DIY liquid hand soap

this was such an easy and fun diy project--making liquid handsoap from bars of soap!

all you need is:
2 bars of soap and a grater
vegetable glycerin
water

to start, you grate the bars of soap (which is actually very quick and easy).

then you put the grated soap into a pot and add 2 tbsp. of vegetable glycerin. (this amount may change depending on the bar of soap you use.  i started with 1 tbsp, and it just wasn't enough).

next you add 10 cups of water.

and heat on the stove until the soap is completely dissolved.

then you let the soap completely cool, and it will be ready to use!  i poured it through a funnel into my soap dispenser and am storing the rest under the sink for future use.  

simple homemade toilet bowl cleaner

i recently used up the remainder of our store-bought toilet bowl cleaner, so it was time to create my own homemade version.  we have been using the eco-friendly options from the store for a long time now, but man are those expensive (especially if you have multiple toilets in your house)!  here is my super easy, super quick, inexpensive option that really cleans!

 the ingredients are simply borax, baking soda and tea tree oil!

 measure out 1 cup of baking soda and pour it into your mixing bowl.

 measure out 1 cup of borax and pour it into your mixing bowl.

 mix these ingredients together.

add 1 tsp. of tea tree oil and mix together.  tea tree oil is great to use in this because of its disinfecting properties.  pour your mixture into your toilet bowl and scrub it clean!  as an optional last step you can pour 1 cup of vinegar into the toilet to aid in the cleaning process (plus it is fun to watch it fizz!).  leave the toilet like that for 2 hours and then flush.  then you shall have a super sparkling clean and disinfected toilet! yay!

happy spring!

english primrose from my mini garden

happy first day of spring everyone!  this is one of my favorite seasons--although i do love all seasons and get excited as each one approaches.  i love the beauty as all the flowers start to bloom, the renewal of life and new life forming.  i love being surrounded by pollenating bees and graceful hummingbirds.  it is such a beautiful and refreshing time of year.  of course all this beauty does bring on seasonal allergies in many people (more on that in a future post).

i have many goals for this spring season--cleaning out the house, getting the garden back in working order, coming up with new healthy vegan recipes, and continuing my yoga practice to name a few.  here's to a beautiful spring and a new beginning!

simple homemade toothpaste

we were running low on Tom's of Maine toothpaste (our go-to toothpaste) and instead of running down to the store to get more, i decided to try making my own first. here is my super quick and easy homemade toothpaste recipe:

start with three ingredients:

baking soda, coconut oil, and peppermint essential oil (or whichever mint your prefer)

coconut oil is antibacterial and antifungal, making for a great toothpaste base. baking soda is slightly abrasive, which helps clean your teeth. it is also alkaline--so it neutralizes acids in your mouth.

basically you want to use the same portion of coconut oil and baking soda.  i started off with just 4 tsp of coconut oil.

i heated the oil up for a few seconds so it would be easier to mix in the 4 tsp of baking soda.  i also added in about 15 drops of peppermint essential oil and mixed it thoroughly.  

 then i set it aside until it was back to a solid consistency.  you can dip your toothbrush right into it...

or scoop some out and put it on your toothbrush.  simple as that! 

i've been using this toothpaste for several days now and i love it!  i will probably add some more peppermint oil in the next batch because i would like it to be more minty.  besides that, my teeth feel super clean and refreshed every time i brush!

getting back to the core

hi, and welcome to my new blog!  this blog will follow my continued journey towards a simple and natural way of living.  my husband and i have been vegan for 6 years and are always trying to live sustainably for our own health as well as that of the planet.

this year we decided to get back to a more natural way of living by cutting out the excess and waste from our lives.  basically, we have decided to stop all the wasteful spending--how much new clothing do two people really need?  another big thing was our addiction to the tv.  we realized that we spent far too much time in front of it--from eating dinner all the way up until we went to bed.  not healthy at all.  our evenings are spent being active, going on walks, reading books to educate ourselves, and just talking!

so, there's a little back story to my evolving journey towards simplicity.  i hope you enjoy following me and maybe even joining in on getting back to the core of real living!