Long Time, No See.................

Well, it's been a while, I know.

But I do have a good excuse, honest!

Two years ago my 10-year relationship ended - my choice. However after 10 years together there was a lot to sort out and it was not made easy for me. I ended up leaving a lot of things behind just to get away.

Anyway, I am now in a great relationship, very happy, and no longer as hard-up as I was.

BUT I still find that I would rather make my own products than purchase from the big companies. I am still horrified by the ingredients they add to everything and have no wish to add to their coffers.

I started using soap nuts to do my laundry a couple of years ago and have never looked back.




They may look strange but they do a brilliant job of cleaning my clothes!

And they are SO easy to use:

Place about 6 soap nuts in a muslin bag and tie tightly. Place in the base of the washing machine drum and put clothes on top.
For extra cleaning power place a tablespoon of Bicarbonate of Soda in the wash draw.
For a pleasant scent add around 10 drops of your favourite essential oil.

Turn on the machine!!

For anyone who would like to give this a go here's where I got mine from:

http://e-naturalproducts.co.uk/

They stock a whole range of lovely natural products; everything from hair care, skin care through to make up. 

Incidentally soap nuts can be used for many things; from deterring bugs from your plants, using in the dishwasher,  washing your hair, cleaning your windows, to making liquid body soap and anti-dandruff treatments.

And the best bit - they are just £7.99 for 500g!

Let me know if you decide to give it a go.

Till next time

Lesley

White Rabbits!

Gosh, welcome to February but where the hell did January sneak off to?

Last month I gave you a recipe for making your own toothpaste. I wonder how many of you tried it?

Before I give this month's recipe I want to tell you just what a difference using my natural toothpaste has made to me (and my teeth!):

I no longer wake up with 'Morning Mouth' or 'Dog Breath'!

My tongue is now a perfect pink.

My teeth are whiter and the staining has disappeared. (I smoked for 35 years.)

Oh, and I have a bit more money in my purse!

The reasons for this are simple; Coconut Oil is antibacterial and Bicarbonate of Soda is a natural cleaner & stain remover.

In Ayurvedic medicine,  a system of traditional medicine native to the Indian subcontinent and a form of alternative medicine, coconut oil is swilled around the mouth and known as 'Oil Pulling'.

I am just so glad I decided to take the plunge and do this.

The recipe for this month is for your own deodorant; Why would you want to make your own deodorant? 

Well, for starters there are far too many chemicals in shop-bought ones. Secondly, the aerosol type are not good as you cannot contain the spray to just your armpits. And finally a home made deodorant will work out cheaper in the end and with less waste in the form of packaging.

Natural Home Made Deodorant Recipe

4 tbsp each of witch hazel extract 

4 tbsp aloe vera gel 

4 tbsp mineral water

1 tsp vegetable glycerin

A few drops of lavender or tea tree essential oils

Preparation

Put all the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well to blend. Spray on as needed.

My goodness, that was easy, wasn't it?!

Please let me know in the comments if you try this & what you think of it.

Till next time................

Go peacefully & naturally,

Lesley

xxx

Brushing Up!

Well I seem to recall that I promised some DIY recipes for you here - and a promise is a promise. :)

But first of all - a question for you; When (if ever) did you last check out the ingredients in your toothpaste?

I have a confession; until about 12 months ago I had absolutely no idea what went into mine!

However when I looked I was horrified. (Of course they make the writing tiny to put you off looking!)I was using Colgate Cavity Protection at the time............. 
Here are just two ingredients:

Sodium Monofluorophosphate
Sodium Fluoride

Well as a hypothyroid sufferer I am aware that fluoride is not good for me so that was enough for me to change my habits.

Many toothpastes also contain that old favourite Sodium Laurel Sulphate - you remember surely - developed as an industrial cleaner and now often to be found in bubble baths, shampoos and - yep, you got it - toothpaste!

So, time to make the change people.

This is a great one to try as there aren't loads of ingredients in it & there are definitely NO chemicals!

