We’re getting ready to chat again about Ditch and switch. This time, we are headed into the kitchen! Since I know some of y’all might be wondering, what exactly does ditch and switch mean? This is all about deciding to ditch a nasty, harmful toxic product and switch it out with something better and healthier. You don’t need to go out and buy a whole new closet full of cleaning supplies all at one time and break your budget! Instead, we slowly ditch and switch one or two products at a time.

When something runs out; replace it with something better.

The main two resources I recommend to help with this are the Think Dirty app or the EWG Skin Deep Database. When first started the ditch and switch process,  I pulled up my kitchen dishwashing soap. I was completely SHOCKED to learn that my lovely blue colored dish soap – that I had been using for my entire life! – was rated a 9!! Y’all – a 9 out of 10! And I’m scrubbing the things we EAT off and DRINK out of with it!

Ditch and switch number 1 – Thieves Cleaner.

This Young Living product literally cleans EVERYTHING in my house. Kitchen, bathrooms, floors, spills, windows, doorknobs – you name it, Thieves Cleaner cleans it. I have a spray bottle in the kitchen – and under every sink that is easily ready to grab and go. I don’t have a different product for every room or every job. I use this for EVERYTHING.

Next on today’s ditch and switch – Thieves Dish Soap.

This dish soap is so amazing and very concentrated. It very effectively replaces “the other leading brand” and is free of all the harmful chemicals! When I get a new bottle, I pour 2/3 out into a mason jar. Then I add some baking soda and distilled water and shake. And y’all know I cook A LOT of bacon, sausage, etc.  and it totally cuts grease!

I always keep foaming hand soap by my sink too. In my kitchen, it’s a pretty blue mason jar, but in all the bathrooms, I use plastic containers. Because… children. I’ve shared this recipe before – because I have been using this for years. If you haven’t yet, check it out here.

The next ditch and switch – Thieves Dishwasher Detergent.

One thing I know…people take their dishwasher soap very seriously.  It’s about to get really personal y’all. Because as it turns out, everyone is going to have a favorite dish-washing detergent. You know why? Everybody is different. Some people have hard water while some people have soft water. Some people have a crummy dishwasher and others clean like it was made by NASA!

I’m a huge fan of Thieves dishwasher detergent. It works great for our water and our dishwasher. I use half of cap of dish-washing detergent and then fill up a little bit more with vinegar. You might not like this detergent and I completely get that.But please go check on Think Dirty’s App to see if there is a brand that will work better for you!

Last big switch – Thieves Fruit and Veggie Wash.

If you’ve followed me for awhile, you know that I am OBSESSED with washing fruit and veggies. The thought of eating your fruit and veggies WITHOUT WASHING IT completely disgusts me. I used to wash my produce with a big sink full of water and vinegar.But I actually hate the smell of vinegar!

Now, I just fill my sink all the way to the top and I add two big capfuls of Thieves Fruit and Veggie Wash. Then just let my veggies soak for about 5-10 minutes and watch as the dirt and grime literally lifts off the produce and sinks to the bottom (no pun intended).  Big bonus – I’ve noticed that my produce keeps WAY longer than before I used Thieves.

Making small changes like this in your life can have a snowball effect on other areas too! Baby steps like these ditch and switch substitutions lead to a natural progression toward health and wellness. You’ll realize that not only can you make changes in your kitchen, bathroom, and laundry, but you can change the food that you are feeding yourself and start exercising to take better care of yourself. Natural, gradual changes are the VERY BEST way to make life-long changes!

What does ditch and switch look like for you in your kitchen?

This is the first post in a three post series all about what I’m calling “Ditch and Switch”. What exactly IS ditch and switch? Several years ago, my family and I became very aware of the harmful and toxic chemicals in so many of the products we were buying in the store. We learned about this firsthand because of the struggle we faced with my son, Eli, and his very sensitive skin. Very slowly, over the last few years, we have begun to gradually replace the toxic products in our home with cleaner, healthier options. And just so this whole idea of “Ditch and Switch” is not too overwhelming, I’m breaking it up into three parts: Bathroom, Laundry, and Kitchen.

And today, we’re headed into the Bathroom!

[Read more…]

Slowly in our home, we have replaced things that are harmful or contain harmful or toxic chemicals. Over time, we’ve been able to do better! We don’t believe it has to be all or nothing. We believe gradual change is the kind that sticks! When you jump in and try to do something 100% whole hog – it’s too much!

Today, I want to focus on ditching and switching in the laundry room and cleaning closet.

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If you are a new follower of the blog, you might be wondering…what is KonMari? KonMari is another name for decluttering and it is actually not really a new thing. It originally became a trend when Marie Kondo published her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up in 2014. The idea of the KonMari style of decluttering has just resurfaced lately thanks mostly to the new TV show on Netflix. But Barry and I started our journey with KonMari over 4 years ago and we owe a lot of thanks to Marie Kondo and her book.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying up really did change our lives. Let’s get into how.

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I do a lot of how-to articles. And I share a lot of recipes. I give y’all tips on everything from cleaning products to food storage. But today’s post isn’t information that you can take and go implement. There are no physical steps to take or list of action items. Today I’m sharing something that I hope goes in to your head and heart and hopefully changes your attitude.

A while back I was having a conservation with one of my dear friends, Jessica, from Smartter Each Day. We were chatting about the idea of belief, and the hard reality that there is always going to be someone who disagrees with the things you do. This could apply to anything in life: from your faith, your health, your parenting, or even your marriage. No matter what you do and what choices you ultimately make in life, someone is always going to disagree with you. [Read more…]

I realize it’s been a while since I talked about this, and if you have been a follower for a while, you may recall that I have talked before about how I organize my days. I do it in a very specific way and turns out, the concept is not new AT ALL. I actually first heard about it when I when I was younger – like a lot younger. We’re talking when I was a little girl.

Any of y’all remember Little House in the Big Woods?

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When it comes to clothes, Stitch Fix is a good fit for me – and might be a good fit for you, too! Before I get started though, it’s important for y’all to know that when Barry and I were first married, Stitch Fix was not a realistic option for us. When we were on a strict budget (read, super tight), trying really hard to pay off our debt, decent clothes were not even on our radar.

If you are in a place where you have a little bit more disposable income for clothing, or nice clothes are a high priority for you, keep reading.

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I’ve been blogging for a LONG time – and I’ve done so many live videos that I sometimes feel like is no possible way I’ve got something to share that I haven’t already told y’all! And yet, one of the most common things you ask me to talk about more is homemaking tips. Well…I’m still a work in progress, but I have learned a few things that I’m happy to share. So…let’s dive in to some things I’m commonly asked about homemaking. [Read more…]