I may be an experienced gardener, but I am very much a fledgling herbalist. An enthusiastic fledgling, but a fledgling nonetheless. For example, this is the first year that I’ve worked with elder. My first year making nutritive vinegars, and my first year growing a medicinal garden. I’ve been making Meadow Tea infusions for ages, but it was only two years ago that I infused my inaugural healing oil — that Oil Of Oregano that kicked off this whole herbalism love affair.

And now? This year? Well now I’m in deep with Dandelion, and I think I’ve met my herbal soul mate!

Dandelion is so unassuming — ubiquitous yet misunderstood. It’s everywhere, but it’s completely overlooked. Powerful, but easily passed over. Resilient to its core (and to many people’s chagrin), Dandelion is brimming with magic and mystery and wisdom and warmth. And yet, to most who know it, it’s written off as a weed — nothing more.

I must say, I very much relate to Dandelion. I think it is my spirit plant.

And for herbalists, Dandelion is used in every possible way, from root to tip, from food to tincture, and every possible piece or preparation in between. This oil, for example, uses the young flower heads. Dandelions flower in early spring, and dandelion oil is a great skin conditioner to help transition from dry winter into warmer, more humid summer months.

Dandelion Oil is sold commercially of course, in health food stores and herb shoppes (and also online), but it just seems silly to me to buy something that’s made from weeds that are literally growing everywhere. And it’s so simple to make at home!

So here’s how you can make your own — practically free and powerfully potent:

To make your own Dandelion Oil, first you’ll need to procure some Dandelion flowers. This shouldn’t be too hard, as Dandelion blooms from early spring through midsummer, depending on where you live. But no matter where you are, it’s certain that you’re not far away from Dandelion. They’re everywhere.

You’ll need to collect quite a bit. They shrink down as they dry, so you’ll need more than you think. I collected a full pint to fill a small (8 oz) mason jar.




Gently rinse the dandelion flowers to remove any excess dirt or bugs. You don’t want to bruise them or rough them up, so be gentle!

Then, spread the flowers out on a cloth or piece of cardboard. Dandelion retains a lot of water, so you want to give the flowers some time to dry out. Otherwise you’ll end up with too much moisture in your oil.

Allow the flowers to sit out for ~24 hours. They will shrink up quite a bit, which is fine.

Now, add your dry-ish flowers to a clean glass jar, and cover them with organic oil (I used extra virgin olive oil). Place the jar in a sunny window (the warm sun will help your infusion along) and let it sit for, eh, 4-6 weeks or so. I like to turn mine over every few days, or give it a good shake now and again. Really keep things moving and mixing and breaking down. Releasing all that medicine!




Finally, your infusion will be ready. All you need to do is strain it through cheesecloth to separate the oil from the flower bits. Easy peasy.




Look at that lovely golden color! It’s so gorgeous.

Strain it into a new jar, cap it, and keep it safe. That’s precious magic!

Dandelion Oil is an ancient traditional remedy used for achy joints and arthritis, sore muscles, and rough dry/chapped skin. I made this oil specifically for my housemate, who has chronic inflammation and joint pain, and for Jeremy, who is constantly sore in one way or another. I’ve got them both using it now, so I’ll report back to you and let you know how it works for them.

Do you have a spirit plant? Some herb that you adore and love to work with? What’s your favorite way to use it?

I’m pretty much obsessed with herbalism right now, and quickly building my own little home apothecary. And I know that so many of you out there share my passion, so I’d love to hear your wisdom, insight, and experience!

Cheers!

♥

Oil of oregano is one of the most widely respected and commonly used herbal remedies. Just ask any crunchy mama about her go-to cure-all for colds, flus and everyday infections, and I’m willing to bet that 9 out of 10 will include this traditional medicine.

And luckily (and because I’m me, and I think it matters), science agrees! Oil of oregano has been laboratory tested again and again, and has proven itself as a powerful antibacterial and antifungal agent. Oil of oregano has successfully been shown to fight everything from candida yeast to protozoan parasites. So seriously, this isn’t just another “woo-woo” hippie fix. Oil of oregano is totally legit.

