100 Days of HippyNess

Day Twenty Two - Making your own Icy Poles

2011-09-22T14:07:00.000-07:00

If you're a mum, then you will understand just how important icy poles are to kids on a hot day, sometimes that is all my kids what for lunch is to munch something cold (none of them really love the heat) I refuse to buy them, not just because of all that plastic, but they seem to always have a couple in the packet that leak and then you have a gross colourful and sticky mess in your freezer. I have bought a heap of the icy pole makers from the $2 store and now make my own. You can be super simple and just fill them with juice, but I love to branch out and be a bit creative....here are some of my favourite recipes.

Yogurt Pops -
Greek yoghurt (you can use whatever you want really)
Whatever fruit you want
A squirt of honey (this helps them to remain creamy once frozen and not just go all icy)
Whizz this all around in your blender and pour into your moulds

Fudge Pops -
1 packet of instant pudding mix
1 litre of milk (I use powdered milk for this)
Whizz this around in your blender and pour into the moulds
If you want to be super creative here, you can make them 3 colour icy poles by using the 3 different pudding flavours, make the first colour, fill the mould a third of the way, freeze for 30 minutes then do the next colour etc.

Super Fruity Pops -
Whatever fruit you want to use
Puree it in your blender, then add a little soda water for some fizz
Pour it into your moulds.

My kids think that these are a massive treat, and honestly they are so cheap and easy to make. The best part is that you know exactly what is in them....no hidden preservatives!!

Day Twenty One - Trying to be plastic wrap free in the freezer

2011-09-22T13:35:00.000-07:00

So I am have attempted to go plastic wrap free in my freezer, and so far so good. I have all my meat packaged up in take away containers, that I can pull out thaw and rewash and reuse over and over. The containers I have hold around 500g and this is perfect for my family. I always use 500g so it will feed us for dinner and give us some left overs for lunch the next day....if I need to cook for a sick friend I pull out 2 containers of meat and then I get plenty of left overs for another meal or lunches. Having the meat neatly stacked and labelled, makes my freezer look so neat and organised, I LOVE it!! The next step I will be taking in my war on plastic wrap is to take some big containers to the butcher and get them to weigh my meat into those....not sure if they will be happy with my new venture :o/

Day Twenty - Going plastic free is hard, but it's possible

2011-09-21T20:45:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I decided that I'd had enough of buying bin liners, snap lock bags, cling wrap, etc....so I'm trying to do the plastic free thing. It's quite tricky to get used to, but I'm pleased to say that after a few weeks I'm now doing it naturally rather than having to think about what I am going to use. Instead of buying bin liners, I now hang on to all the packets my food come in, they get cut open across the top and lay flat in my cupboard, any wet rubbish goes in those and gets rolled up for the bin. The rest of the rubbish either gets recycled, put in the compost or just gets put in the regular bin on it's own. It's amazing how easy it is, and my compost bin is thanking me by making some gorgeous looking stuff to nourish my veggie garden.

Instead of using cling wrap, I now use plastic BPA free containers (that I already had in the cupboard but never used!!) or if I need to wrap something I use bake paper. It is amazing how simple this is, I was a roll of cling wrap a fortnight kind of girl, I don't miss it at all!! When I do a heap of baking and want to freeze stuff, I layer it in a container with some bake paper separating it all. Muffins and scrolls now go unwrapped, straight into lunch boxes.

Let me encourage you to take this step and reduce the amount of rubbish you make :o)

Day Nineteen - Natural hair care

2011-09-01T03:20:00.000-07:00

I love the feeling of fresh clean hair, and it has been a real hit and miss trying to find exactly what would work for me.....I have used an organic soap bar for hair, bicarb and apple cider vinegar, liquid castile soap, sunlight soap bar, organic shampoo and conditioner....I think I have decided on the last one. I like the Organic Care shampoo and conditioner from the supermarket, they are only $3.50 per bottle and last us about 2 months. If you're tight on cash or just want to save heaps then go for the bicarb and vinegar, but you will smell a bit like the local fish and chip shop :o)

Once every 2 weeks I do a hot oil treatment, as I really struggle with a dry scalp, and the hot oil treatment helps to remedy this issue. I heat a few tablespoons of organic virgin coconut oil in the microwave until it's melted and nice and warm, then I massage it into my scalp and let it sit for at least 20 minutes. When washing this out, you need to double shampoo so that you don't look like a greasy monkey. It smells gorgeous and makes your hair beautifully shiny.

