Natural Living in the US

Healthy hair is important for looking your best. Dry and brittle, or flat and dull–no one wants those to be the description of their locks.Particularly as we age, our hair needs to be babied. In the midst of a busy life as a wife, mom, and writer–I don’t have the time or the money to spend on expensive hair care regimes. I like simple and effective means to keep my brunette tresses looking “effortlessly” their best.Hence, I want to share with you my SECRET recipe for great, naturally-cleaned, deep moisturized hair using, totally green, natural cleaning products, that get the job done beautifully and well within my budget.Best Hair Care Treatment:For Shampoo:I wash my hair in African Black Soap imported from Togo. I get the soap ball wet and lather it in my hands, wash my hair, and then rinse with water. African Black Soap has such a gentle, natural, nutty aroma and it is a rich, natural moisturizer.For the first rinse, I rinse my hair in a fresh Yucca solution, leave it on briefly, and then rinse off with water. This is a strengthening rinse and will make your hair have a natural, youthful sheen.(This is a Native American Recipe from the Navajo Tribe)Yucca Rinse Recipe:Purchase fresh yucca root at the grocery store, usually very cheap, located near pineapples.Cut off a 3 inch slice. Remove the brown skin coating.Crush up the skinned yucca root to a grainy pulp.Put into a small muslin/cotton drawstring bag or a clean knee-high and tie in a knot.Add the yucca bag to 1 cup of water in a 2 cup container.Swish around briefly and let sit 10-15 mins.The yucca solution will turn cloudy and opaque.Add 1 cup hot water to the yucca solution to give it some warmth, then rinse your hair with it.Slowly dump the yucca solution on your head and work into your hair.Leave on briefly, 2-3 mins., and rinse off with water.Hang the yucca bag up to dry out thoroughly.You can reuse the same yucca 3-4 times, if completely dried between uses so that it doesn’t spoil.For a second and final rinse, I use diluted white vinegar:White Vinegar Cleansing/Conditioning Rinse:Mix 1 cup white vinegar with 1 cup hot water.Rinse your hair with it and work into hair with your fingers. Avoid getting it in your eyes.This rinse will clean your hair from any pollution, toxins, and soapy residue from previous detergent-shampoos. The diluted vinegar also is a great softener for hair.Leave on briefly 1-2 mins. then rinse with water.If your hair tends to be dry, after towel drying your hair you can add straight olive oil to the ends of your hair and style as usual.This hair care system has saved me tons of money and helps my hair look THE best that it ever has! Try it–It is a Natural Cleaning Star!!

Learn to cook fast and easy lunches for school. Peanut butter cookies, home made popcorn, snacks for school lunches your child can make. Easy cooking lessons for children & adults. Learn how to cook with your child.

Check out why I choose to use cloth diapers, why ours are different, and gain some useful tips! www.inarasclothdiapers.com “One Little Girl” by my wonderful husband James.

Funded by the Toxics Use Reduction Institute, UMass Lowell, The Vida Verde Co-op of the Brazilian Women’s Group in Alston, MA has created a video to educate housecleaners and the public about the hazards of conventional household cleaning products and the less-toxic, homemade, and effective alternatives.

