"small changes"

Hello all!  So I really need to start making a better effort to update this blog more regularly...there's just a lot going on right now.  But with two toddlers running around, when isn't there a lot going on lol.  I also have several new "small changes" in the natural/green department that I'm trying to implement around here, so I'll be sure to keep you posted on how those are working out for us.  I'm going to try to post more frequently so I can split the details of them into several different posts, which will also serve to make my posts a bit shorter, at least in theory.  Those readers who know me know that I have a tendency to ramble on about a topic if given half a chance lol.  But for now, I'll just talk about a couple of recent small changes that are working out well for us here. 

So the first small change we've made around here is making our own laundry soap.  It's actually really fun to make and super easy too!  The recipe I used is not my own, it can be found here.  When you drop by to find the laundry soap recipe, take a look around the rest of the blog too...it's an awesome blog about simple living and frugality!  I actually use several of her green cleaning recipes around the house (And have for a couple of years, the laundry soap was just the most recent one I've tried.  Where it has laundry soap as an ingredient in some of the other recipes I had just been substituting with some liquid Dr. Bronners.) and I can say from experience, they work beautifully!  Anyways, back to the laundry soap...I omitted the borax in the recipe, as per her suggestion should I decide at a later time to save the greywater from the washing machine to use for watering the garden.  I actually had the laundry liquid made and bottled about a month before I started using it because I was using up the last of the commercially made detergent we had on hand and apparently there was more left than I had originally thought.  After using it the first couple of times, I can tell you that I will never go back to store bought laundry soap again!  Not only is it considerably cheaper, but it also cleans my clothes better.  It's safe to use on cloth diapers and also gets the oil (and stink!) out of hubby's work clothes...I couldn't really ask for more out of laundry soap. 

Along the same lines, I've also recently made a body wash from a favorite bar soap.  I used lavender scented Dr. Bronners bar soap.  For those who are wondering, yes, Dr. Broners does make their liquid castile soap in the lavender scent and I have used the liquid as body wash before, but I find it a little thin in consistency for body wash...I generally like something a little thicker for that.  But converting it from a bar to a liquid was super easy and gave me the consistency I prefer for a body wash.  It's all natural, works well and smells great...again, what more could I ask for?

The last small change I'll discuss today is that we're starting a garden.  Actually, I guess that would really be a big change, but since I only planted the seeds yesterday it's still small right now :) .  I planted the seeds for tomatoes, peppers and 4 different herbs in starter pots yesterday afternoon and once they're big enough (and I till up a plot in the back for them) they'll be transplanted into our garden.  There will also be carrots, cucumbers and corn planted in the garden as well, but those plants often do a little better when sowed directly into the ground rather than started early in starter pots (at least from what I've been told).  Plus that gives me a little extra time to find materials to build supports for some of the plants.  What "small changes" have you made (or plan to make) in your everyday life?  I'd love to read some comments from everyone!  Well, I guess that's all for now...until next time!