Cleaning With Just Water

When I started this blog I gave myself one rule "This blog is only going to be my experience with DIY's" which meant I wasn't going to promote anything and I wasn't going to talk about anything controversial such as politics, religion etc.

Today I'm going to have to break my own rule because I'm just so excited about my recent discovery of the greatest way to clean my house. 

Have you ever come across something that impacts your life in such a positive way that you can't wait to tell everyone about it?

That is how I feel with Norwex.  Their microfiber cloths are AMAZING.  Not only do they require less scrubbing, but because the microfiber has silver woven into them, they inhibit bacteria from growing.  Basically the cloths purify themselves.  How cool is that?!?!

Want proof?  Check this out

http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/story/23517214/andy-will-it-work-norwex-antibac-microfiber-cloth?autostart=true

I'm so in love with these that I decided to be a consultant and sell them.  But here is my favorite part. I am only going to do facebook parties.  I get to share my excitement and introduce people to chemical free cleaning without going to someones home where people feel pressure to buy.

So if anyone is interested in hosting an online party then feel free to contact me.  You can leave a comment here or email me at thediyguineapig@gmail.com

Here are 5 reasons you should host a facebook party:
1)Earn free products. On average, a host/hostess gets $250 worth of free products.
2) No in-home party means no after party clean up.
3)Your guest list isn't limited by geographic location.
4)All the host/hostess has to do to prepare is invite friends (after I create the event), then send out some private messages.
5)Parties are only 30 min.

With one of the Norwex enviro cloths you can clean your entire house.  Bathrooms, walls, stainless steel, windows, cupboards, etc.

Cure Mastitis Without Antibiotics

I know what your thinking. "What does mastitis have to do with DIY projects?"  I'll tell you...

Absolutely nothing!

But this DIY cure for mastitis is to good to keep to myself.  So let me share..... without pictures of course.

I woke up one morning with a clogged duct. I had heard that the best way to get rid of a clogged duct is to massage it, put warm packs on it and nurse/pump a lot.

So that is just what I did.  But I didn't really have any idea how often to do those things or if there was a specific way.  So I just winged it.

As the day went on it got worse.  So I pulled out some essential oils and started to massage them onto the clogged duct every hour.

By the next morning I had a huge, red, hot, very sore clogged duct and I had a temp of 101. I was achy all over and just wanted to stay in bed all day.  It was full blown mastitis.

Now I know what your thinking, why didn't I just go to the Dr. at that point?  Because all I could think about was the journey it would take to get there.  It would have gone like this;

Me: Kids, I need to go to the Dr.  Go potty and get your shoes on
daughter: I don't WANT to go to the Dr. I just want to stay here and play
Me: I know you do, but I need to go, I'm sick. Please do what I ask
daughter: grumble, grumble, whine. I can't find my shoes
me: why aren't they in the mud room
daughter: I didn't want them there
*spend 10 min looking for shoes, find them and do a happy dance*
me: your shoes are on backwards
daughter: I just WANT them that way
son yelling from the car: are we leaving yet
me: soon, did you potty
son: oh yeah, I forgot to do that
*10 min later after everyone has gone to the potty and the baby has a fresh diaper*
*buckle the two girls in their car seats*
*drive for 20 min to the Dr while listening to Frozen...... again*
son from back seat: mumble mumble
me: what?  Talk louder
son: WHERE. DOES. THAT. ROAD. GO
me: what road
son: back there
me: can you be more specific
son: the one by the gate
me: I didn't see it
son: where does it go
me: I don't know
son: why not
me: because I've never been down that road
son: why not
me: I just haven't *time to change the subject* lets sing along "Let it Goooooooo"
*get to the Dr. office, unload three kids, carry the infant car seat in one arm and hold hands in the other arm while we cross the parking lot and go up the elevator.*
*wait for at least an hour in the waiting room while the two older kids do everything they aren't suppose to while I continue to say, don't, stop, no you can't, leave that alone, etc.*

Are you tired just reading it?  Just the thought of hauling the three kids to the Dr. office was enough to make me ache even more.

I was determined to fix it on my own so I wouldn't have to go.

That afternoon I texted my sisters and my sis-in-law.  Between the four of them there are 18 kids.  I figured at least one of them could give me advice.

