Homemade Laundry Soap and fabric softener are easy to make, makes less trash and obviously uses less chemicals than commercial laundry soap. I am not a big fan of waste at all. I don’t like buying the humongous bottles of laundry soap that are full of chemicals to wash my family’s laundry. And, with 5… [read more]
New Orleans Style Beans and Rice
In the homesteading world, many of us like to be frugal. Well, at least *I* do :). In our monthly menu planning, I always have beans and rice for dinner at least once. I like it, and there are days I enjoy watching my children curl their lips back far enough so that the… [read more]
Making a Milking Stand for a Goat
We had a make shift milking stand for our goat until my hubby decided that was enough. It took 3 of us to milk her, one to hold her head, one to hold her grain, and one to actually do the milking. And for a little Nigerian Dwarf goat, that’s a lot of manpower. Our… [read more]
Homemade Vanilla Extract
Homemade Vanilla Extract I am a big fan of making things yourself, in case you hadn’t figured that out yet. The vanilla you get in the stores is usually full of corn syrup and additives, and isn’t really vanilla-y. So, I found a recipe that I liked, and me being ME, tweaked a bit. Here’s… [read more]
How To Save Money on Real Maple Syrup
REAL maple syrup isn’t cheap. To the tune of $41 a gallon not cheap. We are fortunate enough that we are able to buy it directly from a maple supplier as well, but it’s still a strain on the budget to waste. But, I would rather spend a bit more money on the real stuff,… [read more]
How to DIY~ Spill-Proof Mason Jar Lid with Straw Holder
How to DIY~ Spill-Proof Mason Jar Lid with Straw Holder We like to use glass mason jars for our beverages. One, because I don’t use plastic, and two, we have a lot of them, and three, if the kids accidentally broke one of them, it wouldn’t be as “tragic” as they are easily replaceable. The… [read more]
Taking Inventory in Your Kitchen
Today, we are going to talk about taking inventory in your kitchen. Sometimes, I get burned out on cooking. To the point of “y’all are on your own tonight, Mama is done!” I open the fridge door, and stare at the contents, willing something to jump out at me and when nothing does, I think I… [read more]
How to Make Hot Process Bar Soap
As part of a zero trash lifestyle, I am seeking new and fun ways to come up with items that we currently use that have lots of unnecessary packaging. Like cosmetics, for example. A bar of soap in the store will come in a carboard box, wrapped in plastic. Guess they don’t want it to… [read more]
Make Your Own Toothpaste
There are many ingredients in commercial toothpaste that I do not like giving to my family. Among them are Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Flouride. SLS and SLES are esters of Sulphuric acid – SLS is also known as “Sulfuric acid monododecyl ester sodium salt”, however there are over 150 different names by which it is… [read more]
DIY Natural Deodorant
We were wonderfully created, and we have sweat glands for a reason. Our bodies get rid of toxins through our sweat as well as regulate core temperature. So, why do we add products that block this from happening? Add to this the fact that we absorb whatever is put on our skin, and the idea of… [read more]