DIY Deodorant. Oh yes, I did...

I have been wanting to try a DIY deodorant for a long time.  So long in fact, I have two empty deodorant containers just waiting for use.  There is no doubt for me, that I would like to use something that isn't toxic, and includes natural ingredients.  The trick though, is, does it work?  Am I going to make this stuff, and stink like a dirty hippie half way through the day?  Well, high time I found out.

The chosen recipe:

1/4 c Baking Soda
1/4 c Arrowroot powder (or corn starch)
4-5 T Coconut oil
10 drops of essential oil
A container to put it in

Ready to go!

Start by adding in the dry ingredients.  I whisked them together to make sure they were well blended.

Well Blended!

Add in the Coconut oil.  I used a fork to blend in. Add in your Essential oil.  I used Lavender, a little Sandalwood, and some flowery, unknown oil that is not labeled, and I forgot what it was.  Both Lavender and Sandalwood have anti-bacterial properties, which I thought would be a perfect for a deodorant.  After you mix in the oil, just stir it up into a paste.

Sometimes pasty is good.

Next, put the mix into your container of choice.  I used my empty deodorant container after washing all the nasty commercial stuff out of it.

Ready to fill!

I filled this one up and still had a lot left so I got my other empty and filled that up too.  Notice my specialized tools.

Right tool for the job. Ignore bananas.

After filling, they looked like any other deodorant, but smelled lovely, and were safe enough to eat.  Eww, I know, but you could.  

Ready to de-stink.

I put both in the freezer to harden up for a bit.  The next morning, I grabbed one, put it on like regular deodorant, and squished my arms around.  There definitely seemed to be too much on, so I wiped some off, and put on my work shirt.  About 15 minutes later, I noticed that my underarms looked "wet" and realized that there was still too much on.  I still have to scrub it out to see if it stains, so I will have to get back to you on that.

Coconut oil melts at a very low temp so applying like normal was not a good idea. I wiped it all off and applied again, this time just swiping my fingers over the top and rubbing into my armpit. I went to work and the real test began.  

I want something that is non toxic and healthy, but also something that works.  Testing it at work would be proof enough for me as I work in a very fast paced bakery.  About an hour into my shift, I felt pretty good and warned my boss of my experimental deodorant project.  That made my pits fair game, though she never said a word about it.  When I got home, I smelled my underarms, and, to be honest, there was a little smell, but not anymore than with conventional deodorants.  I am thinking I may need a little more than I put on, so I will have to play with that. All in all however, a complete success!  I would probably recommend putting it in a jar or tin with a lid instead of deodorant tubes.  I hope you try this or some other recipe, and replace that nasty conventional stuff!

Seeds Are Here!

Wow! That was fast! I got the seeds from Botanical Interests on Saturday, and the seeds from Bountiful Gardens today.  Not too shabby.  The packets from Botanical Interests have a ton of information on them, and even more on the inside.

Botanical Interests packets with beautiful illustrations

I am equally impressed with Bountiful Gardens.  They have some very unique seeds I didn't find anywhere else, and I love what they are doing.  I got my medicinal herbs from them as well as quite a variety of veggies.  Though not as pretty as the Botanical Interests packets, these have a simple, natural beauty that is undeniable. And, their descriptions and information is outstanding.

Bountiful Gardens packets

So, next thing is to start these bad boys!  I am on a pretty tight budget and ended up opting for free containers from work to start the seeds.  Our muffins come frozen in these and we throw them out everyday.  Seems like they would be perfect and the cost is definitely right. Each tray has 24 spots.

Free Ain't Bad!

The next thing I did, was finish clearing all the blackberry from my garden.  It was a chore to be sure, but I got it done, and dug out a 4' x 17' stretch.  Only a bajillion feet left. I am building garden muscles though, and that is good. 

No More Blackberry!

In Real Life, This Is 4' x 17", Pinky Swear.

My girls were out in force, trying to get any and all worms that were exposed from my digging.  I don't think a shovel full got turned without their being at least one worm in it. Good sign!  I decided to start keeping an egg count.  I have three chickens.  Two Red Stars, and a Turken. I got two eggs since I started counting yesterday the 10th.  They are very regular layers, each providing an egg a day usually. And, I no longer have any bugs in my yard.   

