DIY household/multi-purpose cleaner - anyone can do it!

Don't dare throw away old bottles, sprayers, and just about everything you have ever bought. There is almost a second, (and sometimes a third/fourth), life in things. And if there isn't, try donating to a charity, swapping with friends and family, or re-purposing! The last thing you want to do, if at possible and cost, is to throw anything away in the rubbish.

Since beginning the plastic-free journey, I have become more of a minimalist. I always bought second-hand and thrifted, maybe a little too much, but I made sure to never buy new unless I had to for more personal items. In order to live more minimally and slow, I began sorting through everything I owned. I separated things into items I would donate, and some items I could even resell! Since I buy less and less these days, I began to scrutinize and evaluate the items I already have and what best uses, if any, I can get from re-purposing them.

Cue the picture of the beautiful glass bottle at the top. This is glass from an old liquor bottle that I had kept for a long time because I knew I would be able to make use of it again one day. I saw the potential in it, and a second life to give it. It now holds my DIY multi-purpose household cleaner. The sprayer is plastic yes, however, it is also recycled from an old bottle I had from before I became plastic-free. ➵TIP: It is most important, first and foremost, to use what you already have. You don't want to create waste by throwing something away, and you don't want to create waste by buying something new when you can use something you have recycled and kept! This is sustainability folks. Keep all those old glass jars, plastic containers and lids you bought before you became plastic free. And most definitely keep all sprayers from old cleaning bottles you bought before you became plastic-free. You will be reusing those, I guarantee it!

On to the simple DIY multi-purpose house cleaning recipe:
🍍What you need:
~A recycled glass bottle
~A recycled sprayer
~White distilled vinegar (Taken from a glass bottled vinegar. Heinz usually sells their vinegar in glass bottles).
~Clean, filtered water
~Organic Tea Tree EO (Optional, but Tea Tree is a natural anti-bacterial and antiseptic, so I recommend it).
~Organic Lemon EO (Optional)

🍍Directions:
~Mix one part vinegar with one part water in glass bottle and drop 20 drops of Tea Tree EO and 20 drops of Lemon EO into mixture. Close bottle with sprayer, (or original lid of bottle if you do not have any recycled sprayers), and shake well.

The essential oils are optional, but they make this DIY cleanser smell lovely. You will feel so good knowing that you and your loved ones are not inhaling any harsh chemicals while cleaning your home! I use this multi-purpose cleaner for all my surfaces: countertops, wooden tables, bookshelves, walls, floors, etc.. You can even use it for your bathroom! But I will be posting a specific DIY cleaning solution recipe targeted for bathroom use soon.

You will save tons of money not having to buy cleaner for your home ever again! Going plastic-free is not only a great way to help save the planet, but also save you money!

Love to all, see you soon.

The loving medicine that is Hibiscus - learn how to make a simple Hibiscus tisane

Hibiscus tea has a ton of health benefits. Hibiscus Tea has been known to prevent hypertension, lower blood pressure, reduce blood sugar levels, keep your liver healthy, help with menstrual cramps, help with depression, aid digestion and help with weight management. Its rich in Vitamin C, contains minerals such as flavonoids and has laxative properties. And it tastes delicious!
 
But just to be safe, we want to make sure we know as much as we can about the things we put into our bodies, Hibiscus tea can also have some side effects:
Hibiscus Tea can affect estrogen levels which means that it has an effect of both pregnancy and fertility. If you are trying to become pregnant or are pregnant, you should probably avoid hibiscus in your diet. It also lowers blood pressure which can be harmful if you already suffer from low blood pressure. But with anything that has medicinal properties, it's really important to see if it works for you! 

Now on to the recipe for boiling these beauties!  

What you need: 

• 2 cups of Hibiscus flowers (fresh or dried), I prefer fresh petals, for it makes more, and tastes richer.
• 8 cups of fresh, distilled or filtered water
• 1/4 organic, local, raw honey (you can put more, depending on how sweet you like it).
• 3 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice (optional)

1. Make sure you remove the calyx and the pistil from the flowers. 
2. Wash flower petals thoroughly. Make sure there isn't any pollen, dirt or bugs. These flowers carry a lot with them! 
3. Boil the 8 cups of water and steep the 2 cups of Hibiscus flowers. I steeped for about an hour to really get all the richness and flavors from the flower. 
4. Strain the water into a pitcher or jar.
5. Add the 1/4 cup of honey and mix well. 
6. You can serve this hot or cold. But to serve cold, keep refrigerated overnight to let the tisane really settle. 
7. Get creative! Add some fresh mint, lemon juice, basil leaves; whatever your palate desires! 

