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Natural Thrush Remedies for Breastfeeding

By on August 2, 2010 in bellies & babies, natural & green
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Thrush (yeast) is a common issue for breastfeeding mamas and new babies.

You may notice symptoms such as white spots in baby’s mouth, and painful nursing.

When my little boy began presenting early thrush symptoms when he was a couple months old, my doctor guided me to some natural and inexpensive remedies instead of automatically prescribing an expensive chemical-based remedy.

With some simple steps, the thrush was gone!

  • Most importantly, take your probiotics!
    You can purchase acidophilus/probiotic supplements and/or eat live-cultured unsweetened yogurt daily. The probiotic benefits will pass from the nursing mama to baby, but if your little one is old enough to eat solids, give baby some yogurt too. There are some probiotic solutions available for little ones, too, if your doctor recommends it.
  • Reduce/eliminate sugar.
    If thrush is especially lingering, you may even want to limit fruit and dairy products, as they contain natural sugars. Make sure you are getting plenty of B vitamins, too.

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  • Use a 1% solution of Genetian Violet.
    (Apply to mama & baby before & after feeding). Beware of the purple-staining factor, though; keep bibs handy! If you can only find 2% solution, dilute it by half with sterile water. I have seen this in natural food stores and in the cosmetic sections of “hispanic food aisles” in grocery stores.
  • Wash the nipple-shield (and Mama), if using.
    Use a diluted solution of 5 oz water + 5 drops of grapefruit seed extract after every feeding, and rinse well. If using a nipple-shield (with a lactation consultant’s direction), this can be a barrier to your body’s natural “self-cleaning” antimicrobial process during breastfeeding. (I purchase the grapefruit seed extract from Mountain Rose Herbs.)
  • Wash bedding, towels, nursing bras, blankets, washcloths, etc!
    Thrush is very easily spread. Even if you feel it’s a bit “obsessive,” wash all items after one use, and change to a fresh one. My no-sew cloth bed pads are can be tucked into the bed, and changed each morning (instead of changing the whole bed everyday!).
  • Get some sunshine!
    Dry your clothing/linens in the sun, which has an antimicrobial effect. If your bedroom window is secluded, mama can nap privately to allow for air flow and sun on her bare chest, which will help clear the yeast.

As an additional resource, Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding offers some additional tips for addressing thrush and healthy breastfeeding.

Do YOU have any helpful tips to share?

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Top 10 Recycling Habits from a New Perspective

By on July 28, 2010 in natural & green

I came across these 10 recycling habits written by my friend, Ryan, and I wanted to share it with you all. He granted me permission to share it with you all. Some of the ideas may not be new, but may this challenge refresh and encourage you to keep up the work! Thanks Ryan!

You should be all about recycling. If you’re a Christian you should be especially passionate about recycling.

Consider the fact that in recycling you are taking something that is spent, used up, and old, and giving it new life, purpose, and usefulness.

As Randy Alcorn shares: “Psalms 24:1 states, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” This is not our place to trash. It’s God’s place to treasure. To care for the world is to care for its people. To care for its people is to fulfill the second commandment, to love our neighbors as ourselves. As we see it mandated in Genesis 1:28, God entrusts us with the earth as He entrusts us with our bodies, and He intends for us to take care of both.”

As a follower of Jesus, listed below are some of the ways both big and small that I think the invitation to recycle is available. It is obviously in no way an exhaustive list, and neither is it listed in any particular order. So without further adieu here are my top ten recycling habits:

1. Food

If you don’t have chickens to give your old scraps to (and thus produce eggs and great fertilizer), then get a compost pile so that your old food will turn into rich soil. Also, using old veggies (flimsy celery and carrots, onion skins, etc) and animal bones to make stock is a great way to recycle stuff that you will not eat.

2. Water

There are some pretty amazing ways you can recycle water. You can collect the water from the bathroom sink in a bucket and use that bucket to flush the toilet. Other creative ideas include collecting water from dishwashers and washing machines drained out to use for gardening, etc. Personally, I don’t do that stuff, but I do collect our rain water and use it to water the garden! I do use my kids kiddie pool water to water my plants (instead of dumping it every few days). Next time you’re about to dump out the remains of your glass of water, dump it in your houseplant instead.

