Fresh Peppermint Mouthwash - DIY-Style!

As a continuation of this ongoing journey to green-up little areas in my life I've braved the unknown and -- quite frankly, scary -- waters of...(dun dun dunnnnn)...MOUTHWASH!!  

That label probably speaks for itself... Peppermint mouth wash...DIY style!

Oral hygiene is very important to me, so things like toothpaste, tooth powder, and mouthwashes just HAVE to work, and work well. I happened upon this blog, via my beloved Pinterest, several months ago, and thought, "huh, that looks interesting...I'll save that one for later."  Well, now it's later, and I've given it a try.

Results?  Let's rate it on a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high), shall we?

• Tastiness:  4 - but only after adding a packet of stevia sweetener; before the stevia, it was a 3...not bad, but not great.  When you think about it, what mouthwash does taste good?  None that I've ever tried, so this was an improvement, even before the stevia. :)
• Mintiness:  5  - It's awesome!  Love this part of it!
• Long-lasting effects:  4  - Lasts nearly as long as Listerine, but without burning my mouth.

Now, you may be asking WHY I would do such a thing when there is a myriad of different mouthwashes available at the local grocery store or pharmacy.  Well, many of them contain more alcohol than can legally be sold outside of a liquor store, and you don't have to produce a driver's license or be of legal drinking age to buy it.  Whoa!  AND, did you know that extended use of mouthwash containing alcohol will alter the pH balance in your mouth, and has been linked to mouth and throat cancer?  Seriously scary stuff, folks!  (Source)

Research the alcohol content in this...yikes!!

There are also a number of other unknown chemicals and dyes in traditional mouthwash.  I've become increasingly skeptical of products that contain ingredients that I can't identify or pronounce.  Some of the ingredients might well be natural stuff that the manufacturer has chosen to hide by using it's scientific name. Why? If it's natural, just call it what it is!

Overall, I think it's an industry who wants us entirely-too-vain Americans to spend more money on stuff that can't possibly do all it promises to do without having serious, negative side effects.  

Okay, enough of my soap box!  :)  This is the first of a couple of different mouthwash recipes I plan to try, so you can count on another article or two when I've tried the next ones.

Ready for the INGREDIENTS??  

• 1 cup aloe vera juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tsp witch hazel
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp, or packet, stevia
• 40 drops peppermint essential oil

Put it all in a cute bottle (I found mine at the local craft store for about $2), and shake, shake, shake!  Then, take a swig and swish around your entire mouth for about 30-60 seconds before...well, you know what to do next.  :)  Your mouth is going to feel sooooo clean, and minty fresh!

(Tempted as I was, I will refrain from including yet another photo of my teeth...I'll just let your imagination go to work seeing stars and sparkles around my super-clean mouth!  Haha!)

Here are a couple other recipes I plan to try next... If you get to them first, be sure to come back and post a comment to tell me what you think?!

• Honey peppermint mouthwash (yummmmm!)
• Peppermint, clove, rosemary mouthwash (whoa, sounds refreshing!)

I'd love to hear your experiences with green living, and how it can be done in REAL LIFE!!

Till next time, friends...

Small Bathroom Renovation

I never know how to open these articles...sometimes I feel so awkward, like I need to have something clever or amazing to say, but, in truth, I'm neither clever nor amazing. Ha! I follow directions well, and when I see something I like a lot, I try to figure out how to reproduce it or make small tweaks in order to make it work for me. This article is much the same...

In June 2012, I got the itch... the DIY itch. Mind you, I have NEVER had this itch before, so I was both excited and concerned...was something wrong with me? I'm pretty sure my husband thought I was losing my mind (he's known me for a long time)!! But, there it was... the itch... and I just HAD to do something about it! Thus, I embarked on my very first (yes, in 38 years, this was my FIRST) room redecoration project.

Our guest bathroom is just a half-bath, and quite small. More like a closet really... in fact, our walk-in closet in the master bedroom is bigger than the guest bathroom. This room was in dire need of a face lift, and June seemed as good a time as any to tackle it!

Wow, do you see that? Yikes... boring! In nearly nine years, we had done absolutely nothing with that room. One of the reasons I chose this house, though, was that pedestal sink...so that's a keeper. Everything else? Up for grabs. So... Pinterest, here I come! I searched for small bathroom decor until I found enough inspiration that I could actually envision it in our own bathroom (see, I'm really not very creative...). :)

Things were improving in great measures! What's funny, is that when I finally told my husband I was going to Lowe's that very day, with the intent to just buy paint, he said... "well, while you're at it, do you want to replace the mirror and fixtures, too?" HECK YES!!!

The paint, toilet paper stand, and towel (robe) hook were purchased at Lowe's. The mirror and large black-and-white canvas print on the back wall behind the door were purchased at Gordman's, and the space-saver cabinet over the toilet was purchased from JC Penney. I did the two small canvas prints and the vases and flower arrangements on top of the cabinet (crafty articles for another day).

We are SO pleased with the "new" bathroom! And that DIY itch? WORSE! But, that's a good thing, right?  The more we do to make our home our own, the more we love it.

Till next time, friends... Keep on DIY'ing!

Wild World of Hair Serum

In this world of "chemical-and-free-radicals-are-everywhere," shampoo and conditioner just aren't enough... no matter how great they are.  We girls just need something post-shower, or between washes, to keep our hair soft, conditioned, and protected from the elements.  Something to smooth it out, and help it recover from all of the processing, products, drying, and heat styling.

