moving day

In order to do more with my blog.....I've made some changes and am moving it. Please come check out the new (but still a work in progress, bear with me please!) and improved blog at:

www.mamasgoinggreen.com

Hope to see you there!

how to clean your house without chemicals

The biggest inspiration for my green mission is also the littlest. Now that my son is crawling, its more important than ever to have clean floors. I realize I can't control everything he touches or puts in his mouth (which is anything he can get his hands on) but at the very least I can control what I use to clean the floor he's crawling all over. So I'd prefer not to use a chemical cleaner which will leave a residue, which he will then get on his hands, and then of course...into his mouth. I've done quite a bit of research on alternative non-toxic homemade cleaners and created a few solutions I've been using and love.These cleaning recipes are my own unless noted otherwise! Please feel free to try them and let me know what you think.

Believe it or not, for medium to dark toned hard wood floors I've found that tea is a great alternative to the chemical based commercial cleansers. I seem to collect boxes of tea and always have some flavor I try and don't care for that sits for months (or years) on the back shelf of the pantry. Almost any tea will work, I've been using a white tea with vanilla and apricot that smells much better than it tasted but the tannins in regular black tea will help cover scratches as well as bring a nice shine to the floor.*Don't use tea on specially varnished or sealed floors.

Hardwood Floor Cleaner

1 tea bag for every 2 cups of water
Prepare tea in glass measuring cup or pitcher. 
Allow tea to steep for 10 minutes or so.

Pour tea into spray bottle, spray onto floor as you mop. (I have a rectangular head mop, check out my Products to Green Your Clean page for awesome homemade mop heads I found on Etsy.com)

 Tile or Laminate Floor Cleaner
1 Part Distilled Water
1 Part White Distilled Vinegar
3-4 Drops Essential Lemon Oil for every half gallon of solution
*Don't use vinegar on marble, the acidity can damage the stone surface.

Carpet Deodorizer
1 Cup Baking Soda
3-4 drops Essential Oil (I like Lemon, Grapefruit, or Orange)
Mix baking soda and essential oil in airtight container. Sprinkle on carpet, gently brush into carpet and let sit for 15-20 minutes. Vacuum well.

5 Great Finds at the Farmers Market

Day 9 of the 90 day green mission included a morning trip to our local farmers market. Every Sunday I intend to get up early, take my reusable grocery bags and a cup of coffee and peruse the fresh produce. This works in theory. In reality...the baby wakes up at 5am and after I feed him and put him back to sleep there is no way I'm waking up again at 7:00 am if I don't have to. But we finally made it last Sunday. Of course I forgot the reusable grocery bags-why don't I just leave them in the car?? Regardless, I did find some amazing fresh produce, the most delicious peaches and honeydew melon I've ever had, but I also left with several items I didn't expect to find.

1. Local Organically Grown Coffee. There was a very nice young couple who run a small coffee farm nearby. They had several different blends and roasts to sample, the average price was $12 a pound. I can find it several dollars cheaper elsewhere, but the fact that this was grown locally and not shipped thousands of miles means I'm supporting my local economy as well as decreasing my carbon footprint just a little. Delicious, local, organic. Great find!

2. Grass Fed Organic Beef. I wasn't planning on buying steak but we stopped to chat with a vendor who runs a local ranch. They were out of the cut of steak I asked about, so they gave me a complimentary pound of ground beef. We made burgers several days later, they were awesome. There is a huge taste difference between grass fed and traditional grain fed beef, not to mention organic beef is raised without antibiotics or hormones.

3. Dirty Martinis. Okay, there wasn't a full bar serving drinks at 9:00 in the morning but we did get some fantastic double stuffed olives made by a local company. Which my husband then turned into dirty martinis which he says were delicious. (I like my drinks a little more on the sweet side personally.)

4. Gelato. I love all kinds of ice cream but Italian gelato is my favorite. It's lighter than ice cream and usually served a little warmer so it melts in your mouth. I tried a sample of the watermelon sorbetto and it was out of this world amazing. Sorbetto traditionally has more fruit than water in comparison to sorbet, which results in a softer less icy texture. This sorbetto was so good I bought a pint immediately.

5. Fresh Fish. I never expected to see fresh salmon, halibut, even Ono and Opakapaka flown in from Hawaii! As tempting as it was...buying fish that was flown 3000 miles doesn't exactly mesh with my plan to 'buy local' so I didn't go for it. But if you've ever had Opakapaka....you'd know how hard it was to pass up! Some friends just went fishing in Alaska and brought back fresh Salmon and Halibut though so don't feel too sorry for us. :)

Some things to keep in mind before you head out to your local farmers market:

It's not always a bargain. Often the prices are higher than you might find at your local supermarket. But these small farms and business owners are worth supporting so when you can afford to, do so.

Choose wisely. There were several vendors selling similar items, especially the produce. Take the time to look at each vendors offerings and always ask for a sample. I tried peaches from two different vendors that day, and there was a definite difference in flavor between the two. The second peach was much better, I swear there were hints of vanilla in it! So good.

