Going Green

UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed.

Congrats to:

Sharon (rusthawk@…)

Cassie (sassyfarmer@…)

I will email you to get your information!

I don’t know about you, but every time the holiday season rolls around, I head downstairs to my bin of candles and pull out all those delicious holiday scents. I usually have at least one candle lit any time I’m home — especially after dinner when the house is dark. It just puts me in the holiday spirit and makes everything seem warm and cozy.

Lately I’ve been trying to use more of the soy candles just because they are healthier, more natural, and they seem to be even more fragrant. Plus I like that they don’t give off nearly as much black soot when they burn.

So because we’re smack in the middle of the crazy holiday season, I thought it would be a perfect time to giveaway some delicious {and totally gorgeous} candles from Pure Integrity Soy Candles – a company that specializes in super high-quality soy candles.

I’ve been burning their Victorian Christmas scented candle for the past couple of weeks and just LOVE how festive our house smells all day long! I also have their Lilac scented candle tucked away just waiting for the first hint of spring.

However, since Pure Integrity has SO many scrumptious scents to pick from, I figured that gift certificates might be the most practical giveaway — so you can choose your favorite items.

The Giveaway:

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Today, two lucky Simple Organized Living readers will win a $50 gift certificate to Pure Integrity. You can purchase anything you want and give the items as gifts or keep them for yourself! 

How to Enter:

1. Leave a comment. What are your favorite uses for candles?

2. Like Simple Organized Living and/or Pure Integrity on Facebook, and then leave a separate comment letting me know you did {or that you do already}.

If you are reading this in your email or feed reader, please visit the actual blog post to enter. Email entries, Facebook comments, and Twitter messages will NOT be counted.

Prize:

(2) $50 Pure Integrity gift certificates as described above.

This giveaway ends at 10:00 pm on Monday, 12/12/2011 and is open to all U.S. residents 18 years or older. I will use And the Winner Is to select the winning comments at random. Winners will be notified by email and noted at the top of this post. Winners must respond within 48 hours of notification to claim their prize or I will choose a new winner. Please see my full disclosure policy and contact me with any questions you have. Good luck!

128 comments →

UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed.

Congrats to Leslie lesliemsaunders@… I will email you today to get your information!

I recently blogged about my all-natural and totally homemade hair wash, hair rinse, and my oil cleansing face wash. Since then, I have received tons of comments and emails asking for more information about other natural toiletry products {either to make or to purchase}.

So I’m super excited to share the “delicious” and totally natural Spa Mountain Naturals products with you today {psst… there’s a giveaway at the bottom so keep reading!}

All the spa mountain products are made with carefully chosen amounts of natural ingredients and have absolutely no synthetics. Their products are also exceptional for anyone with dry skin and hair — both of which I have!

So, with the dry, winter season {and the holiday gift-giving season} just a couple months away, I thought this would be a perfect time to share these amazing products with you — and give you a chance to win a fantastic gift set of products.

I’ve been using the Spa Mountain Herbal Soaps for several weeks now and can already tell that my skin is less dry. I’ve also been using their Plum Oil Nectar in my hair and it has really helped it to be less dry and frizzy… so I’m thrilled!

The Giveaway:

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One lucky Simple Organized Living reader will win a Spa Mountain Naturals Gift package {$50 value}, including the following:

• one 1 oz. French Plum Oil Nectar

• one 2 oz Gentle Moroccan Clay facial mask

• one 4 oz Pure and Gentle Hand Wash Spray

• two bars of Herbal Soap (any variety — I’m using the Lavender right now!)

Enter to Win:

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Simply leave a comment telling me why YOU would like to try these products.

You may have ONE extra entry by liking Simple Organized Living on Facebook — and letting me know that you do.

This contest is open until Monday, September 26, 2011, at 10:00 pm EST. ONE winner will be selected at random and announced later that week. Please read my full disclosure policy and contact me with any questions you might have. I received a complimentary selection of Spa Mountain Products for review, however all opinions are my own!

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It’s been awhile since I’ve posted any pictures of our bathroom renovations. We’ve made TONS of progress, but after working on projects all day long, I really don’t feel like taking pictures and blogging about them all night long!

However, I’m super excited to show you a few pictures of the brand new, walk-in shower in our master bathroom… and to share a few more of my homemade shower products {they are SO SIMPLE to make!}

Ok, so let’s start with the shower…

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This is the entrance to our shower {the trim is all Bright White and the wall color is Antique White by Behr}.

