Solutions

"There's no use talking about the problem unless you talk about the solution." - Betty Williams

I read a great book a couple years ago. It's by Ginger Garrett and it's called "Beauty Secrets of the Bible." I know it sounds a little odd, but there is a TON of great wisdom I gleaned from reading it. It's short, but there are so many ideas and thoughts that it took me awhile to go through it because I wanted to try everything she had to offer. There are a few things I took away from the book that I am still putting into practice now, two years later. These are my own modified versions of things that she suggested. Hopefully there will be something that is helpful to you in your own healthy and/or green journey.

1. Surprising sources as cosmetics... Coconut oil and Honey. Who would have thought in the never-ending search for a moisturizer that really does get rid of dry skin - the answer could be found in the baking aisle? But it can. I use coconut oil as a lotion both for me and all my children, babies included. It hardly has a smell at all, it's not greasy in small amounts, and it really and truly softens and heals dry skin. If I want to get fancy I add some sugar to make a scrub, or some rosemary oil to give it a fragrance, but usually I just use it straight. It may look a little strange when you open it up, but it melts with the warmth of your hand. I also use it as a hair treatment. I just slather it on my hair and then rinse it out before I use shampoo and conditioner. As for honey - I was really skeptical about this one. I pictured a sticky mess when she said to rub honey all over my face. But when you handle honey with wet hands and face, it works just fine. It clears up acne and gives skin a glow. I've heard it works well to lighten hair as well but I haven't tried that yet.

2. Natural sources as cleaners and detergents... Vinegar and Baking Soda. Very inexpensive, very effective. So far I've discovered that vinegar can clean countertops and tables, wash windows and mirrors with nary a streak, get rid of odors, work as a fabric softener in the washer, get residue out of hair, and generally work anywhere as a mild disinfectant. (I've recently added a light mist of hydrogen peroxide when I have big messes such as uncooked meat or eggs.) Baking soda is handy for scrubbing out sinks and toilets and aiding in freshness when vacuuming carpets and furniture (especially if you have pets... or an ornery, crazy old dog who sheds as a full-time job.) I've also added baking soda to wash loads when I was dealing with especially gross messes. (I won't go into detail, I'm sure every mom reading knows all too well what I mean!) An added benefit of vinegar and baking soda? I've heard if you mix them together in a 2 liter they explode. Please don't tell my son... Another great way to go natural with cleansers is to switch from regular body wash or shampoo to natural brands. I've been using liquid Castille soap instead of baby wash and it smells really fresh, rinses really clean. MacGyver and I use "Tom's" body wash and I love it (MacGyver doesn't really have opinions about body wash. He uses what I buy for him and set on the counter. I doubt he could even tell you what brand he uses.) And lastly, I'm looking forward to trying my hand at making my own laundry detergent when I run out of what I've got now. I'll let you know how that goes.

3. Snacks... One of the recipes Ginger Garrett mentioned in her book was a "trail mix" of sorts that had nuts and chocolate in it. I loved it, and I've since adapted it. I make a big batch of this every week and we all use it for a quick and healthy snack. If you'd like to try it - just throw 1 cup of pecans, 1 cup of walnuts, 1 cup of almonds, 1 cup of peanuts, 1 cup of raisins, 1 cup of (all natural) dark chocolate chips, and 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds in a bowl and mix it all up. There are specific health benefits to all of the ingredients, and it tastes great! Another recent find is Quinoa. It's an ancient grain that is high in protein. I made it plain to serve with salmon recently and everybody loved it more than rice.

So hopefully you can find some ideas to take with you this time, instead of me begging everyone else for ideas. If you have some ideas to add - please do! People have been having better luck with posting lately since I changed the settings, but if you still have trouble here feel free to post a reply on facebook.

Thanks for reading!