Shopping, a lemonade recipe, and the purge.

 Yesterday, I went on a shopping trip with my father and Mark (happy Father's Day, by the way!). It wasn't the type of shopping trip I'd go on with my mom. Instead, we went to Strawberry Fields (a natural food store with great selection and not-so-great prices), Am-Ko (an Asian food store--highly authentic and awesome prices), and World Harvest (a store with tons of food from around the world, as well as gourmet and unusual foods). If you are ever in the Champaign, IL area, all of these stores are located very close to the U of I campus, and are definitely worth checking out.

At World Harvest, I got these "If You Care" gloves--just to check them out. I love wearing gloves while cleaning and washing dishes, and these gloves seemed like a pretty awesome investment. They are fair trade, ethically-sourced, and biodegradable. All of that sounded pretty great to me. They seem to be of very good quality, which is great, because they were five dollars. I like to spend my money well.

Unfortunately, they are bright green, which doesn't exactly match my kitchen!

Also purchased yesterday:
- Peanut oil
- Textured vegetable protein
- Arrowroot powder
- seaweed sheets (for making sushi!)
- washcloths
- rice noodles
- soba noodles
- and more!

Overall, it was a great shopping trip, and a wonderful way to spend a Saturday. And did I mention that we went to the Golden Wok Thai/Chinese Restaurant, too? We got vegetables and tofu. Yum.

Let's see. I've been doing some other interesting stuff lately, right? Oh, right, I made some delicious lemonade the other day. The old fashioned way, of course. Here's the recipe I used from the book, Back to Basics:

1 quart water

4 lemons

1 cup raw sugar (I used a little less)

First, juice the lemons. Then, put the peels on a bowl, and cover with the raw sugar. I only did these with half of the peels, because I used to other half to infuse vinegar. Let sit for 30 minutes, then pour one quart of boiling water over the sugar and peels. Let cool. Combine with lemon juice. Taste, and water down as necessary. I probably added at least a cup and a half of water, because it was so sweet. But either way, it is absolutely delicious.

Now, for the purge.

I really don't wear makeup often. Mostly because it's expensive (I won't buy products that have been tested on animals, which is difficult and guilt-inducing, because many of the products within these products have been tested), and adds a lot of time to my morning routine. Still, I own a lot of makeup that has been gathered through the years (pretty gross, now that I think about it). Same with hair supplies. Having been no-'poo for almost seven weeks now, I have not been using any products (hairspray, mousse, etc.) whatsoever. And lotions, creams, powders, etc. with gross ingredients just freak me out. It's time to purge. In favor of more natural alternatives (I've been looking up homemade versions of these things!), I am attempting to rid myself of most of these products. The problem I'm facing is, what on earth do I do with all these stuff? I'll let you know how it turns out...

All-Natural Disinfectant.

I love all the recipes I find on Pinterest for natural cleaning solutions! I've been using infused vinegar for some time now (I even got my skeptical boyfriend to love the stuff!). Now I am finding myself branching out a little with the homemade cleaners. This recipe is a little more in-depth than some you'll find, but it really works well!

You will need:

A spray bottle (I got the one pictured at Big Lots for a few bucks, and I love it)
1/2 cup lavender-infused vinegar--see below (or, alternatively, use white vinegar and 10 - 20 drops of lavender essential oil)
1 tsp washing soda
2 cups hot, distilled water
10 drops tea tree oil (or more!)

To do:

If you choose to infuse the vinegar with lavender, simply combine a tablespoon of lavender buds with hot vinegar in a jar, and let sit for a week or so. Strain. Easy as that!

Combine the vinegar and washing soda together (there will be some fizzing/bubbling), next add the castile soap and hot water (not boiling). Let cool, and if desired, add a few more drops of essential oils of your choice (I'd recommend tea tree or lavender).

This disinfectant works well on most surfaces, but due to the vinegar, do not use it on granite or marble. The washing soda makes it very effective against grease, so I especially like to use it on my stove top. Enjoy your homemade disinfectant!

Natural dishwashing.

Maybe it's weird, but I love to wash dishes. A huge pile of dishes may be daunting at first, but it really isn't that bad. My family has never used a dishwasher, ever. As in, I am 20 years old, and I had never used one until I met my boyfriend a year ago. Yes, our house has a dishwasher. Growing up, it was used as a second pantry! We stored food in it instead of using it. We always hand wash, and I have played a role in the dish washing process since I was very young. As I've gotten older, I've found myself truly enjoying washing dishes. It's relaxing! However, when I move out this August, I will have a dishwasher in my apartment (with a roommate who will probably want to use it!), so who knows if I'll change up my routine. But as for now, this is what I like to use to wash my dishes.

