Clean and Green Laundry Soap

Ever since I had a roommate who introduced me to the virtues of recycling, I have been an aspiring Granola. For those of you who didn't go to college in the mountains of North Carolina that means Tree Hugger, Earth Mama or just plain wannabe Environmentalist. Although I'm not enough of an overachiever to go all the way Granola, I still recycle, have a pair of Birkenstocks and I make my own laundry soap. Since this is saving me a bundle of money and keeping the water free from nasties, I want to share this easy recipe with you.



1 cup washing soda--NOT baking soda and cannot be substituted for baking soda
1 cup borax
2 cups ground soap--I recommend Dr. Bronner's Castille Soap

and you can put 1/4 cup Oxi Clean in there too.

I just use my cheese grinder to grind the soap. You mix it all together in a big bowl and use 2 Tablespoons for a load of laundry. It doesn't seem like much because it isn't full of all the fillers that store brands have. Some people add essential oil for fragrance but we prefer no fragrance to help with any allergies.

Generally I use cold water to wash my clothes because I like to save the hot water expense for my scalding hot baths. For fabric softener, get a Downy ball and fill up to the line with White Vinegar. I promise your clothes will not smell like vinegar. I store mine in this canister which is much more chic than a box of Tide. I'm about to start experiments on homemade dishwasher detergent so if you've found one that works, let me know.

My original recipe came from www.modcottage.com.

Is your home splitting its seams?

As I drive through our suburban neighborhood sometimes I get to peek into my neighbors home via the garage. Sometimes they are neatly organized and painted a pretty color or turned into a game room, but what I notice mostly is that there aren't a lot of cars parked there. Tidiness aside, because this isn't the norm, most garages are packed to the gills with boxes and stuff.

There is always a good reason/excuse for accumulating all these things and then taking the cars room away to store it. Based on the number of storage facilities I see popping up everywhere, I'm thinking that these people have even run out of garage space. I will never understand why a person chooses to pay a pretty large sum of cash to store, insure, and protect things that they don't need or use.

It's not only garages though. It's closets and drawers too. We all know it. We are a people who need our things. We want, we shop, we buy, then we store. Marketing is genius for making us want what we didn't know we wanted. Marketing makes us buy the last minute items at the store. Marketing creates a need that wasn't a need before. Marketing makes me feel like my house isn't decorated enough if I don't have Santa Claus soap and guest towels.

Oh sure, don't knock the Christmas spirit! I love it when someone goes all out decorating for every season. My first thought though is where do they store that stuff for 11 months out of the year. And, how much did it cost to buy those things? I really hope they aren't in debt if they are buying a couple of $60 Christmas trees, one for the front room too.

There are two things I feel passionate about right now during the Christmas season. One is about all the clutter we accumulate. The other is about the money we are spending. This all stems from a root belief that one holds, and maybe it is because of family rituals and maybe it comes from savvy marketing.

We can't keep buying everything and storing it. Our homes are busting at the seams. As a nation we live in bigger homes, but still don't have room for all the stuff. We need a FLOW in our lives. Things come in, things go out. I always have a to go bag. When it is full, it goes in my car and to charity. If you start small, you won't be overwhelmed by starting to create a flow again in your home. When you touch something that you think needs to go, put it in the bag immediately. Let it go to bless someone else.

We also can't keep buying all these things and paying for it. Most people have debt on credit cards or car loans. We have allowed debt to become an acceptable part of the American way. The truth is that it robs us of peace. It makes us work more so we have less time to enjoy the things we already have. Not long ago I was in Target and had a buggy with a few things in it. I think I was about to spend about $50 total on a wreath that was marked down to $12, a picture frame for a wedding photo, and a couple things that escape me now. As I walked toward the cash register I said "I don't need this stuff right now." and I left. Sometimes I do that online too. I fill up the cart and then exit the website. It's funny how just the act of shopping for it is therapeutic enough. Question yourself, especially now at Christmas. Imagine how much that item will sell for at the yard sale when you don't want it anymore. Is paying $25 now worth the 75 cents you'll get for it later?

Just by having less you will appreciate more and isn't that what the season is really about?


The photo is a dog we encountered in San Francisco. He is giving you the "hairy eyeball" saying "No excuses, clean out those garages and closets!"

Potions from the Pantry

I have been having the most trouble trying to find adequate and affordable skin care. I really love Ren because it is "clean" and all things good, but it is a tad pricey. While I was in Puerto Rico for Thanksgiving, a Clinique counter was giving away their three step system samples to try. I tried them and they are quite stripping. The toner smells like straight rubbing alcohol although I have to admit that it seemed to clear up my skin.

So now that I am back to the States I have been trying to go back to the basics. It just doesn't seem logical that my skin needs to be stripped of all oils and then replenished with serums and potions. In the past I have used plain olive or walnut oil to clean my skin and it worked well. I've also made my own toner from a recipe in the Dr. Hauschka beauty book. But it never fails that I get seduced into thinking that something so simple can't possibly be good enough.

The truth is that I have had occasional cystic acne for years now. It is only during times of extreme stress. Right after I got engaged I got two cystic nightmares that left me two holes that will forever be my engagement scars. It was a very stressful time. Will you marry me? Call your family. Let's stop at Barnes and Noble so you can start planning a wedding. That was all in a matter of hours. Anyway, I digress, but it's just to show I have had some extreme skin problems. The good news is that since the wedding there has been no cystic trouble at all.

