Mattress odors “be gone” with these simple steps
We are happy owners of the old new bed. But there is a slight issue of odors, we have to tackle before our sleep can be safe and sound.
Tag: environment
Give promises that matter and keep them!
It is the beginning of the new year – time to give yourself some promises and keep them! Think of yourself, but also of the world around you.
First steps on shopping plastic-free
A year ago we decided to cut down bringing plastic into our home. Following is the result of our first time trying plastic-free shopping. Our future is bright!
June 2018 thoughts
Those who have read our earlier posts know that we are on the path of consuming less, saving more, putting our minds and home into a minimalism mode and trying to survive without a fridge and buying less plastic. We can manage with most of the above-mentioned things just fine. Now we have to tackle the plastic matter. Is it possible to shop plastic-free?
Little (plastic-free) steps do matter
So far the first month has passed quite nicely for us. As we were able to save food from going to waste. Eve rescued it from the work canteen. So we were able to save more money and put it into our savings. Eve’s posts should give you a better overview of this subject. We haven’t been buying a lot. As all the little things we need, we already have. And if we have run out of something, then we are always looking to buy it in a glass, tin can or some other form, except in plastic.
Since it is the end of the month, it means we are ought to cook a complete new vegan meal we always have wanted to cook. This is part of celebrating our wedding date every month. I guess you need some kind of traditions in your family. And we are proud that we can join our forces on something we both love equally, maybe Eve a bit more than me – food!
Let’s investigate the (plastic-free?) haul
Let’s talk about the photo below, our haul for the anniversary cooking. Most things on the picture we bought for the two-course meal: oven-baked nachos and American style strawberry cake. As you can see most is in glass or in tin jars. (There will be a post soon talking about the difference between a can and a can) BUT of course, there are few BUT’s: starting from the left, vitamin B and Magnesium drink tablets, lemon extract, margarine, toothbrushes, glass noodles, nachos and strawberries in a plastic container. The potatoes are in a recyclable green bag.*
What we failed at?
The toothbrushes – we desperately needed them (I know, what a lousy excuse!). But we could have waited a day and get a bamboo one from some other store.
Vitamin drinks, as we are deficient on B12 and Mg, and had no medicine by hand.
Lemon extract, well not sure why did we buy it maybe thinking of using it for a long time. Definitely not to be bought in the future in such form.
Margarine was a must for the cake and since there are not really many vegan options available in the first place, let’s not even go to plastic-free options here…perhaps in the near future.
Glass noodles are our favorites and we have really grown on them. But if consuming them means bringing all this plastic home, then I think we should change our habits than continue this flow of plastic.
Nachos, are there really plastic-free options?
Strawberries, after we bought them we thought they could have poured them all in the red plastic bag, what we had with us. So we could have saved three containers, but since we were on a long walk from the store with heavy bags, we realized when reaching home it all would have been a big mush.
This amount of plastic really made my heart hurt. It was the last time we did such a purchase. Next time we would have our own containers or bags with us not to take anything from the farmer.
So there you go, not bad at all, but many changes could still be done. Moral of the story:
prepare ahead of time, know your needs, do your research and bring your own containers or bags, when shopping for produce.
November 2019 plastic-free update
As time has passed, we have become more environmentally aware, conscious of our actions and adjusted our needs. Also, we have found alternatives for products coming in plastic containers in different stores.
Let’s see what has changed 1,5 year later:
*Vitamin B and Magnesium drink tablets – we no longer buy them. They come only in plastic and are not really healthy. We have liquid B12 we take from a glass jar.
*Lemon extract – this actually lasted for a while, as we finished it perhaps a month ago. But now we would never buy it. As real lemon is the real way to go!
*Margarine – it is a very processed product, so we have been avoiding it. We mostly use coconut oil now. Recently we found small cubes in the store, which come in paper.
*Toothbrushes – we have turned a long time ago to bamboo brushes.
*Glass noodles – we have stopped buying those. Have twice bought big bags of noodles to last us for long.
*Nachos – haven’t bought any since then!
*Strawberries – we have always put them in our own containers.
Stay tuned to read more about our current life, while aiming for zero-waste, plastic-free, and less consuming life.
The beginner’s guide to composting at home
Composting is a vital step that we all take to reduce the current garbage crisis. In other words: roll up your sleeves!