3. Bags

You can buy cloth bags for grocery shopping. We do. But we also forget to use them as often as we remember. So if you have to do the unthinkable (haha) and use plastic shopping bags, they work great as your new garbage can liners. We have nor purchased garbage bags in years because we just use these from our local supermarket. Sure you have to empty the garbage a bit more often, but it’ll shave a few bucks off your grocery bill and it will put those bags back to use. These bags can also be recycled at most grocery stores.

4. Money

Buy locally. If you buy locally from local businesses and local owners and local shops and local food and…then your money stays in the community you love. The money you use to buy your kids a birthday present will go to a local family who owns the local toy shop that employs local individuals who buy things from their local supermarket who…etc. When you spend and shop locally, your money is recycled within your community to grow and develop the community you love.

5. Clothes

Buy from used clothing stores. Give your old clothes to others. Old clothes can also be quite useful for household projects! I grew up with a giant canvas tent for camping. The tent bag for our giant tent was a pair of my dads old jeans. The pockets were where the stakes were kept, the tent slid into the legs (that had been sewed together into one large space), and a drawstring was put through the belt loops. My wife has made purses out of old t-shirts, hats out of old sweaters, skirts out of old shirts, etc. Put those old clothes to work.

6. Travel

Ok, this is a bit of a stretch, but if we change our behaviors so that our travel accomplishes more than getting us from A to B then we are creating more out of something than previously existed. If you ride your bike, not only are you cutting down on emissions and traffic, but you’re also exercising at the same time. If you take the bus, you’re also being able to read or work on homework. If you carpool, your also creating community and relationship.

7. Death

Even in your death you can allow life to emerge by being an organ donor. Don’t hold out, you won’t need your heart anymore, so give it away.

8. Yard

We American’s love our grass. Our yards can be so much more than pretty grass, instead we can make them work for us by building garden plots, by growing strawberries and lettuces where grass might have been before. Get some chickens, grow some blueberries or grapes, allow your yard to do something for you, to be useful, and to bring more to your life.

9. Books

I love books. I hate borrowing them, I love owning them. But as I work to get over my ownership mentality I’m seeing that not only is borrowing books from the library a great recycling practice, but loaning your books out to others and borrowing others books is a great way to let books have a greater life than the shelf. How cool would it be if we began to loan our books out and asked people to mark them up, highlight them, and jot down notes in the margins so that when you got the book back it would carry with it some of the life of the previous reader! Check out your library’s inter-library loan program to find practically any book you may desire. If you must buy a book, buy it used through Amazon, Powell’s Books, and many more sources.

10. Paper

This one should be redundant in our culture, but don’t use paper. Read your newspaper or magazine online. Use email instead of snail mail. Cut down on your junk mail by opting out. Opt out from getting those obsolete phone books as well. Setup your bills so that you don’t receive hard copies but only electronic copies. Dare I say buy a Kindle? Ok, I’m not ready to go there yet, but it’s probably inevitable!

I’m certain there are many other creative ways to recycle. Spend a few hours on Etsy.com and let your brain cram all the amazing and creative ways to recycle old materials. Shop at recycled stores, shop less, etc. There are so many ways we can embrace the beautiful opportunity to be a part of giving old, spent, and used up things new life and purpose. I mean, isn’t this what God does with humanity? Why should we do anything different?

Comments { 22 }

Plan a Declutter Party!

By on July 19, 2010 in frugal & simple, making a home, natural & green

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Summer is a great time for visiting with friends, as well as tackling projects around your home. Combine the two, and invite your friends for a “Declutter Party!”

A “Declutter Party” is a wonderful opportunity to simplify your home by clearing out unnecessary items, as well as providing a frugal option for obtaining some needed things. (Plus having fun with friends at the same time!)

I have enjoyed participating in a few of these events over the years. In pursuit of wise stewardship, it is nice to be able to “recycle/reuse” items when possible.

In essence, a “Declutter Party” functions as a swap. You can bring/take home any number of items. Participants will “shop” through all the items for free. Any leftovers can be donated to charity.

Event Ideas-

  • Women’s Clothing Swap- Set up tables with spaces marked for the various sizes. Provide changing areas for trying on clothes. Make sure to invite women of different sizes; as guests bring too big/too small items, there will be enough for everyone. You can include shoes, purses, and accessories in this swap, too.
  • “Anything Goes”-  A “garage sale style” event; neatly set out items in “categories.”
  • Craft Supply Swap- This is a great opportunity to simplify your sewing/craft cabinet, reevaluate your hobbies, and find some new creative inspiration for the kids. (Have a project that’s been unfinished for the past 10 years? Let someone else have the joy of competing it!)