Sure enough, my sis-in-law sent me a text with very detailed instructions:
"Get in the shower and put the shower head on the hurt spot as hot as you can stand it.  Your trying to "melt" the fat that's causing the problem. Massage the sore spot, starting at the closest part of the pain to the nipple and work your way back.  You're massaging and pushing towards the nipple the whole time. It's going to hurt. After about 5 minutes of hot water on the spot, get out and immediately drain the breast using the baby or a pump. Use whatever one has a stronger suction. Empty the breast completely. Drink lots and lots of water.  Do the whole thing again every 2-3 hours"

I did that three times before I went to bed that night.

The Verdict: When I got up the next morning my ache and fever were gone.  I still had a bit of a lump so I took 2 more really hot showers that day.  By the following morning I was tender from all the hard massaging but other then that I was completely fine.

Note: She did say that this doesn't always work, it depends on how long you've had the infection and where it's located.  But being able to fix it at home without a Dr. visit or medication is worth a try, in my opinion.

Postpartum Padsicles

I'm back.  Did you miss me?  I sure missed you and this blog.

I originally planned on taking a 3 month break, but I greatly miss-calculated how much of my time would be consumed by moving to a new state and having a baby. 

But we are more settled now so I figure it's time to jump back into my projects.

I saw a pin for these padsicles long before I even got pregnant.  This was my third pregnancy and the hospitals never give me enough of those cold pads that they have. And it doesn't help that they are MASSIVE.  I feel like I have a pillow in my pants. 

Postpartum Padsicles

You Will Need:
Aloe Vera
Witch Hazel
Lavender essential oil

Directions: 
Mix equal parts of aloe vera and witch hazel.  Add a few drops of lavender.  Spread a thin layer of the mixture onto a maxi pad.  Wrap the maxi pad up and place it in the freezer. 

I mixed everything up in a bowl and used 1 drop of lavender oil per tablespoon.  I added a bit more aloe vera to keep it a thick mixture, so it would be easier to spread.   I then opened up several pads and spread a layer of the mixture onto it. It was thick enough that I could see the mixture, but thin enough that it wouldn't clump. 

 I folded them back up in the same wrapper and put them in the freezer until I needed them.

The Verdict:  My first day home from the hospital I grabbed one of those babies right from the freezer and put it in my oh so attractive granny panties.

Within a few minutes I was in immense pain.  I think my sprint to the bathroom to get my pants off broke some records.

The best way I can describe it was a brain freeze on my butt.  Lesson learned, don't use the pads directly from the freezer.

I tried again, but this time I let the pad sit out for several minutes. When I put it in, awwwwwww sweet relief.

I LOVED these.  They were so soothing. They didn't stay cold very long, but the mixture on it was still very soothing. It could be coincidence, but my recovery was faster this time then my previous two pregnancy's. 

The only downside is that they were a bit messy.  Not horrible, but they did leave some residue when I changed them out. 

A little mess for immense relief?  Worth it!

Hand Sanitizer

I don't consider myself a germ freak, but I do like things to be very clean and organized and during the winter months I load the family up with soap and hand sanitizer whenever we go anywhere.

Last year I tried to make my own hand sanitizer because I get frustrated with how quickly my hands dry out with the store bought kind, plus I just like to try and make my own stuff.

DIY Hand Sanitizer.
You Will Need:
(1) 12 ounce bottle of 100% Pure Aloe Vera Gel {It must be clear and say 100% on the bottle!}
3/4 teaspoon of Tea Tree Oil
Witch Hazel

Directions:
In a glass bowl, mix Aloe Vera and Tea Tree Oil.  Then add witch hazel until you have the consistency you want your sanitizer to be

First of all, it was almost impossible to find 100% aloe vera gel.  Every store I went to had the blue kind with lidocaine in it.  I finally just ordered a bottle from Amazon. 

This particular recipe says it is alcohol free. I found other recipes that are very similar that say you can add alcohol if you want to.  I decided to put 2 Tablespoons of rubbing alcohol into my mixture.  Maybe it was a mental block, but how can it really kill off the germs without alcohol?

 I mixed everything together until I got a good gel

 Then put it into little travel size bottles. 

