Keeper of the Home: Natural living

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Natural living

December 15, 2008: Great giveaway on stainless steel products!
Comments: 92 | Categories: Giveaways , Going green , Natural living

For those who have been entering the last two giveaways for stainless steel water bottles, and eyeing all of the other fantastic products at The Tickle Trunk, you are just going to love this giveaway! Not only could you still win an incredibly practical and wonderful, BPA-free, stainless steel water...

December 11, 2008: Toys that could actually be worth buying
Comments: 10 | Categories: Babies , Children , Healthy kids , Natural living

I'm still a bit of a sickie, but figured I could pull together a 5 minute post to share a couple of useful links with you! :) For anyone still looking for something for the child or baby on their Christmas list, I just noticed this article on Toxic-Free Toy...

December 8, 2008: Another H2O bottle giveaway!
Comments: 49 | Categories: Giveaways , Going green , Natural living

First off, a winner...Carey (Alberta)is the lucky winner of an 18 oz pink stainless steel water bottle! Congrats!Wish it was you? Then today's your day, because I'm kicking off the week with yet another fantastic bottle giveaway! Just like last week's giveaway, this is for 1 stainless steel water bottle...

December 4, 2008: Toxins, schmoxins
Comments: 6 | Categories: Going green , Living healthy , Natural living

Ever wondered why people are making such a big fuss about toxins in this and that? Why do itty bitty amounts of harsh cleansers and fragrances in shampoos, or minute pesticide residues in food, or trace amounts of chemicals that seep into our water, really matter? In fact, forget the...

December 2, 2008: Nutritional Foundations: Finding high quality sources for a whole foods diet
Comments: 6 | Categories: Natural living , Nutrition , Nutritional Foundations series

Only slightly long winded (seriously, it's a talent of mine!), it's time to end this series on how to lay the best nutritional foundation by starting with the foods you use. I'm hoping to end it with a bang, and leave you with something entirely, utterly practical and helpful! I...

November 19, 2008: An Experiment in Couponing
Comments: 28 | Categories: Frugality , Natural living

We're all after ways to lower our grocery budget, right? Well, I decided to go back and make another attempt at something that I've previously deemed as not worth it. I've been asked before whether or not I coupon, and the answer has always been no. My primary reasons for...

October 27, 2008: Baby Purity Mother's Conference Overview
Comments: 8 | Categories: Babies , Healthy kids , Natural living

I had such a fantastic day, attending the first ever Baby Purity Mother's Conference in Vancouver! I wasn't really sure what to expect of the conference, but it definitely surpassed my expectations!The morning began with a 40 minute Skytrain ride in to downtown, where I peacefully watched the glorious fall...

October 7, 2008: Attention Vancouverites- Baby Purity Conference!
Comments: 0 | Categories: Babies , Healthy kids , Natural living

Hey all you locals (local to me, that is)!A dear friend passed on a newspaper article to me yesterday, about a great conference that's happening in Vancouver, BC at the end of this month, and I thought some of you may be interested. It's called the Baby Purity Mother's Conference,...

October 2, 2008: Three cheers for my produce market!
Comments: 17 | Categories: Frugality , Natural living , Nutrition

If you don't already think that I'm strange, you may very well think so now: I just love shopping for produce! I actually get excited about getting to go and do it!Not just anywhere, though. I love shopping for produce at my local market (2 EE's, for those who live...

September 26, 2008: Natural Living- A Beginner's Approach
Comments: 11 | Categories: Baby Steps , Good stewardship , Natural living

May I just say that I love, love, love this gust post from fellow blogger Katie? When I read it, I laughed and nodded and completely, totally related. Why, you ask? Because this is exactly how I began my own natural living journey, over 6 years ago. Small steps, changing...

September 19, 2008: Good Choices
Comments: 16 | Categories: Faith , Good stewardship , Natural living

I think this guest post from Manda will resonate with all of us who struggle as we attempt to make the best possible choices for our families, while knowing that we cannot do everything and some compromises must be made. Making choices between frugality and toxins, convenience and nutrition, and...

September 15, 2008: Life without a microwave
Comments: 27 | Categories: In the kitchen , Living healthy , Natural living

When faced with a serious illness. it's amazing how much easier it becomes to give up certain things. Our microwave was one of those things. When my husband was diagnosed with cancer last spring, it was one of the first things to go. We had already been in the process...