Garden Helpers

So, a good week! My goals for next week in the garden:

Dig out the rest of the garden

Buy fencing and put it up (to keep the chickens out)

Map out all my veggies

Dig out the beds in the front yard

Make a plan for herbs and medicinal flowers in the front yard or in containers

Trim everything else up.  

Spring Is Coming!

I finally, actually, ordered all my seeds for the upcoming season.  I wish I had gotten my act together sooner, but alas, I did not.  But, my seeds are officially ordered and on their merry little way to my eager hands.  I am so excited, I can almost taste the green zebra tomatoes, the bull's horn peppers, ground cherries, and brandywines.

I also included some culinary and medicinal herbs like basil, parsley, meadowsweet, valerian, and lady's mantle.  I can't wait to make some pesto, or a meadowsweet tincture, Or put my ass to sleep with some valerian root.

I dug out some blackberry today in the garden that I missed at the end of summer.  I didn't get very far before my shoulder started hurting, so my hubby took over, and I gathered up those ridiculously pesky vines that he dug out and tossed in my direction.

It felt good to be in the dirt.

Here is my seed list for the upcoming season.  All Heirloom and Organic. This does not include seed I already have or starts I may or may not be talked into buying.


Lavender, English, Tall
Parsley, Italian Dark Green Flat
Pepper, Chile Ancho/Poblano
Tomato, Pole San Marzano
Tomato, Pole Principe Borghese
Tomato, Pole Green Zebra
Tomato, Pole Brandywine Red & Yellow
Tomatillo, Toma Verde
Gourd, Hard-Shelled Long Handled Dipper
Kale, Russian Red,  
Bean, Dragon Langerie Wax, Bush,  
Bean, Good Mother Stallard, Dry, Pole
Carrot, Juwarot
Cucumber, Lemon,
Pepper, Corno di Toro Red , Sweet
Spinach, Low Acid
Ground Cherry, Aunt Molly’s
Sunflower, Oilseed
Basil, Sweet,
Valerian
Feverfew
Meadowsweet
Herb, Lady's Mantle
Skullcap

Non Toxic Cleaner

About a year ago, I switched from regular cleaners to natural cleaners.  Most notably, using vinegar as an all purpose cleaner.  It is completely non-toxic, safe for food contact surfaces, and a great disinfectant.  Numerous studies have shown that a straight 5% solution of vinegar kills 99 % of bacteria, 82% of mold, and 80% of germs.  Pretty great, huh?

My family has associated the smells of pine, lemon, and mountain fresh to clean rooms and surfaces, and didn't particularly care for the smell of vinegar, even though it dissipates quickly.  So, I decided to change the smell.  I steeped some lavender flowers in vinegar for about a month in a quart jar, and ended up with cleaner for about 4 months.  Just add it 50/50 with water to a spray bottle. Not bad for free flowers I picked around my neighborhood, and some white vinegar that cost about 2$ for a gallon.

The cleaner was much improved, not only by the smell, but lavender has disinfectant properties, and is considered soothing by aromatherapists.  The smell of lavender lingers much longer than the smell of vinegar, so I consider that a big success.  I ended up making another batch, and have been happily cleaning with lavender steeped vinegar for about a year.

But Im tired of lavendar. So, I decided to mix up some orange cleaner.  Orange oil has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, as well as grease fighting power.  I added some peels to a quart jar and topped with white vinegar.  You can add the peels as you go if you don't have a bunch, or you can save them up in the freezer in a bag, and start a batch when you have a jar full.  You can also throw in tangerine, lemon, lime, or any other citrus peels you may have.  Let it sit for at least 2 weeks, preferably a month.  If you are adding the peels as you go, start your time when putting in the last peels.  When the time is up, strain out the peels, cut 50/50 with water in a spray bottle, and compost the peels.  Also, you can use full strength on really greasy stovetop messes.

