In an earlier post I spoke about removing pretty much all of my personal care items. Some time has passed and I wanted to give an update as to what is sitting in my shower now.
My only hair care products are now a super simple, coconut oil based conditioner that helps define my curls, it's by Alaffia and I ADORE it. I slick that on my hair, rinse it out, then do a rinse with 1 part apple cider vinegar and about 10 parts water. My hair is fully curling now, has notable length, is stronger and softer than before, and has very little frizz.
My facial care had to revert back to a natural face soap and its matching face lotion, my skin had become a red, pimply mess. And I'm not willing to relive that teenager time of my life!
My soap is still replaced by my dry brush that I use wet. I give my entire body a good scrub using long, even strokes up my legs and down my arms, always moving towards my heart. My skin has never looked so good and felt so healthy. I'm softer and get fewer skin irritations (which have plagued me my entire life). I still use soap on my hands, but even that feels gross :( though I don't plan to stop that part.
My armpits are still graced by absolutely nothing, I get zero complaints and have never gotten a complaint (even during my transition period), so I see no reason to change it. I still anxiously sniff test though, I'm not sure when that will stop. I'm always wondering if anyone smells me, and I ask those around me often. What a conversation starter, right? "Hey, do I smell? Also, nice to meet you."
That's it. That's all the check in you get!
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Household Cleaning Without Feeling Gross as Hell
CLEANING WIPES
I loved commercial cleaning wipes. Loved. Past tense. The incredible amount of harmful chemicals that compromise your immune system and the water supply are terrifying, and not allowed in my home any longer. But I missed the convenience of the counter top wipe, until about 2 weeks ago. I had saved one of those contraband plastic containers and put a quarter of a cup of vinegar, about 10 drops tea tree oil, and a half teaspoon Dr Bronner's soap into it, along with about a half cup of water. I added to that some old (though clean) socks that I had cut from the heel to toe to make flat. I shook the whole experiment up and have been using them for the past couple of weeks. The have disinfecting properties, and soak up messes better than those store bought wipes ever did. I only use them from the container once, then they get set aside. Once I have a nice little stack, I boil water on the stove top and let the sock wipes boil for about 5-10 minutes, strain the hot water and allow to dry, then hang dry and reuse! I love this method.
TOILET CLEANING 101
I hate cleaning the toilet, so I just put a few drops of tea tree oil and lavender oil in the back tank about once or twice a week, give a brief scrub of the inside, and the bowl is clean, mold free (living in apartments, I've moved in and found many a moldy toilet), and smells nice the remainder of the week.
CARPET SHAMPOO THAT REVIVES EVEN THE GROSSEST CARPETS
Apartment living means moving in to find some nasty floors (and countertops, and sinks, and walls), and having pets means even the best owner/renter may come home to the occasional mess. When I bought a carpet shampooer I bought the cleaning specifically made for the machine, but it sucked. Didn't work well enough for me. So I've been playing with different mixtures for optimal cleaning both of new messes and oil stains, and for deodorizing. Now I'm going to give you the best 2 ingredient combo EVER. Washing soda and degreasing dish soap. I have a tiny tanked shampooer, so I put in a half teaspoon dish soap and about a tablespoon of washing soda, fill with hot water, and watch the magic happen. If you've got a some heavy duty deodorizing to do, sprinkling baking soda on the floors first, vacuuming, then shampooing works best. Then, I allow the carpets to dry and vacuum again. Because I'm like that.
Now someone help me figure out the best way to clean my shower! Nothing natural has worked for me thus far and my elbow doesn't seem to be nearly greasy enough.
I loved commercial cleaning wipes. Loved. Past tense. The incredible amount of harmful chemicals that compromise your immune system and the water supply are terrifying, and not allowed in my home any longer. But I missed the convenience of the counter top wipe, until about 2 weeks ago. I had saved one of those contraband plastic containers and put a quarter of a cup of vinegar, about 10 drops tea tree oil, and a half teaspoon Dr Bronner's soap into it, along with about a half cup of water. I added to that some old (though clean) socks that I had cut from the heel to toe to make flat. I shook the whole experiment up and have been using them for the past couple of weeks. The have disinfecting properties, and soak up messes better than those store bought wipes ever did. I only use them from the container once, then they get set aside. Once I have a nice little stack, I boil water on the stove top and let the sock wipes boil for about 5-10 minutes, strain the hot water and allow to dry, then hang dry and reuse! I love this method.
TOILET CLEANING 101
I hate cleaning the toilet, so I just put a few drops of tea tree oil and lavender oil in the back tank about once or twice a week, give a brief scrub of the inside, and the bowl is clean, mold free (living in apartments, I've moved in and found many a moldy toilet), and smells nice the remainder of the week.
CARPET SHAMPOO THAT REVIVES EVEN THE GROSSEST CARPETS
Apartment living means moving in to find some nasty floors (and countertops, and sinks, and walls), and having pets means even the best owner/renter may come home to the occasional mess. When I bought a carpet shampooer I bought the cleaning specifically made for the machine, but it sucked. Didn't work well enough for me. So I've been playing with different mixtures for optimal cleaning both of new messes and oil stains, and for deodorizing. Now I'm going to give you the best 2 ingredient combo EVER. Washing soda and degreasing dish soap. I have a tiny tanked shampooer, so I put in a half teaspoon dish soap and about a tablespoon of washing soda, fill with hot water, and watch the magic happen. If you've got a some heavy duty deodorizing to do, sprinkling baking soda on the floors first, vacuuming, then shampooing works best. Then, I allow the carpets to dry and vacuum again. Because I'm like that.
