"Are you serious? ANOTHER laundry detergent recipe?" I know, right? So, here goes the story... I'm lazy. The end. Okay, so maybe not LAZY, but I'm just so tired. Why didn't anyone warn us as kids that adulting would be so tiring. We have to know so many things. And then we have kids and constantly question whether we're doing it properly. And now in 2016 everywhere you look there's TOXIC this and TOXIC that. It's scary! So, I did the whole thing and played along and got bored. Real quick. Back to the good ol' store purchased toxic-ide to wash my children's clothes in toxic death. Well, maybe that's a tad bit dramatic. I don't know how much of any of the whole toxic nation stuff you can believe out there, but there's one thing I know: homemade is cheap. Among many, many other reasons I decided I'm going to go back and start making our own detergent again. Except, this time I'm not digging out a recipe. I'll do the good ol' a-little-of-this-and-a-little-of-that method. Why not? Basically, you can just simply wash you clothes in a touch of Bonner's soap, so I can't really screw this up. Right? So, let's keep things simple. #1) Fels Naptha soap is a pain. Almost all recipes include it. Guess what? I left it out and haven't missed it. I see absolutely no difference. #2 I can't stand the soap to get clumpy. It stops up my front loader and makes a mess. #3 The K.I.S.S. method tends to trump all (and no that wasn't a political pun.) So, here we go: LAUNDRY DETERGENT RECIPE: (See disclaimer below) Ingredients:
Method:
Could that be more simple? 1 cup of each, heat, stir into water. Stop over and visit my video on Youtube to see the simplicity of it all! How about a little Q&A: I don't like it so watery. Can I add less water? Yup! Absolutely. This can be any consistency you want. Thicker: less water: use less to wash. Will my clothes be clean without the Fels Naptha? My husband rebuilds cars for a living- body work, mechanics, you name it. He comes in with some funky clothes. This detergent works on it all! I see no need to add it. However, if you need a spot treatment, the Fels Naptha is great to have on hand. Just use the bar to rub on the spot before washing. Can I add scents or essential oils? I don't see why not. We don't because A) We have sensitive skin. B) essential oils are expensive. I feel like you get more bang for your buck by using them on your skin. A friend of mine says, "using borax on a regular basis as a detergent corrodes the machine and does quite a bit of damage to it chemically (non visible components - opposite drum side, drive components, ect). That corrosion can then end up as particulates in the clothing." I'm definitely no expert! This is only what me and my family uses. Always use your best judgment or ask a professional. Also, you could just leave the BORAX out. It's only an extra cleanser that probably isn't necessary. The washing powder is a great deodorizer and the Castile soap is a fantastic cleanser! More questions? E-mail me at [email protected] or leave it in the comments. Peace, love, and clean clothes... The information on ShoestringAmy is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be substituted for the advice provided by your doctor or other health care professional. If you rely upon any programs or techniques, or use any of the products and services made available by or through the use of our website for decision making, without obtaining the advice of a physician or other health care professional, you do so at your own risk. The nutritional and other information on our website is not intended to be, and does not constitute health care or medical advice.
