Handmade Craft Market Giveaway

 To celebrate the Launch of the first

Handmade Craft Market 

 this Sunday, 22 August 2010.

I'll be giving away a Gift Box

All you need to do is visit the

Purely Natural Living stall 

&  put you name in the box.

So what's in the Gift Box???

Over $40 worth of Purely Natural Living goodies

Goddess Bath Salts, Spearmint & Seaweed Goats Milk Soap,
Classic Dragons Blood Soap, Solid Moisturising Stars,
Nourishing Hand & Body Cream,
Lip Balm with Vitamin E,
Foaming Sugar Scrub, Loofah & Face washer.

 

Looking forward to seeing you at
Handmade Craft Market this Sunday, 22 August 2010. 

Limiting my impact

Hello  again, back in February I posted an article on Homemade Laundry Powder and believe it or not I have just run out.  

Now I have a family of 5; two of them are male, one adult and one toddler (need I say more) and two female tweens who constantly seem to change their clothes, so I'm sure you can imagine how much washing I do. 

Just one example

So if I made this powder up in February, that means that my Laundry Powder lasted 6 months, I am now making more.  I do have to say that on the rare occasion I have use a stain removing booster for my wash but over all I have just used the Homemade powder.  

I am happy to say that my whites are white, my colours are still bright and my towels are still soft, which I think is great.  But you know the best part is how much I have managed to lessen my impact on the environment, not to mention lessen the impact on my pocket.

Toowoon Bay

If you haven't tried to make your own Homemade Laundry Powder, why not give it a go today.

New project

It started like this

While I realise this has very little to do with natural products, it does has everything to do with being handcrafted by me.

I recently learnt how to crochet thanks to my friend Stephanie of Moobear and OverIt and my mother. I've been working on my crocheting for a few weeks now but as I'm one of those people who really hates to see waste I needed to find something that was useful and that was going to be loved.  So I decided I need a project, but what?

  

Well, I have two girls and they are pre-teens so I was surprised to find that they thought me crochet was pretty cool, OK OK after they had a little giggle.  Anyway while practicing my chains, trebles and clusters, I found that I could make flowers and they didn't look too bad but what was I going to do with them, then it came to me add them to a headband.  Now, by putting these on to a headband, I had a win and the girls had a win.  The girls got something that their friends don't have, which they think is cool and it keeps the hair out of their eyes (which is where I win). 

I forgot to mention, my 22 month old son loved the headbands so much I wasn't sure if the girls would get them at all. 

Modeling the black

Modeling the pink

I love learning new things!

Homemade Laudry Powder

It's been a while since my last post, it's been a bit hectic, with Christmas, New Year, Holiday to SA & WA and the start of school.  I can't believe that my eldest girl is in High School, time certainly flies.

But I digress, I wanted to let you know about a fantastic Homemade Laundry Powder I have made & used following Julie's recipe from Towards Sustainability.  I've been using it for about 3 months now and it is fantastic. 

I have two girls & a one little boy and although the eldest girl is usually clean and tidy the younger two are magnets when it comes to dirt and stains. 

If you are looking to save money and help the environment try these recipes.  I do have a front loader and I have had no problems at all.  As I make soap I generally use the soap that doesn't look good enough to sell, nothing goes to waste.  Try it, you'll be surprised

Concentrated Laundry Powder

2 cups grated laundry or homemade soap or soap flakes (Lux)

2 cups borax

2 cups washing soda

2 cups bicarbonate of soda (which acts as a deodoriser)

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and store in a plastic container with a lid. Use 2 tablespoons per wash. Again, this powder will not make suds and again, this is perfectly okay.

Heavy Duty Laundry Powder

2 cups grated stain remover soap (e.g. Napisan or Sards Soap; Sards has a nice eucalyptus scent)

2 cups grated pure soap or Lux flakes

2 cups Borax

2 cups washing soda

Mix all ingredients together well and store in an airtight container. As above, use two tablespoons per wash, and it is suitable for front loaders.

Try it and let me know what you think.

