DIY Mason Jars with Straw Lids - Summer Perfect Drink Container

With summer coming I have been looking for some lidded beverage glasses for a while.  I knew I didn't want plastic and there weren't many other choices out there.  I wanted lids for the little ones that always seem to spill their drinks and for everyone else to keep the bugs and stuff out.

I had been seeing these converted mason jars on the web but the prices on Etsy were way out of my range.  Others were using paper and cutting a slit for the straw.  Ok that would work for the bugs, but not the spills and really seemed like too much work.  I wanted something cheap frugal and reusable.

Thanks to my brilliant husband, the answer was more than simple it was very reasonable too!  And he even ended up doing most of the work, if you can really call it that.

Hannah "dimpled" the lid in the center.  This was done so the drill bit would have a place to rest and not jump.  Don't know if you really need to do this, but it worked and gave Hannah a job!

Then Doug drilled a hole through the lid.  He used a 3/8" bite.  It is hard to see but there is a scrap piece of wood under the lid.  He DID NOT drill right on the kitchen table.

I inserted the rubber grommets.  It was easy to do, but I couldn't take pictures and do it at the same time.  We found the grommets at Lowes in the fasteners aisle.  They come two in a package.  We bought the 9/16th size.  This fits a standard plastic straw perfectly.

Of course Rebekah couldn't wait to try out her new cup.

We made a set of six.  And seriously it took us all of about 10 minutes with all of us having a job.  And better yet the whole project cost $4.12.  That's 69¢ each!  And it would have been a lot less, but I couldn't resist the red and white check lids.  They scream summer, don't you agree?

Here's how it broke down:

• Mason Jars - in the pantry
• Lids - package of 6 on sale of $1.00
• Grommets - package of 2 for $1.04 bought three packages

Now I would like to add some reusable straws to complete the project.  I have seen both glass and stainless that I like, but I'm not sure which way to go.  The glass ones are definitely more pricey and I wonder about them with kids.  I'd love to hear what you all think.  Do you have reusable plastic, glass or stainless straws?  What do you love or hate about them?

I'm linking up with the Homestead Barn Hop, Make A Move Monday, Living Green Link-up, Sustainable Ways Wednesday and Creative Friday!

No Poo

If you have been following my blog for any length of time, you already know that fugal, green solutions are one of the things I am passionate about.  God only made one amazing Earth and commanded us to take good care of it.

"The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it.                                "Genesis 2:15  

And if we take a closer look at the word to "keep", we will see that in the Hebrew it means to care for something completely and gently ensure that no harm comes to it.

Today I wanted to share my No Poo hair cleansing recipe.  I have been No Poo for a few years now and really love it.  I can't imagine ever spending money on shampoos and conditions especially knowing how bad some of the ingredients are in most of them.

Ingredients

• baking soda
• rosemary essential oil
• water

Tools

• funnel
• container to mix in
• container to store No Poo solution

Mix about 1Tbsp of baking soda to 1 cup of warm water.  Mix to dissolve.  Add a couple of drops of rosemary essential oil.  Mix again.  Pour into storage containers.  Let sit for about a week before you use.

To use wet hair.  Massage about 1/8th of a cup into scalp.  More or less depending on the length of your hair.  No need to drench all you hair.  Let mixture sit on your hair for 3-5 minutes, then rinse.  If you have hair that tangles easily you may want to follow with an apple cider vinegar rinse.

Dry and style as usual.

So why rosemary essential oil?  Well it has long been know to nourish hair and help with scalp dryness.  Some even say it promotes hair grown and treats dandruff.  It is also known to promote memory an added benefit for getting your day off on a good foot. 

And just a few added notes in case you are wondering.  I have hair more than half way down my back.  We have hard water.  If you are not having results you like, before you through in the towel, I would play with the amount of baking soda per cup of water.

I'm linking this post up over at Make Your Own Monday and Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways.

