Au Naturale

And you thought we was gonna get nakie.......lol. Nope. Not yet anyway. Outta the gutter people. 

Okay. For real we both started getting interested in natural products awhile back. I think for me it was a steal on soap nuts. They are the fruit of the Chinese Soap Berry Tree.You put a few soap nuts in a mesh bag and toss them in the washer.They are HE safe.  I like them for some things but not everything. I still use them to wash cloth diapers.  For everyday laundry I need scent! So I started investigating other ways to make laundry soap. My favorite Recipe was found on one of my favorite blogs.  http://www.howdoesshe.com/cheaper-and-better-diy-laundry-detergent/

I had never really thought about the products I was using till I met Melanie.  She explained the Soap Nuts to me, and the homemade laundry soap she had been making, and then made me some.  I then began looking into other ways I could eliminate chemicals from my life.  Sometimes I feel like one of those hippies that live in communes (I promise I still shave), but it makes me feel good, as a mom, to eliminate as many chemicals from my kids' lives as possible.


And then there was coconut oil. I've used it to wash my face, make sugar scrub and Tiffany found that coconut oil and cocoa butter whipped together makes the best lotion ever. Kitten (middle girl) and Bug (Tiffany's youngest) both have Keratosis Pilaris. That's the little bumps you get on the backs of your arms. Kitten and Bug seem to get  it up and down their sides and it disappears almost completely when they use the coconut oil regularly. 

OMG!  I love coconut oil!  I use it for everything.  I whip it in my food processor with some vanilla extract, and use it as a lotion, a face cleanser, a hair mask, and I just started making my own deodorant with it.  I'm actually surprised at how well it is working.  Coconut oil is antibacterial, so that kills the stinky bacteria, add some baking soda, and cornstarch, and you even stay dry!  I know, I know, sounds silly, but it really works, so far.  I even exercised with it on today (no, Hell didn't freeze over, just trying to get in shape), and no sweaty, stinky pits!  

Oh, Melanie, don't forget to tell them about vinegar. (I sound like a game show host).


I read that vinegar could clean windows, streak free. I was really worried about the I just dyed Easter eggs smell. I gave it a try using coffee filters cause, hey, lint free and cheap, and it was awesome. I wondered what else it could clean, and found there wasn't much it can't clean. We use it in the bathrooms and kitchen.  It also kills grass and weeds, 

I use Dr. Bronner's castile soap on my floors which are laminate. I like the peppermint flavor, and read it might deter spiders. Anything that might limit the eight-legged freaks is a-okay by me. 

I'm sure I use other natural products I'm forgetting, but the last thing I can think of is diatomaceous earth.  Diatomaceous Earth is the fossilized remains of marine phytoplankton.  It looks a lot like flour, or baby powder.  It is a safe, natural way to get rid of fleas.  It is food grade, therefore safe to be around kids and pets.  I read a fantastic, in-depth article here:  http://www.richsoil.com/diatomaceous-earth.jsp

If you have any all natural product that you use, let us know.  We love being au naturale!