Simple Homemade

Inspiring books: Nurturing Creativity {Review & Giveaway}

Nicole — Wed, 16 May 2012 07:01:41 +0000

All of us editors here at Simple Living Media have a common love for books. We love being able to share (and, whenever possible, give away) those of them that have inspired us in one way or another. Maybe you’ve seen Aimée’s Bite This Book series?

Well, I’ve put together a new category for book reviews here on Simple Homemade where you’ll be able to view the archives at any time if you’re looking for something new to read. And Inspring Books is a new series that will feature a book with some Simple Homemade-type flair (hopefully each month).

The inspring book I’m sharing about today is super special. It’s written by one of my favorite bloggers, Renee Tougas, of FIMBY, and it was literally the perfect book for me, for the season of life I’m in.

Let me tell you a little about Renee’s first ebook, Nurturing Creativity, and also give you a chance to win one of five copies.

Like Renee, I believe we humans were designed as creative beings. I honestly feel like it’s part of who I am, and if you’re not sure about that for yourself, this little book is just the thing to change your mind.

“I’ve come to describe what I do simply as creative living, not defined by any one craft or activity but an overall approach to life,” says Renee, and that’s how I want to live life as well.

I love how Renee encourages us moms to adapt our creative living to whatever season of life and motherhood we are in. Reading Nurturing Creativity really expanded my definition of what creativity looks like and encompasses.

Sure, I love to sew and craft and even paint with my kids. But this book left me thinking outside the creativity box per se. Making do with what we have in the kitchen or adapting a recipe? Oh, yeah, that is getting creative. I never before thought about how great it is when I do something creative (and fulfill one of my own needs) while also doing something practical for my family.

Being a mom can be a busy job, and we can find our time is fleeting. This easy-to-read book is almost more like an encouraging letter from a friend, nudging us gently to see opportunities for creativity we didn’t notice before and nurturing that instinctive desire in our hearts to create, and giving us tips and tools for finding and using our own creativity.

And isn’t the cover art just beautiful?

About the book

From Renee:

Nurturing Creativity is about embracing the seasons of motherhood and appreciating where you are while helping you to make creativity a priority in your life.

It will encourage you to let go of perfection, to start small, and to find inspiration in everyday living. This little book will challenge you to make the most of the time you do have.

Time you can spend creating beauty and meaning – with your head, heart, and hands.

I know you’re a busy mom so this book is short (just under fifty PDF pages). You can easily read it in one sitting or savor it slowly.

Nurturing Creativity is available directly from FIMBY, where you get three different file types (PDF, .mobi (for Kindle), .epub (other readers such as Nook) to download for the amazing price of just $3. It is also available as a single download through Amazon for Kindle.

Giveaway

Renee has been kind enough to offer a copy of her ebook to 5 lucky Simple Homemade readers today.

To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment answering this question: how do you like to express yourself in creative ways?

Giveaway ends Thursday May 18th at midnight PST. Good luck!

Thanks, Renee, for the review copy!

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Inspiring books: Nurturing Creativity {Review & Giveaway} is a post from Simple Homemade

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Engage Your Children in Shopping for Vegetables (Farmer’s Market Bingo Printable)

Katie Kimball — Mon, 14 May 2012 07:01:55 +0000

Written by contributor Katie Kimball of Kitchen Stewardship.

As a former teacher and current mom, I’ve read all the great advice about keeping children engaged in shopping trips and the myriad ways one can make a simple grocery store excursion into a learning experience.

Most of the time, I’m just too tired or harried or hurried to do anything formal beyond some conversation about food and allowing the kids to help fill produce bags and “beep” our purchases at the self-checkout.

This summer, I’m determined to give my 7-year-old son practice with mental math and making change at the Farmer’s Market, and his almost-4-year-old sister is the perfect age to work on her letters and sounds, as well as vegetable identification.

Luckily I have an amazing friend, my son’s godmother, who created this Farmer’s Market Bingo sheet when he and I visited her a few summers ago. I’ll make another one with letters for my daughter, and as long as I, you know, remember to actually bring them and have a few brain cells to rub together to keep the kids on track, each Farmer’s Market trip can be a total learning experience.