Maintaining a healthy and clean colon is vitally important to your overall health and sense of well being. Quite possibly you have indicated some interest in cleansing the colon but do not want to resort to ingredients that are manufactured artificially. Some of these formulations cause violent and unpredictable reactions within your body. Some careful research will show that you need not resort to prescription medications and that you do have options to help you acquire a clean colon naturally.
How to Clean Colon Naturally
There is a large portion of the population that would prefer to acquire the benefits of a clean colon naturally. The first step is to find a naturally occurring product that you can use to cleanse the colon. There are a number of plants and herbs that have been utilized by various cultures for hundreds of years. When ingested they serve to rid your bowel areas of the harmful toxins that have accumulated over a long period of time.
Many of the natural herb and plant based products are composed of multi-herb and multi-fibre organics that work synergistically to help you cleanse and tone all five elimination channels. These basic elements of your system include the gastrointestinal system or colon, kidneys, lungs, skin, and the lymphatic system. It may come as somewhat of a surprise to discover the body components involved in keeping our body free of undesirable elements and impurities.
Ideally the product that you select should be one that is completely natural and safe to use, and accomplishes two important tasks. The treatment should stimulate thorough and complete elimination and stimulate the need for frequent and regular bowel movements there after. The basic action to acquire a clean colon naturally, relies on fibre as one of its main ingredients and helps to flush out your system and get you feeling healthier and happier.
When we introduce food high in fibre to our intestinal tract, it absorbs moisture and expands to produce a high volume product that fills the tract of our intestines. The body doesn’t want the basically inert elements of much of this fibrous material and simply pushes it right through the digestive system. Many of these herbal or plant base products produce a delicate scraping process as they fill out and pass through the intestines.
As a result pockets, bends and restricted areas get a much needed sandblasting effect and a fresh, clean surface.
By utilizing nature’s methods of achieving a clean colon naturally, and following routine maintenance with naturally occurring organic products, you should then be able to keep your colon clean comfortably throughout the remainder of your life.
As with any new routine you plan to begin that will affect your body systems, it would be wise to consult with your doctor, a professional nutritionist or herbalist. Many of these consultants will be able to assess your present condition and advise you which colon cleansing product is going to be best suited to you and your needs. A thorough examination may reveal that your colon is especially clogged.
In the unlikely event that natural organic products prove to be unsuccessful and producing a smoothly operating digestive system, you may find it necessary to resort to synthetic formulations available via prescription.
To experience extended comfort after you have cleansed the colon you plan to maintain that condition by eating a healthy well-balanced diet, that incorporates fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals, and ample quantities of fibre. Fibre should be increased gradually in the diet and should always be accompanied with an increase in water in order to prevent constipation.
Following these principles you should derive the benefits of a clean colon naturally.

There are a million articles, books and courses that you can find about spring cleaning, clearing the clutter, organizing, and the art of Feng Shui. You can even hire a consultant to come into your home and do these things for you. This article is going to go a step beyond that. You will be able to rejuvenate your home in areas where Lysol, a carpet cleaner, and organizational systems fail to go!

I’m going to assume that you all ready know the basics of cleaning, removing whatever you don’t need or aren’t emotionally attached to, and how to keep your belongings organized. I’m also going to assume that you understand that a clean and healthy environment improves your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. I believe you’re reading this article because you all ready work hard to create a clean and healthy environment for yourself and your family.

What we really want to focus on with this article is that not so fresh feeling that occasionally lingers even after you’ve cleaned, organized, and simplified down to the bare bones. There are a variety of reasons why this might happen. Maybe the room doesn’t have enough windows, or other natural resources to refresh itself in a natural way. Or, it could have lingering energy from bad memories. Those energies need a little more work to get rid of so you can fill the room with the warmth and comfort you want to feel in there instead. The following tools will help you with your efforts.

If the room you are struggling with doesn’t have enough windows to provide plenty of natural lighting, it may have a lingering stale feeling to it. There are a couple of things you can do to correct this. One is to buy light bulbs that have a natural light to them. They are available at most places you buy regular bulbs at. This will give the room the feeling that sunshine is pouring in. Another good idea is to burn candles. Even unscented ones are perfect in giving the room a feeling of warmth and comfort that the sun would normally offer.

Speaking of candles, scented candles are a wonderful source of aromatherapy and can help freshen a room while your offering the additional light. Try to stick with one scent at a time though so the room doesn’t become overwhelming. The best scents for a room lacking in sunlight are light or citrusy scents that will help lighten the room’s atmosphere.

Mother Nature offers many types of naturally cleaning items. Bringing these items of nature indoors is the best way to keep your space refreshed. Plants are perfect for any room and continuously clean the air for you. Philodendrons, Spider plants, and Pothos were found to be the most efficient in the removal of formaldehyde. Gerbera Daisies and Chrysanthemums were found to be effective in the removal of benzene, a known carcinogen. You can check with your local greenhouse for more information about the types of plants that will work the best for you.

