Spring Planting

Spring is definitely here! One of the first, and possibly my favorite, things that happens in the spring is the lilacs bloom. Yay! Right now they are all over my house. In vases of course. Do I have lilacs in my yard? ......... Well, not exactly. lol But, that's another story for another time.

So, with summer right around the corner, Miss M and I got to work starting seeds.

These are our garden boxes. They were built by my dad! So cool. The two large boxes on the right are what we originally started out with. I wish I had pics to show of the process! But, my dad build them and brought them to us. Somehow, with a crazy 18 month old (Miss M), I dug out a hole and tilled up the ground to put in the second box (my dad did the first). Well, after the first year we realized that those two boxes just weren't going to cut it. So over the next two years we have made deals with my dad and my sister and pawned their boxes off of them! lol

M and I started these little mini greenhouse with our seeds that will eventually be in the garden.

The first greenhouse is basil, chamomile, thyme, dill, rosemary, and lemon balm. The second is watermelon,squash, chives, tomatoes, and sage. In hindsight I probably shouldn't have started the watermelon and squash in there. But they were M's seeds, that she picked out, and she really wanted them in there. They're super big already, so I don't know how I will contain them for the next handful of weeks.

Yes, I did just sit in Paint and make this up....... Anyway, this is our garden layout for this year. The circles are potted plants. I already have lettuce coming up in a pot and my mint is already going crazy. We just got our potatoes, carrots, lettuce, onions, and garlic in the ground. Oh, and my strawberries are up too!

DIY bandanna apron- tutorial - super easy!

This is the perfect apron for crafting and gardening! It would also work for cooking and baking, though gardening was my inspiration here. Super simple materials and design make this the perfect project for beginners! This can also be done by machine or hand in under 30 minutes and for under $3!


Items Needed-

1. Bandanna of choice
2. Piece of ribbon long enough to go around waist and tie in back
3. Pins
4. Sewing machine or needle and thread
5. Measuring tape or other measuring device

Ok, let's get started! First lay our your bandanna in the direction you want the pattern to lay. Now, with your bandanna wrong side up, fold down the top about 1/2 inch. If your ribbon is thicker fold it down more. You can iron in place or just pin in place. I just pinned everything without ironing and it still turned out great! After you have it pinned sew a straight line, as close to the original hem line as you can, across the top of the entire bandanna to create a "tube" that you will later put your ribbon through.

Next, with your bandanna right side up, fold up the bottom to create one big pocket. You can make the pocket as deep or as shallow as you like.. Then pin in place. Use your measuring device to put in more pickets. For mine, I measured all the across the bandanna and found 1/3 and 2/3 of the way across and drew abound up the pocket at each point. For mine they were aprox at 7 1/2 inches and 15 inches. You could use a pencil to draw a line if you don't have a disappearing fabric marker but just pinning it will work too.

Sew all the way up both sides of your apron pocket. Then sew up your pocket lines.

To thread your ribbon through the tube you made earlier put a safety pin on the end of your ribbon. This will help you shimmy it through the tube. Once it's through make sure both sides are even. Tie around your waist to find the perfect spot on the ribbon. Carefully take it off and pin the ribbon in place. Sew up the openings on the tube, sewing the ribbon in place.

You did it! A super easy bandanna apron that's super cute too!

*Tips-
1. Use a lighter to heat seal the ends of your ribbon to prevent fraying.
2. You could sew 2 bandannas together before you begin to make a thicker, more heavy duty apron.

Offering Products and Recipes

I have recently had a few people asking about buying finished products. My craft business Two Rusted Hearts will be offering some of the finished products soon. There is a link to our business facebook page on the right. or use this link- www.facebook.com/tworustedhearts

Some of our products I will only, or mostly, be offering samples and the recipe to make them. Items such as the laundry soap and baby wipes featured on my blog will be included in this category. I may soon offer full size of these items for those of you who really don't want to make them. In the long run it would be cheaper for individuals to make their own. However, I realize not all people think making cleaning and bath and beauty products is fun! If you really want to try out these products in full size immediately feel free to get a hold of me. We can work something out!

I am hoping these products will make a great addition to my current business, but, I still want to encourage everyone to try to make and use their own organic , natural, and eco friendly items! My hope is to help you save time and money, all the while taking small steps towards self sustainability and environmental sustainability.

The Many Uses of Castile

I had the pleasure this weekend of helping a family member.  It was an awesome experience for me to share something I am so passionate about and actually be helpful!! Long story short she had some super unruley hair and after one washing with a detoxing baking soda rinse followed by my castile soap shampoo and acv rinse it had already greatly improved. She is just at the VERY beginning stages of detox and transition period but, with her permission, at the end of her transition period I will put up a post about her process. So keep an eye out!

