no more dryer sheets.

I have a quick trick for you to save a little money! Next time you run out of dryer sheets don't run to the store for more. Just wad up a couple simple balls of aluminum foil. I have been doing this for a couple weeks now and it's been great! I use three balls and it's been working for me! I'm definitely not buying more dryer sheets! The aluminum balls will last so long, use them over and over!

The foil cuts down on static and helps to keep your clothes bouncing around so they dry faster. You can't use dryer sheets with cloth diapers anyway so this works great when I'm in a time crunch and need the diapers dry quickly! (although I try not to dry them in the dryer)

Tune in Monday for my week 1 update on no 'poo! I will also be doing a couple Christmas decor tutorials next week!

Have a great weekend!

My Adventures of Going No 'Poo - Day 1

 
Ok, so last we talked I was taking some steps to a more natural way of life. Cloth diapers, homemade laundry soap, etc. I have found a new way to cut out chemicals and save loads of money. Homemade "shampoo and conditioner." I have made alternatives to these with a couple of basic ingredients already in my home: baking soda, apple cider vinegar, and good ol' H20.

When I first starting reading about no 'poo (the method of not using sham"poo") I was not convinced. I really like using shampoo that smells flowery and tropical and leaves my hair feeling soft and pliable. However, the more I read the more I saw that is exactly what people were saying the no 'poo method was leaving their hair (minus the yummy scents). Not trying to brag here but I love my hair. I've always loved the color of my hair but mostly I love it because it is beyond easy! Its a good thickness and curls or straightens when I want it to (generally speaking at least).

Reading and doing research about no 'poo really brought some interesting points to mind. Shampoo is really a detergent that strips your hair of oils even more than we need it too. It takes away the excess oil that causes greasiness but it also takes away the oil that is good for moistening your scalp and keeping your hair shiny in a good way. By taking away the good oils your hair and scalp can end up drying out which then causes your body to over do it and produce to much oil.. It's a vicious cycle I tell ya! Plus, if you're using a shampoo that is not all-natural (which I NEVER have, I go for decent price and smells nice) then it likely contains chemicals that could potentially be harmful to your body or to the environment. (By the way, I have more to say about chemicals and such soon.)

Photo from The Crunchy Wife

I made the plunge and tried it this morning. I made both of my solutions in peri bottles (you know the kind you get from the hospital after having a baby. I bought some in bulk off of eBay that were super cheap and use them for a few things around the house). I used 1 Tablespoon of baking soda to 8 ounces of water. And about 2 ounces of apple cider vinegar (maybe a little more) to 8 ounces of water. These are done in separate bottles.

It seemed a little strange to me when actually applying it because the baking soda fully dissolves in the water so it feels like you're just squirting water (in my case cold water) on your head. The same with the vinegar mixture (I put the vinegar mixture all over my head but I know most people seem to just put it on the ends). However, after rinsing my hair it wasn't tangled (when my hair is wet and I haven't used conditioner it tangles very easily) and although it didn't smell like flowers it smelled clean and fresh.

My hair is pretty thick and I was afraid I would need to use more to truly clean my hair but after blow drying and straightening it I had no issues at all. Today my hair feels normal to me, maybe even a little bit lighter than normal. I'm fully aware that this might not stay as easy as it is right now. Most people going no 'poo go through a transitional time where their hair is overly oily or overly dry as your scalp tries to figure out whats going on. We will see! 

Day 1 with no 'poo

We'll see how my hair does over the next couple of weeks. Fairly healthy as of now.

Be a blessing to someone today!!
-Kayla

becoming a hippy.

I've come to the conclusion that I am becoming a hippy. Yep, a hippy. I'm a cloth diapering, laundry detergent making, going green kinda momma. OK, so maybe these things don't constitute me as a hippy but I realized this morning how much I really am leaning towards this natural (cutting chemicals and processed foods out as much as possible) lifestyle. I'm not a health nut by any means but caring for our sweet boy has made me more cautious of the things I do and use.

This all started when I decided to cloth diaper Aiden, a few months before we even knew he would be Aiden. I have been so pleased with our diapers and am very thankful to have this alternative from buying costly diapers that are just going to be thrown away and then off to a landfill. Not only do I wrap his cute little booty in cloth rather than plastic but I make the detergent to clean them too. It's a very simple, basic solution that seems to do a great job and isn't costly like some name brand detergents. We're even going as far as using cloth wipes more lately. I decided I might as well since I'm washing the diapers anyway. I'm amazed at home many wipes we've gone through in the 16 1/2 weeks of our sweet boy's life.

Here is the recipe for the cloth diaper detergent:
Equal parts of: baking soda, washing soda, and oxiclean
(I did just see a post about adding essential oils to this make it smell good, I'm considering trying this but I also don't really mind that something my babe is gonna poo in doesn't smell like flowers as long as its clean)

This is my routine for diaper laundry: "Express wash" (a setting on my washer) on cold, then a "normal wash" on hot with an extra rinse. I generally do a large load of diapers and in that case I would add one tablespoon to the express wash and then 2 tablespoons to the regular wash. It seems to work well for me. I did have an ammonia problem this weekend but I think I probably got in a rush getting diapers ready for a weekend away messed up on more routine.

I have just been using water for my cloth wipe "solution" but I'm going to be making one tonight. Once I figure out what that will be I'll post it too!


I make our regular laundry detergent as well. I've been using this recipe for about 3 months and I've had no problems with it at all. It smells great and is cheap to make! Click here for the recipe! It really does make a TON! I bought a five gallon bucket to store my excess in from Home Depot which is great to mix it in too. I just made sure the lid was on tightly and rolled the bucket back on forth on the floor because all that detergent weight a lot!


In just two months sweet boy will be ready to start out baby foods and I'll be making that too! I'm soo stinkin' excited for this! My parents gave us a Baby Bullet as a baby shower gift and I can't wait to get started. I'm glad that I'll know exactly what is going in to our boys body and I'm thinking its gonna help me (and hopefully Firefighter Hubby too) eat healthier as well.

At this point, I'm still mostly using the typical household cleaners for my kitchen, bathroom, etc (but really who am I kidding, when do I ever really clean) but I'm starting to look in to more ways to cut those chemicals out and use natural cleaning methods, especially when it's usually cheaper to make them than to buy them. 

Other "natural things" I'm planning to try:
-amber teething jewelry
-homemade facial wipes
-cloth "paper" towels
-wool dryer balls - I can't use dryer sheets with cloth diapers anyway
-cloth menstrual pads - TMI maybe but I'm ok with that.
-dog treats

Have you had any luck with trying new "natural" ways of life? I'd love to hear what you're doing!