Written by Emily McClements, Contributing Writer

If you are somewhat new to going green, or are just beginning to dabble in homemade and non-toxic cleaning, you may be a little overwhelmed about where to start, what products to use and where, and how to get rid of toxic cleaners from you cupboards once and for all.

The thing that I love the most about homemade, green cleaners is how simplified my cleaning cupboard, and cleaning routine in general, has become. Gone are the days of needing a separate cleaner for each different job, and each different room - kitchen cleaner, floor cleaner, bathroom cleaner, tub & tile cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, window cleaner, dusting spray, multipurpose cleaner - these can all be replaced by a few basic products that you probably already have in your kitchen cabinets or somewhere around your home.

To create simple, green, and frugal cleaning products, I have found that the following 5 items are the ones that I use the most, are the most multi-tasking, and the best performing.

Basics for Frugal and Green Cleaning

:: White Vinegar

This is probably the most frugal and versatile non-toxic cleaner. It is a safe and natural disinfectant that, mixed in a 1/1 ratio with water, can clean everything from floor to ceiling in pretty much any room, including mirrors and window. You should not, however use vinegar on porous natural surfaces like marble or granite.

I use vinegar to clean my kitchen counter and floors, and wipe down cabinets (although that doesn't happen very often!), it's great at cutting grease. I also use it to clean my bathroom, it's especially good at cleaning up stainless steel fixtures and making them shiny. The vinegar and water mixture is also works as a stain remover on carpets and rugs!

Some people, like my hubs, have a hard time with the smell of vinegar. I find that the scent disperses pretty quickly, especially with a fan or window open. But, you can also try adding essential oils to your vinegar and water mixture to achieve a scent that you can live with, and maybe even enjoy!

You can also use vinegar in the rinse aid compartment of your dishwasher instead of a commercial brand like Jet Dry. It helps to keep residue off dishes and keep them spot free.

Vinegar is also a great replacement for fabric softener in you laundry. Add it to the fabric softener dispenser, or fill an old Downy ball with vinegar.  While it doesn't leave a scent like store-bought fabric softener does, it does help to repel static cling, and I have learned that I  like the smell of just plain clean, and that artificial scents are actually irritating to me now.

Image by cjmartins

:: Baking Soda

This is an essential replacement for abrasive toxic cleaners like Comet. You can keep it in an old Parmesan cheese container, or other type of shakeable container so that it is easily accessible for cleaning. Use it alone, or make a paste by mixing it with water, it is great for scrubbing off all different types of surfaces.

I pretty much exclusively use Baking Soda to clean my toilets. Just a few shakes around the bowl and a good scrubbing with a toilet brush and we're good to go. It's also great for scrubbing off burned on food on my glass top stove, cleaning and whitening my white enamel kitchen sink.

Sprinkle baking soda on your rug or carpet and wait a few minutes and then vacuum it up for a natural freshener and deodorizer. This is especially nice if you add a few drops of essential oil to your baking soda, it adds a lovely scent to your home as you vacuum.

:: Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen Peroxide is great for cleaning areas that you want to be disinfected. It breaks down when exposed to light, so it's best kept in an opaque bottle. I leave mine in it's original bottle and add a spray nozzle from a cheap dollar store spray bottle. You can mix hydrogen peroxide 1/1 with water to stretch it even further.

Spray down surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom with hydrogen peroxide to disinfect and kill germs. It's not the best cleaner in the world as far as actually scrubbing and cleaning, but I like to use it on my kitchen counters after I have already wiped them clean, just to make sure they are disinfected.

The mix of hydrogen peroxide and water also is great at removing certain types of stains on clothing. Dark stains, like blood, blueberries or other berries, or juice, come out easily when you spray them before putting the clothing in the wash.

:: Castile Soap

Castile Soap has many uses for both cleaning and as a personal care product. Along with tea tree oil and water, it makes up my favorite homemade multipurpose cleaner. Just add water to a spray bottle and add a few quirts of castile soap and a few drops of tea tree oil and you have another multi-tasking cleaner for all around the home.

This multipurpose cleaner is a great alternative if you don't like the smell of vinegar, because it is just as versatile. I use it whenever I'm cleaning around my hubs, and for cleaning and dusting in my living room.

:: Natural Dishsoap

This is just one more great multitasking cleaner that is, obviously, excellent at cutting through grease. Not just for washing you dishes, you can dilute it with water in a spray bottle to clean pretty much any area of your kitchen. It's great for cleaning out your sink and washing down counter tops.

A spray bottle with dishsoap diluted with water (actually mostly water and a few squirts of dishsoap) makes an acceptable laundry stain remover.  While it doesn't work for some stains, like grass or dirt, it is good on food based stains and those annoying little grease spots that are hard to get out of clothes.  Keep a bottle handy in your laundry room along with the other natural stain removers we've been talking about here the past few weeks.

:: I have to mention one more product that finds it way into several of my homemade cleaning products, so an Honorable Mention goes to Tea Tree Oil.  TTO is a natural antiseptic and disinfectant and is great to add to homemade multi-purpose cleaners.  I also use it in my cloth wipes solution, as well as when I make homemade disinfecting wipes (like reusable Clorox wipes).

Those are the basic items that I use for cleaning all around my home. What are your top green and frugal cleaning products?