Photo by Name

My friend was gracious enough to share her creation with all of you, and I hope you can have fun with it this summer too! (You may have to switch out “balloon animals” unless your market is as cool as the one we visited in the Twin Cities…and “doughnuts” could probably be replaced with something unique to your market, too.)

Click HERE to download the document.

Enjoy playing Farmer’s Market Bingo this summer!

What do you do to make fresh, local food fun and exciting for your kids?

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Engage Your Children in Shopping for Vegetables (Farmer’s Market Bingo Printable) is a post from Simple Homemade

Weekend links (and Uprinting winner!)

Nicole — Sun, 13 May 2012 17:44:33 +0000

Looking for a few inspiring reads for this spring weekend?

Musings on Mother’s Day :: Simple Bites
Naturally sweet: strawberry sorbet :: Whole Living Daily
Only fair trade jewelry :: See Jane Advocate
Let’s save some money: The eat from the pantry & freezer challenge :: Keeper of the Home

Hopefully you didn’t miss our posted-quite-late post on Friday, by Stacy. But just in case you did, I wanted to mention it here because it is chock full of good ways to use peppermint.

Thanks to everyone who entered our weekend giveaway with Uprinting. Congratulations to Amy and Tabitha, you will be notified today about winning.

And finally, Happy Mother’s Day to all! May each one of you moms feel especially loved and pampered today.

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Weekend links (and Uprinting winner!) is a post from Simple Homemade

Weekend giveaway~ UPrinting

Nicole — Sat, 12 May 2012 07:01:46 +0000

Today we have a giveaway for you from UPrinting.com, an online printing, marketing and technology firm. What I think you’ll love about this company is that they are “committed to social responsibility and eco-friendly printing initiatives that support non-profit organizations and environmental sustainability.”

Uprinting can meet all your printing needs with services such as business cards, stickers, labels, beautiful canvas prints and much more.

Giveaway

This giveaway is now closed.

Two Simple Homemade readers will each win a set of 250-piece Die-cut Business Cards

Business card details:

2×3.5″ Rounded Corners, 2×2″ Rounded Corners, 1.75×3.5″ Rounded Corners,
2×3.5″ Leaf, 2×3.5 Rounded one corner, 2×3.5″ Half Circle Side, 2×3.5″ Oval, 2.5″ Circle
14pt Cardstock Gloss / Matte / High Gloss (UV), or 13pt Cardstock Uncoated
6 Business Days Turnaround time
Free US shipping only

How to enter

Enter to win by simply leaving any comment on this post.

For a bonus (optional) entries, you can do the following (just leave a comment here for each extra entry):

Like UPrinting on Facebook

Follow UPrinting on Twitter

Add UPrinting to your Google+ Circles

Giveaway ends tonight, May 12, at midnight PST.

CURRENT SPONSORS:

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Smart Sweets - 30 Healthy Dessert Recipes

Weekend giveaway~ UPrinting is a post from Simple Homemade

Homemade Peppermint Foot Scrub {and Three Other Uses for Peppermint}

Stacy — Sat, 12 May 2012 03:48:41 +0000

Written by contributor Stacy Karen of A Delightful Home.

Peppermint is one of my favorite herbs because it is easy to grow and has so many uses.

Well known as a digestive aid, peppermint is also a powerful energizer and useful in treating headaches and fatigue.

Today I’d like to share four simple treatments that include this this beneficial herb.

Invigorating Foot Scrub

This peppermint scrub provides a slight tingling sensation that will revive and invigorate tired feet. It’s very quick and easy to prepare and would make an excellent gift.

Ingredients

1 cup fine sea salt or Epsom salt
¼ cup oil (grapeseed, sweet almond or olive)
10 drops peppermint essential oil
1 tablespoon dried peppermint leaves (these make it fun, but could be left out if needed. If you don’t have any dried peppermint on hand, break open a peppermint tea bag).

Method

Measure salt into a clean bowl.

Add oil and stir until it is distributed evenly.

Add peppermint leaves and essential oil. Stir again.

Scoop into a clear jar and label.

This recipe is taken from my ebook, Simple Scrubs to Make and Give.

Peppermint Tea

Peppermint tea is simple to prepare and can be made with fresh or dried peppermint leaves. Sip a cup to aid digestion or stimulate your senses in the early morning instead of coffee.