What a great way for me to start off my week! I'd like to give you guys something to start your week off with a bang as well! As most of you know, we have been using castile soap around here for everything. This is a list of the things you can do with castile soap! If you didn't notice I'm pretty excited about it.......I'm a cheapo, ok? So when I find one product, one organic product without ANY chemicals and for a reasonable price, that can be used for SOO many things....Ahhh, score.

1. Shampoo- The obvious 1st choice for my list. A simple recipe for a super simple shampoo can be found in my tutorials or google it! (gotta love google) A great way to detox and get great, shiny, chemical free hair! Not to mention it is hypo allergenic and perfect for those with sensitive skin. Also works for babies and kids! (not tear free! so keep away from their eyes)
2. Body Wash- I have not personally used a body wash recipe yet, but will update when I do. I have however used watered down castile soap or my shampoo to wash my body. I have also used it to spot clean my girls ("Please be chocolate on your face...."). They also have super sensitive skin and have had zero problems. You can use liquid castile watered down or melt down bar castile soap and add water to desired consistency. The 2nd is a great option for those of you who love your creamy body wash.
3. Dish soap- We are new to the dish soap scene. The recipe I have been using is 1 cup liquid castile soap in peppermint, 1/4 cup hot water, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/8 cup of vinegar, 5 drops peppermint essential oil. This recipe does not foam (remember people, suds does not equal clean!), but getting used to no foam is hard. An option for the foam lovers out there- a foaming soap pump. This also helps so that you don't over use your soap. We have had no problems other than the no foam, our dishes come out clean and smelling great, no water spots so far.
4. Laundry soap- Another personal fave. You can also find the recipe in my tutorials. I have not tried different scents yet because I'm loving washing all of our clothes together. (instead of baby R's separate) Also we have had no adverse skin reactions! In a house of sensitive skinned people that is quite a success. We use powder, but liquid can be made easily as well. Clothes come out clean and soft with out the use of fabric softener.
5. Baby wipes/ cosmetic wipes- Recipes found in my tutorials. With all the chemicals in EVERYTHING, I was so glad to find this recipe for baby wipes. I know my baby is clean and chemical free.
6. Car Wash- Yup, even your car can use castile! We just tried this out last week. In a large pail or bucket fill with warm water. Add a few squirts of castile soap and 1/4 cup of washing soda. Mix it up. Give it a feel. Once again it will not be sudsy but you will feel the soap in it. Feel free to add more soap if you need to. Using a soft cloth, or rag or brush meant for car cleaning, scrub your ride down. Be sure to rinse as you wash to avoid weird dried spots. We also waxed after we washed, but, the wash worked just as well if not better than any other car wash liquid or soap we have ever used.
7. Tooth paste- Yup, tooth paste. I dare ya to try it! I won't lie, I have not had the cojones to try this one yet.....soap, in my mouth? I don't swear THAT much. lol But honestly, I have gotten a little bit of soap from my shampoo on my face and near my mouth and it almost tasted sweet. So, maybe, just maybe, this wouldn't be horrible. I'll let ya know!
8. Pet wash- Make a wash similar to shampoo, about equal parts soap and water. If you have a particularly smelly pet use more soap! Or add in some essential oils. As of right now, you probably have seen, we only have chickens and a cat.......I will not be bathing any of them any time soon. The last time Shug got a bath? Nick had the battle scars to prove it.
9. Hand Soap- Take an old foaming hand soap pump and put in equal parts soap and water. You can even do less soap and more water. This stuff is SUPER concentrated, don't worry - you will still get just as clean! And this is coming from a germ freak, so take heart. The foam pump will give you a nice lather and make it last a long time!
10. Cleaning products- A small squirt on a rag or sponge can be used to clean counter tops, sinks, tables, etc. You can also add a few squirts to a spray bottle of distilled water for spot cleaning! 1-3 tbs in a sink or bucket of water makes the perfect mopping solution.
11. Face wash- A couple drops of castile soap is the perfect all natural, organic, chemical free face wash. My trusty honey has been serving me well, but with planting season upon us I have been getting extra sweaty (cute right?) during the day. I have been washing once a day with castile soap on the extra sweaty days. It has been great, not clogging my pores, not drying me out or making me oily.