Green and Frugal tips for the Laundry Room

Two weeks ago we looked at ways to go green and save some money in the bathroom.  This week we are headed into the laundry room.  If you take a look in the average laundry room you will find lot of chemicals which lots of money was spent on.  Now I know people want to look nice and take good care of the clothes they have, but really you don't need to break the bank to do so.

So lets start in the most obvious place.

Laundry Detergent - Something we all use.  I took a stroll down the laundry aisle in the store the other day and couldn't believe all the choice out there or the prices they charge.  (I haven't bought laundry products in years.) So what's in all these commercial laundry detergent?  Sometime it feels as if one needs to have a chemistry degree to figure it out.  Lets take a look as some of the most common ingredients.  Benzene which can also be called benzol, benzeen, phenly hydride or annulene is a mixture of coal and petroleum.  It is a known carcinogen.  Another carcinogen found in laundry products is diethanolamines, these are man-made compounds that neutralize acids.  They are included in laundry detergent to make them less irritating.  Many laundry detergents also contain ammonia, a know irritant of the skin, eyes, and respiratory system.  And on top of how bad these ingredients are for you and your family, they are also wrecking havoc on our environment.  So what's the answer?  Make your own.  Really it's simple, effective and costs pennies.  Here's the recipe we have been using for year.  The only change I have made is to use my homemade soap.  And here is a recipe for powdered detergent.  And yes this really works.  I have washed cloth diapers, hubby's grimy and greasy work clothes, and sweaty athletic wear all with great results.

Fabric Softener - I'll be honest I have never used a commercial fabric softener.  Never really saw the point.  And after researching what's in them, I'm glad I've never exposed my family.  Lets start off with three of the main ingredients, toluene, trimethylbenzene, styrene.  All three are known neurotoxins.  And if this isn't bad enough.  The ingredient list continues with 

• a-terpineol which is know to irritate the mucous membraines
• benzyl acetate which is an eye and respiratory irritant
• camphor which is on the EPA's hazardous waste list
• pentane a sink irritant

And to make matters worse, fabric softeners are formulated to stay on the fabric.  So all of these lovey chemicals aren't being rinsed away, but are hanging out waiting to rub up next to your family's skin.  So what's one to do?  A simple, frugal and green alternative is to add plain white vinegar in the rinse cycle of your laundry machine.  And if hanging around to catch the rinse cycle is a pain, I think it is, then put the vinegar in a downy ball and toss it in at the beginning.

Dryer Sheets - These are really fabric softeners that are used in the dyer  and the ingredient lists looks similar to the one above.  Once again there are some simple and frugal solutions.  The first one is hang your clothes to dry.  Not only with you avoid the chemicals you will save on electricity, get some exercise, use the power of the sun to whiten your white (works great on diapers) and have a natural spring time fresh scent to your clothes.  Now I know that not everyone can hang there clothes for numerous, but you're still in luck.  Wool dryer balls are a fabulous solution for static in the dryer.  They also add softness and scent if you wish.  You can make your own dryer balls or they are inexpensive to purchase.  To make your own you can use some wool yarn which you wind into balls and then felt in your washer.  (felting is what happens to wool when it is washed and dried - you know how that wool sweater that accidentally found its way into the washer and dryer shrunk up to doll size) or you can use wool roving and wet felt balls.  Your balls should be about the size of  tennis balls.  I use about three in the dryer.  You can sprinkle a few drops of your favorite essential oil on the balls to infuse your laundry with a soft scent.  And as a side benefit wool is anti-bacterial. I have also found that using wool dryer balls reduces the time it takes for the laundry to dry!  Bonus!

Oxiclean - As laundry product go this may be one of the safer ones.  It is a mixture of solid hydrogen peroxide (peroxyhdrated caronate soda) and washing soda.  When it comes in contact with water it releases oxygen.  The concern are the solvent which we have seen above aren't all they great for you or the environment.  Luckily there is a simple solution.  Make your own.  In a clean spray bottle mix 1 Tbsp washing soda with one cup of peroxide.  Shake and let sit for 24 hours.  Shake before use.  That's it.  


