Homemade All Purpose Cleaner!

Hi Hi!

Today's post is going to be my all purpose cleaner recipe!

If you are like me and have been trying to replace chemical filled cleaners in your home with non chemical or less chemical filled ones, then this post if for you!

 I have been using this stuff for a couple months now and am loving it! 

Ok, so what you will need is:

Not pictured:

Spray bottle (preferably a glass one but all i had was plastic)

and Water!

That's it!

Now the alcohol is optional, i add a splash of it because i am a huge germaphobe when it comes to cleaning, well in general really, but specially when it comes to the cleanliness of my kitchen and bathroom! 

This stuff works great without it tho, so don't worry if you aren't comfortable adding it.

The stuff in the mason jar is castile soap.

Mix into the spray bottle:

*1 Cup white vinegar (if you only have apple cider vinegar, that will work too)

*2 TBS Liquid castile soap.

*Splash of  rubbing alcohol (optional)

*About 20-30 drops of an essential oil of your choice. The one i used was tangerine.

*Fill the rest of the bottle with water.

And your're done!

You should give it a couple shakes before using and you should also store in a cool dark place (essential oils oxidize in sunlight)

I looove cleaning with this stuff!

It smells amazing and works so good!

I also find myself using at least half the amount of product as i would with a store bought cleaning spray!

If you have little kiddos in the house, here are a few essential oil choices that are "generally recognized as safe" for internal use by the FDA. 

Lemon

Grapefruit

Clove

Peppermint

Oregano 

Thyme

Hope you all enjoyed the post!

I love sharing my recipes with you all!

Be sure to let me know if you end up trying it out and how you like it!

Thanks so much for reading!

Homemade All Natural Liquid Laundry Soap!

Hi All!

So as the tittle says, today's post is going to be about my homemade ALL NATURAL liquid laundry soap! 

I have lots of pics and details so i'm just gunna jump right in!

So what you will need is:

That's it!

The washing soda you can find on the laundry soap isle in pretty much any grocery store. 

I paid under 4 dollars for it.

The Kirk's castile soap, i found on the body wash isle in Walmart. 

You get 3 bars for like 3.49 i believe, super steal!!

Quick side note:

If you are not familiar castile soap is, its an all natural bar soap that you can pretty much use on anything and everything you can think of!

This is a staple in our home! I make all kinds of things with it!

Watch out for those Recipes! 

Ok, back to the Laundry soap!

So what you are going to do first is grate up the entire bar of soap.

I actually enjoyed this part cause the soap smells sooooo good, even if it did take me a bit!

So next you are going to want to put the grated soap into a container that can handle HOT water, i used a mason jar.

Then add 2 cups of HOT water to melt the soap into liquid.

What i did was just used my espresso machine to get the water nice and hot!

A coffee pot would work great too!

(If you are going to use your coffee pot, go ahead and fill it all the way up, you are going to be using a lot of hot water for this)

So while that sits and melts all the way, grab a bowl and add 1/2 cup table salt and 1 1/2 cup of the washing soda, mix it together.

Next add 2 cups of hot water to the bowl with the salt and washing soda.

Now it wont dissolve it all the way but it will help break it down.

So set that aside and go back to the soap. 

Poor out 1 cup of the liquid soap, you are going to be adding more water, so i just put it into another bowl, just like the orange one above.

Add 3 more cups of hot water.

(be sure not to skip this step! at first i thought it was silly and i almost skipped it! So glad i didn't, there is a small reaction when you add the soap to the salt/soda mixture, making the soap start to gel up, so the extra water is much needed!)

Now add them together!

Poor slowly and mix well as you go.

Looks neat when you add them!

A wisk is perfect for mixing these!

Make sure you mix it well!

As i said above, the soap will start to gel up so stir stir stir!

Next what you will want to do is start adding the mixture to your 1 gallon container.

What i did was add a cup of mixture then add about 2 cups of hot water and either shake, like i did, or stir! 