You can read about what I’m storing in these baskets and other creative bathroom storage ideas here.

And here’s a look at the inside of our shower. I’ve ALWAYS wanted a completely white subway tile shower…so I’m thrilled with how it turned out! You can’t really see the floors, but they are small white hexagon tiles that look really old fashion.

Even though I went with all white tiles {yes, I love neutrals} I think the monotone pallet allows the detailed tile-work to really pop.

Do you see that cubbie hole next to the shower lever? That’s where we keep our shampoo, conditioner, bodywash, and facewash — it’s probably one of my favorite features of our shower  because it means that all of our shower “clutter” is concealed!

However, you might notice that those don’t look like traditional bottles of shampoo, conditioner, facewash, etc. — and that’s because they aren’t traditional.

They are my “homemade shower products”!

1  = Homemade {oil} Facewash — you can read all about that here

2 = Homemade Conditioning Rinse — just half water, half vinegar

3 = Homemade Shampoo Wash — nope, it’s not dish soap — just baking soda and water!

**We still have a couple bottles of store-bought body wash left, but after that’s gone, we’ll be switching over to Dr. Bronners soap for our bodywash/shaving cream. I’d also be open to making body wash, but I’m not really sure where to start with that one!

My Homemade Shower Kit:

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Ok, let me go into a little bit more details about these homemade products.

I’ve been using them instead of traditional store-bought products since the beginning of 2011 and have absolutely NO desire to switch back {yes, Dave uses them too}.

1. FACEWASH:

I can’t even tell you how much Dave and I both love the oil cleansing method for washing our face. We’ve both seen our skin improve since we started using this method at the beginning of the year, and my dry skin issues are nearly gone! Plus, now I only wash my face at night and just splash a little water on it in the morning.

You can read all about how I make my oil cleansing facewash here but it’s just a mixture of caster oil and sunflower or olive oil!

2. CONDITIONING RINSE:

I’ve already shared many of the different uses for vinegar — but I really want you to know how much I love using vinegar as an extremely simple, effective, and practically free hair rinse.

All you have to do is find some sort of bottle {I used a small dish soap bottle so it would squeeze out nicely} and fill it half full with water and half full with white or apple cider vinegar {no it’s not an exact science}. Then, after you shampoo your hair {or use my baking soda hair wash} simply squeeze a little  over your wet hair and scalp — then rinse well.

And I personally guarantee your hair will NOT smell like vinegar at all!!

3. HAIR WASH:

Ok, I’ll admit that this one was the most difficult for me to comprehend when I read about it over at Simple Mom. I didn’t think it could possibly work — but it does, and Dave and I have both been “converted” to washing our hair with this simple baking soda mixture.

Just find another squeeze bottle {I used a larger dish soap bottle for this since we use it more often} and fill it with 1 T. of baking soda for every 1 c. of water. I have short, thick hair {see picture}, so if you have really long, curly, or extremely thick hair, you might want to add more baking soda.

I can fit 4 cups of water in my dish soap bottle so I add 4 T of baking soda and shake it up until it dissolves. This mixture will last us a few weeks {and we both use it every day}.

Why I’m Using Homemade:

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I’m actually NOT a huge “green” freak — and even though I have absolutely nothing against going green, I definitely don’t go out of my way to live an overly “green” life. Yes we recycle, we reuse, we try to limit our trash, we make lots of food from scratch, I can and freeze almost all our fruits and vegetables, etc. etc.

However, the main reasons I make our own facewash, shampoo, and hair rinse are not because it’s “green”, it’s because…

• They are WAY cheaper — like practically free! A box of baking soda will probably last you over a year if you made your own shampoo — and I can find boxes of baking soda for $0.50 or less! Vinegar and caster oil aren’t much more.

• They are SO quick and easy to make. I was shocked at how simple all three of these products were to make. It takes me less than 30 seconds to whip up a new batch, and one batch lasts several weeks/months.

• They don’t have strong chemical smells. I’ve always had a pretty sensitive nose, but being pregnant has made it even more sensitive. So the smells of traditional toiletries really started to bother me. My homemade products don’t have any smell, besides the vinegar, but that rinses right out.

• They are better for our shower and our drain. Since I clean my shower with vinegar and I clean our drains with baking soda and vinegar,  I figure these products will be great for our shower and drain! They don’t leave soap scum like regular products so I honestly don’t have to clean the shower as often.

