Clean Living | The Honest Company

When I started searching for Clean Living household products I had some difficulty. I was finding products, but some I wasn't so crazy about- they either smelled great and didn't clean well or made me want to gag. 

Finally, I stumbled upon The Honest Company from a Sponsored Ad on Facebook (of all places). I clicked on their link and fell in love. 

The company was started by Jessica Alba who was looking for non toxic products for her daughters. Having trouble finding anything decent as well, she started her own line of safe, body, baby and bathroom products that are never health compromising chemicals and compounds.

I ordered a sample pack of their products and was elated!

I now have a subscription where I can bundle products I want and have them ship when I want and save money. Pretty sweet. Oh, and they also donate diapers from every ordered placed. Even better.

Some of my favorite products have been:

The Shampoo+body wash

Conditioner

Toilet cleaner

Multi-purpose cleaner

Body lotion

Laundry detergent ( not pictured, just finished and ordered new one)

I use these products every day in my home and feel great using them. They aren't loaded with risky chemicals that most companies don't think twice about adding to our products. 

Give them a try and see what you think. 

Clean Living l Homemade whole wheat tortillas

Welcome back to my Clean Living series. Today, I have a treat for you! I hope you all try it out, because once you make the switch you will never want to go back!

A staple in our home since switching over to clean eating has been homemade whole wheat tortillas. They are easy to make, delicious and practically go with anything. Besides, they taste so so so so much better than anything you could buy at the store. 

 I use these for wraps, use as a chip for salsa and even as the bread in homemade pizzas. My hubs even likes it in his soup or with his eggs at breakfast. 

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oil (I have used coconut, olive oil or avocado oil)

1 cup warm water

2 pinches of salt

Directions: 

Add all ingredients in a bowl expect warm water. 

Mix together well and gradually add water until the dough is smooth. 

Divide you dough into 10 pieces or if you use it to make pizza it will make 3 pizza crusts. 

Use a glass or rolling pin to flatten out. I have to add flour to my table and glass so the dough will not stick.

In a skillet, turn the heat to medium/high. 

Place you dough in pan and leave for 30 seconds. Turn over and do the same to other side. 

Eat and enjoy. These babies do not last long!

What's your favorite clean eating staple in your house?

Clean Living | Redmond Clay Earhtpaste {Review}

Ok people, its official, I love anything and everything from the Redmond Company. A couple weeks ago I discovered Earthpaste toothpaste and fell in love with it. Then it got even better when I found out there was a whole line of Redmond products! Redmond was sweet enough to send me a box of goodies to try out. 

Redmond is a company who is all about elevating the human experience. Their products are real - meaning they are from nature. From talking to their rep, they are all about wellness, keeping their products simple, clean and of course, real. 

The first two items I tried were the Earthpaste toothpaste. The flavors are fantastic and I definitely love their lemon flavor.  All of their ingredients are listed and safe to swallow. There is no foaming agents like SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) or harsh chemicals like titanium dioxide that make the paste white. What you are left with in this toothpaste is all natural ingredients that support a healthy life. After a week of use, I will never go back to "normal" toothpaste again.  My mouth feels much cleaner than with regular toothpaste and I feel better about knowing if I swallow, I'm safe. This is a great product too for families with kids. I would feel good allowing my nieces and nephews using this because they aren't digesting anything that would be harmful to them. 

I tried out their real Sea Salt and was so happy with this product. Their salt is unrefined and full of natural minerals and flavor. Some salts you pick up and see that they have been heat processed and stripped of their natural trace minerals. 

I tried this salt against my normal salt and the flavors didn't even compare! This salt was amazing and so good!

Their seasoning was just as amazing as their real salt. It had rich flavors of garlic, onions and salt. I added it to baked chicken and it made the chicken my new favorite dish!