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I've been dragging my family up an UP-HILL slipper slope. I'm trying to rid our home of known toxins and create a healthy lifestyle. As if life wasn't difficult enough, I decide to completely turn our lives upside down (or is it right-side up?) by throwing away every item in our beauty/hygiene arsenal and starting making everything on my own. The longer I stay on this track, the easier it is. However, life is busy. With everything we have to do as moms, we have to worry about what's put in the products we use every single day? It's difficult! But, you know what? It's not impossible. That's because there are already people out there that have been doing it far longer than we have. I used to make my own chapstick and lotions from scratch until I got lazy and stopped making it. Did you know you can buy a lip balm base completely read to use?! And it's priced well! You can easily use as-is or have some fun with it by adding scents, essential oils, additives, and even color! Now, it's easy to get lost and start adding unnatural colors, but I stumbled upon the most amazing colorant and it costs under $1!! Look how vibrant the color is!! Here's the best part: it's made from a can of beets. Yes, beets. Canned beets. Crazy, right? DIY all-natural Beet Balm:
*optional: add essential oils. My favorite? DoTerra's MOTIVATE (An uplifting citrus blend.) Peace, love, health (and saving time AND money!) Essential oils seem to be quite a fad these days. essential oils But, hey, guess what. They aren't! Oils were the very first medicinal practice in the very beginnings of mankind. From the Egyptian hieroglyphics and Chinese manuscripts, we know that priests and physicians have been using essential oils for thousands of years. The Egyptians used essential oils for embalming and preserved oils were found in alabaster jars in King Tut's tomb. Egyptian temples were dedicated to the production and blending of the oils and recipes were recorded on the walls in hieroglyphics. And- of course- we're all familiar with the terms "frankincense and myrrh." There are 188 references to essential oils in the Bible. There were endless amounts of uses for essential oils since the beginning of time and the same uses are valid today. I guess you could say they are essential to our lives. (wink.) Where does the term Essential come from? Contrary to what I once thought, the term essential used here does not mean indispensable. An oil is "essential" in the sense that it contains the "essence of" the plant's fragrance—the characteristic fragrance of the plant from which it is derived. (Some incredible indepth information on the history of essential oils) How do you use them? First, and foremost, the absolute most important thing I can tell you is ALL ESSENTIAL OILS ARE NOT CREATED EQUALLY. You can not go to your local grocery store and buy quality essential oils (Even if they say 100% pure.) You'll notice some of the bottles have little warning labels; warning you against skin application. There are some warning you of combustion! This is crazy. These essential oils are for smelling only. The worst part is, you have no idea what's actually in those bottles. And the "100% pure essential oil" label you see is only telling you that the actual oil in that bottle is pure. We don't even know what other junk could be lurking inside that bottle. So, back to the question. There are numerous amounts of ways to use essential oils. It can be overwhelming and intimidating at first. I always recommend to start simple: Topical. My first oil was a blend for headaches. I was constantly popping Ibuprofen for headaches. (side note, I haven't taken any for over a year since using essential oils!) I would take this blend and rub anywhere I was feeling the headache- temples, behind ears, on my neck. The more I use the oils, the more I learn, I now know that I can rub this oil in the center of my hands during a breathing technique to zap the worst headaches, including migraines. There is so much to learn and it's easy to get overwhelmed and just walk away from it altogether. Just start simple and you can learn the rest later. (more indepth information on essential oil applications. ) Why use them? I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. The older I get the more I look around and see the deterioration of people. I've always been the type of person that is drawn in and amazed by the abilities of the human body. Researching cause and effects of sicknesses, what nourishes us, what keeps us well and what brings us down, the in's and out's of our anatomy, and the beauty of what God has provided us with nutrition and alternative medicine. Somewhere along the line I lost the knowledge of health. Lifestyles change, influences change, and I got lazy. In the last few years I was at my worst: My weight was at an all-time high, my blood pressure is uncontrollable and within the levels of having a stroke, my bones ache, constant headaches, and would catch any thing coming or going. I don't have any obviously sickness, yet my body is sick. I go to doctor after doctor and they don't have any real obvious symptoms to treat; except that I feel crummy. They write me antibiotic after antibiotic, steroids, numerous blood pressure medicine, anxiety medicine... Rx after Rx I found I needed more Rx's to treat the symptoms of the first. I was fed up. I threw everything I had in the trash, sat down at my computer, and dove back into what interested me the most: medicinal practices of those before us. Things that don't come with warning labels: a lifestyle of those generations back. Do they work?