Emily is a blessed wife and mama to two little ones. She is passionate about caring for God’s creation and people by being a good steward of the resources He has provided. As part of her journey towards living more “frugally green” she blogs about the things she is learning and the changes she is making at Live Renewed.

Top photo by Chiot's Run

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Stephanie's note: Have you begun to notice a theme here this month? We're talking about laundry strategies, hence the posts on stain removal, one of the biggest questions that I get in regards to natural laundry care. Find charts for successful stain removal, and the trick that saves my sanity and my kid's clothes. Coming up are cloth diapering tips, a tour of our Family Closet and a mom's laundry detergent consumer panel in September!

Written by Beth Corcoran, Contributing Writer

Stains are a big deal at our house.  It seems that my kids are stain magnets.  I know that just about everyone would say that their kids do their fair share of staining clothing.  But my kids have a penchant for attracting stains of the gross and unusual kind—you know, the kind that no one really knows how to get out.

A while back, when we started fostering kids, I decided to go through my clothing storage and pull out the baby clothes just in case we got a small foster child.  Much to my dismay, most of the baby clothes had yellowed and had huge brown spots on them.  I was so sure that they didn’t look that horrible when I put them away! But time and heat (they had been in the garage last summer as we moved) had set in previously mild spit up and food stains.

I was determined to find a non toxic way to get those set in stains out of those cute baby clothes, which is a daunting task, because, let’s face it, even the toxic cleaners don’t really get set in stains out.

Then this past winter, we entered a time of a few months when the air was really dry.  My children started getting nosebleeds.  And about 99% of the time, of course, it would happen in the middle of the night while they were sleeping and no one would know the better until the next morning when the blood was dried all over the sheets.

This summer I have faced yet more frustrating stains.  During the summer, we keep white sheets and a white quilt on our bed.  All in the same day, my muddy dog decided to come inside and hop up on my bed, leaving the red Oklahoma clay mud stains all over my nice quilt; and my 3 year old daughter proved that she could open child proof caps by spilling a whole bottle of grape cough syrup all over my sheets.  What is a mom to do?!

It seems that there are several good options for getting fresh stains out of clothes, and many of those have been highlighted on this website.   But after much experimenting, I have found a very easy solution to getting really tough set in stains out of fabrics—powdered oxygen bleach.

I have found oxygen bleach to be highly effective in getting awful stains out of just about everything. Here's how I use it:

1. I simply fill a large tub (think trash can size) with hot water.  I know hot water is contrary to everything you have heard about getting stains out of clothes.  However, it helps the bleach dissolve better and thus, work better.
2. Then I stir in the appropriate amount of powdered oxygen bleach.
3. After that, I simply add in whatever clothes or bed linens need to be soaked.  At that point, I leave it alone for up to a whole day.
4. I will periodically check to see if the stains are fading.
5. Once they appear to be gone, I then throw the soaked items into the washer to be cleaned as normal.

Photo credit: edwebproject

Is Oxygen Bleach Safe to Use?

There are many options out there for oxygen bleach.  When shopping for a good product, you will want to find one that doesn’t have any fillers.  Many of the more popular brands don’t work as well as they could because they are full of fillers.

If you are like me, you may be wondering what exactly oxygen bleach is and how it works.  I was hesitant for quite some time to use it because when I hear the word “bleach,” I automatically think about chlorine bleach.  But rest assured that oxygen bleach is a very different cleaner.

Oxygen bleach is made of two natural chemicals, sodium percarbonate and sodium carbonate, and it is completely biodegradable. It doesn’t have any strong odor and, while I wouldn’t recommend soaking your skin in it, it is fine for normal contact with skin.   It can be used to break down set in stains or fresh stains, and it can be used on organic and inorganic stains.

The one drawback to using oxygen bleach over using a commercial spray is that it takes time to work—sometimes it takes a lot of time.  My muddy white quilt had to be soaked twice, each time for a whole day, before it came clean.  But the good news is that on most kinds of fabric, the stains should come out completely.

So if you have a houseful of little stain magnet children, or even a naughty muddy dog or two that like to jump onto your bed, I highly recommend trying oxygen bleach. As you can imagine, oxygen bleach is definitely this mom’s favorite go-to product in my laundry room!

Ok, mamas, how do you get out set in stains? Share your secrets!

I am the mother of four children (wait- make that six as of recently!)—two girls and two boys, ages 7, 6, 5, and 2 ½. While not homeschooling or chauffeuring the kids to their activities, I enjoy all kinds of craft projects and learning how to be a better steward of all that the Lord has given me. My blog is stewardshipnotconvenience.blogspot.com.

Photo credit: chiots run

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No related posts.

This was a good night. A really good night.

Johanna LOVES to eat. With her fingers. Exactly what we are eating. While yanking off her bib.

My three year old still desperately needs a bib at mealtimes, though he fights it. My 5 1/2 year old ought to wear one permanently. Just for walking, talking and breathing. Here's her shirt from today:

Again, this was a good day. Only a few small paint stains? Bravo! Hip hip hooray!

For the longest time, I was just losing it over the daily clothing massacre that was occurring in our household. It felt so needless, so wasteful, yet I seemed to be powerless to put an end to it.

