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Soap Nuts Liquid Detergent – Extreme 18X Giveaway!

By on August 1, 2009 in natural & green, news & updates
Just compare Extreme18X to other detergents! What a significant waste difference!

Just compare Extreme18X to other detergents! What a significant waste difference!

I am a huge fan of the simplicity and safety without excess waste of using soap nuts for all my laundry needs (including those cloth diapers)! Soap nuts grow on trees! We have discussed all the wonderful benefits of using soap nuts here and from our previous giveaway here, and now we want to introduce you to the liquid version! As I shared before, Soap Nuts are the only laundry soap that grows on trees, thus giving us the most sustainable and natural option out there. It is 100% safe and natural for the most sensitive skin. Soap nuts are the dried fruit of the Chinese Soapberry tree. They contain saponin, a natural cleaner. They are simply harvested, de-seeded, and then dried in the sun. Great for hard water and high efficiency machines. It is biodegradable, hypo-allergenic, brightens colors, low sudsing, and contains a natural fabric softener.

Now NaturOli offers another product that makes it even more simple and convenient to use soap nuts – enter Extreme 18X liquid detergent! You only have to use 1/2 teaspoon per load of laundry as it is a highly concentrated 18x potency. I have been experimenting with the Extreme 18X liquid detergent and I really love it. It cleans well, smells fresh and produces soft clothing. My tip: make sure to use a measuring spoon to measure it out per load. It is so easy to use too much when you simply squirt it into your washer. Extreme 18X works in your dishwasher as well! Simply squirt about 1/2 teaspoon in your dishwasher dispenser and away you go! I have also diluted it with water in a spray bottle for a gentle and effective household all-purpose cleaner with great success. This is a multi-purpose all natural alternative that avoids excess waste. See that picture on the left? Compare that weight and packaging and see how much better soap nuts are for our environment.

Now, you can win a sample of the Extreme18X liquid detergent! This sample offers you 1 ounce of

This is the sample you could win!

This is the sample you could win!

liquid detergent that will yield 12 high efficiency (HE) loads or 6 standard loads – or more! If you have been skeptical of the wonders of soap nuts, this is your opportunity to sample the most concentrated, effective, green laundry detergent on the market.

We have 20 sample trial bottles to give away today! So there will be 20 lucky winners of the Soap Nuts Extreme 18X laundry detergent!

To Enter:

1. Simply leave a comment below and tell us what you think about Soap nuts. Have you tried them yet? If you haven’t, just leave a comment and tell us you want to be entered in the giveaway.

2. If you want to be entered twice, post about this giveaway (linking directly to it) on your blog!

Giveaway ends: Monday, August 3, 2009, 5:00 pm PST.

Giveaway limited to US participants.

Extreme 18X can be purchased in a variety of sizes from NaturOli as the more you buy the more you save. Highly recommend this company as they provide the highest quality soap nuts I have tried! Full disclosure: I am an affiliate of this company and receive a small amount per sale of their products.

If you have any specific question about soap nuts, please first check out our Soap Nuts FAQ post.

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No-Cook Freezer Jam: Naturally Sweetened

By on July 28, 2009 in natural & green, recipes & kitchen tips

IMG_6155I love preserving my own foods for the upcoming year and jam is a favorite! It is practically impossible to find good jam/jellies on the market that are made without sugar or HFCS, so homemade varieties are the best alternative. Plus, it is superior in flavor and nutrition. In the past I have made canned jam sweetened with rapadura/sucanat with good success, but this year I wanted to go all out and avoid the cooking process. If you are going to put the effort forth, why not preserve as much of the nutrition in the berries as possible right? Surprisingly enough, the no-cook freezer jam method is incredibly easy. It took me about 1 hour to prepare 23 half-pint jars of yummy marionberry jam for our freezer (4 batches of the recipe below from 1.5 flats of berries). They do not take up much space either, especially if you select good stackable containers. I chose to use glass jars and it worked beautifully! You don’t even need any special new canning jars or lids. I had an assortment of lids from various jars I had recycled and they all worked just fine. I prefer sweetening with rapadura/sucanut, but I tried a batch sweetened with honey and enjoyed it. You can use whatever your heart desires!

Pomona’s Universal Pectin is a perfect natural pectin to use, free of sugar or preservatives. It is a low mexthoxyl type pectin derived from citric peels and pulp. It provides you with the freedom to experiment with your own desired choice and quantity of sweetener. You can use whatever sweetener you desire or abandon the sugar altogether! It is available online or at a local health food store (Whole Foods, New Seasons, Fred Meyer Nutrition, Azure Standard, etc). One box made approximately 20 (8 oz) jars for me, so I used just over 1 box. The rest can be saved for another time. Each box includes easy to follow directions. Last year I made the recipe with just 1 cup of rapadura/sucanat and it definitely was not sweet enough, in our opinion. This time around I bumped it up a bit and it was delicious! The recipe is included in the box of pectin, but you can also download it from their website here. There are other recipes included as well for cooked canned jam.