Just depends on what kind of container you are using.

You will want to do that until you have filled up your gallon container.

I used a gallon tea container that i had around the house. 

Works perfectly!

After you have filled your gallon container, it will take a bit for the mixture to dissolve all the way, mine took about 15 mins or so.

You will also have to keep shaking it up as it cools, i shook it just whenever i remembered.

As the hot water cools, the mixture will thicken and become a gel type consistency.

Mine turned out kinda chunky, i don't think i shook it up enough.

Don't worry if yours does the same! It is still perfect to use, just doesn't look very pretty.

*Also, you can add an essential oil for a more distinct smell if you would like, i am going to do that next time.

Maybe this one:

Smells so gooood!

Ok, so when you are ready to use it on some clothes, the recommended amount is 1/2 cup for a full, lightly soiled load of clothes.

3/4 cup for a full, pretty soiled load.

Of course you can adjust this however you see fit.

I use about a half cup and i add it to water (works for cold, warm or hot water) in the bottom before i add clothes in. 

I LOOOVE how it has been cleaning my clothes.

Makes them smell so good, even without the essential oil.

Makes them feel so soft and even look brighter!

No nasty chemicals!

I made this a few weeks ago and have barely put a dent into the amount in the container!

I do laundry pretty regularly!

So this will last you a while!

I have also noticed that i don't need any dryer sheets when i put them into the dryer. 

How cool is that?!

Hope you enjoyed this post!

If you end up giving this a try, be sure to let me know!!

If you have ANY questions, please don't hesitate to ask below or Email me!!

I will also be doing a powdered laundry soap recipe soon, so keep an eye out!!

RECIPE:

1 cup Liquid Castile Soap.

1/2 cup Table Salt.

1 1/2 cup Washing Soda.

Lots of hot water.

1 Gallon Container. 

Capsuling Fun!

Heloooo!

So today i just wanted to do a quick post on a little project i have been doing the last few days.

 Making my own capsules!

I am way overly excited about this.

I have been wanting to make my own capsules for a while now, but just never got around to it, i really should have done it sooner.

In my messy station picture ^, please dont mind my classy plate, i am capsuling turmeric!

*Turmeric loves to stain clothes, so be sure to wear appropriate clothing when messing with this stuff.

I will be doing a blog post all about turmeric here soon, so much info, so keep an eye out!

I have also been capsuling cinnamon.

If you are wondering, my husband and i take 2 of each every morning.

If you have been wanting to capsule your own herbs or spices, you definitely should! 

It is very inexpensive and very easy!

The capsule machine i have been using is one i have borrowed, thanks grams! :) 

You can buy the capsule machine and the empty capsules at pretty much any health food store, the one i am using was under $20!  

The empty capsules are really cheap too, around 200 of them for like 3 or 4 bucks!

Some places you can buy larger amount as well.

If you don't live near a health food store, HERE is a great place to buy both, online!

Thanks so much for reading and i hope you lovelies have a wonderful night!

Be sure to keep an eye out for upcoming posts!

So Fresh and So Clean...Hands!

Hi Hi!

So this is going to be a short post about a hand soap that i have been using for a few weeks and really liking!

 I ordered a few things off of my friends Etsy shop a few weeks ago, her shop is home made  and organic beauty and body items. 

Anyways, i ordered a few things and she sent me a free soap! 

Isn't that so nice?? I was so excited. 

I will be doing some reviews on a couple other items from that order here pretty soon, so keep an eye out!

I am in no way saying that she will be sending a free soap with all her orders.

Isn't it so cute?

It smells amazing!

When you order, you get to pick the scent you want, so i chose vanilla, its one of my favorite scents.

It's so neat that you can choose the scent you want.

This soap lathers very nicely and leaves you your hands feeling so clean and moisturized! 

I really hate when you use a soap and it strips your hands of its moisture, making them feel and look so dry.