Ok, so this was supposed to be a 10 point list but I couldn't leave out the face wash. So you get 11. This week, I challenge you guys to go out and give at least one of these a try! You can get castile soap at your local health food/ vitamin store. I also hear that Target sells dr bronners is multiple sizes, including a small travel size. I also get mine from http://www.swansonvitamins.com/ (as well as my essential oils and other natural ingredients)

P.S. If you live near me, or know me personally, get a hold of me! I'd love to send ya home with a little bit of castile so you can give it a try!

You naughty chickens.....

In the past week we have been doing all kinds of yard work. It has been absolutely beautiful here. Nick got our garden boxes all tilled up and all our garden beds all cleaned out. Most of our flowers are all coming up and we have even been getting ready to put potatoes in the ground. BUT, the chickens......Oh how they love dirt.

 The constant pecking and scratching? Cute. The bawking they do all morning until we let them out (spoiled brats)? Cute. The way they run away when I try to catch them, as if I wanted to eat them.....? Cute. The kicking of the mulch out of ALL of my flower beds all over the yard? Even that is slightly adorable. But,  as soon as I put in two rows of lettuce today, they thought it was a free for all! ERR darn chickens! What exactly makes a freshly planted and watered garden spot any different from all of the other garden beds In a chickens eyes? I will probably never know, but each one of those dern chickens went right for that newly sewn plot! I chased them away in vain, only for them to return time and time again.

After another trip to the farm supply store- we returned home with fence posts, chicken wire, steel pipes, and a plan. We are going to designate a chicken area. They will still have a good little plot of land but not be able to get any where near my garden! We will still have a gate on the fence so they can come out to the rest of the yard when we can monitor them. Unfortunately, until my dad can come with the rest of our needed items and his help, they will have to be kept pinned up. Lucky for them, I found the best thing!  A chicken toy! Chicken toy- $3. Look on husbands face when he realized I was buying the chickens a TOY- priceless!

So, the idea that the aforementioned chicken toy would keep them busy was a little un realistic. They bawked their pretty little heads off all morning until nick said "Babe, we can't let them do that all day!" lol Ok,ok, so they were let out and once again my gardening was put on hold. Luckily my dad came that night and helped put up the fence.

They got a late start, so as you can see it was a bit dark while they were working......and rainy and muddy...... but none the less, the job got done. I have to say I was a bit worried about the look of chicken wire and steel posts in my back yard, but all together it turned out pretty good. Thanks dad!!

 

 

And, not to be forgotten- the chicken toy! It was not enough to keep them busy when they were COOPED up (pardon the pun) but once they were set free they loved it! HA!

TGC- Bug Spray

It's that time of year again. Time for bugs. Yuck

 Well, before you go spraying you and your family down with DEET read this- According to the EPA, while it is approved, it is also know to cause soreness, rashes,and blistering to the skin,and it is a known eye irritant.There are also 18 different cases of kids with adverse neurological effects from DEET,and even more , the deaths of 2 adults has been blamed on DEET. There are also a handful of cases in which psychological effects, dizziness, headaches, nausea, and "numb, burning lips" were present. (Check out the CDC website and the ATSDR, agency for toxic substances and disease registry, for more info- even these guys know its bad)  In lab tests, rats have shown adverse reactions as well- diffuse brain cell death and behavioral changes. Birds and fish are also effected negatively by DEET. It is toxic to these animals and is found in about 75% of our water sources. What can you do? Make your own natural bug spray!

I found this recipe on http://www.wellnessmama.com/ , as well as other great recipes and info!

Chelsea's Bug Spray-

• Empty spray bottle ( I used an old hair spray bottle, not the aerosol kind!)
• Essential oils- I used citronella, lemongrass, and lavender
• Natural Witch Hazel
• Boiled or distilled water
• Vegetable glycerin - this is optional

In your bottle mix half water and half witch hazel ( I used lavender scented witch hazel). Leave room for the glycerin and oil.

Add 1/2 tsp of glycerin (optional)

Now add 30-60 drops of oils. The more you use, the stronger the scent. I did about 20ish drops of citronella, 20ish drops of lemongrass, and 10ish drops of lavender. This is not an exact science, obviously, so get a scent you can live with.

Shake it up.

Apply about every 30 minutes you are outside, the smell is strong when you first apply but will fade, because natural bug sprays tend to wear off much quicker. Also, shake it up before use, if you haven't used it in awhile.

I was getting eaten alive. Well, my feet were anyway. Already, this early in the season! And feet bites, ugh, the worst! I have been applying my bug spray every time before I go outside and I have not had another bite yet! I also put some on M, who has very sensitive skin, and she had no adverse reactions AND no bites.