Here is my personal preference:

4 cups berries – I love to use marionberries or blackberries because they are so cheap (if not free)!
1/4 cup lemon or lime juice (optional)
1 cup honey or 2 cups rapadura/sucanat
3/4 cup water
3 tsp pectin
4-12 tsp calcium water (each box of pectin includes the calcium package to make this)

The easiest way I found was to start by boiling the water. While you wait, mash the berries in a blender or food processor. Combine with lemon juice and sweetener, mixing thoroughly. Put berries aside while you pour the boiling water into your blender along with the pectin and blend for 1-2 minutes until thoroughly dissolved. Add the pectin and water to your berries and combine thoroughly. Gradually add calicum water until it gels. I found that about 6 tsp was perfect for marionberries. Transfer to your clean 8 oz jars and cover securely. Make sure to allow 1/2 inch room at the top of the jar for expansion. Freeze immediately. The instructions say that once opened you need to use within a week. I think that it definitely last longer than this. If concerned, simply put it back in your freezer to preserve it longer.

The total cost for me was about about $1 per 8 oz of jam. Not bad at all!

What kind of jam do you like?

Check out Kimi’s post where she shares about using less honey in her jam!

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Frugal & Natural Pest Control: Fruit Flies & Ants Be Gone!

By on July 24, 2009 in frugal & simple, natural & green

IMG_6140We have been attacked by an abundance of fruit flies lately in my kitchen. AHH! Don’t you love those little flying insects that seem to find every bit of food in your kitchen and around your trash can? Here is our simple, frugal, and effective solution!

Fruit Fly Trap

1 quart jar
1 piece of paper, rolled up into a funnel
tape
apple cider vinegar
small slice of banana

Fill a quart jar with a 1/2 inch of apple cider vinegar and a small piece of banana. Roll up your paper into a funnel shape (larger at the top) and tape it in place. Place the funnel into your jar and make sure all the edges are secured shut with tape. You may have to adjust the size of your funnel to make sure it fits nicely into your jar. Place the jar where the fruit flies are flying around and let it go to work. You will be amazed at how well this trap works. The fruit flies will smell the fruit and climb inside, but for some odd reason they don’t fly back up the funnel to get out. When you have caught a good supply, place the entire jar in the freezer. After a short time that flies with die and you can remove the jar from the freezer and use it again without even removing the old contents. Use repeatedly until your fruit flies are eliminated.

As you can see in my picture, this easy trap is amazingly effective!

Ant Trap

We are often plagued with ants in the Spring time as well around here. We have various sorts of carpenter and sugar ants. This little concoction does the trick! Last year we had huge carpenter ants all around our kitchen. Many were coming out of our electrical saukets in our kitchen. We were blown away by how quickly they were eradicated with this recipe.

1 tsp. borax (borax is an natural laundry boosting powder available in the laundry section of the store, normally on the top shelf)
2 cups hot water
6 Tbsp sugar
folded paper towel
small shallow cup (like a creme burlee dish)

Disolve borax in hot water. Stir in sugar. Dip the folded paper towel, using tongs, in the solution till completely saturated with solution. Cram the paper towel in the dish. Place in location where you have seen the ants. This solution will be eaten by the ants and taken back to the nest to share with the other ants and thus eradicate the entire nest. Keep away from children by placing on a countertop or cupboard, if possible.

It’s Frugal Fridays!

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Lovely Linkage – Happy 4th of July!

By on July 4, 2009 in natural & green

Picture 4Have a happy 4th of July! Here are few highlights I wanted to share with you all.

Food Preservation Classes – Vancouver, WA
I wanted to let all my local readers know that my aunt, Molly, is teaching another set of food preservation classes this month (July 16 & 23 and then again on August 1) and thoroughly covering the topics of canning, freezing and drying of fruits and vegetables. You will be supplied with a hands on demonstration, and a great packet of information to take home with you. It is an excellent class if you are interested in saving money and preserving local foods for the year. For more information, check out her website here.

Natural Living Articles for your enjoyment:

How to Make Soda Pop from Kefir Grains – I love this! What a great alternative to the sugar filled drinks available on the market and for a refreshing summer drink.
Study Finds Cheeseburgers More Nutritious than Baby Food - another reason to make your own homemade baby food! Not only is it far more nutritious, it is also far more frugal and you know exactly what is going in it.
How Much Sugar Are You Really Consuming?- Stephanie shares an very insightful website that gives visual comparison of some popular food items with how many sugar cubes they contain.
Raw Berry Freezer Jam - Kimi shares how to make freezer jam sweetened with honey. I found that using rapadura/sucanat is my personal favorite for sweetening jam (as honey tends to be a little powerful), but we love Pamona’s for a natural pectin. I am looking forward to making blackberry jam later on this year with the free blackberries that grow around our house.