The only rub? This stuff’s expensive! Like, almost 15 bucks for an ounce that’s wild-crafted, and upwards of $30 for a bottle that’s certified organic!

Too rich for your blood? Yeah, me too. So how about you just make it yourself for roughly 25 cents per ounce. Here’s how . . .




You’ll need:

a large bunch of oregano – about 2 cups loose packed leaves
1 cup organic extra virgin olive oil

a muddler (or mortar + pestle, but a muddler is preferable)
a glass container with a lid, such as a canning jar




Carefully wash the oregano with water, and pat it dry. Pluck the leaves from the stems (save the stems for your homemade veggie stock!) until you have about 2 cups worth of leaves.




Transfer about a 1/2 cup of the oregano leaves to the glass container. Use the muddler to mush them around the bottom of the glass. You want to get them good and smooshed so the cell walls burst and they release their oils.

They’ll shrink down a lot, and quickly. Add the rest of the leaves about a 1/2 cup at a time, until all 2 cups have been muddled.




I love the light in these photos – it’s harsh, and it’s very yellow. That’s the light of autumn!

Now, pour the oil over the leaves and use the muddler to stir everything around a bit. It’s best if the oil is a little warm, which you can accomplish by using either a microwave or by letting the oil sit in a pot of hot water. Either way, it will help the infusion if the oil’s warm.

So add the organic olive oil and give it a stir.




Replace the lid. Now you wait.

The oil will need to infuse for at least a week, but ideally two. Keep it in a cool place away from direct sunlight, and give it a little shakey swirl every few days. It will darken to a rich brown color.

When it’s finished infusing, strain the oil using cheesecloth or a nut milk bag. Store the oil in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid, in the refrigerator, and administer as needed.




I’ll be using this all-natural antimicrobial powerhouse to keep our immune systems going strong all winter. Watch out, germy germs!

Edited to add:
Well dangit grad school brain! I suppose I should include some actual instructions for use, eh?

So for myself, I usually take it orally, 3-5 drops in water once a day. I do this if I’m feeling run down or feel a cold coming on. In this way, I use it prophylactically. Of course I’ll also do this if I already have the cold, to help speed my recovery. Oil of oregano is anti-inflammatory and is full of antioxidants, so it offers wonderful immune support.

Some people take it regularly whether they’re feeling down or not. I tend not to like doing this with herbal infusions/essential oils, because I believe they are strong medicine and should be reserved for actual medicinal use. But your mileage may vary. Many people take capsules regularly to help with intestinal distress and to ward off internal parasites.

Oil of oregano can also be used topically as an antimicrobial agent. Mix a few drops with a teaspoon of olive oil or coconut oil and apply to a cut, or to help heal a fungal infection. This can also be applied to the gums in cases of oral distress.

And finally, you can make a DIY hand sanitizer by mixing 10 drops of the oil with 2 tablespoon of coconut oil (or 20 drops in a 1/4 cup for a larger batch). Rub this on your hands throughout the day, to keep the germs away.

Hope that helps! And please let us know – how do YOU use oil of oregano?

♥ ♥ ♥

I had a rodent problem. Eek! But in my defense, it’s sort of inescapable here. I live near downtown, and right next to a creek. It’s that perfect buffer zone between the rural and the urban that’s an ideal breeding ground for city-friendly wild life. We have a raccoon family that lives above Jeremy’s garage (same family that steals cat food off my friend’s porch, around the corner), opossums in the yard (Harley got ahold of one once and it played opossum, faked it’s death, and sent me to bed in tears thinking my sweet pooch had killed it) and the skunks are . . . well, somewhere. We can smell them! Then of course, there’s the rodents.

Rats and mice just love this neighborhood. Easy picking ’round here, between the residential foraging and whatever winds up creekside. The good life!

And I always knew they were out there, but over time – and especially once I had the compost system set up – they really started making their presence known. In the back yard. In the trees. Multiplying. And then . . . under my house.

OH HELL NO.

So what’s a vegan girl to do?


