How to get rid of the stickiness under stickers or labels

You know that stickiness that lays behind stickers/labels that you cannot get off without scrubbing your heart out and even then its still sticky?!?!

This is my little cookies bunk bed frame that we got for free! But it came with half ripped off boys stickers...

Of course with the rest of this blog and my life I am trying to stay away from chemicals so "goo-gone" is out of the question. Plus I can save a couple dollars by NOT buying more stuff!

Baking soda to the rescue!!! Well that and coconut oil. Or any oil for that matter...
Baking soda has natural abrasives that removes the stick so the oil can loosen everything up!

Thats it! Equal parts coconut oil and baking soda, mix together and rub on sticky area. I let it sit for about 5 min then wiped it off!

This works for all things sticky, glass jars that you want to reuse or peeling stickers on your vacuum!

Happy de-stickafying!!!

To buy or to not buy Organic

Are you considering going organic?? Our family has made the switch!

Price: So far we have learned that organic lemons, kale, and spinach is almost always cheaper then non-organic. Red, green and yellow peppers are almost double the price as non-organic and everything else is negotiable.

Routine: Some people say its a lot of work to find all organic foods as you need to go to one place for meat and another for fruits and veggies and another for the extras. We have also changed our routine from buying all groceries at the store to going to our local farmers market for meats, fruits and veggies and an egg lady that comes every 2 weeks to our home. We have also started the process to have a hopefully luscious garden in our backyard.

Not-So-Secret List of fruits and veggies you should buy Organic:

Apples

Celery

Peppers

Peaches

Strawberries

Nectarines

Grapes

Spinach

Lettuce

Cucumbers

Blueberries

Potatoes

Green beans

Safety: I wonder how safe or natural it is to use pesticides on foods. They spray produce during each stage of growth and in turn absorbing a toxic chemical that kills every other thing on that farm except the one growing produce. Pesticides are chemically engineered to kill everything but that one plant. There is no way that could be good for me or my family's health so we have gone organic and are purchasing many foods locally.

Environmental Impact: Buying local increases local farming which has decreased significantly within the last 20 years thanks to the large corporations and manipulation. Large companies that are Genetically Modifying foods seed spread (like normal plants do) and contaminates other natural farmers crops. Once they are found with these crops that now have the genes from the GM crops they are sewed and put out of business. The next part of environmental impact is that these foods are being picked before they are actually ripe (about 1-2 weeks) and chemicals are put on them to help them travel great distances. Pollution is also another thing to consider as many foods are put through a large corporation then travel by plane from one truck to another truck to your grocery store.

Happy natural pesticide-free eating!

Vitamix intro into our Whole Foods life

We have just discovered the Vitamix. Well not just. We picked it up the end of December... If you haven't heard of it before you can go checkout there site. It is everything they promise and MORE!

Whats in here? Banana, Kale, strawberries, blueberries, apples, coconut oil, an orange and pineapple!

We purchased this about a month ago with healthy living in mind. Hoping it would help increase our green food intake and promote our whole food beliefs. We were right!

I use it every day! Most days twice! I make a smoothy in the morning before work and after work if I work into the evenings instead of eating a big meal before bed. Or if I feel like a snack in the middle of the day I will make one then too!

Before the Vitamix it was impossible to get my future hubby to eat the full amount of servings of fruit and veggies every day. Now, a piece of cake! Well... not cake, veggies! HA-HA-HA

Don't get me wrong, I love eating fruits and veggies not blended. Its very important for your teeth and gums to eat crunchy foods to strengthen the ligament around the teeth and also to help self cleanse your teeth. (Wow, just my little burst of dental info for you) But if you aren't getting enough just eating veggies and fruit that way then this is a great boost up! I also personally believe we should be eating more then what is recommended based on Canada's food guide or the US food guide. Go check out what the healthiest people are based on diet!

This one has banana, orange, strawberries, apples, carrots, kale, blueberries, pineapple and coconut oil.

This thing (Vitamix) is unbelievable! I put in apples cut in half (seeds and stem), grapes (including the vine), entire oranges and it blends it up so fine you cannot feel a single seed, texture or anything! I make my own homemade almond flour, coconut flour, peanut butter, and ice cream now!

