Going greener series: Homemade laundry detergent

In our quest for greener products, we've learned that this much is true: sometimes you have to shell out more cash for guilt-free cleaning.
*long, dramatic sigh*
BUT, don't you fret.  Sometimes, with a little research and DIY, you don't.  And laundry soap just happens to be one of those products that falls into this category.  So, gather up a few supplies, have a little courage in good old-fashioned know-how, and you too can stick it to the man.
Whoever he is.

This is the idea that started all of our "going green" movement.  While wasting time on Pinterest, I happened upon a link for homemade laundry detergent which claimed to be "the best laundry detergent ever".  Intrigued, I did some research, and ended up with the following "recipe" (with a slightly different amount of Oxyclean, I think...) from being creative to keep my sanity.

Huh.  Someone else has sanity issues.

Here we go!
Supplies:
1 box (4 lbs) Borax
1 box (4 lbs) Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1 box (4 lbs) Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
1 large tub (3.5 lbs) Oxyclean or similar cleaner*
3 bars Fels Naptha

*I found a tub of off-brand oxygen cleaner at Fry's (Kroger) for less than $4.  Score!

Grate the Fels Naptha (or stick it in your food processor).  The trick here is to get the Fels Naptha into as small of pieces as possible.  

Mix all ingredients thoroughly.

And, lastly, put your mixture into the container of your choice.

Here's the real magic:  you use a tablespoon for a small-medium load of laundry, two for an large-extra large load (I re-purposed the scoop from the oxygen cleaner, which happened to be a perfect  two tablespoons--serendipitous!).  Seriously.  And.  It.  Works.  We used to use Arm & Hammer liquid detergent, which, let's face it, is one of the cheaper brands--and not only are still we saving money--but it works better than what we were using before (and this isn't just "new soap" excitement speaking, we've been using it for a while now).

As a side note, you can substitute 3 bars of Ivory bar soap or Zote for the Fels Naptha if you prefer.  I may try the Zote next time to see if I prefer one over the other.
Another note, if you pick up an extra bar of soap, you can rub it on stains to pre-treat them.

Pros: Cheap, cheap, cheap, cheap, cheap!  Holy moly, if you do near as much laundry as I do on a weekly basis, you are going to be happy.  Also, my kids have sensitive skin and Eczema, and since we have switched to this detergent, we have seen nary a rash or dry spot.  Plus, the good feeling you get when you don't put a ton of nasty stuff back into the Ecosystem.

Cons: Um.  The grating?  Maybe?  Also, it seems the bar soaps use some perfume and dye (though, I can pretty much guarantee it isn't nearly as much as the commercial stuff we used to buy!).

Going greener series: Henna

Early this year, I decided to do something I've always wanted: dye my hair red.  I loved the results, but my hair didn't.  Chemical dyes make my head itch during the process, smell awful, and then I end up with dry, damaged hair.  To add insult to injury, my hair just didn't hold on to the red color long enough to justify such crazy processing.
Cue the search for a healthier option.  Fortunately, there is a very cost-effective option for those wishing to color their hair in a more natural process: henna.
I will not go into the specifics of henna dyeing here, just my personal experience.  If you are interested in learning more about henna, I suggest you check out henna for hair, a wonderful website with a comprehensive guide to all things henna.
After browsing the above-mentioned site for several days, I decided that, at least for my first henna, I didn't want to mess with mixing my own color.  Instead, I went with a "ready-mix" from LUSH (found here).  LUSH also has a henna picture gallery with fantastic reviews and tips for their product, delightfully called "pictures of happy caca heads".
My henna arrived via UPS a few days later, looking like:

Sort of like a big brick of chocolate

I cut off two of the squares, and following some of the reviewers suggestions, I grated them.  Some reviewers complained about the smell, but I found it pleasant, like a spicy, grassy tea.  At the last minute (perhaps inspired by the scent?), I decided to brew a strong cup of Earl Grey and use that to mix with my henna, rather than plain hot water.  After obtaining what I thought was the proper consistency, I donned the gloves that came with my henna, and pasted the mess all over my head.  Instructions say to leave the henna on for 1-2 hours, and many reviewers leave it on even longer.  I planned on leaving my henna on for 6 hours, but got too impatient to see what was going on after 2.  I rinsed it out (which, yes, is more difficult than chemical dye, but wasn't a nightmare), and beheld my new, shiny mane.