Planning Tips to Consider-

  • Guests: Is it just for women or will it be a family event?
  • Theme: You can have a specific focus for your items (such as a women’s or children’s clothing swap) or an “anything goes” garage-sale style event. Clearly communicate the swap guidelines in your invitation.
  • Focus: Do you want to highlight a charity or have a ministry emphasis? A clothing swap can feature modest wardrobe ideas or a devotional on modesty for young ladies. A crafty swap can make/sew items for local or international ministries (such as baby items).

In a swap with friends last year, I was able to pick up some wall shelves and more cute glass jars to use for my sewing storage! (I organize the supplies for my sewing business in attractive glass jars at my sewing area in our living room.)

It was so nice to put these unused items (my friends’ “clutter”) to good use in blessing my family with a tidy home. At the same time, I cleared out a large bag full of unused items from our closets!

Have you participated in a similar swap? I’d love to hear if you have, or if you’re planning one!

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Primer on Essential Oils & Giveaway!

By on June 22, 2010 in natural & green, news & giveaways

This guest post is brought to you by Jenni of Dr Mom Essentials. Jenni blogs at Dr. Mom Essentials and describes herself as a do-it-yourself, mom of six adventurous, but generally healthy kids who seem to keep her well supplied with a continual variety of minor medical dilemmas. She has a master herbalist degree and is currently studying aromatherapy. She is a distributor of Doterra essential oils.

Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants. They can be both beautifully and powerfully fragrant. If you have ever enjoyed the gift of a rose, a walk by a field of lavender, or the smell of fresh cut mint, you have experienced the aromatic qualities of essential oils…Essential oils have been used throughout history in many cultures for their medicinal and therapeutic benefits. – Doterra

I’m going to tell you about some basic essential oils that I use regularly. Once you know a few basics, essential oils are easy to use and extremely effective for a variety of health issues. The most important thing about oils is making sure you’re getting a truly quality product. The FDA only requires 10% inclusion of actual oil for any company to claim that it’s 100% pure oil. So find a brand you really trust, especially if you’re ingesting it.

Store products such as Vicks or Icy Hot use synthetic, chemical copies of the natural compounds found in essential oils. These unnatural duplicates are designed to produce a specific effect, but they don’t communicate with the body to strengthen and heal the way natural compounds do. Essential oils are safer then synthetics and they help all body processes to work more efficiently.

2 Ways to Use Essential Oils

1) Smell them straight out of the bottle, put a few drops in a bowl of boiling water to diffuse them into the air, or use a diffuser which is a bit more effective at spreading the oil molecules through the air.

2) Apply to skin at the location of pain or a specific problem, or rub on the bottoms of feet. The bottoms of our feet have large pores and many nerve endings, so oils applied here will be absorbed and circulated throughout the entire body. It is often recommended that essential oils should not be put directly upon the skin (in case of allergic reaction), but should be diluted with a carrier oil (such as jojoba oil, almond oil, etc – approximately 1 Tbsp carrier to 1-2 drops essential oil), but we do so occasionally as mentioned below with caution. Be aware that not all are safe to put directly on the skin. We recommend you do your research first.

Lemon

Lemon is the one I use the most because I drink it all day long. I put 6-8 drops in my water bottles (1 qt). Lemon can also be used (5 drops) in a spray bottle for cleaning and disinfecting anything around the house. It’s mood enhancing and effective (1-2 drops) with a teaspoon of honey for sore throats.

Lavender

Lavender is the calming oil. I rub a couple drops on my children’s feet or neck at bedtime or when they’re hurt to calm them down. It works well on bug bites, stings and burns.

For traveling, apply 1 drop to a tissue to calm at anxious moments and to the pillow in a new sleeping place. This gives kids a feeling of home away from home.

Peppermint

Peppermint oil is invigorating and intensely cooling. One to two drops can counteract headache pain if applied straight on the temples and neck. If the summer heat is getting to me or I want to cool down after a work out, I put a drop on the back of my neck or several drops in a small spray bottle to immediately cool down my whole body. It’s amazing!

Dilute a few drops of peppermint in 1 teaspoon of carrier or vegetable oil and rub on the stomach for tummy ache. Keep the bottle open by you when studying for increased recall power. I’ve used it while driving to stay awake on long trips. It smells like chocolate mint—it’s so delicious!