Stain Remover -  Ok here is where I ran into trouble finding the ingredients.  Shout lists two patented  ingredients as there cleaning agents, but then you can't find anything else out about them.  Hmmm, makes me wonder.  Spray n Wash was just as elusive.  If I can't figure out what is in something then I really don't feel safe using it, that's just me.  So my solution?  Use the homemade oxiclean, rub a little castle soap or homemade laundry soap into the stain.  You might also try this soap jelly.  For oil stains try sprinkling a little corn starch on them to absorb the oil, let it sit for 15 minutes before brushing off.  Treat the stain with a little laundry soap and wash as usual.  Always check to see if the stain came out before you dry the garment as drying will set the stain.


Interestingly enough, many of the commercial products carry warning to use in ventilated places, avoid prolongs contact with skin.  I don't know about you but my clothes touch my skin for long periods of time and my laundry room is small and not well ventilated.  So I guess I will just pass on all the big name laundry products and stick to making my own, saving my family's health and money.


As I have mentioned before, the best way to make changes is to slowly add them to your routine.  Nothing will set you up for failure as quickly as trying to change your whole routine at once.  So take it slowly.  Choose one commercial item to replace with a homemade alternative.  Get used to making and using that one and them move on to the next.  A simple way to do this is to make a batch the next time you run out of something instead of buying it again.  Most of these recipes last a long time, so you wont be making them each time you need to do a load of laundry.  Think more like once every month or two or even more.  It really is doable.  I know you can.  Just remember slow and steady.


I'd love to hear your thoughts on laundry.  What are your tips?  What have you tried?  Are you having successes or do you need a little encouragement?  Leave a comment, I love getting to know my readers better and they make me smile!


Oh and don't forget there is still time to enter to win the Quart of Tropical Traditions Gold Label Coconut Oil.


I'm linking this post up over at the Homestead Barn Hop, Make Your Own Monday, Make Your Move Monday, and Living Green Link-up!

Going Green For Earth Day and Your Budget

In recognition of Earth Day I thought it would be fun to take a quick peek at a few simple ways you can help not only the Earth, but your family and your budget.  I love how those three really do fit together, don't you.

I was hoping to cover simple changes one can make in the bathroom, kitchen and laundry room.  However as I got going I realized that was just too much to take on for one post.  So today we are going to start in the bathroom.  Then over the next few Sundays we will move to the kitchen and laundry room.  And who knows we may continue on this journey a bit further.  We will just have to wait and see.  For now ~

The BATHROOM
This is one of those rooms many don't like to talk about, and pray that is it clean when someone drops by expectantly.  No worries, we wont be taking a peak in your or mine for that matter today.  But I did want to point out some places where it is easy to be kinder to the earth, our bodies and our budget.

Let's start with some simple health and beauty products.

Shampoo - Most commercial shampoos have some really nasty stuff in them.  Many contain petroleum derivatives such as isopropyl alcohol (SD-40), propylene glycol (PG), butylene glycol.   Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) are detergents that are also use in car washes and as engine cleaners. None of these are items I want on my or my families hair and skin.

There are some good natural/organic brands of shampoo, but most of them are costly.  So the budget friendly solution. . . go no poo.  You read that right.  Give up the shampoo and conditioner and replace them with simple baking soda and apple cider vinegar.  I did this over a year ago and haven't looked back.  Really it is simple, frugal and safe.

