Bad Hair Day

Hi, I'm Heather and I'm addicted to hair products. A lot of hair products. My basket overfloweth.

I'm at your mercy, Internets. I can't go green in the area of the hair products. I've tried several greenish shampoos and conditioners and they just leave me ugly. Like, frizzy and Frankenstein ugly. I haven't even attempted to change in my old hair styling products for the green version because I'm scared.

Yes, I said it. I'm scared. I don't like to be ugly, frizzy and Frankenstein.

Come on, you know you don't like it either.

This is where I turn to you. For the love of all things healthy and green, please tell me if you have a product that you use and love. For the record, I have naturally curly and dry hair. I straighten it a couple of times a week. Help me.

Stinky Subjects

Back in the spring, I started looking at switching deodorants. I wanted an aluminum free version that would keep me from smelling like an unwashed farm animal. I tried Tom's of Maine first since it's most readily available at all of the mainstream stores.

I thought I had hit the jackpot. I didn't notice any smelliness coming from the pits and I felt good about using a product that didn't have the potential to give me cancer. Along came summer. Tom let me down. As it turns out, he wasn't as good in the summer heat as I needed him to be.

I picked up Trader Joe's brand next. It goes on a little sticky. As in, you put it on and hold up your arms a little bit to wait for it to dry...like a roll on, but it's not. However, Joe has been so much better to me than Tom. I haven't had any smelliness yet. I've been using it for almost a month now and the temps here have been in the high 90's many times. I'm impressed.

I'll post a little more later on why it's important to use deodorant without aluminum but for now, I wanted to get this out there in case you are struggling in the dog days of summer, like me.

Cloth Napkins

I've been hoping for some time now to start using cloth napkins for our family. I didn't have big hopes of completely replacing paper napkins with them yet but I figured as with most things, we'd move towards the goal slowly. Within the past two weeks, I realized that we are using more paper napkins than ever before and it started to bother me. It bothers me to the point that every time I hand out the napkins for a meal, I cringe a little on the inside. People, this is a major step for me.

Last weekend, I was doing some shopping with my Sisters and I ran across some beautiful cloth napkins on clearance. They are well made and I loved the way they looked. I decided to pick them up and give them a try with our family. My kids thought we were celebrating something! They looked nice and my Son didn't need to go through three of them in one meal to keep his hands clean. (He HATES being dirty!) I've decided that I can make them just as easily myself because I like to sew and I have lots of material left over from various projects that will be just the right size. If you don't sew, check out Etsy and Ebay because I found some great deals on both of those sites. My thinking is that if I keep enough on hand, I won't have to scramble to keep them washed up and it will be easier to resist the temptation to use paper napkins. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

I've told you before that I'm not an all or nothing girl. I'm also not someone who you'd consider totally green. I'm getting there. But daily I'm seeing changes in myself and my way of thinking that I know are for the better. I'm liking it! This is one thing that I'm hoping to be all or nothing about. I'd love to not have to buy napkins again!

What about you? Do you use cloth? Make your own or buy from other places?

Preserve Toothbrush

Recently, I was given a Preserve Toothbrush to try out. Have you heard of these? The handle is made of 100% recycled plastic and when you are done with it, you ship it back to them in a postage paid envelope that they provide and they recycle it for you. Couldn't be easier.

They have a partnership with Stonyfield Yogurt that allows them to pick up used yogurt cups as well as the scraps from Stonyfield's plant in New Hampshire and they turn them into toothbrushes, razors and tongue cleaners! Also? The plastic case that it comes in is sturdy enough to keep and use as a travel case for your toothbrush, complete with tiny air holes to keep nasty mold away. I will say that the 45 degree angle curve of the handle took me some getting used to but there are certain parts of your mouth that it just reaches better.

I was curious to see what else this company has to offer so I browsed their site a little and found these cool little cutting boards!

You can find these Preserve Toothbrushes at Target for just over $2 each but if you can't wait that long or (Heaven forbid!) don't live close to a Target, I have one extra to give away! Just leave a comment here before Sunday, June 29 at midnight and I'll draw one random winner for the toothbrush! Don't forget to leave an email address where I can contact you.

