What Is On Your Skin?

We first started making our own soap at Roses Ridge because our son had eczema. He has not had eczema in 2 years since. What began as a solution to our son's health problem turned into an educational experience of huge proportions and changed the way we looked at mass marketed items forever. If your not looking at labels, you are slowly toxifying yourself and your family. The first barrier toxins touch, before reaching your bloodstream, is your skin, hair, and nails. Skin is the largest organ of the body and for some reason we are taught that unless we have a "break" in our skin, it is impenetrable, like plastic. So far from the truth!! Your skin, hair, and nails absorb up to 60%, depending on area of the body and chemical used, based on research. Some areas, like underarms and genitalia, may absorb up to 100%. (Connection with the increase in prostate and breast cancers? Hmmm...) Long ago I did work for a lab that tested pharmaceutical and some cosmetic products. Guess how inaccurate the testing was?! One of the cosmetic companies was a large corporation too. My point is do not expect the FDA and other government agencies to be looking out for your best interest. Don't be lazy and look for the list of ingredients. (I will be posting the toxins list soon.) I was told if you can't eat it safely, should you be slathering it all over your body? (Petroleum anyone?) The below video is one that really had me thinking about how the cosmetic industry works. I hope you will take the time to watch it.

Watch "The Story of Cosmetics (2010)" on YouTube

DIY Dishwasher Detergent

I want to share a natural recipe for washing dishes in homage to my recently deceased dishwasher. Sadly I was only able to use the borax a few times but it cleaned spotlessly! Not only is it safer (safe for septic too) for the environment but it is sooo much cheaper!

Powdered Dishwasher Detergent
         
1 cup borax 
1 cup baking soda or washing soda
Mix ingredients in a container with a removable, snap-top lid. Add 2 tablespoons per load along with a splash of white vinegar in the rinse chamber of your dishwasher to prevent spots and/or residue. Add several drops of your favorite essential oil (naturally antiseptic tea tree oil is an excellent choice) as an optional finishing touch.

Liquid Dishwasher Detergent 
2 cups vegetable-based castile soap (such as Vermont Soap Organics or Dr. Bronner’s)
½ cup water
½ cup white vinegar 
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 drops essential oil of your choice
Pour ingredients into a recycled plastic bottle with a squirt-top and shake until thoroughly incorporated. Before using, shake liquid well and measure out 2 tablespoons per load.

On the Farm

We are very busy at Roses Ridge, trying to get projects going, since the heat seems to have abated somewhat. The fall and spring are always the busiest times; I'm sure that is true for anyone in agriculture. Time to start and then hurry up and finish all those projects before the freezing weather returns. In my mind the winter returns far too quickly.
Each season is a learning experience for us.
This fall we will be stocking up on wood for the woodstove, learning  canning, and trying to weatherproof the oldest part of the house that has no ac or heat.(If you wonder why that is and what the history of the  farm is all about check out our old blog at rosesridgefarm@wordpress.com. The history of our 200+ year old plantation farmhouse is under the top tag "Warden Plantation".)
In addition to our Dexter cow, 2 goats, dog , cat, African grey parrot, and chickens, we will also have quail...which will need a new home built. The chicken coop needs a serious overhaul as well as the pasture fence. Our business is growing. Pete has also started investigating building solar panels...
These are just things that need to be done now. Nevermind the 101 things that we would like to do.(actually finish a knitting project!) Time and money are of short supply, the latter being critical.  In this economy it is essential to learn how to be self sufficient. People need to learn how to take care of themselves, as well as help others. The Virginia Urban Homesteaders League,www.VaUHL.com, is trying to help bring people together, to share skills and help others with "back to basics" living.  Please consider joining if you are in the Hampton Roads area. We all need to come together and help each other. And if I sound like a 70's throwback song, you are right.

The Ultimate Reuse/Recycle

What do you think is one of, if not, THE largest thing that you can reuse/ recycle? Furniture? Power equipment? Vehicles? How about a.... House! Seriously, buying an old house over a brand new one, or having one custom built (unless by a certified eco- friendly builder) is one BIG way that you can help the planet. Why is this? Well there are several reasons:

1."Pave Paradise, Put up a Parking Lot" Over the past few years the amount of open or forested land is quickly disappearing. In Hampton Roads, including Chesapeake, developers are eager to buy up land and plant the "piano keys" of houses, on what was farmland. There is no longer a "green line" it seems. Run off, poor grading causing flooding, and the destruction of open land for wildlife are just a few effects.

2. Landfill - Have you ever watched a house being constructed? Have you looked at the dumpster sitting next to it? Have ever really looked in that dumpster? I have. It is full to the brim with wood!  Whole sheets of plywood and 2x4 big enough to construct your own mini house. Stuff that anyone could find a use for but at the end of the job they throw it away. (note...we are not advising anyone to go trespassing!) We were aghast at the waste! And in my "neighborhood" alone there were 5 of these dumpsters at five building sites. Multiply this by the 100's of developments going up in our area alone ...its just staggering how much landfill space that would take up. It made me sick how wasteful this is. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) study, in 2009, an estimated 8,000 lbs of waste is created from the construction of a 2,000 square foot home.  The majority of the 8,000 is wood, cardboard, and drywall.  Almost all of that waste ends up in landfills.  The EPA has estimated that waste from construction accounts for up to 40% of the nation’s solid waste.

3. Fumes - That new house smell is off gassing of construction materials. Toxic formaldehyde and styrene from new carpets, paint, particle board. These fumes can cause headaches, flu symptoms, and long term exposures can cause cancer. This topic will be expanded at a later date, since this also includes that "new car" smell.
 
What you can do?
Buy old and remodel smartly. Reuse what you have ( save money & the earth). Habitat for Humanity has building materials, sometimes new, donated from the green building companies (@ a fraction of the price!)

If you must by new:
Go to www.lowimpactliving.com to find green builders in Virginia. This website is also a source for green living home companies in our area, everything from lighting to geothermal heating. Research. Think about your impact on the planet.

Look for low off gassing materials and furniture. Use sustainable hardwoods. Paint with low voc paints. Use carpet sparingly, better yet don't use it at all.

Be Green.