Sustainable & Creative Living
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…]
DIY Toilet Cleaning Pods are the latest cleaning pod I’ve started making. I absolutely love using DIY pods for other home cleaning tasks (see my post here for DIY laundry pods and DIY dishwashing pods), but using them for toilet cleaning is especially satisfying because this is one of my least favorite chores.
All of my DIY pods are easy, quick, and cost-efficient, but with only 3 ingredients these DIY Toilet Cleaning Pods are the simplest and most economical of all.
Having raised three kids and cared for multiple family pets, medication disposal has always been an issue. In the past, I either flushed old medications down the toilet or threw them in the trash. Then I read that our water supply is becoming contaminated with human and veterinary pharmaceuticals.
Admittedly, I procrastinated finding somewhere to take my unused prescription and over the counter medications until I recently found a designated place to dispose of them.
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…]
This is the time of year I like to go to my local nursery or the garden departments of all nearby big box stores. I try to stick to easy to grow plants as much as possible. Check out my post about Low Maintenance House Plants & 5 Essential Tips for their Care. But no matter how easy plants are to grow, they’ll still need some care. One item of business with plant care is [Read more…]
Now that summer is here, it’s time for outdoor activities like swimming, picnics, and vacation fun. Unfortunately, summer activities can be rough on our hair. To keep your locks from damage, be sure to use a deep conditioner every week. This DIY Coconut Rosemary Hot Oil Hair Treatment is an excellent way to keep your hair healthy and looking good. [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…]
Since I love my DIY laundry pods, I decided it was time to make my own DIY Dishwasher Pods. They’re super simple to make and just as cost-effective. Of course, I love them too! If you want to cut back on or eliminate toxic household cleaners from your life, give these DIY Lemon Dishwasher Pods a try! [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…]