ENJOY... AND PLEASE SHARE ANY THOUGHTS, COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON HOW YOUR TEA CAME OUT! 

Don't throw out those cut flowers! Learn how to make beautiful homemade potpourri. They also make excellent gifts!

 
We all love fresh cut flowers. Especially ones we have grown ourselves in our DIY gardens.🌸 But alas, all good things must come to an end. Except for flowers! The next time you have cut flowers, do not automatically throw them in the bin when they are on their last breath. Give those beautiful flora a second life.

Here's how: 
◇Preheat the oven to 200° 
◇Cut the flower heads off of your bouquet from right under the head. Make sure your bouquet is beginning to dry on it's own. Don't ever kill perfectly good flowers! You can also use the leaves to give some pops of green.
◇Lay the flowers out on a baking sheet (parchment paper is optional).

◇Spray the flowers with a mixture of 1 tablespoon of water and 10-15 drops of your organic essential oil of choice, mixed in a recycled spray bottle, then pop tray into the oven. 
◇Leave in the oven for 2 hours, or until the flower petals are dry and stiff, not burnt, whichever comes first. So make sure to check on the flowers periodically. You can spray the flowers a few times with the water/EO mixture during this process. 
◇When they are done, give them another good spray of your water/essential oil mixture, and let cool. ◇Place in your favorite antique, secondhand dish/bowl, or recycled jar, and enjoy!

I love anything that grows from the earth. I almost always have a bouquet of flowers from the garden displayed throughout the house. And I usually take the time to dry them. But most recently, instead of throwing any dead or dried flowers away, I have begun making potpourri out of them!🌻🌿🌺🌼Anyone can do this if you have an oven, it's very easy. You will have your rooms smelling fresh and natural without using any plastic or creating waste! Your finished products also make great, low-cost gifts for birthdays, Christmas and other special occasions and holidays.

Beneficial uses of recycling your coffee grounds!

"Conscience keeps more people awake than coffee."

                                                                                                                                      -Unknown

☕My conscience has been more at ease knowing how to recycle and re-use coffee grounds. A lot of people drink coffee. Who am I kidding, almost everyone drinks coffee. Since becoming plastic free, I have consciously and mindfully been sifting through every action I take in life and scrutinizing my daily routines. Living a plastic-free life is all about changing our habits. It is something we can all do, if we put our minds to it. I know, it sounds cliche, but it's true! How often do we rush out of the house to get to work, or rush to take the children to school, or rush to this meeting, or rush to a party or a show? This modern society is influencing us to move faster, and react quicker. And this is not always the best way to live. In fact, it is not a healthy way to live at all.

Okay, let me get back to coffee, more on slow-living later. I recently noticed we were throwing away our organic coffee grounds and filters, (made from recycled material by the way), every day! I used to buy homemade coffee body scrub from a small business located in North Carolina -the packaging was unfortunately plastic and the product was very expensive- so from experience I knew that coffee grounds make an excellent natural exfoliate and moisturizer. So I began collecting our daily organic coffee grounds and bottling them in a recycled glass jar (pictured).

I use the coffee grounds to exfoliate and wash my face. I thought it would dry my skin, but it has done quite the opposite! My skin feels so smooth and unbelievably moisturized. So much so, that there was no need for me to put moisturizer on my face after the shower! Of course, everyone's skin is different. So if you have to apply moisturizer, or incorporate coffee grounds in addition to your regular facial routine, please do so! I love the way they smell, and the grittiness of the grounds really helps to clean out the pores in my face.

🍃Other uses for recycled coffee grounds:

With so much coffee being consumed on a daily basis, it is encouraging to know that there is a productive use for all those leftover grounds. Using your leftover coffee grounds as a fertilizer or compost addition, is another great way to recycle those grounds! Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen which is great for soil, and gardeners swear that worms fed with coffee will flourish. Coffee grounds also help in keeping ideal temperatures in compost piles. This allows the compost to stay free of harmful pathogens that could affect delicate seedlings later. Since coffee grounds are slightly acidic and full of nitrogen, a mineral that aids vegetable and plant growth, used coffee grounds are perfect to spread throughout the garden! Coffee grounds are especially good for tomato plant growth, which thrive on nitrogen. When used for planting, the grounds create a natural acidic form of bacteria, which boosts the growth of acid-loving plants like tomatoes, roses, blueberries and evergreens. Adding coffee to soil increases the nutritional value, betters the texture and fertility of the soil, and helps to attract earthworms. 