The other morning our little cookie asked for orange juice with breakfast so I put in a whole orange, blended it for no longer then 1 min, added water, blended again for another min and voila homemade orange juice! It does not get fresher then that! Our little girl loves strawberry banana smoothies (with kale and coconut oil). Best way to sneak in known 'super foods'.

Now we have upgrated to 'green smoothies'!! Even little one likes the green smoothies now. Don't start with green smoothies right away, start your tastebuds out with fruit and a few veggies  :)

This is not only keeping more chemicals out of our foods (by not buying things in containers or pre-made) it is also much cheaper and fun/good to know for children understanding what they are eating!

Happy healthy Vitamixing!

DIY Glass Cozy

We have a family of 3 and no dishwasher (well except me). Family that lives downstairs, and friends and family that come over at least 5 times a week.

When people come over the most common request is a drink. We have water at our house which looks the same in all of our same looking cups. I was washing cups every day like it was going out of style. So I came up with an idea to decrease cup use!

Everyday one person is allowed one glass. How do we keep them straight? Glass Cozies!

I picked out different fabric colours and styles that I had at home, first for my family then for friends. It is a loop of fabric with an elastic band sewn inside the fabric. I just measured the width around our glasses and added some extra fabric to give the scrunchy look.

This has solved all my dishwashing problems! I no longer have to wash 6 glasses when there were only 3 people home.

Happy homemade living!

Cloth Napkins vs Paper Towels

Cloth napkins vs paper towel... That is the real question.

Do you know how many paper towels are used in your house every month? Me neither... Until I counted... I buy my paper towel at Costco I think packages of 12. We used that package in 8 months... 

Whats all the hullaballoo?

Consider this, you'll probably use thousands and thousands of rolls, which is equivalent to an entire forest. Imagine a local forest that you've walked through being completely cut down just for paper towels! It isn't just trees that are being consumed, its the entire process of making them including chemicals that go into it. To increase absorbency, they've been subjected to dioxins and other ingredients (the process isn't disclosed on the roll of paper towels). They are also bleached to give them their white colour. The dangers of chlorine bleach have been well documented. Infants and toddlers are especially vulnerable to the effects of chlorine bleach. Finally, they can take up to a year to decompose but then again remember the chemicals that go into the process of making them? It is leaking into the water system and causing harmful effects.

For me and my family this was a no brainer and a simple fix! 

I went out and purchased some organic terry cloth and flannel for reusable cloth napkins. I purchased it with my Fabricland membership on the back isle that only cost $3 per meter and matching thread of course! 

I cut out 10" x 12" rectangles. I probably cut 30 of each. Then sewed right sides together close to the edges.

Make sure you leave a 2 inch opening to flip the fabric. 

 After flipping the fabric, tuck the opening in and iron flat.

Then top stitch along the edge. This makes a BIG difference! (I made 2 different colours so don't be confused...)

I wrapped them around a paper towel holder for the meantime but I think I would like to add snaps so they can be laid more evenly.

The man only started using them once I tucked the paper towel away. We have had them for 2 months now and we all love them! They feel so soft on our faces and are very durable. We use them for simple kitchen wipe ups and meal times. We have a whole other section of rags for cleaning the home instead of using paper towels. Our waste has gone down substantially just from not using paper towels and I must say I haven't noticed an increase in the laundry as they are quite thin.

Overall a great investment! Its Thrifty, natural, homemade, and a great present wrapped in a cloth bow!

Happy sewing and living a more environmentally conscious life!

DIY Natural Pet Stain Remover

We have a little pup. When we leave him for too long at home or if he is just extra anxious he goes to the bathroom on our carpet. First of all I cannot wait to have hardwood instead of carpet. This will solve most of our home pet problems when this gets changed over... Until then, we have carpet and a pet to clean up after!

This last one was a poop. It wasn't hard either. TMI? Sorry...

I got most of it off with a cloth... but the brown smelly colour was still there.

I know baking soda rids pups smells. I use it weekly before I vacuum the carpet. So I figured I would sprinkle some of that on. Then I remembered a grass stain that our little cookie had on her shirt. I took it off with baking soda and vinegar... just let it sit there for an hour.

I tried this on the carpet. Let it sit for 2 hours (for extra mess removal hoping with my fingers crossed) and wiped the area up. Don't let the mixture sit for longer then that as it will bleach the carpet. The smell and brown stain was gone! Phew! I can officially stop buying pet stain removers that are so costly and cannot be good to breath in due to the extra smells they add.