Why plastic is nasty and why to stop using it
We are daily surrounded with so much plastic, that we even do not notice how much of it is out there. It is practical, it is poisonous and it is forever. Make a change and stop using plastic!
Baking soda – the household wonder helper
I have known that baking soda is good, but I never realized how good it is for the environment, my wallet and my everyday life!
Be warned that this is going to be a mammoth post, but it has do be done, as EVERYBODY should know the tens and tens of wonderful purposes of SODA. The best part about baking soda is that it is CHEAP and comes oftentimes in a carton box – a real treat to those, who want to save money and save planet earth!
Baking soda or washing soda?
There are two kinds out there – baking soda and washing soda. I have mainly used baking soda. If you want to know what the difference is between the two, then it is water and carbon dioxide.
Baking soda’s chemical makeup is NaHCO3 (1 sodium, 1 hydrogen, 1 carbon, and 3 oxygen molecules).
Washing soda’s chemical makeup is Na2CO3 (2 sodium, 1 carbon, and 3 oxygen molecules). Some of that school knowledge must have floated in, right? 🙂 If you want to read more about them both, please kindly visit this website for more information Science Struck.
How to use baking soda?
For your health
1. Use soda as a deodorant, rubbing it into the underarm – you can do it like that, but rather, mix it with coconut oil, some starch and add a little bit of essential oil, whichever is to your liking (ie. lavender or tea-tree). Your own natural deodorant is done!
Eve says: “When I first made natural deodorant, I felt my life and social life had changed because I had no odor! Sadly, the excitement was short-lived and my armpits started to burn. I had used too much soda and it burned my armpits! What we do know is to keep a jar of coconut oil and an open jar of baking soda. Ideally each morning, I take a tiny bit of coconut oil with my first two fingers and rub it gently under my arms, I then I dip my fingers into the jar of soda and then apply them to my underarms.
I can’t help but think that it may be unsanitary – so it’s probably safer to dip into the oil and rub it till it melts some, then dip into the soda then apply to your pits or just make the recipe Kerly provided above. I’m shutting up now! 🙂
2. Mix half a teaspoon of soda with a peroxide paste and use it to wash your teeth – would love to try that, but have to find peroxide paste first! (It sounds a bit dangerous, so before you try it, research it and be careful.
3. Add a cup of soda bath to make your skin softer.
4. Reduce pain caused by sunburn, while applying soda on it.
5. To remove strong smells from hands, rub them with baking soda and water.
6. Apply soda to rashes, insect bites and irritated skin of poisonous plants.
7. Add soda to bathwater to relieve skin irritation or to heal diaper rash, while washing infants.
8. Does heartburn afflict? Drink half a glass of water with a tablespoon of baking soda stirred in.
10. Freshen your breath by gargling a cup of water, mix half a tablespoon of baking soda and the same goes to heal any cuts in the mouth.
11. Use soda to heal bee stings.
12. Use a baking soda to reduce the pain caused by a medusa touch.
Home use
13. You can keep your vase flowers fresher longer if to add a tablespoon of soda to the water.
14. It is possible to get rid of unpleasant smells from the fridge if an open box of baking soda is placed in it.
15. Sprinkle the soda to the ashtray to reduce the smell of smoke and the smell of butts and use to clean the trays with soda as well.
16. Sprinkle soda to remove unpleasant odors in your wooden homeware, boots, shoes, and socks.
17. Removing the food smell, wipe baby’s chin and chest after eating with a wet cloth sprinkled with baking soda.
18. Rub the car’s windshield with soda to counteract rain.
19. The smell of a washing sponge can be improved if the sponge has been soaked in soda water.
20. Suck soda into the vacuum cleaner to ease the unpleasant smell coming from inside of the machine.
Eve says: ”This one made me laugh out loud!”
21. You can mix soda with some scented bath salts to refresh the air and put the mixture into small bags.
22. Soften rigid brushes by cooking them in a solution consisting of two liters of water, three tablespoons of vinegar and a bowl of baking soda.
23. Keep the soda near sink and basement windows to control cockroaches and ants.
24. Sprinkle baking soda on flower beds to prevent rabbits from eating your prized vegetables.
Eve says: ”I have a vision of Bugs bunny eating your carrots if you don’t try this.”