September 11, 2008: Natural solutions for cleaning tough stuff
Comments: 19 | Categories: Going green , Homemaking , Natural living

Just in time for my massive house cleaning day tomorrow (before I go on vacation, I always like to try to leave my house spic and span, because it's just so much more restful to come home to!), the perfect Green Guide newsletter dropped into my inbox.Their article on Furry...

August 6, 2008: My makeup arrived!
Comments: 2 | Categories: Natural living

Look! My free mineral makeup samples!Although it took me a while to choose my colors, I am so happy with what I've received! The makeup goes on quite nicely, although it will take a little while to adapt to using loose powder as opposed to pressed powders and liquids. I...

July 22, 2008: Baby Steps: Goodbye for now
Comments: 2 | Categories: Baby Steps , Natural living , Nutrition

Sadly, this is the last of the Baby Steps series. Though I've loved sharing some of the steps we can take towards a more natural and healthy thing, the time has come to say goodbye to this series.I've thought about continuing on, but I'm stopping for two reasons. One, these...

July 9, 2008: Baby Steps: Shoo fly (and mosquitos and fleas...)
Comments: 9 | Categories: Baby Steps , Living healthy , Natural living

A little bit late, but Baby Steps are back this week nonetheless! :) This week's Baby Step is: It's summer and the bugs are out in full force, so your Baby Step for the week is to find some alternative methods for dealing with the bugs this summer, rather than...

July 7, 2008: Free Sample- Mineral Makeup Kit!
Comments: 11 | Categories: Frugality , Natural living

For any of you who have been considering switching over your conventional makeup to a healthier alternative (conventional makeup is just chock-full of toxic chemicals, which absorb right into your skin), here is something for you!I was inspired by Lindsay's recent post on the mineral makeup she uses in her...

July 1, 2008: Something they can really sink their teeth into
Comments: 1 | Categories: Babies , Healthy kids , Natural living

There is just something so reassuring about these natural toys that we've recently purchased. I love that I can let me kids play freely with them-- gum them, suck on them, chew them to their little heart's content-- and I don't have to be worried about the toxic substances that...

June 19, 2008: I choose hope
Comments: 11 | Categories: Current events , Faith , Natural living

There is a lot of bad news out there. Sometimes, being on the internet so much, I can tend to feel overwhelmed by all that I read and see. One site in particular has really been getting to me lately, with what I feel is a particularly negative, hopeless and...

June 17, 2008: Edible communities
Comments: 2 | Categories: Going green , Natural living

I stumbled upon a rather serendipitous find last weekend, while visiting with my sister-in-law. I suppose I made for a rather rude house guest, as I temporarily lost myself in this intriguing read, a magazine all about local food in Vancouver! The magazine not only had some interesting articles on...

June 10, 2008: Baby Steps: Going more natural, one cleaner at a time
Comments: 15 | Categories: Baby Steps , Going green , Natural living

Just a reminder-- If you haven't done it yet, make sure that you visit last week's recipe carnival to find some inspiration for completing the last Baby Step! So far in this Baby Steps series, we've talked a bit about toiletries (toothpaste), food preparation (using dry beans), and cooking nutritious...

May 30, 2008: Now this is something that I have definitely never thought of using cloth for!
Comments: 12 | Categories: Frugality , Going green , Natural living

I stumbled upon this creative thrifty odd interesting idea today, and thought I would pass it on to you all! Have any of you ever heard of this idea of Family Cloth? Have you tried it? (If you have, wow, you are a brave soul, you have my most sincere...

May 29, 2008: Who knew going cheap and minimalist could be so good?
Comments: 9 | Categories: Frugality , Natural living

So, in the past month I've ditched shampoo, starting using the Oil Cleansing Method for my face, and started making my own toothpaste. Any one curious to know how it's all going? Actually, I don't think that I mentioned I was doing the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM). I discovered it...

May 27, 2008: My thoughts on sunscreen, Part 2
Comments: 9 | Categories: Healthy kids , Living healthy , Natural living

If you missed the first post in this series, you can read it here. Based on my discussion last time about my concerns with the use of sunscreen (which brought up great discussion- thanks for all your comments!), you may well be wondering what am I suggesting for sun safety....

