent with family, and teaching my children to value family as well. This goes against what many believe (many feel they should be with peers and kids own age all day, as in school; and that time with friends should come first, especially at Jason's age.) This may be right for some kids and families, but for ours I feel they are right where they should be at home. And I believe this is God's will for our lives right now. (Next year I may feel He calls me to put them back in school.) I want to be doing what He wants, even when it is not what I want or what the world says is right.

Any thoughts?

-Becky

Orange Cleaner

So simple and easy. Save your orange and lemon peels (I use organic so I know my cleaner has no chemicals), soak in white vinegar for 1 week to 1 month. Remove orange peels (don't forget to compost or put down garbage disposal to freshen room.) Mix half vinegar mixture and half warm water in a spray bottle. I did this and soaked a little over a week. I recommend soaking a bit longer. This stuff smells yummy and works great on my stove top and counters (although I still have a stain it did not get out.)
As a test I bought a bottle of non toxic, biodegradable orange cleaner. This works just as good. Both smell similar as well.

It takes a while to peel all the oranges needed (I used about 15.) But you can add orange peels to a bowl, jar, etc. in fridge for a few days then make cleaner.

Jason and I just peeled more oranges, we made fresh orange juice for breakfast, and I am making another batch of cleaner as well.

I was thinking of sewing some old towels, sheets, etc. into cleaning rags and making this cleaner for friends as a Christmas gift. Is that weird?
I would love that as a gift, but not sure what others think.

Have you made orange cleaner this way? Have another recipe for orange cleaner?

-Becky

Homemade dishwasher soap

You will not yet be seeing my homemade dishwasher soap recipe. It was a flop. It actually left a film on my dishes. Eww soap flavored food. Anyone make there own dishwasher soap? Care to share the recipe?

-Becky

p.s. that is not my dishwasher, got the picture online

Homemade dish soap

So I just made 4 bottles of dish soap (to wash dishes by hand, not in dishwasher. I also made dishwasher soap, but am tweaking the recipe before I post it here.)








Here is how I made the dish soap:
supplies
-shredded soap scraps (I used organic soap scraps I bought online from someone who makes them and shredded them with my old cheese grater that I now only use for soap and wax)
-water
-vinegar or lemon juice
-essential oils (optional) for scent

1. Place 2 cups of soap shavings into a large pot.
2. Add 4 cups of hot water and cook until all soap is dissolved.
3. Stir the mixture until it becomes smooth. Add more water to reach the desired consistency (you will add about 5 more cups water.)
4. Add 1 cup of white vinegar to help fight grease. Optional add lemon juice or an oil for scent.(I added tea tree oil and some lemon juice.)
5. When it cools put in old dish soap bottle.
5. Shake well before using.

I bought a box of organic soap scraps from someone online for about $10 which included shipping. I only used a small bit for making this dish soap. So I estimate I used $4 worth of ingredients to make 4 bottles of dish soap that is all organic. I also added tea tree to kill germs. I usually pay $4 for 1 bottle of Seventh Generation dish soap, so by making my own I saved about $12. Not too bad. Plus I am reusing old bottles which makes me feel good as well. The true test will be how well it cleans dishes that I hand wash.

If you make homemade dish soap how do you do it?

-Becky

Cloth diapers and mama pads

If you are interested in cloth diapers and cloth menstrual pads, I buy from PNPBaby, a Christian homeschooling mom of four. Her products are great! My friend, Courtney with 3 in diapers uses them as well. Check out Courtney's review here.
Then go to Meghan's Etsy site here. She also makes wallets and notebooks covers and such. I have a wallet made by her as well.

-Becky

If it works

If it works I will just have made 3 quarts of dish soap for about $1. I got the recipe online. I have tried a few of my own recipes, but they have been unsuccessful. Regular store bought dish soap smells too strong for me and I feel like it takes forever to wash off the dishes. I have been using Seventh Generation unscented free and clear brand, but it is about $4 a bottle and I was having it shipped. $4 is too much for dish soap in my opinion. So I searched online and found this recipe:

1 bar octagon soap
3 quarts water
1/2 cup baking soda
1/8 cup washing soda
1/8 cup lemon

I just grated the soap and heated it in water over stove top until soap was all dissolved. Then I added baking soda and washing soda. I stirred it a bit more. Next I turned off the stove top. Finally I added the lemon (I actually squeezed it from a lemon, not sure if you could use the real lemon they sell in bottle.) I stirred it all up again. The I poured it into a glass container. I can not wait to try it on my dishes.

If it works I just spent about $1 for 3 quarts. That even beats the smaller bottle at the dollar store. Plus what I made is free of smelly chemicals. I will let you know how it works.

Yes, I will do just about anything to save money, and also to stay up at night (it is almost 1am.)

-Becky

carpet results

Both my homemade laundry soap and the Seventh Generation carpet cleaner got the coffee stain out of my cream carpet. However I have a strange mystery stain that neither cleaner got out. At least Duane and Josh are off the hook.

-Becky

Many uses of vinegar

This is from another blog. Since I use vinegar for everything, I thought I would share.

"When it comes to green cleaning, most of us know that baking soda and vinegar are two of the mainstays. But vinegar on its own is incredibly versatile. It’s a healthy, cheap, non-toxic solution to everything from bathroom mold to cleaning the toilet bowl.

So, let’s look at all the frugal, eco-friendly ways we can use vinegar to clean our homes.