Here's how:

Mix baking soda, about 1-2 Tbps, to a cup of water.  This is the ratio you want to start with.  You will find many variations and I think it depends on your water as well as your hair.  I tend to you a little more baking soda.  Shake to dissolve the baking soda.  Pour mixture on your scalp and massage in.  Let sit for a few minutes before you rinse.  That's it.  I mix mine in larger batches and store in a squirt bottle in the shower.  I find it works better if it has set for a least a few days.  Next for the rinse.  This is simply apple cider vinegar, 2 Tbsp, to one cup of water.  Once again I make this is a large batch and store in a spray bottle in the shower.  I just spray a generous amount and rinse.  I've never had issues with the vinegar smell, but if you don't like it you can add essential oils, herbs or even vanilla to the rinse.

Just some things to remember if you decide to give this a try.  There is an adjustment period for most people that can last 2 weeks to 2 month.  What is happening is that with regular shampoos you are stripping all the natural oil and then replacing it with conditioner.  When you strip the oil your head notices it is gone and produces more oil.  When you stop stripping the oil, it takes a while for your scalp to adjust so you hair may seem oilier for a bit.  This will end, stick it our.  Once you are over this hump your hair wont get dirty/oily as quickly.  I promise.

Conditioner - More of the same here.  And really using regular shampoo is the reason so many of us need conditioner.  It replaces what was just striped.  Can you can great development and marketing on manufacture's part!  If you go the no poo route above you most likely wont need a conditioner, but on those days you do a little, and I mean little, bit of coconut oil does the trick as a leave in conditioner.  Helps reduce frizz and flyaways as well as smooths split ends.

Deodorant - Here again most of what is one the market is full of all kinds of nasty stuff or way to expensive for a frugal budget.  Some of the nasty ingredients in deodorant is the aluminum that is found in the antiperspirant varieties. This stuff has been shown to be just down right nasty.  Many brands also contain propylene glycol, diproplyene glycol, butane, propane and denatured alcohol.  YUCK!

Here again you can make your own.  This is quick and easy and really works.  I have been using this recipe for over two years and haven't looked back. I did have to play with the ratios a bit, and have come up with a blend for summer when it is warm and the coconut oil is liquid and winter when it is cooler.  I also add a few drops of my favorite essential oils.  A quick search on the web and you will find a bunch of variations if this one isn't your cup of tea.

Face Wash - You guessed nasty stuff in most of these as well.  Everything from Sodium laureth sulfate and butylene glycol to cocamidopropyl hydrozy sultaine and hexulene glycol.  Can you even pronounce some of these?  I can't.  Many of them have been linked to skin irritation, eye irritation and are linked to cancer in animals.  So why are ingredients that are known skin and eye irritants in a face wash?  Good question, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

Luckily there are a few options that are better for you, your budget and the earth.  Castile soap is a wonderful vegetable soap that is reasonable, safe and easy to find.  Dr Bronners is a popular brand.

Or you can look no further than your pantry and pull out the extra virgin olive oil (EVOO).  You read that right.  Clean you face with olive oil.  It is a know fact that oil dissolves oil.  In "the Passionate Olive", author Carol Firenze  points to the first documents uses of olive oil as cosmetic and medicinal.  So how to wash with oil?  First a little bit goes a long way and this helps make it frugal as well.  There are many tips for using olive oil to cleanse your face, but here is what we do.  Take a dime size drop of EVOO and add a bit of water.  Massage in a circular motion all over your face and neck.  Next soak a washcloth with hot (not burning) water and lay over your face for a minute or two.  Rinse the washcloth and use it to gently remove the oil from your face.  You will find your face clean and moisturized.

Moisturizer - Sorry to say the news doesn't get any better with the ingredients in most moisturizers.  Again the list contains many chemicals that are listed as hazardous materials and/or made from petroleum and crude oil.  Common chemicals found in moisturizers are polysorbates, propylene glycol, sodium laurel, and parabens. Why company think we want to put this stuff on our skins is beyond me.

Our solution - coconut oil!  Love this stuff.  It is a great moisturizer that can be used right out of the jar or whipped for a luxuriousness cream.  There are a bunch of oils and butter that can be made easily into moisturizers.  Just a warning it can be quite addictive to play with them.  Some of them you might want to try are shea butter, cocoa butter, olive oil and jojoba oil.

