Living Naturally - Just a Start

I'm always eager to learn a few easy steps to going natural and freeing myself of unneeded (and really, unwanted) chemicals, pharmaceuticals and waste in my everyday life. Most of the time I feel like it's kinda hard to find something that's cheap and easy though. I'm just beginning my journey, but I thought you may want to join me too!

There are a few things that you can start doing that don't cost tons of money. You may not like every suggestion I have for you, but even if you take just a couple here or there you'll end up making a big impact on your life! Here are a couple tips to get you started living naturally:

1. Begin using "unpaper towels" in your kitchen and/or bathroom.
2. Take 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar every day.
3. Switch your toothpaste to something fluoride-free.

Unpaper Towels

     I have some fabric that I've been meaning to serge into unpaper towels (basically cloth squares) for months now. I just never seem to find the time to do it, so we still have paper towels for big messes in the kitchen and the hand drying towel (that in reality only gets changed about 2-3 times a week, please don't get too grossed out) in the bathroom. <---This is dirty. Germs live in places that stay wet. That's why having something to use once and throw in a laundry bin is soooo much better.

     Ultimately I would love to make my kitchen unpaper towels with terry cloth on one side, quilter's flannel on the other, and strategically place my little plastic snaps on the corners so that they can unroll just like a real paper towel! BUT that would require me to actually choose a fabric, cut and sew. That just isn't happening fast enough. My ideal fabric (at least I think it is) for my bathroom napkins (I really don't know what to call them, that was the best I could come up with, sorry) is birdseye, also called diaper cloth at Jo-Ann Fabrics. After using a single-use napkin, you can wipe up the counter to keep it dry. Did you know that the germiest place in your bathroom is the sink because it stays wet? At least that's what the internet says. :P

     Fortunately, Walmart has a wonderful, quick fix for me. There is, and has been for the past couple years, a package of 18 washrags for $4 - all white or white and multi-colored, you choose. I finally bought some, and you can too. Easy peasy and not too hard on your pocketbook (although I bought 3 packs, hehe).

Apple Cider Vinegar

     This vinegar reportedly helps with soooo many ailments as well as weight loss. Just google it, and you'll find tons of information. There's, of course, not much scientific proof to back up anyone's claims because there's just not that much money in making vinegar, but read all the testimonies online and ask around to see if your friends have ever heard about it. I'll bet you can find someone you trust that gives it due credit.

     For general health the most common "prescription" I've found in my searching is to take 1 tablespoon per day diluted in 8 ounces of water. It's also been suggested that you drink the required amount of water you need for each day in order for your body to process correctly while taking it (64 oz. on average, but it's really based on your lifestyle). 

     You don't want to take ACV straight because it can ruin your teeth or burn a hole in your esophagus (please believe me - I took a shot of it straight the first day and really thought I might catch on fire). Another important note is to buy a good brand. One that you can see "the mother" in. Bragg's is the most recommended by far.

Fluoride-Free

     I don't know much about fluoride, but I know it's been at the center of some great debates, and I don't really want to get into all that now. I do know that the majority of people who "live naturally" do so without fluoride, so I figure there's probably something to that. Also, fluoride is added to my water already, so I don't really need it in my toothpaste, right?

     So here are your options:  1) this is not the option for you because you loooove all that fluoride that you every-once-in-a-while accidentally swallow while hollering at the kids with a toothbrush in your mouth, 2) can buy a fluoride-free toothpaste for a good bit more money from the grocery store, or 3) make your own toothpaste just because you want to be a little crunchy (that's just modern day hippie-talk which means natural).

     I chose option 3. So here's the recipe I'm giving a try from my new online natural role model, Crunchy Betty (and please don't give up trying natural alternatives after just a couple days, there's an adjustment period to everything). 3 tablespoons coconut oil + 3 tablespoons baking soda + 25 drops peppermint essential oil. You can also use just coconut oil (which is what I've been doing for a few days) or just baking soda and water or you can go all out and add a packet of stevia to the mix to sweeten it up! 

Give it a whirl. Try just one of these easy ways to change up your routine and live more naturally. I think you'll find that you enjoy it. If there's any more information you want, just ask. I may have already scoured the internet myself, but just didn't want to bore you with any more details if you weren't interested.

And, as always, I'm not promising anything, but maybe next week I can give you another new tip to keep you coming over to the "crunchy" side of life along with an update on how these are playing out in my own!

First Art Project

I find great ideas on Pinterest all the time. I was really excited to actually DO one the other day! Here's Samweli's first art project. He was so cute working on his painting. We used condensed milk and food coloring to make a less runny paint. The paint ended up being runnier than I thought it would though, so we quickly added some newsprint under his canvas. :) 

And since we hardly used any of the milk, we got to enjoy one of his Daddy's favorite treats later - sliced peaches covered with sweetened condensed milk, yummy! 