Pet Stain and Smell Remover:
Baking soda
Vinegar

Happy natural thrifty living!

Oil Cleansing Method

I should probably start off with I get breakouts... ALL THE TIME! I also have rosacea... My T-zone gets the worst of it... but really it happens all over my face... I used to buy any cleanser that promised to rid my face of blemishes or rosacea. Really, I tried them all. 

Have you seen the strange chemicals that are in facial cleansers? I don't even know where to begin with how many of them are toxic to your body and to the environment. Pick up your bottle and just do  a simple google search. That should be enough... 

Second thing about facial cleansers is that they can increase in price just because its for your face... Why? To make more money... 

So off I went on a search for a cheaper alternative that contains more natural properties.

Halfway through my last year of university I ran out of my facewash and decided it was time to go natural and cheap (student living and all). 

To my surprise I found Oil Cleansing Method.

Pardon, you say? Doesn't Oil + Face = Breakout!!!! Wrong!

No, this isn't true. Your face produces more oil then what is required due to drying effects. Your hair pores get clogged via dust/debris and other junk you get from daily living (or products your using in your hair/face cream) and this is what causes blemishes. (There are many other reasons for clogged pores, we are just talking about oil.)

I used the oil cleansing method for 6 months, wrote down what it was like week after week. I found out everyones skin is very different and you have to test out different ratios of the 2 oils you use that best suits your skin. 

Oil Cleansing Method:

This is a basic guide for your skin:

• Oily Skin: Try a blend of 30% Castor Oil to 70% Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
• Balanced Skin: Try a blend of 20% Castor Oil to 80% Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
• Dry Skin: Try a blend of 10% Castor Oil to 90% Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

I suggest using a glass bottle with a lid. You can find them at Walmart/Dollar stores. Make sure you clean your bottle before re-filling it for the next batch.

Pour a small amount on your fingers and rub gently in a circular motion all over your face for a minute or so. Ensure the oil is completely rubbed in. Next take a facecloth and put it under a tap of running hot water (not too hot it scalds you, just enough that you can stand it). Place the facecloth on your face for a few minutes until it cools. It is suggested that you do this a few times. Gently rub the excess oil off your face. Ta da! Done. Do this every night before bed.

Here are my results:

Week 1: Awful! Incredibly greasy face. Pimples and rosacea present.

Week 3: Face is feeling refreshed and grease level has decreased significantly

Week 4: Blemishes are clearing up and staying away

Week 6: Rosacea is gone! Still blemish free and my blackheads on my nose even look like they have decreased!

Week7-6 Month: Face feels great! Only get blemishes the odd time. Rosacea is completely gone. I stopped using coverup on my face after week 7!

Now I have stopped using these 2 oils combined on my face. Not because it stopped working but because I am that lazy to go buy Castor oil and it takes some time to sit with a facecloth on your face... Did I mention I am slightly impatient? I only go when I am out... Its always sold out at the Walmart close to me and a little more expensive at the grocery stores that I shop at... So I stopped using it.

I have since switched to Coconut oil as mentioned in a previous post. I find I can rub it in every morning and rub a little in just before I hop out of the shower (after rinsing my face with water). Only once a week I find I need to use a hot facecloth to open my pores. This seems to be good for me during our cold winter.

Happy Natural Living!

How to make a fabric advent calendar!

I know its kinda late to post this but maybe a Christmas idea for next year?

Every year as a child my momma surprised us with chocolate advent calendars. You know the ones with waxy chocolate, but as a child you think it is just the best thing ever!? Thanx to my momma we have another new tradition to use every year :)

No, it isn't the chocolate advent calendars. I made my own that suited our family!

A Christmas Felt Advent Calendar

During Christmas we get more then enough cookies and treats from friends and family (and our bakings in the home) so I wanted to come up with something that excludes daily treats. We have troubles some days thinking of things to do as a family or those lazy days, and this year we found it energized us to do what was on the tab for the day.

I started with a felt tree, then felt ornaments and christmasy things to go on or around the tree, our little family and presents (the extra present is for our pup). The ornaments are movable via velcro on the back of each one.

Next came the background. I measured how big I wanted it to be free cut out the numbers. Then came the boxes.

At the top and bottom are bamboo sticks holding it straight.

