Green Penny Pincher

(No, not THAT.)

Announcing the brand new Green Penny Pincher Pinterest boards!  (Say that 3x really fast.)

TA-DA!

Please be sure to let me know what you think.

Also, an update on my hair:  I’ve been doing the baking soda/ACV deal since April 23, and overall I would give it an A!  It takes a little more time (for the baking soda treatment) but definitely gives my hair more body and texture, and it seems to feel/stay clean longer than it did with shampoo.  Most of all, it REALLY is helping with the frizz, which is great with the humidity lately.  I plan to keep it up.  At least I can use all my leftover conditioner to make fabric softener!

Just trying to check in even though I don’t have a big post ready.  Here’s what I’m doing/planning to do in the GPP vein…

• No ‘Poo.  I’m late to jump on this bandwagon but it’s something I’ve been thinking of doing for… ever.  My hair is fine and has just enough curl to it to always have a halo of fuzzy frizz whenever it is freshly washed.  I never really have been a daily shampoo’er anyway, mainly because my  hair only really starts looking good by day 3, and really starts to look great when it feels DIS-GUSTING.  Yesterday, after almost a week without washing it, I did my first “treatment” – a wash with baking soda paste and a rinse with Apple Cider Vinegar – as per the instructions from one of my favorite bloggers, Crunchy Betty.  It’s still too early to tell for sure, but so far I love it.  My hair after washing/drying yesterday was less frizzy with NO product in it than it usually is after a regular shampoo with anti-frizz product!  My scalp feels clean and tingly (might have helped that my baking soda had lavender infused in it; next time I might go for mint and/or eucalyptus for some nice tingle!) and my hair is nice and soft and continues to look and feel good today.
• In beautiful coincidence, my mom and I helped my son concoct his first “volcano” yesterday using – you guessed it – baking soda and vinegar!
  
• Daydreaming about gardening.  Trying not to spend all my time and energy on Pinterest adding to my already huge garden board.  I’ll post more about it in the future but I think this year we’re really going to keep it “simple” – tomatoes, maybe a companion crop, and then lots of herbs.  I’ll leave everything else to the nice folks at the Farmers Markets.
• Also daydreaming about hitting the road in a wee camper such as this one:
  More on that in future posts as well.
• Looking into Maca Root, which, if it works, may help me with one or more of a bunch of ills that have gotten to me.  Anyone have any info or experience?
• Loving this sunshine and the occasional super-warm days we’ve been having… and then shifting polarities to sadness and blah every time we get another chilly, cloudy day.
• At the request of some readers, as well as my own desire and need for it, creating a list of dye-free recipes and products.  If you have any to add, please comment!  I’ll be putting the list up soon-ish.
• Testing out the Safeway (grocery store) app on my phone and the more I use it, the less frustrated I get with it, and the more money I save!  (Still spending too much at the grocery store though.)  Last visit I saved 28% off my bill, PLUS filled my gas tank at their station with a discount of 60 cents off per gallon!

I’m just finished up hitting “publish” on my last post on Banana Biscotti, but I am wayyyyy too lazy to do anything more productive right now than to tell you about the fabulous bath I took today during my Weekend Time Alone, while Husband took Mr. Adventure out for a walk around town.

In this order, I…

1. Poured myself a HUGE glass of ice water and brought it up to the bathroom.  A necessity, as I was about to start pulling all kinds of nonsense out of my body while submerged in very hot water.

2. Reached for my dry-brush.  Dry brushing is just what it sounds like – brushing your dry (as in unwet) skin with a dry brush with natural bristles.   I don’t have any scientific data to back up my claims, but from personal experience I can tell you that it sloughs off the dry outer layer of your skin, and leaves you all tingly and feeling like your circulation is much improved.  In any case, it feels good.  Here’s more info for anyone who is interested.

3. Turned my ipod on to music for me that is NOT about trucks, planes, or busses.  Or itsy-bitsy anythings.

4. Sank into a bathtub of hot water combined with some Dr. Bronner’s Lavender Soap, a stick of fresh rosemary clipped from my garden, and about  a cup of Epsom Salts.  I actually purchased these salts last month while planning a PinterTest – supposedly, you can use them to enhance your garden/soil - but never got around to it before I went on a rampage and ripped out most of my garden.  I’ve never used them before, even though I’ve heard of them forever and passed them a zillion times on the shelves of the pharmacy.  I wouldn’t be surprised if I am/were lacking in magnesium, which is how these epsom baths benefit you, but all I know is IT WAS A GREAT BATH.  Read more about the benefits and uses of epsom salts here – I’m way too lazy and relaxed to reiterate right now!

