Earth friendly gifts are always in style no matter your family and holiday traditions! Check out these green Christmas gifts to spoil those you love most. If the world is having trouble because we are using too many resources, it’s always a good idea to buy less and give less! But often we still want […]
Looking for a natural wasp killer that won’t hurt you in the process? I’ve got your solution for how to get rid of wasps! Long pants and a hoodie sweatshirt on a 95-degree day? You bet, if you’re trying to get rid of wasps (just remember not to nab the bees!). I hope you didn’t
Natural Wasp Spray: We Got Rid of our Wasps, No Raid Required! Read More »
No sooner do I clean up the bathroom and put the box away then it seems to come back out! What box? My essential oils, and particularly the bottles that are safe for my kids, tend to be like the proverbial bad penny on my bathroom counter. It’s not that we’re always sick, although it
Your Guide to Using Safe Essential Oils for Kids {VIDEO} Read More »
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by natural green cleaners. You see a tip about using vinegar to clean – where do I use it? you wonder. Your grandma emails you 50 ways to use baking soda in the home – how do I remember these when I need them? And Pinterest serves up “50 green cleaners” or
I’ve been fascinated with bacteria and how our bodies interact with them ever since I did an experiment in college about hand-washing and learned how ineffective (and dangerous) antibacterial soaps are. And today I’ve been wearing my science geek hat again and digging into the question of whether essential oils are a helpful tool in
Just because something is “natural” doesn’t make it safe for all ages. Not all essential oils are safe for babies and kids. Keep reading to learn the safe oils for babies and children. Sometimes, knowledge is power. Other times, it’s just paralyzing. When I finally started really digging into essential oils and learned that many
I’m Not Afraid to Use Essential Oils with My Kids Anymore Read More »
A printable chart with all the drops and teaspoon ratios at every age group! It’s important to dilute essential oils with a carrier oil. Learn how! Knowing you’re supposed to dilute essential oils for use on the skin is a good start – but as usual, I did it wrong for a few years before
How to Dilute Essential Oils for Topical Application Read More »
In our quest for healthy sleep for the whole family, I told you that finding safe materials for containing the messes was an important piece of the puzzle. Non-toxic waterproof mattress protectors and waterproof mattress pads for changing diapers are an essential in a house with kids – seriously, I don’t know how families managed
Part Two: The Best Natural Waterproof Mattress Protector Read More »
I didn’t even know what to look for when I first had kids. I remember religiously using only the “baby” lotion that we had gotten at our shower on my own hands when I had a newborn because I figured I would be touching his body and didn’t want to “contaminate” him with harmful chemicals
Your Waterproof Mattress Protector Might Have Problems Too Read More »
“Back to Sleep,” we were told when our oldest was born in 2005. The pamphlets and posters were everywhere, instructing bleary-eyed parents to place their infants *only* on their backs for sleep, because research had shown that the position decreased Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Your baby, dying in their sleep? What could be more terrifying?
In addition to wearing non-toxic pajamas, it’s important to rest on a non-toxic mattress! Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to get a non-toxic night’s sleep. Think you already are? If you haven’t made it a specific goal, you probably are sleeping in a cloud of off-gassing VOCs and flame-retardant-laden dust from inside
Looking for a non-toxic ant poison? Try my easy homemade ant poison that works as a non-toxic ant trap bait. You can feel comfortable with your kids in the same house as this homemade non-toxic ant killer recipe. Even though I think of myself as a food blog, one of the most popular posts around
Oil pulling is a simple technique with lots of big claims and very little risk. Scroll down to learn about the history and purpose of oil pulling, along with some tips from Dr. Bruce Fife, probably the foremost oil pulling authority. Quiz: What did you do upon getting out of bed this morning? Other than
Oil Pulling Tips and Success Stories ~ Do You Swish? Read More »
Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to learn how to brush your teeth like an adult. I’m rating this one as “baby steps” because you don’t have to buy anything new or find more time in your already-packed day to complete the mission, but it’s far from simple. That phrase about “can’t teach
Monday Mission: Learn How to Brush Your Teeth Like an Adult Read More »
Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to buy a new plant with the goal of improving your indoor air quality. I’m all about the simple things. Green plants add ambiance to a room, make people feel happier and more peaceful, and, if you choose the right ones, they’re not too time consuming to
Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to keep the green in spring cleaning. Sometimes it seems like the natural life can be a real drain on the finances. Organic food costs two to four times as much as conventional, natural health endeavors are never covered by insurance, and wooden toys are pricier than
Looking for a natural dishwasher detergent but don’t want to waste your money? You’re in the right place! The natural dishwasher detergent saga is as old as Kitchen Stewardship® itself. Update 2020: I used the individual dishwasher packs for a few years, because doggone it, they really are convenient. But the more I read about
Seeking a Natural Dishwasher Detergent that Isn’t a Miserable Failure Read More »
I used to daydream about being famous and decided that if I was ever a movie star, I would be that person whom no one had ever seen without her perfect makeup. It would add to my mystique, and when I got married, my husband would know he was special because I’d allow him to
If you use natural soap nuts for washing your laundry, you’ll quickly find that there’s a bit of a learning curve. Compared to pouring in a measured amount of liquid, dried fruit in a bag is a different system entirely! Already lost? Check out my soap nut reviews to learn more about my experiences with
How to Tell if Laundry Soap Nuts Still Have Cleaning Power Read More »
In the back of my mind, I hoped that perhaps laying Jonathan down on an organic mattress with organic sheets that wouldn’t be offgassing in his face might…you know…get him to…(*whisper*) sleep through the night. It would have made for a great product review post. Too bad it didn’t work out that way. On the