Here comes the coolest part. Each of the pockets have a felt christmas ornament to put on the tree every day as well as an activity for our little family to do together. The 24th day has the Christmas Star. Our little cookie cannot wait to put the star on her calendar tree!

This 'I love Santa' has velcro too! It goes on the pocket of the day and moves as days go on. I purchased this from the dollar store, it came in a pack of 6.

Some examples are: skating, board games, build a fort and sleep in it, watch christmas movies, bake and ice christmas cookies for friends, build a fort and read stories in it, get in pj's make hot chocolate and drive around to see christmas lights, collect toys that we don't play with and put them in a shoe box for other children.

You can add other things like traditions your family has (ie going to cut down a christmas tree). Our little girl LOVES it! The first thing she says in the morning is "I have to go see the Christmas calendar! I wonder what fun things we get to do today!" She runs back to our bed with the note of our family activity of the day and tells us what else was in the pocket.

The chocolates are gone. This is definitely coming out again next year!

This was very inexpensive to make. I used leftover felt from various other projects for the decorations, other felt was bought at the dollar store and finally at Fabricland they had the red background fleece on sale for $5!!

Merry Christmas Friends!

Homemade Laundry Detergent

We go through laundry detergent like its going out of style.
We are out again, today, and I couldn't bring myself to buy a bottle of overly smelly detergent that costs $12 every time...
We have tried quite a few different types. At first it was the ones on sale. Then I learnt about all the toxic crap that is in the regular brands. So we tried a couple more natural ones. But they are even more expensive and some are not telling the complete truth about the bad chemicals. Just because it says natural does not mean it is!

Sooo off to Google I searched and searched. I remember bookmarking natural DIY laundry detergents a couple months ago waiting for the day that ours ran out. Hmm... Most of the detergents have Borax in them... That doesn't sound very healthy does it?? Natural of less evils? Maybe...

Grist Explains it here.

Anywhoooo I decided to go Borax free! Here is the recipe.

DIY HOMEMADE LAUNDRY DETERGENT
3 cups Baking Soda        $3.25 (for a GIANT container!)
3 cups Washing Soda     $6.59 (I used 1/8 of it)
1.5 bars Dr. Bonner's Castile Soap (peppermint scent) $2.67 each

Off to the store I went for my real natural products.

I walked down the laundry detergent isle today looking for washing soda and Castile soap and had to breath shallowly... There are sooo many smells that are supposed to be "fresh" in the laundry detergent section. There are soo many harmful chemicals in the fabric softeners that get used every day not to mention its toxic to our environment. Don't use them!

I found both of them at London Drugs and always have a giant container of baking soda at home for all my cleaning and baking needs :-)

After mixing up a batch I gotta say I was dieing to try it out! Its in a sealable container that has a 1/8 cup scoop sitting in it just waiting to be used. I put smelly cloths that I cleaned up my pups pee with... I know... Gross! Grass stained and mudded up jeans and some other randoms. I washed on cold as normal (energy saving of course), put in 1/8 cup vinegar into the fabric softener section (as normal) and let my HE machine do its thing! I opened the door to clean smelling clothes. No abnormal smell of perfume, just clean smelling clothing! Oooohhhhh Happy Days!

Plus with this amount of detergent it should last our family of three 10 months!

Did you read these things?!?!
Its Cheap!
Its Healthy!
Its Natural!
Its Environmentally friendly!
It's MUCH Easier then you think to make!


Happy Natural DIY Living!

Monster Bookmark Tutorial

I LOVE BOOKMARKS! Especially fun ones!

Nice bookmarks are kinda expensive... well for a thirfty woman they are. I guess I could just tear a piece of paper and use that... Or paperclip... But I find they either fall off or fall through the book and I loose my spot! Hate that! My little cookie is reading books that have chapters! How did this happen?? I remember reading to her before bed, now she is reading to me :)

Anyways, she is now finding that her paper bookmarks are falling out the bottom of the books as well... Blast.

I found a picture with no link on Pinterest on how to make monster bookmarks. These are only genius because they hug the corner of the page/pages! No more bookmarks falling out the bottom! I'll show you how to make it. Piece of cake! I used scrapbooking paper but you can use any old paper that you can cut and fold. No pattern required!

