Adventures into 'green'....

Well....We've been trying to little by little put into practice around our home, things that would A: be healthier ie: as little chemicals as possible, B: save us as much money as possible and C: be easier on the environment

Now, some of the things we've done seem common sense...but they also remind me of my grandmother....I LOVE doing things the way that Grandma did them! Such as line drying...before we moved, we had 4 clothes lines..and I used them almost daily....if it was a nice day in January, out the laundry went. Since we've moved here, I strung 3 lines in the basement, which is very nice, but , OH...how I miss hanging them out...I think Ron is going to put in 2 umbrella dryers outside....that we can put in and take down whenever needed.

We've also been trying diligently to make as many of our gifts as we can....whether they are crocheted or sewn...baked or cooked. Meghan and I have been crocheting...I've been sewing and quilting, baking ...Sara makes beautiful jewelery...and helps with the baking and cooking.....or we have 'thrifted' gifts...antiquing gifts....or used coupons when we can....lots of gift ideas floating around our home! It has been fun to hear all 4 children 'get creative'! The little ones have tons of ideas....not always HOW to do them, but great ideas!

We've put in a garden this year...and learned A LOT of lessons about gardening in the suburbs...with all the deer and 'critters' who like to eat our hard work! Planning for next year...bigger and FENCED!

We've been freezing and canning....will be going apple picking soon, then we'll can apple butter and dehydrate a lot of apples.

We are using cloth for more things...and planning on making cloth napkins this winter after Christmas is over. (and making Christmas gifts!)

We've also not used shampoo, conditioner or deodorent for months now...I know...sounds crazy! But, here is what we've done:

For 'deo'....we use (or at least I do...the girls do most of the time too) coconut oil, and then dust on a mixture of 3 parts cornstarch to 1 part baking soda...works great!

As for shampoo and conditioner...we've tried baking soda but I did NOT like the results...then I read on a blog called 'little house in the suburbs' ( I wish I knew how to link on this computer, but if you google it, I'm sure you'll find it)...anyway, she had done research showing that Ivory soap really WAS pure...and it DOES float! LOL Anyway...according to her research, it would cost a lot more to make homemade soap...and Ivory was as pure as you can get. So...we thought we would try it. Well....it's great! We use it to bathe with, to shampoo with...then we rinse, squirt a mixture of applecidar vinegar and water on, work it thru then rinse with water....I can easily get a comb thru my long, wavy hair...and it is so soft! I only need to wash it every 2-3 days...more often in the summer.

So...we now use Ivory soap to wash our clothes...our hands, bathe with, and shampoo with...and it is so inexpensive!

We've also been entering the composting journey....hoping to improve the gardens for next year.

As for health...we've been culturing kefir with unsweetened frozen fruit twice a day...going thru 2 gallons of kombucha a week....and having homemade broth almost everyday....along with vitamin c and elderberry as needed. So far...our colds have lasted just a couple days.

So, I'm curious.....any of you 'adventuring into green'....whether for health reasons, the environment or to save money...I'd be very interested to hear your ideas! ~Sue~