The verdict: Without setting up my own science lab with microscopes and petri dishes, there is no way to know if this stuff kills germs as effectively as the store bought kind but I can tell you four things about it:

It's sticky - if you have used aloe vera gel then you know what I mean.  It has a slight sticky texture until it dries and it takes longer to dry then the store bought kind.

My hands weren't as dry - they still dried out a but but it wasn't as bad as using the store bought kind

It's smelly - each of the ingredients has a strong distinct odor and when you combine them all into a bottle then look out, your sniffer will get an overload

We were healthier - It could be pure coincidence, but we used it during the whole cold/flu season last year and that was the healthiest our family has ever been.  We each got a couple minor colds but that was it.  Nothing major. 

I had planned on using it again this winter to see if we stayed healthier again, but my pregnant sniffer can't handle the smell this time around. 

Detox Drink That Boosts Your Metabolism.

Summer has been slow coming, but the heat is on the rise and there have been several times where I have found myself slightly dehydrated.  Not a good idea when I'm prone to heat stroke. 

I knew I needed to up my water intake so I started to look online to see if there were any little tricks to help remind me.  I came across a blog about a drink that can help detox, enrich and raise your metabolism.

You mean I can get hydrated, boost my metabolism AND detox all at the same time?  Uh, yes please!

Metabolism Boosting Detox Drink
You Will Need:
1 gallon of water 
1 Lemon
1/2 a cucumber 
a handful of fresh mint leaves

Directions: 

Slice the cucumber and lemons into decently thin slices, the more you cut it open the more flavor your going to get out of it.Decide whether or not you want to crush your mint. Throw all of it into a gallon of water let sit over night (about 8 hours) Wake up and enjoy the rest of the day! Note: water will get bitter if it sits longer then 24 hours. Note: for a list of how each ingredient helps with your metabolism and detox please see the original site.

The original poster said she drinks 1/2 - 1 gallon of this 3 times a week and it helps her lose a lot of weight, like 8lbs in a week (insert skeptical single eye brow raise).  My plan was to drink 1/2 gallon every other day for 3 weeks while keeping my exercise routine and diet the same.

The Verdict: First of all, if you don't like the flavor of any of the ingredients then you might as well not even try.  I was amazed at how distinctive the taste was for the lemons, cucumbers, and mint.  It was a bit of a taste bud overload at first but I got use to it and it was pretty refreshing.

But the real verdict that I know your dying to know is, did I lose weight?  Did this amazing drink help me shed those pesky pounds?  Nope! Swing and a miss. Some how I actually gained a pound.  Other then feeling more hydrated, I didn't notice any difference. 

The original poster said that she does this with a very healthy diet and she exercises 5 days a week, so I'm wondering if it's not the drink itself that caused her to lose all that weight, but the diet and exercise.  I could be wrong. It's been known to happen.

A Quick Definition Of Essential Oils

Do you know what would be really awesome?!?!?!  If I spent 2 hours typing a blog post that I was really proud of, came back to edit it and just when I was about to hit post somehow the whole thing got deleted!

GRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGG!

To add insult to injury, blogger decided to do it's auto save right at the same time.  So I lost it all. The whole blog post gone *poof* 



So, instead of re-typing my entire post  I'm going to change gears and give you all a quick tutorial about essential oils. They are used in so many homemade products that I guess now would be a good time to give a quick run-down for anyone who may still be in the dark about what the fuss is all about.

An essential oil is the natural oil that is extracted from a plant. There are many, many oils and countless ways to use them, but mostly they are used for medicinal purposes, or for making your own products. 

Of course their are pro and con arguments for essential oils, but the basic argument is that oils are natural, so they are much healthier for you and there are no side effects like medicine or cleaning products can have. 

While you can buy essential oils in most health food stores, doTERRA is usually the most popular place to buy oils.  Young Living is another popular place to get essential oils. 

Personally, I think of myself as a low end oil user. My knowledge is pretty basic.  I have about 5 different oils that I use, but not on a regular basis.  Except for my melaluca (or tea tree oil) I use that stuff by the gallon and it is in a lot of my homemade cleaning products.

If you want to learn more about them then Camp Wander is a great blog to start with.  Or you can check out this facebook page about using doTERRA products.