TGC- Shampoo

Let me start off by saying that I have come to realize something about myself. I am a cluster poster. With the kids, the crafts, and all the new season plating, etc, my mommy brain is in overload. So let me apologize for gaps in between posts, hopefully I can make it up with clusters of posts when I do get a chance to sit down!

Shampoo. So much to say, so little time. I can bet though, that every single one of you uses it.

Since so many other posts, and so many posts to come, will talk about the chemicals and how they are bad for us, I'm going to try to simply this. Once again, the chemicals in your shampoo and conditioner get on your scalp and get into your skin, thus getting into your bloodstream. But with shampoo and conditioner this isn't the only problem that commercial products can cause. (Did you know that shampoo hasn't been around forever? Shocking, I know.)

In a very short rendition this is what went down- People used to use all kinds of things to clean their hair, from Native Americans using plants and other land based items, to pioneers and almost modern day folks using soap. Commercial soap was the way to go, up until households started getting running water. Slowly but surely everyone had water, hard, alkaline water. The water coming from the pipes worked differently with the soap and caused the hair to become hard, crunchy, and nasty. Shampoo was born. It can be used with any type of water and does the same job.

Note, I did not say a GOOD job. Sure, sure, you feel clean and fresh after shampooing, but do you know why? Or, have you noticed that the more you shampoo the more you NEED to? Or, that every time you shampoo and don't condition your hair feels horrid?

Well, here's why- Besides all of the nasty chemicals (like propylene glycol, alcohol,, sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance and many more), the shampoo strips your hair of all of the natural oils as it cleans. Oils our hair needs to stay strong and soft. So to compensate, conditioner puts synthetic oils and shineing agents back onto our heads. Yup, that's right, everything about your beloved hair is synthetic. That word got me. I always thought I had nice, straight, shiny hair. But as it turns out, I was wrong.

With shampoo and conditioner I had nice shiny straight hair. With just shampoo I have clean, dry, straight hair. But, with my homemade shampoo, I have nice, thick, shiny, and slightly wavy hair. (which I usually straighten, lol, go figure)

Don't get scared now. You did read correctly. I said homemade shampoo. If you think that's scary, look up the no 'poo method, now that's some scary stuff. I don't doubt it works wonderfully, but I am not yet ready to give up on my soap. So, once again I go to my trusty organic castile soap. This is the recipe I use for a weeks worth-

1/2 cup castile soap

1/2 cup of water ( I use coffee -more on that later)

1/4 tsp grape seed oil

Mix it all together, put it into an old shampoo bottle and voila, shampoo. You will notice this is basically liquid. I just kinda dump it on my head, but you will be amazed at the sudsing action. And they use no sudsing agents. If you use something other than water, (tea, coffee, etc) put your 'poo in the fridge until you need it.

A funnel really helps! 

My little bro test smelling one of the shampoos we made

Ah, if only it had been that easy. Don';t get me wrong, the recipe- super easy, the cost- minimal, but the results- iffy. At least at first anyway. It has been about two weeks and these are my findings-

It took about 4 days for my hair to adjust- everyone will have an adjustment period, where your hair gets back to the real normal. This could mean you have super oly hair (like me) or super dry, but t wll even out soon!

I can not use other shampoo recipes that use lots of different oils because I have very naturally oily hair.

I have to use a dark liquid instead of water (coffee or sage "tea") because I have dyed hair (ya, ya, a talk about chemicals, I know, I know) So the coffee helps keep my color in. I found that I was loosing my color fairly quickly with out this.

I MUST use the Apple cider vinegar rinse. ( 2 tbsp of ACV in about 2 cups of water.) This acts as a conditioner. You just rinse it through your hair after you shampoo. I rinse it out very well, to help with the smell, but you don't have to. However, I have not found a way to make it not smell like ACV. Some people say they don't smell it at all after they rinse, but, I have had someone tell me it smells like baby puke. (Thanks mom) The smell is pretty much gone once your hair is dry but if you blow dry or use heat products (straightener, etc) you will smell it a little more.

I can now let my hair air dry and it is still manageable, its actually much more manageable. It drys pretty quickly With the commercial shampoo it would take forever to air dry.

After 2 weeks, my hair is soft and basically back to "normal." It is shiny, styles easily, with out ANY products I might add!, and looks and feels great. I also don't feel like I have any product build up, my hair feels light even though it is thick. Also, I have not had one person say "Hey, you look different!/" Which to me, is a success. lol

Nick has only used my shampoo once. I think hes too scared to see what his natural hair is like. (it will be curly as crap lol) He also hates the smell of the ACV, so hes being a whiner about it. We'll see what happens when we run out of his precious shampoo and conditioner........

