All posts filed under: DIY

Natural Cleaner for Yoga Mats + Gym Equipment

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Just when you thought it was safe to watch documentaries, you come across The Human Experiment and life is over as you knew it. Nightmares for DAYS, people. Damn it, Netflix, why do you do me like that? The basic synopsis of The Human Experiment is that we’re all going to die. Well, ok, more specifically, we are experiencing a chemical overload via the things we use daily, ranging from food to products. Households cleaning items are rarely tested for long term effects on animals, and what data we do is not looking good. After watching that documentary my first instinct was to pack up, pulling a Walden, and getting my Henry David Thoreau-self outta here! But here’s the thing: I absolutely refuse to live my life in fear of all of the non-holistic things that go bump in the night. There’s a big difference between making smart, well-informed changes that positively impact your life verses being controlled by information that terrifies you. The point of educating ourselves about natural alternatives is to simplify, empower and protect our …

DIY Glowing Skin Face Mask

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THERE ARE ENDLESS BENEFITS TO LIVING A NATURAL LIFESTYLE, but one of the best perks is that when it comes to beauty, it’s a much more frugal option than mainstream counterparts and you know exactly what’s going on your skin. I repeat: you know exactly what chemicals are NOT going on your skin and therefore into your body. The skin is an organ, but we kinda forget this and the fact that it will indeed absorb whatever we slather on it. My skin routine is 100% natural, and ironically, when I switched to natural products, my skin looked so much better than when I was keeping up an expensive face routine. Not only does my health thank me for this, but so does my piggy-bank. You know, if I had one. Which, I guess Chase Bank counts, right? Remember, more expensive isn’t usually most effective. Some of my girlfriends spend a crazy amount of money on teeny tiny face product and treatments at various spas and such. It’s not necessarily to maintain gorgeous, youthful skin. …

DIY Storage Jar/Herb Garden Planter

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You’d think a city girl through and through might not be much of a tree hugger, but here’s the full disclosure: I’m crazy about nature and can’t get enough of the great outdoors. I will hike, camp, bike, boat, and play my way through nature. Fortunately, Washington, DC is filled with amazing gardens, greens, and gorgeous plants and flowers. It’s also extremely accessible to fabulous hiking trails, mountains, lakes, rivers, the ocean…I mean, this little city girl has got it made. My one limitation: growing my own garden. The one thing we don’t have a lot of in the city is a big space to grow tons of plants. That doesn’t stop me from having my own fabulous indoor garden, and I’ve been able to grow and care for a wide variety of plants in the comfort of my home. Having fresh herbs on demand is a huge plus when cooking. It absolutely changes the dynamics of any dish in the best way possible, and there’s something really enjoyable about handling fresh, bright greens. It …

Go Nuts: Make Your Own Almond Milk

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Whenever possible, I prefer to make from scratch whatever my husband and I eat. We’re purists when it comes to food, because if the old saying “you are what you eat” is true, then the average American is the sum total of refined sugars, bleached flours, GMO’s chemicals and preservatives…basically a science experiment gone horribly awry. Food is one of the easiest things we can control to contribute to a healthier, happier life. While I won’t claim to be the most amazing chef in the world, I do find that often times food and drinks taste better and are much healthier when I get to make them myself. Most importantly, I know what goes into the recipe, so I also know what goes into my body. Since I avoid eating or drink milk or cheese products (other than occasionally goat cheese), I get my calcium fix via almond or coconut milk. Plant based milk is about a billion times healthier for you, and it doesn’t come with added calories, antibiotics, or hormones. The one catch …