First take a regular piece of paper (or as decorative paper as you want)
Measure out 3 squares beside each other in the shape below (I first made mine measure 4inches x 4inches for the bigger children books then smaller ones 2.5inches x 2.5inches.

 Draw a diagonal line crossing out the top and bottom square. Cut off that section.

You should have a shape just like this!

I traced this shape onto other scrapbooking paper a couple times to make a few of them :)

Next you want to fold the triangles along the lines you drew so you have 2 triangles sticking up and a square on the bottom

Lay one triangle on top of the other gluing them together with your good ol' elmers glue, forming a pocket

With the larger monsters I folded the bottom part of the square into the pocket making it more stable (this was flimsy paper) and left the other ones out. You can add eyes with extra paper and teeth (just make sure you glue the teeth to the front inside... I know from experience)

And there you have it fun bookmarks for everyone! Great for stocking stuffers or crafts to do with your children on a rainy day :)

How to Get Rid of Pre-packaged Food

I have been working on changing my habits from buying cans and pre-ackaged foods to making homemade meals from as scratch. (as much as someone can)

This year was the first year we had a garden... unfortunately we started it too late and they died before they ripened. So next year we are starting early and going to reap all the benefits of garden life! Including canning, thrifty living and going into the backyard to pick pick pick.

First off I have to admit, I am no saint. Sometimes I still buy frozen pizza and other unmentionables...

Why not buy things in a can or jar pre-made? They are filled with preservatives and proven toxic and cancer causing chemicals and hormones that I am choosing to help myself and my family avoid. There is also unnecessary sugars, fats and salt in most pre-packaged food that I know for a fact is not healthy.

Want to know my secrets?

So far I think the first secret might be making double batches of everything and freezing the left overs!

The second secret is don't let yourself buy the pre-packaged things! I know, harder said then done... but if you stop buying the prepackaged food and are at home you either starve... or you start making things from scratch!

My final secret to getting rid of pre-packaged foods? Buy a crockpot! You don't need a brand new one. Someone gave us their old one and it works fine! Or I see them at garage sales all the time. We have made sooo many meals and snacks in our crock pot. My latest DIY homemade foodies is apple sauce! I could eat apple sauce all day straight from the jar... Gross? Maybe... I use it in almost all of my baking as well as a substitution to butter and its a great dessert! I like to leave it a little lumpy for extra texture :)

Here are some links that might help out:

26 Things to do with your crockpot
Things that can and cant be frozen
Recipes that you can freeze
Way too many crockpot recipes
Allrecipes.com (they have made this process the easiest! People rate the meals and leave VERY helpful comments

We all have a choice to make and this just so happens to be mine. I'm not saying your going to die if you eat pre-packaged food, I am just trying to make a small change in my family's life that I believe in :)

Homemade Natural Deodorizers

You know that spot under the sink that occasionally smells thanks to the garbage can and compost under your sink?

Sure you can go out and buy something that gets rid of the smell in strange places, but firstly, where is the fun in that, secondly, consider all the chemicals that go into those products that covers the smell and how they are affecting your body. Research perfume and secret chemicals... Sooooo gross!

I found a chemical-free, thrifty, all natural and DIY deodorizing disk that you can make with ingredients that you have at home!  Huzzah! 

Remember I was talking about the million benefits of baking soda? Well here is another one. It deodorizes the fridge, carpet and under the sink! 

This recipe makes 4 deodorizing disks.

1 1/2 cup baking soda

1/2 cup hot water (distilled or boiled for 10 min)

Oil of your choice (I chose Vanilla the first time and lavender oil my second time)

 Mix all the ingredients into a bowl ensuring a very thick consistency. Add extra baking soda if you need to! (This will help it dry out faster)

 Scoop the baking soda mixture into the cupcake lined muffin tins. Tap the whole thing on the counter to smooth out or dabble your finger gently on the surface. (both works fine)

 And there you have it!

Your very own homemade deodorizing disks! They can be used in lots of different areas! Diaper bins, mud rooms, behind the boys bathroom toilet, or in the same room the athlete in the house keeps their gear in! 

When they finally dried (took 4 days) I live in BC Canada and its all rain right now... I left them in the cupcake liners and placed them in boy areas around the house.

Enjoy your fresh smelling rooms!

How to get rid of Dog Smell!

Yes! I have kicked the pup smell in the butt! Its Thrifty, Natural, and DIY!