So, if you aren't too scared you little chickens, give it a try! The up front cost of the ingredients is about $15. More than your traditionally cheap commercial stuff, but there are a million uses for castile soap! You will also make a ton of shampoo from one bottle of castile soap. And, with everything I talk about, you get to be chemical free! For me, even if this was a more expensive option (which it definitely isn't) I wold continue doing it. I feel so much better about my hair now. I am, however, still lookng for a way to make that ACV smell better. I'll let ya know if I figure it out.

Farm Fresh Easter Eggs!!

We officially have layers! Each of our girls is now laying. It's so cool, but what to do with all the eggs?! I've been eating them like crazy. (They are definitely 20xs better than any store bought egg I've ever had. Even the free range organic ones.) We've been using them for cooking too. I have a feeling soon we will be giving some away!

As you can see we get 3 different sizes and colors of eggs. I was a bit worried about the dying process because of their darker color.But  M and I made up the colors and set up the table.

M went to town coloring. Nick and I did a couple too.

                                                                 Baby R was quite amused with the situation.

Surprisingly they turned out great! We collectively agreed the colors are much more vivid and have cooler hues than the traditional white eggs.

** P.S. Super fresh hard boiled eggs are super hard to peel. lol BUT, if you can manage to get the shell off with out loosing all of the egg white, they are DELICIOUS. The most creamy yolk you will ever have!

TGC- Homemade baby wipes!!

I know what you're thinking. Why MAKE baby wipes? When every grocery, department, and convenience store under the sun carries them? Not to mention they're cheap. I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear  that they too are filled with chemicals. As I said in an earlier post the first ingredient in baby R's wipes - propylene glycol. This chemical has been proven in scientific studies to cause liver damage, kidney problems, and skin problems (rashes, etc). There is also alcohol in most wipes. Fragrance is another big one. Fragrances can have up to 1000 individual chemicals in them and they don't have to disclose what they are using because of the trade secret laws. There are so many other chemicals with so many other possible side effects. Check out cosmeticdatabase.com . You can look up each individual ingredient in your wipes, even cosmetic wipes, and see just how dangerous they are. For our babies, who are even more susceptible to these chemicals, I suggest making your own wipes! These can also be used for taking off make up! And don't forget, I'm all about cheap and easy!!

You will need-

1. Paper towels. A good brand with nice thick towels. (I know, not exactly eco friendly, but most of us are too lazy for cloth wipes)

2. A container- I used an empty coffee tub, but Tupperware would work nicely.

3. Castile soap

4. Coconut oil

5. A sharp knife

First you need to cut your paper towel roll in half. Use a sharp knife but not a serrated one. It will cause all kinds of fuzzies on your roll. After you cut it pick off any fuzz you see. Now find your container. These will smoosh into much smaller containers then you would think. But you can use anything you have handy. Now in your container mix 2 cups of warm water, a couple of squirts of castile soap ( I used Dr. Bronners baby mild), and a spoon full (aprox. 1 tablespoon) of coconut oil. If your oil is solid the warm water should melt it down. You could also use jojoba, olive, grape seed, or another light oil. Give it a little stir. Place your paper towel, cut side down, in your container and put the lid on. Flip the container upside down and let it sit at least 5 minutes.

Do not try this before the 5 minutes is up, waiting longer will help this next step. Flip it back over and take off the lid. Carefully take out the center cardboard roll, do not do this before this step! The roll holds the towels together and keeps the start in place. After you have the roll out grab the first paper towel on the inside and pull it up, this is the start of your wipes. It's that simple! Keep them covered. These should last a few weeks to a month, but each person will have individual results depending on environment. You could also add some vitamin e (1-2 capsules) to help slow deterioration. Vitamin E is an antioxidant and acts as a preservative. I wouldn't make up to many tubs ahead of time. Also, you can throw some in a baggie or travel wipes case for your diaper bag!

Cost break down-

Paper towels- $3 for a pack of 2. (makes 4 wipes rolls)

Container- re purposed, free

Castile soap- 1 squirt per tub- aprox. 50 cents (Big exaggeration)

Coconut oil- 1 tbs. per tub- aprox. 50 cents (another big exaggeration)

Total Cost of 4 packs of wipes- $4 or $1 each.

Cost of chemical laden, harsh, commercial baby wipes - $5 for a pack of 3 store brand wipes or or $1.67 each.

You can save money and give yourself some peace of mind, your baby isn't getting wiped down with a slew of chemicals.