🍃☕So make it a habit! Just like making that pot of coffee every morning, next time you do, save your coffee grounds and add them to the soil in your garden! For the best results, make sure you use organic coffee if you are consuming the fruits or vegetables you fertilize, (which I hope you are). 

HELPFUL HINT: You can wash your face with the coffee grounds over a bowl, and use that same water/coffee grounds mixture to fertilize your soil! That way there is zero waste in both processes! 

How to make homemade toothpaste

To diy toothpaste or not to diy toothpaste, that is the question.. 

From a practical standpoint, brushing your teeth with toothpaste is unnecessary. You can remove food debris and plaque from your teeth without using toothpaste. All you need is a soft toothbrush and good brushing techniques to remove plaque. (https://www.dentalplans.com/dental-information/dental-concerns/does-toothpaste-damage-my-teeth) There was even a study done that concluded brushing first without toothpaste leads to better plaque removal when compared with toothbrushing with toothpaste. Brushing without toothpaste, however, does not prevent cavities. I personally would like to have some sort of cleaning mixture to use when brushing, and I think most of us would. But to each their own on how they would like to approach the toothpaste question. Questions have also arose if making diy toothpaste is safe and effective. However, there has been more research and support to prove that it is safe, rather than it isn't. (Disclaimer: I am not a dentist, but I have done thorough research on this topic. If you find that the only method that works for you is to buy regular toothpaste in the plastic tube, or your dentist recommends that you do not use natural or homemade toothpaste, than please follow your dentist's advice. We do not want to force people to change or go against what is needed for their health. We just want to suggest alternatives to using plastic, and how to do so!)

With that being said, let us delve into the world of homemade/handmade toothpaste!

Benefits of homemade toothpaste:
1. No plastic! I think we are all happy about that one. I know I am.
2. Cost effective. In the world of going plastic-free, we also want to make the process as low cost as possible. You will surely save a lot making your own toothpaste. Those savings will add up. Good toothpaste can be very costly.
3. It's a fun, mindful activity that can be done together with family, friends and loved ones.

My easy recipe for homemade toothpaste:

What you will need:
1. A glass container/jar with lid
2. Organic, unrefined coconut oil
3. Baking Soda
4. Organic peppermint, (or any flavor), essential oil (optional)

Directions: 
1. Clean and prepare the container where you will be storing the toothpaste. I used a recycled jam jar that was a perfect size for toothpaste storage. But feel free to use a mason jar, or any other type of glass container with a lid. No plastic of course!
2. Depending on how much you are making, pour 1 part Organic, unrefined coconut oil with 1 part baking soda, into a bowl. If you use 1/2 cup of the coconut oil, than use about 1/2 cup of the baking soda as well. NOTE: If you find that the toothpaste is a little too liquidy, add more baking soda to the mixture. No matter what, homemade toothpaste will not have the same consistency as store bought toothpaste, because it doesn't have all the additives, preservatives and unhealthy ingredients!
3. Then drop 20-25 drops of essential oil into the mixture (optional).
4. Mix thoroughly with a wooden utensil. I used a wooden chopstick I had recycled.
5. Transfer to your jar of choice and seal with a lid until use!

There are definitely more complex and intricate recipes for diy toothpaste that contain ingredients such as bentonite clay and xylitol. I have seen a variety of recipes for this more complex toothpaste online, but probably one of the best is from this dentist in Spain. If you are feeling ambitious and have access to these ingredients, please do try the more complicated recipe! If not, try mine and let me know how it worked for you! In addition, if you have other tips/questions/comments to add, please do so!

And don't forget your bamboo toothbrush! One of the first things to go is that old dreaded plastic toothbrush that takes 400 years or never, to decompose!

STRAWS STRAWS STRAWS!!!

The picture below literally represents how I feel every time I see a plastic straw. In the US, approximately 500 MILLION plastic straws are disposed of every day. The type of plastic these straws are composed of cannot be recycled, so as a result, they end up in landfills and littered throughout our streets, in our oceans, rivers and everywhere in between. Furthermore, plastic degrades at an extremely slow pace, if at all. Here is one for you: every piece of plastic that has ever been created, still exists on the planet today. That means that every toothbrush, you, your parents, your grandparents and everyone you know, has ever used, is still here! Let that sink in. Stop for a moment and think about all the items you use day to day that contain or are made of plastic. Your cellphone, your toothbrush, your hairbrush, your razor, your sunglasses and so on.. We cannot escape the plastic and it is only getting worse. However, we can make moves to change it. But we have to start taking action immediately, and collectively. We also need to begin holding corporations accountable that are producing all these single-use plastic products. Yes, we need to #ChoseToRefuse and take part in #PlasticFreeJuly, (and hopefully a #PlasticFreeLife), but we need to call out corporations that are unreservedly destroying our planet by producing massive amounts of single-use plastic and products. Plastics are piling up in the oceans and being found inside fish and other sea life. You have almost certainly eaten fish, (if you eat fish), that contain plastic. You have eaten plastic.