I don't know about you, but I've had plenty of days like this in my life!  No more!!

I will freely admit, I'm a junkie for hair products (and make up, and facial care, and so on), but it wasn't until recently that I started looking closely at what was actually in those products.  It's what's IN the products that causes build-up, which requires stronger shampoo (detergent...but that's an article for another day).

For example, Biosilk(R)  is loaded with chemicals  that no one but a trained chemist can pronounce, let alone identify with knowledgeable confidence.

I don't see a single ingredient that is natural... and this one definitely contains parabens and silicons.  YIKES!  Silicon?  Really?  The stuff they put into fake boobs and make oven/bakeware with?  Yes, yikes!  And this one is generally priced around $16 for 6 oz.  That's $2.67 per ounce....pretty pricey for something you can't truly identify, isn't it?

Now, there ARE good hair serums out there...for an even higher price.  A good example (that I've always really liked, but have a hard time coughing up the cash for, at $25 for 1.7 oz), is ALTERNA Bamboo Smooth Kendi Oil Pure Treatment Oil  Holy smokes... talk about sticker shock!  And there are still a lot of synthetic ingredients in it.

Ladies (and gentlemen), please, for the love of all that is holy (okay, for the love of your HAIR), read the labels! There IS a balance between high-quality and a decent price....AND it's 100% natural!!  I've made my own, and I love it more than any other leave-in conditioner or serum I've ever used before (remember, I'm a hair product junkie?!).

• Camellia oil (4 oz) - Blocks Harmful UV Rays, Maintains a Healthy pH, Promotes Hair Growth, Conditions Scalp
  
• Avocado oil (.5 oz) - highly therapeutic oil is rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B5 (Panthothenic acid), Vitamin D, E, minerals, protein, lecithin and fatty acids. Perfect hair moisturizer. Great substitute for silicones!!!!
  
• Castor oil (.5 oz) - rich in fatty acids and is soothing and lubricating. Smoothes cuticles and softens coarse hair
  
• essential oil (customized for your hair type/needs)

Yes, you can make this yourself, and I encourage it!  It will make all the difference for your hair, and is sooooo much better for you.  But, if you want to save the time and energy, I'll make it for you.  :)  Feel free to visit my STORE to purchase Country Daisy Miracle Hair Serum.

Now we can enjoy smooth, healthy hair, knowing exactly what's in the serum and feeling great about it!  No more frizzy, bad-hair days!

Thanks for reading!  Feel free to share your thoughts or send me an email; I love hearing from you.  :)  

Here's to healthy hair, naturally, and at a great price!

Tooth Powder with... CHARCOAL??

Oh yes, CHARCOAL!  Activated charcoal is a great whitener and also helps with remineralizing teeth and removing toxins, right there along with bentonite clay.  Awesome!  And what's more fun, is that it turns your teeth BLACK while you're brushing!  So cool!

The kids LOVED the black teeth!

But why do this, you ask?  Why not toothpaste like normal people use... from the store?  Even those that are approved by the ADA?  Well, have you read the ingredients?  CAN you read the ingredients?  That's point number one.  The other point is that commercial toothpaste contains glycerin, which is awesome when added (in small doses) to things like lotion or conditioner, but creates a barrier on your teeth that prevents your teeth from being able to absorb vitamins and minerals.  Our teeth are meant to absorb vitamins and minerals, so why would we want to prevent that?  Our teeth are BONES and bones need to be nourished!

Okay, let's talk about the ingredients of this super nourishing and whitening tooth powder and each of their benefits:

• 1 Tbsp Activated Charcoal:  This extremely porous ingredient attracts and traps toxins and nastiness, and hangs onto them until you spit them out.

• 3 Tbsp Bentonite Clay:  Bentonite produces an electrical charge when it becomes wet, and is able to absorb and remove toxins, heavy metals, impurities, and chemicals.  It also provides minerals to the body...something our teeth can't get enough of!  Benefit?  No more sensitivity!!!

• 1 tsp Baking Soda:  Toothpastes (or powders) with baking soda have better whitening power and are better at removing plaque than those without.  It is rather abrasive, so this is optional, but it is kind of awesome, in my opinion. :)

• 1/2 to 1 tsp Natural Stevia:  An all natural sweetener that is many times sweeter than sugar, and also comes with many other health benefits, such as treating diabetes and high blood pressure.

• 45-50 drops Peppermint Essential Oil:  GREAT for freshening your breath and adding a nice flavor to your tooth powder.  It's also reduces any inflammation in the mouth and helps with toothaches if you happen to have one.

Directions: 

• Mix all of the dry ingredients in a glass or plastic container.  
• Be sure to use a plastic or wooden spoon to do this. You do NOT want to use metal with the charcoal or clay, because they will both absorb impurities from metal, making them less effective.
• Wet your toothbrush and shake or tap off excess water.
• Dip the tips your toothbrush in the powder, and brush as you normally would.
• For extra mineralization and whitening power, leave on your teeth for a few minutes before rinsing with water or mouthwash.
• Rinse well.

And VIOLA!!  Pearly white teeth!

Please give this one a try, it's totally worth it!  It'll save you money, and your teeth, in the long run.  

Thanks for reading!  I'm having a blast trying these new "tricks" to clean up and green up, and I'd love to hear from others out there who are doing the same thing.  :)

Till next time!