Recent Thrift Store Finds

Yesterday, I got together with a few friends and we decided to spend the morning and afternoon scouting out some local second-hand stores, from your regular old thrift shop to beautifully curated antique shops, with yummy Indian fare thrown in for lunch. I haven't really done very much thrift-shopping in Atlanta (hence why it garnered a spot on last year's 27 things for 27 list), so this was a perfect opportunity to pop into some new places, spend time with lovely women and pick up some new treasures for a bargain.

I'd made a whole big list of ideas and possibilities I hoped to score (particularly regarding kitchen cupboard organization). But as luck would have it, none of those items showed up, but a few unexpected others did! I figured I'd share some of the finds I picked up recently:



Having recently tried my hand at making my own salad dressing (so far I've only attempted a wonderfully successful raspberry vinaigrette but I do endeavor to try a homemade Italian once my bottled version gets used up), I thought this small bottle with a stopper will be perfect for housing my creations!



I also picked up a little creamer pitcher that has the most beautiful lines on it. I'm still not sure how I'm going to use it, aside from making a pretty vase, but I thought it was too great to pass up for $1.50! (Any ideas or suggestions?!)



I anticipate that the future for the little purple vase will be as a reed diffuser. The latest issue of Whole Living included a few recipes for making your own home fragrances using essential oils (rather than chemical-y perfumes) that I'd love to try out. Now that I have a container, I need to scout out the reeds and essential oils. I'll let you know how that goes when I finish the project!



Another recent find that I came across while I was scouting a couple of other thrift store possibilities for our trip included this Japanese-style Kapoosh knife holder. I recently upgraded a few of our most-used knives, and they didn't fit into the knife block we already owned. I'd read of homemade crafty versions of the Kapoosh using bamboo skewers to hold knives in place, but when I saw this one already made, I grabbed it up. The great thing is that the plastic spokes inside slide out and you can run it straight through the dishwasher to easily disinfect it! And now my new knives have a home all their own.



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Your Questions Answered: More About My Baking-Soda Shampoo

In my last Q&A, I answered some of your questions regarding using my baking soda shampoo. As it turns out, you had even more questions about making and using your own homemade shampoo! So, here's Part 2...

Q: You mentioned in your first post that you use herbs. Do you use fresh or dried and how much? Also what type of herbs do you use since I have a similar hair type...

Well, the first couple times around that I made my baking-soda shampoo, I did include herbs, specifically dried rosemary, which is supposed to help if you have dry scalp. The first time, I just dumped some dried herbs into the mixture, but that ended up turning the water a brownish color and ended up stuffing up my pump at times.

Then, I decided to try to make a little sachet, putting about a teaspoon of dried rosemary into a square of gauzy fabric and tying it at the ends so the herbs couldn’t fall out. Then I submerged it into the mixture. That worked better at keeping the herbs from clumping in the pump, but after a few times it seemed like a bit more work than I felt like, so I’ve since stopped including rosemary at all.

After all this, someone recommended using essential oils instead of the herb itself, and just add a drop or two to the mixture. That way you take advantage of the natural properties of the herb without the mess of the herb itself. I have yet to pick up some essential oil and try it, myself, though.

Q: Did you miss having the lovely smell of highly fragranced shampoo? What does your hair smell like now? I am curious since if I skip a day of washing, my hair has this oily smell that I do not like.

Well, to be honest, I don’t think my hair smells like anything other than hair! I’ve never put much of a priority on how my shampoo smells, anyway though, so the lack of a strong fragrance doesn’t bother me at all. I care more about how well the shampoo actually works!

However, if you do miss a perfume-y smell, you can also try experimenting with adding essential oils to your mixture. As I mentioned before, I haven’t tried adding essential oils, but it seems like a great way to personalize and perfect the smell you want, using natural fragrances rather than synthetic ones.

Have you tried adding essential oils to your baking-soda shampoo? If so, please share your suggestions or combinations of ones to try in the comments!

Q: Does your husband wash his hair with this solution too?