Steeping Oranges

A word of caution to those with feline affinity.  I have heard that cats don't like the smell of orange so use with care near their stuff.

Food issues

When I go shopping in a regular grocery store, I mainly focus on the outside. The produce, the meat, and the dairy. I do my best to avoid all the processed, packaged food, and bottles of flavored fizzy sugar that populate the middle.

 I happen to work in one of these places, but fortunately, don't have to leave my little bakery corner unless Im sprinkling baked goods throughout the store. However, since hurting my shoulder at the end of November, I have been on light duty, and can't do my normal work.

 So the other day, I had to walk the store, every aisle, and scan out of stock items. It took me forever, because I was amazed by the products I ran across. "Natural" and "healthy" products filled with unnatural and unhealthy ingredients. Sugar in fun shapes for your kid marketed as a healthy fruit snack. Oodles of noodle boxes with powdered chemical sauces., and umpteen other examples, across just as many food types, of confusing jargon and marketing loopholes.

 Now, I know this stuff exists. I just forget. I also do, on occasion, buy some packaged food. However, I am at a point where increasingly, I seek out and find a healthier, better, alternative. It almost always requires more work on my part, and often it is not as cheap, but the payoff is huge in that I get a superior, healthy product that I know is good for me and my family.

 When I was just starting my scan of out of stocks, a woman asked me "hey, you work here? Is this stuff any good?" waving a box of noodle side dish at me. I said that I hadn't tried it, but mentioned that I had tried the organic product on the shelf next to it and it was pretty good for box pasta. She rolled her eyes and said "Ugh, you're one of those" and walked off. Its true what they say about leading a horse to water.

Awhile back I watched a good documentary about food additives, artificial sweeteners, links between some additives and cravings, and deceptive strategies used by the food industry to schlep their stuff. Its called Hungry For Change and definitely worth a watch if you are at all interested on what is really going on with your food. You can watch it on netflix, or get it from their website here.

Garden Groove

I always end up (not) planning my garden too late.  It mostly ends up being what starts I end up finding,  thrown into a poorly prepared plot or bed.  But, how can I have a righteous garden if I don't actually plan it?  The short answer is, I can't.  The good news is, its the beginning of January!

My family and I moved into a cute little house last August that came complete with a 500 sq ft (17x30) garden space. I have never had so much space to garden in.

Poorly taken picture of new garden space. Its in there somewhere.

As you can see, from the worst picture taken of a garden ever, the space is quite large.  So, once my brain turned towards thoughts of the garden, I was immediately overwhelmed.  I began by making a list of things we like to eat a lot.  Then I added things we probably would eat more of if I grew them instead of bought them.  Then, I got on the internet.  That, my friends, is where things went awry.

If you have never perused seed catalogs before, let me just tell you, you will want at least 5 acres when you are finished.  How can one resist names like Devils Tongue Lettuce, Black Valentine Bush Beans, Purple Plumed Celery, Cucamelons, Wonderberry, or Aunt Molly's Ground Cherry. Now my list is WAY too long. And then, the hubs chimed in. "I need a lot of space for my pumpkins".

I ended up finding a few sites for heirloom seed that send out catalogs.  From what I hear, they come mid January. Hopefully, I will have a shorter list by then, but I doubt it.  Here are links to three:

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

http://rareseeds.com/requestcatalog/

Annie's Annuals & Perennials

http://www.anniesannuals.com/mlist/default.asp

Botanical Interests

http://www.botanicalinterests.com/heirloom-seeds-catalogs

Today is the first day of the rest of your life!

Today is the first day of the rest of your life! And too, this blog.  I wish to chronicle my endeavors this year in becoming more self sufficient, live with more intention and mindfulness, and simplify.  I also wish to find lost arts, and arts new to me, learn to play music, return to painting and writing, and not least, raise an awesome kid.  A tall order for a period so short as a year.  So, let's get started!

Here is a list of things that are immediately on my mind:

Have a righteous garden
Growing at least 500lbs of food this year
Making my own oil from an oilseed variety that I grow
Canning more (waterbath)
Learn to pressure can (hubs got me one for christmas!), and can the bejesus out of my veggies