Tackling the Closet Monster

Inspiration to tackle the Closet Monster came in the form of a posting I found on Pinterest.  It just appealed to everything neat and good and perfect and controlled that I think I should aspire to and made me feel like an unruly portion of my home could be tackled (Pinterest makes me think in run-on sentences).

My first thought was – the labelled baskets were ingenious and everything looked so clean and organized.

Except then the environmentalist that lives in my brain was like:  “Uh, yeah using a ton of newly purchased plastic crap.”

I thought well… I think I could do this with re-purposing.  I do have some boxes awaiting recycling that I could use if I wanted this type of effect.  Also, I found this cool way to organize sheets on Pinterest – basically you put the fitted and flat sheets in the pillowcase (Mind. Blown.)

Pillowcase Holding Sheet Set Concept

So, I thought I’d give it a go – I would tackle my closet monster.  Of course, if you know me – you know I jotted down a game plan with a list of goals.  …To clean your closet, you say?  Yes, I am well aware that I’m ‘a little different’.

Goals:

* Separate and Label the Different Bedding Sizes (We have King, Queen and Twin sheet sets)

* Re-purpose items instead of buying new items

* Have a bin to store wash cloths (I am against folding those things)

* Have a bin of cleaning rags (can cut up linens that are not suitable for donation)

Game Plan:

Take mental inventory of the different things that currently live in the linen closet.  Pull everything out of the closet and lay it out so I can see it all.  Start with the towels, then the sheets, then everything else.  Finish off with labeling.

The Closet Monster!

I then went to work.  So, I won’t bore you with all of those details but – did you know it is a pain in the butt to stuff pillows like said Pinterest suggestion?  Am I surprised that a Pinterest suggestion was fussy and unnecessary?

Unnecessary, you said?  Why yes!  Because, I thought of something better.  Also, why would you want the pillowcase (where you put your face) to be the ‘dust cover’ for the sheets.  Amiright?  Just stack the fitted sheet and the pillowcases and then roll those babies up in the flat sheet.  You’re welcome.

Sheet Bundles – Not Too Shabby

Oh, and I pulled out a LOT of things to donate to charity, also some things I will cut up for cleaning rags.  As a bonus, I also have a nice mismatched pillowcase full of cleaning rags from cut up old towels.

Voila!  Closet Monster = Tackled.  Here is the finished closet clean out complete with labeling (from a cut-up ruined sheet).  Out of pocket money spent on closet organization $0.

Homemade Laundry and Dish Detergent – Tried and True

Over the past year or two I have been trying out recipes for homemade cleaning supplies thanks in part to Pinterest.  There have definitely been some fails, but I am happy to say these two recipes are tried and true.  I have made multiple recipes of these and they work really well. I have found that you can buy most of the ingredients at the grocery store (for example washing soda is in with the detergents at my grocery store), I did need to buy the citric acid online.

Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe (Borax Free)

The gal on the blog I got this recipe from did an actual Tide style washing of a white cloth with three different stains on it and compared it to store bought detergent.  She showed that the homemade stuff worked just as well as the store bought detergent.  I have found this to be true as well – I have been using this detergent on our clothes for the last year.  In fact I competed in the ‘Dirty Girl’ mud race and washed all of my stuff (shoes included) completely clean with one wash in this homemade detergent.

Aren’t We So Cute???

Some things to expect with homemade laundry detergent is that it doesn’t have naughty bleach included – so I encourage you to look up recipes on a safe whitener.  I actually just let my whites go off white and just not care too much about the whole thing.  Also, because this recipe uses real soap it provides a natural ‘fabric softener’.

Oh, and a little quick tip: I’ve found it’s good to write the recipe right on the container so that I don’t have to look it up again the next time.

Homemade Dish Detergent Recipe

So, my water is hard… like stubbed your toe on it hard.  We have HUGE problems in our household like spots on glasses.

Yeah.

Well it bothers Mat more than it bothers me… Even still, I have found that compared to other dish detergents I have made, this one actually does pretty well in not leaving too many unsightly spots.  I also use vinegar in the rinse cup.  That being said, my full disclosure is that I use this homemade dish detergent recipe MOST of the time and then every once in awhile I use the store bought nasty stuff to get rid of any spot build up.

I figure that if it is good enough to use most of the time, then I am really reducing the amount of harsh chemicals that go down the drain and into the environment.

Well, good luck with these!  Let me know how they perform for you.

Thanks, EM

Easy Green – Buy Recycled Paper Products

Want to save trees, water and energy all in one action?  An easy way to be green is to purchase your paper products with recycled content.  My goal is generally to buy with as much recycled content as possible.

Toilet Paper – Recycled regular paper made into toilet paper – what were you thinking I meant?