I have also found Down---to---earth which have number of other recipes for various types of cleaning product.

Rainforest Sugar Scrub

Not everyone wants to smell of flowers, do they? Sometimes, especially in the heat, a little freshness is best.

Rainforest Sugar Scrub has a fragrance that is fresh and gorgeous It is a unisex scent blended from ginger, eucalyptus and peppermint. Doesn’t that sound refreshing? It really does give you a lift. The scrub is gentle enough to use every day.

Peppermint has a cooling effect on the body. It also brings a feeling of energy. Eucalyptus has an amazingly clear and zingy fragrance, doesn’t it? It is great for opening up your nasal passages and seems to clear out the dust of the dry weather. We have added ginger to balance out the blend. It adds a touch of warmth to soften the cooling oils and gives a delicious fragrance hit as it is warmed by application to the body.

So how do you use our foaming sugar scrub?

Make sure that the area you want to use the scrub on is moist. The Rainforest Sugar Scrub is perfect for use in the shower. Just scoop out a small amount (perhaps a level teaspoon) and pat it gently onto your skin. You can add more as you work your way along your body. Gradually start massaging the scrub across your skin so that it can exfoliate all those dead skin cells. There is no need to rub hard because the texture of the scrub will do the work for you. The gentle foaming action will help the scrub to rub smoothly across the body. I find that a circular motion works best and it is excellent for my circulation, bringing a healthy look to my skin.

Rainforest Sugar Scrubs are a great way to start your day. Your skin will be fresh and glowing and the fresh, forest scent will help to get you started with energy.

Coconut Oil is good for you

Coconut Oil is different from most other oils because it is solid at room temperature. I remember years ago buying my first bottle of coconut oil and expecting it to be a fragrant, liquid oil. I thought I had a faulty product when I opened it and saw a solid white mass like wax instead of oil.

Coconut Oil has many benefits for the skin which is why it is a favourite ingredient for soap makers. Coconut oil provides a protective barrier on the skin, protecting it from daily damage. It is an oil that really helps to give your skin a more youthful appearance as it is absorbed into the cells of your skin, helping to keep them strong and healthy. Coconut Oil contains anti-oxidants which are known to help fight off the free radicals which cause such damage to your skin.

Virgin Coconut Oil is pure and has not been damaged by vigorous refining processes. It has antioxidant, antifungal, and antibacterial properties. In fact, it has health benefits far beyond skin care. Scientists have found that by cooking with coconut oil it has a positive effect on heart disease, blood pressure, cholesterol and much more.

There is no real fragrance from Coconut Oil. It has a very light scent to it but certainly does not smell of coconuts!

Soap and skin care makers love to use Coconut Oil because of its wonderful health and skin protection benefits. It is easy to use, taking only a gentle heating to melt, but it also stays stable during the production process. That means that it will produce a quality product each time.

If you look at our lovely range of soaps (http://www.purelynaturaliving.com/TheSoap.html) you will notice that they all list Coconut Oil as an ingredient. Now you know why. When you use our soaps you know that you are doing the best that you can do to keep your skin healthy and gorgeous.

Natural Baby Wipes

Have you ever thought about making your own baby wipes...well here is a really easy recipe and great for little bottoms, not to mention it's quick. You don't need to buy anything special, you should have most of the ingredients in your cupboard.

1 ltr of brewed chamomile tea
1/4 cup Olive Oil
A few drops of Lavender Essential Oil
Poured over the folded cloth wipes & drain of the excess

I found out about this recipe from my sister who was trying to save money, after having her children.  I have been using them for my son and have had no need for any rash ointment.  I love these and they are also so much cheaper than the ones you buy in the store and there's not nasty chemicals

Purely Natural Living Product Review

We have been getting reviews on our products recently, have you seen them? Here are a couple of them;


Here is some of what Mum e Assistant had to say

"I have been alternating between the Goats Milk Soap and the Liquid Soap on a daily basis now for about 1 ½ weeks and in that time have not felt the need to apply moisturiser after showering as these wonderful natural products do not contain any harmful chemicals that dry your skin only natural oils.