Melaleuca/Tea Tree Oil

Melaleuca or tea tree oil is well known for it’s anti-fungal properties. I combine it with lavender for cuts and scrapes, which capably prevents infection from developing. Multiple studies have shown it to be effective against antibiotic-resistant Staph, acne, and fungal infections such as thrush, diaper rash, and athlete’s foot. (Ferrini et al., 2006, Bassett et al., 1990, Bagg et al., 2006) Use a cotton swab to spread around the inside of your baby’s mouth for thrush. Add 5 or 6 drops to a pint douche of water for yeast infections.

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus Radiata oil has traditionally been used for congestion, sinus infections and to help open airways. For children, dilute 5 drops with 5 drops carrier oil and rub on chest and neck for all respiratory troubles or diffuse 3 drops at a time.

Breathe

There are respiratory blends that work more effectively than single oils. We will be giving away one such Blend called Breathe made by Doterra. It’s a combination of oils that open, strengthen and fight infection in the sinuses and bronchioles. I’ve recommended this blend with great success for asthma and other breathing problems.

We don’t always need to turn to specialists to get the health treatments our families need. We can learn simple tools to be more self-reliant in our homes. Essential oils can help us be healthier and happier.

Doterra offers an introductory kit that comes with an audio CD and usage chart ($26.67 value). We are excited to offer one of these kits today for a giveaway. The Intro Kit comes with 3 basic oils as pictured above: lemon, lavender and peppermint in addition to the Breathe combination oil.

How To Enter:

1. Leave a comment below and share your favorite essential oil and what you like to use if for. If you are new to essential oils, tell us about what intriques you about them.

2. For a second entry, head over to Dr. Mom Essentials and subscribe to her blog. She shares a wealth of information on natural living, doctoring, and homeschooling that will benefit one and all. Come back and tell us you subscribed in a second comment.

Giveaway Closed.

If you want to purchase or learn more about using essential oils in your home, please read the other articles on Jenni’s website at Dr Mom Essentials. Doterra essential oils can be found through her website here.

Thank you Dr. Mom Essentials for your June sponsorship of our site!

DISCLAIMER: We are not licensed aromatherapists, so please always use essential oils with extreme caution. We recommend you consult a naturopath or doctor before using these essential oils, especially if you are pregnant, have high blood pressure or susceptible to allergic reactions.

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Green & Simple Birthday Parties for Kids

By on June 18, 2010 in building the family, frugal & simple, natural & green

Carina asked: I was wondering if you have any tips for a frugal, eco-conscious birthday party for a baby.  I thought that would be a great discussion topic, and since your kids are older than mine, you might have some good ideas!

Birthday parties can definitely be a source of great waste from wrapping paper, to disposables plates and such, and it is wise to consider your options more carefully. For one, what are your goals in throwing a party for your child? Personally, I want my child to feel special, loved, and appreciated, but at the same time I do not want it to be focused on the presents. I want it to be simple, relaxing, and refreshing for all parties, but especially me as the mother and planner! For the first two years we have kept it extremely simple by making cupcakes, or a bear cake, and had family over for dessert. That’s really about it. Here are some other simple ideas for those who want a bit more:

Invitations – Use the online options of invitations to keep it simple and free. Evite.com is my favorite method for email invitations.

Decorations - Make a simple homemade “Happy Birthday” banner than can be reused time and time again. This can be made out of colored paper or felt. Buy or make a felt party hat for your child that can be passed down to others in the future. Make a princess birthday hat for the girls, and a birthday crown for the boys (skip the number so it can be reused, or attach velcro to the back of the number so that could be changed). If you want to use crepe paper for decor, choose a biodegradable option. Beeswax birthday candles are the perfect natural candle for your celebration.

Tableware – Rather than using disposables, check out the compostable bamboo plates and bamboo silverware or reusable plastic options. We have a plastic picnic set from IKEA that works perfectly for these occasions. Cupcakes eliminate any need for tableware!

Dessert – When the children are really young, we keep it simple with delicious cupcakes. Make it a fun activity to decorate your cupcakes together at the party. As they get older, I definitely want to make them feel extra special by giving them the opportunity to pick out a special cake that we can make and decorate together. I keep a favorite birthday cake cookbook on hand for them to select their favorite.

