Minty Fresh Deodorant

Mint is our ingredient of the season. We love to use it in drinks, both alcoholic and not, in salads, both savory and sweet, and in the shower!

There couldn’t be a better time for this post. Why? Because it’s about deodorant, and I bet you’re getting your smell on by late afternoon this summer. And because this recipe requires coconut oil, which is sure to be in a liquid state on any given 80+ degree day, making mixing easy!

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Now, to back this truck up, today we’re talking about making our own non-toxic, totally biodegradable deodorant that’s safe for your body and smells great too! I’ve been using this exact recipe for close to four years now and feel no need to go back to the store-bought stuff.  You may already have the ingredients in your house, but if you don’t, they are relatively cheap* and each have other uses in your house/kitchen. Finally, it’s always fun to mix up a potion, particularly one that you can personalize with your favorite scents!

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Rosemary Room Spray

Rosemary is our ingredient of the season. Today we’re stepping out of the kitchen and using rosemary oil to create a room spray that will leave your whole house smelling fantastic!  If you follow this link, you’ll see some of our other favorite uses for essential oils. 

Hey readers, it’s been a fun week around here, hasn’t it? Did you check out Sarah’s profile of Connie Zamorano Tuesday afternoon? Now I’m obsessed with getting one of those cicada prints on my wall!

If the bugs left you squirming in your seat, you can channel that energy into this super simple project: homemade rosemary, mint and eucalyptus room spray. Have you tried store bought room sprays? I have a few, and I have to admit that I love them at first, but find that they can be a bit overpowering in their staying power and/or they just smell chemically over time. I don’t have either problem when I make my own. As for complexity, it’s going to take you longer to read this post than it will to mix up your spray.

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In Season: Spring Cleaning

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What can we really say about spring cleaning? On the one hand it’s a chore, especially during those first few days of perfect spring weather. On the other hand, giving your space a good, deep clean, letting the fresh air in, and even rearranging the furniture may leave you smiling when you’re stuck inside during the inevitable April showers. However you look at it, we’ve found a few fun supplies and useful resources to put a spring in your cleaning.

Do you have a whole closet dedicated to cleaning supplies? Me neither, but check out this amazing cleaning closet overhaul by Little Green Notebook.

You can always count on Kaufmann Mercantile for quality products, including this wool duster.

Perhaps this tells you something about my cleaning tendencies: I bought this scrub brush because I loved the Japanese packaging… and four years later it’s still in that cute paper bag.

Spring is a great time to clean your wool sweaters and coats before packing them away for summer. Be sure to look for any signs of wool moths and pack them with some cedar or lavender as a repellant.

We have a glass shower door with a million nooks and crannies, I kind of want this power scrubber to give it a good clean. Does anyone have one? Does it work well?

I want to make this homemade sage cleaning spray this year. Sarah made a cleaning spray with oranges that she’s going to share soon!

Cleaning with a bit of elbow grease and without harsh chemicals is important to me, especially with a kiddo and pup in the house. This post provides a great overview of the essential ingredients to have on hand and how to use them.

I always find a good list helpful. This one overwhelms me, but I like the “bonus point” encouragement of this one.

Ahhhhhh, and then there’s this dustpan.

Need justification for the dustpan or a bit of encouragement to pare down as you clean? 

Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be 
useful, or believe to be beautiful. William Morris

Happy Friday, friends!