Ahh the joys of line drying...

I love my clothesline...Simply stated I love turning on the garage radio and jamming all while I hang our clothes in the beautiful sunshine. Yes I know "But you make DRYER balls" this I realize but when I can use the line I do....and when I can't my precious balls o wool are bouncing around dryer.


Today was the perfect for the line, the sun was out it wasn't humid and there was a ever so soft breeze blowing..yippeeee....So I stripped beds and washed bed clothes and hung them outside.








I did leave them out there most of the day...when I got back from picking Bren up from work...I went to get them down everything was lovely until I saw THIS......












Bird Dookie! ICK!

this has never happened before ugh so I took it down sprayed some bac-out on it and it's the wash again.

My sister in law has been staying with us and she is a bit of a clean freak and that just happens to be the set of sheets that go on her bed...so I tired my best not to tell her....she found out anyway lol

I love giveaways!

especially green giveaways!

This site has two you should enter One for a great green detergent I've been using for over a year now CrunchyClean

And another for a berry plush all in one cloth diaper. Yes I know there are no little green ones in our house yet but it doesn't hurt to start a stash right? lol Check them out!

And the winner is....

anathica said...
I blogged about this giveawayhttp://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977765401
August 7, 2009 9:21 PM


I will be sending you a email shortly for your contact info...

Thanks to all that commented =)

who doesn't love chocolate?

My friend Amy perfected the chocolate cake in a mug recipe and now she is doing a giveaway concerning what variations you can come up with...Try the cake review it and you can win a free gift =) Now who doesn't love free? Good luck!



http://rumbleinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2009/08/many-faces-of-chocolate-cake.html



I'm going to try it this weekend since I need to get to the store. I can't wait!

I know I'm late with this post.. But there is a surprise at the end =)

Forgive me I'm sorry....

In this post I want to talk about reusable feminine products. As in cloth pads and menstrual cups. I for one do not use menstrual cups but I've never really been a tampon girl, but they do get rave reviews from many of my friends. Brands include Diva Cup and The Keeper.

I on the other hand have always used pads and always been a Always girl, but about 10 months ago I purchased a few WAHM made cloth pads from etsy and fell in love. I have few different kinds. Some from pleat , here , here , here, here, and my favorite ones are from Crea8tiveMama. I also got 3 from a good friend from here which are very high on my list to!

Here's my stash!! it's missing about three pads that are in the wash lol =)

For staining I use bac-out by biokleen and it takes out any stain I've ever had! When changing my pads I have three wetbags which are bags with either a zipper or velcro lined on the inside with PUL to keep them waterproof....2 bigger ones for the bathroom and one small one for my purse.....run a little cold water on them and shove them in there until it's time to wash. Some people use a wet pail for them under the sink I've been thinking about this but haven't done it yet.

Now on to the dangers in pads and tampons...I was doing some reading here and was very surprised and what I found. Now this article deals mostly with tampons and the asbestos they include which makes you bleed more in turn having to use more tampons. Disposable Pads can harbor bacteria which can cause yeast and bacterial infections in your girly bits. Also they include plastics that include rayon. Most are made with a chlorine compound which includes dioxin and per the EPA is the most potent carcinogen known to science. The average women use approximately 15,000 pads over the course of her lifetime. The effect of continual exposure to dioxin, which is forever stored in fat cells, may become cumulative and deadly.

So now that I have scared you enough how about something fun! A giveaway!!!


Traci at Crea8tiveMama has been gracious enough to add to the stash I'm giving away she has included one pads and one liner.

I have one of her pads also that is in the bunch, 2 pads from here, and 2 I made.

For entries tell me if you have made the switch to reusable feminine products

If not tell one green thing you've done this year

Also you can earn more entries by blogging about the giveaway...posting it on FB or Twitter...or mentioning into on a message board.

Just remember to link them for me!!!

the drawing will be Thursday August 13

Good Luck! and see you can go green with almost anything.

See one person can make a difference!

April-September we have a outdoor concert series on the last Friday of the month. Well back after April's concert I emailed the committee who runs the program with a suggestion. Seeing as they sell canned drinks and bottled water and people bring their drinks sometimes to, why didn't they have recycling bins out there. I offered any assistance I could to help. I got a response back saying they would bring it to the committee.








Well reading the paper this morning there was a article about the concert tonight and it mentioned that they will now have recycling bins! Yay! here's the article I'm so excited that I made a difference little ole me!!

Look out for a special post on Monday =)

You know the suspense will kill you lol

it's been a whle

I've been a bad blogger....

I'm truly sorry...but my friend Katie is having another giveaway! Go check it out....


And speaking of giveaways I won her last one for the green art! It's beautiful and I can't wait to have it framed and put on display! yay! thanks Katie!

Doing HBA Crunchy Style

For those not in the know HBA= Health and beauty aids just a little something I picked up in the grocery store days lol

So here's the list of what we use....Yes WE seeing as B uses whatever I use lol

I guess we shall start from head to toe!