Food, Inc – the Movie – There has been a lot of talk lately about this documentary that highlights the current problems with our food industry. How much do you really know about the process of bringing food to your table? It looks fascinating! Kimi talks about it here as well as Kelly shares her thoughts here. Check out the trailer here. Here is a crazy quote that Kelly passed on from the film:

“We’re spending less on food than anyone in history, only about 9% of our income, cheaper than anyone else in the world.  So we’ve got lots of cheap and abundant food, but…it’s making us fat, we have this tremendous problem with obesity and Type II Diabetes, and as it turns out, cheap food has many many hidden costs.”

For the Garden:
Homemade Fertilizer Recipe – Frugal Granola shares a all natural fertilizer for your garden with nettles! I am making a batch of this today for my container garden!
Natural Weed Killer Recipe – Another awesome natural method for the garden.

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Soap Nuts FAQ’s

By on June 11, 2009 in frugal & simple, natural & green

soap-nutsIn light of our recent discussions and giveaway with soap nuts, I have received several repeated questions, so I thought I would share the responses for all to see! Italicized answers are from Chris Sicurella, the founder of NaturOli. Don’t miss the soap nuts giveaway!

By the way, several people have mentioned that they didn’t want to make the big purchase of soap nuts before giving them a try. You definitely do not have to! NaturOli offers many different sized packages of soap nuts – everything from a 5-load sample pack (like we are giving away!), 40 load package, to a 640+ bulk package. You save more money the larger quantity you buy, but definitely try the sample pack first! Check out NaturOli!

I also just discovered that Mountain Rose Herbs (my favorite frugal supplier of coconut oil) carries soap nuts. I have not tried their variety yet, but the prices appear to be even more reasonable than NaturOli. They offer 4 oz packages for $2.50, or 1 pound package for $7.00. Yahoo for soap nuts! After further research, I would not recommend you try MRH soap nuts. See below.

Continue Reading →

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Soap Nuts Giveaway!

By on June 10, 2009 in natural & green, news & updates

picture-1Soap Nuts are an incredible green/natural product that continues to fascinate me the more I learn. God supplied us with a fruit from His creation that cleans our laundry with no additives! It grows on trees! Just a simple dried nut placed in a small bag and thrown into your laundry! I am in awe of how He beautifully supplies all we need without any harsh chemicals.

Soap Nuts clean effectively without the addition of softeners. 100% natural, chemical-free, frangrance-free, biodegradable and hypoallergenic. Extremely low cost per load! I love how you can convert these soap nuts into a liquid detergent or a powder detergent or just use as they are – whatever method you prefer. Soap nuts are definitely the most natural and frugal laundry detergent option on the market!

Read more about them in my previous post here.

NaturOli has donated twenty 5-load sample packs of their soap nuts to giveaway to our readers! Horray! Now you can have an opportunity to try out this wonderful product. So we will have 20 winners on this one!

I have tried two different brands of soap nuts, Maggie’s Soap Nuts & NaturOli. I cannot even compare the two. Maggie’s are packaged overseas whereas NaturOli’s are carefully inspected and packaged in the States (without any plastic, I should add). Maggie’s came to me all sticky in a plastic bag, with some broken, chipped nuts, whereas NaturOli’s were beautifully dried and carefully selected. No stickiness whatsoever thus a far superior product. Another bonus…NaturOli’s are more reasonably priced!

This sample pack includes enough soap nuts for approximately 5 loads, a small wash bag, and an 8 page introduction & instruction pamphlet.

To Enter: Add a comment below!

To be entered twice, post about this giveaway on your blog and come back and add another comment with the link to your post.

Giveaway ends: Friday, June 12, 5:00 pm PST

Giveaway limited to US participants only.

I recently became an affiliate for NaturOli, as I highly respect this company, so if you make any future purchases of soap nuts, please consider purchasing through my links. They also sell high quality skin care products as well. That would be a blessing!

Now I am off to experiment with using soap nuts for various other household cleaning endeavors!

