Rub a Dub Dub

Ive been experimenting with soaps.. both laundry soap and dishwasher safe soap.

I find a whole lot of people use the same ingredients but different proportions. Heres a couple that I like for shiny clean dishes.

Liquid Dishwasher Soap:

• 1 part baking soda
• 1 part borax 
• 1 part water
•  1 drop lemon or orange essential oil per cup of detergent

• Mix the ingredients thoroughly and store in a sealable jug.
• Use 2 to 3 TBS per load.

Powder Dishwasher Soap:

• 1 cup Baking Soda
• 1 cup Borax
• 1T citric acid 
• 2-3 drops of Lemon or Wild Orange Essential Oil

Blend thoroughly and store in a plastic container, use approximately 2 TBS per load.Use vinegar in the rinse compartment as a rinse agent to help prevent residue.

 you can shop for doTERRA Essential Oils on my webpage:www.doterra.myvoffice.com/stefaniejloverink

Liquid Laundry Soap:

• Hot water
• 1/2 cup Washing Soda 
• 1/2 cup Borax
• 1 bar Soap- grated ( I used Fels Naptha)
• a few drops of Lavendar Essential Oil (see above link to get yours!)

• In a large pot, heat 3 pints of water. Add the grated bar and stir until melted. Then add the washing soda and borax. Stir until powder is dissolved, then remove from heat.
• In a 2 gallon clean pail, pour 1 quart of hot water and add the heated mixture. Top pail with cold water and stir well.
• Use 1/2 cup per load, stirring before each use (will gel).

This made a good amount of soap. FYI Keep a hang of empty jugs around the house.. we put ours in clean empty milk jugs, and two of our large empty cleaned out laundry containers. This made two milk jugs and two laundry containers full, I poured til the cap of laundry soap was full. You cant beat 0.1 a load!

Powder Laundry Soap: 

• 1- 3lb 7oz box of arm and hammer super wash, 
• 1-4lb 12oz box of Borax, 
• 1-3lb container Oxi Clean 
• 3 bars soap ( I used Fels Naptha)

Place all into 5 gal bucket stir all together and I use 3 heaping tablespoons per load.
^ This has been my most recent attempt at powder- My friend Kellie is the one that inspired me to try this one. As long as they get my cloth diapers clean!!!

"Im kind of a Hippie, I dance to my own beat"

The Easy Peasy Elderberry Syrup!!!!

I know your curious!

I actually had a lot of fun making this guys, it was actually pretty therapeutic and the AROMA! My heavens its glorious!! My entire home smells phenomenal. You need to do this!

Elderberry Syrup ahaaa! Its very healthy for you and very YUMMY. This recipe is for a medicinal syrup that can be used to fight flu and viruses. 

Elderberries are said to "ncrease immunity, and they are a rich source of bioflavonoids, antioxidants and potassium, beta carotene, calcium, phosphorus and vitamin C."

Elderberries are packed full of POWERFUL antioxidants. In our environment there are many things that can spawn free radicals to form in our body. This is not healthy or conducive to our health. Normally, the body can handle free radicals, but if antioxidants are unavailable, or if the free-radical production becomes excessive, damage can occur. Of particular importance is that free radical damage accumulates with age, thus the aging process.  Antioxidants can help clear out these free radicals to keep us healthy. Its good for Immune health, Heart health, Eye health, and healthy skin as well. Elderberry syrup is just the ticket to keeping healthy and taking control of your body.

For this recipe, you'll need a source of elderberries. If you don't have fresh elderberries, you can purchase dried berries from places that sell herbs, either online or locally. But ask around because many folks have bushes of elderberries growing in their yard that they don't use!

Prep Time: 45 minutes (if not using dried)

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• • 3 cups of water
  • 1 cups of elderberries- destemmed of course
  • 1 cup honey or more to taste ( I only recommend raw)
  • 2-3 fresh cinnamon sticks
  • approx 10 drops of On Guard Essential Oil, and 10 drops of Clove Oil. You can buy from my website. www.doterra.myvoffice.com/stefaniejloverink

Preparation:

 

You can just see the heavenly aroma!

Here I'm showing to pour the saucepan of syrup through the sieve over a bowl while mashing out all of the excess berry juice.

1. Place elderberries, water, cinnamon stick, in a saucepan over medium heat.
2.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes. ( I did longer because I loved the smell. 30 minutes would probably suffice.) 
3. Use a potato masher to mash berries to release juice; strain the mixture through a fine sieve, retaining juice and discarding the pulp. I mashed mine while in saucepan to get out the juices.
4. Set it aside to cool off.
5. I poured  my syrup into the fine sieved sifter over a bowl and I would again mash the berries to get the most juice out that I could possibly get. ^above picture
6. Stir in honey until thoroughly combined, Add in On Guard and Clove Essential Oil.
7. Store in a lidded jar. I used an old clear ketchup bottle with a squirt spout.
8. Keeps in refrigerator 2 to 3 months.
   

To use the elderberry syrup:
  We take this daily. Adults can take 1Tablespoon daily, and children over two I give 1 teaspoon. Especially at the first sign of a cold, sore throat, flu or other viral illness. The dose can be repeated every two to three hours. Please note that honey should not be given to children under two years old due to botulism. 

