Natural Living Articles & Tutorials

I get more questions about essential oils than almost any other topic, probably because they’ve gained such immense popularity. Our family uses essential oils daily in our personal care products, homemade cleaners, and as natural remedies. The five essential oils I use most often for my family are: 1. Lemon Essential Oil We use lemon …

Last year, our entire family started taking a Samurai Jujutsu class. It appealed to me because Jujutsu means “gentle art” and the focus is on learning the ability to defend against an attacker. One aspect that has been fun (though difficult, at times) to learn is sword work, or Kenjutsu. We use wooden swords (bokken) …

Dishwasher detergent can be one of the tougher products to find good natural options for. Homemade versions can work, but getting the ratios right is really important. On the other hand, there are some good options out there but separating the good from the bad can be difficult. These are the options that I’ve tried …

I’ve talked at length about how much I love coconut oil and how we use it dozens of different ways at our house. There are some members of our household who also get coconut oil daily, and I haven’t mentioned them much in the past: Our cat “Peneolope” and our dog “Daisy” (and currently her …

I’ve been slowly switching my kitchen over to ceramic pans since I had the chance to try ceramic cookware last year. I researched cookware options for months and wanted to find an option that was: Easy to clean Cooked evenly Was non-scratch or non-stick Most importantly: non-toxic I finally settled on Xtrema ceramic cookware and …

There are dozens of household uses for baking soda. It is an ingredient I order in bulk (from here) and use often in cleaning, beauty recipes, detox baths and more. What is It? Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is a highly alkaline salt with dozens of uses. It has a slightly bitter, salty taste and is …

I’ve posted a lot of recipes for DIY natural cleaners in the past, but dishwasher detergent was one that I had trouble figuring out. I’d experimented with a lot of recipes, but all of them left a little residue, especially on glass. I wasn’t sure if I had too much of something or if I …

I’ve posted my recipe for remineralizing homemade toothpaste before, and a reader recently shared her adaption that allows it to be squeezable (many thanks to Melina!) It also combines the bentonite clay of the toothpowder recipe with the remineralizing recipe for a double dose of minerals. The addition of water to this recipe makes it …

I’ve gotten several emails of late asking me to detail what is in my herb/spice cabinet and how much of each item I order to make sure I have enough on hand to make my various recipes. While it’s always preferable to grow and dry your own herbs, purchasing them from a reputable source can …

I started making my own foaming hand soap pretty early in my switch to a more natural lifestyle. With concerns over antibacterial ingredients in many hand soaps and potty-training little ones who found the need to wash their hands/arms/the counter with soap a thousand times a day, I needed a healthy and frugal option. Thankfully, …

I’ve posted before my homemade recipes for liquid and powdered laundry detergent, but I’ve also been experimenting with another even more natural method that I wanted to share. To be fair, I must admit that when I first heard about this method a few years ago… I thought it was crazy. Of course, there have been …

We’ve switched to organic bedding, but organic pillows can be expensive. One less expensive solution I’ve found is to make our own organic buckwheat pillows using organic buckwheat hulls (and optional herbs) for a very comfortable and natural pillow. The same concept also works great for neck pillows and eye masks! If you can sew …

Peppermint leaf (and the mint family in general) is one of the more well known herbs though it is most often just used as a tea and flavor extract. There are many other ways to use Peppermint besides just as a flavor, and it is one of our favorite herbs. If you live in a …

Ever since I discovered how to make my original lotion bars, I’ve been experimenting with different variations including sunscreen bars, Vapo-Rub bars, and others. Today’s favorite: bug repellent lotion bars! They are as easy to make as the original bars, and they seem even more effective at keeping bugs away than regular homemade bug spray, …

I’ve recently had the opportunity to try using microfiber and now I’m kicking myself for not trying it sooner! A reader sent me some great info and a few Norwex products to try out. I certainly had my doubts that a single cloth could clean everything, especially without water, and I was pleasantly surprised. Since trying …

In my house, even when we used to use commercial detergents, stains are a fact of life. I’ll likely never be able to give away hand me downs because 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 …

If you’re here, that means you are interested in some aspect of healthy living. Maybe you are improving your diet, working on sleeping, or drinking more clean water. You’re working to make sure that you are only ingesting healthy foods, and it’s important to make sure you aren’t using the unhealthy ones on the outside …

Soap seems like a pretty straightforward substance with a basic goal- cleaning. In today’s world, there are hundreds of varieties of soaps for many different purposes. Soap for dishes, soap for laundry, soap for skin… the list goes on. There are antibacterial soaps, scented soaps, vegan soaps, animal based soaps, hypoallergenic soaps, etc. In general, soap …

If you haven’t already gotten rid of the junk in your pantry, now is the time! To make the transition easier, I compiled a list of ways to use those non-foods for other household purposes. I hate to waste as much as the next person, but I finally had to realize that my body is …

Making the switch to natural cleaners for tile and grout is incredibly easy and very inexpensive. You likely already have all the things you need, and they are more effective, in my opinion, than store-bought alternatives. You also don’t have to worry about your kids bathing in a chemical cocktail after you clean the tub, …

Making your own natural, homemade laundry detergent is one of the easiest parts of a transition to natural living. This natural laundry soap recipe a great way to save money on laundry detergent and is incredibly easy to make. This homemade laundry detergent post is an updated version of this recipe that addresses high efficiency washers …

Several years ago, I switched to using natural cleaning products. Since then, I have found a lot of great recipes, tricks and shortcuts that have not only taken the chemicals out of my daily life, but made our house cleaner, fresher, and faster to clean! One of the products I use the most when cleaning …