Category: Green Living

Green living involves generating, using and saving energy and other resources on the homestead.  The application of green principles can be just about anything on the homestead – small living, recycling, solar panel use, zero waste cooking, being frugal and so many other examples.

Cloth Diapering l Why I quit and why I kept going l Troubleshooting and realities l Hometead Lady

Cloth Diapering: Why I Ditched Cloth Diapers

Posted on by Homestead Lady

Yeah, dumped ’em.  No pun intended.  Stopped the madness of leaks and rashes.  Went cold turkey on the whole cloth diaper grind.  I still had them tucked away in my emergency preparedness boxes, but I was done using them!  Then…I took them up again.  Baby girl got older, I slept more and the whole thing didn’t seem like such a mess.  We started figuring out the kinks and I tried different systems.  And then, I quit again.  So, more for me than you, here are a few things I learned about cloth diapering. Cloth Diapering l Why I quit and why I kept going l Troubleshooting and realities l Hometead Lady Continue reading “Cloth Diapering: Why I Ditched Cloth Diapers” →

Tiny House Blogs l Tiny house living for individuals and families through blogs and websites l Homestead Lady.com

Tiny House Blogs

Posted on by Homestead Lady

If you’re thinking of downsizing and making a move to a smaller house, you might want to check out the advice and real-life experience in these tiny house blogs.  They’ll provide inspiration and motivation even if all you ever do is downsize!  Tiny House Blogs l Tiny house living for individuals and families through blogs and websites l Homestead Lady.com Continue reading “Tiny House Blogs” →

Make Your Own Plant Pots and Baskets l Learn to weave a natural basket from materials you have on hand l Homestead Lady (.com)

Make Your Own Plant Pots and Baskets

Posted on by Homestead Lady

Make Your Own Plant Pots and Baskets l Learn to weave a natural basket from materials you have on hand l Homestead Lady (.com)Basket weaving is the most unlikely of survival skills and, compared to learning how to build shelter, is not the first one you and I should master.  However, after teaching my children and some school friends that basics of basket weaving, I started to realize anew what a handy thing it is to know how to do.  (It’s something I used to do in my single days, when I sat down for longer stretches of time.)  Whether you need some quick plant pots for gifts or indoor herbs, or whether you’re out on a hike and score some wild berries, here is how to make your own plant pots and baskets. Continue reading “Make Your Own Plant Pots and Baskets” →

Update on Homemade Laundry Soap and Dryer “Sheets”

Posted on by Homestead Lady

Homemade Laundry Detergent Ingredients by Homestead LadySeveral people have asked how I liked the homemade laundry soap and dryer balls and if they really work; you can read our original post with the recipe, etc. here.  So, here’s our update!

Yes, the homemade laundry soap works, even on my cloth diapers!  The original recipe called for the castile soap Fels Naptha which ended up giving DH a rash so the last batch I made had a handmade goat milk soap in it. (No, I bought that one and didn’t make it myself.  I still haven’t figured out how work soap making back into life after baby.)  We all seem to be doing just fine after the switch and, to be honest, that Fels scent was really strong and it’s not the best soap out there ingredient wise. 

(Note – I did finally make a batch of  this old fashioned lye soap recipe from Frugally Sustainable which isn’t super-fatted like most bathing soaps; being fatty is a fine quality in a bath soap, not so much in a laundry soap.  This recipe creates a soap that doesn’t leave a residue, therefore it cleans a little bit better.) 

 I’ve been pleased with the results from the detergent, though, especially with my &*(%%*$ HE washing machine which is always stinky no matter how we clean it out.  I usually throw in a bit of white vinegar along with my detergent as a fabric softener/extra cleaner.  I should also mention that I’m still using Resolve to treat stains; my next project will be to mix up some sort of homemade concoction for stain treatment but I haven’t gotten around to it yet.  Hey, the world should just be happy that I remember to brush my teeth, ok?!

As for the dryer balls – those things are very cool!  I will add a bit of my awesome fragrance oils from The Sage to a ball now and then to scent the laundry with great results.  The balls do just as well as dryer sheets with no chemicals and I’m not throwing anything away.  The balls struggle with synthetic fibers and static just as much as dryer sheets do but nothing could hope to conquer those things – especially those new soft fleece blankets!  (Polyester is annoying on many levels.)  One of my balls made with yarn and not just fleece has come loose but I’ll just re-felt it and it should be fine.

So, there you go!  Let me know if you have something to add or a better way of doing it – I’m always happy to learn!

This post was shared at The Creative Homeacre Hop, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Frugally Sustainable, The HomeAcre Hop, Eco Kids Tuesday

 

Got Cloth Diaper Confusion? l Information and tips on choosing a cloth diapering system l Homestead Lady.com

Confused About Cloth Diapers?

Posted on by Homestead Lady

Interested in helping the planet?  Want to use a sustainable system for diapering?  Need to keep baby’s bum healthy?  Want to be prepared to still diaper your baby in an emergency?  Confused by all the options for cloth diapers and have no idea what you want to do?

Here are some reasons to consider using cloth diapers for your baby and a little help deciding which kinds to try.  Got Cloth Diaper Confusion? l Information and tips on choosing a cloth diapering system l Homestead Lady.com Continue reading “Confused About Cloth Diapers?” →

Homemade Laundry Soap and Dryer Sheets l Make your own, save money l Homestead Lady.com

Homemade Laundry Soap and Dryer “Sheets”

Posted on by Homestead Lady

Homemade Laundry Soap and Dryer Sheets l Make your own, save money l Homestead Lady.comI’ve been meaning to replace my store boughten (as they say in the South) laundry detergent with a homemade version for a long time.  I finally got ‘er done!  I also found a way to replace my dryer sheets for when I use the dryer.  So, here’s our report on homemade laundry soap and dryer sheets. Continue reading “Homemade Laundry Soap and Dryer “Sheets”” →