We have a fully carpeted home... (I cannot wait until its all hardwood or at least snap together laminate!) Our pup started shedding and my sister has a pup too that comes over and tends to shed too... That is a whole lot of dog hair that gets vacuumed every couple days. With dog hair comes a certain smell... I love my little pup with my everything but that blasted smell I could absolutely live without!

Money does not allow me to rip out the carpet just yet so I had to think of another alternative, a natural alternative, of course!

So I went into my cupboards and used some information that I have learned over the last couple months. Baking soda is the best invention ever! Oooo and lemon! Both great things!!!!

This is all you need! Baking Soda, Shaker container, and Lemon! (you can use any scent I just prefer real lemon)

I filled the container with baking soda squeezed about half a lemon into it. Shook the heck out of the container to ensure it was completely mixed. Sprinkle the mixture all over the carpet. Let it sit for about 15 min (don't worry your little pup can sniff and lick as much as he wants... it wont hurt him) Then vacuum it up! I do this once a week while the pups are in shedding season. Sometimes more often depending if there are little ones crawling on the carpet.

SMELL BE GONE! Huzzah!

How to make a maxi skirt in 2 hours

Lately I have been going through this sewing frenzy... I want to sew everything, until I remember I am a beginner and should take things slowly... Slowly Jessica, Common!

I saw soo many women in these maxi skirts that I think look good on some people and not so good on others. I thought I would be in the 'other' group. So I never even tried one on at the stores as they were much to long and I did not own a sewing machine and didn't want to take it to get hemmed. Sooo that is my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

Anyways, I decided to make one using this and this tutorial.

(In the corner is my little pups ears.)

I found a pretty stretchy fabric at Fabricland for a whopping $2 for 2 meters! that I was a little worried about but couldn't help but buy it as it was sooo soft and silky! It isn't as hard as I thought it was going to be working with such a stretchy fabric. If I don't have to worry neither do you! This is a perfect beginners project!

I loved it so much and the little cookie loved it so much I decided to make 2! One for her one for me :) I bought too much fabric (you only need 1 meter if your about a size 5 women's) She is 7 and I still had sooooo much left over fabric! I wonder what else I can use this silky soft fabric for? Any ideas?

You can see I used the yoga band style for my little cookies dress and the 3 inch elastic waistband for me. For my future maxi skirts I will be making the yoga band waistband its sooooo comfy!!!

Happy sewing friends!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I had the opportunity to make my very first Turkey! Now you should know, I am NOT much of a cook. My loving man pretty much cooks everything... Until now. I am learning to do it all! Remember, everything in this blog is all new experiences... So if I can do it, so can you!

For the last couple years on thanksgiving and christmas everyone comes to our house and my very talented man cooks us an amazing meal! Turkey and all the fixings!

Anyways back to my turkey.

My momma went through cancer 2 years ago and it was hormone driven. That means the hormone estrogen (in her case) was over producing. I have learnt through research that there are a ridiculous amount of animals that are pumped with hormones. Most animals from big commercial farms are forced to do this from the buyers (not us little people, the big buyers that sell to us little people) or else they will loose everything. Anyways, our turkey was organic and local. Meaning no butterball pre-made anything... Even the man only used butterballs in the past.

I looked around known food places to find out how to make turkey meat juicy.
All Recipes and Youtube to my Rescue again!

I highly recommend this recipe and watch this youtube video to enjoy the most delicious organic and local homemade turkey you will every eat! The only thing I did differently was put garlic and dried parsley into the mashed up butter.

Remember, if I can make a turkey dinner, so can you!

Happy turkey eating!

Does your clothing Smell?

Lately my clothes have been stinking up my house. No not because I am smelly!!!! Common. My washing machine is making everything stink and it is progressively getting worse... The stink is kinda damp moldish smell... The bottom line is that my clothes stink.

I thought this new fangled front loading washer was going to save hydro, water, and cleaning products and clean itself?! Apparently not...

So I grabbed my washer manual out of my over stuffed filing cabinet and opened it to "so your clothes smell like damp mold huh?" page, I guess you are supposed to wipe down the lip of the washer after every cycle. Uh, I thought this thing was supposed to clean itself was my only response. Yes I said it out loud... I continued reading... You need to drain this little thing that opens when you turn it. Its filled with stinky water that doesn't drain. You need to do that once a week? Oh, also once a month you are supposed to run a tub clean... and you need to purchase a very expensive very specific cleaner once a month to have a clean washing machine. Pardon? All I read was time consuming and expensive. Blast.