Topical Trouble- and another baby step towards chemical free products

Our skin is our largest organ. It absorbs everything that is put onto it and takes it directly to the bloodstream.. The good and the bad. Its so good at absorbing that some medicines are applied topically to quicken the absorbtion process. Think birth control patches,nicotine patches, anti fungal and anti biotic creams. Now think about everything that you put on your skin everyday. Here's my routine starting from morning to night-

Wash my face (facial soap)

Shower (body wash, shaving cream, shampoo)

Moisturize (facial lotion, body lotion)

Deodorant

Make up (foundation, blush, bronzer, eyeliners, mascara)

That is on an average day. Some days there could be more- such as foot lotion or tanning lotion. Remember all those chemicals? Well, each of these products are chalk full of them.

One thing I really want people to know about is "fragrance." These are protected under the trade secret law. What that means for us is that they do not have to disclose what they are putting in their "fragrance," nor are those ingredients regulated. Each fragrance can have tons of chemicals in it, up to 1,000 even. And to make matters worse, literally everything we use has fragrance in it. Some side effects of the most common chemicals in fragrances - asthma, dizziness, reproductive problems and birth defects, allergies, immunotoxies, headaches, and skin discoloration to name a few.

Another scary one- Propylene Glycol and Butylene Glycol- Found in BABY WIPES, shampoos, cleaners, deodorants, and more. According to the EPA these chemicals are so toxic that they say contact with the skin can cause brain, liver, and kidney abnormalities. Some companies use these two ingredients in VERY high quantities. For example,  baby R's wipes, the first ingredient is propylene glycol.

SLS- or sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate. This is in shampoos, conditioners, hair spray, creams, facial soaps, etc.

In lab tests animals, especially young, experienced eye and skin irritation, hair loss, immune system damage and even death. Once absorbed by the skin it can stay in your organs for a lifetime.

Parabens- known as Methylparaben, Probylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben and Benezylparaben. All parabens should be avoided. They are in most skin creams, shampoos, make up and bubble bath. These are hormone disruptor and have been linked to breast cancer and heart problems.

You will see a lot about lab tests and animal testing with all of the harmful chemicals. Another reason to go natural, organic, and homemade- NO ANIMAL TESTING. Why? Because it isn't needed!

The baby step for this post?- HONEY. Yup, real, edbile, made by bees, honey. Go buy yourself a jar of 100% organic RAW honey. It may be a little shocking at first, it is not the liquid form most of us are used to seeing. It is a solid, paste like consistency. However, it tastes the same as "regular" honey and can be used the same. Added bonus of honey- shelf life of forever.

This honey is soon to be a staple in your homes. For now though lets keep it simple. Face wash.

This may sound crazy, but, give it a try before you knock it. Honey face wash. Not honey mixed with anything, just plain ol raw honey.

I have been trying this out for 4 days now. I simply wash off my make up with a warm rag, apply the honey, let it sit for about 2 minutes then rinse off with the warm rag. Before beginning this experiment my skin on my forehead was oily and broken out, my nose was breaking out with blackheads and my chin and cheeks were extremely dry and scaly. Basically I had crazy pre-pregnancy hormone ravaged skin. In the just 4 days since I have been using honey only my skin has improved a TON! All of my blemishes I had have healed, I only have 1 new pimple (as apposed to the 1-2 new ones I was getting a day), my forehead has hardly any sheen to it (a lot less oily) and my chin and cheeks are almost completely scale free. The dryness disappearing has been my favorite part. After washing with face wash my skin got so tight and nasty, and it would peel. I  am pleased to say all of my skin on my face is extremely soft now! Including my eye brows.....I'm not sure why you would want soft eye brows, but I don't know what your into. :P And if you are worried about t getting into your hair- I have not had a problem with this yet, I just pull my hair back and don't apply it right at my hair line, in the places it has got in my hair the warm rag takes it right out. I will post an update in a week or so with extended results!

So the next TreeGals challenge?-Raw Honey Face Wash! Give t a try! Let me know your results!

TreeGals Super Easy Powder Laundry Soap

One baby step towards a greener future? Homemade laundry soap. Anyone can do this. No joke. and by the way, its cheap!

There are a ton of recipes out there. This one is super simple, has only three ingredients, and costs about $12 max to make. That initial $12 will make one batch, after that it will cost you about $2 to make each ( about 5+ additional  batcs. Let me explain- You need three primary ingredients. Borax, Washing Soda- not to be confused with baking soda, and Soap. The first two ingredients can be found at most grocery stores (walmart,hyvee,county market) in the laundry aisle. The last item soap- you need a bar soap. There a few that are recommended. The best, I believe, is castile soap. Kirk's castile bar soap is readily available at places like walmart and hyvee. Dr. Bronners castile bar soap can be found at most health food stores. This is what I use. Currently I am using a baby mild version (baby R). You can also use Ivory I hear.