Now someone help me figure out the best way to clean my shower! Nothing natural has worked for me thus far and my elbow doesn't seem to be nearly greasy enough.
Friday, September 5, 2014
Bucha Brewin Part 3: Fermentation Station
So, you've been given a SCOBY or grew a new one from store bought kombucha, now what? You've got this giant booger in a jar and want to coax it into making a tasty, probiotic rich treat. Well, easier done than said, unlike usual. SCOBYs really want (NEED) caffeine and sugar. So, how I like to do it, and encourage others, is to brew up some of your favorite, high quality black or green tea, while it's still hot add sugar, and allow to cool to room temperature. The measurements don't seem to matter. If you brew stronger tea, it'll taste stronger, if you brew weaker tea, it'll taste weaker. Generally, if you intend to do a second ferment with another liquid (like juice) a stronger tea brew would make sense, so the flavor doesn't become too diluted when you add the secondary liquid. The amount of sugar dictates how long the ferment will take to pucker up. If I add a ton of sugar, it remains sweet for longer, by days or sometimes weeks. If I add less sugar, the ferment get perfect in much less time. And temperature of the fermentation area plays a role, as well. The warmer, the quicker. In the summer, my ferments only take about a week or so before they start puckering up. In the winter, it can take a month before completion.
How can you tell when it's 'right'? It tastes like something you can drink. Some people like it lighter and sweeter, some like it deeply flavored with fermentation. There's no right or wrong. It's about personal preference.
However, be sure to brew with unflavored teas and don't second ferment with your SCOBY. A second ferment is when you add flavor and effervescence. If you expose your SCOBY to flavoring, it can sometimes weaken your SCOBY, and will generally flavor and color your SCOBY, meaning future kombucha brews may end up tasting like pomegranate, cranberry, lavender, or whatever else you like to flavor with. Keep it simple for first ferment: tea, water, and sugar (date sugar, coconut sugar, molasses, etc). Once the kombucha is the flavor you enjoy, remove your SCOBY into another cooled batch of sugared tea to start that process again. With your plain kombucha, you can bottle it and place directly into the fridge and just drink that, or you can get all sorts of fancy with it. I know a guy who pureed watermelon and added that to the kombucha, lidded the bottle loosely, and allowed it to 'second ferment' for a week. The second ferment gives it flavor and allows it to build bubbles. For people intending to go off of soda, this may be the perfect cure. Flavoring can be added and you can immediately refrigerate to slow fermentation though, if you aren't a bubble fan. That's me. I ferment a lighter kombucha, add herbal tea packets, and put into the fridge until I'm ready to drink it.
But be careful! If you leave you bucha out...it'll grow a new SCOBY! Oh, wait. That's a good thing. Your SCOBY will continue to grow and get stronger will you continue to feed her sugar. That opaque booger forming above your existing SCOBY? That's baby SCOBY. They may turn a brownish or tanish or remain clear, but that's a new baby. Hell, if you are drinking your homemade bucha and leave the glass out overnight with a little kombucha still in it, you'll start growing a new baby. Give them away. They proliferate quickly and readily. Spread the SCOBY love.
How can you tell when it's 'right'? It tastes like something you can drink. Some people like it lighter and sweeter, some like it deeply flavored with fermentation. There's no right or wrong. It's about personal preference.
However, be sure to brew with unflavored teas and don't second ferment with your SCOBY. A second ferment is when you add flavor and effervescence. If you expose your SCOBY to flavoring, it can sometimes weaken your SCOBY, and will generally flavor and color your SCOBY, meaning future kombucha brews may end up tasting like pomegranate, cranberry, lavender, or whatever else you like to flavor with. Keep it simple for first ferment: tea, water, and sugar (date sugar, coconut sugar, molasses, etc). Once the kombucha is the flavor you enjoy, remove your SCOBY into another cooled batch of sugared tea to start that process again. With your plain kombucha, you can bottle it and place directly into the fridge and just drink that, or you can get all sorts of fancy with it. I know a guy who pureed watermelon and added that to the kombucha, lidded the bottle loosely, and allowed it to 'second ferment' for a week. The second ferment gives it flavor and allows it to build bubbles. For people intending to go off of soda, this may be the perfect cure. Flavoring can be added and you can immediately refrigerate to slow fermentation though, if you aren't a bubble fan. That's me. I ferment a lighter kombucha, add herbal tea packets, and put into the fridge until I'm ready to drink it.
But be careful! If you leave you bucha out...it'll grow a new SCOBY! Oh, wait. That's a good thing. Your SCOBY will continue to grow and get stronger will you continue to feed her sugar. That opaque booger forming above your existing SCOBY? That's baby SCOBY. They may turn a brownish or tanish or remain clear, but that's a new baby. Hell, if you are drinking your homemade bucha and leave the glass out overnight with a little kombucha still in it, you'll start growing a new baby. Give them away. They proliferate quickly and readily. Spread the SCOBY love.
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