Make: Natural Deodorant (that actually works!)

I'm always making my own household things around here (especially with my newish found love in essential oils!) but they are usually unlabeled or worse... labeled with masking tape. The horror! Well, I got this fancy new computer called Sprout from HP a few months ago and I've been playing with it and learning how to use it and it wasn't until last week that I was like Duh... I can make cool labels for all my homemade concoctions now!

The sprout is incredible, with technology I can't really even fathom and it's SO fun to use (I have another project I'll be sharing in a couple days). It has a scanner/projector attached to the top that can scan 3D objects, and touch-sensitive mat that you can use to edit and create projects. The actual computer screen itself is a touch screen too. It's all just so amazing (and anyone that comes over needs to try it out). I'm not super great with using photoshop for design things since I'm a more hands on type of person and this is really nice for that—you can pull photos off the internet, drag them onto the mat, edit them, crop them, write on it, turn it sideways... all with your fingers. I made a little time lapse video for my next post... be excited!




I stuck with something super simple for the label since I don't have the best drawing skills and added text and I was done within a minute or two and sending it to the printer. Hooray!



Now, lets talk deodorant! I've made deodorant in the past and it worked fine but for some reason we ended up going back to something from the store. When we ran out a couple weeks ago Josh picked one up that was natural and wasn't test on animals... and it sucked (ahem..Toms).

I knew I had a bunch of essential oils that are antibacterial which would be great in a homemade deodorant since it's the bacteria that makes you stink. I read about this combo of essential oils in deodorant elsewhere and thought I'd give it a go. And the verdict is: it works so incredibly well and smells great too. We've both been using it everyday and it's been SO hot here and no odor from us whatsoever.

If you're a natural deodorant skeptic, this one will win you over.

Orange Peppermint Oregano Deodorant

1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder (I highly recommend this over cornstarch)
5 Tablepsoons coconut oil, melted
10 drops oregano essential oil
10 drops orange essential oil
10 drops peppermint essential oil

In a bowl mix together the dry ingredients. Add the essential oils to the melted coconut oil and stir it into the dry ingredients until it is very well mixed with no clumps. Put it in the refrigerator to solidify it. Use a pea-sized amount in each arm. Tip: Hold it in your arm for a few seconds before spreading around to melt it a bit.

If you make it and use it, let me know!

Make: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

Yet another homemade product, are you sick of me yet? Well, I initially made this out of necessity. We had run out of dishwasher detergent and the dishes in the sink we're piling up and I was desperate. And a friend and I were recently talking about making it ourselves anyway so I looked up a couple recipes and I already had everything so I gave it a go.

Making your own cleaners is hit or miss, they usually get the job done "enough" but for me I need them to work extremely well, not just "its good for a natural product". A semi-clean house is not clean in my nook. So I was skeptical to say the least! But we've been using it in every load of dishes for a week and they are crystal clear and clean. I'm SO impressed. Honestly, this works just as well as the tabs we were using up from costco before we ran out. I know the added essential oils have a lot to do with it, they are super potent and help break down grease. And thieves has anti-bacterial properties so its a super cleaning machine!

I don't feel the NEED to make every single thing that's in our house but if it saves us money, I'm all about it. And I like knowing exactly what's going on our dishes to clean them. Everything in non-toxic in this concoction.

Note: I didn't plan on putting them in ice cube trays to make tabs. I added a tiny bit of water to mix in the oils really good but left it as a powder and it hardened rock solid in the jar after an hour. So I dug it out with a fork and put it in molds this time to save it. Next time I'll just blend up the dry ingredients and mix in the oils by hand and just keep it as a powder. One less step!

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

Ingredients:

2 cups washing soda
1 cup baking soda
1 cup citric acid
1/2 cup kosher salt
1 teaspoon castile soap
10 drops of thieves essential oil
10 drops of lemon essential oil
*1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar (I skipped this, see note above)

Directions:

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl
mix in castile soap and the thieves and lemon essential oil
Stir until the soap and essential oils are mixed throughout, you may need to do this by hand
Put the mixture in a jar and use a heaping tablespoon in each load. I usually add vinegar to the rinse aid compartment too.

*If you want to make hard tabs to use:
Skip the 1tsp of castile soap. Gradually add vinegar a little bit at a time and mix well (some fizzing will occur and the mixture will start to clump) You may not need the entire amount of vinegar, so add it a little at a time.
pack well into two ice cube trays (take your time doing this and make sure they are well compacted)
set ice cube trays out to dry for at least 24 hours in a sunny spot
take tabs out of trays and store in a tight-lidded container

Make your own baby wipes! What?!

Ok, before you start judging and thinking I've gone major hippy on you... hear me out. I've seen dozens of diy baby wipes on the net (mostly pinterest) but when I looked at what they were made out of—paper towels—I always dismissed them, thinking how could a soggy paper towel possibly remain sturdy enough to clean Beck's tush, surely they would just crumble to pieces right??