Gemstones and crystals have energetic vibrations that interact with the atmosphere in a room and are perfect for helping to create more positive energies. You can find decorative gemstones in any shape and size to fit the scheme of your room’s décor. You can also use smaller gemstones and put them in a decorative dish, or in planters with your plants. Clear Quartz is a favorite general stone that works well to balance energies. You might want to check with your local New Age store to see what other recommendations they may have that are more specific for your situation.

Water fountains have multiple benefits in helping to keep a room fresh. The water helps hydrate the air, while the sound of a fountain running offers soothing water sounds for stress relief benefits. Water Fountains come is a broad variety of styles and sizes. You will be sure to find one that will match the décor of the room perfectly.

Stubborn, negative energies call for more extensive measures to remove them. The easiest thing to do to completely refresh the energy in a room is to burn some Sage; it has cleansing properties in it that will replace negative energies with fresh energetic elements. There are Sage candles, or even dried Sage in a fireproof container will work beautifully. While you are doing this, meditate about positive feelings and imagine them filling out into the room. Nothing is more powerful than your own intentions.

One other idea I’ll leave you with is to consider getting a House Blessing. Blessing ceremonies abound in every religion and spiritual discipline. You can have someone come into your home for a House Blessing when no one is there, or you can be involved and make it a very special event for your family to be involved with.

I hope these ideas help you in your efforts of creating a heaven on earth for you and your family. If you would like more suggestions, or would like specific ideas for your particular circumstances, I would be more than happy to help you further.
Remember, There’s no place like home!

Ladies Night In – Great night out with the girls. come for a glass of buubly.. a massage, make over or come and shop, taste some wine, cupcakes. Try on clothes, underwear, shoes and other great products, natural cleaning products, Phoenix cards, scrapbooking and much more…… $5 Entry that includes a glass of Bubbly…. The Event is at St Peters Primary School, 842 Centre Road, East Bentleigh, Victoria . So if your free on the 16th April come along for a great night.

Uses of Soapnut shells:

 

How Soapnuts clean your laundry? The process by which Soapnuts clean your clothes is naturally quite simple. The soapnut shells contains a natural saponin that works as a surfactant, making your water “wetter” and allowing it to penetrate the fibers of yours clothing, working away the dirt, keeping it in suspension in the water until it’s drained away, taking the dirt with it.

Soapnuts are ideal as natural and Eco-friendly detergent in the washing machine just put up 3 to 6 Soapnut shells (4 to 8 half shells), according your loads, into un-bleached cotton bag (provided free with each pack of “Sindhiya Washnuts” ) or in a sock. Tied tight and pop the bag in the washing machine with your clothes, these are suitable at any temperature, pre-wash or rinse cycles and on delicate fabrics. Shells can be used for more than one wash (up to 4 or more washes, according to your loads) on same day, discard any remains when they go dark brown and soggy.

What’s left is a load of clean clothes and nothing else! That’s the way laundry should be. Much like clean water, clean laundry should not contain toxic chemical residues. In fact, it’s more important to consider what laundry products do NOT contain then to look at what they do contain.

Wash the clothes:

The soapnut shells contains saponins (a natural detergent), when come into contact with water they make mild suds, soapnut shells are natural, organic, environmentally friendly a natural alternative of all kind of detergent, soaps, cleaners and shampoo. Soapnuts are ideal as a chemical free natural detergent in washing machines and laundries. Just put 4 to 8 soapnut shells in unbleached cotton bag/pouch, sock, handkerchief or similar, tie it up tightly and throw it in your washing machine with your clothes as soon as soapnut shells make contact with water (e.g. in your washing machine)the saponins dissolves and has the same effect as most normal detergent. You will not need to add any other detergent or fabric softener! The smell of the clothes washed with Soapnuts is absolutely natural – if you prefer scented laundry, simply sprinkle a few drops of ethereal oil on the bag of Soapnuts: Nice choices could be lavender, rose, orange, lemongrass or other your favorite – the variety of fragrances is nearly infinite. Soapnuts wash effectively between 30 and 60 degrees and same bag of same Soapnuts will be use 3 to 4 times for wash continues on same day. You will be wondered and amazed to see Soapnuts really works and they had cleaned your clothes as well as normal detergent.