I almost forgot to tell you! You can get a coupon for Preserve toothbrushes here.

Recipe for Clean

Here is one of the recipes I came across for making your own cleaning supplies. If you have others, I'd love to hear them! I'll post more soon. I've found so many that use Borax but I'm still trying to decide if that is something that's really safe for me to use in a house with small kids.

You will see that a lot of them use essential oils. These can be found online easily or at your local health food store. I've seen several at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, as well.



This is Gorgeously Green All Purpose Spray:



32 oz. Plastic Spray Bottle

2 Cups Water

1/2 Cup Distilled White Vinegar

1 Teaspoon Pure Castile Soap

3/4 Cup Hydrogen Peroxide

20 Drops Tea Tree Oil

20 Drops Lavender or Lemongrass Essential Oil



Fill the spray bottle with the water first. Then, add all the other ingredients and use! This is safe for acrylic, ceramic tile, wood, marble and granite.

Cleaning Products Question

Christy asked in a comment on a previous post:

Love the new design! I'm still trying to figure out household cleaners and laundry detergent...make my own? Buy all natural and organic? What do you do?


First, let me admit that this is yet another area where I'm still learning. I have used/am using several different products right now for cleaners. I'm still trying to use up the last of several of my former regular toxic cleaners. I just can't throw them out and they are all on the verge of being gone anyway. Having said that, I also have several great products that are not toxic that I'm trying out.

Barefoot Home Essentials was probably the first family/Earth friendly product that I tried. I love that this is a company run by parents who were concerned for the safety of their family and thus started their own business to help others who had the same concerns. I tried the All Purpose Cleaner and the Lavender Disinfecting Spray and liked both of them.

I've also tried various Method products with great success for cleaning.

I have run across several recipes for making your own cleaning products that I will post within the next couple of days. Some of them look pretty promising and the frugal part of me can't wait to try this! I also can't wait to share it with you guys so you can try it, too!

As for laundry, this is an area where I struggle. I have been brand loyal for years to two different laundry detergents and I'm finding it hard to experiment with something that is better for us. I know, I know. I just need to do it already. That's why I'm glad I have you guys. For the sake of answering this question, I did what I've been putting off. I'm actually researching laundry alternatives aside from the very bad mainstream detergent I've been using.

I have heard Soap Nuts recommended, although I can't testify to how well they work since I haven't used them yet. I'm definitely intrigued, though. Method and Seventh Generation also have well known Earth Friendly laundry products. I recently tried Method fabric softener and I'm loving it.

The other areas where I struggle to give up my old versions of products are in the bathroom. I have used the same shower and toilet cleaners for years and I'm antsy to try something new. Again, I'm still learning about products in these areas so I'm sure there will be more posts to follow this one.

I'd love to hear what you do! Do you have products that you love? Do you make your own?

Junk Mail, Part 1

There was a time when I loved getting catalogs. I loved to browse them and marvel at all of the pretty things that I would never have. It didn't occur to me that those catalogs that I'd peruse and then toss (and not even in the recycling bin...GASP!) were going to a landfill to sit. I never considered that thousands of trees were being wasted on my desire to window shop from the comfort of my couch.

I'm now disgusted with the amount of junk mail that comes into our house and I've been looking for a way to stop it. One obvious way to stop getting massive amounts of junk mail is to call or email individual companies and ask to be removed from their mailing lists. You may also call your bank and credit card companies and request that your information not be released for marketing or sales purposes. The Financial Modernization Act passed in 2000 gives you the right to do this.

Other things that may help you reduce the amount of junk mail that comes into your house:

1. Send a letter to the Direct Marketing Association at P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512 and they can reduce almost 75 percent of the mailings you receive.

2. Call 1-888-567-8688 and go through the automated system to remove yourself from the mailing lists of major credit bureaus for five years. This means that those ridiculous pre-approved credit card mailings will stop. Thank you, Lord.

Tomorrow, I'll post some reasons we want to to eliminate the junk mail overload from our boxes. You know, aside from the obvious.