Eye Make Up Remover - Ingredients here include parabens, propylparaben, methylparaben, and propylene glycol.  The thought of this stuff on my eyes makes me cringe.  How about you?

A simple solution again - coconut oil.  You got it a little coconut oil on a tissue will remove most eye make up.  It is that simple and pure!

Lip Balm -  petrolatum, phenol, cetyl alcohol, titanium dioxides, parabens and artificial colors and flavors.  And all of this is destine to be ingested as we lick our lips.  Yuck!

Making your own lip balm is quick and easy.  And you can play with recipes to come up with the perfect balm for you.  You can find our stand by recipe here.



The list of ingredients is really getting repetitive.  Makes you wonder when they say exposure in small amount is ok.  Well if we are being exposed to small amounts numerous times, when does that become large enough to be a concern?  I don't know about you but I don't want to find out.  I rather just stay away.

If this list seems over whelming, don't let it.  One of the easiest ways to change is to take it slowly.  You can either pick one items to try get that under your belt for a month and then move on to the next one.  In just six months you will have conquered all the items on this list.  The other way to approach it is to use up what you have and when it runs out try to make your own instead of buying one.  Slow and steady really helps make these chances that last.

I'd love to hear what products you make for yourself or ones you like to but don't know how.  Feel free to leave links to your favorite recipes in the comment section of this post.  I will try to highlight a few of them next week before me move on to the kitchen.

Happy Earth Day!  Hope you are feeling a little greener!

Sewing Bee ~ Snack Mats and Baggies

So excited to be joining in the fun of the Sewing Bee sponsored by Adirondack Mama. This has been just the inspiration I have needed to get back to the sewing machine. Last week I shared the quilt I am working on. Thank you for all the kind comments~I truly treasure them. I didn't get time to work on the quilt this week. A hard job in our little house. There is only one spot large enough to spread it out and that spot was never available - well except at about 3am.

And with Valentines Day I thought I would sew up these lovely little snack mats for the girls.

These were such a quick and fun project. And there is something so special about having your afternoon tea and biscuit on a special little mat. We have also taken them to the ski mountain to have our lunch on. trying to keep some of those nasty cold germs away.
And while we're talking about lunches at the ski mountain, here are the little snack baggies I sewed up. They are great for packing everything to a sandwich to cookies. You can find an amazingly easy tutorial for these little baggies here.

Hopefully, next week I'll be back with some progress on the quilt. I have a quiet day coming up ~ I think.


Don't forget to stop by the other Sewing Bee participants and see what they are working on. It's inspiring.

Homemade Hand Lotion

One of my goals for 2011 is to make more of our health and beauty products. With four girls in the house we go through A LOT of health and beauty products. And while I try to purchase quality natural products the budget doesn't always allow. Yet, with our skin being our biggest organ I really want to watch what my family puts on it. So began the search for homemade recipes that would be frugal and natural.

Up first - Homemade Hand Lotion! With the wood stove going non-stop to keep us warm, the air in the house is so dry. On top of that the cold outside doesn't do wonders for the skin either. Everyone seems to have dry itchy skin this time of year and the result is we go through LOTS of lotion. So when I stumbled on a recipe for homemade lotion, I just knew I had to give it a try. The first batch was lovely, but not a thick and creamy as I would have liked so I have tweaked it a bit.

You will need:

• olive oil
• water
• emulsifying wax
• essential oil of our choice (optional)

We are going to make about 2 cups of lotion. I haven't tried to double this yet, but I think I will soon.

First put 1/4 cup olive oil in a glass measuring cup. Add a rounded 1/4 cup of the emulsifying wax. Melt either in a hot water bath on your stove top or in the microwave.

To the oil and wax mixture add your essential oil, about 20-40 drops depending on the oil and the strength of the scent you want. So are we have made lavender and peppermint. Both are lovely.