A few notes of caution:

• Drink LOTS of water before and after a hot bath, particularly one with salts.
• Get up slowly from your bath – the heat and detox can make you dizzy.
• Rinse off with cool to cold water afterward
• Epsom salt baths detoxify you – but that also means they can remove good substances from your bloodstream.  Like prescribed medications.  Use your brain and ask your doctor if you are on medications that could be complicated by this.  Or at least take your meds after your bath, not before.

Coconut, Halved, By SingChan via Flickr Creative Commons

I can truly say I LOVE COCONUT OIL!  It is a cure-all.  Everything that baking soda won’t work on, coconut oil will.

Besides the obvious culinary and dermatological uses, there are, so far, 160 counted uses, says the lovely Hybrid Rasta Mama on her blog post, “160 Uses for Coconut Oil”.  She was kind enough to let me link back to her list instead of counting them all up again for myself – you’ve got to check it out!  Here are a few highlights…

Diaper Salve
Energy Boost
Eye Cream
Nosebleeds
Weight Loss
Scrapes & Bruises
Chronic Fatigue
Tattoo Healing

Is there anything it can’t do?!  Check out Hybrid Rasta Mama’s page for lots more uses and information on this wonder.

WHAT KIND DO I BUY?

There are 2 basic varieties of coconut oil – expeller-pressed (refined) and unrefined.  The refining process removes the coconut odor and flavor and arguably depletes the beneficial properties of the oil, but choose depending on your own preference; some people just don’t like the taste and smell, or might not in all uses.

WHERE CAN I BUY COCONUT OIL?

Any local health store should carry at least one variety.  I have tried several brands, including Spectrum and Tropical Traditions, and the latter is my favorite.  I just picked up a buy-one-get-one-free deal on TT’s 16 oz. Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil for $19.99!

Special Price! – 2 pints – Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil 16 oz. – Buy 1 get 1 FREE! (Unrefined)

Green Label Organic Virgin Coconut Oil – 32 oz. (Organic Unrefined)

32-oz Organic Expeller-Pressed Coconut Oil (Refined)

Make a first-time purchase through my links above to receive a FREE gift, Tropical Traditions’ book “Virgin Coconut Oil: How it has changed people’s lives and how it can change yours!” This book is packed with testimonies and solid research showing how healthy coconut oil is, and it also includes over 85 recipes showing how people can incorporate coconut into their diet.

Lavender and baking soda are a match made in multi-purpose heaven.  I have reached for my shaker bottle of lavender baking soda so many times lately that I felt it deserves its own blog post!  If you try no other “recipe” I’ve posted here, at least try this one. Here are just a few things I have used it for…

• pre-vacuum carpet freshener  (shake on carpet, work in with your bare feet – see next use! – and vacuum up.  No need to worry about kids or pets.
• foot and shoe freshener
• re-washing the load of laundry I forgot about in the washer (along with some white vinegar)
• sprinkling in the trash can when changing the bag
• deodorant
• sprucing up my greasy hair between shampoos
• freshening the drain in the kitchen sink
• freshening throw pillows (sprinkle on, let it sit, toss them in the dryer)

It’s really easy; I’ve mentioned it in previous posts.  Wash and dry a container (I used one from “shaky” parmesan cheese) and fill with baking soda and either dried lavender or about 12 drops lavender essential oil (I used oil).  Let it sit for at least a few hours before using it for the first time.  Shake it up occasionally to disperse the lavender throughout.

Read more about…

lavender

baking soda

Lavender… even the word itself makes me swoony and relaxed.  It’s one of my favorite herbs, and besides smelling wonderful, it has so many uses!  It is naturally anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, and of course it is a bigshot in the aromatherapy scene.

How about some more uses?  I will update this list in the future as I come across more.  Have some ideas of your own on what do to with lavender?  Leave me a comment and let me know!

Disclaimer:  These remedies should be used with caution as lavender oil can also be a powerful allergen.  Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should avoid ingesting lavender.  Also, I am not a doctor, I am just some stranger on the internet who wants share what I have learned.

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