To brew your own peppermint tea:

Place one teaspoon of dried peppermint leaves or two teaspoons of fresh peppermint leaves per cup of water in a heat -proof bowl or pot. Pour hot water over the leaves and cover with a lid or inverted plate. Allow to steep for ten minutes.

Strain out the herbs are enjoy.

Photo by Haiinee

Peppermint Hair Rinse

Peppermint tea can also be used as a hair rinse as it stimulates the hair and scalp.

Prepare tea as directed above and allow to cool. Once the tea has reached a comfortable temperature, pour over hair and leave to sit a few minutes, then rinse out with water.

Peppermint Bath

I usually think of having a bath as a time to relax and unwind, but a bath is also a great place to re-energize.

In the book, 10 Essential Herbs, Lalitha Thomas recommends soaking in a peppermint bath as a way of enhancing circulation and rejuvenating at the end of a hard day’s work.

To prepare a Peppermint Bath:

Warm 8 cups of water over the stove and turn off the heat once it begins to boil. Add 4 ounces of dried peppermint leaves and allow to steep for 20 minutes. You have not made an infusion.

Strain out the leaves and add the entire infusion to a warm bath.

Get in and soak your troubles away.

These are only a few homemade treatments using peppermint, I’d love to hear from you . . .

What are your favorite ways to use peppermint?

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Homemade Peppermint Foot Scrub {and Three Other Uses for Peppermint} is a post from Simple Homemade

Five goals for living out the Simple Homemade lifestyle this spring and summer

Nicole — Wed, 09 May 2012 07:01:31 +0000

As I read through Stephanie’s post last week where she shared some ways to live even more toxin-free this spring, I started thinking about my own personal goals for this time of year. We usually explore the idea of “green goals” at the beginning of the year when we’re all in goal-making-mode, but I think May is a great time to reevaluate our goals as we approach the halfway mark in 2012.

Now that we’ve transitioned from Simple Organic to Simple Homemade, my goals are not just strictly “green” but rather I’m thinking about how I want to make strides this season in natural living, creativity, embracing the seasons and anything that falls under the homemade umbrella.

I’ve been mulling over what I want to focus on during the rest of spring and the upcoming summer and I’ve narrowed it down to five goals.

Homemade deodorant

This has been talked about a lot in the blogopshere. Our former editor Katie first wrote about it a couple of years ago when she challenged readers to join her in trying natural deodorant. I’ve been using a natural deodorant that I’m happy with for a couple of years, but I think this will be the year when I finally try going to the homemade route, like Stephanie mentioned in her post.

Gardening

Back in January, the one thing as a general goal was more gardening. It’s getting later and later and I still haven’t really started, but I do have some strawberry plants and some plans to hit the nursery for some tomato starts. We did uncover some trees as we’ve been clearing out weeds in our backyard– a peach tree and two mysterious citrus trees so I’m looking forward to seeing how these fare.

More picking & preserving

I can’t wait to pick blueberries again this year– I’m dreaming of homemade blueberry ice cream, greek yogurt with blueberries and honey, and berries for just plain snacking.

This year I also want to make more strawberry jam, pickles and pesto to put up for the rest of the year. Strawberries, cucumbers and basil are usually all in abundance and my CSA often offers extra amounts of them in addition to what’s in our box at a good price when there’s a bumper crop.

Sourdough

I’ve been making honey whole wheat bread for a few years now– not regularly but when our fancy strikes– and as a big lover of sourdough bread, I think it’s time to try my hand at this nourishing food. I’ll keep you posted on this goal.

Spend more time outside

With being very pregnant and then recovering from childbirth and caring for a newborn, we didn’t get out as much last spring/summer as I would like. This year, I see more and more visits to the beach, park and pool in our future along with simple nature walks with the family as well. It blows my mind how much time outside affects my children– in a good way. Maybe I’ll reread Lost Child in the Woods or read Richard Louv’s new book The Nature Principle as inspiration.

Create something handmade every week

Just like being outside, getting creative refreshes me. Next week I have a great resource to share with you on this subject, but for me, I just need to make time to do little projects on a regular basis. Big projects can be daunting and a crafty turn-off for me. Last weekend I spent the course of two days off and on working on a dress for my daughter– it came out darling and I thoroughly enjoyed making and gifting it. (Follow me on Instagram– @simplehomemade– to see the reveal when she wears it!). I’ve several smallish projects in queue, and it’s time for me to start making time to create.

