I may be crazy...

Bath products.
Makeup.
Cleaning chemicals.
Personal care products.

What do all these things have in common?
They're generally made from things that aren't very good for your body or your health.  They're expensive.  And I think I can do better.  With some help, of course.  I have already gotten started:

-For cleaning, I already use white vinegar, mixed with water in a spray bottle for general cleaning and sanitizing.  That's about it.
-I tried making homemade liquid soap--which I haven't used up yet, and I may or may not try this technique again.
-I've just started using the baking soda and apple-cider-vinegar hair cleaning method.  (More on that in a future post, but five days in, I love it!)

I've been reading ideas and recipes for all sorts of natural, homemade products to replace conventional ones.

The reason I'm interested in making homemade versions of products that most people spend a lot of money on, is mainly the simplicity of it.  There are more frugal alternatives to commonly-used products, more all-purpose products (like vinegar and baking soda), and homemade versions that I think work just as well or better than the "store-bought" versions.

(Please understand, I don't have a problem with people who use shampoo, Lysol, Windex, etc, etc.  I'm just excited in researching alternatives for myself and my family.)

I have found several bloggers who have embraced this kind of "homemade" lifestyle, and I wanted to compile some of my favorite ideas of theirs that I have found--for my future reference and your benefit.

From Shaye at The Elliot Homestead:
Castile soap and all its amazing uses--shower soap, hand soap, shampoo, general household cleaning, and more!
A variety of what Shaye calls "cleaning products for the poor," starting with my friends vinegar and baking soda.
And a list of all Shaye's homemade products, including baby items and lip balm.

From Thank Your Body (the writer has more of a "hippie" lifestyle/mindset than I will ever have, but she has some great ideas and recipes for a lot of things):
Homemade hand soap (different recipes than I used, including one that's yet another use for Castile soap).
Natural "bleach"--hydrogen peroxide and lemon juice!
Homemade deodorant--this one sounds nice, although probably not something I'll need to make for a long time--my body doesn't need deodorant much anyway, so it takes me ages to go through a regular stick.  I have got to invest in some coconut oil, for a ton of reasons!

I also want to invest in less refined foods--like raw honey and real maple syrup, all whole wheat flour (and ground oats, and other non-white-flour grains).  I want to start using healthier fats, like high-quality butter and coconut oil.  I have all these dreams, plans, and ideas... but I keep reminding myself, I'm doing pretty darn good for a young, year-and-a-half married, college student on a little bitty budget!

Bottom line, I want to use the gifts God has given us to the best of my abilities--to honor God with our bodies, which includes the way we eat and the chemicals we use in, on and around our bodies.  I want to make the best use of the resources we have, especially food.  I want God to be glorified in all aspects of our lives, and that means not making all this stuff into a god, but focusing (there's that word again!) on THE important thing in my life: not health, not money, not food--GOD.

{Focus} On My Schedule

Most of my childhood, my days were fairly unstructured.  There were, of course, expectations for each day-make bed, do schoolwork, help around the house--but we were never on a rigid schedule.  That lasted through high school (one of the lovely benefits of homeschooling!), but college changed my lifestyle considerably.  Now I have to be in classes at specific times each day and I have a set work schedule.  This all changes every semester, so each semester we have to adjust our daily schedule at home a little.

I was talking to a friend yesterday, lamenting how we haven't been very productive over Christmas break simply because we have no schedule (although classes start again on Monday).  I realized that if I had given myself a schedule--not necessarily rigid, but at least some structure to a day--I could have gotten a lot more done over break.  So I've decided that, for this semester, I'm going to give myself a schedule for while I'm at home, not just at class and work.

I also want to make goals when it comes to housework.  I have a hard time getting caught up on housework once life gets busy with school and other commitments.  This semester I want to stay on top of the cleaning so it doesn't get out of hand.  I know that if I don't set small goals for myself I tend to get overwhelmed and don't feel like doing anything at all, so I'll do one or two easy cleaning jobs a day, and that way I know it will all get done.

My class schedule this semester is fairly easy; I don't start classes till noon on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  My Tuesday/Thursday classes start at 8.  I want to get up at the same time every day, so I'll be getting up "early" on MWF and, ideally, have time to get a lot of things done those mornings.  Joshua has to be at class at the same time every day, 10:00.