The Redmond Clay was excellent too. You can use the clay for external use and internal. Add a teaspoon of the clay to your juice or water for daily digestive cleaning or you can do what I did and add it with water to mosquito bites. I am constantly scratching my bug bites and anti -itch cream doesn't ever help. The clay helped sooth my bites and stopped me from scratching and irritating my bites. 

The Redmond Clay is also good for other minor ailment like cuts, bruises, sunburns and acme. 

The last item was the Redmond Clay Facial Mud. This mask was par none. Stephen even got in on the action of a mud facial. I left it on our faces until it hardened (about 30 minutes) and my face felt brand new after washing it off. I did have a slightly red face after, but the label said it was normal and I was fine after a few minutes. I am slightly addicted to this product and will be using it at least twice a week now. 

I loved everything from Redmond and highly recommend you trying out any and all these products. Check out their sites for more information on each product I reviewed. 

Real Salt
Redmond Clay 

Redmond Trading 

Thanks again Redmond for sharing your fabulous real products with me!

Clean Living l Household Products {Guest Post}

Hi everyone, I am Holly and I blog over at The Oklahoma Peppler's. I am so excited to be here today sharing some of my favorite clean living products with you. I was so excited when Clara asked me to host today. I have been slowly easing in to the idea of clean living (I wasn't as brave as Clara, just taking a huge leap into it, and I admire her so much for that) and had a million ideas in my head when Clara asked me to write something. But today, after much thought, I have decided to share some of my favorite products with you.

On my journey through clean living I found the hardest part has been finding products that I love. Friends and fellow bloggers have been great with suggestions and I have tried many new products. However, if there is one thing I don't like it is spending money on a product you think is going to be good only to find you hate it. I hope that today I can help you find at least one new product that is "clean" and you love!

Before I begin, I should say that none of these companies know who I am and all the below products that I use have been purchased by me.

|Lush|

If you haven't heard of Lush, you should certainly go check them out. They make all sorts of great lotions, bath, shower, and body products. One of the awesome things about Lush is that they are very open about what their products are made with. The label's on their bottles are clear, they can even tell you if something is vegan or not. The company also puts a little sticker on each product with a picture of who made it and on what date. So not only do you know that the product is fresh but you know that it was made by a person and not a machine. Right now my two favorite products are their dry shampoo called No Drought and  their Geo Phyzz bath bomb. The dry shampoo has a great smell but in full disclosure, it is a little messy. I recommend using it while still in your PJ's so you don't cover your clothes in white dust.

|JR Watkins|

I am loving JR Watkins hand soap right now. You could say my husband is a bit of a germaphobe. He washes his hands all of the time. He actually had been using hand sanitizer like crazy. I had to do something about it, his hands were getting dried out and I was spending a small fortune on hand sanitizer!

I stumbled across JR Watkins in the grocery store one day and will admit I first picked it up based on its packaging. When I got home I did a little research and the only ingredient that I suppose isn't very clean would be the sulfates. I will let you make your own call on this but I have yet to find a soap that my husband is okay with that doesn't have sulfates. If he doesn't see a lot of suds he doesn't feel like his hands are getting clean and he just resorts back to hand sanitizer.

In the end, JR Watkins hand soap has great scents and they use essential oils for that and I love it. The soap leaves your hands soft and clean as well so you can't really beat that.

|BPA Free Water Bottle|

My husband and I drink A LOT of water and tea. One of the best things I have found since starting our clean eating journey is that a BPA free water bottle is important. We personally like the Camelback brand any kind will do. I have heard a lot of terrible things about water bottles being left in the car on a hot summer day and all the chemicals that leach into your water. Plus this way we spend way less money on something that we can just be getting from our tap or refrigerator filter anyway! Not to mention they come in tons of colors and designs and you can even find ones that will keep your drink cold for up to 6 hours!