So there you go, you can now jump into an essential oil conversation and pretend you know what people are talking about.  

Detox Bath

My little sister once said "the only thing worse about having sick kids, is being sick and still being needed by kids."

It's hard to have a sick child, to see them miserable and know that you can't take it away from them.  It's hard to watch a toddler vomit and then look at you, pleading with you to take away the pain because that's what mommy does, she kisses it better and takes away the pain. 

Sometimes it's even harder to be the one that is sick and to still crawl out of bed to make breakfast, clean the kitchen, find shoes, fight traffic on the way to school, convince a child that they really do need a nap, make lunch, play  dolls, play house, play play-doh, make dinner, step on Lego's, mop up the floor after bath time and do it all with a smile and without losing your temper. 

I saw a Pin about a detox bath and in the instructions it said, "This is especially beneficial if you are trying to rid the body of a bug of some sort, like the flu, or a cold."

Worth a shot.

How To Take A Detox Bath
Fill your tub with comfortable hot water
add epsom salt

• For children under 60 lbs, add 1/2 cup to a standard bath.
• For children 60 lbs to 100 lbs, add 1 cup to a standard bath.
• For people 100 lbs and up, add 2 cups or more to a standard bath.

add 1-2 cups of baking soda
add 1TBS to 1/3 cup of ground ginger

Soak in the tub for 40 minutes.  The first 20 minutes are said to help your body remove the toxins, while the second 20 minutes are for absorbing the minerals in the water

The ginger can make you sweat profusely so be sure to drink plenty of water during and after the bath. 

The website has a lot of great information on what each of the ingredients do and some tips to help make the bath more beneficial.

So I waited until I felt something come on.  I didn't have to wait to long, tis the season for bugs. The kids got some sort of strange bug that left them tired and with a low fever for a few days.  About 4 days into it I started feeling warm and tired.  After I put the kids in bed I got my ingredients and filled up the tub. 

The ginger made the water look pretty nasty and I was surprised at how much the scent of ginger filled the bathroom.  The epsom salt and baking soda dissolved immediately.

The website talked a lot about how ginger can make you sweat, so I started out with 1 Tbsp.  Ten minutes later I was actually getting cold and not sweating at all, so I added two more tablespoons.  I still didn't sweat but I sure did tingle.  My skin was really tingly for the rest of the bath.

Sitting in the tub for 40 minutes sounded like a long time, but I grabbed my ipad and a book and really enjoyed myself, despite the tingling. As I was soaking I kept thinking about how the website said that the first 20 minutes are for the toxins to be pulled from your body and the next 20 minutes are for your body to absorb the minerals in the water. Soooooo, the toxins come out..... where do they go?  Isn't your body going to soak them right back up? 

 The website also says that it's best to take the detox bath at night so you can immediately get into your bed and rest. During the 40 minutes in the tub I felt great, but as soon as I stood up I was surprised at how drained I felt.  I felt weak and tired and was more then happy to follow the websites instructions by getting into bed.  I was asleep in minutes and it was only 9pm

The Verdict: I woke up the next morning feeling fantastic.  I was energetic and happy and even had a Snow White moment when I was singing silly songs while making breakfast.  I never got the illness my kids had.

Of course there is no way to prove that the detox bath is responsible for keeping the illness at bay.  However, I have taken 3 more when I felt as though something was coming on and I always woke up the next morning feeling fantastic.

The last time I took one I purposely waited to see if something was really coming.  Sure enough i got a minor stomach bug.  Half way through my first day of worshiping the porcelain thrown I took a detox bath then took a nap.  I didn't feel any better and I was sick for another 24 hours.

So it's hard to say whether it works or not, but I do know that I enjoy them and I will probably be stocking up on more ground ginger

Homemade Cough Syrup

I got a text from my sister a couple weeks ago.  She told me she had made her own cough syrup and asked if I wanted to see pictures.  I was a little shocked at first.  Who makes their own cough syrup?  Then I remembered that it was my sister, a mother of 6 who can cure almost any illness using herbs and essential oils.  I bet she saves a fortune on doctor bills and medicine. 