I am currently working on what I can use instead of hairspray and mousse, when I find what natural products I can use to replace these, then I will share those with you all. Do any of you have something natural that you use in your hair care that is different to what I do?

Day Eighteen - Under the arms

2011-08-29T16:32:00.000-07:00

So for a few years now I have been making my own deoderant, and no I don't smell like a typical hippy.....at least I don't think I do!! And I have had a couple of friends who I have made it for, and they love it too, so it mustn't be that crazy :o)

I found the recipe here and I absolutely LOVE it!! The main reason I switched to it was due to a skin condition I had under my arm which was so insanely itchy that I would be constantly ripping layers of skin off....OUCH!! This condition cleared up within a week and I have not had it since.

The only problem I have had with this deoderant is that for a month or so in the coldest part of winter it tends to freeze solid. I keep a crystal stick for those times, and it also works really well, but it has no smell at all. You can get these from most chemists for around $5, you just wet it and then rub it under your arms and away you go. I like the coconut oil deoderant best, as it has a light fragrance, and it is very moisturising.

Day Seventeen - For Girls Only!!

2011-08-24T18:02:00.000-07:00

So it appears that my one hundred days are not going to happen in a row....bummer. Sorry readers, life certainly has a way of throwing curve balls :o)

Anywho, today I wanted to share some info that was given to me by a friend about 4 years ago.....I'm talking about the Mooncup. This little creation has saved me lots of $$ and has made me reduce all that disgusting landfill I was producing, and it lasts for 10 years. I know it's not everyones cup of tea, but it has a 3 month guarantee so if you buy it and use it for 3 months and still hate it you can send it back for a full refund.....gee I hope they don't resell them :o/

If the Mooncup is not your thing, then there are some really great reusable products on the market, you can even have them custom made. My lovely friend Sarah makes them, check out her blog :o)

So I have been using my for 4 years and have NEVER had to use anything else. Think of the savings ladies, that means more shoes!!

Day Sixteen - Once for the face

2011-07-29T14:55:00.000-07:00

I love the feeling of a fresh clean face, but was shocked at how much it was costing me when I would buy all the things that I was using. I used to buy a cleaners, facial scrub, toner, day moisturizer, night moisturizer and an eye cream......that was adding up to quite a few $$ not to mention all that packaging that was being thrown away every month or so. I did a bit of research and read some other blogs of lovely "green" people, and discovered that there is a much better way to do things!!

Now I just buy a cleanser, it's the Natures Organics that you can get for $3.99 from Woolies, it comes in a handy pump pack which is a bonus as it helps you not to use too much. I wash my face with this twice a day, it lasts me for 2 months. Twice a week I exfoliate my face, and to do this now I keep a little jar of bicarbonate soda in my bathroom, throw a bit into your hand and add a squirt of the cleanser, and then give your face a good massage.....it's brilliant!!

My toner has been switched to straight Witch Hazel, it leaves my face feeling really fresh. And the added bonus is that I was buying it anyway to use in one of my cleaning products. To apply this I have a little travel spray bottle and just spritz it onto my face, and then I give a little wipe over with a clean dry face washer.......but if you do this make sure that you throw the face washer in with the washing, don't reuse the same one, as it will not give the nice super clean results :o)

For a moisturizer I now buy the big pump pack of Natures Organics Sorbolene cream. I have discovered that all the different kinds of moisturizers are a lot of hog wash anyway, they are basically all the same but just labelled differently to make us think we need one for different things. This sorbolene is about $5 and I have been using the same one for the past 6 months and I don't think I've even made it half way.

So, if you are anything like the old me, this info could save you quite a bit of money. And who doesn't love savings!!