Yup, just three ingredients. Nothing scary. Here's a break down-

Washing soda-  , used as a water softener, it is  mined in several areas of the United States and provides nearly all the domestic sodium carbonate. Now, even though this is a mineral it can still be harmful if swallowed or can cause skin irritations if used improperly. Sodium carbonate.

Borax- Sodium borate, a laundry booster, naturally occurring in evaporite deposits produced by the repeated evaporation of  seasonal lakes. Also a mineral, also potentially harmful in large doses if ingested.

Castile soap- vegetable oil-based soap, as opposed to animal fat based soap (like most commercial products), most commonly a mixture of olive oil,coconut oil, and hemp oil, gentle on the skin.

Step 1- Grate your soap!

Grate your entire bar. FYI this s kind of hard work (hence the use of "The Muscle"). So be prepared, and get a good grater.

Next mix together the soap shavings, 1 cup of borax, and 1 cup of washing soda. Stir together until you have a thoroughly mixed powder.

And your done! That's it. Super simple. You use 1 tbs per load, for extra large loads or heavily soiled loads use 2tbs.So the initial $12 gets you a big box of borax and washing soda and one bar of soap. That batch should last  1 1/2-4 weeks depending on your family size and amount of laundry. Lately we've  have been using 2tbs per load (super spit up baby R with her reflux and Miss M has a super puke problem- ask me about it sometime) with our "heavy soil" and doing one-two loads per day. Ugh, when will the laundry end?! So one batch lasts us approximately 1-2weeks. for each additional load you will only need to buy a bar of soap. At least for your next 5+ batches.It beaks down to about $4 per batch give or take a couple dollars depending on brand and place of purchase for each ingredient.

Our laundry comes out super clean and soft (without the use of fabric softener). It just smells clean, not fragrant clean as I am using the unscented bar. Plus, no side effects on my family members- they all have super sensitive skin and can't use certain commercial brands.

Cheap, easy, fun, and better for your family! Give it a try! I'd love to hear your opinions.

*Tips-

1. Use a scented bar soap or mix of different scented soaps to find a smell you like

2. Add baking soda for additional cleaning power

3. Keep in an old coffee can or yogurt tub - even more eco friendly!

Variations of Jorts- a tutorial (plus easy patch tutorial)

Ah, the jort. (also known as jean shorts)

With spring and summer right around the corner I'm sure jorts have crossed your mind. This is a tutorial for creating 3 different kinds of jorts from jeans you already have or can purchase at a good will, salvation army, or other thrift store  for next to nothing. These are super easy to make! Anyone can do it! And what a great way to recycle and sport some eco friendly garb!

Your supplies- Old jeans, an iron, scissors, a marker (fabric marker or washable marker, pencil works also), some measuring device, pins (needle and thread if you will be hand stitching) and a sewing machine. Optional- denim colored thread.

STEP 1- Put on your soon to be jorts and mark with your marker or pencil the length you want them to be. Be sure to add an inch or more for the cuff depending on what style you want to make.

One word- sexy. LOL. These are a pair of Nick's old jeans.

These men's jeans are cut into Bermuda style shorts

Once you have your jeans cut (measure the lengths of each of the legs with cuff folded) to be sure they match up.

These women's jeans are cut into regular short shorts. Pictured here is a hole covered with a patch. To patch a hole really simply just cut a piece of the discarded leg fabric big enough to cover the hole. Pin it on the wrong side of the hole .

These were also men's jeans, they are cut into short shorts and folded at the bottom and top. These are the simplest to make. You could also do this with a pair of women's jeans that are a size or so too big. These are basically finished, except for a small stitch at the bottom cuff to hold t in place. The reason for the top roll is because men's jeans have a super long crotch.....LOL....so to reach a half way complementing fit the roll is necessary. (Unless of course you want to get into alterations :S) Once you get your desired look iron

into place.

 

These are the Bermuda style jorts. These men's jeans had a slightly shorter crotch but still fit best with a small roll at the top. Because they are much to big I chose to fold down the front and sew all the way around (creating an unbuttoned look, while staying securely in place)  Fold to desired look,iron and pin.

