Green Penny Pincher

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’ve been working on this post for a while, trying to get something new up, but – ironically – I’ve been coming down with something and can’t seem to shake it. Thanks to the wonderful Pinterest (and Pinners) for helping me make my life a little easier today.

Basic rules of staying well:
Dress appropriately – scarves are “in” every fall,
Get enough sleep,
Get some fresh air every day,
Drink enough water, and
Eat your rainbow.

Most of the time, this will do the job. But sometimes it just isn’t enough, and you just get sick. Here are a few DIY/natural hints and remedies to get you through this change in season. How many have you already tried? What did you think? Do you have some that aren’t on this list to share with the class?

(If you’re not sick yet, consider yourself lucky, and read this over while you’re still well enough to prepare some of these concoctions that take some time to make/brew!)

After gushing over the many uses of Dr. Bronner’s soap in my last post, I thought a post about more multi-use items would be fun!  More uses means less things you need to keep on hand, which means less stuff, and less stuff is good, right?

Here are a few old favorites and some new discoveries.  Many of these deserve (and may someday get) their own posts here, if they don’t already have one, but for now, enjoy surfing!

Lemon, by Moyan_Brenn, via flickr

Many Uses For…

Lemons

Vinegar

Baking Soda

Coffee Filters

Coconut Oil

Toothpaste

Fruit & Veggie Peels, Shells, & Seeds

Hydrogen Peroxide

Salt

What are your go-to items for multi-purposing?

(FTW = For the win!)

"papaya" by mars! via flickr.com

We’ve all been there – something was too delicious and you took one (or two, or three) too many bites, and regretted it in one digestive way or another afterward.  If you’ve never been there… I don’t believe you!

I used to have a big problem with indigestion and acid reflux.  I also, admittedly, often run into problems from eating too fast – partly due to being busy, partly due to years of bad habit.  I used to carry Tums with me everywhere, and Zantac for the really bad days.

These days, I keep two things in my bag at all times.  The first is Gas-X strips (these things are marvelous for the occasional gas pain/gas bubble) and chewable Papaya Enzyme, or Papain, pills.  Of course, fresh papaya not only contains these enzymes but also tastes great, but doesn’t fit in my purse quite as neatly.

Used for thousand of years in its native South America, papaya contains enzymes that aid digestion, particularly the breakdown of tough foods like meats.  It is even sold as a powder for use as a meat tenderizer.  Meat tenderizer, or powdered papaya enzyme, can be used topically for reactions to skin toxins like bee stings or jellyfish bites!  (Note:  Rinse off within 10 minutes.  Also,  I am not a doctor.  Please consult your doctor for further advice.  Green Penny Pincher will not be held liable, blah blah blah…)

Some Uses

• Acid Reflux
• Constipation
• Too-Full Feeling
• Gas Relief
• Heartburn

Side Effects

• Lowers blood sugar
• May raise heart rate
• DO NOT TAKE IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO PAPAYA!
• Patients with a LATEX ALLERGY may also have a reaction to papaya

Dosage depends on potency of tablet, personal experience, and severity of condition.  Most versions are chewable and pretty tasty, though some have more of a chalky taste than others.  I have purchased these tablets at health food stores, pharmacies, and big-box stores.  Keep an eye on the label for other additives – the most recent ones I bought were artificially flavored – unnecessary, as papaya tastes great!   If you have any worries about this product, speak with your doctor.  Avoid prolonged contact with skin.

Last night I was driving home from yoga by way of my parents’ house.  I felt an itch in my eye, like an eyelash had gotten in there.  By the time I arrived at my folks’, it felt more like a razor blade!  I was dying, people.  I wish I could say I was crying – I wanted to, and it might have helped.  I had my Mommy inspect my eye and she found nothing, and suggested it might be a stye.

I stopped by the pharmacy on the way home and picked up some medicine.  I looked at the main ingredients in the Stye brand treatment (mineral oil and white petrolatum ) and opted instead for the homeopathic Similasan Stye Eye Relief.  It helped me just enough to make it home without tearing my face apart, but it didn’t solve the problem.  I looked up lots of home remedies on Earth Clinic (love that site!) – everything from rubbing a gold ring on it to urine! - and decided that if my eye was not better by this morning, I would try a compress using a warm teabag of green tea.

But then last night, right before bed, I was getting a drink and spied my coconut oil sitting on the counter, and recalled my post on coconut oil, then thought about the oily ingredients in the Stye brand treatment I passed up, and decided to just go for it and put some coconut oil  - just a little bit – in and around my eye.

People, it worked!  I woke up this morning and whatever it was… was GONE! Whether it made the stye disappear, or got out something that was stuck, all that remains today is some irritation from whatever WAS bothering it.  I put some more in this morning and decided to do the other eye too – it feels really good!  I also decided to put some on my face while I was at it and all greasy.  I feel and smell delicious!  I think I will be doing this regularly.  My eyes feel clear and clean and not at all dry as they normally do, especially in the warm weather/AC.

Tropical Traditions is the brand I use and HIGHLY recommend.  The product is great, the coconut odor/flavor (of the virgin oil variety) is delicate and light, and their customer service is AWESOME.

Special Price! – Virgin Coconut Oil, Gold Label – 2 pints – Buy 1 Get 1 FREE!

WARNING:  Be hygienic about this!  I washed my hands thoroughly before touching the coconut oil or my eye, and applied a small amount of the oil to my finger using a toothpick so as not to contaminate the whole jar.  Also, don’t touch your good eye with your dirty hand after touching your “bad” eye!  You only get one set of eyes – be very gentle and careful!

Today was also my first day taking diatomaceous earth internally – more on that at a later date!

Mountain Rose Herbs recently debuted new sustainable packaging for their line of organic teas.  These beautiful new tea boxes are made from recycled newspapers!  All of their 4oz teas will now arrive boxed in this recycled loveliness.

What’s so special about this tea?

The Box:

- 100% post-consumer waste recycled newspaper
- Reusable
- Recyclable
- Biodegradable / Compostable
- Printed with soy ink and water-based varnish
- Recyclable labels

The Tea:

- 100% Certified Organic Ingredients
- Earth Kosher Certified
- IMO Fair For Life ~ Fair Trade Certified varieties
- Time-tested formulas handcrafted by us for over 20 years
- 65 green, black, red, white and herbal blends to experience

Sip sustainably and help  support organic agriculture one cup at a time!  Read on about the many varieties available, then enter to win Mountain Rose Herbs’ Peace Tea and 21st Century Tea!  

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