More and more municipalities are banning straws, but we can do our part to help by refusing straws, plastic bags and other disposable plastic products. Don't forget, bring your metal, glass or bamboo straw(s) with you when you go out! Also a filled reusable water bottle, especially in this east coast summer heat! And don't forget your takeout containers and reusable bags when eating out and shopping!

Plastic Free New Jersey launch!

Nothing we use for five minutes should pollute our environment for hundreds of years.

The well-anticipated and long awaited blog of Plastic Free New Jersey is finally here! Well maybe only anticipated by myself and awaited by a few close followers on my Instagram account, (@plasticfreenewjersey), but regardless, the blog has arrived. What began this journey? I'd say we would have to begin with my childhood. I have been environmentally conscious and environmentally aware, since a very young age. Even more, I have been involved with social justice issues, community activism and engagement since my early teenage years; organizing meetings with fellow kids from the block with the town mayor, later earning a BS in Biological Sciences then a Masters degree in Public Policy, joining AmeriCorps at a local area soup kitchen, and most recently, serving as the Assistant Director for the Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA) in Princeton, NJ.

At CFPA I left a behind legacy that began a journey. I was the co-founder and leader of the No Wars, No Warming campaign that linked anthropogenic climate change to conflict, social injustice, and war, (more on that in another post). Fast forward to the picture below which I first saw about a year ago in a National Geographic post on Instagram. This was one of the saddest pictures in nature and of nature, I think I had ever seen. No human or animal was injured, no. There wasn't a massive blight or extinction to a species. It wasn't an image of elephants and rhinos being hunted for sport, or a grizzly bear family being trophy hunted while hibernating. I have seen some gruesome and awful photos in my life, but this one was different. This image evoked melancholic feelings only. I felt nothing but sadness while looking closely at it for a long time. Sad, because I knew the seahorse had not brought that item onto this earth. Sad, because I knew the seahorse had no idea what the item was it was holding on to. Sad, because there is only one species on earth that leaves things behind on this planet that were not there before. Sad, because the seahorse clung to that q-tip as though it was the last piece of coral reef in the ocean. And sad, because I knew there was something that could have been done to prevent this photo from ever happening. Pictures are really worth a thousand words. Then, of course, we all have seen the video of the turtle with a straw stuck inside it's nostril. That was the last STRAW for me. I knew something needed to be done.

I had already been eliminating waste from my life by not buying paper towels and replacing them with this amazing reusable wash cloth that I bought from a local NJ small business, (more on that later). I was never a Starbucks customer for several environmental and social justice related reasons. I always paid attention to all my recycling habits. I have always bought second-hand and re-purposed clothing, household items, gifts, etc.. I refuse to buy anything new unless it is a necessity. I do not drive, but rather chose to walk, take public transportation, carpool, or use a car-service like uber. I bring bottled water with me everywhere. I had divested long ago from big banks and corporations that were connected to the destruction of our planet through the use of fossil fuels. But I had not yet ditched the plastic use all together, until the last few months. I am still not completely 100% plastic-free, for it takes time to divest and transfer over all old single-use items and replace them with sustainable options, (we are pretty much down to old house cleaning bottles that need to be used, and food spices that are in plastic containers).

Now on to the blog and Plastic Free New Jersey. As our mission states, the purpose of this space is to inspire and educate New Jersey and beyond on how to maintain a plastic-free lifestyle while maintaining a social and environmental justice worldview, and why it is important to do so. Why our lives, the life of the planet and all it's inhabitants, depend on it. Humans have become very isolated in their thinking. New Jersey is the, or one of the most densely populated states in the US. Humans consume so much, produce so much waste, yet do very little to clean up the mess, or prevent it from happening in the first place. Let us begin with rewiring how we think. How we live. How we interact with the environment that sustains us. That is why I have created this community space. I aim to fill it with tips, resources, educational materials, anecdotes, and solutions on how to rid your space, and the planet, of all the harmful plastic and single-use products you encounter day to day. And to do so with a purpose. It will not be easy, but remember, you are not alone! I will be right there with you on this journey, learning and becoming 100% plastic-free, and posting about it every step of the way. 🌎🌊✌

Picture courtesy of http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/planet-or-plastic/