Heat up 1 1/8 cups of water. You want your water to be around 120-130 degrees. Pour the water into the oil and wax mixture and watch it turn a creamy white.

Pour the white liquid into a pint canning jar and let it sit over night. In the morning you will have homemade lotion. Really it is that easy! And as for cost. I found a great deal on olive oil not too long ago so a quarter up cost me $.16 and the quarter cup of emulsifying wax cost $.43. The essential oils can vary a lot, but I don't think the cost is all that much. So two cups of lotion cost about $.65.

I hope you enjoy this lotion as much as we do. Next up homemade lip balm . . .

Potato Planting

We have been planing potatoes for a few years now with mixed success. We have tried the trash can method as well in the ground. This year we planted in the ground after getting some tips from here.

We planted both reds and kennebec varieties. I hope that we all we have learned and some good weather we have a good yeild this year. Last year's potato crop was small but delicious. And the potatoes kept really well in our cool pantry. I would love to be able to grow enough potatoes to last us through the year. Of course, I would have to have my darling husband build me a root cellar to store them in. And that is a whole other post.

Wash Wednesday

There is such a simple beauty in a laundry line. They are one of my favorite yard decorations. It is sad to think that there are communities where they are not allowed.

Hanging laundry is one of my favorite tasks. It is a peaceful time of meditation. I often find myself reliving moments of the past ~ inspired by the article I'm hanging. Silly bath time splashing as I hang a towel. Morning snuggles as the sheets get hung. Family meal times relived through cloth napkins, aprons and dish towels.

The laundry line is always changing. Cloth diapers come and go. Favorite colors change. Every ones clothes seem to grow and at times shrink as the years march on. No longer to I have all those tiny white socks and t-shirts blowing in the breeze. Now my line is full of the unique and vibrant personalities that fill our house. I love the time I spend with my laundry line. Reflecting on all that I am blessed with. And to think I would have missed it all if I had thrown the wash into the dryer and pushed a button.

Thanks to Garden Mama for sponsoring Wash Wednesday.

Violets, Violets Everywhere

A violet by a mossy stone,

Half hidden from the eye,

Fair as a star, when only one

Is shining in the sky.

William Wordsworth

There have been an abundance of violets this year. The yards and meadows have been full of them. Down the road there is a place where one would think a blanket woven of the finest violet yarn has been spread ready for a picnic. And it has not only been in the world around us that violets have been abundant. It seems everywhere I look I am seeing violet. Many of my favorite blogs to visit have been sharing wonderful sounding recipes using violets. I just knew we had to try a few before these beautiful flowers are gone. So off we went after dinner to pick violets. It was chilly but a wonderful time searching for these little beauties. Of course everyone had to try one. I had to limit it to one, or we never would have made it home with any to turn into these wonderful creations.

Violet Jam - Soule Mama

Violet Syrup - herban lifestyle

Violet Cooler - 5 Orange Potatoes

Violet Lemonade - 5 Orange Potatoes

Candied Violets - Henriette's Herbal Homepage

Violet Ice Cubes - Ceres Secrets

And of course violets are beautiful on top of cakes and cupcakes!

Do you have any ideas for using violets in the kitchen? I would love to hear them. The girls and I have had so much fun with these recipes. And from what I understand violets are good for you as well. Lots of vitamin C in these little beauties.

Spring is here!

There was a surprise waiting to greet us when we picked up our milk at the farm this week. A calf had been born on Friday! Her name is spring! Isn't she adorable?

Bekah would love to have cows of her own. Her mama would too. Unfortunately we don't have the room. So the next best thing is to visit them weekly at the farm on milk pick up days.

After a while Spring had had enough and bounded away. Hopefully the spring weather we have been having wont follow suit.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

A couple a of weeks ago we started some of our garden veggies. The summer growing season just seems so short up here in New Hampshire, that if we don't get a jump on it our harvest isn't very good. Our seedling are doing great and loving the sun streaming in the the kitchen window.