Good question, because the answer is that, no, he does not use my baking-soda shampoo! He keeps his hair pretty short with a closely cropped buzz-cut, so he doesn’t really need to use shampoo at all. Instead, he just uses Dr. Bronner’s castile soap, which we use as our body wash of choice, as well. I think for him, it’s just easier to keep using that.

What Other Questions Do You Have For Me?
Recently, I invited you to ask me any questions you might have that I could answer in upcoming posts, whether it's follow-up regarding anything I've written about in the past, curiosities regarding any of my personal experiences, or your general blogging questions.

In the following weeks I will continue to respond to your questions, so please feel free to ask any that come to mind in the comments below or send me an email. I have some questions in the queue regarding my thoughts on tattoos and some kitchen insights, so those and more to come!

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Review of Dishwashing Products from ecoSTORE USA

Did you know that a few months ago, I tried to make my own dishwashing detergent for our dishwasher? Yep, I really did. I love that we can effectively mix up our own cleaning solutions with ordinary household staples like vinegar, and thought I'd extend that to the dishwasher. Unfortunately, I found that that wasn't nearly as effective and have gone back to using storebought dishwashing detergents.

Still, using ones that are less toxic are still important to me (which is one of the key reasons why I prefer anything homemade). So when the New Zealand-based company ecoSTORE USA asked me if I'd be interested in receiving a couple of their products for review, I was more than happy to give them a whirl!

ecoSTORE USA has a large variety of cleaning supplies (more than 100) for practically every need you might have, from cleaning your dishes, laundry, countertops, floors, furniture, toilets—nearly every surface within your home—and even your baby and pets! All of their products make use of plant-based ingredients (rather than man-made chemicals) to keep your home clean. That means there are no phosphates, no nitrates, no ammonia, no toxic petrochemicals, no chlorine, no EDTA, and no synthetic dyes or perfumes.

As I mentioned, I selected two of their dishwashing products to test out: Auto Dishwash Powder and Dishwash Liquid. One of the things you'll notice about many of ecoSTORE USA's products, is that they come in smaller sizes than traditional, chug-a-lug storebought ones. That's not because you're getting ripped off, but because each product is "super-concentrated" so that you only need to use a little for each use.

To this end, I've been using both products for about a month. When using the auto dishwash powder, you only have to use a tablespoon for each time you run the dishwasher. (As it turns out, the cap perfectly holds a tablespoon's worth of powder, so that has made it easy to measure out the required amount.) I run my dishwasher about once every day or day and half, and I've only used about a quarter of the 35.3-ounce bottle they provided. That means that one small container will last me all winter! Since it takes up less space under my sink, I really appreciate this element of ecoSTORE USA's philosophy.

Conversely, the dishwash liquid comes in a larger-than-normal bottle (32 ounces). I only use dishwashing liquid for handwashing, so this will last me an incredibly long time! And since it will be sitting on my countertop for an extended period, I love that it features a cute black-and-white photo of neatly stacked tea cups on its label, making it much more attractive than some of its overly-branded counterparts.

While you can find ecoSTORE USA products in some grocery and convenience shops throughout the country (including Meijer, Duane Reade and Plum Market), you can also find these items and more on their website, where, currently, most are on sale. (For example, both the autodish powder and the dishwash liquid I tried out are currently on sale for $8.50 each.) This is pricier than traditional market dishwashing products, but you can save by having it delivered straight to your home (shipping is free on orders over $25) and by knowing that, as their guiding mantra goes, "The end product must not only be good for the user, but good for the planet."

Visit the ecoSTORE USA website at www.ecostoreusa.com for more information. You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, and on their blog, where you can read their latest news and sign up for their e-newsletter.

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Your Questions Answered: My Baking Soda Shampoo

Q: I have been wanting try your baking soda shampoo! Are you still using it? What are the results? I have thin/fine slightly oily hair and I cannot imagine washing it every other day!

