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!