Happy Hippy Christmas! (Earth Day) - Celebrate with Green Cleaner Recipes

Did you know that vinegar eliminates microbes like E.Coli from surfaces and sponges as effectively as commercial cleaners? In fact vinegar kills between 90 and 98% of bacteria! And most importantly it is SAFE for your family not to mention cheaper than dirt!

Well I hosted a Green Cleaning Party last Sunday and it was a great success! I was so pleased with the amazing discussion that evolved and we had a great time making our all purpose cleaner and creamy soft scrub. We indulged in 3 flavors of my homemade hummus (lemon, Thai hot chili and roasted garlic yum), mini pizzas, chocolate cookies, iced green tea and red wine. Even though the sprayers ended up being broken, at least the company is replacing them. If you have a party..make sure to test your sprayers before the big day!

The party was inspired by Women's Voices for the Earth which is "a national, women-centered environmental health and justice organization that works to eliminate or substantially reduce environmental toxics impacting human health and to increase women’s participation in environmental decision-making."

Vinegar: deodorizes, dissolves mineral deposits and grease, removes soap traces, mildew and wax build up, polishes brass, chrome, copper, pewter and stainless steel, cleans brick and stone, removes decals and stickers & removes water spots on leather. Not only does Vinegar eliminate microbes like E.Coli from surfaces and sponges as good as commercial cleaners but it also effectively eliminates between 90 - 98% of bacteria (as previously mentioned but its so cool that I had to restate).

Baking Soda neutralizes acid, scrubs shiny materials without scratching, deodorizes refrigerators, carpets, upholstery, vinyl and drains, extinguishes grease fires and cleans and polishes aluminum, chrome, jewelry, plastic, porcelain, silver, stainless steel and tin!

Here are the recipes...try them for yourself! I am V satisfied with the all purpose cleaner. We used organic lemongrass essential oil as it has antibacterial and anti viral properties.

All-Purpose Cleaner
suggested uses: hard surfaces like counter tops and kitchen floors, windows and mirrors
2 cups white distilled vinegar
2 cups water
20-30 or more drops of essential oil (optional)

Tip: Warming in microwave until barely hot will boost cleaning power for tough jobs. Only microwave in a glass container.

Creamy Soft Scrub
suggested uses: Use this creamy soft scrub on kitchen counters, stoves, bathroom sinks, etc.
2 cups baking soda
½ cup liquid castile soap*
4 teaspoons vegetable glycerin (acts as a preservative)
5 drops antibacterial essential oil such as lavender, tea tree, rosemary or any scent you prefer (optional)
Mix together and store in a sealed glass jar, shelf life of 2 years.

Tips: For exceptionally tough jobs spray with vinegar first—full strength or diluted, scented—let sit and follow with scrub.
Dry soft scrubs can be made with baking soda or salt (or combination of both) with 10-15 drops essential oil to scent

Furniture Polish
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
20-30 drops lemon essential oil
Shake well before using
(2 teaspoons lemon juice may be substituted for lemon oil but then must be stored in refrigerator)

Dip a clean, dry cloth into the polish and rub wood in the direction of the grain. Use a soft brush to work the polish into corners or tight places.
Tips: To remove water spots rub well with toothpaste. To remove scratches use 1 part lemon juice and 1 part oil, rub with soft cloth.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Option 1
Sprinkle toilet bowl with baking soda, drizzle with vinegar, let soak for at least 30minutes and scrub with toilet brush.

Option 2
Put ¼ cup borax in toilet bowl and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Swish with a toilet brush and then scrub. A few drops of pine oil can be added for increased disinfecting. (Note: some people are allergic to pine oil.)
Tip: Let ingredients soak for a while to make for easy scrubbing, especially on persistent stains like toilet bowl rings

Drain Opener
½ cup baking soda
½ cup vinegar
Pour baking soda down the drain and follow with vinegar. Cover and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Flush with boiling water.
Tip: Prevent your shower form clogging by using a drain trap to catch hairs.

Laundry Detergent
1 cup soap flakes
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup Borax
Soap flakes can be made by grating your favorite pure vegetable soap with a cheese grater. Mix ingredients together and store in a glass container. Use 1 tablespoon per load (2 for heavily soiled laundry), wash in warm or cold water.

This standard recipe can be adjusted for soft water by using 1 cup soap flakes, 1/4 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup borax. For hard water, use 1 cup soap flakes, 1 cup washing soda, and 1 cup borax.

Note: Borax should not be ingested.
Tips: Add 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to rinse as a fabric softener. For a whitener, use hydrogen peroxide rather than bleach. Soak your dingy white clothes for 30 minutes in the washer with 1/2 cup 20% peroxide. Launder as usual.