Prevention

1) Create physical barriers.
If the little critters are finding a way into your home – either under your floor or in your walls, you’ll need to seal off all entry points. Fill every crack, hole, and possible point of access into your house: around the exterior, on the roof, at the crawlspace/attic, and in the foundation. You can have this done professionally, or you can invest some time and do it yourself. Fill small holes with steel wool, which the rodents won’t chew through. Larger openings can be mended with hardware cloth and filler. Repair any damage to vents, and fit them with a screen.

2) Don’t temp them.
You don’t want to do anything that might draw their attention. Namely, food or hiding spots. So make sure your garbage cans and compost bins are on lockdown. Put away any pet food or birdseed that might be available. And finally, trim back or remove any foliage that sits alongside or hangs out over the house.

3) Repel them.
There are a few different natural products reputed to repel rodents. For a homemade solution, try sachets of Balsam Fir, a spray made from peppermint oil or wintergreen oil diluted in water, a spray made from equal parts ammonia and vinegar, or a solution made from 1 gallon water + 1/2 cup dish detergent + 1 tablespoon tabasco sauce. You can also plant peppermint and sage around the yard, which will help to ward off the rodents.

However, if homemade seems like too much hassle, you can go with a more surefire, store-bought solution. I had good luck with Fresh Cab, which the company was nice enough to send to me to sample. This is an all-natural product based on botanic rodent repellants, and it worked wonderfully for me for as long as it was potent. In other words, the rodents returned once the smell had worn off, I’d say 6-8 weeks. I was using this product outside and I imagine it would be more effective when used in close, closed quarters (which is how it’s intended to be used).


Removal



1) Ultrasonic/electromagnetic device.
Somewhere between a repellant and a removal system, these unique instruments emit a very high-frequency sound wave which is imperceptible to humans or non-pest animals, like pets. The sound is supposedly unbearable to rodents, and is reported to keep them away as long as the device is operating.

2) Box traps.
There are a number of no-kill rodent traps on the market, and this is the solution that has worked so well for us. SO well! These traps are awesome and easy to use and of course, cruelty-free! We used this product in both the “chipmunk, rat, and weasel” size (for the rats) as well as the “mouse” size (for the baby rats and mice).

All we did was trap them, drive them to a local park or hiking trail, and let them go. Easy peasy!

These days the yard is pleasantly rodent-free once more. Occassionally, because of the close proximity to downtown and the creek, we’ll hear a wee wanderer out in the garden at night. But all we have to do is set the trap, catch the bugger, and chauffeur him away to his new home, and we’re good to go. That happens pretty rarely, these days.

It is completely possible to rid yourself of rodents without having to harm them. I totally believe that now, and I think my experience is just proof of that. And I hope that if you’re ever facing an infestation of your own, you’ll consider the cruelty-free route.

♥ ♥ ♥

Edited to add: There’s a ton of awesome info and experience being shared in the comments below – please read through those for even more great tips and ideas. And as always, please keep sharing!

It’s finished! After months and months (and months! seriously, oi) of working in our spare time, Jeremy and I have finally finished Waits’s bedroom makeover. It’s so exciting!

And what a labor of love. This is a project that started off ambitious and then progressively spun further and further out of control. But Jeremy and I were having so much fun! Can’t really blame us for that, eh?

I’ve gotta to say, I see a lot of Pinterest bedrooms that seem to be designed more for the parents than for the actual kids. And I didn’t want that. So as you’ll see, this isn’t some hip Scandi minimalist space, haha. I really just wanted to fill this teeny tiny room up to the top with the things that Waits loves, with items that interest him and that are meaningful in our lives. It’s a good blend of vintage, family history, and hand-me-downs, combined with flashy, fun modern stuff. It’s everything that he loves and it’s all for him, and that’s what matters to me.

Okay, now here comes a million pictures!

First, the pièce de résistance: the fire truck bunk bed that Jeremy designed and built from scratch. The lights really light up. The control panel is real diamond plate steel, fitted with real switches and buttons. We got a real bumper, gauge, and steering wheel from the junk yard. And the fire hose and nozzle (which unravel far enough to reach the living room!) are real as well – a vintage model that Jeremy scored on Ebay.

Legit.

The front wheel swivels on a hinge for easy entrance.

Thank you baby. From both of us.