 

Use as a bathing liquid soap or shampoo for allergic or sensitive skins: Soapnuts are 100% natural and gentle, these are so best for those who have sensitive skin or suffering from neurodermatitis and allergy in particular will benefit from the use of Soapnuts, as clothes which were cleaned with Soapnuts do not irritate the skin. Also allergic persons and people with sensitive skin may use Soapnuts for bathing instead normal soaps or medicated soaps which are contains with chemicals. For this purpose put 100 grams of soapnut shells in a pot with at least 1.5 litters of water cover the pot and put on stove for boil for at least 30 to 40 minutes. The boiling process extracts the saponins from the soapnut shells and combines with the water. Let allow then to cool till safe to handle than strain into appropriate container. Now your liquid soap is ready for use you can use it for bathing and as well as shampoo or all purpose for cleanings, pet’s washing soap or shampoo and many kinds of cleanings.

Use as a shampoo:

A Soap suds made of Soapnuts is a shampoo, which reliably and enduringly fights dandruff. A soapnut shampoo not only washes your hair but also cares for it. Especially allergic persons and people with a sensitive scalp should use soapnut suds to wash their hair: Because it is 100% natural and does not contain any kind of chemical additives, it will not irritate the scalp! Soapnut shampoo also best for lice and other kind of hair diseases. Women of south Asian countries are used this type of natural shampoo since stone ages. This kind of Soapnuts shampoo will make your hair strong, long, silky and healthy. Soapnuts shampoo does not damage your hair or skin although you use it regularly or rarely.

Uses of medicinal purposes:

Soap nuts especially are used medically as an expectorant, emetic, contraceptive and for treatment of excessive salivation, epilepsy, chlorosis and migraines. Studies show that saponin from Soapnuts inhibits tumor cell growth. Soapnuts are among the list of herbs and minerals in Ayurveda. They are a popular ingredient in Ayurvedic shampoos and cleaners. They are used in Ayurvedic medicine as a treatment for eczema, psoriasis and for removing freckles. Soapnuts have gentle insecticide properties and are traditionally used for removing lice from the scalp. Soapnuts are antimicrobial and are beneficial for septic system and gray water. Soapnuts are used in the remediation of contaminated soil.

Use as a liquid soap to wash your pets:

Wash your dog, cat, horse, monkey, bunny and other of your pets or working animals with a Sindhiya soapnut liquid suds – and thus without any chemicals.

 

Use as floor cleaners: A liquid soap made by Sindhiya soapnuts you may use also as your Floor cleaner, you may use it for bath, toilet cleanings also because it has power to fight against germs naturally!

All-purpose cleaning agent:

Better use such a decoction instead of usual chemical cleaning agents for your kitchen and bath room.
Jewellery cleaning: press half a lemon in some soapnuts decoction, soak in it a toothbrush and rub your jewellery. In South Asian countries, peple used Soapnuts to clean their Jewelleries, Precious stones and Gold and Precious ornoments since centuries.
Pesticides:

Moisten or water your house and garden plants with the already mentioned decoction and take advantage of the saponine agent to fight against harmful organisms such as aphids, without damaging your plant or poisoning your garden.
Mosquitoes repellent:

Wash or coat exposed parts of your body with the mentioned decoction, mosquitoes are repelled by the smell of saponine and will move away. Try it is to adopt it ! Your beloved kids may sleep with coat of Soapnut liquid, you may relax and don’t afraid about mosquitoes.

Throw a few soap nut shells in with your automatic dishwasher and watch how clean they get!!

