Minimalism really speaks to me for many reasons.  Living with less is truly gratifying if it’s something you are interested in. A few of the reasons I like the idea of minimalism is because I save money by not buying new things, my existing things don’t cost as much money as if I had the upkeep of more items, and I’m not contributing to the consumerism.  I hate supporting large companies that don’t care about their workers, the environment, or anything other than their bottom line. I love the idea of not keeping things in my home that aren’t useful or that I love.  If it’s not something that I use on a regular basis, it’s gone.  If I don’t absolutely love it, it’s gone.  Of course, some things (like holiday decorations) are excluded but not exempt.  This year I went through my Christmas decorations and donated some items that I had been hanging onto just because I had the room. Even though it may seem like I’m always decluttering and donating items, I don’t think I’ll ever be a [...]

I’ve researched natural laundry detergent for quite some time.  I’m pretty picky when it comes to laundry detergent, and I like to choose something that is friendly to our bodies as well as the planet.  I continue to make my own laundry detergent using my laundry detergent recipe, but there are times that I’ve run out or just wanted to try something else.  I also know there are plenty of people that just don’t want to make their own laundry detergent, and that’s understandable.  I’m going to share with you my favorite natural laundry detergents that you can buy and use yourself. Dr. Bronner’s Soap -Dr. Bronner’s. Dr. Bronner’s soap is a staple in our household.  We use it for everything from washing dishes, cleaning around the house, and even cleaning our bodies!  I buy it in bulk from Amazon by the gallon.  It is all natural, suds well, and cleans fabulously!  To use Dr. Bronner’s as laundry detergent, just squirt about 1/8 of a cup of the soap into your soap dispenser on your washing machine.  I like using [...]

If you’re one of those people that just can’t hack the idea of cloth toilet paper, you can take other steps to save money on toilet paper.  If you’re concerned about the environment, you can feel good about a new product that Kimberly-Clark has just unveiled: Scott Tube Free Bath Tissue.  It’s a pretty simple concept: it’s toilet paper without the cardboard tube in the middle.  Ingenious? Yes.  Perfect? No.  While I am ecstatic that a company has come up with a solution that will have a positive impact on the environment, I also think that they could improve the product as well. I love the fact that they are challenging the norm of toilet paper and venturing somewhere no one has gone before.  Toilet tissue has always contained a cardboard tube in the middle.  It does a good job of holding the bath tissue in place on the roll, but it seems that it is also something that can be eliminated.  By eliminating the cardboard tube, many trees that would have been cut down to make the cardboard tube [...]