Natural dryer sheets

In an earlier post, I wrote about how to make your own natural laundry detergent. I'm currently working my way through a big tub of the liquid version of the soap. I feel really good about using a natural product when I'm doing my laundry, but it killed me when I realized that I'm cancelling out the good by using a dryer sheet in the dryer. Dryer sheets contain a laundry list (waa-waa) of harmful and irritating chemicals that are not only bad for our bodies, but also bad for the environment, as well as contribute to waste when you throw it away. Here is a list of commonly found chemicals in commercial dryer sheets:

• Benzyl Acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer
• Benzly Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant
• Ethanol: Can cause central nervous system damage
• A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems and central nervous system damage
• Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste list
• Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders
• Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic
• Linalool: Narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders
• Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled

But the one that grosses me out the most, is that they also contain tallow, which is a refined form of beef fat. It's essentially what makes your clothes soft- it coats it in a fine layer of fat. Uggg.....

So that's enough to freak me out. I searched for ways to make a natural fabric softener at home, but nothing really hit it out of the park. The next time I was at a grocery store that had an extensive supply of natural products, I checked out what they had in the laundry aisle. To my delight, many companies that make natural laundry detergent also make some type of natural fabric softener or dryer sheets. I picked up a pack of Method Squeaky Green Dryer Cloths, and tried them for the first time today. I love them! You get 40 cloths, each are usable twice, then afterwards you can recycle them. Even better! They left a great light scent behind (I got the lavender scented cloths- yes, I love lavender), and my clothes were wonderfully soft and static free. Other companies that make natural fabric softener are Mrs. Meyers, Ecover, Sun & Earth- CostCo even sells a natural fabric softener which my parents use and like. Or you can use a dryer ball, which I've never used, and don't really understand the science of it, but I have heard they are an equally "green" alternative to dryer sheets.

Linen Water

Most of my clothes need ironing, so that is my "fun" chore every week. The steam feature on my iron is broken, so I use a spray bottle with water to mist my clothes with. I've always heard about linen water and have seen it featured in magazines but have never used it. It seems like something only well off middle aged women from the Hamptons use. Therefore, I must use it!! So of course, knowing me, I did a little research and made my own! Mix 25 oz. distilled water, 3 oz. vodka and 1 tsp. of an essential oil of your choice, such as lavender or eucalyptus. The vodka acts as an emulsifier and keeps the oil mixed evenly. Combine the ingredients in a glass or plastic bottle with a spray nozzle, and swirl to mix. If stored in a cool place, it should last 6-8 months. Spray it on your clothes before ironing, on your sheets, carpet, drapes, etc. It's basically a natural Febreeze and air freshener!

Kale Chips

While searching for some new ideas for healthy snacks a couple years ago, I came across this recipe to make chips out of kale leaves on a vegan site. It stated that they taste just like Lays potato chips. Yeah right.....I thought. Well you know what? THEY DO! I'm completely obsessed with these light, crisp little chips. I can't make a batch to last me a few days because I end up eating the whole thing in one sitting. Not only is it completely delicious and addictive, kale is a "superfood" and provides a high amount of calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A, and manganese. You can experiment with different seasonings, like curry, cayenne, soy sauce, whatever floats your boat. Whatever you make like, there are 3 main ingredients that give the chips their distinct Lays flavor: apple cider vinegar, oil and salt.

Preheat your oven to 350F. Wash and dry several (about 3) leaves of kale, then tear off pieces of the leaf about the size of a small chip and place them in a bowl. Drizzle over about a tsp. of olive or canola oil, a cap full of apple cider vinegar and a little salt. Generously mix the kale so that each piece is evenly coated, then arrange in a single layer on a large cookie sheet. Place it in the oven, and let it sit about 4 minutes. You need to tend to it from here on out, flipping the pieces and making sure nothing burns. The chips may start to turn brown, that is not your goal. Try to keep them as green as you can, yet crisp. Some chips crisp faster than others so I like to keep an eye on them, removing the crisp pieces one at a time. It's a recipe that takes some getting used to, it can be pretty easy to burn them if you aren't paying attention. Once you master the art of kale chips, it's pretty fun making different flavors. Although, my favorite will always be the good ol' standby recipe with the addition of garlic powder. And yes, I did just eat a huge mound of it.