An ideal morning for me this semester will look like this:
6:00 out of bed, get in shower
6:15 get dressed, do hair/makeup
6:30, get tea or coffee brewing, read my Bible at the kitchen table (this will give me incentive to get the kitchen all cleaned up before I go to bed)
7:00 start breakfast (I generally make quick breakfasts--oatmeal, eggs, or something I've prepared the night before).  On MWF I'll have time to make a bigger breakfast; probably on Tues/Thurs I'll eat by myself since Joshua doesn't have to leave as early as I do.
7:30 Tues/Thurs, get ready to leave for class.  I still plan on walking/biking a lot to school, even though we have the car now, but it's a 20-minute walk or a 10-minute bike, so that will give me time to get my backpack ready.
Mon/Wed/Fri: 7:30, write/publish a blog post.
8:30, pack lunch, finish tidying kitchen.
9:00, Wednesdays, get ready to leave (we'll go to chapel together on Wednesdays).
9:00, Mon/Fri, housecleaning and homework.
11:30, get ready to leave for class.

What I am NOT going to put into my schedule is any computer time other than blogging.  This weekend I'm planning on reorganizing my desk so I can put my computer away when I'm not using it, and thus cut down on the temptation to be on it so much.  I have plenty of free time during the day, when I'm already at school, to check email and Facebook.

The chores I want to accomplish weekly are:
-clean the bathroom
-clean the kitchen floor
-dust/declutter/vacuum the living room
-dust/declutter/vacuum the bedroom
-pick up/organize the closet

Daily chores will include getting the dishes all done and kitchen cleaned up, tidying my desk, and basic wiping down in the bathroom.

Monday mornings: bathroom, and kitchen floor
Tuesday afternoons (I'll get home around 4:15): pick up/organize the closet
Friday mornings: dust/declutter/vacuum living room and bedroom

This weekend I'm going to make a master chart with both of our daily schedules on it.  This will keep both of us on task, and that way we'll always know where the other one is going to be.

I'll keep you updated on how I do with this!  I'm excited and a little nervous, but I know how satisfying it will be if I can accomplish this.  My main reasons for setting this schedule for myself are so that I can {Focus} more on being in the Word, {Focus} on being a better homemaker, and {Focus} on using my time more productively.  I hope that this will also reduce my stress!

Please be praying for me and Joshua as we start this new semester!

My All-Purpose Wonder-Cleaner

I wish I remember what blog I first read about using vinegar for cleaning!  Since my first discovery of it a few months ago, I've done a bit of reading into it (and I mean just a little), and a little more experimenting with it myself.

Growing up, the only thing my family really used vinegar-water for was...cleaning up vomit stains from the carpet.  Sorry.  Anyway, it took a while for me to get excited about using vinegar for anything else, because of the smell association!  Vinegar smell had always been associated with vomit smell.  Yuck, I know.  Well, I've gotten over that, and now I've been raving about the wonders of vinegar (combined, fairly often, with baking soda--my second-favorite cleaner) when it comes to cleaning.

source

(And yes, I do usually use Walmart's or another store brand.  It's cheaper!)

Some of these may be ways you use vinegar already.  I hope some of them will be new ideas!  If you have any suggestions I haven't listed, please share them in the comments!  So, without further ado, my top uses for vinegar:

1) All-purpose cleaner.  I mix about half vinegar and half water in a spray bottle and use it all over the bathroom and to sanitize the kitchen counter and table.

2) Toilet bowl cleaner.  Undiluted, a cup-ish in the bowl when I start cleaning, then I swish it out.  One of these days I'm going to drain the bowl, make a paste of baking soda and water, and really get that thing clean.

3) De-scummer on kitchen/bathroom faucets (use with baking soda for best results).  I did this on my kitchen faucet the other day and oh. my. goodness.  It's so shiny now.  The tub faucet is going to get shined up soon!

4) Floor cleaner.  When I scrub the floors (which is on hands and knees, with a rag), I fill a bucket with hot water, add a cup or so of vinegar, and sometimes a few drops of dish soap and a sprinkling of baking powder.  That helps cut dirt and grease better than plain vinegar-water.