Clean Living | Homemade hard lotion & lip balm {DIY}

Welcome back to my Clean Living series. I've been posting so far about ways we have switched to clean eating, but today I'm going to share with you a clean living body product made by yours truly.  I posted on Instagram a couple of weeks ago a picture of my own homemade lip balm and hard lotion. From that picture,  I got so many emails and messages about how to make these items. Well, you're in luck because today I'm sharing them with you.  How did I start making my own lotion? When the hubs and I traveled to Maui in March, I had a prescription patch to help me not get motion sick. I wore a  tiny band-aid like patch on my neck that provided 3 days worth of medication to cover sickness.  I then started thinking about all the products I put on my skin daily, lotion being a major item I use. I also found out that everyone's skin absorbs 64% of whatever you place on it.  

Thoroughly freaked out, I began researching clean products that were chemical free and safe to put on my skin. I came across hard lotion bars and knew I wanted to make these. I am addicted to lotion and always have a tube with me. Hard lotion is great for tough, dry skin. My husband has very sensitive skin so we have to be careful with what we use. I've also come across many friends and family members who struggle with eczema who cant find a lotion that helps their skin. Since we started clean eating and the entire clean living process, I have wanted to switch over to more natural and simpler body products and lotion was the first place I started. 

I use only 4 ingredients in my lotion and 3 in my lip balm. 

The lotion bar consists of Shea butter or cocoa butter, beeswax, coconut oil and vitamin e oil. 

I ordered all my grandaunts from Bulk Apothecary. I used a double boiler and added 1 cup of beeswax, Shea butter and coconut oil together and melted down. Once it was melted, I pulled off the heat and added 1/2 teaspoon of vitamin e oil (just so the bar stays together better). I put into a mold I bought from Hobby Lobby and let it dry. Depending of the season, you can add more beeswax to make it harder for summer or add more coconut oil to make it softer during the winter. 

Once your bar is made, pack it in a tin or wrap in paper to keep from getting everywhere. 

All you have to do to use is rub the bar in your hands and your natural body heat with warm enough of the lotion off to use.  

The bars are fantastic because they transport easily and last a long time. The size bar I made should last up to a year! Its also nice to know exactly what is in your beauty product instead of a 15 ingredient list that you have no clue what any of it is, besides water!

After the bar, I used the same ingredients (minus the vitamin e oil) and made lip balm tins. 

These babies are awesome and I have at least 2 tins with me all the time.

They are easy to make and wonderful to use. If you don't want to make your own, email me at clarasschoen@gmail.com and you can buy them from me.  This lotion bar is an easy and quick way to begin switching over your bathroom products to clean living. 

Clean Living | Farmer's Market and not breaking the bank

Hellooooooo! I have to admit, Wednesday is my favorite day now because I get to talk about Clean Living with you all. It makes my heart happy to share it with you. 

Last week, I talked about cleaning out the pantry/frig and restocking it with some "necessary" items for clean eating. 

This week, I want to share with you where we normally get all of our other groceries during the week. In Birmingham (where we live), every Saturday is Alabama's largest farmers market - Pepper Place. Stephen and I get up early every Saturday, grab our bag and head to the market. There are over 50 booth of local artisans and farmers selling their produce. 

The farmer's market is a wonderful place to get local, healthy food. I love talking to the farmers I buy from each week. I highly recommend going to your local farmer's market and asking your grower how he/she grows, what they fertilize with, what types of pesticides do they use and so forth. They are very willing to chat with you about their product. Its become a family tradition to go get our foods from Pepper Place each week. Come November, I will actually setting up a booth to sell my Dad's satsumas and lemons. I can't wait to be more involved with our market!

We also discovered some farmers who aren't just fruit and vegetable growers.  We have met several pig, cow and chicken farmers. We actually just bought our first cow last week from a farmer about an hour away from our home. We talked with the supplier about the cows diet, process of slaughter and packaging and were very excited about ordering our own. We ended up splitting the meat with Stephen's parents because it was pretty pricey and we didn't need all the meat.