This stuff feels like it adds moisture to your hands!

I also like how it gives your hands a light smell after washing, not overwhelming, people aren't going to be able to smell your hands from across the room. 

This soap is listed on her Etsy shop for $2.00.

$2.00!!! 

How great is that?!

She only has a few items listed right now, she is still pretty new to Etsy, so if you don't see anything you like, make sure you keep visiting, many more things are to come! 

All of the items in her shop are priced very affordable!

www.etsy.com/shop/Jessisdream

You get a lot of product, my husband and i have been using this since i bought it and i still have a lot left!

Like i said above, this is made will all organic ingredients!

No nasty chemicals!

This can also be used on your body, i have not tried it yet, but i want to!

I love how soft and smooth it makes my hands feel, i want that for my body too!

Be sure to go check out her shop!

Buy a few things!

You will not be sorry.

Thanks so much for reading ladies!

Have a great night and keep an eye out for my next post!

Review! All Natural Makeup Items from Etsy!

Today's post is going to be a review on some organic makeup items i ordered off Etsy. 

These are actually the fist organic makeup items i have ever bought and i am very excited about them!

So lets jump right in!

Before i made an order for these items, i did a lot of research and browsed a lot of shops on Etsy, i wanted to make sure i was getting a really good product full of good ingredients that didn't cost me an arm and a leg. 

I got 2 out of those 3 anyway.

So the shop i stalked and finally made an order from is called OhSudz.

www.etsy.com/shop/OhSudz

It is such a neat shop, full of all natural, homemade beauty/makeup items!

The items i ordered are:

Two cover up/concealer samples in the colors light warm and light cool.

Lip Balm in the flavor peppermint and tea tree.

Liquid foundation in the color light warm.

So first i wanna talk about:

Liquid Foundation:

This product is bottled in a very nice pump bottle.

Very sanitary and gives you a way to control the amount you pump out.

The label is nice too, I like how it doesn't go around the entire bottle, i like being able to see the product and the amount level as i use it. 

Is that weird?

 Ignore my chipped nail polish ;)

As as you can see, i ordered this stuff in the ghost white shade!

Although the color is a little bit darker in person, it is still a very light shade.

The consistency of this stuff is pretty thin.

As i rubbed it in, i got kinda worried that it was going to be to light for me.

But it ended up being perfect! 

It blended right in and gave me a very light layer of color with a dewy glow.

This is very build-able, when i wear it, i wear 2 layers and it does not get cakey.

I would say that this is more of a BB cream then a foundation really.

This stuff is going to be great for summertime.

I also noticed that after wearing, my face felt insanely soft and smooth!

 It stayed that way for a few days!

I really like that. 

This product is 1oz and it cost me $12.95. 

Very spendy for the amount you get, in my opinion.

Not really sure if i will re purchase this after i used it all up. 

If it costed a bit less, i for sure would. 

Lip Balm:

 Right off the bat, this stuff has a very strong smell.

She offers several different flavors, i chose peppermint and tea tree...all i smell is tea tree.

That's OK tho, I still really like the smell, just wish there was a tad more peppermint.

It is very moisturizing and glides right on! 

A little bit of this stuff goes along ways.

This stuff actually stays on your lips for awhile, i was thinking i was going to have to re apply a ton throughout the day, but i really didn't.

The label is so cute! 

I really like how all of the ingredients are listed on the back of the label.

This product was $4.50. Tad spendy in my opinion, but i would re purchase this for sure.

and lastly:

Concealer:

I couldn't decide what color of concealer to go with, luckily this shop offered samples!

The left one is light cool and the right is light warm. 

I am very picky with concealers.

I like it to be thick and full coverage, without it settling into the fine lines under my eyes.

Right away i could tell these concealers were thick and going to have a great color pay off!

I was right!

It glides right on and covers blemishes and dark circles like a boss!