Every time I post a photo or tweet or Instagram featuring the Cupow and/or the EcoJarz lids, I’m met with a flurry of excitement and interest. Everyone wants to know what they are and where to get them, which makes sense, because basically they are AWESOMESAUCE and I use mine pretty much every day.

Last week I was dropping Waits off at preschool, sitting together on the eating blanket (outdoor preschool, remember) with an EcoJarz-lidded green smoothie between us. And when his teacher saw the lid she did what everyone else does . . . well at least what every hippie does. Lots of excitement, and lots of questions.

But this time, there was a twist! Because she then proceeded to tell me that she had seen someone make a similar device using a 1/2 gallon orange juice carton – the kind with a pour spout and lid – and I was like OMG GENIUS and immediately went home and made one for myself.

Like this:




And it works! Totally water tight, at least through a few uses (long enough to drink another 1/2 gallon of almond milk, at least in this house). See?




Don’t get me wrong, I still love my Cupow and my EcoJarz lids, and I’ll continue to use them every day. But from now on, I’m sending Waits off to preschool and play dates with this awesome DIY option, and I won’t have to worry about being out $9 if something gets lost or broken.

Enjoy!

♥ ♥ ♥

But now I’m preparing to write this post, and I can’t help but notice that the last DIY green cleaner I posted was my natural homemade liquid dishwasher detergent, and that was back in . . . 2010. Geeze . . .

The funny thing is, I’ve been DIY green cleaning and home-making my eco-friendly body care products this entire time. I’m not quite sure why I stopped posting about them, really. But it’s been years on both accounts, and now – it’s time to remedy that!




I didn’t even realize there was such a thing as daily shower spray. You know, the kind of cleaner you spray on each morning after you hop out of the shower, and you don’t even bother to wipe it off or rinse it down? You just spray it, leave it, and forget it. Umm, how did I not know about this?

My not-boyfriend has an automatic shower sprayer, which is where I learned of such a magical cleanser, and which we hacked to refill with our eco-friendly, all-natural non-toxic awesomeness. But you can also just use a plain ol’ spray bottle, which is what I use for all my homemade cleaning products. Here’s what you’ll need:

1 cup water
½ cup hydrogen peroxide
½ cup vinegar
1 teaspoon castile soap
optional: essential oil for scent, 20 drops





Pour the water into a non-metal mixing bowl, and then whisk in the soap. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix to fully incorporate. The solution will be sort of milky looking, which is fine and totally normal.

Add to an automatic shower sprayer, or store in a spray bottle. Use daily, and watch your biceps widdle away to nothing now that you never have to scrub your dang shower anymore. Hooray!

♥

Because it’s dangerous there! For a busy person with much too much web to surf already, Pinterest is like a no-mans-land of endless, utterly gleeful time suckage. Recipes! Decorating! CRAFT PROJECTS!

You know how it goes. It’s basically the holy grail of design porn, which is so awesome and totally dangerously addictive at the same time. And that’s why I mostly stay away.

But hey, I’m a DIY enthusiast and a secondhand shopping junkie and a sucker for a good repurposing/upcycling. And Pinterest is just chock full of those projects. Which is great! It means the rest of the world is crafting and conserving and reusing and thrifting as well. I’m all for it.

The Good News?
So amazingly, spray paint manufacturers have begun to catch onto this whole “we actually care about the future of the planet” trend. And much to my surprise and delight, there’s now not one but TWO eco-friendly spray paints on the market. Pretty cool right?

1) The first is by Krylon – the Krylon H2O Latex Spray Paint – which is a big beautiful step in the right direction. Krylon H2O is a water-based, 100% acrylic latex formula. The VOC-emissions are reduced by 25-30%, and it eliminates 55% of the smog-causing chemical load in traditional spray paints.

Okay, so that’s an awesome improvement. Maybe it’s not perfect, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.

2) More recent on the scene is Plutonium Paint. And this? has got me really excited.

Plutonium spray paint is served up in a recyclable, tin-free steel can. It has zero – NONE – CFCs. Using Plutonium reduces the carbon footprint by 50% over traditional aerosol sprays. And to top it all off? It’s made in America!