1. Use Vinegar To Get Rid of Mold and Mildew- Fill a spray bottle with equal parts white vinegar and water, and spray on the mold or mildew. The acetic acid in the vinegar kills the mold and mildew, and will discourage future growth.

2. Use Vinegar To Clean Your Toilets- 2 cups of vinegar in the toilet is all you need. Pour it in at night, let it sit, and then next morning swish with the toilet brush. The vinegar kills bacteria, and will dissolve hard water stains.

3. Use Vinegar To Stop Itching- Have a bug bite or poison ivy? Soak a cotton ball with some vinegar and wipe the area.

4. Use Vinegar As An Air Freshener- You can put vinegar in a spray bottle to neutralize odors from garbage cans or smoke. Just spray it in the air! And o, this won’t make your home smell like vinegar. Vinegar absorbs odors, so as soon as it dries your house will just smell neutral. You can also use this in the refrigerator or your kids’ lunch boxes. Spritz, let it sit a few minutes, and then wipe down.

5. Use Vinegar To Get Rid of Hiccups- One tablespoon of vinegar down your throat and the hiccups will be gone. Good luck not gagging, though…

6. Use Vinegar To Clean Your Microwave- In a microwave safe bowl mix equal parts water and vinegar, then nuke it for two minutes. Next, dip your sponge in the solution and wipe down the sides. If you’ve got baked on food it will come right off. In addition to softening the food, the vinegar will disinfect and neutralize the odors.

7. Use Vinegar To Get Rid of Grease- All you have to do is soak your sponge or rag in some vinegar and then start wiping. The vinegar will cut right through the greasy gunk to give you a sparkling clean stove.

8. Use Vinegar To Clean Cloth Diapers- Use one cup of vinegar to two gallons of water. Soak diapers in this solutions to neutralize odors and prevent staining.

9. Use Vinegar To Clean Crayon Marks Off Walls- Don’t blow money on a MagicEraser. Simply dip and old toothbrush in vinegar and start scrubbing. The crayon marks should come right off.

10. Use Vinegar To Wash Fruits and Vegetables- If you have hard skinned fruits and vegetables, simply spray them with a mixture of equal parts vinegar and water. For soft skinned, fill a bowl with an equal balance of vinegar and water and then soak for up to two minutes, then rinse. The acetic in the vinegar helps dissolve waxes and pesticides.

11. Use Vinegar To Clean Windows- Forget Windex. Mix a 50/50 solution of water and vinegar, and clean windows with that instead.

12. Use Vinegar To Get Rid of Clothing Stains- Soak the garment in full strength vinegar. Stains should wash right out.

13. Get Rid of Bad Breath With Vinegar- Sound counterproductive? Well, it’s not. Brush your teeth once or twice a week with vinegar. It will also help whiten your teeth.

14. Kill Weeds With Vinegar- If you have weeds or plants where you don’t want them, simply pour full strength vinegar on them. This also works well in cracks between cobblestones or in your driveway.

15. Make Cut Flowers Live Longer With Vinegar- If you have cut flowers that are on their way out, or you want to make a fresh bouquet last a long time, simply add two tablespoons of vinegar and one tablespoon of sugar to the vase.

16. Kills Ants With Vinegar- If you have ant hills in your hard, pour full strength vinegar on them.

17. Clean Your Dog With Vinegar- If your dog has gotten sprayed by a skunk, or rolled in something nasty, wipe them down well with a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water. Then, rinse with plain water.

18. Dissolve Chewing Gum With Vinegar- If you have chewing gum in your hair or on your shoe, dissolve it with full-strength vinegar. If the vinegar is hot, it will work even better.

19. Dissolve Frost On Car Windows With Vinegar- If you want to keep your car windows frost-free overnight, spray them down with a solution of 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar.

20. Clean Urine Stains From Carpet With Vinegar- Spray thoroughly with an equal part mixture of water and vinegar. Then wipe up with a rag.

21. Deodorize Your Garbage Disposal With Vinegar- Pour a half cup of vinegar and a half cup of baking soda down your drain. Let it sit for at least five minutes, and then run your garbage disposal.

22. Clean Stainless Steel With Vinegar- Simply spray down with full strength vinegar and wipe up. Your stainless steel will sparkle!

23. Disinfect Sponges With Vinegar- If your kitchen sponges are getting nasty, simply soak them in a bowl of vinegar overnight. By the next morning the bacteria will be dead and you’ll have a fresh, clean sponge."

Some of these are even new to me and I hope to try them. I have used vinegar to kill weeds and it works great! Also I use vinegar as fabric softener. It works great to keep clothes soft. As an added bonus it cleans gunk from inside your washer drum.

Do you do anything else with vinegar? -Becky

cloth diapers & mama cloth

Primm n' Proper Baby
Custom & One-of-a-Kind Handmade Cloth Diapers and Menstrual pads

Meaghan is a great Christian work at home mom who makes cloth diapers and mama pads that I love. She has 4 kids and she homeschools, she is trying to stay at home by selling homemade diapers and mama pads.

So if you need any cloth menstrual pads or diapers, please order from her.
I love her 14" fleece lined menstrual pad (not too hot I swear-it is so comfortable.)
They are about $14 each. But they are good 3-5 years!!!
My friend Courtney loves her cloth diapers. She uses them on two of her kids (the only two in diapers.) She has reviewed them on her blog as well.

Go to her Etsy site here.

She is super nice. Tell her you know me, and you can custom order any size you want, and any colors of outer fabric.

-Becky