Aloe, can you hear me?

   A healing plant I've recently started using is aloe. I have always had sensitive acne prone skin. Unfortunately, When I was younger I tried very extreme medications to rid my skin of it. The medication was helpful for the time being. However, after having kids and breastfeeding my hormones went haywire. So, I've been eating local fruits and produce and slowly eliminating sugars and processed foods. This has helped my skin immensely! On top of that I started doing weekly homemade face masks. 
   I use a small chunk of aloe leaf; scraping the goop from the inside into a bowl and mixing with 2 tablespoons of local honey. Then I spread the mixture on my freshly washed face, neck, and chest. Leave it for 20 minutes and then wash it off in the shower. Afterwards, I apply moisturizer and voilá my skin feels amazing. I like to do this before bed so my skin can further rejuvenate through the night. My skin is noticeably clearer, Thank you mother earth! 

Clean yo' washin' machine!

  Something I do Monthly, is clean my front loading washing machine. That s#@t can get nasssty! I found this helpful tip through clean and scentsible's blog.The gasket has to be wiped down after every wash too or else moisture builds up and causes mold. It's also a good idea to just leave the washing machine door ajar if you can, that way air will prohibit mold growth. 

  To clean your machine, wipe it down first and then I add a little baking soda to the hard to clean spots like the gasket drain and in the detergent drawer. After that, I add in 2 cups of vinegar evenly distributing it between the detergent drawer and front loading area.  I am a little bit of a mad scientist and love to watch the bubbles after I add the vinegar. I feel like they are actually scrubbing away the yucky stuff.

  It seems to work well to keep the mildew smell at bay. However, I found if I leave the gasket wet too long it is very difficult to get the mold stain out. I have tried bleach too. (Never together with vinegar.) But the stain has not gone away. Stubborn Mother F-er! I WILL find away to get rid of it though. Once I do I will update the post. 


Click here to learn more about cleaning your front loading washer.

cleanandscentsible 

 

Fabric Softner Sponges

Today, I made a container of wonderful smelling fabric softener sponges, you can just pop in the dryer along with your wet clothes.

I am a stay at home mom who has to find many ways to cut corners. Even though we live with less money can still get pretty tight! Other people say it's easy to cut corners and not live so lavishly. however, In my opinion it can be quite difficult. I want to live a more hippie and Eco friendly life. But, damn it! Sometimes this lifestyle can be expensive! I understand why, making fair trade, organic, and sustainable products, while paying the employees a living wage comes with a price. It's totally worth it to buy products like these when I can, but I have to do it in baby steps. This is another reason why I make some of my own products. That way my home still has less chemicals around and it saves money in our budget. 

The project was super easy to do, it took me all of 10 minutes and I already had everything on hand. I used a different fabric softener than the Smart school house blogger. My laundry still came out smelling amazing! I used 2 cups Seventh Generation Natural Fabric Softener - Blue Eucalyptus and Lavender (32 oz) in a container with 2 cups water, then I mixed it and added my bright orange sponges so I can spot them easily. 

Try this easy craft out at Smart school house

Coffee grounds + Sugar = Glowing skin

   In my ritual Facebook scroll I kept seeing other girls posting pictures of themselves with coffee grounds all over their face and body. So, being the inquisitive yet frugal genius I am, I decided to search Pinterest to find out how to make this scrub myself. After an hour and 25 various scrubs, I came across this simple and delectable recipe at Mom on time out's blog.

   It was easy enough to make this coffee sugar scrub. So, I prepared everything at night after my kids were in bed. As I began to slather on this caffeine infused scrub I didn't take into account the time or the amount of caffeine I had already ingested earlier that day. Que the insomnia and panic attacks. However, my skin did feel amazing!

   I recommend doing this early in the day, when the caffeine wont have such a negative effect on your body. If you are prone to panic or anxiety attacks, I would also recommend doing less coffee grounds and try it out on a small area of your body first. If you make the coffee sugar scrub, let me know your experience. 

DIY coffee sugar scrub