Shampoo Free!

As you may have already guessed, I have officially gone shampoo free! This has been the most challenging of all my homemade overhauls, but I think I have found something that works. Pretty good, anyway. First, I tried Caylen's method of 1 tsp. baking soda in 1 cup water. I did this for a couple of days, found that my hair was not much different than not washing it, then proceeded to the baby powder trick. I have been living with this one for a few days now-- you know, the thing you do when your hair is a little stringy and you put baby powder in it to soak up the oil? yeah, I had to resort to that one quite a few times. Just once a day though did the trick.

Some of you may think this is gross, going shampoo free, but really, I am getting the dirt and most of the oil out of my hair, it is just that my scalp is still producing oil like it is being stripped daily. However, I wanted to find a more efficient, and easier way to get my hair clean. I tried the diluted baking soda, then I went to a baking soda paste, but both were just time consuming and hard to get good coverage since I have longer hair. So, I found a recipe for a foamy shampoo and tweaked it some and went with it. This is what I am currently using now:

• 1/2 cup grated homemade soap flakes
• 1 cup water boiled down for 30 minutes with your choice of herbs.

I used soap that I had from Thistle Ridge, a cold process lye soap, and it is scented like mint. I used cinnamon, nutmeg, and rosemary in my herb blend, and my shampoo result was a deep reddish brown-- very beautiful! It does, however, get on the shower walls and turn them reddish, but it wipes away. How does it clean? It does pretty well-- it suds up, and it cleans my hair well, and my hair has had lots of volume and body! I do have a conditioner with it as well, but honestly I can't use it without having to wash my hair after wards. It consists of olive oil, cider vinegar, and essential oils. It feels great, but it doesn't wash out so much. I am left with stringy hair after drying, and while it may be conditioned and healthy, it is not too appealing.

Overall, I am very pleased with the shampoo free routine, although I am not a fan of stringy hair or trying to adjust to below -par lathering. However, the condition of my hair has been much more satisfactory! I have more body and volume, which is hard for my superfine hair. I would recommend trying this for people who have problems with dryness, but if you have hair on the oily side like mine, you might be better off with store bought items, unless you are doing it to forgo chemicals like I am.

House For Sale or Rent?

So, as some of you may know, we have a house in Dahlonega, as well as in Blairsville. We rent out the house in Dahlonega, seeing as how we can't sell it. A few weeks ago, we found out our current renters were separating and moving out. The sad part, truthfully, is that a married couple with a 1 year old is separating. However, I don't see how we could really help them out there. They have some deep rooted issues....

Anyway, this means we are going to have to find a way to foot the mortgage, #2, bill by ourselves until we find a way to get rid of it-- either by selling or renting. We have had it up for rent for a couple weeks now, no bites, and we have had it on the market for a short time now, once again.  Truthfully, though, I don't know if I can stand to rent it out again! It has been such a headache and strain for us to be keeping tabs on our house, 35 miles away, with strangers in it.

Apparently, since our tenants have lived there-- coincidence or not I don't know-- there have been 2 break-ins, one in a house in our neighborhood, and one at the carburetor shop across the road. It feels pretty stinky to have your neighbors look at you as being the cause of bringing in such things. They have even had to start a neighborhood watch! Also, come to find out, the renters we had, well the wife, was also allowing her brother, sister, and her sister's boyfriend to stay in the house with them, and of course they were not on the lease, nor did they pay rent! My husband went to the house a few days ago, kicked them out, and got the last of the rent from the husband. We thought we were done, but we were not! We got a call from our next door neighbor there who said she was scared because this strange man appeared at the house and went in. To make a long story short, we called the cops and they found out it was the husband's dad, coming to help clean up the rest of the house. Which, of course, is fine. It just caused us such a headache and such turmoil to always be stressing about this house!  I am just so ready to get rid of it and move on! I don't mean to rant, but it has just been such a constant struggle, for years now, to be looking after this house, trying to rent/sell it, scrounging to make payments, etc.