Before

Dark blonde, dry

Styled, before.

After

Red! And conditioned.

Styled, after.

Wowza.  I am pleased with the results, it has mellowed to a light red auburn with gorgeous copper highlights (henna is a tone-on-tone color, which means it will pick up on your natural high- and low-lights).  I have received many, many compliments on the color.  Also, my hair is nicely conditioned and feels wonderful.  I still have 4 squares of henna left for later, and plan on leaving it in longer now that I know good things are happening under that mud.  *wink*

Pros:  Healthy!  LUSH's henna is mixed with a healthy dose of cocoa butter, making it super-conditioning.  My usually dry hair is happy.  No allergic "itchy" reaction to the henna.

Cons:  Depending on how much, and what type of henna--it can cost more than chemical dye, unless you are used to having your hair dyed at the Salon, then it will definitely be cheaper.  It takes a lot longer than chemical dye.  Also, you need to be cautious about dying with henna if you have previously chemically processed your hair, a strand test is highly recommended.

Going greener series: Carpet cleaning

As a family, we made the decision to go greener in our everyday lives.  In my "going greener" series, I will share some of the ideas we have put into practice, and hopefully inspire someone out there to follow suit.

The first topic I want to discuss is near and dear to my heart: clean carpets.  There is nothing that makes me crazy faster than a dirty floor (and with two kids and a dog, that is a big task!).  Our home features quite a lot of carpet--so we run the house "Island style", that is, we remove our shoes at the door.  We keep a large basket in the entryway that is the shoe dumping ground, which helps to keep the floors cleaner and makes it easy to locate shoes.  Score!

Despite our best efforts, the floors still sometimes require a deeper cleaning than just good old vacuuming can fix.  We own a carpet cleaner, and try to run it every few months--but this becomes a problem for several reasons:  1) Cleaning solution for this much carpet gets expensive, 2) Chemicals on my floors, which the kids and dog are exposed to, and 3) This requires us to dump detergents back into our water system.

So, as I noticed that our carpet was due for another deep cleaning, I began researching better alternatives to commercial cleaning products.  Here is what I found:

Spot-cleaning:  If you have a few dirty spots, but not enough to warrant a full-on carpet cleaning session.  OR, if you want to pre-treat some spots before a deep-clean.  Mix up a paste of baking soda and white vinegar (learn from my mistake--don't make it too watery!  I ended up with crusty baking soda stuck to the carpet--though it came up with some gentle scraping), dab on the spot and scrub with a sponge or rag.  Let dry and vacuum as normal.

Deep-cleaning:  Instead of using chemical-laden detergents to clean your carpets, simply fill your carpet cleaning machine's clean water tank with a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and hot water.  Put your machine on the "water rinse only" option, and clean away.  

Benefits:  No chemicals on the floors, no soapy residue in the carpet (which can dry sticky, like soap scum, and attract dirt, making it harder to get rid of), no detergents being dumped, and it is super cost-effective!  I cleaned the two largest carpeted areas of the house with one gallon of white vinegar--less than $3.00!  Also, the vinegar does an amazing job of dissolving stains and neutralizing carpet odors (like that of a big stinky dog... *ahem*).

Drawbacks:  Hot vinegar smell.  It dissipates as the carpets dry, but there's no getting around it.  I suggest saving this, if possible, for a nice day when you can open some windows.  Regardless, it is better than smelling chemicals, and I find this a small price to pay for a cleaner, greener home!

Our Ghanian Family, an adoption fundraiser

If you all could take a few minutes to visit the following blog: Our Ghanian Family

The Bigelow-Probst's are such a wonderful family (they are related to Preston, after all!), and this is such a beautiful cause.  If you are in the Heber City, Utah area, there will be a benefit concert on August 22nd that will be great for all ages.  You can find more information on the blog.  If you can't make it to the concert, you can donate directly on the blog.  Every little bit helps, and is so appreciated.  Please feel free to share this with anyone you believe would be interested in helping.