Activities

Field Trips – Invite your guests to a field trip to the zoo, science museum, fire station, swimming pool, library story time, or park. This helps cut down on any mess in the home and makes it a fun frugal outing for all. For Karis’ birthday this year, we went to the Children’s Museum in Portland and then provided a sandwich lunch and cupcakes for our guests. It was delightful and simple, and she had a blast!

Games - If games are on the schedule, stick with the old classic games that do not require any waste – hopscotch, musical chairs, capture the flag, and charades.

Give to Others - make something together with your guests that could be given to bless others in your community. Make cookies and decorate for the neighbors, elderly, or the homeless. Help teach your children the value and blessing of serving others rather than focusing on ourselves. You could also make cards to missionaries or those in prison, or simple crafts (knitted, sewed, or crotchet) for the Pregnancy Resource Centers.

Gifts

Gifts can easily be kindly declined and stated clearly in your invitations, but when it comes to grandparents and close family, this can be a different story. Our solution has been to request family to chip in together on a bigger gift item. We compiled a dress up box for Karis for her birthday and everyone purchased an item or two for it. If a friend wants to contribute, it makes it easy for them as well. The previous year we bought a wooden kitchen set and others contributed food items and such. This helps keep birthdays simple without too much extravagance and focus on the gifts. The child receives a special gift that will last and can be shared among others. For their first birthday’s, we honestly only buy them one small gift (Karis received a drum, Titus a sock monkey, and books and clothes from the grandparents). Less is more!

A Time of Appreciation

We want birthdays to be a time of love and appreciation for the child. We want to focus on celebrating the child and commending them for the good qualities that are being exhibited in their lives. Going around the table and sharing one thing we appreciate about the birthday person is a family tradition and always an encouraging time for the recipient. We also like to write a letter to each child on their birthday reflecting back on the previous year and the Lord’s goodness in their life, highlights, and what character qualities we see demonstrated in their life. I received these from my own daddy while I was growing up and they meant the world to me! We keep these in a special journal for our children to be given back when they grow up.

So overall, my vision is to keep things simple and yet special through the decorated cakes, and expressing our appreciation to our children. Limiting gifts and cultivating opportunities to give to others so our children grow up with a heart to serve and bless others.

Further Resources:

How to Throw a Green Birthday Party
Simple, Frugal Birthday Parties for Kids by Simple Mom

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What are your favorite green and simple birthday party ideas?

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Stainless Steel Scrubber: A New Favorite Tool

By on April 9, 2010 in frugal & simple, natural & green

For the past few years in my pursuit of natural living, I have been stumped by the ever increasing toilet bowl ring stains and water/soap scum buildup in my shower. Natural cleaners just were not working real effectively for me for these issues (and I tried vinegar, oxygen bleach, hydrogen peroxide, etc). I wanted to avoid chlorine bleach or comet, but that seemed like the only solution, otherwise, just live with it, I thought.

I also have had difficultly finding an easy, natural, and effective means of scrubbing my stainless steel cookware clean. And lastly, the stove top loves to accumulate dried food particles that get caked thoroughly on.

My solution? Enter…Stainless Steel Scrubbers. They do not rust or splinter, are frugal ($2.50 for 2 on Amazon), can be easily disinfected (throw them in the dishwasher or laundry), and do not accumulate food particles like so many other scrubbers. With a little elbow grease, these scrubbers rid me completely of toilet bowl stains and shower scum, leaving me with sparkling clean results. My husband was absolutely thrilled. I had no idea how these things had annoyed him so, and yet he patiently endured all my experimenting.

I now keep one scrubber by the kitchen sink for all my dish washing, and one in the cleaning bucket. They will not last indefinitely, but so far mine have held up very well after three months of daily use. I understand they also work well for scrubbing BBQ’s and cleaning garden tools, shop tools, etc. I am sure you can come up with some more ideas. I did not experience any noticeable scratching on my porcelain, but use with caution and test a small unnoticeable area first.

My cleaning bucket has really simplified as of late. A stainless steel scrubber, my enviro cloth, oxygen bleach (for disinfecting the toilet), an old toothbrush (for those nooks and crannies) and a toilet bowl brush. Ahh! Simplicity…

What frugal tools have you found for effective natural cleaning?

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Safe Children’s Tableware

By on March 25, 2010 in natural & green

Plastic is all around us.  It forms much of the packaging for our food and drink.  For many, it can be found in every room of our homes, from clothing, toys, computers, phones, appliances, and so forth. It is a useful, versatile, lightweight, durable invention. But there remain several harmful consequences to the unleashing of every form of plastic. Most plastics are made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource extracted and processed using energy-intensive techniques. Plastic packaging – especially the ubiquitous plastic bag and plastic water bottle– is an enormous source of landfill waste.

