The Green Life
When I got married, I literally became Mrs. Green AND started going green! The Green Life is full of ideas for keeping home naturally beautiful, <a href="https://blog.xbydesign.biz/simplify-your-green-cleaning/">clean, & fresh</a> using non-toxic solutions. I include ingredients & <a href="https://blog.xbydesign.biz/natural-air-freshener/">recipes for the home</a> & <a href="https://blog.xbydesign.biz/one-room-challenge-week-2-building-garden/">garden</a>, as well as personal care for the body & hair.
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2018 Holiday Green Gift Guide
It’s Christmas time!! And you know what that means… a mad dash to finish checking off the Christmas list. Why do we always wait until the last minute to get those last few gifts? I personally think it’s the adrenaline of the holiday season & the challenge of finding that “perfect” item for that 1 person or 3 who’s the hardest to buy for. Of course I believe in giving gifts I’d love to get. So just like my last green gift guide, I’ve put together a list of sustainable gifts to consider whether you’re trying to “outdo yourself” or redeem from last year. Or if you’re just looking for something…
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All Natural Homemade Personal Care Recipes
When I first went natural with my hair wayyyyy back in 1993, I dabbled a little in natural products for my hair. I didn’t get too far – there wasn’t much information & what my family used growing up was far from natural. I didn’t even find Dr. Bronner’s until I started my 1st set of locs around Y2K. Fast forward 18 years and I couldn’t tell you the last time I bought commercial shampoo, cleansers, moisturizers… any of those things. I can tell you the last time I bought commercial soap – because soap making was the final frontier for me. And because we still have LOADS of it…
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How To Clean Silver Quickly & Naturally
Every spring I like to use my grandmother’s teapots as centerpieces on the dining room table. But I never like cleaning silver because I have flashbacks of Grandmother buying every expensive formula & cloth combo known to man that was “GUARANTEED to quickly & easily clean the tarnish from your silver”. I have a confession… Every spring I use my teapots & every fall I store them away without cleaning them. Yep, I put them right in the cabinet tarnished & all. Sometimes I put them back in their cloth bags, sometimes not. Lazy? Yep. But sometimes I just don’t feel like cleaning them. Well today I pulled them out…
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Roundup Of All Natural Homemade Cleaning Products
In the spirit of spring, I’m doing a roundup of all the natural homemade cleaning products you’ll ever need. I’m not a conspiracy theorist but I do believe that the toxins in a lot of the products we use in & around our homes cause some serious/chronic health issues. And I do think that a lot of problems people experience are environmental both inside & outside; things like respiratory issues & allergens. My own youngest son had skin issues when he was a baby. I had to buy specific soaps, lotions & detergents until I decided to try my hand at making these things myself. At the time I didn’t…
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Why Turmeric & Liquid Amino Acids Are My 2 New Kitchen Favorites
I have been a naturalista for something like 26 years. In the beginning I tried so many products, some worked, some not. Only when I kinda became a “purist” (maybe) did I find out that some of the best things I cook with are also the best for my body & hair. No surprise there. Most recently – like within the last 6 months or so – I have found 2 new “naturalista” best friends in my kitchen cabinets… Turmeric & Liquid Amino Acids. Why Turmeric & Liquid Amino Acids Are My 2 New Kitchen Favorites Turmeric kinda came easy. I love food. And I love curry. So I keep…
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Product Review: Linnai Reusable Silicone Food Bags
I am always looking for new ways to make going green easier & fun for my family. Ways that save time & money while still being sustainable. One of the things that I have yet to find a replacement for is plastic storage bags. Until now. I was super excited to try out these Reusable Silicone Food Bags for Linnai, Inc. I use plastic storage bags for so much more than food; in fact, I probably use them the least for food storage. That’s mostly because it’s a pain to rinse them for recycling, but also because they are really convenient for so many other things. Problem is that they…
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10 Simple & Affordable Sustainable Kitchen Essentials
Do you ever think “I’d go green if it weren’t so expensive”? If you are a home cook, you may even think the only way to be sustainable in the kitchen is through your food choices. Think again, my friend! The tools you choose to use in your kitchen can be a quick & easy way to transition to the green life. Here are 10 simple & affordable Sustainable Kitchen Essentials to get you started. 1. Wood Cutting Board What makes it sustainable? It will last a very long time. It’s made from wood so it’s recyclable. Depending on the type of wood it’s made from, it can be extremely…
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Why I Finally Tried the Max Hydration Method & What I Think About It
Well my naturalistas, I finally took the plunge. I tried the Maximun Hydration Method (MHM) & I’m here to tell you my results & exactly how I feel about it. I read about this method a while ago, but at the time I had locs & would not have dared to even think about it. It’s been a year & a half since I cut my locs but I still never gave it a thought. Honestly I never thought I would try the MHM because: I am not into a whole heap of “steps” to care for my hair. I find what works, do it, & keep it moving. The…
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One Room Challenge ~ Week 3~ Creating Outdoor Rooms
Our yard is not huge – it’s about 24′ x 75′ not including the existing patio. It’s still plenty of space for creating outdoor rooms & still have play space. It almost looks like there is not much going on this week. There’s only a few physical changes, but there is plenty going on behind the scenes. Planning & Progress – Creating Outdoor Rooms Room #1 – The Garden The garden will be the first outdoor room. I want it to be a destination, similar to when you walk into a home & make your way to the living room or kitchen, then you discover other “rooms” along the way. We want…
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One Room Challenge ~ Week 2 ~ DIY Elevated Garden Beds
In week 1 of the One Room Challenge, I mentioned that our backyard makeover needed to be done in stages in a specific order. Last week, we completed the 1st part of our DIY elevated garden beds. We started out with the garden so that we can start planting & hopefully have some veggies to harvest & flowers to enjoy by the time we get the rest of the project done. I just started gardening last year when my DH was compelled (by lots of begging) to build a raised planter box. I am definitely a gardening newbie but I have the best mentor, Grandmother. She’s 90 & she’s lucky enough to…