God Bless!

Calli, Rhoda, Emmanuel and Isaac

Chunky monkey "ice cream"

Who out there has seen that infomercial for "yonanas", the machine that turns frozen bananas into a healthy ice-cream substitute? Newsflash! If you have a blender, you don't need an appliance that is dedicated to making frozen banana purée! I have been freezing ripe bananas (just peel and stick in a freezer bag) for years for use in smoothies--they make them perfectly sweet and creamy and frosty. Just a little tip I picked up in the Army... ;)Anyhow, I saw the infomercial the other day and thought "Self, we could probably do that, and the kids would love it." And so, because it's Friday, and because it's hotter than the Devil's armpit... I did, and so did they.

Without further ado, Casa Cocina Ruiz presents:

Chunky monkey "ice cream"
You will need:
2 frozen, ripe bananas
Splash of milk (or soy milk, whatever your poison may be)
2 "fun sized" Snickers Squared
A blender
Cut banana and Snickers into small pieces. Toss into your blender, add a splash of milk, and give it a whirl--adding more milk, if necessary. Continue until desired consistency is achieved.
Now comes the hard part: do you eat it now, or put it into an airtight container and re-freeze for a firmer consistency? That's between you and your Maker. As for us, we ate it right then and there--though we were civilized enough to put it in bowls first, but just barely.

Yummy

PS--Hello readers!  It's good to be back.  I will update you on the comings and goings of the Ruiz family soon.  Pinky swear.

One!

Shakin' her thang

Miss Camdyn turned one over the weekend.  We won't go into how utterly impossible it is that my baby girl is already a year old, or what this has done to my psyche.  No, we won't go there...
Here are some quick Camdyn facts:

• Camdyn is all girl.  We often find her playing in the laundry, finding pretty articles and draping them over herself, uttering "oooh" at the effect.  She also loves shoes, if she can't find someone to put them on her feet, she'll wear them on her hands.

• Our little lady loves to dance.  And she is pretty good at shakin' her groove thang.
• Camdyn's number-one goal in life is to be near her brother.  Whether she's aggravating him or not, she loves to be right next to him.

• Camdyn sings herself to sleep.  Every nap.  Every night.
• Camdyn loves to eat.  Despite her itty-bitty stature, the lady loves to nibble on whatever she can find.  If you grab a bite, you better be prepared to share.

• Camdyn is vocal.  Very vocal.  She rarely leaves us guessing at what she wants.  She also screeches; we're working on a more effective means of communication.

• Camdyn loves Mommy just fine, but is a Daddy's girl through-and-through.  She's even got his brown eyes--and she uses them to her advantage.
• Camdyn loves gadgets.  Give her a phone or let her type on your computer, and she'll be your best friend.

Happy first to our little Miss Bossy C.  You bring so much light, laughter and fabulousness into our lives.

"Wearing" Mommy's shoes

Four

Happy Birthday to my sweet boy, Jaxon.

Some facts about the birthday boy:

Jaxon is very outgoing, and enjoys talking to anyone that will lend a listening ear.

Jaxon loves animals--especially his hound, Hendrix, and Grandma and Grandpa's cats.

Jaxon is very stubborn, he's a do-it-himselfer.  He has a hard time asking for help, even if something is frustrating him.

Jaxon is all boy--he loves superheroes, cars, planes, trains and dirt.

Jaxon is very kind-hearted.  When he sees a need, he tries to meet it.

Jaxon is very color-oriented.  Ask him what his favorite color is, and he'll likely answer "turquoise" or "chartreuse".

Jaxon is a natural big brother.  He has found his calling in life since his baby sister was born.

Jaxon has an amazing memory and an advanced sense of justice--don't think for a second you're going to get away with telling him he can do something, and forgetting.

Jaxon loves McDonald's.  A lot.

Happy birthday, little man!  I love you so very much.