But it really hits home when plastic can impact the health of our family. Chemicals leach from plastics used in cooking and food/drink storage are harmful for human health. Bisphenol A (BPA) is known to be a hormone (endocrine) disruptor, and exposure at a young age can cause genetic damage. This is found in strong plastics (#7) that make up baby bottles, water bottles, pacifiers, children’s plates, bowls, etc. Studies showing these harmful effects have been around for a few years now, and yet the FDA is only now finally saying there could be a problem. The health risks of plastic are significantly amplified in children, whose immune and organ systems are developing and are more vulnerable.

As one who wants to keep a proper balance in my pursuit of natural living, I did not throw out all my plastic products at the first hearing of this news. I want to be wise and not wasteful in the process or subject myself to fear. I had a set of plastic children’s tableware that has served us well, but when it started to chip, get extensively scratched (all within two years of use), and ready for a replacement, I determined it would be an appropriate time to replace with a more sustainable and safe alternative. It has been a slow weeding process. I have been on the lookout for some good solid stainless steel or wooden alternatives for quite some time now, but did not want to spend an insane amount. There are many BPA free plastic tableware sets on the market, but plastic still tends to break down rather quickly with such use. I am excited to announce my findings!

Silverware

NUK Gerber BPA Free Graduates Kiddy Cutlery Forks or Spoons or Kiddy Cutlery Spoons – For just $3.95, you can get this three pack set of spoons or forks. They are excellent quality, comfortable in hand, and the kiddos love them! They are supposedly “graduate” size for the child that is learning to feed themselves, but we use them for both our little ones (ages 1 & almost 3) without any problems. They also do not give you the option of color choices, but we purchased two sets and got yellow both time, so I was perfectly happy. They are perfect!

Munchkin All Natural Wood Infant Feeding Spoons – 4 Pack – BPA Free – this is another nice set of wooden spoons, although smaller in size. Perfect if you are spoon feeding a younger infant and desire a smaller surface. 4 for $15.

Bambu Kids Utensil Set – An organically grown bamboo kids utensil set. Each kid’s utensil set contains a solid bamboo fork and spoon designed specifically for small hands and small mouths.

Bowls/Plates

There are a few new stainless steel sets on the market lately. The Untangle set (pictured at top of post -5 piece set, $40) is certainly cute but rather small; more suitable, according to reviews, for young infants. The Think Baby set (6 piece set, $40) is another option if you like “think baby” plastered all over it.

I have recently stumbled upon Life Without Plastic, a company dedicated to providing plastic alternatives. I love these new sets of children’s stainless steel tableware that they offer for a reasonable price.

Children’s Stainless Steel 3 piece set – For $23.95, you get this classic 3 piece set, including a 7.5” diameter plate, 8 oz mug, and 14 oz bowl, all made from quality food grade steel. You can also buy each piece separately. Dishwasher safe.

Cereal Bowl Set – These bowls have stainless steel interiors with a exterior made of stable anddurable polypropylene plastic (#5). These are simply adorable! They also sell matching mugs. These are priced slightly cheaper than the plain stainless steel set, but also include a note that they are not dishwasher safe (not sure why?).

Munchkin Wood Bowl & Spoon Set – If you prefer wood, check out this wood bowl & spoon set for $16 made from all natural renewable wood.

Enamel Cup, Plate & Spoon Set – another good alternative is enameled tableware. Check out the cute sets offered through Nova Naturals. Enamel is an combination of steel and food safe paint that is a favorite especially among campers.

Life Without Plastic also sells a high quality wood tableware set, but priced at $50.

Bambu 4-1/2-Inch Mini Me Bowls – these adorable mini bowls are made out of sustainable organic bamboo in a variety of cute colors. Priced between $12-14 a piece. Bambu also offers a set of Bambu 7-Inch All Occasion Veneerware Plates in bamboo which can be used as a compostable disposable or reusable option.

Lunchboxes

For those with children in school or who send a husband with lunch to work, there are many stainless steel lunchboxes on the market now.

Oval Stainless Steel Lunch Box System – we purchased this stainless steel lunch box for my hubby. It is rather small but does the job for us. It is a snug fit for one sandwich. The companion container is good for a few veggies, dressing, or dip. We use this in a small insulated cooler that has room for fruit or other snacks.

