Am I insane or just weird?

I have had more interest and response to this blog than anything else I have done. So, I figured I'd let you in on why I am doing this in the first place. Well, the reasons are many. But most of them all boil down to making the best life I can for my family (the pic above is one of my sons). First of all, I truly believe that what God created HAS to be better than what man makes. I am thankful for the intelligence and creativity that God has given to man and I do believe that the innovations and technology that we have come up with has had a dramatic and beneficial impact on our world and society. However, I also believe there are many damaging side effects of these innovations as well. I wonder if using harsh chemicals in our homes and on our bodies has caused some of the sicknesses and diseases we see today. I wonder if cutting those out of our lives could help prevent some tragic, long term problems. I do not have proof of this but I'll just say, I feel better knowing that I am not exposing my family to the harsh unknown substances that come in some of the products I have bought in the past.

Secondly, I am trying to be a good steward of not only my family and their health but of our finances as well. I found, so far, that the things I am trying are by far less expensive than the store bought versions and believe it or not, are SUPER easy to make!

Thirdly, I know that reusing items is better for the planet. So, as a bonus, by not purchasing so many disposable bottles and containers I am decreasing the waste that comes out of my home and the harmful effects they could have on our beautiful Earth.

Lastly, something that I didn't expect has happened! I get this feeling of accomplishment and pride. I love feeling like what I'm doing is helpful, healthy, frugal, creative and it's something I made! It's a great feeling.

I know there are those out there that are rolling their eyes at me like I'm crazy. And, that's okay with me! I invite you all to join me in these experiments and find out for yourself if you might actually enjoy being a little weird too!

Later today I will talk about homemade bread and wheat grinding and tomorrow I will let you know how my homemade cleaner did on my grimy bathroom surfaces!

The Fight for my Face

I just decided to do it. I'd been reading about it and hearing about it for a long time. I didn't really believe it could work. So, I decided to try it. Nothing like the truth of personal experience right? So here it goes. With gritted teeth I took the plunge into the world of homemade personal grooming products. I have started with facial cleanser. I have dry skin. I have had severe eczema. I have had very severe acne. I have super sensitive skin. So, put all this together and this is a very scary world for my face. But, after hearing some of the ingredients in the mainstream, big name facial cleansing products and after emptying my wallet countless times to try them, I realized it was a bad idea all around. So, what was left? Well, I could "invest" in one of those big time direct sales companies and "make money, or at least get my products for free". Or, I could just sell my kidney so I could afford to purchase the super expensive, all natural, anti aging, miracle products. I didn't have the fortitude for either.

I had heard from a friend of mine that she had discovered and was enjoying using a method called the Oil Cleansing Method. She admits to having acne prone skin as well. After briefly talking with her about it I began some research. I read the instructions and the recipe. I read the chat threads. I googled it. I read it again and again and I just couldn't believe it. I even read it to my sister and she sort of smirked too. The premise is washing your face daily with oil! EVOO! (not just EVOO but I'll discuss particulars later). How could putting oil on an already blemish prone skin really work? Does it work? That is the question we will be finding out.

In the process of learning about the oil cleansing method I have come across a myriad of websites and folks that have gone shampoo free and body wash free as well. I figured, if I'm going to try one, I might as well try it all. I'm also going to be investigating the success of homemade laundry detergent and probably some homemade household cleaners. Who knows where this might lead! Follow along and we will take the plunge!