I've been using natural stain removers for a long time, and I was coming to grips with the fact that they just didn't seem to cut it. Oh yes, I carefully sorted through the dirty clothes, pre-treated everything while I got my piles of laundry ready to go and my washer filled up. It didn't matter, though. Inevitably there was at least one permanent stain left behind for all of the others that came out each time I did laundry.

I wasn't willing to switch to something stronger and more chemical-filled. I also couldn't afford to keep replacing my children's clothing.

This little spray bottle became the answer to my dilemma.

There's nothing particularly fancy about it. It is filled up with:

• half Biokleen Bac-Out
• half water

I've also made this work using my homemade stain remover, but I've decided that ultimately the Bac-Out works just a little better and is just as cost-effective because I buy it when it goes on sale and I water it down by half.

Here's my trick:

I got my husband to buy three of these little bottles at the dollar store one day. I decided that I needed to put them in 3 important places:

1. The kid's bedroom
2. Our bedroom
3. The laundry room

My line of thinking is this: When you use chemical stain removers (like Shout or similar) you can usually just apply them 5 minutes before you wash, giving them a good spray or scrub, etc. These powerful removers can work quickly like that.

Natural stain removers don't work like that. They need time to work and they need to be applied right away.

I was initially concerned about using an enzyme-cleaner like Bac-Out and leaving it sitting on our clothes for possibly days before I got around to washing them. It hasn't been a problem. I have not noticed any marks or wearing out of clothes in places where I have sprayed them and let them sit.

Here's me spraying Abbie's paint-adorned shirt tonight, up in our family closet, where we keep everyone's clothes together (look for an upcoming video of how we've organized our family closet!).

(Note that I am too busy taking a picture to actually spray the stain.)

Nothing dirty is allowed to go into the hamper without being looked over and sprayed first. That's my new rule. Then they sit as long as they sit. Half a day, 5 days, it doesn't seem to really make a difference.

The end result?

When I do actually focus my aim and pre-treat all stains immediately when clothes come off (or even immediately after the stain occurs, if I catch it that fast), something miraculous happens in the wash. Even in the cold water, natural detergent wash.

Stains come out! Hallelujah, jubilee!

It works for me, it will work for you, too. Get thee to a dollar store, get as many bottles as you have bedrooms, fill them with Bac-Out (or your favorite natural stain remover) and spray away. Soon you will be singing "oh happy day" along with me.

How do YOU ensure that stains come out of your children's clothes, without using strong chemicals, and without taking a lot of time and effort to get them out?

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Written by Sharon Kaufman, Contributing Writer

A Common Thread in the Fabric of Life

It's something we all do on a regular basis; one of the most common threads among women around the globe. Of course, you've guessed it by now because of the picture... LAUNDRY.

The Romance of the Clothesline

I've always been fascinated with laundered clothes hung out to dry when visiting other places. In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, my husband and I were treated to clotheslines beautifully bedecked with Amish clothing. Mostly black and dark in color and very plain in nature, the shirts, dresses and trousers blowing in the wind were a testament of a simpler way of life and of a little bit of romance lost to those of us who have only to press the "normal" button on the electric clothes dryer to have dry clothing.

While in Africa on several mission trips, I laundered our clothing all by hand. There, the women use four or five small plastic basins - one with soapy water to clean the clothing and the rest for repeated rinses. After it is wrung out, the clothing is hung to dry on make-shift clotheslines or on the bushes. It may or may not get dry, depending on the humidity and also rain. You may actually bring the clothes in several hours later just as wet as when you hung them out.

One thing is certain, however, we should learn from the rest of the world to employ the faithful clothesline in our own backyards. It is yet another way to save our environment and be a good steward of the earth. And our gas and electricity bills will reflect a savings also.

Oh, How We Hate Those Horrid Stains!

Doing laundry is not so difficult here is the U.S. And it seems that one of our biggest concerns when doing the laundry is removing the stains from our clothing. There are plenty of choices when it comes to purchasing commercial stain removers. There is even one you can now take on the go with you to use if you drop spaghetti sauce (this is one thing I do well and it never seems to fail)  on your white blouse while eating out.

However, there are ways to prevent stains. For me, one of the easiest ways to prevent stains from happening is to wear an apron. It has saved me many times from having to douse a blouse or address the mess on a dress with stain remover. The little poem below expresses the practical benefits of the humble apron. So, by all means, save yourself some work and wear an apron. Aprons are all the rage these days anyway.

The Humble Apron

Charting the Way to Successful Stain Removal

But getting back to removing stains, there are alternatives to using chemically loaded stain removers. A few years ago I developed a laundry stain-remover chart that details how to use everyday household items, such as vinegar, baking soda, etc. for ridding clothing of stains. Originally, it was given out at a laundry and linen shower for a young bride-to-be who also happens to be a dear friend of mine.

The links for the chart are below in PDF form. You are welcome to run off any or all of the three pages.  To get the best copy possible, after you click on the print button in the PDF file, look for "Properties" and click on the button. Once you're in "Properties",  click on the "page set-up" tab and set the page "orientation" to "landscape". Then proceed to print.

You can keep your stain-removal chart in good condition by inserting each page into a plastic sleeve. Then thread metal rings into the binder holes at the side of the plastic sleeves and hang the chart up on the wall in the laundry room. It should serve you well for many years to come. 