I’m super excited about this product, and what it might mean for the future of eco-conscious crafting. You can learn more about Plutonium here.

*** just in case you were wondering, I am NOT affiliated with either of these products in any way. I just think they’re rad and I was happy to find them, so I’m sharing the love ***




So this project – using thrifted, dirt cheap ugly old dishes and turning them into adorable, funky kitschy cake stands – is ridiculously easy. Like, literally 1-2-3 easy.

1. Procure dishes. Clean them.




2. Glue the plates to the cups. I used Gorilla Glue, which is vegan, but many glues are NOT vegan – just something to be aware of as a conscientious crafter!

Anyway, use books or something else that’s heavy to keep the dishes good and stuck while the glue dries completely.




3. Spray paint! (note – I left the tops unpainted on some of these, because I didn’t like the idea of the food touching the paint. On others, I painted the tops and then used some pretty doilies – also thrifted!)





And that’s that. Happy eco-conscious crafting!

♥

This post is reprinted with permission.


~~~


The internet is rife with homemade “green” cleaning recipes that seek to minimize toxic chemical exposure while saving money and maximizing environmental stewardship. Which is awesome.

However, many of these recipes include the ingredient borax, which until recently has been touted as an all-natural and eco-friendly cleanser. Borax is most often used to fight grease (like in dishwasher detergent) and as a “natural” laundry booster (which is how it’s marketed – you’ll find it in the laundry aisle). I even have borax-containing recipes on this blog.

But in the latest edition of their Guide To Healthy Cleaning, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) gave borax a grade of F – “Highest Concern”. And over on Enviroblog, a leading scientist for EWG cautioned people not to use borax-containing cleansers or cosmetics. Obviously, this came as a surprise to many of us in the natural-living community, and there’s generally been a lot of confusion ever since.

Unfortunately, the truth is that there’s still a lot of missing research, and a lot we simply don’t know about how borax affects human beings. Here’s what we do know:

What is borax?
Borax is, in fact, a naturally occurring mineral. It is one of the salts of boric acid, a boron-containing compound, and can also be found under the names sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, and disodium tetraborate.

Boric acid and its salts are used as pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, and wood preservatives. Sounds healthy, right?!

Well, it’s important to remember that the borax used to clean your home (and in some cosmetics) is not boric acid. They are similar, and similarly derived, but they are not chemically identical. Most of the studies referenced by the EWG and other agencies were performed using boric acid, not borax. Just something to keep in mind.


Is borax harmful?
The National Institute of Health calls boric acid “a dangerous poison”. But that’s boric acid, not borax.

The FDA has banned borax as a food additive.

According to the EPA, boric acid/sodium borate salts are irritating to the skin and eyes and can cause acute toxicity when inhaled or eaten. The symptoms often include nausea, vomiting, skin rash, and respiratory distress.

The borax Safety Data Sheet states that borax does not bioaccumulate in the body or biomagnify through the food chain. However, studies show that chronic exposure is associated with increased toxicity and more severe damage.

Most of the studies cited in the literature were performed on rats or other mammals, which makes it inappropriate to draw conclusions regarding human risk. It is believed that boric acid and its salts target the reproductive systems and can cause hormone disruption, especially in males. Human men working in boric acid-producing factories have increased risk of low sperm count and low libido. (more here)


Is borax eco-friendly?
Boron is an open-pit mined mineral. The process of open-pit mining involves drilling, excavation via explosives, heavy transport, and refining for purification. It’s destructive, and fueled by petrochemicals. It’s not pretty.

However, it should be noted that 20 Mule Team Borax, the most widely available commercial product, is extracted in California at a mine that has been lauded for it’s environmental standards. It is considered to be one of the cleanest running mines in the world.

Still, remember that’s clean . . . for a pit mine.

America’s Environmental Protection Agency is still mostly neutral on its safety, but the European Union has flagged it as a “Substance Of Very High Concern” and Europe’s International Chemical Secretariat places borax on its SIN list of hazardous chemicals.


In Conclusion
Upon reviewing all of this information, it seems that there is still some question as to the safety of borax itself (as opposed to boric acid) and its impact on human health. Therefore, the decision of whether or not to use borax in your homemade cleaning products will have to be a personal one.

As for me? I’m coming up with new, borax-free recipes . . .

♥

This month we’ve made it our mission to finally find alternatives for some of the less conspicuous, but nevertheless wasteful, objects in our lives. For example, this whole idea was inspired by my desire to replace my paper coffee filters with something I could reuse. And just last week, I picked up a seriously awesome hemp filter that I’m loving! Other people suggested I switch to a French press or cold brew system, both great options.

There are a million ways that you can tweak your life to lessen your imprint on this Earth. The great thing about “going green” is that it’s a journey, not a destination, and we’re all walking on this path together. Each of us makes our little changes, at our own pace and as our life allows. And working together, keeping each other motivated, all those little alterations add up to an enormous impact!

Here are some other ideas:


Plastic Sandwich Bags
Make your own!
or
Buy pre-made to support a crafter


Plastic Tupperware
Dudes, it’s all about the repurposed glass jars.
or
Fancy glass! (this company uses recycled glass and manufactures in America, w00t!)


Kitchen Sponges
Make your own!
or
Grow your own? (!)


Plastic Water Bottles
I say, just re-use a glass mason jar. Easy and CHEAP!
But,
Maybe you like something fancy? There’s a million billion options out there in glass, steel, and more. I couldn’t possibly list them all. However, I love glass and these are adorable!!!


“Java Jackets” For Hot Drinks
Make your own!


Menstrual Pads
Make your own!
or
Buy pre-made to support a crafter


Tampons
Switch to Diva (or other menstrual cup)


Paper Towels As Napkins
Make your own!
or
Buy pre-made to support a crafter


Paper Towels As Cleaning Rags
Dudes, just cut up an old bath towel!
or
Buy pre-made to support a crafter


Plastic Take-Out Utensils
Replace with reusable


Take-Out Chopsticks
Replace with reusable


Take-Out Food Containers
Bring your own from home. Like these! Just tell the restaurant ahead of time, when you place your order. If this sounds crazy, just think about how far we’ve come with cloth grocery bags. Be a pioneer!


Plastic Straws
Replace with reusable


Wrapping Paper
Use newspaper, brown paper bags (you can draw or write on it for decoration), pieces of fabric, or a cloth bag.


Toilet Paper
Make your own cloth reusables! Sound crazy? I know, I know. Read this on how to get set up.


Single-Portion Foods
Stop buying those big bags full of tiny bags of chips or trail mix or whatever. Buy in bulk and pack it up yourself in reusable containers. Stop buying the individual yogurts or the single-serving soy milks. Buy the biggest container (or make your own!) and portion it out at home. Make your own trail mix. Make your own granola. Make your own Larabars. Buy loose leaf tea. You get the picture!