I have been praying very fervently for God to bring us a solution to this issue, and nothing yet, but until then we will trudge along and be looking for the way He wants us to go.

Also, if you know anyone who wants a house in Dahlonega, let me know ;)

Making Kid's Toothpaste!

After all the 'homemade' ventures I have gone through, my husband has only called this one 'extreme.' Actually, I told him, it's really not. Toothpaste is one of the easier, simpler things to make. And, of course, making it avoids the use of chemicals and additives. This is mostly important for Caylen, given that she isn't 2 yet, and we are not a fan of the gel 'tooth and gum cleanser' that is marketed for her age. We have been buying Tom's of Maine Silly Strawberry, flouride free of course. She liked it alright, it was slightly sweet, but I had 2 issues. I liked the toothpaste itself, but it was 1) expensive, and 2) in a metal tube so it was impossible to get the last bit out. I understand the purpose of using metal instead of plastic, it was just inconvenient. I am totally one who squeezes the last teensy-weensy drop of toothpaste out of the tube, so I thought there had to be a more efficient way. And, there is! Here is my recipe:

• Equal parts of baking soda and coconut oil. Coconut oil is very good for lots of things, including oral health. 
• a few drops of peppermint oil, or spearmint, or lemon, or orange, or whatever you like.  The mixture of the coconut and peppermint flavors is quite satisfying though. 
• a dash of stevia. This makes it a little sweeter, without rotting the teeth of course. The baking soda is of course salty and bitter so this makes it a little tastier. Which is not so important for me or my husband as much as it is for a toddler. 
• I put the paste in a little jar that had previously held honey, and I just get a little out and on the brush.

How does Caylen like it? She likes it alright, I mean, it's toothpaste so she isn't wild about it or anything, but she seems to like it better than her old toothpaste. I say this because it is easier to brush her teeth with this toothpaste than it is her old kind. The only 'con' to this paste is that the baking soda and oil are very sticky, and when you brush her teeth with it, it is hard to rinse off the brush, and it takes a little work to get her mouth rinsed. I think this might be a good thing, though, since the coconut oil is supposed to be good for her mouth.

Soon, we, Brandon and I, will be out of toothpaste ourselves and I will be making our own. I will let you know how it goes!

Fuzzibunz!

My daughter, Caylen, is 22 months old. She has always been in disposables. Until now!

When I was pregnant with Caylen, I wanted so badly to do cloth diapers! I researched it to death, was given only negative opinions on the matter, and was intimidated by learning something so few people knew about, all the while having a newborn while my husband is deployed. So, to make a long story short, I gave it up and went to disposables. However, I have been growing so so so tired of buying diapers that I went to the cheapies. That's right, the cheapest ones I could find, hoping it would alleviate my distaste with buying so many all the time and spending so much money! So, I tried potty training, which she did great at, then daycare didn't go along with it, so that was scrapped. Then, I found out that these cheap diapers were giving Caylen the worst diaper rash so I just decided to go for it! I mean, we are planning on having another child, so they will be able to use them too, so we will definitely be getting our money's worth, and then some! So, I went on Amazon, my favorite place to shop because we have no place to shop here in the hills except for online and they have free shipping, and ordered a 12 pack. This 12 pack is enough to last me through Caylen's potty training, as well as my next child's birth through potty training. They are all in one diapers, called Fuzzibunz, a pocket diaper, and they are one size. This means they are adjustable from birth to potty training. And, the reviews I read backed that up as well. I got the gender neutral colors, and they are so pretty! I just love these diapers! I haven't been putting pants on Caylen, as long as we are at home, just because they are so cute! They also live up to their name, fuzzibunz, because the inside is fleece, and the inserts are microfiber. And, to top it off naysayers, they don't leak. Not once have they leaked, and they fit great! They are also easy to care for. Just take them off, take out the insert, I put them in my diaper pail I used for disposables along with the cloth wipe, and wash them every 2 days on the sanitary cycle.