To- Go Ware 2-Tier Stainless Lunch Box – another solid option.

We also use the Foogo Food thermos, which is excellent for transporting hot soups, or baby food on the go. Another cute waste free lunch set for kids is the Kids Konserve Lunch Set.

For help in finding safe alternatives for your family, check out Safe Mama and The Soft Landing.

Have you found any safe alternatives to recommend?

Comments { 48 }

4 Items You Don’t Need In Your Bathroom

By on March 19, 2010 in frugal & simple, natural & green

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Here are four standard bathroom products that you can eliminate rather easily. Yes, the market tries to persuade you that you need this and that for the best look or feel. But are they truly all necessary? Here is your opportunity to fight back!

1. Shaving Cream

What is the purpose of shaving cream? Supposedly, it is to protect you from cutting yourself while shaving, correct? So I thought, until I really evaluated whether or not it served its purpose. Maybe 50% of the time. The other 50% of the time I would get cut, scratched, or hurt in some way. Both my husband and I shared this experience. Then I decided there had to be some way I could just live without it.

Alternative #1: Hair Conditioner. Conditioner is a perfectly useful alternative to shaving cream, and yet it clogs the razor and dulls the blade quicker. And as you will see in #2, we’ve eliminated this product, so its no longer an option at our home.

Alternative #2: Bar of Soap. Yes, the simplicity of a bar of soap does the trick! Scrub yourself down and shave in the process and you just eliminated another purchase for your bathroom. Guess what? My husband prefers this method too. We both agree that we cut ourselves far less, our skin remains soft and moistened, and we get a perfectly clean shave. My technique in order to avoid extra waste is to lather up one leg with soap, and before washing it off, I shave immediately, and then wash down. This works to help use the least amount of soap possible for both jobs of washing and shaving. We recommend a good natural bar of soap such as Dr Bronners.

Alternative #3: Nothing. Some would argue that you can use a little water and go for it (but I personally prefer the soap).

Save yourself a few dollars each month and take it off the list. It works.

2. Hair Conditioner

Hair conditioner is a nice product to have. It does help produce that silky smooth appearance. But is it necessary? We’ve lived without it for quite some time.

Alternative #1: Apple cider vinegar (Approximately 1-2 Tbls. cider to 1 cup water). If you don’t mind the fragrance, try a squirt of apple cider vinegar in your hair for its natural de-tangling ability. Or add a bit of essential oils to balance out the scent.

Alternative #2: Coconut oil. Applying coconut oil after showering as a leave in conditioner is very effective. It can be used as a curling gel for my hair, or a smooth gel for my husbands hair. Just remember…a little dab will do you. Too much and you can have a greasy look. It is wonderfully nourishing for the hair.

Save yourself a few dollars and use something you already have or skip it altogether.

3. Make-up Remover

Alternative #1: Soap and water. Yes, it works quite nicely.

Alternative #2: Coconut oil. Apply a little coconut oil to a cotton ball and apply to eyelashes to remove mascara and all other products on your face. Moisten your skin while removing make-up at the same time.

4. Aftershave

Alternative #1: Shea Butter / Coconut oil Combo. Check out our homemade aftershave recipe. (The hubby thinks this works the best!)

Alternative #2: Coconut oil (surprise!). While not as soothing as the combo above, coconut oil makes a great alternative in a pinch.

I could go on to share how you can also make your own shampoo or go the no-poo/baking soda route, how to make an effective homemade deodorant, and so on, but we’ve already been there before. Check out all the wonderful uses for coconut oil that we have compiled for further inspiration.

This post is part of Fight Back Fridays.

What items have you eliminated in your bathroom? What creative alternatives have you discovered?

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50% Sale on NaturOli Soap Nut Detergent!

By on February 23, 2010 in natural & green, news & giveaways

I just had to interrupt our giveaways to share this amazing special with you all! If you haven’t checked out soap nuts, this is definitely your opportunity!

Soap nuts grow on trees and contain saponin, a powerful cleaning agent that is completely 100% natural. With just 1/2 teaspoon of the liquid concentrated detergent you can clean a load of laundry beautifully.

NaturOli’s liquid soap nut detergent, called EXTREME 18X Soap Nuts Liquid Concentrate wins its second “Green Dot Award” for the unprecedented reduction of the carbon footprint, toxic chemicals and waste products created by the manufacture, packaging and transport of detergent products.

