Recipe - Bath Fizz Balls

For Christmas, Hudson received those cool fizz balls for the bath. She loved it until she started breaking out into a rash!!! A few months later, I got her a different store brand without thinking and same thing happened again. I went out and about and looked at the ingredient list and it occur to me, most of what was included on the list was completely unnecessary. So last week, I started looking online for an alternative and came across many recipe to make it myself. Best part... the only ingredient truly needed were not only safe but also beneficial for the skin. 

I have now made a few batches and here is my version of what worked best for us. And I should add, it is very easy to make!!! No baking, no cooking!

You will need :

• 2 cups of Baking Soda (500gr)
• 3/4 cup of citric acid (this might be a bit hard to find, I ended up ordering mine only from the USA for a very very cheap price. Apparently some grocery will carry it in their baking aisle since it is use in canning, essentially citric acid is vitamin C)
• 1/8 cup of corn starch
• 1/4 cup of coconut oil (or any other vegetable oil) in liquid form but not heated)
• A few drops of essential oil (how many drops really depends on which oil you use and how strong you want the smell to be.) So far I have used grapefruit and lavender essential oil. 
• Food coloring (totally optional, how much will depends on how dark you want the color to be)
• Water in a spray bottle (mist setting)
• Parchemin paper
• Fun Mold (optional)

How to do it :

1. In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredient. MIX WELL!!!
2. In a separate bowl, mix all the wet ingredient except the water.
3. Slowly add the wet mixture in the dry ingredient bowl. I use a fork to mix it and work through all the clumps. It will take a few minutes but make sure there are no clumps left.
4. With your hand, check of well the mixture holds it shape when pressed. Spray a little bit of water until you can easily make it stay in the desire shape. IT WILL NOT LOOK LIKE A DOUGHT! It will still be in a loose powder form. But it has just enough moisture to keep it's shape when you press it.
5. Use a mold to make fun shapes. I used egg molds for bento box to make my bunnies. I find it works best with a solid mold as oppose to a silicone soft mold. When you put the mixture in, you have to press really hard. You do not need to wait for it to set, you can unmold it right away. It you do not have any molds, you can simply make little balls with your hands.
6. Let it dry and cure on parchemin paper for about 24-28 hours. Make sure they are in a very dry place. Once dried, you can store then in an air tight container. This weekend, I will try to vacuum seal a few. Use within a month for best results.

Happy Earth Day!!!

Happy Earth Day!!!

I just thought I'd say,

What did you do today ;-)

Green, green, green... nothing but green

Some of you might very well be aware of the many changes that have taken place in our household, well before Tuna arrived... For some times now, we have been working really hard at making environmentally and chemical free friendly choices. I have to say after 2 years, most of the these changes have been great! For our health but also for our budget... So I just thought I would share some ideas, and links about some of the products we use and why we made the change.

I will spare you the first one... the obvious one... the one I ramble about almost nonstop on facebook... CLOTH DIAPER! But seriously, if you want to give it a try... talk to me... I can help you out! Here is also a great opportunity to buy Canadian! I am telling you.. this is something we should be proud off... we make some of the best cloth diapers! Check out AMP from Manitoba, Applecheeks from Québec, Hipkiddo from BC and Motherease from Ontario... And if by any chance you are in the states, you too have great option of locally made cloth diapers!!!

No more scott towel either... RAGS can do the job! I know... it sounds silly... but do you know how much we save!!! And if you want to go fancy, invest in an unpaper towel roll! All over etsy you will find local women making them to match the color of your kitchen!

Have you heard of reusable menstrual products... If you still use moldy tampons, I would seriously look into the many other options! And here too, you will save TONS of money! Check it out here And for those who thinks it is gross.... You know what is gross... mold! Beside... how can it be any more gross than watching The Walking Dead ;-) And while we are here... why not buy Canadian!

Another place we made big changes was with our cleaning products! For our laundry, including my cloth diaper, we use Nellies Laundry detergent. It is a scent free, dangerous chemical free detergent that is CANADIAN made! And the best part... you can order the bucket from Costco for free delivery and it comes down to 11 cents a load... Told you... eco-friendly does not mean expensive!!!

Next up... cleaner product... oh-so-easy-and-baby-safe... put some vinegar in a jar with orange peel... let it sit on a shell for 6 weeks... and voilà... you can add some tea tree oil if you would like... you can use it to clean just almost anything... including your kids toys.For other great cleaning product recipe, visit the Queen of Green's blog!

Let's move on to personal hygiene... do you use coconut oil yet? tea tree oil? well you should! Easy to find and cheap, you can use it a million ways... And why would you do that... well... unless you are ok with the fact that Johnson and Johnson is poisoning your baby... unless you insist on spending more money than you need...  you really have nothing to loose... and if you really want that fresh smell, just add a dab of your favorite essential oil scent!

And since we are on subject of poisoning yourself... there are many more culprits out there... Myself, I am still leaning about them... Deodorant, toothpast, sunscreen...  so what are your options... well for deodorant, it is so easy to make your own!!! Yes! And it works!!! Here is the recipe we use. If you are not in the mood to make your own, I have yet to find a cheap alternative, but for a few dollars you can easily find them online... etsy, www.well.ca... and by the way, if you have never ordered from well.ca, you are eligible for a 10$ off coupon code! Did I mention they are in Ontario! Go buy local! When it comes down to sunscreen, we use green beaver product.... here too, I have not been able to find a cheaper option... but really... who wants to cheap out here???? We also use their toothpaste (sorry, I just can't do the baking soda...) You can buy their product online at well.ca as well! (I also love their natural bug repellent) 

So this is just the beginning!!! There is a lot more to it... And I too, am still learning... one change at a time... why... because if I can make a difference in my health, in my environment and SAVE money while supporting my local economy... then we all win.

Over the next few years, I am hoping to make even more changes... as I educate myself, as I discover sustainable option, and as these option become more easily available. 

If you made it this far, reading this post, then I encourage you to perhaps check out the Green Living Show in Toronto from April 12-14, 2013. If you look around on the internet, there are a few different ways to get free tickets.

Also, one last thing I would like to mention is the company Little eco foot print which I just recently discovered. They are Ontario based and proposed a subscription to a mystery box geared towards family with young kids between the ages of 0-3. So once a month you receive a box with eco product. You can subscribe for 1 months, 3 months or 6 months. I just did it and I am anxiously waiting for my first box!! I will blog about it when it comes ;-) If you are interested check out their facebook group, you also have a chance to win one there.And if you decide to order, you can use my affiliate link ;-)