I first posted about using my baking-soda shampoo back in June, when I’d been using it consistently for about two months. It’s now December, and I’m still using it as my sole shampoo. I went to the salon a few weeks ago, and the stylist raved over how healthy my hair looked—the first time in my life I’ve ever received that compliment! I give all the credit to the baking-soda shampoo!

When I first started, I was almost immediately able to drop down to washing my hair every other day. (I documented my experience over the first couple of weeks here.) Like you, I tend to have thin, fine and oily hair, and had never imagined I could go more than a day without washing my hair! (I shared a little bit about that in my intro to the shampoo.) Since the shampoo is so simple to make and hardly takes any resources at all (just a tablespoon of baking soda!!), I’d really recommend you at least give it a shot and see if it works for you. I was able to see results even by day 2.

I was curious how this would affect other hair types. The other day, I received a glowing comment from someone with thick, curly hair who has also had great luck switching to a baking-soda shampoo. She said, “I have difficult curly/wavy hair and since washing my hair this way I finally like my hair. Wish I had tried this in high school. I never have a bad hair day now, and my hair is less frizzy, less greasy! It's been a year and a half and I don't think I'll ever shampoo my hair again.”

(I have read that those with thicker hair are recommended to use an apple-cider rinse as a conditioner. But I haven’t had a need to use it myself. Some have asked about using this—does anyone have any insights on how and how much to use? If so, please leave your insights in the comments! A few people have also asked about whether the baking soda shampoo is suitable for color-treated hair. Anyone know? I haven't dyed my hair in almost a decade, so I have no clue!)

A couple people have said that they've tried baking soda shampoo in the past without not-so-great results, but it seems that the overall consensus (from what I've read in the original post comments) is that people are finding that the baking soda shampoo works well for them. So, I figure, what's to lose?! If you want to give it a try, here’s the link to my experience using the baking soda shampoo and directions for making it yourself.

Q:I had a random question about how you "apply" your baking soda shampoo to your hair. I think my method ends up wasting a lot of it and I'm not even sure I'm getting the right amount on, so I was curious how you did it. I've just mixed it up in a cup and then poured some into my cupped hand and tossed it onto my head, flinging a lot of it over my head at the same time. Then I tried cleaning out an old hair spray bottle so that I could spray it onto my hair, but after my first attempt with that I realized that I didn't get the bottle completely free of hair spray. So...before I make my next attempt, I thought I would ask you!

I do find that I go through the baking-soda liquid pretty quickly (maybe every two weeks?), because I would much rather make sure that I'm getting enough on my hair rather than too little! But I use a little squirt bottle (a repurposed bottle with a pump head that used to hold face wash, see photo below). I just made sure I rinsed it well, and then ran it through the dishwasher (top shelf) for extra measure.

I’ve found that using the squirt bottle has been really helpful, because it controls how much of the liquid comes out and does keep a lot from going to waste. When it comes time to apply it, I just pump the baking soda solution on various parts of my hair; I’m guessing about 10 squirts per application.

That might be a lot, but since it is runny, I like to make sure I’m getting a good covering all over! I also like to keep an extra batch made up and ready in the shower so that when my first bottle runs out, I’ve already got a back-up waiting. Do a little digging around and I’ll bet you can find containers or bottles perfect to repurpose for your shampoo!

What Other Questions Do You Have For Me?
Recently, I invited you to ask me any questions you might have that I could answer in upcoming posts, whether it's follow-up regarding anything I've written about in the past, curiosities regarding any of my personal experiences, or your general blogging questions.

In the following weeks I will continue to respond to your questions, so please feel free to ask any that come to mind in the comments below or send me an email. I have some questions in the queue regarding my thoughts on tattoos and some kitchen insights, so those and more to come!

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Recipes for Making Your Own Cosmetics

Having already succumbed to making my own shampoo (and still going strong, months later!), it's likely not too long before I try my hand at other beauty essentials. So when I came across this article in ReadyMade (thanks to my mom's subscription she sent me recently!), I immediately ripped it out to hold on to: "MacGyver Your Makeup."