Day Fifteen - My detangling and nit detering spray

2011-07-27T22:14:00.001-07:00

So following on from yesterday's nit post, thought I should share this little trick with you. I make up a bottle of detangling spray for my girls to spray in their hair each morning before school, it helps them to be able to put it up, and the added bonus is that nits don't like it :o) In a spray bottle I put distilled water, a couple of squirts of cheap conditioner, 6 drops of tea tree oil and 6 drops of lavendar oil. It smells great, keeps their hair neat and keeps the creatures at bay....what more could a busy mummy want??

Day Fourteen - Got Nits?

2011-07-27T22:11:00.000-07:00

Any mother of a school aged child will encounter this issue at least once in their parenting life, if you're like me, then it will be a bit more often. My middle daughter has gorgeously thick hair, and nits ADORE living in it :o/ Well I have a fool proof solution that will get rid of those wretched little critters......Olive Oil.

Not only does a warm olive oil treatment make dull and lifeless hair shiny and gorgeous, it kills head lice, as they can't breath in it. I start with dry hair, heat some olive oil in the microwave for about 30 seconds, and tip it on your child's head and massage it in really well, making sure that you cover every bit of their hair. Leave this on for at least an hour......I actually like to leave it on overnight, just put an old towel over their pillow and let them sleep like that. The next morning grab your nit comb and go over the hair really well. You will pull out all the dead lice, and the eggs should slide right out. Then get them to shower and double shampoo their hair. Now their hair will be nit free and beautifully shiny. BONUS!!

Day Thirteen - The herb garden

2011-07-26T03:22:00.000-07:00

I love to cook, and I love to use fresh herbs in my cooking. However I'm not so great in the garden, but I have found that potted herbs don't seem to hate me too much. I save so much money by growning my own, and it's really handy just wandering outside to pick what I need while something yummy is bubbling on the stove. So I thought I would share a list of what I grow, hopefully it will inspire you to try something different. And I am hoping you will share your favourites with me, I love learning new things.

Parsley - curly and flat leaf - great for garlic bread, pasta dishes, soups
Oregano - for italian lovers
Coriander - for thai dishes
Mint - I love fresh mint in a glass of water, especially in summer
Sage - I'm growing this because I found a shampoo recipe I'd like to try
Chives - wonderful with scrambled eggs and omelettes
Thyme - perfect for roasts
Curry - great for curry (fancy that!!)
Basil - for italian lovers

So blogspot friends, now it's your turn. What herbs do you grow, and what do you use them in?

Day Twelve - The pretty smelling home

2011-07-25T05:11:00.000-07:00

So I really like to have a nice smelling home, but refuse to buy sprays and plug ins and all that jazz. Here are the couple of things I have discovered to be wonderful at doing the trick. Throw some citrus peelings into a pan of water on the stove and let them boil for a while. Throw something in the oven, homebaking always makes a house smell amazing (unless you burn it!). Invest in some soy candles, they are lightly fragranced and last a whole lot longer than regular candles. Get some oil into an oil burner, I love eucalyptus because it makes everything smell so fresh.

Day Eleven - Carpet rescuers

2011-07-23T23:08:00.000-07:00

Today I have come to the end of my cleaning recipes, leaving you with the last 2 that are specifically for the carpet. If you have little kids, then this first one may become your best friend!!

Stain Remover
Make a paste with white vinegar and baking soda, and by using an old nail brush scrub the paste onto the affected area. Leave the paste to dry and then vacuum it up, the stain should then be gone. It is also a great one for getting urine smells out of carpet, when your little one has forgotton to take a trip to the bathroom.

Carpet Freshener
1 cup of bicarb soda
10 drops of essential oil
Use this ratio to make as much or as little as you want. Sprinkle it over your carpets, let it sit for a while (I normally wait 15 minutes) then vacuum it up. It really takes musty smells away. I find this a great one in winter when the house is closed up more often.

Happy vacuuming!!