I did notice that it started to settle in my fine lines, under my eyes, but once i set it with powder, it was fine.

I like to use both of these at the same time.

I like to wear the light cool under my eyes, to conceal my gnarly dark circles and brighten the eye area at the same time. 

The light warm is great for covering blemishes i may have and redness around my nose and mouth.

Works Fantastically!

There is a lot of product in these little jars and a little bit goes a long ways.

I paid $6.00 for both samples.

The full size product is priced at $14.95 and you get about the lip balm size, amount of product. 

Pretty spendy, in my opinion. 

 When i do re purchase, i will be purchasing these 2 samples and colors again.

Hope you enjoyed this post!

I strongly encourage you to check out this Etsy shop and try some stuff out!

The products are wonderful and again, all organic! 

No nasty chemicals or toxins!

Be sure to let me know if you have or are planning on trying anything out, i would love to hear what you think about them!

Have a happy, laughter filled day and be sure to keep an eye out for my next post!

The Many Benefits of Chia Seed's!

Hi Hi!

So today's post is going to be all about the amazing benefits of chia seeds!

For a couple of weeks now, i have been incorporating a couple tablespoons of chia seeds into my husband and my diet everyday.

With it only being a couple of week of eating them, i can already tell a pretty big difference.

It fills me up quicker and gives me a lot more energy throughout the day!

Who doesn't want both of those??

So the way my husband and i have been eating these is adding 2 tablespoons to our morning smoothies. Easy as that. 

You can also just add them to juice or milk or even water. 

The texture of the seeds reminds me a lot of poppy seeds! I honestly hardly even notice them.

They have a very light, almost nutty flavor.

I don't notice the flavor at all when its in food.

They are the size of a sesame seed. 

If you don't know a lot about chai seeds, i am here to help!

Chia seeds, or Salvia Hispanica, come from a flowering plant belonging

to the mint family. 

This annual herb grows over 3 feet tall and produces pretty clusters of 

purple or white flowers.

Isn't it pretty!

Ok, so now some amazing things about chia seeds and what they do and help with!

Help with weight loss:

They are popular in the aid of weight loss because of there ability to reduce food cravings and 

make you feel fuller faster, so you eat less.

How do they help you feel fuller quicker, you ask?

Well when chia seeds are put into liquid the outer layer of the seed swells, forming a bulky gel.

They absorb 10 times there weight in water, so when eatin, the gel leaves less room for food, 

Cool in my book!

Don't they look so crazy with their gel!

Chia seeds are not a grain.

They are a great natural boost of energy and the gel also helps keep you hydrated all day.

Diabetic?

Chia seeds slow down how fast our bodies convert carbs into simple sugars as well as reduce glucose levels.

Chia seeds are a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids.

They are the richest plant source of Omega-3, in fact, a mere 3 1/2 tablespoons contains as much Omega-3s as a 32 ounce piece of salmon!

If you are like me, and do not like eating fish or have a hard time taking fish oil supplements, these seeds are a perfect way to get your daily dose!

Chia seeds are also a great source of fiber, 2 tablespoons contain 10 grams!

Chia seeds can also be ground up and used as a flour alternative for those with

gluten allergies or eating a gluten free diet.

The cooking options are endless with using these powerful things!

You can add them to pretty much anything! Oatmeal, shakes, eggs, cookies, muffins, breads...the list goes on and on!

These things are easy to get your hands on, i got mine in the bulk bin section at Winco!

$9 for a pound!

You can also find them at any health food store or even an organic isle in your regular grocery store.

If you find yourself not being able to get a hold of some, email me and i can help! 

Be sure to keep an eye out for many recipes with these bad boys in it!

 Can't wait to play around with them more.

If you have any more questions, have some good recipes or are wanting even more info about Chia seeds, feel free to email me or comment below. 

I would love to hear from you!

Thanks so much for reading and let me know if you give these a try!

Have a wonderful, happy and healthy day!