25. Improve the taste of tomatoes by sprinkling baking soda in the soil surrounding the tomato plant.
26. Sprinkle the soda in your cat’s sandbox to lose that unpleasant odor.
27. Sprinkle the soda on your pet’s ridge or comb to make the sheath smell more pleasant.
Cooking
28. Use soda as a substitute for baking powder by mixing soda with tartar or vinegar.
29. Wash with soda fruit and vegetables to remove the greasy residue.
30. Soaking the dried beans in a soda and water solution makes the beans easier to digest.
31. Make your own sports drink by mixing baking soda with boiled water, salt, and juice powder.
32. Reduce the acidic content of tomato-based dishes by sprinkling them with a pinch of baking soda.
33. Use soda to reduce acidity – I made a large pot of leek-mushroom risotto and added a tad too much of lemon juice. Thought that it is all ruined, but found out after short research, that a half teaspoon of baking soda would save my dinner. It sure did!
Eve says: ”It was so delicious, and I was in awe of the magic of that stuff.”
For cleaning up
34. Pour a cup of a soda into the toilet bowl, allow it to stand for an hour and then flush it down. Soda cleans the inside of the toilet bowl and absorbs bad smells.
35. Use sodas for scouring sinks, shower cubicles, plastic surfaces, and porcelain baths. Works like a miracle on white coffee and teacups! Removes all lines!
36. Use soda for cleaning the walls, mirrors, and kitchen counters.
37. Add a spoonful of soda to the dishwasher to simplify the cleaning of the dish.
38. Remove grease stains from pots and pans with soda.
39. Dry clean carpets and upholstered furniture – sprinkle baking soda on the items and scatter it gently with a cloth. Leave the soda to stand there for a few hours or overnight and then clean the surface with a vacuum cleaner.
40. Increase the cleansing power of your washer, sprinkling a handful of soda on dirty clothes.
41. Stainless steel and chrome surfaces can be polished with water-soda paste.
42. Scratches can be removed from the linoleum floors and walls with soda.
43. You can clean waste bins with soda.
44. Hairbrushes and combs soaked in the water-soda mixture will get rid of the grout. You have no idea how useful this tip came to me not long ago – read more in the future post of our site!
45. Use a damp cloth to absorb soda and then clean with the cloth laminated surfaces.
46. Use soda to remove stinking odor from coolers and thermoses.
47. Heat the soda in the coffee machine and then rinse with it the contents of the machine.
48. Sprinkle the soda on the dirty garage floors, rub the floor and rinse it with clean water.
49. Remove easily burned food from the pan, soaking it before washing for 10 minutes in a soda solution.
50. Clean the drain pipes by pouring in them every week four tablespoons of baking soda and then flush it down with hot water.
51. Clean the shower curtains by soaking them in soda water.
52. Use soda to clean your dentures.
53. Make a thick paste from baking soda and water and use it for scouring your baking oven.
54. Use soda to scrub clean your kitchen cupboard doors. Matte or shiny works on both!
55. Baking soda doesn’t make you poor!
Thank you for making it to the end.
Translated from an Estonian site.
All in all once more
The most amazing thing about baking soda is its cheap price. All of the above points can be made at a very low cost. Baking soda is a real miracle product, whether it is used in cooking or elsewhere. These 55 listed points here are not all the good uses of soda, there is plenty of more and I am sure the readers can add their own recommendations, which would make a great addition to this list here!
My praises of baking soda are not done yet!
Berlin Clothing Swap – time to swap!
Attend the upcoming swap on November 24th, 2019 at the Museum of European Art from 1-4pm. It’s free! Take advantage of this free offer, engrave is normally 2€.
What about organic waste?
I didn’t tackle the organic waste subject in my previous post. From several ways how to manage your organic waste, with our little tips below, you can easily find yours!
Veganism is the new today
Animals, nature, and well-being have never mattered us so much than now. It seems like veganism is the only way. If you need some persuasion, read below!
The inspiration to write this article came after watching a YouTube video of VEGAN 2018 – The Film. As a vegan, I am not really looking to educate myself more on the matter, as I am already a vegan, so I am doing my best, as it is, right? No, it doesn’t stop here. Educating myself more, I am more confident and I have actual facts to present, when in discussions, the never-ending subject, why I am vegan, comes up.
Veganism is not a trend
Being a vegan is not a trend and it is not a phase. At least to those, who really believe in what they are. Veganism is not a lifestyle. It is a life dedicated to saving lives. Not participating in the slaughter of animals, eating healthy and being environmentally conscious.