Day Ten - My least favourite job

2011-07-22T17:23:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I will do ANYTHING to avoid ironing. Up until this year I didn't even own an iron on a regular basis! But unfortunately with private school uniforms looming, and important business meetings being on the cards for the husband, it's about time I get into it again - YUCK!! Here is a recipe I use on my clothes as I iron them, not only makes them smell gorgeous but it helps with getting the job done a little faster :o)

Fabric Spray
2 tablespoons of witch hazel
10 drops of your favourite essential oil - I really like lavender
distilled water to fill spray bottle

This is not only good for the dreaded task of ironing, but it is great to freshen up the linen cupboard, or any fabric things that have been packed away for a while :o)

Day Nine - Making the silver shine

2011-07-22T04:17:00.000-07:00

I was blessed with an amazingly beautiful real silver cutlery service a few years ago. It was my mother in law's engagement present, but because of the humidity on the Sunny Coast she found that it was tarnishing heaps and sent it to me, BONUS!! I have found I only really need to give it a propper polish twice a year, and we use this as our main cutlery set every day of the week. This recipe will work on any of your silverware, and it is so easy and everything comes out so lovely and shiny.

Polishing Silverware (I got this recipe of Dave's Granny, and you can also find this on the back of the Letric brand washing soda packet)
firstly put the plug into your kitchen sink, then line your sink with alfoil (yes alfoil!) Next you need to put 1/2 a cup of washing soda on top of the alfoil and then fill the sink up with water. Place the silverware into this and let it sit there for 15 minutes. It will make a terrible popping and cracking sound, but don't worry it will all be fine. Once it has been sitting for 15 minutes, take it out and give it a good wipe over with a microfibre cloth (I make my girls do this, great slave labour, right?) and then your done and you can admire your pretty shining silverware!!

Day Eight - Eating off the floor

2011-07-21T04:24:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, when steam mops did not exsist then, I used to make this concoction to clean my floor.

Squeaky Clean Floor Recipe
A bucket of boiling hot water
1/2 cup of vinegar
5 drops of eucalyptus oil

This works amazingly well on all the floor surfaces I have used it on....polished boards, lino, tiles, and cork. An extra bonus is that it makes your whole house smell pretty.

Day Seven - Through the looking glass

2011-07-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

So I found this crazy recipe for a glass cleaner that has cornfour in it, weird right? But it really does a great job of getting your glass nice and clean. I use a cotton cloth to rub it into the glass and then I wipe over it with a microfibre cloth, it works beautifully.

Glass Cleaner
1/4 cup of vinegar
1 tablespn cornflour
water to fill spray bottle
I mix a little water with the cornflour to make a paste, then I add in some more so that it stirs up to be lump free.

Happy cleaning :o)

Day Six - The heart of the home

2011-07-18T17:42:00.000-07:00

It is often said that the kitchen is the heart of the home, no wonder it's so hard to keep it clean!! I use the all purpose cleaner that I posted yesterday in my kitchen.....but there are some other tricks I have discovered along the way too.

Microwave Cleaner
1/2 cup of vinegar into a microwave safe container, cook on high for 2 minutes. Take the container out and grab a damp cotton cloth and wipe your microwave out. You should not need to use any elbow grease, as the vinegar softens any baked on explosions.

Sink Cleaner
sprinkle your sink with some table salt and some bicarb soda, then grab damp a scrubby cloth thingy, and give it a good scrub. Once you have done that, throw in your plugs and fill your sink with warm water, let it sit for about 10 minutes then pull the plugs out. Not only will this make your sink nice and clean, but it will make any drain smells go away. Just buff over your sink with a microfibre cloth to make it shiney.

Oven Cleaner
Make a paste with some bicarb and water, use one of those scrubby cloth thingies and give it a good scrub, then use damp cotton cloths to wash it out, until your cloth is coming out clean. TRICKY TIP - if you wipe your oven out with a cloth after you use it each time, you won't need to spend heaps of time scrubbing :o)

Washing Up Liquid
I have had NO success making my own, everything I have made has been to oily, or makes the dishes slimey and gross. So now I buy a bottle of the Earths Choice washing up liquid, and to boost it a little and make it go further I put 1 big tablespoon of bicarb mixed with 1/2 cup of hot water, and mix it with about a cup of the earths choice.

Dishwasher Powder
I no longer have a dishwasher :o( But when I did, this is what I used
1/2 cup bicarb soda
1/8 cup of table salt
2 tablespoons of citric acid
Mix it together into a container, and add a heaped tablespoon to each load.
I used straight vinegar as my rinse aid.