So out I went to buy some tub cleaner thinking this is the part where my washing machine cleans itself. It cost $20 and I am supposed to do it once a week until my washer is clean and then every month... Uh oh. This might start costing... I used it anyways as I was slightly desperate and a little frustrated. I did a load of laundry and clothes still smelled! I don't know about you but some of these stinky clothing I actually like!

Nothing a little googling couldn't fix!

I started with draining that gross little plug at the bottom of the washer. They were right, freaking smelly water came out of it! So drain that thing! Next, grab that baking soda that is sitting in your fridge and mix 4 tbsp with 3 cups of warm water. Take a rag and wash the inside and around the lip of the washer. By lip I mean that rubber trap that harbours gunk. Yay homemade/natural things that does not cost a penny! Next, do an empty load on hot with vinegar in the bleach spot. Fill to the max line (about 1/4 cup). 

Now its time to de-stinkify your towels/clothing! Put any clothing in (I do not separate anything...Don't judge) In the detergent section put in whatever you use. And in the bleach section put in vinegar until you hit the max line. Wait for the load to be finished and your clothing will smell like amazing laundry soap. Not vinegar, I promise!

Stink be gone!!!!!

I now wash my clothing with vinegar once a month for a week. Vinegar? Yeah I know strange...  but there is no vinegar smell! Just great smelling clothing! I also keep my washer door open to air dry and keep the mould out. Finally I wipe the inside of the door and outside of the lip with a dry rag. This keeps everything just that much cleaner. 

Huzzah! I just saved on chemical cleaner again! I am saving the environment from this junk and saving my pocket of money! Success! I am back to loving my washing machine all over again. It looks and smells brand new again!

Make your own MILK?!

Pardon? Make your own milk? What kinda statement is that? Yeah... I know I wrote it...
I have been doing some reading and watching documentaries on milk (as I am a lover of cheese and want to ignore that they are under the same food group). The documentary that tug on my heart strings was called Food Inc. This is a must watch! Deconstructing Supper was also pretty good, but thats for another post.

Anyways back to the milk. I decided around the end of June to start drinking either Almond milk or Coconut milk. Not Soy milk as it has an abundance of hormones. Why you ask would someone stop drinking milk? My poop started to get really runny and my stomach was in knots every time I drank it. So milk is now off the list for me. (My man likes the taste of chocolate anything but not the original so he has officially switched to organic milk. :) Since I have made the switch I feel sooo much better. I don't feel bogged down, my poop went back to normal and my stomach isn't in knots anymore.

Almond and Coconut milk are both just a little bit more expensive then regular milk but for me the health benefits outweigh the cons.

Ok, so I started buying chocolate almond milk and regular coconut milk. I looked at the expiration date which didn't expire for a whole month. Is that normal? Why is it lasting in the fridge for so long? Hmm... Did you know like everything else they pile preservatives into it? This does not really sit well with me as I am trying my darndest to get rid of at least some preservatives... I know they are in everything but I am going to try...

So what do you do when you don't like something about a product that you need? Cereal duh! Research it and find out how to make it without dumb things like preservatives in it!
Did you know Almond milk naturally only lasts in the fridge for about 3 days... that is 3 weeks and 4 days shorter then what the store bought milk lasts.

Soooo I found a recipe and tweaked it a little bit to suit my taste buds of a new almond milk drinker.

So here is how you make Almond milk.
1. Take 1 cup almonds and soak them overnight.
2. Drain almond water out and put almonds in a blender with 4 cups of water. (the amount of water can be changed depending on how thick you like your almond milk.
3. Blend for about a min until the almonds are tiny chunks.
4. Over a bowl/container you want your milk to go in (I put mine in 2 Mason jars) drape a cloth over it that catches the almond chunks
5. Put almond chunks aside for later brownie/banana muffin making (yes I did both)
6. Ta-da you have almond milk!
I like to add a little bit of vanilla syrup to give it a little bit of a sweeter taste, but other wise

Almond Milk in my Mason Jar                                     Amazing Almond scraps that went into brownies   .                                                                                       and Muffins

Shake and enjoy!