Castile Dish Soap.

There are several tutorials online for turning a bar of soap into liquid soap. Just type it into a search engine and you are sure to find something. I personally take half a bar of Kirk's Castile Soap, grate it up, add it to 10 cups or so of hot water on the stovetop, and add about a tablespoon of glycerin. Once it is mostly cooled and thickened, I mix it really well with my stand-up mixer as I add about half a cup of vinegar and several drops of lemongrass essential oil. It smells lovely for dish washing! It can be added to a pump, a squeeze bottle--whatever you desire for your kitchen. So far it has worked well and gotten the dishes plenty clean.

Natural Sponges.

Sponges suck. Buying them sucks, too. My newest idea is buying one of those big (6 inches or so) natural loofahs, and cutting them into five or six sponges! I have found these at Big Lots for only $1.50--which is great, considering I'll get several sponges out of it. The best part is that I can compost it when I'm finished (assuming I used only natural cleaning solutions with it).

Cutting it into pieces can be tricky. The best method I've found is to get the entire sponge drenched, place it on a cutting board, and use my sharpest knife to cut through it. 

The sponge does not scratch non-stick surfaces, and it works really well for cleaning stainless steel. So far I'm super impressed, and I plan to continue using it. And of course, when it just isn't right for the job, I use a washcloth or rag.

No shampoo, 30 days later.

You may notice that I only say "no shampoo," as opposed to "no shampoo, as well as the oil cleansing method." More on that later...

The last time I used shampoo was Tuesday, April 30th, the day of my Junior Standing Jury here at EIU (which I passed, by the way). Since then, my hair has gone through tremendous ups and downs. Some good, some bad, and some in between. I should have taken a picture that day, but silly me, I didn't think of it. Here are some pictures that were taken within a month of me starting this challenge:

Cooking tofu stir fry, of course. See my hair? Long, pretty thin, kind of dull and limp.

Dad and I at the greenhouse. My hair is long, as you can see, but it's pretty thin and limp.

Here's the low down:

Week 1:
Hair was disgusting. After four days I used a ton of baking soda. Hair felt cleaner, but still really oily compared to what I was used to. So I waited two days and used more. I continued this for the first week. My hair still felt sticky, or damp, or something, but the ends were somewhat dry, even though I was using apple cider vinegar.

Week 2:
One day this week, I curled my hair for a concert. It was the weirdest smell--like burning scalp--even though I had used the baking soda. The curls barely held, because I didn't want to put anything in my hair to hold them. That was frustrating, but I continued trying. Still keeping up with the every other day baking soda washes, my hair was feeling incredibly sticky and frizzy in the back of my head, even though my hair looked clean. I wasn't sure what was going on. I also noticed my hair feeling especially tangled, which got me pretty bummed.

Week 3:
Dry. My hair was so dry, I thought it was all going to break off. It was incredibly tangled, still, but dry, frizzy, and just not feeling right. I ended up putting some vegetable glycerin in it one night (before I went to bed) toward the end of this week, which helped a lot, but it was still feeling pretty dry the next day.

Week 4:
This week started off much like the previous week. My hair was okay, but pretty dry. Then, on Saturday, the 25th day of no shampoo, something happened. My hair felt absolutely glorious. So soft, very little frizz, volume, and the ends were hydrated and healthy looking! Here's the thing, though. That morning, I took my shower at a house about two hours south of where I live, where there is very, very soft water. So I was left to wonder, can a difference in water really change things that much? Since then, though, my hair has still been pretty soft.

Consensus:

This challenge has been pretty interesting. It was really difficult for the first week or two, and in the end, am I totally happy with my hair? Well, I'm not sure yet! I think I need another few weeks to really decide. My hair is definitely much softer at the top, and much more voluminous, too. That's the really big thing I've noticed--so much more natural volume to my hair. It feels like it isn't being weighed down. However, the ends are dryer than I'd like, in general, and my hair tangles so easily--it can be a huge hassle to de-tangle it in the morning. I have a feeling this is because it's so long, though. This is why I'd like to give this challenge at least a few more weeks before I make a final decision. Below is a picture of me with my 'poo-free hair. Completely natural. Washed with baking soda, rinsed with ACV, air-dried, and brushed.

Hair. Feels healthy, looks fairly healthy.

So what about the oil cleansing method?