Day Five - Chasing dust bunnies

2011-07-17T16:41:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else get frustrated by the dust flying all over your house even when you've just cleaned it? I would love someone to invent a dust busting machine that made dust completely disappear! Well until that happens, I guess I'll just continually attack those darn dust bunnies with my all purpose cleaner and cotton cloth.

All Purpose Cleaner
1 tablespoon of liquid castile soap
a couple of drops of tea tree oil and lavendar oil
water to fill the spray bottle

I use this on all my hard surfaces, it works really well, and has not damaged any of my furniture. Just spray some cleaner onto your cotton cloth and away you go. If you have any antique furniture (I don't) then I would recommend googling a cleaning recipe to suit your needs.

The added bonus of this cleaner, is that it naturally deters creepy crawly critters too.....apparently they hate the combination of tea tree and lavendar. So not only does it make your house smell pretty, but it keeps those gross creatures away too.

Day Four - What does your loo say about you

2011-07-16T15:36:00.000-07:00

When it comes to keeping the most popular seat in the house hygienically clean, here are my simple and easy natural ways to make it sparkle.

Firstly I dump about 1/3 a cup of bicarb soda into the bowl, and add about 1/2 a cup of vinegar, it will fizz like crazy. Let this sit for at least 15 minutes, then give it a really good scrub with a toilet brush, then flush.

Next I spray my favourite natural disinfectant all over the seat, lid, bowl, sides and floor. Let it sit for a few minutes then wipe it all off with either toilet paper (not very green, I know) or if you want you could use a couple of cloths, and then throw them into your soaking bucket once you're done.

I do this weekly, and I have found it to be really effective. I also give the seat a wipe every morning with the disinfectant and some toilet paper.

Natural Disinfectant
1/4 cup of vinegar
water to fill spray bottle
10 drops of tea tree oil
(I also like to add a few drops of peppermint oil, just because I love the smell)

If you are wanting to go even greener there are some other ideas you could try. One is to make your own air freshener, I don't. I buy the pump pack of air wick and it lasts us for nearly 6 months. The other thing you could do is buy recycled toilet paper, again I don't. I buy the extra long rolls from Aldi, they are $3.69 and 4 rolls last a fortnight. I read a blog the other day where the family use washable toilet paper.......certainly not my cup of tea :o/ But each to their own I guess!!

Day Three - Save money, shower with a friend

2011-07-15T01:14:00.001-07:00

Cleaning the bathroom has to be one of my least favourite jobs, it is just so endless. You just clean it and then someone goes in and leaves their gross toothpaste spit in the sink, or their hair in the shower drain, and their towel on the floor.....AAARRRGGGGHHHHH!

I used to bleach my entire bathroom every week, the whole house smelt like the local swimming pool on cleaning day, and that is not a pleasant smell!! After 13 or so years of being a bleach-a-holic it was hard to switch to natural in this area, but I can assure you that your bathroom will be nice and clean and that you will not need to reach for the bleach ever again :o)

Leave on shower spray
Couple of drops of oil of clove this will kill mould spores and prevent them from growing back
1 tablespoon of liquid castile soap
Couple of drops of each peppermint oil, tea tree oil and lemon oil
Water to fill spray bottle

This recipe I actually use on my whole bathroom, just because I love the smell, and because the bathroom is such a damp area, it's an added bonus that the oil of clove will prevent mould spores from thriving. Firstly you need to start with a super clean shower, this will take some scrubbing, but once you have done it you will not have to worry about scrubbing like that again for a very long time!! So grab yourself a bar of laundry soap and a nail brush and give your shower a good go over with these, I did it while I was showering so that my clothes wouldn't get wet. Once the shower is squeeky clean, give it a good spray with the leave on shower spray and then you are done. Spray the shower once a day, I do it after the last person for the day has showered, and just let it sit. You will not need to scrub again. Because I'm crazy, I like to give the shower a good scrub once every 6 months, I don't really know why, it just is something that I can't seem to stop :o/

Let me add that if you have a glass shower door, I would recommend using a squeegee on that instead of the spray, as it would probably make it look streaky and messy. This spray is more for the tiles and the floor.