Well I hope you can take this and use it!

"Im kind of a hippie, I dance to my own beat"

Here are a couple reference links about antioxidants and free radicals if your interested.

http://www.naturemade.com/resource-center/articles-and-videos/antioxidant/fighting-aging-with-antixodants

http://www.healthchecksystems.com/antioxid.htm

Cloth Diapering! Some say say YAY and some say HOY!

Cloth Diapering! Some say say YAY and some say HOY!  
Well let me tell all you HOY people that its not at all like what your grandma says it is. It maybe was once upon a time but now times have changed and there are so many possibilities out there. Maybe you are on the fence. Maybe your family says its not a good idea. Well let me let you in on what we like and what works for us.

Two words- NATURAL FIBERS!!! This has been the best thing that we have done in our rotation of diapers. Its healthier for baby, and much more comfy too. 
 
Lets start with what I like-- well I LOVE Greenmountaindiapers.com, and not just the site and products but Karen has amazing customer service. (also has really good pictures of her diapers on this website to show you how they fit)

What we love: 
Clotheze Workhorse fitted diapers- they DO need a cover (Ill cover that in one sec) They come in snaps or snapless. Many do prefer snapless as you can get a more custom fit, BUT if you get snaps and find you don't prefer them you can snappi right over it. (If you don't understand a snappi you can also find these on her website for sale. These diapers come in different sizes from Newborn, smalls, medium, large, and XL. 
Pros: all cotton, very absorbent, great fitted diaper that contains that explosive poo. Love the fit and its a custom fit. Easy for family members or a sitter to use. Doesn't bust the budget.
Cons: Not one size fits all. Little long on dry time.

Clotheze Prefolds - these are also a GMD product that I love as it is also very absorbent. They do need a cover. They are more of a universal diaper. Meaning; they are great wrapped around baby like a fitted diaper, or trifolded into a cover, or stuffed into a pocket diaper for extra absorbancy. These also need a snappi or pins if you choose to wrap it around baby like a fitted diaper. 
Pros: Cheap route to go. Absorbancy. All cotton. 
Cons: folding a tight fit takes practice. Not one size fits all.

Bumgenius Elementals: this is not made by GMD but she does carry them. This is daddy's go to diaper. Its all 100% cotton on the inside but this one doesn't need a cover as the outer shell of this diaper is already there. Its a slap on and go kind of diaper. It comes in snaps or aplix (velcro).  You literally put on snap and go. 
Pros: 100% cotton still. All in one diaper. Daddy and sitter friendly.  Great color choices. One size diaper. One size fits from 8lb and grows with your child by altering the snaps. Great leg gussets to avoid explosions. Absorbancy.
Cons: Dry time is longer since it has so much cotton on the inside. 

Swaddlebees Simplex: These are also not made by GMD but she does sell them.  Its 100% cotton on the inside. It is a one size diaper. Its a snap diaper so slap on and go. These are also daddys favorites -- are you seeing a pattern as to why yet?
Pros: 100% cotton. All in one diaper. Daddy and sitter friendly. Great prints and colors. Great leg gussets. Absorbancy. One size .
Cons: Little long on dry time.

I mentioned that the top two need covers. You can use a PUL cover or fleece or wool (flutters eyes in love). We use wool 99% of the time. The reason so is because you can use it as the child's clothing. Yes so its two birds one stone! There are soakers, wool wraps, shorties and longies. The shorties are shorts and longies are pants. I am not talking about that itchy wool sweater that Aunt Martha bought you when you were younger. This is a soft wool; not itchy. A soaker is a pull on jus like underwear. It goes over the diaper and goes great under clothing if its a trim diaper/wool combination. A wool wrap is the same thing except it has either snaps or aplix. Some brands carry recycled wool, and others interlock. We love both. If you must know.. we use Royal Buns interlock soakers. Loveybums interlock and crepe wool wraps. Wild Coconut Wear interlock longies and shorties. Woollybottoms recycled footies and soakers. Tiny Tunas longies. Disana knit soaker. You do not need to put a cover over the diaper when you are wearing the wool. It is the cover, and easily becomes the childs main wardrobe. It is very easy to care of as well and actually pretty therapeutic.  

I bought Ewe Need it Wool Wash/Lanolin combo so I fill my sink with warm -not hot water, poor in my needed amt of wash. Swish the water to mix well with the wash. Add the wool inside out. Soak for at least 15 minutes. Do not wring it out. take a towel and wrap it and press out the water. then lay flat to dry.

If I did choose a PUL cover to try I would say Motherease Airflow, Bummis Super Lite, Econobum, and Thirsties Duo PUL cover. Motherease is very lightweight and not restricting. Bummis Super Lite I have in aplix and isnt so rigid around babys tummy. Econobum is super lightweight and stretchy. Thirsties cover is great for the leg gussets. 

I have to add that for wipes we use cloth as well. I went to my local Joann Fabrics and picked up some cute soft flannel, and terry cloth, cut into 8x8 squares and we sewed them together. We also use Eli's Wipes... they are squishy soft velour on one side and sherpa on the other. I love them a lot!!!!

Jump in and give it all a whirl! You will love changing those poop catchers!

"Im kind of a hippie, I dance to my own beat."