Soapnuts are successfully used in dish-washers. They do not, however, have a scrubbing agent to them.
Bugs do not survive at 65°C washing temperature. Moreover, Saponine has a repressive effect on fungal and bacteria growth. Put 3 to 4 soapnuts in the little cotton bag, put this bag inside the dishwasher and launch it.

Using SoapNuts, you can make your own ultra-pure multipurpose cleaner.

 

Place some nut shells in the bag/sock (4 to 6 for soft water / 6 to 8 for hard water). Pull the string tight and tie it off. Then place the bag on top of your washing in the machine, with your clothes– that is it!

Each “set” of shells should be good for up to 4 wash cycles. (Dependent upon wash temperature and quality of shells.) Change the shells after 3 to 5 washes and use the old (used) shells to make liquid (see below). Indeed, for other purpose of cleaning.

You should be able to see in the below pics that fresh shells have a shiny inner surface. As if they were made from solid satin varnish! Or tasty toffee – so keep children away from them. This progressively changes to a matt beige as the saponin is released and the outer surface gets darker. Note that this is only really obvious when the shells have dried. You will find that they work better if multiply washes are done the same day. For that reason I keep the used nuts in the bag, in a small bottle, part filled with water.

Here is picture of shells, you may see the result after 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th wash by same load of shells …

New Shells                         1 Wash                              2 Washes                          3 Washes                            4 Wash

 

How to perform a SoapNuts

Soapnuts decoction: Bring 6-10 shells of Soapnuts to boil in 1 liter water during 10 minutes, leave it to cool down and screen the obtained liquid. The decoction is now ready for use ! To obtain a higher saponine-concentrate decoction of Soapnuts, use more SoapNut shells in the same water volume.

This concoction can also be made to do your laundry. Here’s how:

Boil 100 g of Soap Nuts in 12 cups (3L) of water for 30 minutes. The liquid you have is now a concentrated, chemical free detergent. The leftover shells can be placed in your compost. Use 3 Tbsp or 45 ml of this detergent with each load of laundry. This allows you to do approximately 60 loads of laundry.


Preservation of a Soapnuts decoction:

Soapnuts decoction must be kept in a cool place to assure a conservation of about ten days if citric acid or lemon juice or essential oil is added.
Soapnuts shells already used in a washing machine or a dishwasher, can be recycled by making a decoction.

SoapNuts More than just laundry soap…

The natural saponins found in SoapNuts are universal cleaning agents. Sure, they work great in the laundry, but did you know they are also traditionally used to clean skin and hair? In fact, the soap nut saponins work on everything from pets and children to washing fruits and vegetables. In ancient India, jewelers even used the soap to shine their precious metals and stones, giving them a beautiful natural luster.

With all the cleaning uses for SoapNuts, can you bath with them?

Remember! that you can create a liquid concoction to wash your hands, floors, counters, etc. but we have found that you can also bath with them.. Simple place a half a cup of your concoction in your hot bath water and enjoy yourself. Wash or soak and when you come out your body will have that clean feel to it not to mention a soft feel.

You can also use the Soapnuts by themselves. Throw in 4-5 Soapnuts and into the hot bath. Swish them around for a few minutes to get the saponins flowing and then step into the tub.

Hand Wash:

Even when the shells seem exhausted they still contain some saponin and you can use them to make a FREE hand wash.

Put your old shells, with any new little “broken off” pieces that are too small to put in the bag / sock, in a blender. Add a half pint (ish) of water and blend for a few seconds. The idea is to break all the shells into tiny bits so that they release as much “soap” as possible.

Simmer for a few minutes.

Cut the pipe of an old dispenser bottle so it reaches about half way down.

Allow the blend to settle and pour in to your dispenser, to below the pipe.

Give it a shake and pump away.

You will get a palm full of soapnut foam!

Excellent for general cleaning.

You can also add a drop of lemon juice as preservative and a nice smell.

Worried about watering your garden in a hot, dry summer? Soapnuts are totally organic and, as stated earlier, a mild insecticide. It is safe, even beneficial to put on your garden. Your washing machine uses about 50 litres (12 gallons!) of water per wash. Collect that waste and your watering problems are over. Unless you are an aphid!