This year the girls and I made paper pots to start our seeds in. they were fun and easy to make and didn't cost a thing? The plants seem to like them too. Above is a cucumber just open its first leaves.

Bekah's beans are growing like weeds. I hope we didn't start them too soon. We also have broccoli, Roma tomatoes, basil, zucchini, and summer squash started. I still need to get the peppers planted.

The girls were so excited to find these three little crocus buds. We had about three inches of snow the other night and we weren't sure how the flowers would handle it. They seem to not be affected by the surprise white blanket.

The daffodils and tulips are getting taller every day. This is one of my favorite gardens in our yard. Every year there are more and more yellow, pink, and orange goodness. I can see it from the kitchen sink which makes washing dishes just a little bit more enjoyable.

The herb garden has only seen the awakening of the chives and garlic. Hopefully more will be coming soon.

How is your garden growing?

To take a peek into the nature explorations of others stop by The Magic Onion's Friday's Nature Table.

WIP Wednesday

This adorable little bunny is some of the Easter crafting going on. This was so easy to make following Betz White's tutorial here. The body is made from a merino wool sweater that was free from one of the local church thrift stores. I felted it in the washing machine. The fabric in the ears is scraps left over from Rebekah's birthday banner. The buttons came out of the button basket, a collection of extra and rescued buttons from everywhere. The pom pom is cotton made using this tutorial. The yarn was left from another project.

I love making things for family and friends, especially the kids. And it is always a plus when I can repurpose items and create frugally.

What are you crafting this Spring? I'd love to hear. And don't forget to include your tips for repuropsing materials. I am always on the look out for new ideas.

Soap! A Simple Joy

I have been wanting to make soap for a while now, but every time the few people I knew who made it kept telling me how dangerous it was because of the lye. They didn't want to do it with kids around and that just doesn't work for me. Their warnings scared me enough to not want to try it on my own so I was out of luck. That was until I overheard another friend say she was making soap, and she has lots of kids and pets too. So of course I mentioned joining her the next time she made soap and hoped she would remember.

Jump forward a couple of weeks and joy! She remembered and I could even bring all my kids plus a few more. Armed with my camera we headed down for the afternoon to make soap. I had visions of all these fabulous steps to photograph and later blog about.

However, I was in for a surprise. There are only a couple of steps to making soap and they are quick and easy. So much so that the whole process was over before I even got my camera out. I was disappointed about the pictures, but thrilled that soap is so easy to make. I figured I would make it at home and photograph it.

To my surprise, my soap was delivered today! Yes she gave me the batch I mixed up! This is such a blessing. So now I have a self in my pantry with 18 bars of soap curing!

Aren't they pretty?

I still plan to make my own, but now it will be a while so you will have to stop back it you want to learn just how quick and easy it is to make your own soap.

How does your garden grow?

With the lack of snow and the unseasonable warm weather the garden planning has begun. We normally start in March, but most years it is hard to think about the garden when there are feet of snow in the yard and the temps are below freezing.

We saved a lot of seeds from last year, but do have to purchase some. And so the planning begins. It is actually a lot of fun to browse through the seed catalogs, my mouth watering at the thought of fresh, homegrown veggies.

Soon the kitchen table will be covered with seedlings. But first we will be making lot of newspaper pots. Check out this video for a great how to. A frugal and green alternative to plastic pots.

We will be starting beans, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, peppers and more. And there will be a few things that we buy started from the local organic farm. And the big addition will be a couple of dwarf fruit trees, apple and peach!

What are you planning for your garden?

Lavender Powder

Anyone who knows me or has been reading this blog for a while knows that I am always on the lookout to save money, simplify, and live more healthily. We've accomplished a lot in the kitchen and now I am moving on to health and beauty products. We ran out of baby powder the other day and Rebekah was asking for powder after her bath. What's a mom to do? Search for a homemade solution of course.