This morning I tried a yogurt mask and it does seem to exfoliate quite nicely. I added a little lemon juice. I use plain, full fat yogurt, which is a good all around staple for cooking as well. You can also add some honey which has antibacterial properties. Some other skin care homemade remedies I have tried are body scrubs. You can easily make your own with salt or sugar. Just add oil.

I've been making my own eye makeup remover for awhile now and as I tell my husband, "Do you know how much money I've saved you?" Use an old eye makeup remover bottle and put one fourth baby shampoo and fill to the top with distilled water. I know this probably isnt' the Best because it still has the SLS however it's not much different from the $16 bottle so why not use it practically free?

In spite of many creative ways to make your own potions, I always find myself seduced into a marketing campaign. I start believing that some company has the right answer for my skin. My curiousity gets the best of me and my wallet. The truth is that it is fun to buy things and feel a part of the collective users of something. It's almost like we collect items from a cosmetics or skincare line like my mom used to collect dolls off of QVC. And honestly, I think the skincare costs more.

But this time I'm going to find the system that works for me. I'm open to purchasing skincare or to making it myself, but I'm tired of buying products that are only as good as their marketing campaigns or free gift with purchase. Anyone got any faves to share?

It's Like Shooting Fish in a Barrel

I'm sending out a little financial warning for those of you who get sucked into marketing traps like me. Ah, but I am smarter this year! Forewarned is forearmed. It is a battle out there, a battle for your money. Be choosy about who you give it to, or might I suggest saving some of it?

Beware of the COUPON. This little harmless and apparently fruitful incentive to get you into a shop can be a big pitfall in holiday spending and all year round. Oh, I've been sucked in too many times. I'm thinking of Bath and Body Works with their buy one get one free. If you are like me, it's very difficult to throw something away that is free. But it isn't free. If you need to stock up, then great, but I don't even care for their items that much. This is how I know that this marketing works. I feel perfectly fine to go buy a lotion for $11.00 so I can get something for free. Ladies, maybe you like the smell, but there is nothing special about this overpriced soap and lotion. It's standard drugstore fare ingredients which is why they can afford to give you something free when you buy an item. So, not just to pick on this store, I'm saying beware of all the 10%, 20% coupons that take you into a store where you don't already need or use something. Open the lid to the trash can and THROW IT AWAY. Save your money for what you really want. Those dollars add up.

Number two is beware of the FREE GIFT WITH PURCHASE. Oh a couple of months ago I was salivating for the Nordstrom makeup bag and sample giveaway. I was inventing things to purchase to add up to $100 so I could get that. These free gifts hynotize us! We get the swirly circles in our eyes and can only focus on buy, buy, buy. Nevermind that most of the samples we won't even like or use. There is always justification when you are getting a free gift. Oh, ladies I know how hard it is to resist, but DO RESIST sometimes. Allow yourselves to receive the the goodie bag sometimes, but not everytime. It's not worth it to wreck your budget. And by all means, if you don't like something you get at any store, take it back. It feels a little embarrasing, but you'll all get over it.

I've gradually been hunting products that are just as nice at the drugstore. I'm not generally a fan of most items because I feel they don't compare in quality. However over time I am proud to say that I no longer buy department store mascara. I love Voluminous or Lash Exact mascara just as much as the pricier brands. I've also discovered that I adore a certain Cover Girl foundation more than Laura Mercier, Giorgio Armani or any of them. And it has spf 25. I'm still working on skin care.

Go, shop, and be smart and creative with your purchases especially this time of year when every store wants your money. Look at that FREE something for what it really is, a shiny, perfumed worm just luring you to bite.

Wedding Pictures

Here are just a few pictures from our wedding day. After the wedding in South Carolina and the honeymoon in San Francisco, we came back to Texas and the following week closed on our house. The house is springing to life with every box that is unpacked. Fall is finally arriving in Texas and I couldn't be happier for the cooler weather. Unpacking the wedding gifts has been especially fun. I have to say that my red Kitchen Aid mixer had me jumping up and down. I just want to use it all the time. The other day I made brownies but never got around to cooking them. Did you know if you just leave the batter in the frig it tastes like fudge? Sad, I know, but my sweetie left me for two weeks to go to work in Wyoming. Sometimes a lonely girl needs chocolate eaten with a wooden spoon while watching mindless tv. Got the picture? Yeah, I'm also getting back to the gym because the pounds are creeping on. We are going to Puerto Rico to visit Gustavo's family for Thanksgiving. Putting on a bikini in the midst of feasting on pumpkin pie and turkey just isn't natural, but I will endure!

Naturalizer Shoes Friends & Family Discount

Hi Everyone!

I want to pass on a coupon code to you. I love Naturalizer shoes! They are the impossible find of stylish and comfortable. I always used to think of them as old lady shoes, but they obviously got a new designer because there are many fashionable options now. October 5-8, 2007 you can receive 30% off your total purchase. Go to a store, buy online or call the number on the coupon-- Just give them the code FFJ37.

Maybe you need a pair of boots or a cute pair of animal print flats. This is a great discount to use for fall merchandise or an extra discount for summer shoes.

Of course, if you don't need anything, sorry for the temptation.

Nordstrom Houston Galleria Trend Event

If you are in the Houston area, there is a really cool event coming up on October 20th at Houston Galleria's Nordstrom. At 8:00 am before the store opens they are having a fashion show with all of fall's latest. The cosmetics department is joining in with a free train case full of samples. Also, you can sign up with the makeup counter of your choice for a free makeover. Each counter also may have a gift with purchase.

The tickets are $15.00 and redeemable towards product. I know that I'm going to finally get the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder that I've been wish listing for awhile now. The number is 832-201-2700 to order your ticket.