• I know I’m doing something good for my body. I’m sure you’ve all heard how putting chemicals on your skin isn’t great for you. Well, even though I’m not totally organic and natural, I feel like this is one simple, inexpensive way I can do something great for my skin, my body, and my health.

So that’s it — our new shower and my super simple homemade shower products!

Do any of you have a great “recipe” for homemade beauty products — especially body wash???

If you do, please share!!

24 comments →

Remember a few weeks ago, during my Birthday Giveaway Week, when I talked about MadeOn Hard Lotion? Their lotion bars and other homemade products are some of my new favorites!

A few of the reasons I’m hooked on their products is because they are all-natural, totally organic, and they don’t have a strong fragrance. But now I have yet another reason to be a super fan — because the founder, Renee Harris, is sharing her recipes with anyone who wants to try making their own products!

Renee has already shared the recipes and DIY kit to make her famous Hard Lotion and Lip Balm, but now she published a brand new e-book called “My Buttered Life”. Inside, she shares a ton of relatively simple and inexpensive recipes for suntan lotion, bug repellent, body lotion bars, foot protector bars, tan enhancers, and more!

Oh, and it’s only $5.00!!

You can watch this video if you need a sneak peek at some of the recipes in the book.

If you’re reading this by email, you can click here to see the video.

Don’t wait, get your copy of My Buttered Life for only $5 today!

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And if you do purchase the DIY Hard Lotion and Lip Balm Kit, you’ll get the ebook for free!

Comment →

Welcome to my Huge Birthday Giveaway Celebration!!

Instead of receiving gifts this year, I’ve decided to give YOU an opportunity to win a bunch of awesome products I currently use and love.  I’ve partnered with 26 amazing companies to offer 26 different giveaways for my 26th birthday. There will be multiple giveaways every day from June 13-18 — so make sure you come back!

You will be able to find all 26 Birthday Week Giveaways here — just keep scrolling down to view them all.

Giveaway #21: MadeOn Skin Care $50 Credit

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Dave and I both have really dry skin — especially in the winter months. We’ve tried all different brands of lotion and I’ve even tried straight petroleum jelly {which is pretty messy!} However nothing really seems to work for an extended period of time… until now!

We’ve been using MadeOn’s Hard Lotion Bars for a little while now and I honestly noticed a huge difference very early on.

What’s so cool about hard lotion bars?

A hard lotion bar looks just like a bar of soap  but it has only three simple ingredients: shea butter, coconut oil and beeswax. That’s it!

Shea butter and coconut oil are known as edible emollients.  They soften and soothe dry skin and are gentle enough to rub over skin cuts and cracks. The beeswax emulsifies the other two ingredients to create a beautiful combination to smooth your skin.  You’ll be surprised to learn that this is all you need to get your hands back to work.

As an added bonus, these hard lotion bars are great for traveling because you don’t have to worry about them spilling and they are not considered a liquid!

MadeOn offers all sorts of natural, organic products like rash cream, goat milk soap, insect repellent, hair butter, etc. And Renee {the owner} even offers a bunch of great D.I.Y. tips if you want to make your own natural products!

And guess what… MadeOn Skin Care is offering a $50 shop credit so you can pick out a bunch of products you want to try!!

Enter to Win!

Simply answer the question below by leaving a comment on this post. You can even gain bonus entries for doing each additional item listed below (just make sure that you leave a comment for each one).

REQUIRED ENTRY:

• Visit MadeOn’s website and tell me — What product would you like to try first?

BONUS ENTRIES:

• Subscribe to Simple Organized Living via email or RSS

• Follow Simple Organized Living on Facebook or Twitter

• Follow MadeOn Hard Lotion on Facebook or Twitter

Just a reminder that any comments left on Facebook or Twitter will not count for my birthday giveaways, and you must provide a valid email address to be considered.

All giveaways during my birthday giveaway week will close on Monday, June 20, 2011 at 10:00 EST. The winners will be selected at random and announced via a full blog post on Tuesday, June 21. I will also notify all winners via email.

229 comments →

Welcome to my Huge Birthday Giveaway Celebration!!

Instead of receiving gifts this year, I’ve decided to give YOU an opportunity to win a bunch of awesome products I currently use and love.  I’ve partnered with 26 amazing companies to offer 26 different giveaways for my 26th birthday. There will be multiple giveaways every day from June 13-18 — so make sure you come back!

You will be able to find all 26 Birthday Week Giveaways here — just keep scrolling down to view them all.

