Showing posts with label Green living. Show all posts

The Green Life Edit: Using a Clothes Line/Drying Rack

Monday, August 28, 2017

I had never thought of using a clothes line until we went to France two years ago. And mostly because I had no choice. Our apartment didn't have a dryer (many homes and apartments in France do not), so we had a massive fold-out drying rack that filled up most of our 270 sq. ft apartment. I didn't like drying everything on it, but for the most part, I was surprised at how easy it was.

So when we got home, we bought a drying rack from Ikea, and have used it almost every week since we bought it. It isn't great for towels and some stretchy cotton items (baby onesies that have been heavily drooled on, for example), but it is perfect for many, many other items.

Your clothes dryer is one of the most inefficient and power sucking appliances in your home. And not really necessary for a lot of your clothes.

In fact, many items of clothing can be damaged by heat (shrinking, scorching, etc), so when possible, using a clothes line or drying rack can save you money, and make your clothes last longer.

Here is a short list of what I dry weekly on our drying rack/clothes line:
- toddler shorts and tees
- jeans
- button down shirts
- dish towels
- cloth napkins
- sheets
- baby blankets
- underclothing (not as much lately, because our next door neighbors would be able to see it)
- swimsuits

I have been a big fan of our drying rack (and now the clothes line in the back yard), for about half of every load of laundry I do. That may change some once the twins are born, because line drying takes a couple extra minutes, but I love knowing that I am saving myself quite a lot of money every year, and making a great environmental choice.

Also, there is nothing quite like sleeping on freshly line-dried sheets. My mother-in-law swears by it, and I now I understand. Just trust me and try it.

One final note: if you live in a very humid place, line drying might not be an option for you. When we were in Austin, TX (a relatively humid place), I always dried them inside under the fan, and that worked relatively well, except it made our apartment pretty humid. If you have lots of humidity, you might need to stick with the dryer. If you live in a dry place, hooray for you! Your clothes will probalby dry faster in the summer sun than they would in the clothes dryer.

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Green living, Minimalist Living

A few months ago, I used up the last of my fancy wrapping paper, and a few days ago, I was looking for something to wrap a baby gift in, and realized that my roll of brown paper was all I had for wrapping. THEN, I realized how perfect it was for wrapping gifts. For every. single. occasion. ever. But really.

Here are a few reasons why I am planning on keeping mine around for the long haul (whether it is trendy or not):

1. It's Recyclable - If you have read any green living post on this blog, you know I am all about reducing waste.
2. It's good for every holiday known to man - Super convenient, right?
3. It is extremely versatile - Seriously, you can put almost any type of ribbon or bow on it, and it will match (yep, even the ugly Minnie Mouse ribbon).
4. You can give it personal touches - Let your kids color on it, give it a cute pattern with a stamp, or draw stripes on it.
5. It can double as packing paper for a move (that is most likely what will happen to the rest of my current roll).
6. Mine was $1 at the dollar store, and had way more than the 2 feet of wrapping paper that most rolls hold (does anyone else hate how little most wrapping paper rolls have on them? $7 for a roll, and it is gone in 3 gifts. Bleh)
7. Your gifts will all match each other under the Christmas tree or on the birthday pile (this is a big deal to me)!

Have you ever used brown paper to wrap stuff? Or are you all about the fancy patterned paper?

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Green living, Minimalist Living

Three or four years ago, I stumbled onto a book called "Zero Home Waste." I have mentioned it in the past here, so you may have heard of it, but it was my first introduction into a seriously hardcore approach to green living. Basically a woman and her family of four produce a quart size jug of trash every year. Seriously. They recycle, do without, or reuse everything. And she lives in a gorgeous house, her kids eat cookies every day, and she seems somewhat normal for being that hippie.

Anyway, I have thought lots about this book over the past few years, and have often been inspired to make changes in my life, based on some of her suggestions.