So,

I know what you're thinking, farmers markets and buying a whole cow is expensive. Yes, it truly is. BUT, we don't buy and junk food or extras and are have a budget in place to keep up on track. We have found that you can eat within your budget with clean eating. I received an email the other day from a girl wanting to know how to not overspend with eating clean. You do have to get creative at times, but it is well worth it. 

For instance, I only take $40 a week to the farmers market. I check out each booth for their prices and always take a list of items we need. I am careful not to get sucked in to overbuying, because it all looks fantastic. If I took more money, I guarantee I would spend it all. I also check out recipes beforehand that can use the same ingredients each week in different meals. I bought a bag of kale for $3.00 and have used it for two weeks now in smoothies, on salads, in soups and made kale chips. It lasts a long time, is in season and there are tons of ways to use it. 

With meats, you really don't want to skimp on quality. Normal meats loaded with extra hormones and GMO's, that you need to be careful. These hormones have fattened the cow up quickly and not allowed for  healthy meat. Did you know that normal meat you purchase at the grocery store has even been colored so that it appears better longer? SICK! You really want to be eating that?

 We bought our cow from a farmer who is USDA certified grass fed beef. We have actually met and spoken with him about his process and know what he does every step of the way. What grocery store do you have a relationship with or knows the answers to your questions?

The meat is expensive (around $7.44lb), so we only eat our meats at dinnertime. During breakfast and lunch, we get our protein in from eggs and almonds. We stay full and feel better about what we place in our bodies. 

Food Babe (a blogger I adore) did a post not long ago on 75 ways to eat organic on a budget. I had already been doing some of these, but there were new ones that have helped out a great deal. Don't let the cost of eating organic and clean freak you out - it really is doable and smarter for you in the long run. Check it out when you get the chance.

Also, if you are interested in writing a post about your experience with clean eating or products you love, send me an email at clarasschoen@gmail.com.

Don't forget to enter the MistoBox coffee giveaway!

Clean Living | What's in the pantry

Welcome back to my Clean Living series. This is the third week of my new series about my husband and my transformation from eating processed foods to eating as healthy and unprocessed foods as we can. 

 Once we decided to start clean living a couple months back, I thought it was high time to clean out the pantry and refrigerator.  I knew that  I would be tempted to grab a bag of chips or snack on something unhealthy if I left it in my frig or on the shelf. It was time to purge and man o man did I need to clear out the mess.  I has two bags - a bag for the garbage can and a bag for donations that were unopened and not expired.

About half of our food was expired (!!!!) - I hadn't realized how much money I had been wasting on foods that would go bad before we ever got to it. This seriously made me a little POed. It felt like I had just thrown money right into the trash. This for me was a real eye opener on how wasteful I had been and how careful and smart I planned to be from here on out. Once I was done with the pantry, I had freed up 3 of our 4 shelves. Luckily, I had already gotten a few good items, so it wasn't completely bare, but pretty close to it. 

Next, I  headed to the frig - and this disgusted me even more. My frig was packed with processed foods that were years old AND still looked great. What do I mean by great?  I looked at a bag of opened KRAFT cheese I had that was 9 months old and it smelled and tasted the exact same as a new bag of KRAFT cheese I opened that week. Nothing like chemically processed foods to get your tummy churning. Cheese shouldn't last that long unless it is genetically altered and it made me a little frustrated that we are sold such warped foods. My mind went immediately to that McDonald's hamburger and fries that someone kept for 6 years that hadn't changed a bit - no mold, etc. My cheese hadn't turned and that was a terrible sign to me. I got rid of dressings, BBQ, cheeses, flour wraps, packaged lunch meats, and basically ever condiment we owned. I felt very liberated and excited to get rid of the crap and replace it with some "clean items".

My new favorite cookbook, The Fresh 20 by Melissa Lanz suggested some basic nonperishable items to keep in your pantry, so I stocked up on these - and truly, she suggested some fabulous items. I have used every one of these since clean eating and love them (list below)! They are wonderful not only because they can be used in meals, but some actually have double functions in the clean living lifestyle, like vinegar being used in foods, homemade shampoo and helpful in  removeinb bacteria in laundry.

