Sustainable & Creative Living
If you’re a person who considers themselves to be environmentally conscious, then you’re probably someone who looks for new ways to reduce your environmental footprint. If you’re like me and have adopted a lot of good personal environmental practices like drastically reducing household chemical usage as well as eliminating single-use plastic products, then you’re looking even deeper at your habits. Maybe you’ve found your environmental hot spots. In other words, maybe you’ve discovered some of your personal environmentally unfriendly indulgences. I’ve discovered one of mine. And I [Read more…]
Nothing is quite as refreshing and energizing as the scent of lemons. Sometimes I’ll inhale lemon essential oil for a quick mood booster or have a cup of hot water with lemon slices for a soothing and relaxing hot drink. Lemon juice has so many varied uses, but these are my favorite 5 Practical Uses for Lemons. [Read more…]
I recently attended a Young Living workshop in my community with my mom and sister. I didn’t really know what to expect other than a sales pitch about essential oils. We were pleasantly surprised to not only thoroughly enjoy the woman delivering the Young Living “sales pitch” but to also be so drawn in by the way this woman spoke about her journey through discovering the Young Living Essential Oils brand. [Read more…]
Microfiber pollution is a form of pollution I hadn’t heard of until quite recently. Maybe you haven’t either. This type of pollution basically comes from microfibers that textiles such as synthetic clothing shed during the washing process. Every time we do a load of laundry, our clothing sheds microscopic fibers that end up in our water. They end up in our rivers, lakes, and oceans. From there, these essentially plastic fragments make their way to our [Read more…]
A few weeks ago I shared my recipe for Homemade Coconut Aluminum-Free Deodorant so this week I’m sharing another one of my homemade personal care products. This recipe for Chemical-Free Coconut Oil Toothpaste is all-natural, chemical free, and eco-friendly. Over the past few years, I’ve really been trying to eliminate products from my life that are laced with all sorts of unnecessary chemicals in an effort to lead a more natural lifestyle. It’s not easy giving up products that I’ve relied on my whole life but with a little effort, I’ve slowly made some transitions. [Read more…]
Plastic shopping bags are a huge threat to our environment. Their impact is widespread- from the energy it takes to produce the plastic to the pollution they cause on land and sea. Yet they’re still one of the most used single-use convenience plastics. If these are items you’d like to eliminate (or cut back on), here are 22 Ways to Avoid Plastic Shopping Bags. [Read more…]
If you’ve read some of my other posts, you know I’m pro-cloth diapers. They’re eco-friendly and healthier for your baby’s delicate skin. I love all the adorable patterns and prints and I feel good about doing something to reduce my footprint. Cloth diapering can be quite a commitment but doable if you’ve got all the right information. Much like using standard disposable diapers, you still need all the accessories like wipes, diaper rash creams, and changing pads. But, besides the obvious, here’s a list of the Best Cloth Diapering Accessories you may not have thought of. [Read more…]
Sweating is the natural and healthy way our bodies release toxins. It’s essential in helping to cool body temperature and prevent overheating. But, it can feel unpleasant and often leave me feeling insecure about unsightly stains on my clothes. Which is exactly why I’ve been avoiding it for the past 20 years…until recently. As an adult, and new mom, I’ve started to question and research more about what I put on my body, what I use in my cleaning products, and what I consume. I’ve slowly become more health conscious and interested in consuming more all-natural products. Out of all the cleaning and personal care products I’ve made, this Homemade Coconut Aluminum-Free Deodorant is my favorite. [Read more…]
If you’re trying to adopt natural and more eco-friendly cleaning habits, one of the easiest places to start is with laundry practices. There are many different alternatives to harsh detergents if you want to go green in the laundry department.
Natural laundry practices are especially important because clothing actually touches our bodies, as opposed to the surfaces in our homes. Of course, we’d only want non-toxic substances touching our skin. [Read more…]
Depending on how familiar you are with cloth diapering, you might be thinking, “What exactly is a prefold diaper?” Simply put, it’s a 3 panel, rectangular piece of fabric that contains multiple layers of either cotton, bamboo, hemp, or flannel— traditionally with an extra layer in the middle for extra absorbency. They’re folded and fastened to baby inside of a waterproof diaper cover.
Before I even got pregnant with my son I knew I wanted to use cloth diapers. My mom used them with me and my sisters, and because there are significant age gaps between us, I still remember diaper laundry, safety pins, and plastic pants all around the house. Let me assure you that this sometimes referred to as “old fashion” way of diapering has come along way in recent years. [Read more…]
Lately, I’ve taken my DIY laundry techniques up a notch. After all, if I’m giving up harsh chemicals that touch the surfaces in my home, it seems only natural to give up harsh chemicals for clothing—items that actually touch my body.
One of the last remaining DIY laundry methods I’ve put into action is stain removal solutions. Removing perspiration stains can be especially daunting. As with any clothing stain, the best chance of removal occurs when [Read more…]
Last week I wrote a post about all kinds of eco-friendly products that are great replacements for single-use/disposable plastics – check it out here.
As I was writing that post and seeing all these great products, I couldn’t help but wonder – what makes these products eco-friendly?
My thought process has always been that if you can use it more than once, it’s automatically better for the environment. After all, you’re not throwing something away after you use it one time – i.e. a straw or plastic cup. If you can get more than one use out of it, it’s already a step in the right direction.
While this is a step in the right direction, it’s not the whole truth.