One habit that I had a really hard time changing was using paper towels. I knew they were super wasteful, because even though the biodegrade, they aren't recyclable, and you only use them once.

I didn't buy them very often before (once every few months, because my grocery budget has always been really small), but there are somethings that I always wanted to use a paper towel for. But in September, when we moved back to Austin, I decided that I would pull all my napkins and cloths out of storage, and use them for sinks, counters, dishes, sticky baby fingers, and everything else. We haven't bought paper towels since.

The photo above is shows about 1/3 of what I actually have. I have to do an additional load of laundry every week, just to make sure I have enough to get us through, because we use them so much, but they have been amazing.

The blue cloths on top are a set that I made out of an old pair of Adam's PJ pants. I love these! They are flannel, and the fabric is thin, but absorbent, and because they are a dark blue, they don't stain easily. I just serged around the edges for a finish, and they make a great cleaning cloth. I often wish I had more than four. They are great for cleaning the sink, counters, and floor. I don't ever use these to wipe the toddler, because they go in too many other gross places.

The red and white napkins are Christmas napkins, but we use them year round, primarily for wiping hands and faces (occasionally the table, too). The color is actually pretty helpful, because we often eat beet and tomato soup, so I don't worry about getting the napkins stained.

The blue and white cloths on the bottom are for hand drying and drying dishes. I try not to use these for the toddler either, because they stain easily.

I have been amazed at how much I don't miss paper towels, now that I have enough cloths to really run the kitchen. We go through 3 or 4 a day sometimes, but I know that I am doing the eco-friendly thing, so I feel really good about it.

How about you? Have you ever thought about switching up your routine to include more eco-friendly practices?

Friday, March 31, 2017

Green living, Green Personal Products, Minimalist Living

Growing up, my family had a rule that we couldn't wear makeup until we turned 14 years old. There was much anticipation as my birthday approached, and around that time, my mom gave me the Bobbi Brown Teenage Beauty book. I loved looking through it and seeing the 'transformations' of the girls, and hoping I would look as pretty with makeup on.

Then I actually began wearing makeup, and after the first few wearings, found it to be highly inconvenient, and sometimes kind of gross. I remember girls in high school PE class with a big ring of foundation around their shirts after running the mile, and leaving lipstick and foundation residues on their boyfriend's shirts. Needless to say, I was less than enchanted.

All through high school and college I wore some everyday, but the minimum I thought I could get away with. But by the time I finished, I still wasn't loving it, and had no idea how to fall in love with it again.

Then, I found out that there is almost no regulation in the industry, and apparently lots of cosmetics are filled with things you really don't want to be putting on your skin everyday. Makeup seemed like something I didn't really want to do. Except, that I did.

Thus began my journey into natural beauty. After reading around, reaching out to a few companies, and spending some time on the EWG database (ranks self-care products from 1-10 with 1 being the safest, ingredient-wise), I have come up with a few great products that I am happy to recommend.

Currently, I have only scratched the surface, and tried out Gabriel Cosmetics (most products score a 1-3 on the EWG database), Pacifica (scores 1-5 on the EWG database) and BeautyCounter (scores mostly 1's and 2's on the EWG database), and only a few products from each, but it would take three or four lifetimes to try them all out, so at least this is a place to start.

Also, a big shoutout to Heather and Merrick who let me test drive so many BeautyCounter products! If you have questions about their products, email Heather at heatherannedaugherty[at]yahoo[dot]com, and please buy through her with this link!

Below are (1) some products I tested, and (2) some photos of me putting on and wearing some of the makeup products.

Also, Check out my Instagram account for a BeautyCounter giveaway sometime today!

1. Products I Tested:

*Indicates favorites

*Pacifica 'Dream Big' Mascara - This was a favorite. Nice dark, thick-looking lashes, but not impossible to get off (I hate waterproof mascara).

Pacifica Multi-Mineral BB Cream - This was a 'meh' for me. It didn't do much, and didn't have the moisturizing or SPF elements that the Beauty Counter moisturizing had.