No-Fluoride Toothpaste

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup Coconut Oil (Holland & Barrett do a lovely one)
1/4 Bicarbonate of Soda (a store cupboard staple!)
2-4 drops of either peppermint or spearmint essential oil
1/4 tsp of Stevia (optional for sweetness - I don't bother)

Simply mix all ingredients together & store in a glass jar. Just dip your toothbrush in, brush and admire your lovely white gnashers!

An alternative version:

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Coconut Oil
3 Tbsp Bicarbonate of Soda
35 drops Eucalyptus essential oil (or mint extract)
3 Tsp fine sea salt
1 packet Stevia (optional)

Personally I prefer & use the first blend but it really doesn't matter which you choose because neither of them contains any harmful ingredients and both will be better for you and your teeth than the commercial brands.

Let me know how you get on in the comments below.
Next time; making your own deodorant.

Till then, happy brushing

Lesley

xxx

2014 Here We Come!

2014

So, yet another new year approaches and no doubt many of you will be pondering your resolutions............

Well I for one am not making ANY!

Why not? Well for one thing I hate to feel like a failure........... and so many times I have made resolutions and not kept to them.

So this year instead I am simply going to aim for a healthier, more eco-friendly way of life. I intend to start making a lot of items that I usually pop into my shopping basket; deodorant,  face cream, toothpaste (I already do this one), plus all my cleaning products to join the air freshener I already make.

Not only am I hoping to improve my finances but also the impact many of these shop-bought items can have on your health.

I'll let you know how I get on & post some simple recipes for you to try if you want.

Till next time

Lesley xx

Well the celebratory glass of wine turned into a bottle!!!

After telling you all how chuffed I was at getting an even better deal from my telephone and broadband provider last time.......

When their confirmation e-mail arrived I spotted a couple of glaring errors :(

Firstly they had omitted my FREE calls 24/7 and only added evening and weekend calls - which was NOT what I had previously and which was NOT what I wanted.

So on the phone I go to sort it all out. Grrrrr

Anyway when I finally got to speak to a human rather than a recording................

I explained the problem and pointed out that I really didn't require their 'super-duper extras' - Call Waiting. Call Divert and Three Way Calling (Did they think I was planning a phone orgy??!!). But what I really had to have was FREE calls at any time.

And you'd never guess; Suddenly when these supposedly 'free' extras were removed my monthly bill dropped by another £5!! Amazing!

So now, for just £16.49 per month I have telephone with free calls at any time plus my broadband.

'Over the moon' just about says it all!

Now to see what other bills I can cut!

Take care

Lesley xx

Naturally Economising

So I'm still feeling the pinch......................

Time to look for other ways to cut my bills me thinks.

                                                      
Well, you could have knocked me down with a duster! Just as I started writing this the phone rang; my telephone and broadband provider getting panicky as my contract is nearing its end. And guess what??? They are offering me exactly what I have now PLUS some added extras........... for £5 LESS per month!!
And I didn't have to do a thing apart from sort of hint that I was searching for a better deal!! Result!

Completely thrown me now as that wasn't what I was going to write about today at all.

I was planning to talk about saving money on cleaning products for the home but I think I'll just have a celebratory glass of wine instead and leave that for next time. ;)

Till next time

Lesley xx

Not Seeing Red

So I'm still desperately trying to cut ALL my bills...........

When my last energy bills arrived I was horrified to see that they wanted to increase my monthly electricity direct debit. Okay so they were also reducing the gas one but even so I decided to take drastic action. After all if my bills were increasing during the summer months what on earth would the winter ones be like?!

So I took a look around and made a few changes;

• I replaced the electric kettle with one that goes on the gas hob. My partner is a massive tea drinker & the kettle was always on the go!
• I got rid of the radio alarm clock - I have an alarm on my phone which does just fine.
• I Freegled an oldish freezer which was never fully used. It went to a disabled lady whose own had packed up.
• Started soaking our washing by hand and only using the machine for a final spin.
• I now only do the washing up once a day and boil a kettle for the hot water.
• We have a solar shower for camping and on hot days (I know there aren't too many!) we use that water for washing.                                                                                                               All these small changes have made a big difference to our bills. We have gone from being in debit to being £58 in credit!   And it must be better for the planet too - a subject close to my heart.                                                                                       Till next time, hope I have inspired some of you to cut your bills too.                                                                                                  Lesley