Wow, it’s day 7 of Making Small Changes already! I have exactly 3 ideas left, so please help a sister out and let me know other small changes I can write about. đ
Today’s topic is a fun one for me- Old School Tips and Tricks that actually work. Although our house is by no means 100% organic or natural, I’ve been slowly trying out things my generation’s grandmas would have used to get certain jobs done. And I’m happy to say, lots of them work!
One reason I began trying natural remedies is because of a really scary experience we had last Christmas. We were at my brother- and sister-in-law’s house for dinner and then going to their church for a Christmas musical. I was getting ready to leave for the church and Canaan was playing around my feet. He left for a second then came back coughing and gagging and throwing up and smelling strongly like spearmint. I suspected he’d found some gum or mints or something but then I spotted an unmarked bottle on the bathtub that had been turned over- and he’d been drinking out of it.
Canaan with his cousin a few hours before “the incident” đ
I flipped out and started screaming. Everyone else was outside. I found my father-in-law who immediately said, “It’s PineSol! It’s PineSol!” I immediately ran to the church (that was thankfully next door) where my brother and sister-in-law already were. I frantically found them and they told me that it was an organic shampoo they’d made, and they knew all of the ingredients in it. I called Poison Control and told the lady what was in the shampoo. She was so nice and assured me that there was nothing in there that could harm him. The whole time, Canaan’s still gagging and throwing up on me.
I finally calmed down and he did, too. That got me to thinking though. If that HAD been PineSol, we would have most likely spent the evening at the ER instead of enjoying the Christmas musical. So I began to research a few organic things to use for cleaning, etc. Here’s what I come up with so far, with a few helpful hints from friends as well!
Baking soda-
Baking soda really is a minor miracle. During the summer when we’re swimming a lot, I’ll mix it with my shampoo- or sometimes use it instead of shampoo- and it thoroughly cleans out all of the chemicals. It also adds volume to my hair (not that I need it.)
It also works great for removing smells. Like really, really well. With 4 kids in the last 9 years, just about everything we own has been peed/pooped/vomited on. Sure there are all kinds of sprays that basically cover up smells, but baking soda actually neutralizes it.
Coconut oil-
Besides making for some delicious cooking, coconut oil can be used for your beauty routine as well. I have used it on my face for natural skin care. It’s not as oily as it seems! I know that lots of people that use it on their hair as well for a natural moisturizer.
Baby powder-
Although I’m a sucker for dry shampoo, I’ve been using baby powder for years and years as a natural dry shampoo. If your hair is dark, mix it with a pinch of cocoa powder so that the white doesn’t show up in your hair.
Epsom salt-
Now I may sound like an 80-year-old lady when I say this (and I do love 80-year-old ladies!) but epsom salt is amazing! Whenever I have a really hard workout at bootcamp, I’ll come home and soak in a hot bath with epsom salts. My soreness the next day is minimal compared to if I don’t do this. Also, when my sprained ankle is acting up, I’ll soak my foot in it.
You can find a whole list of other uses for epsom salts here.
Peroxide:
According to my friend Harriet, this works wonders on clothing stains, especially blood. I’m definitely adding this to my “to try” list.
Castor oil:
Now, I’m not making any promises and this isn’t something I’ve personally tried (all my babies have been c-sections) but more than a few women I know swear by this method to bring a term or late baby into the world. Let me know if this has worked for you!
Essential Oils:
Although I’m just dipping my toes in the waters of the world of EOs, I have found that a few drops of peppermint oil eases my son’s frequent stomach aches. And sometimes I’ll add a few drops of lemon to some olive oil for a nice moisturizer after the bath. I’m looking forward to exploring more of these!
So do you use any old school ideas? What’s your favorite?
Be sure to catch up on the 31 Days Series:
Day1: Small Changes: STOP Rushing!
Day 2: Small Changes to Your Blog
Day 3: Small Changes in the Way You Eat
Day 4: Small Changes: Being a Better Friend
Day 5: Small Changes: Checking Your Heart before the mirror
Day 6: Small Changes: Helping our Kids think differently at Christmas
About Kelli Hays
I use all of these except for baby powder (I don’t like the smell). I swear by them all!! I would be lost if I didn’t have my essential oils and baking soda!
VINEGAR!
I refill all my spray cleaner bottles with a mixture of water and vinegar (1/2 and 1/2) and I add a few drops of essential oils to each bottle. Eucalyptus is a nice fresh smell, but just recently I started using tea tree oil instead, because it has anti-fungal properties (I once got rid of some toenail fungus with tea tree oil only, instead of $50 worth of fungi-you-know-what. But that’s probably a topic for another post, or comment…..)
Anyway, the vinegar mixture works great, especially since we have hard water around here that leaves calcium stains on everything. Saves lots of $ too, and it’s safe on surfaces that come in contact with food, or are at risk of being licked by small people.