Day Two - Conquering Mt Washmore

2011-07-14T15:20:00.000-07:00

If you're anything like me, then you have to climb Mt Washmore on a regular basis. With 3 kids and a very busy life, we seem to make a lot of washing!! Here are the things I use to make my washing clean. I have used this recipe for around 4 years in a front loader, and have had no issues with it. My clothes come out clean and they are immediately hung out on the line to dry in the sun. I love that my clothes smell fresh, without that awful perfumed smell you get from commercial products.

Washing Liquid
I got this recipe off one of my favourite blogs www.down---to---earth.blogspot.com
1 bar laundry soad grated (I get my kids to do the grating)
1/2 cup of washing soda
10 litres of water
a few drops of your favourite essential oil (I like lavendar)
Put the grated bar of soap and 1 litre of boiling water into a large pot over medium heat, give it a good stir and let the soap dissolve completely. Add in the washing soda and mix well. Transfer this mixture to a bucket that will hold 10 litres (a nappy bucket is brilliant for this) and add in 9 litres of hot tap water, give it a really good mix. This is where I add a couple of drops of my essential oil, stir it through. Now leave this sit overnight. In the morning it should look like weird set custard, give it a really good mix and then you're good to wash. I use 2 tablespoons for my front loader, if you use a top loader then use 1/3 of a cup. One batch of this last me 3 months and costs around $1.30 to make, BARGAIN!!

Pre Stain Treatment
I use the straight washing liquid I have made on stains and just rub it in, this is really effective. However if you have a particularly revolting stain that needs some extra oomph, I keep a Sard Wonder Stick and nail brush close by to deal with that kind of thing.

Fabric Softener
1/4 cup of white vinegar is the best ever fabric softener, and no don't worry, you will not smell like fish and chips ;o)

Soaking Solution
1/3 cup of bicarbonate soda in a bucket of hot water, let your stuff sit overnight and then throw it through the wash the next day. It makes your whites brighter, and I've heard that it is really good on nappies. I always have a bucket of this on the go, at the end of the evening when the dinner dishes are finished and the kitchen has been wiped over, the kids take the tea towels and cleaning cloths they have used and throw them into the bucket.

Switching to these simple recipes has saved me a fortune over the years! I used to buy 4kgs of washing powder, a stain spray solution, a soaking solution and a thing of fabric softener every couple of weeks. If you add all that together, even using the cheap brands comes out at $15 each time, how crazy is that!! I haven't crunched the actual figures but the washing liquid alone costs me 10c per week, so I know it's saving a heap.

Hope this has been helpful :o)

Day One - Setting yourself up to be a mean green cleaning machine

2011-07-13T17:45:00.000-07:00

So I have had so many people asking me for my cleaning recipes lately. Firstly I thought it would be helpful to begin by going through all the products I buy to make my cleaning produts. I know that this list is a little crazy and to buy it all in one go would cost a bit, but it is soooooo worth doing it. Most of the things once you have bought them will last for at least a year, the essential oils should last you a couple of years.

Washing Soda - you can find this in the laundry aisle of the supermarket.

Laundry Soap - I use the homebrand one, as it is cheaper than sunlight with exactly the same ingredients

Organic Liquid Castile Soap - Any good health food or organic store will carry this, I have been using the same 500ml bottle for the last year.

Oil of Clove - I get this from the chemist, this should last you a couple of years.

Other essential oils I use are - Peppermint, Lemon, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus & Lavendar - again these will last for ages you only need a couple of drops in each recipe.

Bicarbonate Soda - from the supermarket.

Salt - plain old cheap table salt is perfect.

White Vinegar - the cheapest you can find is good.

Cornflour - seems crazy to think this could be a cleaning product, but it is!

Spray bottles - I like to colour code mine for each area of the house, think I bought them from the hardware store at $3 per bottle.

Cleaning cloths - I bought 12 microfibre cloths for cleaning glass and dry dusting, and then 12 cotton cloths for doing the wet rooms and any wet dusting you want to do. These were all purchased more than 3 years ago and they are still going strong today.

Over the next week or so I will share my recipes, I made the switch about 4 years ago, and I've never looked back. Making your own cleaning products is so much better for the environment, and for your health! There are no harsh chemicals in my recipes, and there is not the waste that comes with buying a new spray in the shopping each week.

Hope you enjoy this green adventure :o)