Here's a few other internet finds that I've enjoyed lately:
Paper Bag Popcorn - I like this article I linked, but my favorite way to make it is to only use 1/4 c. popcorn and add in 1/2 tsp. olive oil along with the popcorn salt before popping.
The Peaceful Mom - I am really into this blog. I've especially enjoyed her recipes and meal planning sections along with her "Brain in a Binder" which I just can't say enough about how well it's helping me organize my life.
Soap Clouds - These are great for times when dirty kids just do not want to get into the bathtub.

Have a blessed week!

Independence Day

They're a little late, but here are some pictures from our 4th of July celebrations.

I didn't make too many plans ahead of time because Noe was going to work in the evening. We hung out at the house most of the day, and Noe did some mowing. Samweli had to be involved of course, and ended up pushing this mower around the yard a little. Noe ended up turning it on and helping him over the rough spots. He is such a beast of a man! I can't believe how strong he is! <---I'm talking about Samweli. :)

Samweli is full of independence himself these days. We went to Letulle Park for the city's July 4th celebration. There weren't too many people there, but that was perfect for my son because he had plenty of room to roam around wherever he pleased. There were prizes (my friends won a trip to Schlitterbahn!), free bouncy houses, water slides, great bands, and the most exciting part...pin wheels:

The last "band" was a barbershop quartet that covered our favorite patriotic songs and led into the fireworks show, which was Samweli's first ever. He loved it!

I would just like to say that Bay City did an AMAZING job putting together our Independence Day celebration. The fireworks show was the biggest in our history (so I'm told), the kids' activities were free, and the park was sprayed for mosquitos. For our little town, I'm pretty proud. Even though there wasn't a huge turnout, I hope they do it again next year. We'd definitely be there!

Kitchen Redo - House Pics Post 2

So, my kitchen isn't finished yet, but it's close enough for me to share pictures. Here we go:

BEFORE:

^^^Please notice the HUMONGOUS slatted doors over the pantry^^^

(left picture)

and the crumbling yellow tile countertop and backsplash (right picture)

along with the mismatched "wood" laminate. 

Did you notice the smoke-stained vent-hood 

and the gaudy, retro knobs on all the cabinetry...

...or should I mention those things too?

AFTER:

We sanded and painted the cabinet doors and replaced the hardware. I couldn't salvage any hinges (although I did try), but I was able to save a TON of money by resurrecting some old cabinet pulls. My mom bought the pulls for me at a garage sale ($7 for 40 pulls). We cleaned, spray painted and lacquered them, and they turned out great! The originals sell on ebay for $7 a piece. We just took off the ugly plate on the back that was making them look so dated!

I took off the bifold doors that covered the pantry because they were poorly hung and falling apart. I opted to leave it open and *try* to keep my food stuffs looking neat and organized on the shelf. I picked up some clear canisters at a garage sale (14/$10) and had a few of my own already. 

It helps to keep everything looking somewhat unified.

Here is our breakfast nook. I still need to pick out fabric, make cushions, refinish the bottom cabinet doors, and do something with the window, but it's coming along. (Samweli enjoyed running through some hanging streamers at a party we went to, so I thought I could set some up in the door to keep him busy while I was getting my kitchen set back up.)

Did you notice that we moved the oven? That's because my wonderful hubby got me a dishwasher! Hmmm...I wonder if he thinks that counts as "helping" with the dishes.

There's still a LOT more to be done, but the bulk of the job is over. Maybe we'll get it finished before we've lived in the house a year, but if not, that's okay. I'm just blessed to have such a functional place to cook.

I know colors don't come across computer screens like they ought to, but if you want to check out my kitchen colors, try these from Sherman Williams (but wait until it goes on sale, of course):

Compatible Cream (walls)

Navajo White (cabinetry)

Dover White (trim)

As usual, I've updated the Fluff Gallery and Family Photos sections with new projects and pictures. Please feel free to take a look and enjoy my family and my fabrics! Just click on the tabs at the top of the page.

Green Bean Garden

Kimberly, myself, and our row and a half of
freshly planted veggies.

We have a garden! This is the first one I've ever done. My mom, sister, and I are all working together on it. We have been blessed with good rain this year, so we haven't had to water it even once! Let's take a moment and thank God for that blessing. Thank you, Lord!

A retired gentleman opened up his property to the community. He tilled all the soil. All we had to do was decide what to plant. We didn't want too much of any one thing, so we chose to make a row of green beans and then a few carrots, cucumbers, and radishes.

We've just started harvesting our green beans, and my mom has gotten quite a few radishes. I'm going out tomorrow to pick up the 4th round of grown green beans. Honestly, I don't really even know what I'm doing, but the green beans have been super-easy. Plant beans 6 inches apart, about 2 inches down (like to your knuckle). Water. Grow. Pick.