There's a recipe for whipping up your own lip/cheek stain, eye liner, eye shadow and mascara. That's more than my daily makeup routine right there!

Caveat: I haven't tried a single one of these recipes, so I can't personally vouch for them. But I love the idea of at least trying them out and giving them a-go to see how well they do perform. Let me know if you get around to trying them before I do...

Make Your Own Lip and Cheek Stain
You'll need:

• Raw, organic coconut oil
• Beeswax
• Beet root powder (available at fromnaturewithlove.com) or a beet
• Bowl
• Grater
• Pot
• Glass Jar 

1. In a bowl, spoon out 1 tsp dried beet root powder.
2. Add 1½ tbsp coconut oil and mix.
3. Grate 1½ tbsp beeswax into your oil paste and put it into an old pot (better if you don’t care about it). Heat on low, being careful not to let it burn, until melted.
4. Remove pot from heat and pour the mixture into a glass jar to cool. Once it hardens, use your finger to apply the best, easiest lip and cheek stain out there. Will last 6 months unrefrigerated.

Make Your Own Mascara
You'll need:

• Activated charcoal capsules
• Aloe vera
• Mascara wand, cleaned 

1. Empty an activated charcoal capsule into a small bowl.
2. Put in ¼ tsp pure aloe vera gel and mix.
3. Using an old (but thoroughly cleaned) mascara wand, sweep it onto your lashes. Make and use (don’t store) as needed.

Make Your Own Eyeliner
You'll need:

• Activated charcoal capsules (available at drugstore.com)
• Small angled-tip eyeliner brush

1. Empty the contents of an activated charcoal capsule in a dry, clean bowl.
2. For a liquid-liner look, add a few drops of water, dip in your angled-tip eyeliner brush, and sweep it neatly. If you want a more smoldering eye, put it on dry and smudge to the desirable smokiness. Make and use (don’t store) as needed.

Make Your Own Eye Shadow
You'll need:

• Spirulina powder (available at the vitaminshoppe.com)
• Coconut oil (optional)
• Round eye-shadow brush

1. Spoon ½ tsp powder into a clean, dry bowl or into your palm.
2. With shadow brush or your index finger, smear it onto your lids. For a glossier look, first apply a little coconut oil to your lids. Shadow will keep for months, but check the spirulina bottle for storage advice to be safe.
(They say that this recipe will create a naturally pigmented, "universally flattering blue-green" hue.)

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Recipe for Making Your Own Shampoo

Yesterday, I shared about why I decided to make my own baking soda-and-water shampoo, as a healthy shampoo alternative and a way to keep from having to wash my hair daily. Today, I wanted to give you a glimpse into what it was like to use this stuff to clean my hair, followed by the recipe to make your own!

My Experience Using Baking Soda Shampoo

Day 1 - Can't tell whether it's working, since there are no suds to go by. Fingers crossed!

Day 2 - What do you know, but my hair has not yet turned oily. Hallelujah! This might just work!

Day 3 - Still not oily, but I figure I shouldn't press my luck. Let's kick the every-other-day routine into gear!

Day 6 - Yesterday was a wash day, but for some reason today my hair decided to turn oily all of a sudden. I ended up washing it halfway through the day. Hoping it doesn't let me down!

Day 12 - Hair seems to be adjusting to baking soda shampooing and oil levels evening out. I think I figured out that the culprit is the fact that it's gotten hotter outside and likely more sweat on the brow, so to speak. I expect that when the weather turns cooler this fall, I can start experimenting with going two days between shampoos.

I'm now about two months into the process, and I just finished my second full bottle.

The main thing I've noticed is that my hair's texture/oil is much more consistent now than before; usually after shampooing my hair, it would be on the dry end (even with conditioning) and by the end of the day or the next morning, it'd be super oily to compensate. Now, whether it's right after a shower or the end of the day, it's about the same oily-ness.