Pacifica Lip Tint (Guava Berry) (guava berry) - Gorgeous color, but I wish it has been more a lip moisturizer.

*Gabriel Cosmetics Multi Pot (magnolia) - I love this. It was pretty expensive (at least for my budget), but it goes on great, it can be used as blush, lip tint and eye shadow. I loved it as eye shadow, particularly.

*BeautyCounter Dew Skin Moisturizing Coverage - this was probably my favorite of all the products I tried. I have never liked wearing foundation (see description of it rubbing off, above), so this is the perfect solution. It smooths and evens my skin, gives me the SPF coverage, but isn't obvious or heavy the way that many foundations are! 100% recommend this.

*BeautyCounter Lip Gloss (Fig) - Adam didn't like how sticky it was, but it was a beautiful color and gave my lips a lovely shine!

BeautyCounter Lip Sheer (Petal) - This was such a soft color. I always felt youthful and beautiful wearing this.

BeautyCounter Cream Blusher (Hibiscus) - I am still getting used to cream blushers, but it was pretty good! And a little goes a long way.

BeautyCounter Foundation - Above I mentioned that I don't love foundation, and never have, so I was a bad candidate for testing this out. I bet it would be great for someone else, but not for me. I didn't care too much for it.

BeautyCounter Lengthening Mascara - Loved, but it was so hard to get off! It looks really natural on, and doesn't run (obviously).

BeautyCounter Face Cleanser Series (Cleanser, Exfoliator, Eye Cream, Day Cream and Night Cream) - This stuff was pretty great! I particularly loved the eye cream and the night cream.

*BeautyCounter Balancing Face Oil - This stuff is amazing! It smells good, doubles as a face lotion, and really evened my skin tone. I usually put it on at night.

*BeautyCounter Charcoal Bar - Another amazing product. I really want to buy a charcoal bar to use regularly, because I liked this so much. My skin had been having all kinds of problems, then once I started using this, they magically cleared up, and stayed that way. I am a big fan.

BeautyCounter Charcoal mask - I don't typically wear a lot of face masks, so I have only used this one, but I felt like it did a good job. I will try to update as I use it a few more times.

2. My Current Makeup Routine: I like that I look almost exactly the same, just a slightly prettier version of myself, with better coloring and longer, darker eyelashes.

1. Start with a clean face, and rub BeautyCounter Dew Skin Moisturizer in small circles all over the face including under eyes and on eyelids.

2. Use BeautyCounter Cream Blusher and rub it in.

3. Use Gabriel Cosmetics multi-pot for eye lids

4. Curl eyelashes and use BeautyCounter Lengthening mascara (that is what is pictured here, but I have been using the Pacifica mascara more often, lately)

5. Finish with a lip gloss. Pictured here, is the BeautyCounter Lip Sheer.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Green living, Green Personal Products

I went to college in Utah, where the winters are dry and cold, and my skin would get really chapped. I went through crazy amounts of lotion, and was always looking for the cheapest one the grocery store carried, because I had to buy it so much. After a few bad experiences though, I realized I really had a preference when it came to lotion, and that even if I had to spend an extra $2 for it, I was willing to get the kind I liked better.

Fast forward 6 years, and I have made a lot of life changes to make my life as whole food oriented, organic and natural as possible.

The one area that I have been thinking about changing for a year or so is my skincare and cosmetics. But where to start? About a year ago, I switched to a more natural deodorant, but I kind of put everything else on pause after that, because I felt really overwhelmed.

Natural and organic are thrown around flippantly these days, and often companies that claim to be natural and organic are not. After discovering the "Think Dirty" app a few months ago and seeing the ratings on some of the products I used everyday, I decided to make the plunge (another great resource for looking up cosmetics is the Environmental Working Group, which also has a database with 80,000 rated products on it).