Conclusion? These diapers are great, and my only regret is that I didn't do them sooner. They are so easy and they save money! And, they don't create more waste for the landfills. So what I have to say is, if you are interested in doing cloth diapers, do try them, especially this kind because they are so wonderful!

Flavored Homemade Yogurt!

Well, I did indeed try making homemade yogurt, flavored, and it turned out great!  What I did was this: I did everything the same, but at the end where I would normally just pour the milk into the jar, I added a tsp. and a half of Stevia, which was almost too much, and a tsp. of vanilla flavoring! It turned out very yummy and I was pleased. Caylen likes it too! I mean, she isn't one to shun any type of yogurt, but she does seem to like this kind better-- it's not as 'tart.'
Now, I just wish I could eat it! I have been going to see this alternative medicine doctor, and I don't mean medicine-doctor, and she has been doing acupuncture for my asthma, which has gotten to be really awful. I have been going a couple times a week, I got some blood work done, and we have,seemingly, exhausted all the possible causes of why it might be worse, but when I went yesterday, she suggested something else. She suggested, well she told me, to stop eating all dairy as it might be causing it, seeing that Caylen has a dairy sensitivity, she thought I might too and it might be making my asthma worse. Well, you know what that means! No yogurt :( As well as cheese, milk, etc. but the one thing I will miss the most is my yogurt! And, my breathing has been a lot better today! Which is great news, but I guess I will try to experiment with making almond milk yogurt for myself? Until then, I will continue to make it for Caylen, whole milk version, and I can attempt to interpret her opinions on how it tastes.... :(

Making Your Own... Yogurt!

I had heard of making your own yogurt, but I figured it was one of those lengthy, time-consuming, arduous tasks that only stay at home moms or Amish people took on. Well, I am neither, although I do respect both titles, very much so. Well, actually I am going to be a part-time stay at home mom now, since I am going to just be working 3 days a week now....
Anyway, back to the yogurt.
Yogurt is expensive. If you get the good kind. No, I am not talking about Yoplait, which is more like Jell-o than yogurt, since it has gelatin in it. It's just not right... I get the organic kind, I prefer Greek, but I like it either way. I get Caylen the organic whole milk yogurt, and boy it is expensive! I mean, it's not through the roof, but especially compared to what I can make it for, it is way too much!
So, I bet you are dying to know how I made it right?  Haha, just kidding, it's no secret!All you need, or what I used, is at least a quart of milk, 1/2 cup dry milk, a quart canning jar, a large saucepan, wooden spoon, yogurt starter, a heating pad and some kitchen towels and stock pot. Here goes:

I got my recipe from my handy dandy Tightwad Gazette. It recommends buying a container of store bought, active culture yogurt from the store. I used Dannon. This will be your starter yogurt, or starter culture. You will need the bacteria from this yogurt to get yours going. The tightwad gazette is always finding the most cost effective way of doing things, so it recommended taking the yogurt by 2 tablespoons each and freezing them in ice cube trays. So, you end up with about 16 2 tablespoon starters (?) I can't remember how many compartments there are in those ice cube trays. Anyway, in order to start the yogurt, you need to take one ice cube worth of starter, 2 tablespoons in other words, and let it melt. In the meantime, take your milk, whole milk, 2%, organic, whatever, and measure out a quart. The easiest way to do this is to pour it into a quart canning jar, which is what I used to store my yogurt in. Put the quart of milk in a large saucepan, and mix in the 1/2 cup of dry milk. Heat the quart of milk up to 180, I used my candy thermometer to track it, and then cool it down to 115. At this point, take a 1/2-1 cup of the warm milk, whisk it very vigorously into the starter. Then, take the starter/warm milk mixture and mix it into the large batch of warm milk. Whisk very vigorously. There has been no evidence that vigorous whisking can kill the cultures. However, it is pertinent to make sure the cultures are well distributed so all the milk will turn into yogurt instead of curdled milk. After it is well-whisked, pour it into your quart jar, fasten the lid, put it on a heating pad on low, wrap it in a kitchen towel, and put a stock pot over the jar so it is dark and warm. This is so the cultures will have opportunity to grow. Let it incubate for 8-12 hours. I did mine for 8, then put it in the fridge, but it just depends on how 'tart' you like your yogurt.
I call 'tart' 'sour.'
Anyway, after 8 hours it was firm and delicious! It lasts for about 5 days, give or take, mine lasted at least 6, but I am not sure how much longer after that it would last since we ate it all! I liked to serve it with a little raw honey-- soooo  good! Or, for Caylen, I mash up a little banana in it! Yummy!