So that’s where I’m at this season. How are you hoping to grow this spring and summer in terms of natural, homemade living?

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Five goals for living out the Simple Homemade lifestyle this spring and summer is a post from Simple Homemade

Five tips for becoming a one-car family

Tiffany — Mon, 07 May 2012 07:01:44 +0000

Written by contributor Tiffany Larson.

If you had told me years ago that we would be a one-car family, I would have considered it impossible. But here we are, one year into it, and not looking back. While inconvenient at times, I challenge you to consider the possibility for your own family using the tips shared below for how to make it work.

1. Set Goals

Like Dave Ramsey says, “A Goal Without a Plan Is Just A Dream.” Our future goals include buying a house so when we became a one-income family, we needed to make a plan. We needed to cut expenses and transportation was an area where we could save (keep reading to find out how much). Not only did we have a monthly payment for our second car, they were both gas guzzlers. We discussed our needs, reviewed our schedules, and decided that selling it made sense.

Since then, we’ve continued to review that decision to make sure it fits our family’s goals. As our lifestyle changes, we may need to purchase a second car but it will be a more cost efficient vehicle.

2. Plan Ahead

My husband and I often sit down on Sunday evenings to review the week ahead. It prevents stressful car conflicts as we ensure each of us have transportation when we need it. If there are any potential conflicts, we have enough time to change our schedules or find alternative transportation.

3. Alternatives to A Second Car

While having a second car is often the easiest form of transportation, it’s not your only option. One of these may work for you:

Carpool

Do coworkers live near you? Are there other families that might want to share trips to your children’s school? I share carpool duty with another mom at my daughter’s preschool. It allows me to free up the car for my husband’s needs and saves me gas and time.

Carpooling is also a great way to save on parking and toll fees. If you don’t have someone in mind to share trips with, try looking at Carpool World or Craigslist for others going in the same direction.

Bike

Traveling by bike not only gets you where you need to go, but it’s great exercise too. With over forty percent of people working within five miles of their workplace, commuting by bike seems like a great way to save money and burn calories.

As we do, you can use biking as a secondary transportation choice for your entire family. My husband rides his bike to the gym or grocery store and we all ride bikes to the park.

While my children, five and two, have their own bikes, we use both a Trail-a-Bike and a bike trailer to take them with us long distances or in areas of traffic. Child bike seats are a great way to have your child right on the bike with you or invest in a family or cargo bike if you have multiple children and/or stuff to pack with you.

May is National Bike Month and cities all over the country are hosting special events to encourage bike use. Bike to School Day on May 9 and Bike to Work Day on May 18 may be great opportunities to try out the one-car family concept.

Photo by Mike of Surrey

Bus, Train, Subway or other Public Transportation

Public transportation is the transportation of choice for many nations and if your city offers the infrastructure, you might take advantage of it. When my husband worked downtown, we saved parking fees and gas by having him take the bus. He also enjoyed the free time to read or listen to music.

Now that he travels frequently out of state, he takes a taxi to and from the airport. While this is reimbursed to us by his company, it is another creative way to live without a second car.

Using national transportation systems such as Greyhound or Amtrak is a great way to travel outside of your city without the added expense of a vehicle. We will soon be moving to a smaller city and have found a great shuttle system that will transfer my husband to the local airport or drive him 150 miles to the next larger airport, if needed. Again, a little research (and flexibility, see below) helped us avoid the need for a second car.

Moped, Scooter or Motorcycle

Two wheels might be a great way to eliminate a second vehicle but still provide needed transportation. At one point, we had a motorcycle that my husband would ride to work. At 40mpg, it shaved a lot off the gas budget. It also allowed him to use the HOV lanes, saving time and was easier to park, saving on expensive parking fees.

Car Rentals and Car Sharing

Renting a car or using a car sharing service may be the perfect bridge between having one car and having two cars for your family. If you occasionally need an extra car for the weekend or just a few hours, these options make it possible.

Car sharing services, like Zipcar, allow you to reserve a car just minutes, or months, in advance. Similar to traditional car rental services, you pick up the car, use it and then return it to a reserved parking location. Gas and insurance are included in the hourly or daily rate, although you would need to bring your own child seats, if you need one. Hourly rates in my city of Portland start at $7.20 and daily rates at $64.80.