You don't have to just listen to me; There are testimonies of people that date back to 3000 BCE and before of people praising the effectiveness of essential oils. For me, I've only been using essential oils for a little over a year. In the beginning I was skeptical. I continued using Doterra oils, mainly because someone said "just try it!" They gave me some samples, so I continued to use them for headaches, keeping calm, allergies, and cleaning. With each application and the more I learned, I began using them more and more. It wasn't until a year passed I realized I hadn't taken one Ibuprofen for headaches. It literally was a full year before I realized they worked! It was then I started buying them for myself and my family and using more of them, for different things. My husband replaced his daily steroid nose spray with Breathe*. We are no longer visiting the doctor every few weeks for my children because of On guard* We no longer buy cleaning agents because of Lemon, Lavender, and On guard* What should I try first? Ask yourself: What is my number one need? Relaxation...headaches....calm wild kids....first aid...DIY cleaning supplies... Start with one thing. Just one. Now that you have that in your head, drop me and e-mail ([email protected]) and I will point you in the right direction. I usually reply to my e-mails within 24 hours (if not sooner) and we will get you on the road to using essential oils! Any more questions? E-mail [email protected] or find me on Fb, Instagram, or Google+ @shoestringAmy Want to learn more? click here Want to jump right in and start buying? click here Want to sell Doterra oils? click here Love, peace, and good health... (Insert mental image of me pulling my hair, jumping up and down, and screaming at the top of my lungs.) I have adult acne. I've never had more than an occasional pimple all my life. This is something I've never had to deal with until I hit my 30's. And it's driving me insane. I've tried drinking plenty of water, eating well, and all the suggested remedies. It's just not working. That is until I randomly read that apple cider vinegar worked. I tried regular vinegar with not much luck. Until Bragg's apple cider vinegar (With the mother) went on sale at my local grocery store. I tried it and it actually works! I realize there's more going on in my body contributing to my acne. I don't believe it's an outwardly problem. However, when the breakouts come the vinegar shortens the amount of time the problems appear. Let me add the disclaimer here: It burns! It burns like the dickens! It reeks, it makes my eyes burn, but boy does it work. DIY acne FACEWASH recipe:
Mix together and rub into skin or use battery operated face brush; wipe clean. DIY FACE RINSE (following DIY acne face wash) There are times when I make large batches of things. For example, my laundry detergent, soaps, and lotions. However, for specific face washes (dry skin, acne, black head remover, etc.) I make them in single batches. I rarely use the same one over and over because my skin is every changing. I feel like the small, single batches work best. Plus, I can use each ingredient for endless amounts of other things. No sense in having it sit all bottled up, not being used.
So, why did I choose these parings of particular ingredients? Coconut Oil: Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Oils are good for removing other oils, too. If your face is oily the best way to remove the oil is with another oil, not soap. And moisturizing! Honey: Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. honey is a natural humectant, preserving moisture in your skin. Naturally probiotic. Consistency also helps pull dirt out of pores. And moisturizing! Apple Cider Vinegar: balances PH level of skin, antibacterial, dissolves dead skin cells, and acts as a toner. Witch Hazel: Natural astringent. Shrinks pores, removes excess oil, removes left over dirt and grime, and leaves skin soft. Doterra Lavender essential oil: Works topically to sooth skin, but also works internally to help calm stressors causing acne. Leaves skin soft. antimicrobial and antioxidant characteristics. It soothes and nourishes the skin — treating acne, healing dry skin, and reducing the appearance of dark spots and scars caused by acne. Doterra Tea Tree essential oil: Antibacterial, removes excess oil, shrinks pimples. Do you have any home remedies to cure adult acne? I'd love to hear them!
I have a secret.
I don't wear deodorant. I know... I know...We've learned all our lives about proper hygiene. And then here I am breaking the rules- as usual. Over the years I've always read about horror stories of all the cancer causing chemicals in our everyday products. And every time I hear it I look away and pretend not to. All these "luxury" items we use every day are killing us?! No way, I refuse to even feed my anxiety with the thought. Eventually, I researched each and every ingredient and realized how very little we should actually be using. As I whittled down my cleaning supplies, I replaced those things with more natural, basic products (that's another post.) That was a super easy transition and started this entire life-changing process. After learning what's in our cleaning products I started looking at the things we put on our bodies....here we go. I love my shampoos, hairsprays, lotions, perfumes, and MY MAKEUP! I refuse to take these things away. Until I did. I did a little 30 day challenge and didn't use any of my beauty products. My usual dry itchy skin was miraculously moisturized and smooth. My eyes and skin were clearer than ever and felt relaxed and healthy. (I could go on and on. Again, that's another post.) Long story short: our bodies thank us when we stop using this commercial ... crap, for the lack of a better word. The more I learned of the dangers in a lot of our beauty products, the quicker I was to weed out all the junk and began making my own, healthier, beneficial options. If you would have told me 5 years ago that I wouldn't be wearing deodorant I would have laughed in your face. Here I am, making my own make-up (for the most part,) not washing my hair, and skipping the deodorant. who would'a thought.