My next yogurt venture? How to flavor it?! I'll let you know how it turns out!

New Way to Do... Well, Everything!

So my last post was about a new way to do my skincare. I know, it was like forever ago. Since then, I have found many other new ways to do many other new things! Like making your own dishwasher detergent. Or, washing your clothes.



Last night, I finished my 3rd load of laundry using soap nuts. I buy them from here. The results? They are great! No, the clothes don't smell, at all, but they are very clean, very soft, and may I mention, washed very cheaply....! Now that's my kind of 'detergent!' They are about half the price of Tide HE, and I can use about 5 nuts for about 5 fairly heavy loads! As a plus, there is no need for fabric softener! They are soft as can be, in fact softer than if I had used fabric softener, but without that chemical-y residue. Conclusion: I am extremely pleased and I can't wait to use my 10% off coupon I received with my order, on my next order!
Next: Dishwasher detergent. I found a way to make my own concoction of this as well, with an added bonus: a Jet Dry substitute! So I mixed a cup of washing soda (I found mine at Ace), a cup of Borax, and a half cup of salt and shook it together in a Mason jar. Ok, it was a Ball jar. Anyway, I made this Wednesday night, and I finally used it last night (Thursday). I was anxious to see how my dishes came out, since I had been buying the cheap, Eco-Friendly Palmolive for my dishwasher. It left white residue everywhere!!! So, I inspected my dishes after they ran a cycle, the Normal cycle as always with heated dry, and wow! They looked even better than when I used the good detergent! They were clean, no spots on the silverware, which is a common occurrence for us.... And, no water spots thanks to the 'rinse aid!' So I bet you are dying to know the secret rinse aid, huh? Well, just put plain, white distilled vinegar in the compartment you normally put the rinse aid. It lasts forever, so you rarely have to fill it back up, so of course you have really saved some $$! I of course never bother to buy jet dry, I don't care about some water spots, and that stuff is expensive for what it is, especially now that I know it can be cheaply replaced! My conclusion on the homemade dishwasher detergent: Excellent substitute! Only this: when I run out, I am going to try to simplify it by using Borax and baking soda and salt, to make it cheaper, and we'll see how it goes!!
To update on the last post, my facial cleansing routine is going great-- I will not go back to my old facewashes and lotions! They feel sticky, heavy, and thick to me now! I have had to use my old facewash once, and my lotion once as well, under dire circumstances, and I wasn't pleased at all. The only con is that it occasionally makes my bangs oily at the end of the day, or if I am not careful, they get oil on them before I even get dressed :( but I have been able to work around it, and hey, it is worth it to me if I can have clear skin! As for the homemade shampoo and conditioners, I have only used them on our guinea pig, Caylen, but they do great on her! I am just waiting to run out of our commercial ones first!
Oh, and one last thing. I am not sure if I mentioned this in the last post, but I have been using Virgin Coconut Oil as a body lotion for a few weeks now, and I LOVE  it! It is so rich and moisturizing, and Bath and Body Works ain't got nuthin' on that scent! AAAHHH! It smells so delicious and luscious! You have gotta try it!



One more thing, I promise, I am looking for a cheap, eco-alternative to my dish soap. I tried Dr. Bronners, but it is a little too watery and harsh for me. Smells good though (I got the Hemp Almond kind). So, if you have any suggestions, ppppplllllleeeeaaasssee let me know!!