All kidding aside – people are very specific about the feel of their toilet paper – so I suggest buying a brand that at least has some percentage of recycled content.  I buy Marcal Small Steps brand – and I’ve been really happy with it – it is 100% recycled content and the 1000 sheets bath tissue is very similar to Scott brand (which has always been my favorite kind).

Printer Paper – This takes some forethought generally because if you pick up some at the grocery store or local drug store they may only offer non-recycled paper.  You will enjoy more selection online or at an office supply store .

I found that printer paper seems to be the most price sensitive to recycled content – I think a good price/benefit compromise is 30% recycled content.  However, if you go higher – you get bonus points.

My girls are both artists so we go through paper pretty quickly here.  Of course almost all of the drawings are then recycled… Please don’t tell on me.  (o;

My Humble Cloth Pile

Paper Towels and Napkins – Okay… I haven’t actually bought paper towels in a long time.  However, when I have been cornered into buying some, I always look for as much recycled content as possible.

Yeah, well what do we do about bacon, you ask?  Try laying it over a cooling rack and letting the grease drip to a plate below… you’re welcome.

Anyways, what I use are dish cloths and old cloth baby diapers to wipe down my counters.  I keep a stash of nice-er cloth napkins to wrap snacks in for the girls.

Super Cute but… is it Practical???

I’ve got to say – I keep seeing this set-up on Pinterest and while I admire the cuteness of it and the intention to reuse… I think it’s going to look like that once all snapped together in a roll and then eventually end up in a pile like mine anyways.  Also – how annoying would those snaps be in the dryer or as you are trying to clean?

Okay, that said – if someone gave me some for Christmas I would secretly love it…

Facial Tissue – This one is something I need to work on.  So far I have been faithfully buying the ‘with lotion’ kind feeling very sorry for myself.  However, I pledge here and now to try a box of tissue with recycled content.

Something else that you could do for an ouchie nose is cut up an old tee-shirt (one that’s too used up to donate) and use that for kleenex… nice and soft and it was going to end up in a land fill anyways.

Did I Miss Anything?  What recycled products do you routinely buy?  Have you stopped buying one type of product altogether and opted for a reuseable option?  Did you buy the snapped together roll of cute cloths and are offended by my review?  Let me know in the comments!  (o;

Favorite Etsy Shops

I love Etsy – it is an online marketplace where people sell handmade and ‘vintage’ items in an ‘Amazon.com’ type fashion.  Even though I am generally a boring technical type, I do have a side of me that loves artistic things and values handmade items.  The cool thing about Etsy is that by making a purchase, you are directly supporting someone’s home business. 

I like to buy the kids toys from Etsy for Christmas because it has that look like it could have come from Santa’s Workshop.  Another cool thing is that many items are easily customizable because you can just send the shop owner an email “can I get green stripes instead of pink?”. 

Without further ado – here are my very most favorite Etsy shops.  I only included ones that I have actually ordered from before -you know, for Christmas presents and what not.  For Etsy Christmas presents, it’s a good idea to start shopping by Thanksgiving as the products are sometimes made to order.

Mike B. Toys

There are some real good finds in this shop –  the girls have the fire truck (shown) and actually play with it all the time (they like to stuff it with dolls and drive it around.)  We also put Pelham Fire Department Stickers on ours that Megan got from fire safety day.  Mike B makes his handmade wooden toys ahead of time, so when you order he ships it priority mail the next day.  I have noticed that some of his more awesome toys sell out before Christmas though so shop early – these are the ultimate ‘Santa’s Workshop’ style toys! 

Tie Obsessed

Oh what to get my dad?  Oh, what to get my brother… my stepbrother???  Right, these awesome reasonably priced handmade silk ties.  They are shipped nicely wrapped in liner paper ready to be inserted into a gift bag.  I believe she also makes her ties ahead of time and so they ship quickly.  Also, is there anywhere in the world you can get a really nice handmade silk tie for about twenty bucks?

Wee Knit

This shop sells awesome little hand-knit finger puppets.  They have quite an assortment of styles and price points which is nice for gift giving.  Also, they offer themed sets to match story-books and sell the book and matching finger puppets as a set (love!).  I gave knitted  finger puppets to my nieces in a past Christmas – these would also make great stocking stuffers. 

Imagination Kids

Love the colors and designs from this store – browsing through the items is a real treat.  I did actually break down and buy the ribbon wands for the girls one birthday.  Also, they have some really cool multi-color stackers for younger kids or as a makeshift ‘stage’ for doll playing. 

 

PDX Portland Beanie Co

So, okay – these are a little pricey – but just looook at them.  Ooooh aaaaaah  They are so durned cute.  This gal must have a master’s degree in color combinations.  I bought this as a newborn baby gift once – matching beanie and booties in any color you want (she has several colors you can choose from).  She also sells  hats for men and women too.