Telecommuting

Working from home is a great alternative to needing a second car. This is key to making one car work for our family as my husband works from home most days. If one or both drivers can telecommute from home, even one day per week, it reduces the need for an additional vehicle.

4. Consider the Savings

Every gallon of gas that your car doesn’t use saves 1.3 pounds in greenhouse gas pollution. It also saves you about four dollars. But gas isn’t the only cost associated with a car. Beyond the initial cost of purchasing a car, we estimate we save $2500 – $3000 per year by not having a second car. Annual savings include:

auto insurance
routine maintenance: 3-4 oil changes, tire rotations, alignment
replacement of tires, brakes, batteries
registration, tag and DEQ fees
taxes, depending on your state
parking fees

5. Be Flexible

Flexibility is, without a doubt, the most important attitude a family needs to make leaving a second car behind, work. Inevitably, there will be a time when more than one driver needs to use the car at the same time.

With the tips above, this is often not a issue. However, when a last minute need comes up, someone has to make a concession. Bikes are ridden in the rain, friends are called for a ride or plans get cancelled.

If you research your options and keep a flexible attitude, you can successfully navigate with one-car saving stress, money and the environment.

Are you a one-car family? Can you share tips that help make it work for your family? If you aren’t a one-car family, what prevents you from considering it?

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Five tips for becoming a one-car family is a post from Simple Homemade

Weekend links

Nicole — Sun, 06 May 2012 07:01:09 +0000

Raising healthy kids: three points of encouragement :: Vintage Indie {guest post by yours truly}
Five lessons from a TV-free household :: Simple Kids {we are not a TV-free home, but I enjoy reading others’ experiences with this}
Tips and tutorials for making your own Waldorf doll :: Crafting a Green World {my two oldest kids each have their own handmade (by a friend) Waldorf dolls and I just adore them!}
The oldest natural remedy: the placenta :: Frugal Granola {I wish I had learned about this before having my last baby! I have a few friends who did it and swear by its benefits.}
Cloth diaper review: What’s the best cloth diaper for you? :: Kitchen Stewardship {this might be everything you need to know on choosing a diaper type…}

Our newest sister site Simple Design is starting a super fun weekly link-up called Share Your Thrift Haul where blog readers can link up with their thrifting (or garage/estate sale) finds! I’m a totally wannabe thrifter. I absolutely love the idea of it, but just can’t seem to find the time in this busy stage of mothering little ones. Maybe Ari’s series will inspire me to get out there and find some treasures.

I hope you’re enjoying spring! We had a just-about perfect spring day yesterday which including getting started on a birthday gift for my Gigi– sewing her a sweet maxi dress– which I think she’s going to just love.

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Weekend links is a post from Simple Homemade

From the archives: homemade strawberry freezer jam

Katie — Fri, 04 May 2012 04:01:50 +0000

Editor’s note: I’ve been home-bound with restless, unwell little ones for the last two days. We woke up Wednesday morning, planning to surprise our almost five-year old daughter with a trip to Disneyland, and instead found her sick with a stomach bug. Suffice it to say, my week has not gone as planned.

As I was been dreaming of enjoying the spring outdoors, I recalled this post from (hard to believe) two years ago. Our editor-at-the-time, Katie Fox, shared this delicious recipe with us– I’ve made it myself, so I know! Looking for a Mother’s Day treat? This jam would be perfect. Enjoy! ~Nicole

I spent Mother’s Day weekend up to my elbows in strawberries. On Saturday, our family went out to a local you-pick berry farm and spent a couple of hours harvesting the sweetest, freshest, most delicious strawberries that I’ve tasted in a long time. I wanted to get enough berries to make strawberry jam and strawberry fruit leather, and still have enough left over to freeze for smoothies.

When it was all said and done, we paid for 17 pounds of berries and came home happy.

I spent most of the day on Sunday processing the berries; removing the caps took quite awhile, especially since the berries were very small. I was very excited about making the jam; we love strawberry jam and we had already attempted blackberry jam a few weeks earlier, which turned out pretty well for a first try.

How-to: Homemade Strawberry Freezer Jam

Freezer jam isn’t made the same way as jam you could keep in the pantry; this jam must stay frozen in order to avoid spoilage. It’s canning for beginners. You don’t need to worry about doing everything “to a T” – there’s a little more room for trial and error.