Oil Cleansing Update

It has officially been 2 months since I have not washed my face. Not with soap, that is. I have been following the Oil Cleansing Method that I wrote about in an earlier post, and I have to say, I'm very pleased with the results! I was nervous, especially since I'm no stranger to zits; on an average day you could fry bacon with all the oil on my face. So how could washing with oil decrease my oily mess?

I had a boyfriend that had a pretty good complexion. I would never have guessed that he suffered acne when we was younger. We were taking a shower once (oooo, sexy talk!) and I playfully wanted to wash his face. He refused to let me and said that his skin would break out if I did. Later he explained that he did have acne pretty bad as a teen and young adult, and would routinely wash his face twice a day with the Neutrogena Acne Oil Wash. It never helped- so for some reason, he just quit washing his face, and his skin cleared up. Strange, huh?

There are many reasons to explain zits. Hormones, stress, diet, etc. From what I have read several times, one of the major reasons for poor complexion (especially in adults) is that we simply over clean our face. We naturally produce sebum in our pores, and if you constantly are washing it away, more of it is produced causing breakouts. Apparently by cleansing with oil you are just loosening the excess amounts of oil that your skin doesn't need and helping it keep a healthy balance. Therefore your skin doesn't feel the need to produce extra oil that clogs pores and makes your skin shiny. Makes sense when you think of it that way.

I'm going to continue washing the oil. Since I have an oily complexion, I use the 70% sunflower seed and 30% Castor oil combination. Also, since I wear eye make-up, I use just a little bit of the oil cleanser from DHS that is specifically designed to remove make-up (the other oil does remove it, but not as well). I have discontinued using toner, as well as face lotion. I simply use a drop or two of the oil after I'm done cleansing and that is enough to keep my skin lightly moisturized.

I'm sure that my results are not completely due to the oil, though. I'm sure it helps that I am washing my face every night with a hot wash cloth, which I never did before. It's like giving yourself a mini-facial every night. But don't get me wrong, I don't have the greatest complexion because of this. It has simply improved the balance of oil production on my face, and decreased the amount of pimples I get. I still get them, but not nearly as bad, and I don't feel as oily as I usually do. My skin also shows the scars of many past pimples too, so I probably will never have great skin. Those are not going to go away without some type of cosmetic treatment like microdermabrasion.

Otherwise, I support the oil cleansing method!

The Perfect Egg

One of my fondest memories of growing up are the weekend breakfasts that my mom would make, and she still does! I clean my parents house every other weekend and I purposefully wake up early each time and make that 40 minute trek to get there in time for breakfast. The usual spread consists of some type of combo of pancakes, eggs, scones, potatoes, waffles, etc. Since my mom is such a great home style cook, she somewhere along the way perfected the egg and passed along the secret to me. I never grew up with fried eggs, it just grosses me out getting one that's crunchy, and has probably been fried in bacon fat. I like my eggs light, fluffy and slightly runny so that I can sop up the yolk with a good piece of toast!

I have made eggs for a few people and they usually comment on how great they turn out. It was at that moment that I realized, oh, maybe not everyone makes eggs like this? Do people usually fry them? Which ever way you like it, since I've had friends taken a back at my method, I thought I'd share the secret to the perfect egg!

Basting an Egg

First off, use an organic, free range egg that the mama chicken has not been treated with hormones. Trader Joe's sells reasonably affordable organic eggs, or buy them from a local farmers market.

Start with a small pan, pre-heated just under medium on the burner. Once hot, but not too hot, (a drop of water should evaporate on it), spray it with a natural non-stick spray. Crack the egg into the pan and let it cook for about 30 seconds. Wait till the white starts to set, then slowly pour water into the pan so that it covers the egg about half way. Place a lid over the pan, and let it cook for about a minute. Keep checking the egg about every 45 seconds to a minute to monitor it's progress. Depending on how runny you like your yolks, you can generally gauge it's progress by tilting the pan a bit and shaking it slightly so that the yolk gives a little shimmey.

When it's reached it's level of "done" for you, be careful with picking it up with a spatula. It can be pretty slippery, and make sure to let the water drain well or your plate will turn into a pool. Good luck! Hope you like it! Yay for good, healthy weekend breakfast! (that is a veggie sausage, I assure you!)

Biz's Doing Their Part

In the last month or so I've really noticed a great amount of local businesses pitching in, in more ways than just providing a recycle bin. So I wanted to point them out and provide a huge THANK YOU to them and hopefully in the near future more businesses will be inspired by their actions .