Who knew a frugal, healthy alternative to baby/body powder was as close as my pantry?

In a bowl combine 3/4 cup arrowroot (you can use cornstarch which is cheaper but can contain talc), 1/4 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup rice flour, 1/4 cup lavender flowers that have been finely powdered. I used a mini food processor/blender for this. I'm sure you could leave out the lavender, but it just smells so good.

Um - that's it. Store in an air tight container. This smells so wonderful and makes our skin silky smooth after a bath.

One Small Change February

Hip Mountain Mama is hosting a challenge - One Small Change. Simply put everyone is asked to make one change that will reduce your impact on the earth every month from January to April. So that by Earth Day 2010 you will have made four changes. Four changes isn't very many, but with all those participating it sure will add up to alot.

Our change for February is to remove all the zip lock type bags and plastic drink bottles from our life. The picture shows our stainless beverage bottles and some reusable sandwich bags. Thanks Liz!

Both of these items have gotten lots of use these past two months with all the days at the ski mountain.

Sheet to Lounge Pant

Sewing is something I enjoy but am not very good at. Finding fabric isn't always easy either. We only have one fabric store and they are really a quilt shop and only have quilting cottons. and of course there is the cost of nice fabric. So what's a girl to do you ask? Shop the dump store and thrift stores for items you can re purpose.

This funky stripe was originally a bed sheet. Now it is a pair of lounge pants for Sarah. The mustard cuff was the top of the sheet. I love the detail it adds to the pants and I didn't have to hem them! Sarah gets a lot of lounge pants made for her, because we can't buy any to fit her. Tall and skinny! Oh to have such problems. And when I can make a pair for nothing, nada, zip, zilch how could it be better?

And not only does it help out the family budget but it really is a green product as well. If we hadn't rescued the sheet from the dump store it would have ended up in the dump a couple of days later.

Automatic Dishwashing Soap - A Frugal and Green Alternative

We ran out of automatic dishwashing soap today. I knew we were low and was planning to run to the dollar store. However the torrential rain sent me looking for an alternative. A quick Internet search yielded a bunch of recipes. So after reviewing a few I decided to try this one out.

This was quick and easy and all of the ingredients are items I always have on hand.

1/2 cup liquid castile soap - I use Dr. Bronners

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3 drops tea tree oil - known for its antibacterial properties

1/4 cup white vinegar

Combine the castile soap and water. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until blended evenly. Store in a squeeze bottle. When I first mixed the ingredients they were still liquid and easy to pour. By the time I used the soap it had become a gel similar in consistency to store bought dishweasher soap.

The original recipe said to use 2 Tablespoons per wash in a standard-size dishwasher. I used a little less and was very pleased with the results.

I love that this is safe for my family and the environment. It is economical and oh so easy to make. I think this will be a keeper.

Trash Day

Our homeschool group has been talking about living a little greener and thought it would be a great community service project to clean up one of the local scenic roads.

Half the group walk on one side of the road . . .

the other half on the other side of the road.


Here is the group with only half of the trash they collected. I think the final tally was about 20 bags! They all did a great job. The sad thing is that they only walked about a mile or less. Who knows how much more trash they could have collected.

Great job kids. Thanks for making our town just a little bit more beautiful.

The Laundry Line

A couple of years ago my wonderful family gave me a clothes line for Mother's Day. I honestly believe it was the best Mother's Day gift I ever received. Every year I look forward to the day I can hang the first load of wash out on the line after the long cold winter.

This year the first load was Rebekah's diapers. I love the look of cloth diapers on the line, and the natural bleaching of the sun is just an extra bonus. The second load was the sheets off our bed. Boy is it hard to crawl out of bed when you have fresh line dried sheets on the bed. One can just smell the spring time freshness. Needless to say that dream was interrupted by a wide awake 2 year old wanting her morning mama's milk.