Besides the berries, you will need no-sugar pectin, white grape juice, and honey. You will want about one packet of pectin for every four cups of mashed berries, which will make around six half-pints of jam. (Don’t you love how precise I’m being?) I made twice that amount. After the berries are washed and the caps are removed, mash up the berries with a large fork, a beater, a potato masher, or all of the above. Little hands can easily help.

Then heat the white grape juice and the pectin together on the stove in a large pot. Stir frequently until it comes to a rolling boil, and then stir constantly for one minute.

Remove from heat and stir in fruit. Stir well for one minute and then stir in honey.

Then ladle it into your clean jars and put the lids on. The instructions below say to ladle it through a funnel, which would have been handy for avoiding mess except that I forgot to clean my funnel; oh, well!

Doesn’t that sound easy?

This was a project where the whole family could participate. The jam has no crazy artificial colors or flavors, and no refined sugars. It’s a healthier alternative to store-bought jam, and believe it or not, it’s cheaper than buying similar jam at the grocery! I love that I was able to source local strawberries and support that farmer, and let’s not forget the taste – yum…this jam is so much more delicious than anything I’ve purchased. It has fresh and vibrant flavor, just like the berries.

So don’t fear making jam! This is a perfect way to begin exploring the world of canning and preserving foods. You can use the same recipe for blackberry jam, too. I haven’t tried any other fruits yet, but I’m sure raspberries would also be delicious.

Recipe: Homemade Strawberry Freezer Jam

Supplies:
• 6 half-pint freezer safe canning jars with lids and bands
• tongs
• ladle
• potato masher
• funnel
• large pot
Sterilize all equipment prior to use; you can do this in a dishwasher or in a pot of boiling water for 20 minutes.

Ingredients:
4 cups of mashed berries (do not use a food processor; the jam will not be the right consistency)
1 3/4 cup of white grape juice
3/4 cup honey
1 packet of no-sugar pectin

Directions:
Mash berries by hand. Then set up all the jars next to your stove; you will want everything arranged before you begin. Keep the lids in a pan of simmering water on the stove (not boiling).

Pour white grape juice and pectin into pot, and bring to a boil on the stove top, stirring frequently. Once the mixture is boiling, stir constantly for one minute. Then remove from heat and gently pour in the mashed berries. Stir for one minute, then pour in the honey.

With your clean ladle, ladle the jam into the jars through the funnel, leaving at least 1/2 inch head room at the top of the jar. Then one at a time, use the tongs to remove the lids from the pan of simmering water and place on top of the jars. Screw the bands down until they are just “finger-tight.” Don’t make them overly tight.

Let the jars cool to room temperature, then put the jam in the fridge overnight. The next morning, you can move it to the freezer.

Have you ever made freezer jam? If you make this, please let me know how it goes; I’d love to hear!

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From the archives: homemade strawberry freezer jam is a post from Simple Homemade

8 Simple Ways to Live More Toxin-Free This Spring

Stephanie — Wed, 02 May 2012 04:01:14 +0000

Written by contributor Stephanie Langford of Keeper of the Home.

Spring is finally upon us.

This is the perfect time of year to pursue a greener and more natural way of living. With the warmer weather, however, there are also hidden toxins in various products and practices that we would do well to avoid.

If you’ve been contemplating moving towards a more natural lifestyle, or slowly working through small changes in that direction, here are 8 simple ways that spring offers a perfect opportunity to practice wholesome, healthy, non-toxic living:

1. Bye-bye bugs

Most insect repellents include DEET in their ingredients (among others), a nasty chemical which is extremely poisonous and remains on (and ultimately, in) our skin long after we spray it.

That doesn’t have to keep you indoors, though. Essential oils like citronella, cedarwood, lavender and cinnamon are effective at keeping the bugs at bay, but are non-toxic and safe enough to be used even on children.

A few options to consider: Bug “bars” like this one or this, All-Terrain Herbal Spray, or Burt’s Bees Herbal Insect Repellent.

Photo by Bruce Guenter

2. Line dry your laundry

Winters where I live in the Pacific Northwest are grey, wet, cool, and did I mention that they’re wet? Line drying is laughable.