Laundry Stain-Removal Chart

Laundry Stain-Removal Chart2

Laundry Stain-Removal Chart3

Have you encountered a particularly difficult stain to remove? What was it and did you meet with success? What effective, natural stain removers have you used?

Sharon has enjoyed being Robert’s helper for 33 years. She has also loved her role of being mom to their children – one son and three daughters (now all grown) – and “Granny” to seven delightful grandchildren. She is passionate about encouraging and equipping women in her church and beyond and also through her blogs (The Good Woman) and (Franziska’s Pantry) to embrace and delight in their divinely-designed occupation as helpers.

Our Sponsors:

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image courtesy of istockphoto

Written by Anne Elliot, Contributing Writer

We moved to Minnesota almost 18 months ago, but in that time, I just never got around to finding some good meat for our family. I got lazy, going more often to my local grocery stores rather than taking the time to find a local source for beef, chicken, eggs, and other meat.

But because of the recent course I've been taking from Wardah at GNOWFGLINS.com, and after reading chapter 11 of Stephanie's new Real Food on a Real Budget book, I was inspired to try, try again.

So last week, a friend and I set out on a real-food adventure. First we went online to several websites and found some farmers that were within driving distance of us.

• eatwild.com
• localharvest.org
• americangrassfed.org

We also went to a nearby health-food store, and we asked the owners from whom they purchased grass-fed beef and free-range poultry. We took note of who was selling meat at the farmer's market, and finally, we e-mailed our local Weston Price chapter leader.

Now we had quite a few possibilities, but my friend and I had some specific things we were looking for in our meat:

• We wanted farmers who let their cows eat only organic grass. No soy or corn for us!
• We wanted farmers who finished their cows on grass also, rather than fattening them up at the last minute on corn.
• We wanted farmers who avoided growth hormones, antibiotics, or animal by-products.
• We wanted farmers who butchered their cows humanely.
• We wanted farmers who would sell to us directly, either by the pound or in larger quantities.

Using our list, we started emailing the farmers. This list eliminated quite a few. We finally chose a handful that were located conveniently, then we called them on the phone. (Actually, my friend did the phoning, bless her!)

Last week, we left our older kids home with our husbands, bundled up our babies, and drove out together into the country. On the way, we passed a "factory farm" and saw first-hand the kind of farm from which we DIDN'T want to buy our beef!  How peaceful the organic farm was in contrast!

Image by ilovebutter

When we got there, the farmer's wife met us and gave us a tour of the place. She showed us the freezers and explained the butchering process. We had plenty of time to ask questions. (In fact, my van broke down in their driveway... so yes, we had plenty of time!)

Both my friend and I purchased several different cuts of meat to sample. The farmer's wife explained that grass-fed meat requires slightly different cooking methods, so she gave us some recipes, recommended www.grassfedcooking.com, and the books The Grassfed Gourmet and The Farmer and the Grill.

My friend and I left the farm armed with price lists for buying a quarter, half, or whole cow. We both need to save up for that purchase (!), as well as plan room in our freezers. The Oklahoma State University website gives information on how to freeze beef for the freezer.

This was our process for grass-fed beef. We're in the midst of looking for excellent sources of chicken and turkey now. I personally want to avoid chicken that has been fed soy, but others say that it isn't an issue because of the way chickens digest the soy. (I'd welcome your comments on this issue!)

Switching from commercial to organic meat can certainly be a strain on the budget. For our family, we're trying to reduce our meat consumption by half, which keeps the cost close to what I was spending before. Buying in bulk will make it even more inexpensive. We're also considering hunting game such as deer and elk, since these are tremendously cheaper. (For us, we're talking about paying a friend to hunt for us.)

The benefits of good meat are many! I'm looking forward to renewed health and energy because we're eating clean, healthy meat.

Anne is a pastor's wife and homeschooling mom to seven sweet kiddos, all living in southern Minnesota. Her passion is trying to discover what the Bible says about almost every topic affecting moms, and she blogs about it at http://anneelliott.com/blog.

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• Experience God as Your Provider: Does Your Financial Future Feel Like a Crumbling Sand Castle?
• Learn to Cook With Sourdough: "Pay What You Can" Classes in Sourdough and Traditional Cooking
• Holy Ambition: If you're thinking, God can't use me, think again! YOU can make a difference.

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This is the last of the excerpts from my new book, Real Food on a Real Budget. It was taken from Chapter 7- Eat Local, Eat Seasonal. This month one of the topics here at Keeper of the Home is local and seasonal food, so this seemed a fitting topic to share!

*******

In one of my favorite reads this past year, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, she explains the concept of seasonality through a little creation she calls the "Vegetannual.” This incredible (yet completely imaginary) plant is intended to demonstrate the seasonal cycle of vegetable production over the course of the year.

It begins with crisp greens and asparagus in early spring, moves on to the peas, cabbages and cauliflower of later spring. Early summer finds the beginning of summer squash and cucumbers, which as the summer progresses have given way to glorious, plump tomatoes and mouth-watering melons. Late summer we see the arrival of corn and potatoes, and then as fall begins its triumphal entrance, we find winter squash and root vegetables in abundance, ready to see us through the winter.

