I've been setting little goals for myself over the last year. For instance, I've been trying to be more mindful of how much water or electricity I use. I now consistently take a three-minute shower. I thought I would miss a five or six-minute shower, but I don't.
A more serious issue for me, though, is kinds of cleaning products I use. It all started when I found a book at Gulliver's about making your own cleaning agents. (You can find information about it here.) I've made many of the cleaners in this book and have so far loved every single one of them. I spend a fraction of the cost of traditional cleansers and soaps because most of these recipes have vinegar and lemon juice in them - both of which I can find in bulk at Sam's Club for less than $10. Total. These two items last for six months - at least - and make gallons and gallons of cleaning solutions. Since then, I've gradually tried to rid the house of harsh chemicals and synthetic cleaners.
I've even stopped buying hand soap. I make my own now. I put it in a small plastic jar with one of those foaming dispensers and keep it next to my kitchen sink. It is awesome. I found the recipe online and while you can use it in a regular soap dispenser, it works much better if it's in a foaming one. I know you all are dying to get the recipe, so here it is!
All-natural Foaming Hand Soap
1 cup water
1/4 cup Castile soap
1 tsp. almond, hemp, or jojoba oil
10 drops essential oil of your choice
Since making my own cleaners and limiting my showers to three minutes were going so well, I now have another small goal: to use reusable feminine hygiene products. (Yeah, some may scoff and say that this is too much information, but hey, this is my blog - I'll write about whatever I want!)
I am now in the process of turning some old cloth diapers into inserts for pads. They work great and I don't feel like I'm contributing to the destruction of the ozone or rainforest or arctic sea ice. I've finished half of them and will be finishing the other half after the Women's Bazaar in early November, when I finally have a little more time for personal projects.
Do your part! Find something you can do to cut down on waste and do it!
Blessed be.
A more serious issue for me, though, is kinds of cleaning products I use. It all started when I found a book at Gulliver's about making your own cleaning agents. (You can find information about it here.) I've made many of the cleaners in this book and have so far loved every single one of them. I spend a fraction of the cost of traditional cleansers and soaps because most of these recipes have vinegar and lemon juice in them - both of which I can find in bulk at Sam's Club for less than $10. Total. These two items last for six months - at least - and make gallons and gallons of cleaning solutions. Since then, I've gradually tried to rid the house of harsh chemicals and synthetic cleaners.
I've even stopped buying hand soap. I make my own now. I put it in a small plastic jar with one of those foaming dispensers and keep it next to my kitchen sink. It is awesome. I found the recipe online and while you can use it in a regular soap dispenser, it works much better if it's in a foaming one. I know you all are dying to get the recipe, so here it is!
All-natural Foaming Hand Soap
1 cup water
1/4 cup Castile soap
1 tsp. almond, hemp, or jojoba oil
10 drops essential oil of your choice
Since making my own cleaners and limiting my showers to three minutes were going so well, I now have another small goal: to use reusable feminine hygiene products. (Yeah, some may scoff and say that this is too much information, but hey, this is my blog - I'll write about whatever I want!)
I am now in the process of turning some old cloth diapers into inserts for pads. They work great and I don't feel like I'm contributing to the destruction of the ozone or rainforest or arctic sea ice. I've finished half of them and will be finishing the other half after the Women's Bazaar in early November, when I finally have a little more time for personal projects.
Do your part! Find something you can do to cut down on waste and do it!
Blessed be.
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