Some of the most toxic things I used to do was clean my house. I know it sounds crazy but dipping my hand in bleach water and scrubbing the tub with conventional cleaning products wasn't the best thing for my health. You see everything I touched, was absorbed by my body. So technically I was doing more harm than good. These cleaners contain ammonia, artificial fragrances, and various other chemicals you don't want in your body.

That doesn't mean never clean again.. It means clean differently. Be careful what you buy... or make your own. It's easy to make your own cleaning spray both for disinfectant,  glass cleaning and even scrubs for the bathroom! All you need are some good glass containers like the amber glass bottles and mason jars in which store the supples!

• ​¼ cup white vinegar
• ¼  teaspoon Unscented Dr. Bronner Liquid Castile Soap
• 1 cup distilled water 
• 20 drops of any citrus essential oils (lemon, lime, bergamot or a mix)

Add the water last into the glass spray bottle (preferably an amber glass spray bottle)

•  ¼ cup of White Vinegar
• 3 ounces of 91% Isopropyl Alcohol or Grain Alcohol (Everclear)
• 1 teaspoon of Dr. Bronner Liquid Castile Soap
• 15 drops of Tea Tree Oil
• 15 drops of Lemon and or Lemongrass Essential Oil
• 1 Cup of Distilled Water 

This is my everything cleaner from the bathroom to the kitchen. I LOVE IT (I also add frankincense, clove and cinnamon to mine.) I spray and wipe it down or use it in conjunction with the scrubber cleaner below.  It is important to use distilled water to ensure it is super clean and lack minerals. 

• 1 cup baking soda
• 25 drops lemon essential oil

You mix this in a mason jar and get a shaker top to shake it out or scoop it out with the regular mason top. Baking soda deodorizes and lemon kills the germs! 

Essential oils can be used to help calm the mind and relieve a the stress and anxiety of everyday life.  

Instead of banging your head on the wall, try these essential oils. Remember everyone's body chemistry is made differently. Just because one oil doesn't work for you, try another before giving up. Also don't force it. If you hate the way one oil smells don't use it! 

You can use these in an inhaler (15-20 drops),  with a carrier oil on your body (12 drops per ounce for a typical 2% dilution) or in a diffuser(5 drops per 150ml). 

Lavender- This is the oil you're most likely to have in your cabinet already. It has been used to beat stress, depression and anxiety. There is a full review in the International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice (2013). 
Vetiver - It has a smokey spicy woody type scent. My husband isn't really a fan of this oil but I love it. According to a 2015 study on rats, vetiver oil is used in aromatherapy for relaxation. The study showed vetiver has anti-anxiety abilities similar to the drug diazepam. It is a grounding oil. I read in The Healing Power of Essential Oils that is has also been used to help with ADHD. 
Ylang Ylang - It has a floral scent but I love it. Besides being and awesome "get it on" essential oil. Ylang Ylang is great for anxiety. 
Orange oil - It smells orangey (haha) There are studies that show orange oil used to help with presurgical anxiety in dental patients and it did in fact help! 

You can use these oils alone or try a mix to see what you think . 

Of course if you are under a doctor's care or taking prescriptions talk to a doctor before taking any oils. 

There are many ways to do  the same thing. Essential oils sprays are an example of that. I share my recipe and a video of another recipe! The bottle to the right is a 2ml bottle. I like to use dark glass bottles to ensure the mixture holds for as long as possible. 

The way I make it is using witch hazel, grain alcohol (like Everclear) essential oils and distilled water. The grain alcohol will mix with essential oil and allow it to mix with the water and witch hazel. Essential oils on their own do not mix with water. Witch hazel and grain alcohol will also help to ensure bacterial won't overgrow. (but if you notice a change in the smell or color then it may be rancid)

If you're using a 2ml bottle then 20 drops each of the Everclear, witch hazel and essential oils. Mix these all together then add the distilled water and shake shake shake!   

We went berry picking over the weekend! And went CRAZY! It was my first time picking anything (I know I'm so late) but we had a blast and Jake really taught me how to do it right and what to look for when knowing if the fruit is right... (One of the perks of having this city girl loving this country raised man) So we got grapes, raspberries and blueberries. But what the heck do you do with it all? I had no clue.

So I made a pie. But how many pies can you make? (I did the crust from scratch too, I felt very very achieved)... I used this  recipe for it all. It's not my favorite for crust. Usually I like Sally's Baking Addiction Crust but I decided to try something different. I didn't hate it though! I'd add more sugar to their recipe if you do it. I also didn't have corn starch or gelatin to make it stick together like it should, but the family liked it still. (yay!)

Then 6 months later! It was done and stabilized and we drank it! Can you say STRONG????? One glass and that was enough for me. We still have a bottle in the panty.