“Some minor deviations and a bit of overlap are allowed, but in general, picturing an imaginary vegetannual plant is a pretty reliable guide to what will be in season, wherever you live. If you find yourself eating a watermelon in April, you can count back three months and imagine a place warm enough in January for this plant have launched it’s destiny. Mexico maybe, or southern California. Chile is also a possibility. If you’re inclined to think this way, consider what it took to transport a finicky fruit the size of a human toddler to your door, from that locale.

Our gardening forebears meant watermelon to be the juicy, barefoot taste of a hot summer’s end, just as pumpkin is the trademark fruit of late October. Most of us accept the latter and limit our jack-o-lantern activities to the proper botanical season. Waiting for a watermelon is harder. It’s tempting to reach for melons, red peppers, tomatoes, and other late-summer delights before the summer even arrives. But it’s actually possible to wait, celebrating each season when it comes, not fretting about its being absent at all other times because something else good is at hand.

If many of us would view this style of eating as deprivation, that’s only because we’ve grown accustomed to the botanically outrageous condition of having everything, always.”

Barbara Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, pg. 65.

A few years ago I was ignorant to this cycle of plant life and food production. I did not understand that the supermarket tomatoes in March and the melons in December were just simply not the way that food really grows. Nor did I appreciate the difference to be had between foods that were grown out of season and transported thousands of miles for my convenience, compared to those that were grown in season and picked at their peak of ripeness and perfection.

Image by La Grande Farmer's Market

I have come to not only appreciate, but greatly anticipate the arrival of each new season and the produce that it brings. This spring found me eager to savour fresh asparagus and to make salads out of my own garden greens. By summer I was absolutely longing for delicious berries right off the bush, and scrumptious dinners including zucchini, cherry tomatoes and basil straight from my garden.

We’re now in the midst of corn season as I write this chapter and it’s challenging for me to pass by a roadside stand without purchasing any for dinner that week, or to go for a walk in the park without taking twice as long due to stopping to pick almost every single ripe blackberry I see. I watch my neighbour’s apple tree with great expectation, knowing that later this month those apples will be crisp and sweet and mine for the picking. Three cheers for neighbours who don’t want to harvest their own fruit trees.

So how does this all tie in with the fact that we are after food that is not only whole and nourishing, but frugal as well? It’s fairly obvious that seasonal produce has many perks: it is fresher, tastier, contains higher nutrients (because it hasn’t traveled long distances during which its nutrients were lost), and it is a truly wonderful and beneficial thing to support what is being locally produced each season.

Beyond that, though, buying and eating seasonally has many benefits for your pocketbook as well! Food that has not had to travel long distances and is ripe and in abundance quite often comes at a much cheaper price than foods that are not in season. There is a real cost to food transportation and storage, and we pay that cost with our food dollars when we buy based on what we feel like eating, rather than what’s seasonally available to us.

Want to learn more about knowing what's in season and how to find local/seasonal deals? Purchase the book Real Food on a Real Budget!

How does buying local and seasonal impact the way that you shop and eat?

Image by Kanko*

Our Sponsors:

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• Plan to Eat: Drag & drop meal planner with automated shopping list maker.
• Fertility Flower: Helps women predict ovulation, increasing chances of conception. Outstanding charting tools.
• Experience God as Your Provider: Does Your Financial Future Feel Like a Crumbling Sand Castle?
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One of the themes at Keeper of the Home this month has been making your own beauty supplies. Beth has showed us how to make our own soap, and Angela gave us a plethora of simple options for making beauty supplies like facial moisturizer, body scrub, even hairspray and more!

As for me, I'm breaking out of my comfortable little mold. I happen to enjoy "hiding" behind my writing and my computer. It's tidy and safe and it has a delete button. :)

Behold, I give you my first ever vlog... Using the No Shampoo Method. Let me show and tell all about how I use baking soda and apple cider vinegar to clean and condition my hair!

Want to learn more about going "no shampoo"?

How to Clean Your Hair Without Shampoo @ Simple Mom

No 'Poo Update @ Keeper of the Home

Shampoo Free @Babyslime

Shampoo Free- Why and How @Sorta Crunchy

For those who also do "no shampoo", how is it going for you and how do you make it work for your hair? Anyone out there making other types of homemade shampoo?

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• Spoonk Rider: The Portable Accupressure Mat
• Plan to Eat: Drag & drop meal planner with automated shopping list maker.
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Today I want to celebrate Earth Day by sharing just a bit about why I, as a Christian, care about the environment and choose to put time, money and effort towards practicing mindful stewardship of God's glorious creation.

Here are some of the main reasons that our family has made environmental stewardship a priority as we seek to honor the Lord in all that we do:

1. The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it (Ps 24:1)

Although we have graciously been given this earth to live in and have dominion over, it is not ours. It is His.

When I live and act in a way that shows disregard to that which God has created, I am not honoring Him. It would be unthinkable to be invited to Buckingham Palace to dine with the Queen, and leave a trail of rubbish in my wake. Dirty tissues on the bathroom counter, muddy footprints in the entry, garbage from my purse on the coffee table. We wouldn't dare.

Yet, we think nothing of weekly tossing bulging bags of trash into landfills that dot the countryside and mountains. We use products that seep toxic chemical waste into His pristine rivers, lakes and oceans. Why is it any different?

I love this Abraham Kuyper quote:

"There is not a square inch

in the whole domain of our human existence

over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all,

does not cry: 'Mine!'"