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Homemade Laundry Detergent, Charlies & Soap Nuts

By on May 27, 2009 in frugal & simple, natural & green

washer-machineI have been exploring the world of various natural laundry detergents in my home after choosing to avoid borax in my cleaning, which is a common ingredient in homemade varieties. Most commercial detergents are filled with harsh chemicals and the natural alternatives often contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and other ingredients that are now being debated over their safety. Most commerical detergents leave perfumes (cover scents), brighteners, and/or fabric softeners on your clothes to cover up the fact that the detergent really didn’t clean anything. These additives can easily cause skin irritations. I have found some frugal natural alternatives!

Continue Reading →

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Gardening in Small Spaces

By on May 8, 2009 in making a home, natural & green

I am excited to begin gardening again this year on our back deck. Due to the limited space I have in our condo, I planted a container garden this last year. It worked out remarkably well and we enjoyed fresh tomatoes and green peppers and parsley throughout the summer. This year I am hoping to expand my garden a bit with a few more creative additions. Here are two ideas I have come across for small spaces:

gutter-gardening1. Gutter gardening

My sister-in-law passed on this article about gutter gardening. I was impressed with the creativity of this idea. With the simple installation of a gutter along your siding, you can grow an abundance of fresh greens of all varieties (as they do not require deep soil).

2. Upside down hanging garden

I also am intrigued by the idea of growing tomatoes upside down in a hanging basket.  This would hanging-tomatoessave alot of space. You can accomplish this very frugally by drilling holes in the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket or hanging planting basket. Hanging tomatoes upside down has many benefits according to this article, “First, the air can circulate better so the plants have almost no disease problems. Second, the fruit doesn’t rot as quickly as that on the ground. And finally, some critters that eat tomatoes have trouble getting to the ripening fruit.” You can also check out a Topsy Turvy for this purpose as well - an easy step by step kit for growing upside down plants.

3. Shoe Organizer Herb Garden

Picture 2Check out this post about turning a shoe organizer into an herb garden! If you have a little hanging space on a balcony, railing, or wall, you could explore further with this simple addition.

I would love to hear if you have tried any of these methods? What was your results? Any tips to pass on to me?

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Filter out that chlorine!

By on May 6, 2009 in health & nutrition, natural & green

picture-1Did you know that we absorb more chlorine by showering in chlorinated water than we do by drinking it? Unless you have a well, it is very likely that your water is chlorinated. Although chlorine is deemed “safe” and a highly effective disinfectant, it is toxic to breath and damages the skin and hair. If you have a problem with dry skin and/or dandruff, this is most likely the cause of the problem!

According to Renee Loux in Easy Green Living, “Under normal exposure chlorine is a gas, which is liquefied and then mixed with water to purify it. When chlorinated water (like in a hot, steamy shower), run through a faucet, or allowed to sit in a tub, much of the chlorine vaporizes into a gas. We absorb more chlorine by showering in chlorinated water than we do by drinking it.”

But chlorine is not the only cause for concern.

Continue Reading →

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Natural Stain Remover & Cleaning Agent: Hydrogen Peroxide!

By on April 29, 2009 in natural & green

fam_hydrogen_peroxide_pint-4080While attempting to avoid chlorine products in our home and the health risks, I have come across a valuable alternative! Hydrogen Peroxide! It is not only good for cleaning out cuts and wounds, but is also an excellent natural alternative to bleach and other stain remover products at half the price. Hydrogen peroxide is also safe for the environment as it simply breaks down into water and oxygen! It is a great natural cleaning agent due to its anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-mold and anti-mildew properties.

My tip: replace the cap of your hydrogen peroxide bottle with a spray nozzle! Now, it is readily available to spray directly on those stains!

What to use it on?

Carpet stains - spray directly on stain, allow to sit, and then pat dry!
Clothing stains - spray directly on stain. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before throwing into the washer. I like to use it in combination with oxygen bleach for real effective stain removing power. Simply use a old toothbrush to apply the oxygen bleach and scrub it in.
Blood stains – During one occasion when my younger brother had a serious arm injury (I won’t go into all the details), he ran all over the house trying to find someone to help. Blood was splattered all over our newly installed carpet. Amazingly enough, hydrogen peroxide removed all the stains!
Tub & Tile Cleaning - don’t you love the scum that builds up in the shower? Try applying a layer of hydrogen peroxide followed by a layer of vinegar and scrub clean! It works wonders and completely natural!
General cleaning – It can be used effectively to clean toilets, windows, walls and floors! More cleaning tips here. I really only use this along with vinegar now for two frugal, all-purpose household cleaners!

Did you know that hydrogen peroxide is also good for washing your produce, cleaning your teeth, fertilizing plants and removing mold? Read more of its wonderful uses here.

A standard 3% grade of hydrogen peroxide should work for all these uses!

For more natural bleach alternatives, visit here. It works for me!
Thanks to my SIL, Autumn, for reminding me of this one!

Have you used hydrogen peroxide? What uses have you found for it?

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