If you are looking to start clean eating, raid your pantry and see what you can get rid of. Look at labels and see what is in them - if you don't recognize the ingredients on the label, more than likely its time to say bye bye to them. 

My suggestion on restocking your pantry with clean items - keep it simple. Have items that you know you will use and don't be like me when I used to buy so much that eventually majority of it goes to waste.

Here are some kitchen essentials to stock in your pantry. Some of these items can be bought in bulk off Amazon - I highly suggest doing this because some oils and spices can be very expensive from your local grocer.

Olive Oil

Grapeseed Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Vinegar

Chicken or Vegetable Broth (Low sodium and GMO free)

Garlic

Herbs de Provence

Honey

100% Pure Maple Syrup

Soy Sauce (Low Sodium)

Dried Oregano

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper (avoid ground pepper)

Ground Cumin

Paprika

Cayenne Pepper

Whole Wheat Pasta

Brown Rice

Whole Wheat Flour

Dijon Mustard

Tomato Paste (with no added salt and organic)

Good luck cleaning out your pantry!

Oh yea, 

Whats the craziest thing you got rid of in your pantry? 

Conscious Box

So this past month, I won 3 FREE months of Conscious Box off lovely Ashley's Wannabe Green blog. I am so stocked because it goes along with my Clean Living series and I totally had a cow when I won! I seriously ran screaming to our office where my hubs was - I'm sure it was a funny sight for him.

So what is Conscious Box?

Its a monthly subscription full of natural products - the healthiest and best there is out! Any they are serious when they say its packed full - it felt like it weighted 5 pounds. There were a number of products (like the Earthpaste) Ive been itching to try. 

The subscription is $20.00 a month (more than a Birchbox subscription), but honestly I think its way better and are interested in changing over to a healthier living. 

They send everything from bath and beauty, to food and household living. Defiantly go check them out! 

Below are some pictures of the awesomeness I received this month!

What subscription boxes do you do each month?

Clean Living | How to Research

Welcome back to the second week of my new series called Clean Living. This series is about the importance of clean eating and ways to make the switch from processed foods to more natural foods. I hope you begin to feel as passionate about taking care of our bodies and making a better future for the next generations as I do. 

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Eating smart can be hard to do. It takes preparation, discipline, and money. 

When we started eating clean a couple months back, I did a TON of research. I began talking to people I know who follow the clean living lifestyle, I consulted published books, websites, spent countless hours reading article after article. I found myself scrutinizing every food label and what the words meant too. 

Finally, after about 3 weeks, I started to get a handle on it all. I'm not saying that I have it all figured out (not even close!) - but I love learning about the importance of placing healthy all natural foods into our body and what it does for us. 

I want to share some information I follow that helped me get a better grip on clean living. Each site has taught me a great deal and I've learned to stop, read labels, ask questions and think before placing something full of GMO's/toxic chemicals/pestisides in my mouth. This list is by no means all encompassing, but I wanted to save you the time and trouble of where to begin. I also hope you conduct some research on your own to see if you and your family make the switch, even if its a little bit at a time. 

I want to point out that even though I love living clean, its nearly impossible for Stephen and I to do it 100% of the time - we still enjoy eating out with friends and family and not freaking ourselves out that we ate a roll at a friends house. I have tried not allow it to consume my life but it can be very addicting and frightening at times.

 I never want to put this as my idol - I serve only 1 God. :) 

Books 

The Honest Life - by Jessica Alba

Eating for Beauty - by David Wolfe

Cooked - by Michael Pollan 

Salt, Sugar, Fat - by Michael Moss

Foods 

100 Days of Real Food

Food Babe

Center for Food Safety

Environmental Working Group

Food Facts 

Institute for Responsible Technology 

Products

The Honest Company

Juice Beauty

Molly's Suds

Primal Pit Paste

Please make sure to link up your stories of clean living here.