When we begin to view the earth as one of the domains over which Christ sovereignly declares "Mine!", it becomes much harder to ignore the effects of our (often thoughtless) everyday actions, doesn't it?

Image by tibchris

2. Dominion should not equal destruction.

“Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry around the ground.” Genesis 1:28

Multiply. Fill. Govern. Reign.

We have been entrusted with a high and sacred calling to govern over the earth and all that is in it. What a responsibility!

Sadly, we have taken this dominion mandate and used it as justification to do, well, whatever we want. In order to satiate the appetite of our society to have more and have it cheaper and faster, we greedily use up precious natural resources, fill the air, water and soil with dangerous toxic chemicals, raise animals in cruel and harmful ways, consume and then toss our "stuff" into landfills where it will sit for hundreds of years (or longer)...

The word "dominion" means to exercise control. I firmly believe that this earth and its resources have been given to us to have authority over and to use for the benefit of the human race. But rather than taking this as permission to do as we like, we ought to view this authority as a great privelege.

The longer I study natural living, nutrition, the human body, gardening and how things grow... the more in awe I am of our indescribably kind and intelligent Creator. He has given us the most intricate, beautiful world that I could ever imagine.

In my own life, beginning to understand and appreciate His creation has spurred on a much deeper love and respect for God himself. I increasingly long to be more mindful with all that He has graciously given me to steward, and this earth is one of those things.

3. We have a multi-generational vision.

Not one of us knows when the Lord will return. It could be tomorrow. It could be 800 years from now.

I long for Christ to return. Yet should he tarry, what will be left for future generations?

As a family, we have a vision for raising up godly offspring that will serve the Lord and will who will in turn raise up more godly men and women to continue serving the Lord for as long as we should remain on this earth.

Image by Arwen Abendstern

I want my children and grandchildren and grandchildren's children to have an earth that is still inhabitable. One where they can enjoy the good health, bountiful food and the wonders of creation.

This is possible, but it requires something of our generation. To think beyond ourselves. To consider what will remain and endure past our lifetimes. What legacy will we leave for our children and all the generations to follow?

"In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations."

(taken from the Seventh Generation website and the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy)

I celebrate Earth Day, not just because I am some hippie, tree-hugger who wants to save the whales. Indeed, I do want to save the trees and the whales and the rivers and the icecaps and the rainforests and the topsoil.

But not just for the sake of saving them, and not just for the sake of humankind. I want to save them because they are an expression of my glorious God and an important part of His loving provision for His people.

Is this the most important thing for me to focus on as a Christian? No, not at all. There are so many other critically important parts of the Christian life, but that doesn't detract from the fact that this aspect of life is also important and worthy of our thought and effort.

If I am to eat, drink and do all that I do to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31), then it only follows that my lifestyle and actions should also have the goal of bringing glory to God in the ways that they impact His creation.

How important is it to you that you are carefully stewarding the environment? Why do you feel that way?

Image by powi

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• Holy Ambition: If you're thinking, God can't use me, think again! YOU can make a difference.

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By Angela Beery, Contributing Writer

Have you ever wondered exactly what ingredients your beauty products are made of? Are you sure that the ingredients in your beauty products are safe? Many of us have never stopped to consider the ingredients in our cosmetic products and how they might be affecting our appearance and our overall health. The good news is you can know exactly what goes into your products!!

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has put together a website called Skin Deep that provides a search-able Cosmetic Safety Database that I highly recommend. At Skin Deep, the EWG has reviewed thousands of brand name and generic beauty products and divided them into the following categories: Makeup, Skin, Hair, Eyes, Nails, Babies, Oral Care, Sun Protection, etc. The products are rated on a scale of 0-10, 0 being the lowest hazard and 10 being the highest hazard.

I encourage you to do a little experiment. Go into your bathroom and grab the three products you use most. Search for them on Skin Deep and find out where your product rates on the safety scale.

If you have never taken the time to consider what your beauty products are made of, I am confident that browsing through the pages at Skin Deep will inspire you to do so. It may also inspire you to begin making your own beauty products at home.

Why should I spend the time making beauty products at home?

1. Making beauty products at home will provide you with the safest and most personalized products possible.

Only you know exactly what your skin issues are. Maybe you are dealing with early signs of aging, have dry or sensitive skin. Natural ingredients are always the better alternative to chemicals. Making your own beauty products means customized products that meet your personal needs.

2. Making beauty products at home is very frugal.

It is estimated that the average American family spends $2,000 annually on hygiene items. Homemade beauty products require fewer ingredients and tend to last longer than store bought.

3. Homemade beauty products make great gifts.

Homemade gifts are always more personal and a practical way to live a more sustainable lifestyle!

4. Homemade beauty products are free of toxins and harmful substances.

According to the EWG, only 11 percent of cosmetic ingredients have been tested for safety by the cosmetic industry. That is just scary. Can we really trust the profit-driven cosmetic industry to use only ingredients that are good for our long term health?

One of the greatest resources available on this subject is Beauty Secrets of the Bible by Ginger Garrett.

Beauty Secrets of the Bible By Ginger Garrett

To quote Garrett:

“Whatever you apply on the skin can be absorbed into the body. Nicotine and birth control patches work on this principle. Applying beauty products may allow any ingredient to be absorbed into the skin and into the bloodstream. Many beauty products are specifically engineered to penetrate the skin’s barrier to deliver the chemicals and create ‘results.’”