I do believe I had a little too much fun making the introduction. What do you think?
For those of you that have been around the last couple weeks know that I've been on a journey to cleanse our lives of negative energy and things that go in and on our bodies. You may not know that I took a drastic step and threw out anything that I felt was probably harming us more than helping- all hygiene and beauty products included. I challenged myself (a self proclaimed beauty addict) to a 30 day no-makeup challenge. And In this journey I realized how much my inner beauty relied on my out beauty. This was very interesting to discover- it wasn't something to be expected. That's a whole other blog post. After I got in touch with my inner feelings about my desire for makeup and came to a comfortable place to start inserting a few products back into my life, I decided it had to be as close to natural as possible. Starting out, I simply slid a little Vaseline across my lips and called it a day. I love this option, mainly, because it works. However, I'm a girly girl and wanted to have a striking red lip for those days I was feeling a little sassy. Red colorants have a bad rap- synthetic ones anyway. So, I played around a bit, watched lots of youtube videos, read lots of DIY and HOW-TOs. The only thing I really discovered is how much people are blowing this whole thing out of proportion. Have you seen the prices on these products people are using?! Are they insane?! Usually, I'm right on board with Pantone's color of the year. Generally, we're on the same track as far as my favorite color of the year and the Pantone color of the year. This year, however, I am not a fan. It's coming across as lavendar-ish and I've never been fan of purples. I'm not sure why, but I'm always turned off by any sort of purple. It's a lovely color, just not one I choose to wear or decorate with.
I decided to go ahead and play along though, so I looked through my clothes and came up with my own version of these colors to create a look that I liked- on the cheap, of course. Welcome to #FrugalFashionFriday !! It's a chilly morning here in Kentucky, so I'm bring out out the layers.
If you haven't noticed by now, I'm very casual. While I don't rock the mom jeans, I'm very much synonymous with the soccer mom look- jeans, tees, flats, undo, unpolished nails... you name it. My look for #frugalfashionfriday, again with the layers- much like last week. Except, this week I'm feeling a more bohemian eclectic look. Taking a little modern day style with the leggings, I changed it up with a sleeveless sweater and belt. I like the natural, cool weather mono-tone going on because I can get away with all the layers, textures, and prints without looking too dramatic. And of course my favorite 70s style cropped boot. You'll probably see those quite a bit.
Waste belt $1 from Goodwill, woven tunic $3 from Goodwill, vest sweater $6 from Goodwill, Leggings $4 from a local discount label store, Boots $15 Pay less shoes My thrift store fashion crushes of the week: whats my style? Often, I jokingly call my style Geek chic. Honestly, it pretty much describes my eclectic fashion persona. I wouldn't even really say I'm a fashions person. New trends come and go and I usually stick to my completely out-of-date look. I enjoy plucking a detail or two from today's fashion and marry it with my thrift store finds. Add in a tiny smudge of glam and call it an outfit.
Layers. Layers. Layers. With a limited budget there is zero room for a fashion budget. Thrift stores are my best friend. Any chance I get I scope out the thrift store. I rarely spend over $5 for a shirt, jeans, etc. seriously. And most of the things I find still have tags on!! So, these aren't ratty, grandmas attic type of things.... Well, not always. Sometimes a really cool vintage piece will find its way to my home. Today's New Year's Day, so let's go with a bold Kelley green and black and white combo. |
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About Me:Shoestring Amy is a free-spirited momma. With a family of five comes an active lifestyle full of energy. Amy strives for a lifetime of fun, laughter, and memories. Rather than smothering in debt, working for "things," and walking the same ol' line of misery created by a dead end job, she creates much larger goals. CONTINUE READING.... Categories
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