Keep on reaching for higher ground

Weeks ago we got rid of our microwave and you know...no one is any worse off. I thought for sure it'd be a huge mutiny but with this one small change in our kitchen, seems as though the fruit and sandwiches are getting eaten more often instead of the microwaveable burritos and pizza rolls...it's a good thing.

We've also switched to unhomogenized milk ... we may go raw if we can find a good source but it's only sold for pet consumption in our state so we'll see.

My most recent switch has been our cleaning products both for our bodies and our home. I've stopped buying myself body wash (even though I used great, animal friendly organic products) because one less plastic bottle is still one less plastic bottle...not to mention this great honeysuckle soap is only $0.75 a bar which is MUCH less than my old body soap!



So onto higher ground.
I've been a clorox wipes girl forever
the kids swish and swipe their bathroom daily (yes I dream but it does get done a few times a week), there's a tub in our bathroom, a tub in the kitchen and one under the sink for just in case uses...
I started thinking about how many of these things we throw away a day, and they're not labeled as biodegradable so my conscience started to get to me.
Then...voila! Greenworks biodegradable wipes
honestly, that only made me feel half good...because the company still makes non-earth friendly products so who cares that I use their earth friendly ones...it's just twice as much plastic on the earth.

Last night the hub and I watched a commercial for a new eco-conscience, biodegradable cleaner by another famous brand name company and I mentioned that we really just need to create an eco-bucket with some vinegar, salt, lemon juice, baking powder and good old fashioned elbow grease. His first comment, "that would be better for our septic too, let's do it."
Woo hoo!


ingredients:
- white vinegar
- lemon juice
- baking soda
- salt
- water


glass & window cleaner:
- 2 cups water
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 6 tablespoons lemon juice


scouring powder:
- equal parts of vinegar, salt, baking soda and water * it should be pastey


toilet-bowl cleaner:
- 1 cup white vinegar and 6 tablespoons baking soda. let stand for 30 minutes and scrub clean.


additional cleaning supplies:
- Murphy's Oil for our wood floors. it is a vegetable oil base.
- earth friendly laundry and dishwashing detergent (we've been using Seventh Generation)

Man and just imagine all the money we're going to save...it's the non-food items in the grocery basket that kill our budget every week...a gallon of vinegar is less than $1.50 and our neighbors grow lemons!

I have some great "recipes" for other clean cleaning projects but I dunno how to post a pdf so if you're interested, let me know and I'll email them