I Bought Five...

Natural Year Challenge:  Household Edition

 

Step 1:  Buy Five

 

Well, here they are! My five cleaning supplies plus the recommended bonus items. 

 

 

I already had the Borax.

 

I bought the Washing Soda at Publix.

I bought a big box at Publix.

Publix again!

I bought the Castile Soap at Organic Harvest.  The Liquid Soap was $15.99, comparable to the Amazon price.  The Bar Soap was $4.29.  I could have saved a little by ordering the bar soap from Moms Aware for $3.50 (free shipping), but I was eager to have it in hand. 

I already had these Beeyoutiful Essential Oils on hand.  Andrea recommends Tea Tree Oil for its medicinal properties.  I've chosen Lemon and Lavender for good-smelling cleaning!  These and other oils are available from Smith Family Resources.  Click here for more information.

 

All total, I spent about $30.  I could have spent less if I hadn't been in such a hurry! 

 

I'd love to hear about your shopping.  Please tell us if you're able to find any good deals on any of these products!

 

If you're just joining us, click here to read the earlier posts:

 

Natural Year Challenge: Household Edition

 

Step 1: Buy Five

Starting Today...

I'm on my way to cleaning without chemicals!

I'm taking the Moms Aware Natural Year Challenge:  Household Edition, which you can read for yourself by clicking here.

Step 1:  Buy Five
These five supplies will be used to make my own all-purpose cleaners.

• Borax
• Washing Soda
• Baking Soda
• White Vinegar
• Castile Soap (liquid and bar)

There are also some recommended bonus items:

• Essential Oils
• Designated grater or inexpensive food processor for grating the castile soap bars.

I'm going to start gathering and shopping today.  Are you taking the challenge with me? Watch this video for a little encouragement from Andrea Fabry...

Switch to Chemical-Free Cleaning Products

"Would you like to switch to using chemical-free cleaning products in your home, but don't know where to begin?" - Andrea Fabry of Moms Aware, Inc.

Natural Year Challenge: 10 Steps to a Naturally Clean Home!  

"For the next 10 months we'll lead you step by step through the process of incorporating natural cleaning products into every room in your house. Before you know it you'll be enjoying that smell of 'natural' every day, with no worries of hazardous substances compromising the safe environment of your home.  ...You're allowed one full month for each step. If you need a month to catch up, no problem! Feel free to follow along at your own pace." - Andrea Fabry

I'm going to try it.

Anybody want to try it with me?

 

I'll blog about my progress, and I would love to hear from you if you're taking the challenge, too.  If you've already made the switch to natural cleaners, please share what you've learned.  I look forward to hearing from you!

Berry Well in a 55 Gallon Drum?

Some of our customers have half-jokingly suggested that

Berry Well should be available in a 55-gallon drum!

Well, it's not a 55-gallon drum, but it IS a half-gallon (64 oz.) container!

 

Steph Tallent of Beeyoutiful: "Due to the large size, this is bottled and shipped in a plastic bottle unlike the glass bottle that the 8 oz Berry Well comes in. This is to help keep it safe during shipping and hopefully reduce the incidences of broken or damaged containers on their way to you. We suggest labeling some glass jars at home (make sure they are clean and sterile!) and putting it in glass as soon as it arrives to you, particularly for longer term storage. Dark glass, or storage in a dark place is recommended. ... The 1/2 Gallon size is made from non-certified organic Elderberries. They come from the same farm that grows the certified organic berries we have been using but the demand outstripped the certified organic fields that they have. These elderberries are all natural and have never been sprayed or had pesticide exposure but are not officially certified as organic. We trust the safety of the source and will be using this with our own families."

 

Berry Well will continue to be available from Smith Family Resources in the 8 oz. size.  Please click on any Beeyoutiful link on our blog to order your 64 oz. Berry Well!

 

Berry Well, 8 fl. oz.

Click here to order