Head= Shampoo and Conditioner

I am a firm believer in shaking up my products as in alternating what I use and it seems to work well for my hair. So I have four products I use 2 shampoos and conditioners

1. GudonyaToo Tahitian Vanilla Salty Dawg Can I say ummmmm I love the smell of this and love what it does for my hair!

2. GudonyaToo Tahitian vanilla conditioner

3. Alba hawaiian Honeydew shampoo

4. Alba hawaiian honeydew conditioner

Now here's how I switch it up...It depends on where I'm going, How hot it is, and if my hair is going to get done lol

1. using 1 & 4 together

2. using 3&2 together

These two combos work great for when I'm going nowhere and my hair is going in a ponytail. Oh and I don't dry it lol

Now I will use the corresponding products together when I need to blow dry and going out I use the gudonya for going out I think this is just because I love the smell lol

Now for body wash

We LOVE Jason satin soap we have tired tea tree, lavender, aloe, citrus, and apricot...I didn't like the lavender and neither did B but the others are A+ in my book!

I use to be a plastic poof junky but no more I made some flannel/sherpa wash clothes that lather just as well if not better than the icky plastic poof

I don't use any products in my hair for anything no mouse, no hairspray, it pretty does what it wants when it wants..always has why change it well expect fr the early 90's when I need brick bangs you all know what brick bangs are...Hairdryer blow up bangs hairspray to cement the suckers up and the obligatory perm oh yea I rocked it!
Anyways....

Removal of body hair aka shaving

I make a shave oil with a few little oils that I love I've always broke out on my legs and got bad razor burn the only thing that worked was skintitmate baby soft shaving cream but not anymore

Now on the razor front I'm not sure I can give up my men's shick that pulsates I love that thing..maybe one day...

Deodorant: I haven;t found a natural one that either didn't break me out or not work at all...I've tired tom's and alba....So I'm still using degree right now
I will say this though oigoi worked really well no odor no wetness but my body doesn't like cornstarch under my arms apparently


I haven't worn nail polish in four years or so but I really want to try piggypaint....maybe here soon

Toothpaste...we use toms though I can;t seem to find one local without sls and that doesn;t sit well with me but it's either that or some other one filled with crap I am working on it though

Toothbrush sorry I can't give up my oral b sonic I love it at least it rechargeable and all I'm disposing of is the heads of it...I'm still on the hunt of somewhere to recycle them

Face washing I NEED A NEW FACEWASH was that loud enough can someone recommend me one? I have way oily skin and it's hot down here so I need help...But I cleanse my face with witch hazel and alchol morning and night using my reusable face pads from many stores in etsy...But my fave ones are my organic bamboo velour and organic bamboo fleece that artsyfartsyfoofoo made me LOVE! B doesn;t use those He's not allowed!

That's all I got for now...toodles

Check out this green art giveaway!

Head on over to itsallforthis, My friend Katie is hosting a giveaway for a piece of her beautiful green art! Details over there!

Also you can check out her etsy store here!

Upcycled Project

Upcycling is a component of sustainability in which waste materials are used to provide new products, or at least that's what wikipedia says. Essentially upclcying is taking some old or unuseable and making it new again.









Here's my project, My sister Jennifer gave the dogs Cella and Afton treats in these cute Cardboard boxes for Christmas. I took them with because they were cute and I could always use them next year, Right?










Well While cleaning out the room and closet yesterday I had a thought why not paint them and use them now to put some things in.






Before:


























After:






















A little acrylic craft paint and just a few minutes and now they house some yarn and vintage thread I have which I'm sure I will never use but I love the wooden spools =)

10 hours later it's done...

You remember the war zone I called a sewing area well it's done organized and cleaned! yippee!!!

My sister and I arranged this and sorted fabric by colors and I even have drawers full of notions and yarn and ribbon whoo hoo

Before

After:

My first attempt...

Was a success...I made homemade honey wheat buns for our grilled chicken sandwiches this evening...wow! It was fun!

There they are all nice and toasty in the oven

And here right before one of them was in my mouth

Here's the recipe

Ashamed...

Of my sewing area..which as I type is behind me screaming because it's messy and unorganized... I got the bug to clean it up and sort stuff but my partner in crime aka my sister was busy so we plan on doing it Tuesday then maybe I can figure out what's going on with my rolled hem so I can finally finish the napkins I've been working on for two weeks...Here are some horrible pictures I'm telling you it's bad you might want to shield the little children's eyes

Today was the day...

Walking out the door at 5:45 Keys check...purse check..list check...mp3 player check...pull up at grocery store... bags uncheck! Crap I forgot my bags I never forgot my bags..so what did I do I ended buying three of the cheap .50 ones they have there and stuffing them full I did however get everything in them plus I had one Chico bag in

my purse for the bread and eggs...oops I guess I was more tired than I thought this morning.

And speaking of bags, Renee introduced me to this site fit and tumble and now I'm drooling because I want the aqua one and the brown with the little birdies....I guess I will whisper in B's ear and tell him maybe for fourth of july..we do get gifts for that right? :)

Green Cleaning

Ok so here is a list of everything I use to clean.

Kitchen:
I make a all purpose cleaner for the counters and stove top.