~~~

Clearly, this is by no means a comprehensive list, but it’s a great jumping off point. Got something to add? Leave it in the comments!

Also, check out ReUseIt.com. Oh my god I want, like, everything there. Hippy heaven!

I do most of my produce shopping at the Farmer’s Market, and secondarily at the local market or co-op. But the truth is, I live 5 blocks from a Trader Joe’s, and sometimes it’s just super convenient to pop over there for an emergency onion or whatever.

In this way, over time I’ve amassed a collection of those coarse plastic produce bags, the ones that usually house garlic and such. You know the type? These ones:



And I have been saving them, oh yes, because I saw in my little mind’s eye the perfect way to put that plastic back into action. So easy. So simple. So effective! The wiry plastic and diamond pattern lends itself so well to the project, it’s almost like it was meant to be. Meant to be: a Scrubbie.




1) Collect a number of plastic produce bags.

2) Stuff all of them into one of them. The Trader Joe’s organic garlic comes in a little yellow bag that’s just about the size of a sponge, and I had a whole bunch of those. So I stuffed one of them full, and then used the others to make a couple of “layers” of exterior. Not necessary, but I think it helps keep everything together.

3) Sew up the seem. I used dental floss! I didn’t even use a needle, though it would have been a lot faster if I had.

4) Fin.

See how easy??!



Enjoy!