Make Your Own Sugar Scrubs

Do you like sugar scrubs?  Did you know you can whip up a batch or two or three in a matter of minutes? 

Why you should make sugar scrub

• Smells yummy!
• Edible
• You control the quality of ingredients
• Easy
• Great way to pamper yourself
• Gift idea
• Efficient way to smooth out all those rough areas…knees, bottoms of feet, elbows
• Most ingredients are already in your pantry

Recipes please

• Peppermint Sugar Scrub (pictured)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 10 drops Peppermint Essential Oil
• Brown Sugar Body Scrub (pictured)
  • 1 cup coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar)
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. honey
• Homemade Lemon and Thyme Salt Scrub
  • I haven’t made this one yet, but it is going to be stirred up soon!
• Lavendar Salt Scrub
  • This one is a yet to be made scrub too.
• Coffee Body Scrub, plus more

Why We Take Off Our Shoes

Do you take off your shoes before entering your home?  Do you ask others to?  Do you ever feel awkward asking them?

We take our shoes off before entering our home.  In our old home, we took them off in the garage and left them there.  In our new home, we have a mudroom that serves the same purpose, but is a tad more organized and warmer in the cooler months.

Why it might be a good idea to not bring your shoes in the house

•  2008 Arizona Study showed many things, but the average shoe had 421,000 units of bacteria on the outside.
• 2009 Texas Study found coal tar to be in house dust.  Most likely it was tracked in from shoes.  It is considered to be a human carcinogen.
• 2009 California Study found pesticides in house dust.
• 2014 University of Houston Study found that 40% of shoes carried a nasty, antibiotic resistant bacteria C.diff
• Dude, 8 common pesticides that are likely on your kitchen floor

So, what do you think?

 

 

Day 30: Small Changes, BIG Impact Challenge Wrap-up

Wow, we did it!  Today we are wrapping up the 1st Small Changes, BIG Impact Challenge!!  How did you do?

I am thankful you came on this journey with me!  I had a lot of fun sharing what I know and researching some new topics.  I plan to update this challenge as I learn and I hope you will share with me what you have learned along the way.

The Small Changes, BIG Impact Challenge for today is to take stock of the changes you have made.  Is there a big take-away for you?  Did you  want more information on a certain topic?  Did you research a particular topic on your own?  What are some changes you are planning to make in the future?  Each little thing you do adds up and makes a BIG Impact!  Thanks for stepping up to this challenge!!

See you soon!

Day 29: Watch an eco-friendly movie

Day 29’s Small Changes, BIG Impact Challenge to watch an eco-friendly movie is one that I can totally do!  Here is a list of some eco-friendly movies for Adults and Kids:

Adults

• Just go here for an extensive list!!!  It contains a lot of my favorites!

Kids

• Happy Feet
• Over The Hedge
• March of the Penguins
• Fly Away Home
• Disneynature Earth
• Artic Tale
• Xploration Awesome Planet
• BBC’s Earth Life
• Disneynature Oceans

I am so thrilled to wrap up our Small Changes, BIG Impact Challenge with you tomorrow!  I have really enjoyed sharing ideas, resources, and Earthy fun with you this month!!  See you tomorrow!

 

Day 28: Ditch The Dryer Sheets

I get a lot of kickback when I ask people to part with their dryer sheets.  “I don’t want static.”  “I love the smell.”  “I don’t care what is in them.”  “My mom always used them.”  “I just bought an economy sized box.”  “Pinterest has a bunch of alternative uses for them.”  Really?  Why the attachment?  Before you start thinking I am judging, I am not.  I once had a lot of those same sediments come out of my mouth about my dryer sheets, BUT then I had my first daughter and I started researching and what I found wasn’t worth it anymore.  It is the single, most impactful, and easy thing I can ask you to do that can really improve your health in the long run (in my opinion).  So, for Day 28 of the Small Changes, BIG Impact Challenge, I would like you to look up your dryer sheets on ewg.org and review the ingredients.  If you are inclined to ditch them (can I encourage you to!?!!?!?!), here are a few alternatives:

• Dryer Balls
• Shorter Drying Time
• Vinegar
• Line Drying
• Adding an Essential Oil

Here are a few links to get you started:

• 7 Toxic Reasons To Ditch Dryer Sheets
• Alternatives to Dryer Sheets
• The Toxic Dangers of Dryer Sheets and Fabric Softener
• Addicted to Dryer Sheets
• Warning, May Contain Chemicals Linked to Cancer
• The Toxicity of Dryer Sheets

A man wearing an NBC Suite (Nuclear – Biological – Chemical)

Day 27: Curb Consumption and Accumulation

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.  What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing.”  – Annie Dillard

I have jumped on the decluttering bandwagon.  Have you?  While I find tips and tricks in each book I pick up on the topic, I find the easiest way to declutter is to simply not buy things.  I have been getting progressively better at this within the last 6 months of so.  I did the Marie Kondo Life Changing Magic, ClutterFree With Kids (very practical), and just read tons of other books on the subject.  I find the easiest way to keep on top of the clutter (and save money too) is to just not cart it.  Leave it on the shelf.  Leave it in your online cart a few days and see if you still need (want) it.  Give it to the checkout gal or guy and they will restock it for you.  (Please don’t leave it on a random shelf.  I used to work retail.)  Not only does not buying unnecessary stuff help you to keep your home and life decluttered, it also saves precious resources (all the stuff it took to make it, pollution from the production process, packaging materials, pollution from the shipping from factory to store, etc.).  Day 27 Small Changes, BIG Impact Challenge is to simply curb your consumption and accumulation by:

• not buying
• borrowing from a friend
• repurposing something else to fill your need
• buy used
• Any other ideas?

Use this criteria to see if the item comes into your home:

• Is it only in my cart because it is a bargain or on sale?
• Do I have the room to store it?
• How much of my time is it going to require?  (To set up, maintain, store, learn about, etc.)
• Do I really love it?
• Do I need it?
• Can something else serve the same purpose?
• Will my spouse give me the how much did you spend speech?  (hahahaha….we have all been there!)

What do you think?  Can you practice curbing your consumption?  It gets easier as you go along.  I have given up Target for a year in the name of curbing consumption, saving resources, spending my time more intentionally (you know you have walked mindlessly around Target throwing stuff in your cart you didn’t know you needed (wanted), and just seeing if I could do it.  Guess what, for the most part I have done a bang up job the last 10 months.  Not only have I saved our family a bunch of money, but I also curbed our consumption, saved resources, and tackled our clutter.  You can do it!  Where are you curbing?

Day 26: Do LESS Laundry!

I am telling you to do LESS Laundry.  Yes, you heard me correctly.  Stop doing so much laundry.  Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha is what I would tell you if you told me to do less laundry.  What the heck am I suppose to do with all this laundry my 4 children and husband make?  Should we just keep wearing the same clothes over and over and over again?  Should we use the same towel and cloth over and over again?  YES!  The Day 26 Small Changes, BIG Impact Challenge is to do less laundry.  While I can not help you to get rid of all of your laundry, I can help you do less towel, cloth, and cleaning related laundry.  Don’t worry, I am going to tell you how right away!

Do LESS Laundry!

Step 1:  Donate your old towels to a local animal shelter or stash them in case you have a Puke Fest at your home (we are in the throws of one right now as I type this).

Step 2:  Grab some Norwex Bath Towels, Body Cloths, and Enviro Cloths.

Step 3:  Use, and reuse your Norwex over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again (you get it).  You can do this because Norwex towels and cloths have silver embedded in their fibers which allows them to kill up to 99% of bacteria and yuck in your towels and cloths as they dry. 

Step 4:  Grab a lemonade or beer and sit on your deck.