Ask yourself, “Am I getting the ‘results’ I want?

Which ingredients should I avoid?

Ginger Garrett has a free download available called the Ingredients to Watch List. The top five ingredients that she recommends to avoid are Parabens, DEA, Phthalates, Sodium lauryl sulfate, and Petroleum. You can read more about these toxic ingredients in Beauty Secrets of the Bible.

The EWG also provides a free download that can easily be carried in your purse or wallet called the Shopper’s Guide to Safe Cosmetics. The Shopper’s Guide also recommends avoiding parabens and Sodium lauryl sulfate as well as fragrances and dyes, DMDM and TEA. You can find more detailed information on what to avoid and why at Skin Deep.

Photo Credit: sallyleecandles

What are some beauty products that I can make at home?

Body Scrub: Brown Sugar, Honey and Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

This is a recipe that I developed in my own kitchen. I use it to exfoliate before shaving my legs. Because it is so moisturizing, I have found that I do not need to apply lotion to my legs if I use it before shaving.

1-1/2 cups Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/8 cup local, raw Honey
1/4 teaspoon of desired scent options: Homemade Pure Vanilla Extract, Lemon Juice, Lavender essential oil, Fresh ground coffee, Cinnamon or Clove

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together to form a paste. Add scent if you would like to, but it is not necessary. Store body scrub in a sealed container in your shower or by the sink. No need to refrigerate. To use, scoop some into the palm of your hand and massage skin as needed.

Moisturizer: Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Olive oil is the simplest, purest moisturizer in the world. It can be used anywhere on your body, including the extra dry spots like your elbows, knees and feet. It is also an excellent facial moisturizer. Keep in mind that very little olive oil is needed. If you use too much, your skin will end up feeling greasy and you may smell a little bit like an Italian restaurant. Start with a drop the size of a dime and spread evenly across your skin. Use more as needed.

Make-up Remover: Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Seriously, I know I am starting to sound repetitive, but Olive Oil is the simplest, purest way to remove eye makeup while moisturizing the most tender (and most prone to wrinkles) part of your face.

Antidandruff treatment: Apple Cider Vinegar

Simply spray Apple Cider Vinegar onto your scalp before washing your hair. Your hair may be wet or dry. Leave the vinegar on the scalp while you take a shower (approx 5 minutes) and then rinse it out. Wash you hair as normal. This will get rid of the vinegar smell.

Razor Burn Treatment/ Facial Moisturizer: Honey

Honey Tonic (from Beauty Secrets of the Bible)

Apply 1-2 drops honey to wet fingertips and massage onto razor burn area or wet face. Do not rinse. Pat dry. Using honey on your face will not make your skin feel sticky. Honey helps the skin retain moisture, plumps up fine lines and gives your skin a beautiful glow.

Photo Credit: vzaliva

For Dry Elbows: Lemon

Cut a lemon in half and massage it onto each elbow once a day. Dry elbows with towel and apply olive oil to moisturize. You will see fast results with this.

Hairspray: Gelatin

Bring approximately 1 cup of water to a boil and add 1 teaspoon of plain gelatin to it. Stir until the gelatin is dissolved. Store in a spray bottle and place in hot water bath in your sink before use as it will solidify. This recipe is safe for your body and the ozone layer!

Diaper Rash: Coconut Oil

Try using coconut oil on your babies diaper rash instead of the expensive, chemical rash creams available in stores.

Lip Balm:

Mix ¼ c grated beeswax, 2 Tbsp cocoa butter, 3 Tbsp coconut oil and 1 Tbsp almond oil together over low heat. Pour into small containers.

I encourage you to take a closer look at the beauty products you are using and consider switching either to safer, store bought alternatives or to begin making your beauty products at home. Head to your local library or get online and start researching recipes for homemade beauty products. Check back frequently at Keeper of the Home this month for more posts on this topic.

Do you feel confident about the safety of the beauty products you use? Have you tried making your own beauty products?

Top Photo credit

Angela Beery, former So-Cal city girl and world traveler fully embraces her simple, yet abundant, life in a small town at the foothills of the Colorado Rockies. She and her husband love serving the Lord with The Salvation Army - Angela, as a volunteer and her husband as a youth and music pastor. When not chasing around her 18 month old daughter, Angela enjoys spending time outdoors, cooking low-fat meals and crafting of every kind. You can read more about her journey as a homemaker at her blog, Domestic Godliness.

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By Sharon Kaufman, Contributing Writer

Without exception, I always buy whole chickens – free-range, sustainably raised, local whole chickens. You may wonder why I bother with whole chickens when I could simply buy the particular cut I want, prepackaged, and be ready to go. Here’s why:

• Whole chickens require much less packaging – just one plastic bag or butcher wrap compared to parts that get packaged into multiple Styrofoam trays.
• In the kitchen whole chickens result in less food waste since all parts are used.
• Whole chickens really stretch the budget, being much cheaper pound for pound. Compare $.99 - $1.59 per pound for whole chickens to prepackaged parts that range anywhere from $1.99 to $6.99 per pound or more.
• A whole chicken yields many meals and a vast variety of meal options. A whole fryer, cut up results in: 6-8 breast cutlets (Chicken Divan, Chicken Parmesan, Chicken Cutlets, Tandoori Chicken, etc.); two thighs and 2 legs (Coconut Chicken, Chicken Tortilla Soup, chicken pot pie, etc.); two drumettes (these are frozen and collected from more chickens to make appetizers, etc.); 2 wings tips and a carcass, used to make Traditional Bone Stock (makes wonderful soups, sauces, curries, brown rice, etc.); chicken fat which is a traditional healthy fat (called “schmaltz” by old timers) that can be used for sauteing or in sauces imparting a smooth, toothsome quality to food; organ meats which can be eaten for dense nutrition (if the family objects, these parts can be used for healthy pet food).
• Whole chickens are much less likely to contain pathogens that cause food-borne illness since they are less processed than parts sold separately.
• Eating the whole chicken is more nutritious than eating boneless, skinless breasts or thighs. Because I buy local sustainably raised chickens, it is safe to eat the skin, the fat, and use the bones for stock. All of these “throw-away” parts have wonderful culinary and nutritional value.

All in all, I spend between from $5 (sale price) - $7.95 (regular price) and get from 4-7 meals out of one chicken (depending on leftovers). I also get sauces that would cost big bucks, brimming with dense nutrition and superb flavor but devoid of the harmful fake ingredients found in store-bought varieties. And money is saved on oils since I use the schmaltz in place of olive oil, butter etc. That’s pretty cheap eating! But with entrees such as Chicken Divan, Chicken Parmesan, chicken curries, stir-fry, delicious soups, even main dish salads, the meals have great appeal.

From a class in my home on how to cut up a whole chicken.

Some helpful videos:

It makes sense (cents) to buy chickens whole! Many women opt not to because they do not know the best procedures to get the most out of a whole bird (such as how to cut up a whole chicken). So I found some really great demos on YouTube about how to use a whole chicken.

The following video demonstrates the method I've used to cut up whole chickens since I was about 13, when my mom first taught me. (To sanitize the cutting board after cutting up the chicken, wash with hot soapy water, dry, spray with full-strength hydrogen peroxide followed by a spray of full-strength white vinegar; let air dry. This method is completely effective and non-toxic): How to Cut Up a Chicken

I really like the method demonstrated in this next video and use it equally as often because it results in a boneless breast. It also demonstrates how to freeze chicken parts: How to Fabricate a Chicken

The third video shows how to prepare chicken cutlets. I cut the flattened cutlets in half, to be about the size of the palm of my hand, resulting in more servings. Use cutlets for Chicken Parmesan, etc.: Preparing Chicken Cutlets

Last but not least is a video about making chicken stock. (Go here to read about the wonderful health benefits of traditional bone stock.) I do some things differently, however. Please read my comments below after you watch the video: How to Make Chicken Stock

A friend cutting up a whole chicken for the first time. First-rate job, Kerry!

Comments on making stock:

1. Do not trim off the fat. It goes into the pot as well, along with the bones and any skin removed from the breast or other parts. After the stock has chilled I remove the fat from on top of the stock and use it for sautéing, etc. since it is a nutritious fat. Keep it covered in the refrigerator.

2. To make stock, put only the carcass and water (enough to cover by 2 inches) in the stockpot. I also include about 4 chicken feet, which add gelatin to the stock. (I buy chicken feet frozen at Whole Foods Market.) Next, add 2 tablespoons of raw unpasteurized apple cider vinegar to the pot so it can begin to draw minerals out of the bones. Let the pot sit with the lid on for an hour at room temperature.

3. Turn on the burner and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and remove any scum as it forms. Add veggies and herbs. Sometimes, I leave out the veggies because I really like the taste of “naked” stock.

4. After simmering for several hours, remove any meat from the carcass (it gets dry if left to cook too long), then return the bones, skin, etc. to the stock pot. Use the chicken meat for yet another meal – chicken salad sandwiches for instance

5. Continue to cook the stock longer than suggested – a total of about 6 hours. Stock will not gel if cooked much longer. Still, six hours is enough time to transfer the minerals, glucosamine, collagen, gelatin, etc. from the carcass to the stock.

6. Did you notice that chilled stock in the video was watery? Really good chicken stock gels – like jello – after chilling as a result of cooking it longer than an hour. Adding chicken feet aids in this also.

Why not get together with a friend who wants to learn how to cut up a whole chicken. Watch the video and then give it a try!

Sharon has enjoyed being Robert’s helper for 33 years. She has also loved her role of being mom to their children – one son and three daughters (now all grown) – and “Granny” to seven delightful grandchildren. She is passionate about encouraging and equipping women in her church and beyond and also through her blogs (The Good Woman) and (Franziska’s Pantry) to embrace and delight in their divinely-designed occupation as helpers.

Our Sponsors:

• Spoonk Rider: The Portable Accupressure Mat
• Plan to Eat: Drag & drop meal planner with automated shopping list maker.
• Fertility Flower: Helps women predict ovulation, increasing chances of conception. Outstanding charting tools.
• Experience God as Your Provider: Does Your Financial Future Feel Like a Crumbling Sand Castle?
• Learn to Cook With Sourdough: "Pay What You Can" Classes in Sourdough and Traditional Cooking
• Holy Ambition: If you're thinking, God can't use me, think again! YOU can make a difference.

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