5) As a tub cleaner.  Especially when mixed with baking soda, this is an impressive one.  My tub was VERY soap-scummy.  I sprayed it with the vinegar-water to moisten, sprinkled liberally with baking soda (lovely foaming action!  Just like Scrubbing Bubbles, lol), and then used a sponge with a "scrubby" side to it to scour the tub.  I did this barefoot, in shorts and a t-shirt, and used my foot to do a lot of the work.  Saved my back that way, plus my legs are stronger than my arms!  It worked really well.

6) To remove urine stains from toilet.  This goes with being a toilet/all-purpose cleaner, but the vinegar spray, when used with a little baking soda, whitens those spots on the floor by the toilet like a charm.

7) As a window cleaner.  Just plain vinegar-water, rubbed vigorously with a dry cloth, shines windows and mirrors beautifully.  Newspaper also works wonderfully to dry the windows as well!  Something in the ink (and you must use regular newsprint, not magazine-like paper) helps keep the windows from streaking.  Lovely way to recycle, too!

8) To clean the top of the refrigerator.  I don't know about you, but the top of my refrigerator gets covered in a nasty grime from the combination of dust and grease that floats around the kitchen.  Once again, vinegar spray, a hefty sprinkle of baking powder, and a lot of paper towels got it cleaned right up.  (And in case you look askance at me for using paper towels, I'm in the process of (gradually) transitioning to using more rags.  But I don't have my own washing machine yet.)

9) To clean the rest of the refrigerator!  I did a quick wipe-down of mine the other day with just vinegar-water, and it got a lot of grime and gunk out.  The whole fridge needs a more thorough cleaning, but that will come.  Soon. :)

10) Microwave cleaner.  For those of you who use a microwave, this is SO much quicker than anything else.  Put a cup or so of vinegar in a microwave-safe bowl, add some water, and microwave on high until the mixture boils.  Let it sit for a minute or so before you open the door--the fumes will be strong--but then take it out and quickly wipe out the inside.  Scrubbing should be hardly necessary!

11) Drain freshener/de-clogger.  Pour that hot vinegar down the drain when you're done cleaning the microwave!  You can also pour straight vinegar, and then boiling water, down drains.  It doesn't remove all clogs, but it will clean them and freshen up any nasty smells.

12) Sanitize and freshen kitchen dishrags and sponges.  For a while I was using disposable sponges to do my dishes.  I didn't like how, even when well-rinsed, they'd get smelly after just a couple days.  So I tried soaking one in some vinegar for several hours, and that cleaned it enough to give it a longer usage time.

These are the main ways I use vinegar in my home.  What are some of your favorite cleaning tips and tricks?

a few little things

blessings

Most delicious pork roast ever: rub roast with a little oil and then a mixture of herbes de Provence, garlic (I used powder) and ground pepper.  Massage it into the meat, and then sear in a hot pan until brown on all sides.    Meanwhile, rough-chop one onion, two stalks of celery, four cloves of garlic, and if desired two (large) carrots.  Place in slow-cooker.  Rest browned roast on vegetables, pour 1 1/2 cups water over all, cook on high for five hours.  Bliss.  Plus your house will smell incredible all day.


I realized something: having a clean, organized house actually does make me happier.  I am now even more motivated to finish off my big cleaning list.  I checked a few things off it yesterday: the closet is now reorganized, mostly cleaned up, and mostly decluttered.  A little bit is left for today, and I intend to leave it perfect.  I got rid of a fair bit of trash; it was fantastic.


Apparently my husband really likes it when I sit down with him when he comes home instead of when I keep working.  He actually forced me to sit down and stop cleaning last night.  Then, since we had friends over, my friend Ruth did the dishes so I didn't have to.  I realized something else: when I get into "cleaning mode," it's really hard to stop!

My maternal grandmother called last night.  I get to see her on Friday.  I'm pretty excited.

My mom called this morning.  I also get to see her on Friday.  And my dad, my siblings, and other family and friends.  Can. Not. Wait.


Hubby and I had a fantastic morning.

I am guest-posting again today!!  At a fellow young wife's blog--actually, it's Jami's at Young Wife's Guide.  She's such a lovely lady, and she and her husband just found out last week that they're pregnant with their first baby!!  I am thrilled and honored to be guest posting for her today (and tomorrow, with part 2 of the post).  Stop by Jami's blog to read my post and leave her a little love!


We are so blessed.  I'm so thankful.  God is SO very good.