Next super easy sewing steps- For any patches, sew around the outside of the patch on the inside of the jeans (with jeans inside out). If you want a neater looking patch cut the patch more to shape. Carefully snip off any stringies on the hole then l,ace the more fitted patch on the inside of the hole, pin and sew it on, using the hole as an outline. a zig zag stitch works well, but even hand stitched straight lines will work.

Next I sewed all the way around the fold on the top of the jeans. This would probably not be completely necessary, however, I didn't want to have to worry about keeping them folded.

After each cuff is folded and ironed flat I sewed, at the outside seam and at the inseam, a small straight stitch to help hold the cuff in place.

The "only folded" men's jeans. Less than glamorous but will be just fine for working outside this summer!

The women's jeans- notice to two patched holes on the legs

One of the quick and easy "patches." This way of patching keeps the holey look with out showing any skin.

Ok, these are my favs- The men's jeans into Bermuda shorts. **These cuffs I did not sew. They have a double folded cuff for a more clean look.

Front of the Bermudas (ignore the dirty mirror.)

See! Super easy! If you have any questions feel free to contact me.

 I'd love to see any homemade jorts you sport!

EGGS!!!!

OK, it's official- We got eggs!!!!

OK,   more like we have egg. But still! Super exciting day here at the punk farm! I believe our first egg layer is Noodle. A decent sized egg too. I found it this afternoon (after I heard loud squawking coming from the coop). I ran and got M to show her. I'm proud to say she was equally excited.



Up close of the first poopy egg.

As I said before they enjoy pooping in the nests. So, we had to wash the egg. If eggs are not dirty when collected they can go straight to the fridge if you so desire. When eggs are laid they have a coating called "bloom" that helps keep out the nasties. But, if you do need to wash your eggs there are many different ways to go about it.  Read up and chose what works best for you. I simply washed the egg in water warmer than the egg it self and dried it with a paper towel. (don't use cold water)

I wish I could have fried it up now, but we will wait for Nick to be home to taste test it with us!

Coop Clean Out

So remember that snow? Well, its all gone. It's a beautiful 70 degrees today.

So, with the now much warmer weather, me and M decided to do a coop clean out.

All in all it took about 10 minutes (and only that long because I had to fight the 30 mph wind gusts) and it gave me a chance to chase the girls around the yard trying to get a picture. I only wish I would have had another person there to take a picture of me, running around the yard in a crouched position with my camera. Had to be quite a sight.

Anyway, what you will need-

1.Gloves

2.Boots

3.Plastic bag,Bucket,Basket, etc.

4.Replacement bedding (straw,hay,chips,etc.)

Boots- because its probably going to be muddy and ultimately poopy. Any old shoes will also work.

Gloves- unless of course you want to pick poop up with your bare hands....and for those of you still scared to touch your chickens.

Container of your choice- to put all the poop and bedding in.

The first thing I dd, after letting the birds out, was clean out and refill the food and water containers. Next, I removed all the old soiled bedding from the nest boxes, being sure to pick up all of the extra poop. Then I dumped all of the "manure" (I prefer 'poop') from the manure box under their roost into my bag. You may have to scrape any caked on or wet poop. A putty knife,paint scraper, or stick works well for this. I just used a small twig and threw it into my bag when I was done.

After replacing the manure box I replaced all of the bedding- Nice clean nest boxes.

As of right now our run floor is just dirt. They have pretty well dug up/ate all the vegetation that was there. Because of the cold, and the shock of the move, they have been spending most of their time in the house and nest boxes. Ultimately pooping all over inside and leaving the outside fairly clean. Eventually I will place some form of bedding on the dirt (wood chips,straw,hay? Not sure yet) and changing and/or cleaning that up would be the next step. Because their run was basically clean I just picked up the poop I dd see.

The start of this years compost! -

Next is a trip out to your compost bin. Everything you picked up (including any lingeringg kitchen scraps - not meat or processed foods) can now be taken to your bin. I've  been saving "browns" to add when I added my first batch of chicken manure. Chicken poop is very high in nitrogen and needs to be balanced out with plenty of browns (carbon). About a 2:1. Pictured here is chicken poop, dry leaves, hay, old cut up newspaper, cut up toilet paper rolls, dryer lint, and a twig or two. 

And you're done! Pretty easy huh? I would suspect that caring for a flock of more than a handful could be quite a bit more complicated.

Lucky for us urban farmers 3-6 is common flock size. One grocery store plastic bag full of poop and bedding is all you should have to worry about with each clean (every 1-2weeks).

Last step? Let your assistant enjoy the unseasonably warm weather!

Bonus points if she amuses the resident watch dog.