Around the middle of day two, sometimes it will start to feel oily, though often when I go to check in the mirror, it doesn't actually look oily. By hour 48, the oil does start to show (some days more than others), but even then, it still has not gotten as oily as it used to at hour 24.

Which, for the simplicity of the product, I count as quite impressive. I wouldn't claim it to be a miracle solution (but, then, what is?), however I do think it's much more reliable and effective than previous shampooing, which is why I've decided to stick with it.

Recipe to Make Your Own Baking Soda Shampoo
All it is a mixture of baking soda to water; I took a bottle with a pump-head that I'd saved (there's always some use waiting!) and filled it 1/8 the way with baking soda, the rest with water. (The ideal ratio is about 1 tablespoon of baking soda per 1 cup of water.) I'd read online about adding rosemary to your mixture if you have dry scalp, so I added some dashes of that, as well.

Then you shake it up and are ready to go. (If you end up adding rosemary, like I did, the water will start to turn brownish like in the photo above. In my first batch, I just dumped the herbs in but after awhile they started clogging the pump and also would sometimes squirt out into my hair--not quite the accessorizing I'm often going for. One alteration I made with my second batch was to bundle the rosemary in a swatch of gauzy fabric, kind of like a homemade tea bag to avoid that, which has worked exceptionally well so far.)

One thing is that the mixture is really runny, which means it takes a little longer to get my hair fully coated with it because I keep squirting more on. Once I can feel it's coated my hair, I let it sit for a minute and then rinse it off. Some people choose to use an apple-cider-vinegar rinse for conditioning, but I don't need to do that at all.

I can finally go more than a day between shampoos. Who would have guessed the answer would be as simple as a kitchen staple?!

P.S. If you are new to this blog, thank you so much for stopping by! You can feel free to browse all my other posts about my journey toward a lifestyle of simplicity and DIY, as well as some of the ways my husband and I are learning to save money. I also write about my faith, my marriage and everything in between, which you can explore in the archives.

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My Thrift-Store Outfit Featured at "Thrifty Threads"

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What Going Green Looks Like for Me

I remember being in elementary school and learning about the dwindling rain forests. I remember the commercials that aired, teaching us the “3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” So was my foray into environmentalism, when I convinced my dad to start a compost pile and tried to turn empty toilet paper rolls into all sorts of craft items.

A decade later, we’re still trying to incorporate “green” and “eco-friendly” into our daily life--albeit in more grown-up ways. What I’ve found most interesting, though, is how friendly--even convenient--“going green” has been to our lifestyle and budget.

To “go green” you don’t have to buy a pair of organic cotton jeans that cost $150; just go to the thrift store and find a pair that fits for $10. I love buying used clothes, furniture, décor or housewares and being able to get a one-of-a-kind item for a dollar or two; it’s like a treasure hunt for me. It doesn’t even feel like I’m “reusing.”

Instead of buying something brand new that you know you’ll only use a handful of times, why not see if you can borrow it from someone else? When Michael and I needed a stud-finder for one-time use, we ended up borrowing it from my dad. I wanted to try my hand at baking homemade bread, so I asked my mom if I could have her bread maker that’s been sitting in the basement.

I’ve tried to get crafty when new wants or needs arise to use things I already have or make my own. For instance, I wanted to decorate our apartment for the holidays. I ended up ironing a large swatch of olive green linen fabric into a table runner and using some festive jewelry to accent a cluster of candles.  Even for decorations at my wedding, I trolled through my house to find items that could be repurposed for the occasion, like an old bedspread thrown atop the cake table or a picnic basket used to display the favors.

Obviously, we don’t do all of these things 100 percent of the time: We still end up throwing things away. We still buy new products. We can’t always afford the greenest items on the shelves. But we try. For us, it’s about trying to live as wise stewards of the resources God has given to us. That also includes our time and energy. So you won’t see me washing out Ziploc bags (though I do try to keep their use to a minimum) or taking buckets into the shower with me to save the water (but we also are aware of how much water we're using). A fine line, but it works for us!

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{ vintage print via etsy }

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