Well, about a week and a half in, my face broke out like crazy. I mean, really, really bad. Maybe it had nothing to do with it--who knows! However, I was desperate, so I switched to using only the Castile Soap with tea tree oil, then used aloe and tea tree oil as a moisturizer/acne fighter. My face is looking really good these days. I am still sort of experimenting, but I've found that the Castile Soap is working great as a cleanser, and I alternate between vegetable glycerin and coconut oil as a moisturizer. It has been working really well.

Thrift Store Curtain, or Cloth Napkins?

Yesterday, while looking around at our local thrift store, I found a valance-type curtain for 75 cents. My boyfriend Mark was in need of some place mats and cloth napkins for his place, so I hoped there would be enough material to meet those needs.

For the cloth napkins, I followed this tutorial. They turned out great.

For the place mats, I used the same concept to sew the napkins, but used one of my own place mats as a guide for measurements. They are a little thin, as I didn't have a nice fabric to line them with (in the future, I will definitely do that), but I am pleased with how they turned out. I had enough leftover material to make a nice little lavender sachet, too.

All of this for 75 cents? Thrift stores are the way to go.

Now, for an update. It has been a week since I transitioned to the "no shampoo method." It isn't easy, when you're used to shampooing daily. However, I am getting better at it, I think. I've been using a solution of water, baking soda, and a drop of tea tree oil every few days, then rinsing with apple cider vinegar. My hair is really long, so I don't think the ends are getting quite enough hydration. They are feeling very, very dry. I am looking to see if I can find any alternative solutions.

As for my face, the oil cleansing method, so far, is going well. I have not noticed a big change in my skin, other than not having to moisturize as often. More updates to come.

A more natural cleansing routine...

Today is May 1st, and today is the day that I am officially changing my personal cleansing routine.

I've been experimenting for a while, and I have settled on my decision:

1. For my face, I will be using the oil cleansing method.
2. For my hair, I am going shampoo-free.

Why try these methods, you ask? Look here and here.

Wish me luck!

All-Natural Shoe Deodorizer.

A moment of honesty: my feet smell pretty bad... sometimes. Mom has always told me, "If you would just wear socks, then your feet wouldn't smell."

Wearing socks isn't always practical. One of my favorite pairs of shoes is from the Green Toe line made by Simple. Unfortunately, this brand went out of business about a year ago, so they are no longer made. Bummer.

But either way, I love these shoes, and I will do whatever it takes to keep them smelling fresh. Here's my recipe for a natural deodorizer. I put it in a mason jar with a parmesan cheese shaker lid. Saw that on Pinterest once, so I had to find a clever use for it.

What you need:

Lavender, eucalyptus, and tea tree essential oils (or whatever)
3/4 cup baking soda
1/2 cup organic cornstarch (arrowroot powder would work well, too)

To do:

Mix the above ingredients until there are no clumps. Shake into offensive shoes. Leave for a few hours or overnight. Voila.

The latest.

I've been pretty busy lately. By pretty busy, I mean to say that this has been the busiest year of my life thus far, and it's only March 23rd. Despite lots of school, work, concerts, etc., I have had some time to explore further into something that really interests me: herbal and natural ways of doing things.

Here are some of my latest findings:

 Echinacea tea. I get sick pretty often. It's part of music major culture. If it's a concert week, I'm going to get a cold, unfortunately. I am a firm believer in Vitamin C, and now Echinacea tea, as well. Combine these forces, and I'm feeling much less sniffly by the weekend--concert time, I mean.

Deodorant. Alright. Confession time. I get really bad cases of folliculitis in my underarms. Embarrassing, I know. As a preventative measure, I've been experimenting with my deodorant choices. I'd like to think I don't sweat too much under there, so baking soda was doing the trick for a while. However, since the weather is (hopefully) going to get warm soon, I thought I'd invest in  some of this For Pits Sake Lavender Deodorant. It smells awesome, and so far, it really seems to be working. It was about eight bucks at our health food store here in town. I may search for cheaper options.

(Sorry, no pictures for the next one.)

Vinegar. I've never been too into the smell, but I've been into cleaning with it for some time now. Lately, I've experimented with different infusions, and my favorite has been lavender. Basically, you boil some vinegar, pour it in a mason jar with some lavender (I only used about a tablespoon of dried lavender per 2 cups of vinegar, because I wanted to be sparing). I let it sit for two weeks, strained it, and ta-da! Water it down, and use it to clean. Awesome results.

So there you go. This is just some of what I've been up to lately.