Natural Living Articles & Tutorials

In my house, even when we used to use commercial cleaning products, stains are a fact of life. I’ll likely never be able to give away hand-me-downs. By the time clothes have made it through my kids, they either have holes or stains that can’t be fixed. Of all the stain removers out there, OxiClean …

I’m a big fan of diffusing essential oils in our home. And in fact, I’ve tried quite a few different diffusers over the years to make our home smell great. A DIY reed diffuser is one way to get the gentle scent and aromatherapy benefits in a stylish way. Why Use an Essential Oil Reed …

Few things impress a child more than mixing a little of this and that to make one of their favorite toys in minutes. My kids loved playing with playdough when they were younger, and my littlest still does. I came up with this fun gluten-free playdough recipe for squishy sensory play, sans gluten. Why Make …

Once upon a time, I was a single college student in a one-room dorm and it didn’t take much to keep it clean. Fast forward a few years and I had a few kids who weren’t so neat and orderly! I needed an all-purpose cleaner that worked, STAT! A Natural Way to Clean As a …

Several years ago I made some reusable produce bags for when I’m at the grocery store or farmer’s market. While they’re great for smaller items I wanted something a little bigger. And they had to be easy to make! Here’s how to make T-shirt bags that you can use while grocery shopping, at the beach, …

What do you do for gifts when the man in your life is hard to shop for? I’ve been trying to answer that question for years. It always seems tougher to find good gift ideas for men than it does for women. Men usually aren’t as happy with some herbal tea and a new skein of …

Chiggers, along with lice, are some of our least favorite creatures. Imagine there was a tiny monster in the same family as scorpions and spiders. It was so tiny, in fact, that you could barely see it without a microscope. Yet, this tiny creature was capable of causing insanity-inducing itchy skin. These creatures exist and …

A little research on starting a backyard garden will quickly show there are many (maybe too many?) ways of garden planning. I’ve tried many methods of organic gardening over the years, like companion planting and crop rotation. One of the best for small spaces has been square foot gardening. The square foot gardening method makes …

Sometimes it seems like going outside for a family meal can mean we’re the ones on the menu. If you’re tired of mosquitos and other annoying pests, then try these homemade citronella candles. That way you can eat your grilled chicken in peace! Citronella scented candles are a safe, non-toxic way to beat back mosquitos …

For many people, visions of bats may conjure up creepy ideas of bloodsucking rodents (they aren’t rodents). We live in an area with a lot of natural caves. This gives us many opportunities to learn about bats and how they influence our environment. If you’ve never thought about trying to attract bats to your backyard or considered building …

Just about every organic gardening book or blog advocates for companion planting. I’ve even written before about plant pairs that control pests in the garden and boost plant health. Sounds perfect, right? Companion Planting Chart So, you start picking out what you want to grow in your garden this year. Next, you search “companion planting chart” …

We do a lot of art projects at our house and it’s something I really encourage my kids to do. Just like our food and personal care products though, I tried to give my little ones art supplies that were as natural as possible. Here’s how to make crayons you can feel good about. My …

When my oldest was little we lived in a tiny one-bedroom apartment. We’ve since upgraded to a house with a backyard, but I’ve always grown plants at our home. These apartment gardening tips can help you grow all sorts of things in any small space. Why do Apartment Gardening? So why bother to deal with …

Regular tap water can be a source of many chemicals from chlorine to fluoride and many others. We have a water filter for our drinking water, so why not have a bath water filter too? Thoughts on Bath Water Filters I’ve gotten lots of water filters over the years. While I still use the drinking …

I’ve done my fair share of cloth diaper changes over the years. Like any concerned mom I opted for baby wipes I thought were safe and healthy for little ones. It turns out many baby wipes aren’t what they seem. So instead I came up with these DIY baby wipes with natural ingredients (plus they’re …

There’s something comforting about the soft, flickering glow of a scented candle. They add a sense of calm and warmth to your surroundings. While it was hard to give up regular candles, the downsides were too great to ignore. I’ve since learned how to make beeswax candles and now they’re all we use! Beeswax Candles: …

When my oldest child was about six months old I suddenly became much more interested in finding a natural and DIY floor cleaner recipe. I now had a pint-size inspector who would eat/lick anything I missed! At the time we had several different types of floors in our tiny one-bedroom apartment. I had to find …

Christmas crafts are some of our favorite things to do this time of the year. And there have always been handmade ornaments on our Christmas tree. These easy salt dough ornaments make great keepsakes for the holiday season. They’re also a great gift for the grandparents! Salt Dough Ornaments A few years ago I started …

I constantly strive to make the holidays less stressful and more enjoyable. In an effort to pare down on the holiday craziness, I vowed to give experiences instead of stuff whenever possible. I’ll give only a couple high-quality gifts instead of lots of cheap ones that break the next day. This lessens the focus on gifts and …

Cyber Monday is a day when many online companies offer their best sales of the year. I’ve found some great deals this year! I’m stocking up on pantry essentials, supplements, and some other gifts for everyone on my list. In fact, my Christmas shopping is almost done… now I just have to pull the Advent …

I’ve never understood it… the idea of running out early on holiday celebrations with family to go shopping for gifts for those same people! No judgment from me if that’s your thing, but this year, why not have the turkey and eat it too? (Literally and figuratively). I’m doing my early shopping from the comfort …

As a mom, I’ve been given plenty of gifts over the years. But it can be tricky to find the perfect gifts for the women in your life. This gift guide has holiday gifts for moms, sisters, aunts, wives, BFFs, and every other woman on your list. While you’re at it, don’t forget to get …

At Christmas time our family focuses on the joy of Christmas and acts of service. But that doesn’t mean we don’t also give holiday gifts! These gift ideas for kids are perfect for Christmas, birthdays, or any other time you need a special kid’s gift. Gift Guide for Kids of All Ages It can be …