 I said of course and was expecting to see 1-2 photos of what she had made.  I should have known that my very thorough sister wasn't going to send just one photo... she sent 12, and gave me detailed instructions of how she made it.

It didn't take long to figure out that what she had sent would be a great blog post. A blog post where I don't have to be the guinea pig?  I'll take it!

So all of the following information came from my oldest sister, and to protect the innocent lets name her Roberta from Swiss Family Robinson.  

Homemade Cough Medicine
You Will Need:
1 cup elderberry's
1/4 cup thyme leaf
1/4 cup marshmallow root
1/4 cup cinnamon chips
1 cup spearmint leafs
1 1/2 cup sugar or honey
3 cups of water
storage bottle
cheese cloth

Directions:
mix all the ingredients in a bowl.  Bring water to a boil and add all the herbs to the mixture.  Stir so the herbs aren't floating on the top.  Place the cheese cloth in a colander and strain the herb mixture through it.  Pour the liquid that you strained back into the pot. Add sugar.  Cook until the sugar is completely dissolved.  

The website has a video (on the bottom of the page, with a women in a pink shirt) that gives details about why each herb is good and how to make the cough medicine.

Roberta said she found all the ingredients at her local Health Food Store and it cost her about $11.  I tried to find the herbs here but was unsuccessful.  You can get them online but you have to buy them by the pound and it can be little bit pricey.  

Here are all  her ingredients ready to go.  when my sister sent the photos I will admit that the only thing I recognized was the cinnamon.  I googled the marshmallow root because I figured the image in my head of white fluffy marshmallow fields wasn't correct.

Instead of the cinnamon chips, Roberta just used regular ground cinnamon

The website doesn't say how long to cook the herbs, it just says to pour them into boiling water and then let it cool.  Roberta said she let it simmer for a little bit.

Once it looked like nasty swamp water that a crocodile would be hiding in, Roberta poured the herbs through her colander covered in cheese cloth to strain out all the herbs.

Roberta used honey instead of sugar.  While this cough syrup is safe for all kids of all ages, don't forget to use sugar instead of honey if you are giving it to a child under the age of 1.  

It looks kinda nasty to me but Roberta says her kids drink it right up and they love it. 

Roberta says she gives 1 tsp for children around 3 years old and 1 Tbsp for adults.  For all the in between ages she just adjusts accordingly. It can take up to 20 min for it to work and will last around 4 1/2 hours. 

The Verdict: Clearly I have none because I haven't tried it.  I plan on making it one day when I can find the herbs for a reasonable price but for now you will just have to take my sisters word for it that "it works so good"

Homemade Mayo

If you haven't noticed yet, I post every Sunday and Wednesday night.  Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving I am going to keep this one short and sweet. But be sure to check in on Sunday night because I have something awesome planned.

so.... blah blah blah something personal blah blah attempt at humor....

Very Cheap Easy Mayo - for the ingredients and directions, please visit the original website

 The first time I tried this it was a disaster.  It was lumpy and oily and really gross.  I tried again but with half the recipe and it came out perfect.  I have made it several times and this is always the case.  If I try to make the full recipe it doesn't work, if I half the recipe it comes out great.  I have no idea why this is.

 The Verdict: This took me awhile to get use to because it has a strong oil taste that I wasn't fond of.  But after using it for 3 months it's fine and I don't even notice the oil taste anymore. This has good and bad with it so let me break it down.
Pros: very creamy and easy to spread.
         Easy to make
         You can add all sorts of spices to it to change the flavor
Cons: You have to use vegetable oil. Any other oil just messes it up. 
          It doesn't taste like Mayo.

If this is something that you plan on making then let me give you a tip; pour the oil in very slowly and a little bit at a time until you get the consistency you want.  Every batch I have made I used a different amount oil.  I think the amount of oil used is tied to how well the other ingredients are whipped together.

Some more blah blah, another attempt at humor, blah blah, insert sarcasm aaaaaand were done.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

P.S. this mayo doesn't get crayons off the wall

Miracle Workout

I know that some of you are going to argue, and say that exercise is not a DIY product.  Well I have two arguments for you; being healthy and losing weight is very much a Do It Yourself, but more importantly, it's my blog and I get to post whatever I want.

Ok, the real reason I am posting this is because of how pumped (pun intended) I am about this routine I found.

