Today I’m participating in the Ultimate Blog Swap. You’ll find me posting over at Yeah Baby it’s Cold Outside about using essential oils, and I’m excited to welcome Emily McClements from Live Renewed to More Than Mundane:
Photo by Emily McClements
My family and I have been on a journey toward more green, natural and healthy living for almost five years now. It’s a little crazy to me to realize that it has been that long, and we’ve definitely taken our time, made small and easy changes, and taken baby-steps that have gotten us to where we are today.
I have to say that it’s been a really fun journey for us. I love learning new things, researching and trying out new ways of doing things, and one of my favorite parts has been making homemade products for us to use all around our home.
It’s kind of funny, but I get a little thrill from being able to make stuff at home, usually from items and ingredients that I already have on hand, that I used to buy at the store. I love knowing exactly what is going into the products that my family are using, it’s better for the environment because it saves on production, packaging and transportation resources, and it almost always saves me money at the same time. You can’t ask for much more than that!
Today, if you were to walk around my home, and look inside my cabinets (but please don’t, they’re a little messy and unorganized right now!) you would find homemade products of all different types and kinds. I wanted to share with you some of my favorite homemade items that we use on a regular basis in our home.
Cleaning/Laundry
Photo by Emily McClements
Diving into making my own natural and homemade cleaning products was one of the very first changes that I made around my house. After using homemade cleaning products for almost five years, here are my favorites:
Vinegar and Baking Soda — These two items are the basics of homemade and natural cleaning.
Multipurpose Cleaner – Basically just water, castile soap and tea tree oil mixed together in a spray bottle.
Soft Scrub/Bathroom Cleaner – I love this homemade soft scrub for deep cleaning my bathroom.
Disinfecting Wipes – A reusable and non-toxic, yet still convenient, alternative to Clorox wipes.
Dryer Sheets – Love these in the winter time for softening clothes and helping reduce static.
Stain Remover – I’m still working on finding the ultimate homemade stain remover that works on anything, but this one comes pretty close.
Beauty and Personal Care Products
Photo by Emily McClements
I’m still pretty new at making homemade personal care products, this is one area where I have a long list of things I’d like to learn to make. These are the beauty products I make and use on a regular basis:
Foaming Hand Soap – So cheap and so easy to make!
Shampoo and Conditioner – The no shampoo method for washing your hair.
Homemade Deodorant – This is the best recipe I’ve found for homemade deodorant – works great for this pregnant mama!
Face Wash – My skin has never looked better!
In the Kitchen
Cooking from scratch is a great way to serve your family healthy and real foods, while saving money at the same time. It does take a little bit of extra time, and at this point in my life I don’t do as much from scratch cooking as I would like, but here are a few of our favorites that don’t take much extra time at all:
Cooking a Whole Chicken and Homemade Chicken Broth – Homemade chicken broth is so nutritious and a super frugal way to use what would otherwise be garbage scraps.
Vanilla Coffee Creamer – I love my morning coffee with this creamer!
Homemade Yogurt – It’s easier than you think, and will save you lots of money.
Macaroni and Cheese – Just as quick and easy as from the box.
Making things at home has definitely become somewhat of a hobby for me. I really like finding ideas and recipes and trying them out – sometimes they work, sometimes it is a total fail, but I like to keep trying until I come up with something that works. There are many more things that I make at home, but the list above are my favorites, and I didn’t want to overwhelm you if you are just starting out with homemade products.
I think the key is to start small, try one thing at a time ’til you find what works best for you and your family, make it a regular part of your routine, and then move on to another product. I didn’t add all these things into our lives overnight, or even over the course of a week or two. It’s been a years long process for us, and there are still so many more things that I want to try making at home, and find our own homemade version for, but I know I need to take it one step at a time.
I hope this list will give you some ideas and encouragement to begin making your own homemade products, and I hope that you come to enjoy the health, environmental, and savings benefits as much as I do!
What is your favorite product to make at home? Or what is one item you’d like to try making a homemade version of?
Visit Life Your Way to see all of the Ultimate Blog Swap participants!
Wow, these are all really great! Have you thought about making your homemade "recipes" into an e-book? You have really great ideas I can't wait to try them. I have used the vinegar and baking soda with castile soap before, but I never knew how I could make my own dryer sheets. I dabble in making my own sunscreen in the summer, although I don't have an extra recipe yet.
I might have to take a weekend and make all these awesome products. Thank you for sharing and putting them all in one place!
love love love this post! thanks!