If you have become vegan just recently, it may not be the case for you, as you are in the whirl of finding out what to eat and which meals to cook. But one day you will start seeing the bigger picture and your small, but important role in it. Perhaps these little thoughts are helping you to be more aware of the current situation and be ready to protect yourself when you are under attack because of who you are.
Why veganism is not a trend? Because people are waking up and seeing that this is not the way to go on. Many changes will take place! Perhaps this is the reason that last year veganism really made a huge raise, precisely 500%! Whopping 500%!
Veganism entered the mainstream
2019. is the year when veganism is entering the mainstream. Many beliefs are changed, the year when every week a vegan restaurant is opened. In the US alone, nearly 25% of the people call themselves a vegan – wow! Being vegan has never been so easy than today. Even for those, who just can’t give up the meat because of its flavour. Worry no more – become a vegan now because now there is Beyond Burger.
It is an invention that was worked out in the United States. Even meat-eaters have been fallen in love with it. This meat alternative is found the aisles between the meat, not in a special corner only meant for free-from products. Ten years ago it would have been unthinkable. More fresh products are available to us and unimaginable amounts of processed vegan foods are available to make the beginning times of a new vegan easier.
Think where your food comes from
When not consuming meat, you save lives and you also save the environment. These are reasons enough to jump on the vegan boat. I guess everybody would agree, if meat-eaters, would see how the cow is milked or the animal is killed for their meal, they would not want to eat it. It is disgusting! But yet it is a norm and vegans are the villains.
Everything that is new is not accepted and this is normal. But everybody, not only vegans, should think that eating no animal products is normal. Nevertheless, we still hear things like: “We have always eaten meat, from the beginning of the time”; “Meat and dairy are good for you”, etc. 2019 can tell you not to believe all that, as these are all outdated reasons and the information – surveys, researches, articles – is out there.
Times have changed
Yes, we used to eat meat, as there was nothing else to eat. Meat and dairy are definitely not good for you. They are the leading cause of tens and tens of health issues. I am not making it up, or nobody is making it up. It was made up by the big corporations. So they can sell more products, to flourish and grow. This all happened for the sake of human lives, who have gotten sicker in recent years, because meat and dairy products are not clean, fresh and healthy, as we believe they are.
With anything that is produced in large quantities, it becomes mass production. And to make it more sustainable monetary wise, different means have set in, which changes the end product and makes the products unhealthy. Any attacks you face in the news by meat industries are not based on real evidence. But bought researches to save their doomed businesses, as their products are no more in such a high demand they used to.
Another big change that veganism is spreading, is being more open about the current climate situation and with changed eating habits making an actual change. In the news, you can read that experts warn that we have until 2030 to stem catastrophic climate change. I mean, we are still young. Life is still ahead. This may be the time when your children are in your prime and they have to grow up in a world, which may be quite unlivable. And they may never enjoy it the way you did when you were young.
Future, not our problem?
The world doesn’t end with us. There are more generations to come. We need to leave the world in such a state for them, which allows them to continue preserving it. We have land enough to feed 9 or 10 billion people. But not when they all eat veal, chicken, and pork. Meat and dairy industries are extremely exhausting for Mother Earth. We are close to depleting its natural sources and for what? For wrong beliefs and our taste buds? Think for a moment, that it takes 127 kg (280 pounds) of grain to make 450 g (1 pound) of beef. But imagine how many people that 127 kg of grain would feed?
Every year people are more and more health-minded. Nevertheless, we are the sickest today. In US the most money is spent on healthcare, but people are not healthier. On the opposite – the situation is getting worse. This makes, of course, to look at what is on the plates of the people. Health becomes better not with visits to a doctor, but changing what is eaten.
Eating meat and dairy is the main cause of today’s illnesses. Heart diseases are the number one killer in the USA. They can be beaten, just with changing a diet. Eating only plant-based meals is known to prevent various cancers, respiratory diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, pneumonia, influenza, and even suicide. Knowing that it would be enough of a reason to quit. To enjoy this life to the fullest and live longer and healthier.
Conclusion
Vegans have given up on serving their taste buds. But they are dedicated to saving the lives of 150 million animals killed daily for food. They do not think they are better, they just want the lives of animals to be better. Also planet Earth. Please do some research, if this wasn’t enough information and please make the change to join the new life already this year. We are here to help you on your path!
Click here to watch the Vegan 2018 – The Film HERE.