We didn't want to mess with canning and were delighted to find out that we can just vacuum seal and freeze them. (Thank you, Aunt Peggy.) I might try blanching the next batch before I freeze them, but with this group, all I did was:

This is only HALF of our second crop of green beans!

1. Cut off ends.
2. Wash in vinegar water to kill bacteria.
3. Rinse in clear water.
4. Dry overnight.
5. Package and freeze.

Even Samweli was able to get in on the fun when I packaged them!



*Note:  My green beans were delicious when I boiled them without letting them thaw first. If you thaw or microwave them, I don't really know if they'll turn out as good.

A few extras:

The garden is extremely wet! Look at all that mud!!
Can you tell which ones are my legs? LOL!
My legs really are that white.

Here's my beautiful Rose Begonia at my house.
I just really like it and wanted to share. :)

The Mother of all Garage Sales

I love a good garage sale, and this weekend my neighbors had the mother of all garage sales. I just have to share some of my finds!

Let's start with the toys:

All these look like they just came out of the box,
as a matter of fact, one set is still IN the box!

Did you notice the duck rocker chair all the toys are sitting in? We found that at a resale shop for $20! I don't know if that's a good deal because it's homemade, but it's just precious and Samweli loves it.

This rocker chair matches Noe's old homemade toybox
that is now in Samweli's room.

I got this lawn furniture for $5 a chair (including the cushions).

Samweli's infant carseat is now neatly tucked away in our shed awaiting it's next use, but while he fit in it, we always thought it'd be nice to have a 2nd base for another car. Noe found these camo Wolverine boots too. Sure, they aren't the newest model, but they are the right size for Noe. :)

Car seat base, new=$90, our price=$10
Wolverine boots, new=$90-$115, our price=$1

Noe also found 2 fishing rods for 50 cents each. The All-Star brand isn't anything too special, and one was broken. I wouldn't have known, but All-Star has a lifetime guarantee which means that Noe will get a brand new rod for the broken one. What a deal!

My favorite find was this vintage Winnie the Pooh bag made by Sears. I fell in love with it as soon as I laid eyes on it...and then even more when I saw the sticker price, $1. <--- Insert sigh of sweet bliss here. I'm just so happy. Hehe.

The most amazing part of all of this is that these are just some of the deals we found this weekend! I hope you enjoyed seeing all my great finds and got to share in the excitement with me.

Happy Garage-saling!

Samweli's Room - House Pics Post 1

To be honest, before we got our 16-week ultrasound, I was positive I was going to give birth to a precious girl. I really didn't care if our baby was a boy or a girl, I was just very sure I already knew - girl.period.girl. I guess my mother's intuition needed a little more maturing. I was very clearly wrong. We had planned to go shopping that afternoon to register for all things baby in celebration of our little one. Unfortunately, I had the baby blues and picked more of a gender neutral theme than Samweli's daddy would have preferred:

As you can see, it's cute, but it doesn't really scream BOY. Samweli now has a room that his daddy can be proud of, and he loves it! By "he" I mean Samuel, but you could take it as "Noe" if you want. They are both in Baby Boy Heaven.

Here is Samweli's new Hunting Room:

***Caution - if you are against the hunting of animals, don't continue on. My husband loves -  and my son will soon love - to shoot things.***

This is his room looking from the door. We found a great camo rug on clearance,
and the camo blanket was actually a shower gift from a friend, Jolene.
She recently started selling her ultra-plush blankets since everyone
LOVES them. You can check them out here.
I found this awesome wood sign with a bear on it and decided to incorporate bears
along with the ducks and deer I had originally planned on doing.
And the framed "art" idea came together thanks to Emily.
(They are just those vinyl wall stickers put on white paper.
Don't tell anyone though, they look like prints.)

Noe and I both found these metal signs which
I think look really cool in his little boy room. :)
The deer antler sign over the dresser says "HUNTING".
He knows what each animal on his wall is.
I still need to get a plain green changing pad cover,
and you can't see it, but the lamp shade has ducks on it too.

My mom got the light switch plate in Tennessee
and the (fake) antlers were a perfect spot to hang
his camo jacket.

"Little Bear" ended up being the perfect addition
to his bedroom. It's a tree carving from Tennessee
that was picked out by his Grandma, Babu, Bibi,
and Aunt Stacey. It's the one thing in his room
that's too heavy for him to push around,
but he loves giving him hugs. So sweet!

There's one more corner of his room that needs finished, but I have ideas for it. I've just got to decide how to mount the Benjamin that Samweli's Pop gave him to hang in his room.

Well, that's one room in the house finished. Only the rest of the house to go! That doesn't sound too overwhelming, does it?