So do yourself a favour and visit Purely Natural Living today and pick up some wonderful handmade Christmas gifts. "

You can read the full article and other articles at Mum e Assistant Blog.

Here is some of what Your Cheeky Monkey had to say

You can read the full article and other articles at Your Cheeky Monkey Blog.

"Not surprising, I have to rave about the Goddess Bath Salts – just the name alone is enough to win me over let alone having an excuse to bathe in a sea of pink bath salts with rose petals… take it from me, you just have to try these! I managed to sneak a bath in at the end of a very stressful day using the Goddess Bath Salts, and afterwards felt like a new girl!

The great thing about the Purely Natural Living soaps is that they are so natural and soft to use I have no hesitation using them for my sons (in fact I wouldn’t have a problem using them for a baby either). ..... "

Thank you very much to Leigh Pendergast from Mum e Assistant and Monique Nickalls from Your Cheeky Monkey for your reviews. If you would like to try these or any other Purely Natural Living product please visit us.

Remember for every $30 spent at Purely Natural Living, before 1 December 2009,  you go into the draw for a $50 Gift Voucher

Benefits of using handcrafted soaps

There are so many benefits to using handcrafted soaps & body products that I don’t even know where to being! Handcrafted soaps & body products are good for your body, good for the environment and good for the economy. Let me tell you why…

For starters, handcrafted soap is great for your skin. There are so many fillers in mass produced soaps & body products that even though they may claim to produce soft skin, have moisturizing content, and even vitamins or other essentials, the truth of the matter is that they can also be full of detergents, chemicals and dyes. Handcrafted soaps & body products on the other hand, are typically made from a natural glycerine base and have added ingredients such as olive oil, Jojoba & coco butter, just to name a few. From there, they are scented and dyed from natural dehydrated ingredients that we may find in or own local market. Sugar, Oatmeal, honey, you name it and it may be in your soap, but it’s all natural! Many of the ingredients found in handcrafted soaps & body products are nothing less than the quality of the food you eat. And thought I can’t speak for everyone, I know that I take pride in suing the best quality ingredients I can find. If I wouldn’t eat it, then I won’t use it in my soap.

This brings me the next benefit of using handcrafted soaps & body products. Not only are they good for our skin, but there are also have many social benefits to buying handcrafted soaps & body products. If you are an animal rights activist or even just someone who cares about their quality of life, then buy handcrafted soaps & body products may be something that’s important to you because handcrafted soaps & body products are never tested on animals, like many of the mass produced products we buy. In fact my soaps & body products are all tested on family & friends. Mass produced soaps & body products are often full of high content animal fat, while handcrafted soaps & body products are full of vegetable based oils making them vegan friendly, beside Goats Milk Soaps & body products. And not only removing animals from the equation, but handcrafted soaps & body products are also better for the environment. Think about every time you take a shower, and how many detergents are being washed down the drain, into our sewage system. Well, with handcrafted soaps; body products, you can put your mind at ease knowing that what you are using in the shower is an all natural product made up of items grown by the earth, thus being safer for them to go back into the earth after being used. So as you can see, being environmentally conscious can have a great impact on more than just what you eat, but what you use for cleaning your body as well.

And finally, aside from the environmentally friendly socialites in the world, there is yet another group of people out there striving to make our economy a little more structurally sound, and that would be nothing less than the group of entrepreneurs, like me, Purely Natural Living. While you might pay a little more for handcrafted soap you would for mass produced commercial soaps & body products, you’ll find that there is an added benefit to buying something made right here at home. There are many people making soaps & body products and other wonderful handcrafted products can help our economy become more stable and locally sufficient. Let’s support these small businesses and bring the jobs back home!

So the next time you run across an art fair or craft show and wrinkle your nose at $5 for one little 100gm bar of soap think again. Not only are you doing something good for your body, but with that comes peace of mind for your lifestyle and the economy that you live in. Your skin will thank you, the environment will thank you and so will the economy. So give it a try! You might just find that handcrafted soaps & body products are your new favourite and affordable pampering treat.