I am currently in a healthy competition (I’m gonna win) with some family members.  It's a basic competition (I'm gonna win) where you get points for doing certain healthy things each day, and lose points (not me) by eating un-healthy food.  At the end of three months, whoever has the most points (me) will win some cash.

When I started this competition, (I will win) I wanted a new exercise routine that would be quick but effective. 

I found Shaun T's Miracle 15 min Workout and decided to give it a go

Now before my family starts accusing me of cheating for not doing a 20 min workout, as is required by the rules, I followed up each workout with 5 minutes of abs. (So I can win)

As I got ready for my first workout I was pretty excited (excited to win) to try something new, and I looked like this.

But then this was me after my workout.  It was SO hard

(I might have exaggerated a little bit in these photos)


I have never done Insanity, but I hear that this routine is pretty similar.

I did it 5 days a week for two weeks (winner right here) then after those two weeks I got bored with the repetition of it.  The next 2 weeks I did it 3 days a week but did similar high intensity routines the other days so I could still get the same benefits. 

The Verdict: I lost 9 pounds in a month.  6 of those pounds were in the first 2 weeks. My diet pretty much stayed the same so I know it was the routine and not the food that got me in better shape.  I love that it is only 15 min and I feel like I’ve worked out for 60 min. The moves are very easy and require no coordination, which is great for me.  It is a lot of jumping, so if you have bad knees or ankles it may not be the best for you. 
What I like the most about it is that it requires no equipment and a little room.  All you need is about 4 feet of space and a serious amount of will power (so I can win)

So here I am, 1 month into a fun (serious) competition, where it doesn't matter who wins (me) or loses (everyone else). What matters is that we all have fun (and I win) and develop healthy habits (and win money) that will give us healthy lifestyles.

Cooking Spray

I never put much thought into cooking spray.  It's just one of those things that is always around, I automatically us it, then automatically replace it.

When I saw this tutorial for making your own
http://naturesnurtureblog.com/2012/04/03/tiny-tip-tuesday-homemade-cooking-spray/
I thought "wow, I love how smart other people are and I get to benefit from it."


So I followed the instructions

• 1 part olive oil (or your choice of oil)
• 4-5 parts water
• 1 misting spray bottle

Instructions

1. Sterilize your spray bottle in boiling water.
2. Place oil and water into spray bottle.
3. Shake well before use.
4. Store in the fridge for no longer than a week or so.

So, I'm a little lazy and didn't sterilize my spray bottle. But it had just come out of the dishwasher, so lets pretend that is good enough.

I decided to do 1 part oil and 5 parts water..... wait what??!?!  5 parts water?  That seems like a lot of water to spray on a hot pan.  I took cooking class in high school, I know what happens when you throw water on a hot pan.

But heck, this recipe is on the internet and the internet NEVER lies *insert sarcasm* so I'm going for it.

So I mixed my oil and water.... wait what?  Oil and water don't mix. In fact they like to separate faster then Kardashian and Humphries.  I guess I'll just try to shake it really good then spray as fast as I can.


So here is my homemade cooking spray all ready to go.  As I was busy putting this together I realized that it was dinner time and I had nothing planned.  Breakfast for dinner it is!  I made eggs and pancakes. A perfect meal to test this new product on. 

If you remember, I had two concerns. The amount of water being used and  that oil and water don't stay mixed. 

Lets address the first one.  These pictures don't do justice to the amount of smoke that came off the griddle, and I'm pretty lucky I didn't get burned with all the water popping around. So yes, it smoked like I thought it would.  Water doesn't appreciate being thrown onto something hot.

Now issue number two. Yep, water and oil really don't like each other.  Have you ever sprayed something while trying to shake it at the same time?  It makes a nice mess.

Lucky for me I didn't have to try the shake and spray method for very long because after about 5 sprays my bottle got clogged. And I mean clogged.  The bottle got so clogged with the oil that I couldn't even move the trigger.  That's kind of ironic to me, isn't oil suppose to lubricate things and not clog them?

The verdict: You know that old show Press Your Luck?  When someone hit a whammie there was this awesome "wha wha wha" noise.  Lets just insert that noise here, and let this picture speak for itself.