Not so in the spring and summer, when the sun reveals its lovely face. Save on energy and dollars while avoiding the toxins found in dryer sheets when you wash as usual, then use a rack or line in your yard (or apartment balcony) instead of the dryer. Not only will clothes smell delightfully fresh, but the sun even acts as a natural whitener and brightener, even removing set in stains, so you can ditch the bleach and harsh stain removers as well.

3. Hello, Farmer’s Markets

Farmer’s Markets in most parts of North America begin to open up between April and June, abundantly full of tasty, nutritious and seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Buying locally and seasonally encourages us to eat the bounty of each season. We learn to appreciate the ebbs and flows of the growing year, enjoy each food at its finest (both in taste and nutritional content), and it becomes more affordable to eat fresh, organic produce and kiss those pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers good-bye.

Try searching Local Harvest to find a Farmer’s Market in your local area. Another option to consider is a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), which works beautifully for many people. Gardening in your own backyard is another of my favorite options, to supplement what I buy locally.

Photo by cogdogblog

4. Stay hydrated, plastic free

We all know by now that hoarding plastic pre-bottled water in our garage or car trunk isn’t the right way to go about getting in our requisite eight (or more) glasses of H2O per day.

If you haven’t already, invest in one (or even several) high quality stainless steel, refillable water bottles. You’ll avoid harmful BPA and other chemicals leaching out of the plastic bottles, keep unnecessary waste out of landfills and recycling plants, and ensure a supply of pure drinking water to keep you hydrated in the heat.

5. Protect your skin sensibly

If we all had a dollar for every time we’ve ever heard the importance of sunscreen espoused, we’d be rich. Yet, the sun also offers benefits to us– for our moods, our immune systems, our energy. Avoiding the sun and its rays altogether is neither necessary nor wise.

That said, practicing safe sun exposure is important. Avoid the sun during peak times of day (when the sun is at its highest and strongest). Wear light colored, loose clothing to cover up for long periods of exposure. Hats are helpful, especially for busily playing children. Do your best to avoid burning (this is when the greatest sun damage occurs), and be mindful of those with fairer and more delicate skin, infants and toddlers in particular.

When it comes to days when longer sun exposure is unavoidable, consider some of the safer and less chemical-laden sunscreen options available. EWG has an excellent safe sunscreen guide, and their research and recommendations are excellent.

Photo by Bob_Jenkins

6. Deal with weeds (sans chemicals)

Since most store-bought weed killers contain chemicals that are toxic to people (especially children), to animals, and to our water supply, doesn’t it make sense to learn to maintain your yard without them?

Better options for keeping the weeds at bay include:

Mulching to smother weeds (shredded bark, wood chips, rocks or gravel, newspaper, etc.)
Picking them by hand (easiest when they are small and after a rain or a brief watering)
Making your own weed killing formula (like this one or some of these ideas)

7. Choose deodorant, not antiperspirant

It’s important to avoid dangerous toxins like aluminum, and Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex (which is considered carcinogenic) is a common key ingredient in antiperspirants. Not only that, but blocking sweat glands isn’t a wise choice, either, as this prevent toxins from leaving the body, and interferes with our built-in internal “cooling” system.

Deodorant is a better option, and there are plenty of natural ones to choose from. Some common brands that you’ll find in-stores and online are deodorant Crystal Sticks, JASON, or Tom’s of Maine (or check the Skin Deep database for more options). Or, make your own with common kitchen ingredients like baking soda and coconut oil, either in a simple combination, or go fancy and make your own stick deodorant (it’s easy, really).

Photo by stevendepolo

8. Paint those piggies

I’m not a sock gal. Bare feet and sandals are my preference. Painted toe nails make feet cute and having prettily colored toes is just plain old fun.

Toxins aren’t fun, though. Formaldehyde, toluene, phthalates and more. These are some of the nasty and dangerous chemicals lurking in that innocent-seeming bottle of polish.

Thankfully, there are increasingly more options for toxin-free nail polish. A few that I’ve tried or heard good things about include: Piggy Paint (for kids), Honeybee Gardens, Zoya, Suncoat, Peacekeeper, Scotch Naturals and Karma Organic.

What are your natural-living goals for this spring?

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8 Simple Ways to Live More Toxin-Free This Spring is a post from Simple Homemade