Giveaway #11: BabyBearShop Organic Toiletries

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I recently fell in love with all the delicious products over at my new favorite on-line store: BabyBearShop! Everything is natural, everything is organic, and everything is made with moms and babies in mind.

Of course, you don’t have to be a “mom” or a “baby” to use these products, they’re great for anyone — yes, even men! I absolutely love their “cheeky baby butter” and frequently slather it all over my dry skin. And I’m told that it’s great for both kinds of baby “cheeks” as well

I’ve also been using their “mama belly oil” to hopefully ward off stretch marks — although I might have genetics on my side for this one as my mom never got stretch marks either!

Anyway, Erika over at BabyBearShop is generously offering a great giveaway that includes:

• One 4 oz Cheeky Baby Butter: great for moms and babies

• Three .25 oz Lib Balms: absolutely heavenly

Also, BabyBearShop is offering a free lip balm on all orders over $40.  Use the code: SOLSUMMER

Enter to Win!

Simply answer the question below by leaving a comment on this post. You can even gain bonus entries for doing each additional item listed below (just make sure that you leave a comment for each one).

REQUIRED ENTRY:

• Visit BabyBearShop and tell me — What product would you like to try?

BONUS ENTRIES:

• Subscribe to Simple Organized Living via email or RSS

• Follow Simple Organized Living on Facebook or Twitter

• Follow The Baby Bear Shop on Facebook

Just a reminder that any comments left on Facebook or Twitter will not count for my birthday giveaways, and you must provide a valid email address to be considered.

All giveaways during my birthday giveaway week will close on Monday, June 20, 2011 at 10:00 EST. The winners will be selected at random and announced via a full blog post on Tuesday, June 21. I will also notify all winners via email.

184 comments →

Welcome to my Huge Birthday Giveaway Celebration!!

Instead of receiving gifts this year, I’ve decided to give YOU an opportunity to win a bunch of awesome products I currently use and love.  I’ve partnered with 26 amazing companies to offer 26 different giveaways for my 26th birthday. There will be multiple giveaways every day from June 13-18 — so make sure you come back!

You will be able to find all 26 Birthday Week Giveaways here — just keep scrolling down to view them all.

Giveaway #4: Prairieland Herbs $50 Store Credit

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For the past 6 months, I’ve been trying really hard to use more natural and organic beauty products and cleaning products. I’ve figured out how to make some of my own products, but I’ve also found a few different companies who specialize in making their own natural and organic products.

Prairieland Herbs is one of those companies. I was introduced to them through a friend, and I guarantee once you start using their products, you’ll be hooked! They are SO amazing!

Prairieland Herbs was started in 1998 and is fully owned and operated by mother-daughter team, Donna and Maggie. They grow their own herbs and flowers on site; and they create, bottle, label, package, and ship all their products by hand after you place your order!

These are a few of my favorite products {all pictured above}:

1. Herbal Vinegar Hair Rinse: a great alternative to heavy conditioners.

2. Face and Eye Cream: I started using it just on my eyes, but now I slather it over my entire face!

3. Herbal Healing Wand: {scroll down to see this product} this wand works wonders on burns, cuts, and even bee stings.

4. Solid Perfume: Yes, I was skeptical too, but it’s so lovely. And it’s great for traveling by plane because it’s not a liquid.

5. Bee’s Wax Lip Balm: {scroll down to see this product} as if you really need an excuse to get another lip balm

6. Shampoo and Body Wash Bars: these might be my all-time favorite product because one bar replaces my shampoo, my body wash, and my saving cream!

7. Whipped Body Butter: yes it IS as heavenly as it sounds.

And since Prairieland Herbs is giving one lucky reader a $50 store credit, you can pick ANYTHING you want… however I would seriously suggest choosing a few of the products I listed above

Enter to Win!

Simply answer the question below by leaving a comment on this post. You can even gain bonus entries for doing each additional item listed below (just make sure that you leave a comment for each one).

REQUIRED ENTRY:

• Visit Prairieland Herbs and let me know — What would you try first?

BONUS ENTRIES:

• Subscribe to Simple Organized Living via email or RSS

• Follow Simple Organized Living on Facebook or Twitter

• Follow Prairieland Herbs on Facebook

Just a reminder that any comments left on Facebook or Twitter will not count for my birthday giveaways, and you must provide a valid email address to be considered.

All giveaways during my birthday giveaway week will close on Monday, June 20, 2011 at 10:00 EST. The winners will be selected at random and announced via a full blog post on Tuesday, June 21. I will also notify all winners via email.

316 comments →