May 22, 2008: My thoughts on sunscreen
Comments: 23 | Categories: Living healthy , Natural living

My question is, do you know of or have an organic/natural sunscreen for babies? With the weather warming up here in Tennessee, I would really like to find a sunscreen for my almost 1 year old that doesn't have all those chemicals in it. Thought maybe you would have some...

May 22, 2008: Tips for eating locally
Comments: 0 | Categories: Going green , Natural living

I read this post by Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking today, and thought it was such perfect timing considering the recent discussion on purchasing organics and the local vs. import debate. She mentioned going to the Farmer's Market (I guess the ones in her area are open earlier in the year...

May 21, 2008: Baby Steps: Replacing your Toothpaste
Comments: 16 | Categories: Baby Steps , Natural living

This week's baby step is: Consider what you are currently using for toothpaste and seek to replace it with a better alternative. There are so many different beauty and toiletry items that we could focus on replacing, but a la "Baby Steps", we will choose just this one for now....

May 19, 2008: Free BPA-free Sippy Cup- call quickly!
Comments: 5 | Categories: Babies , Healthy kids , Natural living

Just wanted to pass on a (potentially) great freebie that a friend just let me know about. Since all of the BPA info has come out into the open, Avent has been offering refunds on their products containing BPA. Now, it turns out they are offering a free trial of...

May 18, 2008: Truly organic?
Comments: 8 | Categories: Going green , Natural living

This morning, I had the extreme pleasure of speaking to a lovely elderly lady named Sonja, with a European accent I couldn't quite place. I was calling to ask when the strawberries on her farm would be ready to buy, and we ended by talking about when to plant corn,...

May 13, 2008: Best deals on Klean Kanteen?
Comments: 8 | Categories: Frugality , Natural living

A quick question for you all (because I know you're such a resourceful bunch!)... My SIL and I have decided to bite the bullet and start buying some Klean Kanteen bottles that I've been mentioning, as we've been wanting to for quite some time, but the cost is just somewhat...

May 7, 2008: Baby Steps towards more natural, healthy living
Comments: 31 | Categories: Baby Steps , Natural living

If I could pick one theme that seems to be recurring on my blog, throughout the comments and the wonderful emails I receive, it is that so many women really, truly want to make changes for the better in their lifestyle. They want to eat more nutritiously, make more of...

April 30, 2008: Going no- ’poo?
Comments: 21 | Categories: Frugality , Going green , Natural living

Nope, it's not a post about diapering! I stumbled upon a brilliant suggestion through Clothesline Alley last week that I sure hope it going to work for me, and just had to pass it on to you. Here it is: Stop using shampoo and conditioner. What? you say. Why on...

April 21, 2008: A winner and a question
Comments: 6 | Categories: Giveaways , Going green , Natural living

First of all, congratulations to MaryBeth from Four Silly Sisters, who will soon be toting around two adorable re-usable shopping bags, in addition to her triplets and toddler! We're all jealous happy for you! Thanks to Stacey of Yvonne Totes for the fantastic giveaway! Secondly, I have a question for...

April 8, 2008: All you ever wanted to know about oatmeal!
Comments: 16 | Categories: A bit of this, a bit of that , In the kitchen , Natural living

Today's kitchen tip is a quick lesson in soaking and cooking oatmeal. Recently, I've been asked multiple times what kind of oats we use, and to explain the details of how I make our breakfast cereal, so here goes... For the longest time, we have been buying organic rolled oats...

March 13, 2008: Spring cleaning for your plastics!
Comments: 8 | Categories: Going green , In the kitchen , Natural living

In the midst of the flurry of spring cleaning that's happening around the blogosphere right now,this article from The Green Guide seemed particularly relevant. While you're tackling the kitchen, you may just get motivated to chuck out recycle a whole lot of the plastics that may be bringing some less-than-desirable...

March 5, 2008: While we're on the topic of cloth diapers...
Comments: 3 | Categories: Babies , Frugality , Natural living

Here's a site for you to check out: The Used Diaper Company During my recent diaper cover research, I ran across this site that I thought I would pass on to you. When I was originally planning to buy new covers, I spent quite a bit of time looking on...

March 4, 2008: Backwards WMFW- Getting my cloth diaper covers to stop leaking!!!
Comments: 15 | Categories: Babies , Natural living

Some of you may remember that back before Christmas, I was ecstatic to order 4 new Bummi's Super Whisper Wraps. Unfortunately, my excitement was only short lived. They are leaking now, not just from the edges, but even from the back and front panels. It is so bad that I...