 

Ethically Engineered

Do you have a hip guy in your life that uses soap?  Hey – me too!  They have a cool ‘beer glass’ shaped soap too and city themed soaps.  Definitely a cool gift.  Also, their packaging is very eco-friendly – so that is a bonus.

Bead Story

This asymmetric jewelry is so unique – combining intriguing charms with beautiful beads.  Again, I’ve bought from this gal in the past for Christmas presents and I may have bought myself something special as well.  (One for you… one for me…).

So, those are my very f favorite Etsy shops.  Have you shopped on Etsy?  What are your favorite shops?

Grocery Guides – All in One Convenient Spot

Hey!  Check out my updated Grocery Guides tab at the top of this page.  I will continually be updating this page, so let me know if you know of any good links. 

These organizations that I link to have painstakingly created printable guides and online searchable databases to make it easy for you to buy things that are healthy and safe for your family.

Why?  Because everytime we look up (for example) dishwashing detergent and make a purchase based upon this information we are actually voting for better products with our wallets.  Many small votes add up to big messages to companies to give us healthier and safter products.

Enjoy!

 

Pressure Points to Relieve Pain and Discomfort

So, this is not necessarily a ‘green’ thing, but I have found some success with pressure points.  You know, when you squeeze your brows or your hand to get some pain relief from headaches.  I also used them in my second pregnancy when the morning sickness was ‘totally sucky’.

Typically, I try to run through the pressure points before I grab my pain meds for a headache.  Sometimes using pressure points brings me about 80%-90% relief, I’d say.  If the pressure points are a no-go then usually a hot compress or heating pad does wonders to relieve pain.  I also know people who use cold compresses on their migraines but I have been really unsuccessful with cold.  If all else fails, I’ll definitely go for the pain meds.

Why am I so ‘try everything else first-ey?’ because recently I discovered I have an allergy to Advil, so acetaminophen is my only friend.  Plus, the pain meds don’t always knock a headache completely out for me, so sometimes it’s pressure points, heating pad and acetaminophen.

Anyways – I just run through my pressure points at about one to two minutes per set of points.  I’ve found that you really need to commit to the pressure point for at least 30 seconds to feel some relief.  It’s a good idea to time yourself because it’s easy to underestimate how long you’ve been pinching your face.  🙂

Here are some links that describe pressure points for common ailments:

Headache

Nausea

Congestion – haven’t actually tried these when I’m congested enough to notice; let me know if they work.

More Pressure Point Links:

Also, I really enjoy Dr. Ben Kim’s blog he is a chiropractor that recommends pressure points for many ailments.  Go to his site and search for “pressure points” (or just click the underlined link).

Here is a site where you can search alphabetically by ailment – I haven’t tried any pressure points from this site although I plan to.

Finally, here is a good article where you can learn more about the benefits of and medical community acceptance of pressure points by WebMD.

Well, happy pressure-pointing.  Please, share with me some of your go-to pressure points, if you  use them.  Also, what home remedies do you use?

Disclaimer:  There are some situations where some pressure points may not be a good idea (such as pregnancy or in the location of varicose veins), please do some research if you have a medical condition.  I’ve consulted with a doctor for what generally causes my headaches.  Don’t use my article as medical advice.

Henna – Why You Might Want to Try it

Okay I’ll admit it, I have been coloring my hair with henna for the past year or so.  My hair is brown – and I know what you are saying that there is no such thing as brown henna.  You are right!  I still use a natural product though that is a mix of henna (red), senna (yellow) and indigo (blue), all those beautiful primary colors can be mixed to make different shades of brown.  I’ll just refer to it as henna though from this point on 🙂

This is Not Me – I don’t Rock-the-Gray Like This Gal… if I Did, There Would Be No Post on Haircolor…

I don’t like to brag but I started getting gray hairs when I was in my twenties… and since now I am turning 29 (for the 8th time), I’ve got some decent salt and pepper going on.

Sucks for me.

ANYways -I had been coloring my hair with L’Oreal for a while… and I really disliked the strong chemical odor and how it made my eyes sting.  I had also heard rumors of hair coloring causing cancer.  So, I went on the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database and found that the color I was buying was very toxic – even among its toxic peers.

Then I saw it  – Light Mountain Color the Gray which was rated completely non-toxic and it was totally affordable (like $8-$10 online) and I decided to go for it.  It worked really well with a natural looking color (without enduring stingey eyes) that covered my gray hairs and also had the added benefit of coating my hair so- I don’t even need to wear hair gel anymore to contain my frizzies.

My Actual Hair All Gloriously Lit Up in the Sunlight.