By the way, all children’s clothes should be washed in these soap nuts to avoid exposing infants and children to the toxic chemicals found in commercial laundry products. And while you’re at it, why not save yourself from that exposure, too, by washing your own clothes with nature’s laundry soap?

 

What SoapNuts do NOT contain, include:

 

Foaming chemicals that, consumers into thinking their clothes are cleaner because there are “suds” in the wash. TRUTH: Suds have nothing to do with cleaning. They are chemical additives used to create the illusion of cleaning action.

Fragrance chemicals that make laundry “smell” clean. Most commercial laundry products use toxic, synthetic fragrance chemicals that are, in fact, well known to promote cancer and liver disorders. Laundry products are not really regulated by any single government agency, and there is currently no law banning the use of known cancer-causing chemicals in laundry products (much like with cosmetics).

Filler ingredients. Nearly all commercial laundry products are made with at least 50% filler ingredients to “bulk them up” and make them appear to deliver more value for the price. Consumers are mostly just buying the illusion of detergent, made mostly with filler.

You won’t find filler or toxic chemicals in SoapNuts. Just pure, natural saponins grown by a tree and engineered by nature. In our opinion, that’s where more of our products should ultimately come from. Wouldn’t it be great if shampoo also grew on trees?

Actually, it does!

 

An amazing Traditional use in Myanmar (Burma):

On the last day of Myanma year, in Myanmar, all of people use SoapNuts to wash their houses to remove all of dirt of last year from their houses, shopes and offices. They also wash and clean their hair with SoapNuts on the last day of Myanma year. They believe that if they wash and clean their hair, houses, offices and shopes by Soapnuts, no dirt of last year will come to in their lives during coming new year!!!

Sindhiya Enterprise Bangladesh is th leading producers of Eco friendly products in Bangladesh. They collect best and selected quality of Himalayan soapnuts export same worldwide.

 

It should be the simplest thing in the world, right? You get a recipe, follow it and come out with something delicious (or at least edible) at the end. Unfortunately, cooking recipes can be a frustrating process to rookie cooks unable to recognize when the recipe they’re using is destined to fail before they heat up their first pan.The secret is in the recipes themselves. Or, rather, the danger is in the recipes themselves.It is natural to assume that any recipe you find printed has been thoroughly tested and all the potential land mines removed. The ingredients are properly measured, the oven and burner settings are all correct and the cooking process is laid out well and includes every step necessary to produce a good finished product.In years past, when cookbooks were far and away the biggest source of recipes that could, with the exception of some small, for more details visit to www.chicken-wing-cookbook.com local-press cookbooks, be your philosophy. But the advent and incredible growth of recipe content on the Internet has thrown all that in the dumper. What was formerly easy to trust now must be regarded with a jaded eye attached to a brain that doesn’t want to blow a wad of dough on expensive ingredients only to end up with garbage.Even if you’re not a highly trained or experienced cook, you can avoid some of the most common recipe problems. The first thing to do is analyze the ingredients list. Are there any exotic ingredients on there (such as durian) with which you’re not familiar? Do the measurements make sense? Does every ingredient on the list appear in the directions?That last is the source of more heartache than you might imagine. And, especially in baking recipes, for more details visit to www.chicken-wing-cookbook.com it can be disastrous. The southern school of Chinese cooking is known for combining Cantonese cooking with contemporary ingredients from the west. Cantonese cooking is considered quite exotic. This region’s claim to fame is Dim Sum which is snacks. Its cooking style is a combination of excellent ingredients and refined technique. This region’s signature dishes are steamed salmon with black bean sauce, Hoisin barbequed chicken, stir fried broccoli with oyster sauce, and shrimp fried rice.Second, look at the recipe procedure. Are you familiar with all the cooking terms mentioned? Have you allowed sufficient time? Are there any long procedures, like an overnight marinade? With a little cautious checking, you can make sure that any recipe you choose has a better than average chance of success.