February 20, 2008: Know where you food is coming from!
Comments: 4 | Categories: Good stewardship , Living healthy , Natural living

Do you know where the food on your table has come from? Or the conditions that it was raised in? Yesterday, I read an article and watched a very disturbing video describing the largest beef recall in history. The video shows clips of very weak and ill cattle, being prodded,...

February 19, 2008: I'm sold on the dry diaper pail!
Comments: 7 | Categories: Babies , Natural living

Just a couple of weeks ago, I wrote a few posts about cloth diapering (Part 1 and Part 2), and was asked by a reader about using the dry pail method. It was actually the first time it had occurred to me that it was even an option to not...

February 13, 2008: A better (greener) option for groceries and gifts
Comments: 10 | Categories: Going green , Good stewardship , Natural living

Over the last few months, I've been feeling so convicted about the waste that our family produces. One of the areas that has been really getting to me is bringing home 5 (or 10) plastic bags when I come home from the grocery store. Of course, I save them and...

February 7, 2008: Natural dry cleaning alternatives?
Comments: 0 | Categories: Going green , Natural living

After an unfortunate spill (alternative "coffee" beverage + dressy wool jacket= an unhappy mommy) at church this past Sunday, I've had dry cleaning alternatives on my mind. My sweet sister-in-law said that she had heard of a more natural dry cleaner in the city we live in, so I gave...

February 4, 2008: Your input is requested!
Comments: 6 | Categories: Babies , In the kitchen , Natural living

I have several questions from readers that I would like to open up to all of you! From Cloth Diapering (even for the faint of heart): I was wondering, have you ever tried the dry pail method? And if so, is there a difference in the stinkiness?Beth I was just...

February 2, 2008: Q&A: Cloth diapering (even for the faint of heart)- Part 2
Comments: 11 | Categories: Babies , Going green , Natural living

If you missed the first post in this series, here's the link. Here's my basic method: Whenever I change my little guy, I toss all of the diapers and wipes into a pail beside his change table (I try to remember to close the velcro tabs, but hey, I'm not...

January 31, 2008: Q&A: Cloth diapering (even for the faint of heart)- Part 1
Comments: 5 | Categories: Babies , Going green , Natural living

I'm assuming that you cloth diaper. I would love all the info that I could get as far as your favorite methods, and the products you use. The information out there is overwhelming. I am Mama to five wonderful girls and have another blessing on the way , due July...

January 17, 2008: The Dirty Dozen- Making the most of the money you spend on organics
Comments: 10 | Categories: Frugality , Natural living

Have you ever wondered whether some fruits or vegetables are more important to buy organic than others? The simple answer is yes! Certain crops can be more difficult to grow, and when not using organic and natural methods, require the use of many more pesticides and sprays than other crops....

January 16, 2008: Tips for eating seasonally
Comments: 8 | Categories: Going green , Natural living , Nutrition

If you are blessed to have a Farmer's or produce market near your home, you may have noticed that the vast array of colorful fruits and vegetables shift slightly as the seasons change. Spring brings with it the first fresh greens and carrots, then summer arrives with berries and sweet...

January 8, 2008: Health alert- Nalgene water bottles being pulled off shelves
Comments: 13 | Categories: Living healthy , Natural living

I just received an email from my mother-in-law, with a link to an article on Dr. Mercola's site. It seems that Nalgene bottles are being taken off the shelf because they contain BPA (bisphenol A), a toxic chemical that causes hormone disruption. This article explains it all very well. I'm...

January 5, 2008: The Story of Stuff
Comments: 2 | Categories: Good stewardship , Natural living

Take the time to watch this very thought-provoking video! Big hat tip to Lindsay for the link!

January 1, 2008: Beautiful wooden and safe teething toys for babies!
Comments: 2 | Categories: Babies , Living healthy , Natural living

I just had to share these stocking stuffers we bought for my 7 month old son this Christmas. I've posted a bit about my recent concerns over toy safety, and so when the time came to find a few small gifts for our children, I knew that what I bought...

December 15, 2007: Book Review: The 100 Mile Diet (at last!)
Comments: 1 | Categories: Books , Natural living , Nutrition

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, The 100-Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating, and actually stayed up late a couple of nights to keep reading. It's a topic that fascinates my nutritionally minded, health-nut brain, and inspires me to re-evaluate much of what I am buying. I did not...