My Laundry Secret - Green Series

I have always planned on making my own laundry detergent... but have found a much better alternative!

"Soap nuts are dried fruit berries that fall from the soapberry tree (Sapindus Mukorossi) found in Northern India and Nepal. Their outer shells contain saponin, which creates a natural soap when agitated in water - use them in place of traditional detergents and fabric softeners. They effectively clean, soften and remove odors from your laundry - naturally! They have been used for centuries as a natural way to clean laundry and much more!"


I know terrible video... but covers all the facts. ;)

If you keep an eye on any of the steal websites... you can get these for really cheap. (Like 20 cents a load!)
http://www.greenbabybargains.com/  is where I got mine from Yoreganics - for 50%, which turns out to be under 20 cents a load! I have heard that you can also purchase them on the Shopping Channel for under 10 cents a load!

1 kg bag would replace 9-32 load plastic bottles of detergent! If your still not convinced Read This:

The Benefits of Soap Nuts

If you're not yet convinced of their benefits or how to use soap nuts, the following information should answer some of your questions:

• Sustainable: It's a renewable resource, easily grown organically.
• All Natural: No funky or harmful ingredients.
• "Green": Less processing, less energy and less packaging.
• Affordable: They can replace multiple cleaners, and last longer.
• Reusable: Each berry can be used up to 6 times before it's spent.
• Hypoallergenic: No skin or respiratory irritation and non-toxic.
• Not Actually Nuts: They're totally safe for those with nut allergies.
• Simple: Throw them in your wash or make a simple liquid detergent.
• Odorless: But you can always add your own essential oils.
• Gentle: Their mild nature won't damage delicate clothing or surfaces.
• No Fabric Softener: They naturally soften your fabrics!
• Save Water: They rinse easier so require less water.
• Save Energy: You can use a shorter rinse cycle in your laundry, too.
• Front-loading Friendly: No suds are perfect for HE machines.
• Works in Any Temperature: Use them in cold, warm or hot water.
• Non-polluting: 100% biodegradable and safe for graywater systems.
• Compostable: Used shells can be thrown in your compost.
• Self-sufficient: You can even grow a soap nut tree yourself!
• Countless Uses: Look below for a few ideas on how to use soap nuts in your own home.

The Price of Convenience

2 years ago, I traded this:

for this:


I recently stumbled over a fantastic article that can explain (much better than I can!) why I got rid of my microwave. You can read it HERE.

"Research has shown microwave ovens to incur serious damage to food during the heating process – from tearing molecules in food apart, causing some nutrients to become inert, to altering the composition to make a healthy substance carcinogenic. There are also issues with plastic containers leeching into the food and exposure to radiation coming from the microwave during the cooking process."

While I had stopped using microwave containers and plastic wrap long ago, the fact that the nutrients were being "zapped" out of the food I was feeding my children - forced me to make the change. (I cringe when I see Mothers warming baby's milk in the microwave...!!)

In exchange for the microwave, we purchased a small Bravetti convection oven. I was concerned about the amount of energy used to heat an entire oven to warm up one piece of pizza. This little oven is fantastic! It can heat up a piece of pizza in minutes, and double as a second oven for Christmas time etc. I cook asparagus in it all the time and use it to brown all my nuts and seeds and salads etc. I can honestly say that I don't miss the microwave. I still sometimes eat convenience food such as frozen lunches (Eek I know - but they are the healthy kind! lol)... in which case I will empty it into a saucepan, or simply heat it up in the convection oven. It does take longer than the microwave - but at least I'm not eating nutrient devoid food anymore! I challenge you to make the switch!

Straight up - Tulip!

I love the simple elegance of spring flowers. No filler, muss and fuss - just an abundance of simplicity. For Valentine's day I purchased my Mother in law 5 bundles of tulips, a vase and some river rocks. I put them together right at the flower counter of Safeway. The lovely florist gave me a hand, and accented it with some purple tule. She then asked me if I had any pennies. I dug into my pocket and came up with a handful of change. "Why is that?" I asked.
"Pennies make the tulips stand straight up and last longer."
Really!? I had never heard that before! She said they liked the copper.
So, when hubby gave me a bunch of tulips for Valentine's, I decided to try it. In went the pennies with my stones.

This is what they looked like when I first put them in... and typically this is what they look like for days afterwards.

And this is what they look like, one day later! Yep, they are standing straight up that's for sure!! In fact, you can't even tell they are the same bunch of tulips, it appears as though I removed half of them!

It's too much for this vase, and does not balance out. I prefer them to be fanned out a bit more like in the before picture... so unless I was using a thinner, taller vase - this is not a look I would strive for. However, it is quite impressive!
Some websites say this is just a wife's tale... and really all pennies post '96 don't even contain copper! But... as you can see here - it did the trick! (Viagra for flowers!! ;) I am interested to see if the pennies will prolong the life of the tulips. Apparently, aspirin is supposed to have the same affect.