{whole home} :: woolen dryer balls

As we have journeyed away from harmful chemicals, I had pretty much everything covered... except for the dryer sheet issue. It didn't really dawn on me for a while, that those would leave harmful residue on our clothing and skin. So, imagine my surprise when I was reading a valued blog one day, and realized that I had missed a biggie! Functional though they may be, those suckers are heavy-laden with chemicals and toxins. I was at a loss as to what to do.

So, for a few months, I tried the "nothing" approach. Just the dryer. Well, that was miserable. I'm not a fan of static cling...in fact, it makes me a little furious. Sooo...after much ado, I found woolen dryer balls. (thank you, Google) Of course, the minute I discovered them, they just came out of the wood works and everyone was talking about them...I mean...where had I been?

I have to tell you, I was pretty skeptical, because the claims on these things were kind of unreal...

• they cut your drying time by 25%
• they last for up to 10 years
• they reduce static cling
• you can add essential oils if you want scent
• no toxins...at all

I doubted it, but I bought some anyway.

Well...I'll gladly eat my hat, because these things work, and I can now do the happy pants dance! So, that's it...$16 for a set of 4, that I just leave in my dryer...and voila!! They do everything they say they will...no static, no toxins, and I'll be doggoned if they don't cut my drying time significantly.

Is there anything negative about them?...well, if you just need something, Eeyore...I occasionally have to unroll them from the end of my sheets. So, there...if you're bound and determined to have a catch, there it is.

Thank you handmade, people driven, community oriented business!

{these have been used for about 4 months, now}

I got mine here. Happy ball shopping:)

Mountain Rose Herbs

I have lots of ambitions regarding the direction of my home and the products that I will use to care for it and all it holds. As soon as we get into a place of our own, it's going to look like a chemistry lab in no time flat. Laundry soap, deodorant, body care products, cleaning products...these are all on the list of industrial casualties for our home. I had long ago stopped using chemical cleaning agents in our home, but I have been wanting to go beyond white vinegar for quite some time, now. There is also the issue of wanting to become more frugal, consume less, create less waste, and pull money out of the pockets of large corporations. So, how does that happen? Where do you start?

I have found many wonderful blogs since I started this gig, and they have helped enormously! I had been finding wonderful recipes for homemade home & family care on other blogs, but I was always wondering where they got their ingredients. Since I don't live in a part of the country that is saturated with resources for the life I want to live, I was getting frustrated. Until...one day, I realized that lots of the blogs I read had the same button on them for Mountain Rose Herbs. Well, wouldn't you know it...it's a wealth of resources! It's oh so much more than just herbs...there are carrier oils for aromatherapy, there are butters (like shea, cocoa, and kokum), there are essential oil kits, containers for everything, and my personal favorite...bulk coconut oil...for an AMAZING price, which is huge, because I use it for everything from cooking my sons eggs in the morning to making deodorant...VERY versatile. That's just scratching the surface. I. am. thrilled!!!

Soooo...naturally, I promptly went to the website, applied to be an affiliate, and was approved! Now, let me clarify...I realize that many readers are bloggers in the natural home realm, themselves, and are more than likely quite familiar with Mountain Rose Herbs, and most likely an affiliate. So, I totally get that...but, I do have a few readers that are looking for resources to help them on their journey toward keeping a natural home, and I will happily provide that link! There is a button on the right side of my blog page that will link you directly to their site!

I feel good about recommending their products, because they are committed to providing quality, EXTREMELY well-priced, very versatile and usable products. Add to that, they are also committed to community & organic agriculture, education and activism for it, and I am honored to be promoting them! What a great company!

Just to make it even easier...here is a link to their eCatalog:

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/b01684aa#/b01684aa/16

Happy shopping, my friends;)