I started by spending some birthday money on a box from the Honest Company. Their products were low on the toxicity list from the ThinkDirty App, so I felt pretty good about ordering them. I figured I would take some baby steps into the natural world realm.

The lotion was okay, the toothpaste was 'meh', and the shampoo and conditioner were downright awful. I had one terrible hair day after another, and couldn't figure out why. Then finally it clicked, and I stopped using it, and immediately my hair started looking better. The shampoo doubles as a body wash, and is great for that, but it totally killed my hair. Suddenly, I was terrified about trying out natural products, and my old Pantene shampoo seemed so much safer.

But, I said I would do a post about some good natural products, so I took the plunge (thank goodness for public accountability!). And I have found some great stuff!

This may end up becoming a quarterly post, because there is SO much stuff out there, and after buying what I thought was a ton of stuff (I contacted about 20 companies, and went to many stores, many times), I realized I had actually only tried out about 20 products, so I will tell you about the stuff I have tried, and currently like, and check back in 3 months with the latest stuff I have been trying out.

Also, I am working on a natural makeup post (slowly, slowly acquiring stuff for it! Makeup is expensive! Hopefully it will go up after the New Year), and a natural hair care post, but after the initial post, I will probably roll the quarterly updates about skincare, haircare and makeup into one.

WHAT I HAVE TRIED OUT (parentheses indicate ThinkDirty App Score, if applicable):

Credo Tester Bag (none of these were on the ThinkDirtyApp, but their company mission is all about having clean beauty and skincare products and products that they sell are cited all over the internet as clean beauty products) c/o:

De Mamiel Restorative Cleansing Balm - Meh... I don't like washing my face with oil very much.
Pai Chamomile & Rosehip and calming day cream - I didn't like this at first, but then
Skin Owl Eye+: I don't know if this is the perfect eye cream, I haven't actually ever used eye cream before, but I like this one. I haven't noticed a huge difference yet, but it gives me peace of mind :)
Love fresh Grapefruit deodorant: Not great. It is okay in the winter, but one day I had it one, and after some medium exercise I completely stunk. Not a pleasant feeling.
Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask: I totally love this product. I have used it twice, and it makes my skin so soft and smooth!

Pacifica Skin Care Set

Sea Foam Complete Face Wash (1): This one kind of dried out my face, but wasn't too bad. I need to use it a few more times to know for sure.
Dreamy Youth Day and Night Face Cream (5): I liked this quite a lot.

Other Items:

SheaMoisture Argan Oil & Raw Shea Butter Body Lotion w/ Frankincense and Myrrh Extract (1): I love this lotion. It is thick, creamy and smells great. It is also a recommended product on ThinkDirty. Available on Amazon and Target.
Acure Face Wash (5): Pretty decent, and it smells nice. Available on Amazon and Target.
The Honest Company Lip Balm (1): This was the one thing in the Honest Box that I really liked. Available on Amazon and the Honest Company.
The Honest Company Body Lotion (3): This was not great. Super slippery, and didn't actually moisturize that much. Available on Amazon and the Honest Company.
Burt's Bees Lip Balm (3): This one smells amazing. Fox also LOVES using it.
Unrefined coconut oil (with a drop or two of lavender essential oil): Not my favorite. I have never felt like coconut oil was a good moisturizer. My skin always feels so... oily, when I use it.
InstaNatural Moisturizer Cream - Face lotion, that I didn't like at all. Super slippery and it smells kind of yucky... A friend gave this to me (she didn't like it either), but you can buy it on Amazon should you want to try it out.
Tom's of Maine Deodorant - This didn't work well at all for me. I just stunk when I exercised. Bleh.
Schmidt's Deodorant - This is my favorite deodorant so far. I want to try this deodorant, too.
Acure Argan Oil Face Towelettes: These were super convenient, but also really wasteful...
Acure Brightening Face Mask: I haven't used this yet. Get back to you once I use this. I always forget to use face masks. I like the idea of them, but never use them.