Off to celebrate Earth Day...with a fabulous spring weekend of outdoor adoration and amusements. Love your mama!

A Mother's Plea

Host a Green Cleaning Party!

Recent cord blood studies of infants at birth found over

200 different chemicals!

If that grabs your attention ( and I sure hope to goodness it does) please continue on to learn more about the plague of toxic chemicals we all deal with and what you can do about it!


Instead of trying to paraphrase what my amazing friend Imani over at Busy Moms Go Green wrote so perfectly...I just copied it here for your edutainment. Please read...and consider having your own green cleaning party! Mine is scheduled for April 12th.

Here's your chance to take action!
Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE) is a national, women-centered environmental health and justice organization that works to eliminate or substantially reduce environmental toxics impacting human health and to increase women’s participation in environmental decision-making. For the month of April they are helping women across the country host Green Cleaning parties for families and friends to inform them about the toxicity of products on the market and how to replace them with non-toxic cleaners they make themselves.

Toxic chemicals invade us in every arena of our lives. There are some 85,000 chemicals in the consumer marketplace and only a fraction of them have ever been tested for their impact on human health. Many of these chemicals are now known or suspected to contribute to a long list of diseases including cancer, developmental disabilities, heart disease, infertility, and reproductive harm. Many of us use cleaners to create a clean and healthy environment. But some of the products you use may actually be harmful to your health. Certain household cleaners contain toxic chemicals linked to birth defects, fertility problems, asthma and more.
EPA research has found that the air inside the typical house contains levels of pollution 2-5 times higher than the air outside and in extreme cases can be 100 times more polluted. Nowadays the average American spends about 90% of time indoors! According to a study of human fatty tissue samples, every American man, woman and child carries at least 700 pollutants in his or her body and the average sample in breast milk produced by American women contains over 100 contaminants. Recent cord blood studies of infants at birth found over 200 different chemicals!

The use of synthetic chemicals is a big industry: a 17 billion dollar cleaning product industry and a 35 billion dollar cosmetics industry with the majority of these chemicals being unregulated and untested. Currently there are over 80,000 chemical compounds in existence and less than 10% have been adequately evaluated for human or environmental safety.

In the US alone, more than 500,000 chemical products are available to consumers with more being produced each year and our government continues to overlook the severity of the issue. This is insane! Let’s use our dollars and demand products that are not damaging to us or the planet! Together, we are powerful!Mother Earth is speaking loud and clear these days in an attempt to communicate her distress. We need to take immediate action to remedy her ailments within our own homes. Seemingly harmless everyday items such as toilet bowl cleaners, laundry detergents, shampoos, cosmetics air fresheners, antibacterial soaps as well as the prescription medicines we take - are polluting our planet as they wash down our drains.

Consider hosting your very own Green Cleaning party! Get all the details HERE

Their website provides everything you need to know to host a party as well as informative fact, including WVE’s Household Hazard report. By hosting a party, you will help spread the word about an important environmental health issue.

SO when is your party???? Mine is April 13. You are invited of course...maybe a conference party???

An Inconvenient Truth

I am so glad my husband and I sat down yesterday while Grant was snoozing to watch and absorb Al Gore's 2006 (forever ago right?) documentary...An Inconvenient Truth! Climate change and global warming are not new issues to me..not at all..and I felt that I knew a lot about it even before the flick. However...it is full of compelling scientic proof that just screams....this shit is not fiction...its right here in front of you just look at it....WAKE UP...now is the time to make the change...here is your future flashing before you.

And I must say..that Al Gore really touched my heart with his narration, personal stories and very courageous campaign to make a difference. Turns out he was turned on to climate change in college. His professor was the first to study the levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere...and the data revealed they were skyrocketing! This really made an impact on him...and from then on he set out to research the evidence and spread the word. This man is my new hero. He actually went to the White House with his researche...expecting to be heard and changes to be made...but that was not the case. This man has been beaten and abused by the political system again and again (remember hangin chads and the total BULLSHIT of the 2000 election?)but he continues on because this is in his heart and he cannot stop! I fell in love with Al yesterday :).I dont give a shart what other crap he might have done in his life...this goodness trumps all of that in my book.

If you only have a moment to check out the situation... please start here. Although I couldnt find the AMAZING sceientific data that he shared in the movie. So I really hope you will put An Inconvenient Truth on your queue and watch it (again) as soon as possible. It really puts a flame under your arse! Especially when you have children.

The best part is the end...where he highlights solutions. His data suggests that if we do the things we outta do (quite simple things really) that we CAN have an atmosphere like we had in the 70s! And we can accomplish this in less than 10 years if we start...NOW. Ready set.....GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo.

and here is my #1 reason for caring so much about global warming



well and his children..and their children..and so on and so on to the 7th generation etc