Make friends.  If they aren't busy with other customers, sometimes it pays to stop and talk with the vendors. Not only will you learn more about where and how the items were grown or made, but you might get a better deal or at the very least a bigger sample!

BYOB. (Bring your own bag.) Don't pull my rookie mistake and forget your reusable grocery bags. Keep them in the car and that way you'll always have them. The state of Hawaii has already 'outlawed' plastic bags all together. Inconvenient? Yes, but a small price to pay in exchange for not seeing plastic bags floating in the ocean. I imagine it's only a matter of time before other states adopt a similar policy.

So now that you've read about my Sunday morning adventures what about you?

Have you found anything interesting or unexpected at your local farmers market?

Share your experience in the comments below!

Top Ten Natural Beauty Products to Try This Summer. (For Guys Too!)

Day 8: The day has come. It's time to clean and green the beauty routine. Admittedly since having a new baby, there are days I go completely green by default, meaning I don't even bother with my hair or makeup. But since my little one just turned 6 months old....I think the new baby excuse no longer applies. (Darn it!)

Little by little, I am replacing standard beauty products I used to love with more natural, plant based products I actually love even more. Here are the top ten "switches" I made:

1. Toothpaste. Ok, I know not really a beauty product per say, but you really can't be beautiful without it. Just made the switch from a very popular brand that I love but contains artificial dyes and artificial sweetener to Burt's Bees Natural Whitening Toothpaste. No dye, sweetened with Stevia, and easy to find. Even Walmart carries it. It is a little higher in price, but not much. Great product!

2. Tea Tree Oil. This is a major multipurpose item.  I'll go into its household uses later, but for now I'm touting its benefits as a pimple killer. Instead of using the benzoyl peroxide based pimple cream, just dip a q-tip in tea tree oil and dab on the spot. Numerous studies show tea tree oil to be just as effective without the drying effects of benzoyl peroxide.

3. Deodorant. Again, not what you think of when I say beauty product...but very important! For everyone! If you do not agree.....that's a different topic all together. Anyway. Your typical deodorant/antiperspirant contains aluminum, parabens,  and triclosan- the same stuff in the anti-bacterial cleansers mentioned earlier in this blog. I was very skeptical about this Herbal Magic Deodorant, but it smells great and absolutely works. One caveat- this does not last as long as the chemical deodorants, you'll need to reapply more often if you're sweaty!

4. Facial Cleansing Wipes. Ooh......I love these! There are quite a few different ones on the market, but these are by far my favorite. Again, those other mainstream brands have chemicals and drying agents like alcohol in them. These have extracts of Aloe, Cucumber, and Green Tea. I keep them in my gym bag (er...when I used to go the gym) and brought them to the hospital when my son was born. Great gift for moms to be!

5. Face Wash. This is one product I didn't have to make a switch on, I've been in love with this all natural line for quite a while. Alba Botanica's Hawaiian Line, Pineapple Enzyme Cleanser. Not only does the pineapple smell great, it also contains bromelain naturally found in pineapple which works like a mild chemical exfoliant would. I just starting using this along with the next product on the list...

6. Clarisonic Mia Brush. This is not necessarily an all natural product, but using this eliminates the need for chemical exfoliating products. I used to use an exfoliating face wash, but I just recently began using the Mia and its awesome. Yes, it is a bit pricey ($125 on Amazon although I was fortunate and received it as a gift) but it will last and last, is smaller and more compact than the original Clarisonic and delivers a deeper but gentler exfoliation. Best of all you can use it along with any cleanser and you only need a pea size amount of cleanser since the scrubbing brush distributes it evenly.

7. Self Tanner. I think most of us have a love hate relationship with self tanner. Hate the way it smells, streaks and stains but love the pretty glow it gives us without risking sunburn and skin cancer. This Alba Botanica Self Tanner uses Dihydroxyacetone, or DHA and works by causing a chemical reaction with the amino acids on the dead layer of skins surface. It is considered non toxic and non carcinogenic. Many of the self tanners on the market  also have unnecessary chemicals and dyes. The Alba Botanica is very moisturizing and doesn't smell terrible.

8. Aloe Vera Gel. This is almost a miracle product. Not just for sunburns, I use this in place of moisturizer at times, on cuts and scrapes, even on baby. Great for sensitive skin or acne prone skin. Applying a thick layer at night will leave you with super soft skin in the morning.  (I don't like to use it on my face during the day though, it dries with a sheen, not what you want for your face!)

9. Moisturizer for Face. For day time, this oil free gentle moisturizer is perfect. Light weight, doesn't clog pores, and always good for my sensitive skin. Alba Botanica Aloe & Green Tea Oil Free Moisturizer.

10. Moisturizer for Body. You've probably noticed a trend....I really love the Hawaiian Line by Alba Botanica. This Kukui Nut Organic Body Oil is super moisturizing, not too heavy, and smells amazing. No artificial ingredients or dyes. Smooth it on after the shower while skin is still damp.

What are some of your favorite all natural beauty products? Share them in the blog comments!