Newborn Stash

This is what you've all been waiting for (dun, dun, dunnnnnn). Really, I know you're just excited because I'm so excited, but it doesn't matter - I love that you're looking, I don't care why. Here are the pics and details of the (fingers crossed) awesomely perfect newborn diaper stash that I sewed up for my friend. I'm so grateful that she trusted me to guide her into the world of cloth diapers AND that she had enough confidence in my sewing to rely on me for her entire newborn stash. I hope they fit for more than 2 weeks. :)

Diaper Pail Liner (for home) and Wet Bag (for on the go) 

FOE Bound (2) and Turned & Topstitched (3) Covers:
The FOE bound are 1 layer of PUL so the inside is wipeable.
The T&T covers are PUL outer with suedecloth inner.
I used BaaBaaBaby, Bramblestitches, and Chloe Toes Side Snap patterns.

Shar's Umbilical Scoop Newborn Pocket Nappy (5)
I loathe pocket diapers, but since so many mamas use them,
I thought it was only fair to let her try some out.
She's just going to stuff these with some small washcloths.
The checkered ones are 2 layers of flannel.
The camo one is a cotton outer and crushed panne inner,
so it will feel dry even after baby wets the diaper.

EZDipe (6)
These are AWESOME. I might even sew some of these up for Noe to use on Samweli.
They are the perfect daddy-diaper. There is only one snap on each side,
and they can't be put on backwards or inside out. Daddy-Proof!
I've put 2 layers of Zorb inside each diaper.

QSFW with added leg and back elastic (2 of each print)
These are just 2 layers of flannel each, but when all folded up
they become 6 layers in the wetzone.
These are easy - plus, I get to use my serger. :)

QSFW all laid out - just so you can see how cool it is.

Because we used a lot of old flannel, coupons for expensive PUL, and fabrics that I found on-the-cheap, this whole stash only cost about $30-$40. And the pail liner and wet bag will be able to be used for years. I'd say that's pretty good!

Here are a few tidbits about newborn cloth diapering, just in case the cuteness didn't pull you over to the eco/wallet-friendly world of CDing yet.

• Exclusively breast-fed babies' poop is 90% water. This means you don't have to rinse before throwing the diapers in the wash. This includes the meconium poop - absolutely NO RINSING!
• Newborn babies poop pretty much every time they pee, so you're changing them a lot - meaning you don't need a lot of fabric for absorbency!
• Many CDing mamas believe that in the early weeks of life, babies learn that they don't like the feeling of being wet. If you feel the inside of a disposable diaper, you'll notice it feels pretty dry (unless it's soaked). Wet cloth diaper = earlier potty training.

While I don't know if there is a factual basis for the third claim, the other two will get you thinking. And just for the sake of saying it - cloth diapering doesn't have to be an all or nothing way of life. Try using cloth at home and disposables when you go out. OR skip the newborn stage completely and start diapering when they fit into one-size diapers. After feeling the hit to your wallet from the early diapering days, you'll be glad you switched over to the world of cloth.

Be blessed!

I'm Back

I'm back - at least for a while anyway - I mean, I'll try to write a little more, promise. I feel like I've got tons of stuff to share since I haven't updated in so long (since like, August). Anyways. So what's been going on with us?

Well, in October we bought a house here in our hometown (if any of you old friends of mine remember where the Michalks' lived, it's right next door to their old house). Unfortunately there was a good bit of work to be done before we could move in...the biggest thing was gutting/remodeling the bathroom. :) We moved in with my parents, again - I love you, mom and dad - so we could have time to finish up after we had to be out of our rent house. In November, Samuel turned 1 year old. We had a great birthday party that I put a ton of work into. I decided that my next baby that turns 1 is getting a big bouquet of balloons for decoration - and a bouncy house - no theme needed. It's easy, and what does he/she care? We also got to see my family from Washington, who came down for Thanksgiving. In December, we got moved into our new house and decided to take a break from all projects. January came and went all in a blur. I had a big diaper stash I was working on for a friend, and I finally finished it (2 days ago). They'll be all delivered tomorrow. 23 fitted diapers, 6 covers, a pail liner, and a wet bag. Yay! I can't wait to try them on that newborn tushie.

Hmmm...well, I guess it doesn't sound like we've been doing too much, but really, we have. Now that we're finally getting geared up to finish this house, I'm hearing all my mom friends talk about how it's time to start the gardening - what? I thought that wasn't until spring. That just shows how much I know - which is not much.

Those are all my thoughts for now. I'll try and do a funner post next time, and yes, it will include pictures. :) Oh, and just for the sake of letting you know, I am even enjoying doing laundry in my new house. Well, I don't mind the washing, but I still dislike folding and putting away. Actually, if someone wanted to do my laundry for me, I wouldn't stop them, but at least I'm not avoiding it like the plague anymore. :P

Be blessed!