Ballard Bros.- 15th Ave, Ballard, WA. http://www.ballardbrothers.com/
Not only is their food delicious, but almost every bit of "waste" that comes out of there is compostable. They use compostable corn plastics in their cups, straws, utensils, etc, so instead of a garbage bin in the restaurant, they have a compost bin. You can put dirty napkins and food wrappers in it as well. THANK YOU BALLARD BROS.!

Cupcake Royale- Ballard, West Seattle, Capitol Hill. http://www.cupcakeroyale.com/
They also provide compost bins that you can put your cupcake wrappers, napkins and latte cups in. Ceramic plates and bowls are provided if you are eating "in", so that cuts down on waste as well. THANK YOU CUPCAKE ROYALE!

Old School Frozen Yogurt- Capitol Hill. http://www.oldschoolfrozencustard.com/
I was recently there for my birthday "cake", and the cup they give you not only states that it is compostable, as well as bins provided in the store after you're done with it, but on it is a wonderful paragraph about the Eco-Products they use:

"In one year Eco-Products customers make a difference by saving: 150,000 gallons of gas- enough to five around the earth 181 times; 7,380 pounds of greenhouse gases; 504,326 kW hours of energy- enough to power the average American household for 10 years.

And the surprise eco-warrior of them all....

Mrs. Cooks- U Village. http://www.mrscooks.com/
I made a Christmas purchase there recently, and to my delight, on the bag in big letters it states that the "plastic" bag that my item was in is 100% BIODEGRADABLE. Holy crud! Way to go, Mrs. Cooks!

I'm so proud of many of these businesses taking a stand (Whole Foods also provides a compost bin inside). I believe that recycling and composting are one of the easiest and most effective steps we can take to help clean up the earth. Next time you go to throw away something, stop and wonder, is this recyclable? If not, is it compostable? Your latte cups, dirty napkins, paper take out containers, food scraps, and in many areas (Seattle!) even meat! If you have a yard waste bin then you can put all this in it (keep it in a compostable bag- like paper). You might be surprised at how much it will decrease your garbage!

Holiday Tipping

I have had a few jobs that collect tips, and my cleaning job was definitely one of them. We didn't usually get tipped at every job, it was typically at the end of the year at Christmas. This was something that we all really depended on; for myself, it would help pay for my college books and tuition so it definitely was a bit of an income supplement. So just in case you have a house cleaner, a nice Christmas bonus is at least the amount of what you usually pay for the service. So if your bill is $50, give $50. The better you treat a cleaner, they better they will treat you! (As with most philosophy in life should be!). I had a lot of great clients that I would bust my butt for, but every now and then a gem would come along......

Which brings me to the real story of this post. It's the holiday season, and I thought I would share a little story of my cleaning past (I seriously could write a book).

We had a client that was quite wealthy and lived in a penthouse in one of the high rises in Belltown. It was the day after Christmas, and I was cleaning their home. The husband came towards me, walking from far down the hallway holding a dollar bill up in the air crinkling it. "Patty! Patty! Have you ever heard the story of King Midas?" "Yes", I replied. "Well, I'm going to be King Midas and give this to you." I couldn't quite tell what kind of a bill it was, for he was a distance away. I thought, hey I'm going to get my bonus for being a great cleaner for them, and for putting up with cleaning his pee trails, for he apparently had prostate problems and would dribble from his gym to the bathroom. Gross, huh? I've dealt with worse. Seriously.
Anyways.... He got to me, and handed me a crisp new $2 bill. That was my bonus- the moral of the story was that he wasn't just going to give me a free bonus- I had to go earn it on my own. It was a horrible slap in the face, for I couldn't even go downstairs to Tully's and buy a holiday latte with it. He just assumed that I was stuck cleaning toilets for I had no motivation to make life better for myself. What he didn't know was that I was also in school, working towards my Bachelors degree in Finance. I got up every morning at 3am, got off work at around 3 pm, then had about 2 hours to shower and to homework, then go to night school, where I would then get home around 9:30pm. I also wasn't poor- I come from a modest, middle class family, I lived on my own in a cute apartment in Green Lake and owned a new car. I took the bill, smiled and said "thank you". I then requested to my boss that I do not clean their place again unless absolutely necessary.

So don't always assume that just because someone has a shitty job that they don't work hard and/or aren't educated! Hope you enjoyed the story!