Wrong. A couple friends had made some recently and I was blown away. When I ran out of store-bought wipes I ran to the store for a roll of paper towels to put it to the test myself. I had everything else already at home to make them and honestly, it was just super fun to do. And they are awesome! They work so well it kind of makes me mad I didn't try this a year ago. They clean super well and are moisturizing too, thanks to the coconut oil! They are also safe to use on hands and faces too, of course, since its made entirely from natural (like truly natural) ingredients.

And at less than $2 for a roll of paper towels (which makes two tubs), they are way more affordable than any "natural" wipes you can buy which is a major win.


Here's how you make them! I adapted the recipe slightly from here

1 roll of paper towels—I used viva and they are perfect!
1 3/4 cups distilled water, or boiled and cooled but still warm
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 Tablespoon witch hazel
1 Tablespoon castile soap (Dr. Bronners)
2 capsules of vitamin E
Lavender and Tea tree essential oil, 3 drops each
A container to store the wipes in!

Cut the roll of paper towels in half and place one half cut side down in the container.
In a bowl, mix together the water, coconut oil, witch hazel, castile soap, and vitamin e and stir until everything is blended together. Add essential oils then give another quick stir.
Pour the mixture of the paper towels in the container and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until its absorbed then put the lid on a flip the container over to make sure the wipes are well soaked.
Pull the cardboard center out of the wipes, which will pull the innermost wipe up to start your roll off.

Make it: Cashew Milk!

So, making cashew milk is my latest obsession. Now, I've never been one to drink a glass of milk... I just can't do it (even soy or almond milk) so when I made this and couldn't stop gulping it down I knew I hit the jackpot of milks (weird phrase..). It's over the top creamy but not thick in a gross way, it tastes like heaven and is amazing added into oatmeal or on top of cereal.
Mine and Beck's favorite breakfast lately is bran flakes with this on top. We're a simple folk I suppose but it's like dessert or something!

It's super easy to make and is loaded with protein and healthy fats. Have you ever tried cashew milk? If you haven't, try this!

Cashew Milk

1.5 cups raw, unsalted cashews, soaked and rinsed (soak the cashews in water for 2-4 hours before)
3 cups filtered water
1-2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and nutmeg

1. Combine all of the ingredients in the order listed into a high-speed blender 

2. Starting on the lowest setting and working all the way to the highest setting blend the ingredients for 2 minutes. 

*If you're not using a vitamix or something similar, you'll want to add a minute to the blending time and strain through a fine mesh strainer and cheesecloth. 

I usually stick in in the fridge right away and drink within a couple a days. You can also heat it up and drink it warm. 

All-purpose cleaner

This all-purpose cleaner is amazing. I cleaned our entire place with it this morning. I had just run out of this and i'm here to tell you, you can't tell the two apart. I decided on the peppermint castile soap, and i'd highly recommend it. It smells so good and refreshing. They sell it, along with a few others, at target and its on sale often. I'm looking forward to using it in more of my DIY cleaners.

All-purpose castile cleaner
Use on kitchen and bathroom surfaces.

2 teaspoons washing soda
4 teaspoons borax
1 teaspoon castile soap
4 cups hot water
10 drops of essential oil (I used tea tree, for its anti-bacterial properties)

and you'll obviously need a 32oz spray bottle.

Pour all ingredients into bottle and gently shake back and forth until the washing soda and borax has dissolved. Thats it!

Happy (safe) cleaning! and weekend too!

homemade laundry soap

This is my first try at a homemade laundry soap and i'm really happy with the results. I did a little bit of research since there are quite a few different "recipes" on the internet, and i heard great things about this one. When this runs out i'll probably try a couple more "recipes" for comparison sake, and i'll be back to tell you what I liked best. But for now I wanted to share this one! The ingredients are easy to find, and quite cheap. Maybe not initially, but the product you buy makes a few batches and the total cost per load ends up being about ONE CENT! You can't beat that..

1/3 bar of Fels Naptha soap
1/2 cup Borax powder
1/2 cup Arm and Hammer Washing Soda
Water
a bucket to mix/store

Grate or dice 1/3 of the fels naptha soap and put it into a large sauce pan. Add 6 cups of water and heat until soap melts. Add the washing soda and borax, stir until it has dissolved.
Pour four cups of tap water into your bucket, add your soap mixture and stir together. Add another 2o cups of water and stir to combine.

Let the soap cool and set up for about 12-24 hours. The consistency should be somewhat jello-ish and somewhat liquid.

Add a 1/2 cup to each load.

The role of the ingredients:

Washing soda helps to deodorize, but fighting grease and stains is the primary purpose. Look for it in the drug store or supermarket, in with the laundry and cleaning supplies.

Borax is awesome! It’s a natural stain remover and an excellent alternative to bleach, because it’s an anti-fungal/anti-mold and all-around disinfectant. Coupled with regular soap, it greatly increases cleaning power. Look for it in the drug store or supermarket, in with the laundry and cleaning supplies.

Fels Naptha is a stain remover. Also, in the laundry aisle.



more homemade cleaners to come this week.