All Purpose Spray Recipe
2 T distilled white vinegar
1.5 cups hot water
1/4 cup dish washing soap or castille soap (Dr. Bronner’s is a common brand.)
10-15 drops EOs - you can blend or use Tea Tree Oil/grapefruit seed extract for antibacterial properties.
Mix in empty spray bottle and shake. You will need to shake each time you use.

I usually use clove essential oil as my scent and to help with disinfecting needs.

When I need a little more scrubbing power baking soda and vinegar paste always does the trick. This is what I use also to clean the oven.

Microwave: Take a glass mixing bowl fill with half water and half vinegar with either a half of a lemon squeezed then put in the bowl or a tablespoon of lemon juice...turn on for 5 mins to boil then let it sit for 5-10 mins the steam will loosen any grime you have in there.

Dishes:

I use seventh generation liquid and powder in the dishwasher I alternate. With vinegar in the rinse. To hand wash I'm still using leftover dawn I've had forever( I hardly hand wash)

Floors: I have a Bissell steam mop which I LOVE!

Dusting: Wood I use a diluted Murphy oil soap and a microfiber cloth. Anything other than wood I just use the cloth.

Bathroom: Counters and bathtub/shower I use Seventh generation bathroom cleaner. Toilet I use vinegar/baking soda and method lil' bowl blue toilet cleaner. I also love methods flush able wipes for quick clean ups.

Here are a couple more recipes for cleaners =)

Mold/Mildew Stains:
1 drop of tea tree oil to 1 cup of water

Floor Cleaner:
2 cups vinegar and a few drops of clove oil to 1 gallon of water.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Sprinkle w/ baking soda and let sit for 5 minutes. Drizzle with vinegar. Scrub and flush.

One of the three R's: Reuse

Other people can reuse things you don't anymore. I've had one yard sale right after we moved into the house. I always say I want to have another one but get tired of having things around. The solution to this problem for me is a yahoo group called Freecycle . A place where you can list items for free for people to pick up. If you search you probably will find one local to you. If it is a bigger ticket item I list it on a free online classified craigslist. We've had some luck with craigslist, where we live though not many people use it so it's really hard to sell things sometimes. There is also just donating to your local thrift/charity. So before you think about throwing those old jeans or dishes away see if someone else can get some use out of them.

The year in review

It's been a year or so since we started changing things so I decided to sit and think if I can recall everything we've done.

- No paper towels we use unpaper towels which sit all pretty in a decorative bowl on my island. They are made of flannel and sherpa

- Cloth napkins, I had four when we first started from a set of placemats I got for our new table they were never used and just sat in the closet. I broke them out and now have a over flowing basket of napkins that I only buy when I find them on clearance =)

-I got rid of all my old plastic wear..except for on piece of Tupperware I couldn't part with. With plastic you worry about BPA. BPA is Bisphenol A, It leeches into food and drink when exposed to heat. Now there is BPA free plastic but I fell in love with Pyrex/anchor glass storage I know I have multiples in every size...I would buy it when it was on sale at the Dept. stores and even found some big pieces at biglots. For the pieces I already had that had no lids I called Pyrex and order replacement lids.

- Buying organic when I can. There isn't much around us and our shopping is limited to "That store that shall remain nameless but starts with a "W" ." With vegetables and fruit I try to buy local and in season. I go to the farmer's market every Saturday morning. The older man in the first booth always says "I get happy when I see those bags a coming" I rack up =)

- I do all the shopping on Friday morning. We use to do it together all the time I enjoyed it until food prices started going up and B would go on and on about how expensive I am. I kept asking did he want to eat if not I wouldn't buy groceries anymore. So I started going Friday mornings while he is at work and I can shop and read labels in peace. Oops I got off subject. I always bring my reusable bags, I pick a line where there is someone in front so I can unload and then bag myself. It's aggravating when cashiers look like I'm inconvenienceing them buying asking them to use my bags. I mean I was one once but still I'm not rude, well not most of the time. Anyways I got to some of the same cashiers so they know me and granted half of B's family works at walmart anyway. We don't live in a big area

-Oh I almost forgot..along the lines of reusable grocery bags I have reusable produce bags which I LOVE! I have three kinds and they all have a different purpose.
Which I got from here, here, and here

-I bake and cook more often then I use to. I'm not afraid to try new recipes though B is afraid of them sometimes lol. I want to start canning but I think it will be next year we failed at getting a garden going this year.

I think that is everything from the crunchykitchen. More crunchyhousehold stuff tommrrow.

I know I left off cleaning but that is a post all in it's self =)

Number 1

Well here goes I'm not sure how interesting I can be but it's worth a shot. I think this will be the place to record what is going on in our lives,what projects we're doing, and among other things, the adventures in being Green in a place where people look at me funny all the time. Anyways I'm Christina (Hi Christina) I'm a stay at home mom to a 8 year old poodle named Cella lol. We haven't been blessed with kids yet maybe one day down the road. I am apart of a wonderful community online that started all this greenness. From them I learned how to change major and minor things in our lives and also started a store to sell some fuzzy balls =) I think that's all the intro for today I leave you with this...
Cella says goodnight land!