Enjoy your day!!

 

Day 25: Grounding! No, not your kids!!

Have you heard of grounding or earthing?  All it means is that you take off your shoes and socks and run or walk around in the grass or mud or natural surface.  I must admit that over the years I have heard many friends talk about Grounding (Earthing…same thing), but I have never actually looked at the research behind it.  It is something we can all easily do to improve our health and it is fun!  Your Small Changes, BIG Impact Challenge for Day 25 is to take off those shoes and go Grounding (or Earthing)!

Here is a short list of some of the benefits thought to come from Earthing:

• Balance your energy, thin your blood, and discharge harmful radicals
• A list of some studies from the UK show various benefits
• Incredible source of antioxidants, reduces inflammation, increases immune system, helps protect from electromagnetic fields, and others
• Increase oxygen levels
• Decreases stress
• Improves sleep amongst other things

Do you practice Earthing (Grounding) right now?  I know I practiced a ton of Earthing as a child.  It felt so natural to kick off my shoes.  My girls love to be barefoot in our grass too.  (Another reason to have a chemical free lawn.)

Day 26 has you doing less of something.  Can you guess what it is?  See you tomorrow.

 

Day 24: Green Up Your Dishwashing

Welcome to Day 24!  I am pretty much super jumping up and down excited about my newest find!  I can’t wait to share it with you!!  Life changing here!  Okay, so not too life changing, but a change in the greener department for us.  The Small Changes, BIG Impact Challenge for Day 24 is to green up your dishwashing by using one of the suggestions below or take a peek at the ingredients on your current dish detergent.  (EWG.org is a great source to help you decipher your cleaning ingredient labels.)

Dishwasher Recipes For You To Try

• The easiest one and one that we always have on hand is straight up Castile Soap!  Yup, just put a Tbsp. or so into your main washer slot and push your buttons.  I like it because I smell goodness and not chemical smells now from our dishwasher.  I use Castile Soap for a few other things around the house, so it is an easy switch for us.  No more buying Dishwasher Detergent.  Now, I can multipurpose and put my girls to work running the dishwasher.
• This one uses Castile Soap too, but has a few other ingredients
• Here are a few more to try and this article even includes some hand washing recipes.  I just use my trusty Norwex Cloths  (we have the dishes scrubbed out, so really just giving a quick wipe over to get the germs and bacteria out) for the few dishes we hand wash.  (The shell spoon all the girls want to use.)

 

Which one do you think you will try?  I am excited to hear your results!  Happy Day 24!

 

Day 23: Paint Smarter!

Do you like to paint?  I do, I guess.  I go in streaks and I paint and paint and paint until I end up at the chiropractor because I have worn my hands out.  I do enjoy the brush strokes, the endless Pandora listening, the unavailability to anyone else,  and the finished product.  I really like the Mythic Brand of paint.  (If you are Madison, WI local, go to Premier Paint and Wallpaper to grab some.  They are always very helpful, knowledgeable, and super cool with my girls grabbing all of their sample swatches.)  It is safe, non-toxic, waterbased, easy clean-up, and no VOCs!  Even so, I do notice that I still smell a little bit of the paint smell for a few days and my throat feels a little scratchy after painting for days on end.  I like to diffuse Purification Essential Oil while painting and then, I will leave it diffusing for a few days following painting.  That seems to take care of any residual paint smell.  So, I am using the safest paint I can find (other than Milk Paint), and I am still having some respiratory stuff going on.  Can you imagine how my body would rebel with normal paint?  I want to encourage you to find the safest version of paint available to you and use it for your next project.  Do you notice a difference in how you feel or how long the paint smell lasts?  For the Day 23 Small Changes, BIG Impact Challenge, I am simply challenging you to either research your current favorite paint brand a little, or decide to research a more eco-friendly version of what you typically use.

Do you think I have a painting problem?  Hahahahahahahaha!  Laundry Room is next up!