In celebration of this award, they are offering all EXTREME 18x liquid detergent at 50% off the retail price! Now’s your opportunity to try it or stock up. Check out the savings here.

Read more about this product in my previous reviews here & here. Its crazy how a small 8 oz container can wash 96 loads of laundry! Compare that to the 17 lb standard laundry detergents at the store. And its safe and natural for your family! In fact, nothing gets more natural than soap nuts….

Sale ends March 1, 2010.

Passionate Homemaking is an affiliate of NaturOli (and thus we receive a small percentage of each sale purchased through our links) because we use and highly recommend soap nuts and support the wonderful efforts this company is making in providing natural, earth friendly, and safe products for our home.
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Enviro Cloth: A Simple, Frugal & Natural Cleaning Tool

By on February 19, 2010 in frugal & simple, natural & green, news & giveaways

If you have been around here for long, you know that I love simplicity, multi-purposing, and natural living all-in-one. I love finding items that will help simplify my homemaking to help preserve time and energy, but also good for our health and the environment as much as possible, on top of accomplishing these things without breaking the bank. It is a tall order. So you would imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon Enviro Cloth…and it appears to be the ultimate in meeting these criteria.

The Enviro Cloth is produced by Norwex, a company committed to preserving quality of life while reducing chemical expose in the home and on the body. It is made out of microfiber cloth with an innovative design that uses anti-bacterial silver particles integrated into the synthetic microfiber, ensure (according to their website):

• Single-celled micro-organisms such as bacteria, fungi, yeast, and viruses cannot survive or adapt in silver exposure
• Surface-to-surface cross-contamination is eliminated
• Rapidly drying cloths prevent bacteria growth in the cloth itself

This material can hold up to 7x its weight in water.  Unlike many other types of cloth that smear dirt across the surface you are trying to clean, the MicroFiber cloths act like bionic sponges removing dirt and bacteria, to leave a highly polished and clean surface. And all this can be accomplished with just the simple use of water. You don’t need any other all-purpose sprays, window cleaners, etc. Sound too good to be true? It sure did to me. According to the company, Laboratory tests have proven that Norwex antibacterial microfiber reduced bacteria by 99.99% in 24 hours! With this simple tool, which can be used dry or damp, you can clean walls, tiles, bathtubs, counters, metal surfaces, car interiors and more. Dry for dusting and damp for all other uses.
I purchased the Basic Cleaning Package which included one Enviro Cloth and one Window Cloth (pictured left). I have used the Enviro Cloth for all my basic cleaning. I even had success spot cleaning carpets with it. I have loved it! The Window Cloth (which is smoother in texture to the Enviro Cloth) especially blew my husband and I away. It produced a beautiful lint-free and clean window with just water!
To clean, simply spray a little water on the surface and polish with a dry window cloth. I found it most effective to wipe down a surface with the damp Enviro Cloth and then dry and polish it with the Window Cloth, especially for windows, mirrors, stainless steel appliances, etc. I never imagined I could get such clean polished streak-free windows. There is absolutely no residue remaining. We have used it successfully for all our windows, mirrors, laptop screens, piano surface, and windows in the car. Pretty impressive for one little cloth. So these basic clothes can replace practically all your cleaning supplies. Simplicity in action! I loved just taking one damp Enviro Cloth and wiping down all our household surfaces so easily and know that they were clean. The only thing I need beyond these closes is a toilet brush and some oxygen bleach for the toilet bowl.

How to clean them?

Clean these cloths by simply wringing them out and hanging to dry. Very fast drying. For slightly dirty cloths, hand wash with a little dish detergent under warm running water. Wring and hang to dry. They also may be laundered with other lint-free laundry. Washing with other items will destroy their lint-free properties.

Where to Buy?

Norwex is a multi-level company, so unfortunately they can not be purchased in store, so you have to purchase through independent consultants.  I recommend purchasing through The Urban Homemaker, a Christian family run business.
At just $14.50 per cloth that can be reused indefinitely, this cleaning tool could save you a lot of money! Norwex offers many other cleaning solutions from mopping, to innovative toilet cleaning tool, in addition to natural body care products. Check it out! All their products come with a 60 day money back guarantee and have a two year warranty. I’m tempted to host a party to see more of these products in action.

Any one else tried these clothes yet?
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