I’ve gotten application down to a science and here are some of my top tips:

* Put newspapers down on the floor (or old towels) for easy clean-up.

* Make sure and put vaseline (or another type of oil) liberally along your hairline and a few inches or so out from it.

* Even though you will be applying with gloves, put oil or vaseline on your hands and wrists too.

* You don’t have to apply heat (sometimes you just need to go out on a limb to test things out…)

* Use conditioner to help rinse out the henna – for some reason it rinses out much faster

Here are full instructions on how to apply if you are curious.

All Good Experiences? Really??

Well no, henna does smell like hay – and not in a fresh field kind of way.  Also, the indigo adds a bitter smell to the hay smell.  Which is okay with me considering the typical hair color smell is pretty rank.

Okay, other issue with Henna is that every time I apply it, I seem to get a headache.  This could be from all of the applying and rinsing and wrapping (color the grey has two applications).  Also, I have other headache triggers so I had really been wondering if it was just a coincidence.  However, I did some research online and some people do find it to be a headache trigger.

All in all, henna is a great alternative to chemical hair coloring.  Especially if you are not headache prone (like me).  I may need to decide if I can put up with the headache after application or if I need to consult the Environmental Working Group Skin Deep Cosmetics Database for another suitable alternative.

Have you tried Henna?  Are you looking for a change from your chemical haircolor?  What has been your experience?

DIY Kids Fun Recipe Round-Up

Yes, I’ll admit it…I am totally into Pinterest (yeah, like join the club, right?).  So, I have been pinning fun things to make with or for kids that is also easy on the environment.   These recipes also happen to be quick and easy and made of things that you probably already have in your cupboard (or are easy to find at the grocery store).

Here are my favorites from Pinterest; if you click on the pictures they will bring you to the recipes and instructions.

Sidewalk Paint

Such a simple recipe of just cornstarch, water and food coloring – I’ll plan on trying this one first.  I would imagine that it looks pretty spectacular when it dries.

Clay Handprints

This one looks like a fun idea for a meaningful Christmas ornament gift for family.  You could even get creative and use make other things with this homemade clay.

Bubbles!!!

Love this bubble recipe because it uses corn syrup, which is easy to find in the grocery store (compared to glycerin).  Oh and corn syrup is not as evil as high fructose corn syrup, but I’m sure that’s debateable…

Have fun with these ideas!

Do you have any tried and true kid-fun recipes?  Have you tried any of these?

Three Reasons Why I Love My New Compost Bin

Who’s got two thumbs and loves her new compost bin? … This guy!!!  I have made my own compost bins in the past but this time I decided to go the premade route and get a basic model from Lowes (about $50).  I have been using the compost bin for about a month or so and these are the big reasons why I love my new compost bin:

My Compost Bin

1:  Not-Drippy Garbage

When  we put veggies and fruit cuttings (or whole rotten fruit let’s be honest) in the compost bin, the garbage bags are less likely to be drippy.  I love this because drippy garbage bags rank like 10 for me in gross-ness on a scale with 10 being the worst.  Plus, cleaning the related drippy garbage pails is no picnic. 

2:  Less Garbage to Handle 

I know most everyone has garbage and recycling pick-up.  However, we drive our garbage to the local transfer station.  I don’t really mind going to the transfer station and putting the recycling in the recycle spot and the garbage in the garbage spot.   Even so, it is nice to to not have to load everything up and go quite as often.

3:  Keeping Valuable Stuff Out of Landfills

Beyond just not having foul drippy garbage, it just seemed like a shame that I was putting all that ‘good biodegradable stuff’ in a landfill when it could easily break down and be given back to amending our so-so soil.  BTW, never go for a ‘deal’ on the price of topsoil… another story for another day.

What Goes Into a Compost Bin?

Looks Like Someone Needs to Take Out the Compost

Wikihow has a good list of things that are compostable; green things like veggie clippings and fresh leaves and brown things like dry leaves and shredded paper.  There is an optimal ratio for mixing these, basically it is more brown things than green.  However at our last house I didn’t get real scientific about it, I just made sure to add dried leaves to the pile now and again and the compost turned out fine. 

Yeah, but How Much Work is Composting?

It’s pretty easy, I have a medium sized bowl on the counter for compostable stuff and I take it out once a day (Full disclosure… generally I’m lazy and take it out every two or three days).  Others may be much better homemakers than me guaranteed. 

I put the closed compost bin fairly near to the house so it will be an easy and quick thing to do.  Also, I should be mixing the compost every couple weeks or so.  I haven’t done it with this one as it is still pretty new (and relatively empty).  For people who don’t like mixing, there are tumble-able styles that make it easier. 

If you are interested in composting basics, here is a great video from the Sierra Club.