Moon Woman Rising

Natural Living: Homemade Laundry Powder

I have been wanting to make homemade laundry detergent, or soap-powder rather, for awhile now. After running out of what we normally use, the 7th Generation brand, I decided to give it a try. The 7th Generation detergent works great, but I knew I could make my own for less money and hoped to make it as natural as possible. I tried a recipe that many people love, would work for my front loading machine and is simple to make. The verdict: it works wonderfully, is very inexpensive and is very simple to make. The downside is that the Fels Naptha bar is not the most natural option (but easily remedied). My instructions and more thorough review follows.

1. You will need: Borax, Washing Soda and a bar of Fels Naptha

2. Grate the entire bar of Fels Naptha, using a non-kitchen grater. (I always label my DIY graters and seperate them from food graters) *When your arm gets tired, ask a kind soul to take over for you while you relax and take pictures

3. The recipe: Mix the grated bar of Fels Naptha with 2 cups Borax and 2 cups Washing Soda

4. Find a container to hold the laundry powder - I had the perfect huge glass jar, which made it look like there isn't much powder in there. But I was surprised how much it made. Give it a good shake to mix all the ingredients together. Don't forget to label.

I use 2 tablespoons per load, put in with the clothes rather than in the soap dispenser on my front loading machine. 

Pros: 

- It works really well. Clothes come out clean. 

- My husband likes how it smells like laundry soap.

- It is much cheaper per load than store bought detergent.

- I enjoy making my own products and feeling self-sufficient.

- Less plastic packaging than we were using before.

- A more natural option than many store bought detergents

Cons:

- Takes some time and elbow grease (might be a con to some, although I like that part!)

- That fresh smell is due to some questionable ingredients in the Fels Naptha bar - after some research, found it’s not the crunchiest choice - it contains some chemicals I don't feel good about.

Verdict:

I love it and will use this batch until its gone and then next time, use a different soap bar that is a more natural option - perhaps a Dr. Bronner's soap bar? Happy cleaning!

 X.Aja

Natural Living: Homemade Cleaning Products

Making your own cleaning products is probably one of the simplest, most inexpensive and effective things you can do to be less dependent on chemicals and more supportive of this big, round beautiful mother we live on. I bet I don't need to tell any moon women out there about the harm and dangers of using commericial cleaning products - for you, your family's and the earth's health. From carcinogens to skin irritants and downright poisons, there is nothing "clean" about them.

I cleaned houses for 3 years during my college days. It was hard, satisfying work. I learned a lot about cleaning - from how to get a toilet shining to how hard commercial cleaning products can be on the lungs and skin. Homemade products are safer for your body and the earth. And they work better! Which is important to me - I want them to be natural, but I want them to work too! 

There are lots of resources and recipes online for making your own, but I am throwing my tried and true recipes into the mix because I love them. They work great, smell fantastic and are really inexpensive to make. Of course the fun part is making variations on recipes - using your scents you love.

But if you just want to get started, here is a good place to start...

1.) What you will need to make surface cleaner, sink scrub, dish soap, window cleaner, and shower spray:

-empty spray bottles (I love these) 

-Dr. Bronner's tea trea and peppermint soap (I love Dr. Bronner's soaps, I use them for almost everything and its a great, eco-conscious and socially-conscious company. I just watched a documentary on Dr. Bronner on netflix - it was fascinating) 

-white vinegar (Cuts grease and is excellent for absorbing bad smells)

-lemons (disinfects, smells great)

-tea tree essential oil (anti fungal, anti bacterial, I love the smell - it smells like clean to me)

-baking soda (mild grit for scrubbing and absorbs bad smells - plus I use it on my hair, teeth, and deodorant!)

RECIPES

Surface cleaner

Fill your spray bottle with water. Add 2 tablespoon Dr. Bronner Tea Tree or Peppermint Soap. Add 10 drops tea tree essential oil.

Window Cleaning

First make your lemon vinegar, which is just steeping lemon halves or left over lemon rin in a quart of vinegar for a couple of weeks. Remember, vinegar will rust metal, so use a plastic lid or line the lid with plastic wrap while it steeps.

After your vinegar is done steeping, remove lemon pieces. Fill your spray bottle 3/4 full with the vinegar and the remaining with water. 

Sink Scrub

Sift together one box of baking soda with 20 drops of tea tree essential oil. *I have a special sifter just for cosmetic and household uses, not to be confused with my baking sifter - no one wants muffins that taste like tea tree! Place in a jar and use to scrub your sinks.

Shower Spray

Fill your spray bottle with water and add 20 drops of tea tree oil. Spray on your shower walls and floor after showering if you have trouble with mold and mildew. Also, using a squeeqee after showering really cuts down mildew forming. 

Dish Soap

This is an easy one. I just use Dr. Bronner's diluted with water. I like peppermint or orange best for dishes.

If you have a recipe you love, please share and happy cleaning!

X.Aja

Herbal Medicine: Perfect Summer Cooler

Does anyone else have some crazy fast growing herbs and plants in their garden this year? I feel one step behind! Yesterday I had to cut down my sage, thyme and mint and I just couldn't wrap my head around it. Everything got such an early start and now I am just running around trying to mentally catch up.

Because when the herbs like mint start growing, they grow fast and I have to harvest constantly since I don't have a ton of space. Harvesting means drying your herbs, which I wrote about last year if you need a refresher on the best methods.

Or, skip the drying and make a refreshing summer cooler! Just water and fresh herbs is all you need. Lighter than some iced teas, its perfect for hot days when you need to stay hydrated.

You'll need:

- a quart jar filled with water

- fresh herbs, my favorite combination is: a lot of lemon balm, a little mint and a sprig of thyme. Its cooling, fresh and the lemon balm has the most wonderful flavor. 

- if you want to get really fancy, you can add a few slices of lemon or cucumber.

Directions: Just place your fresh (and washed) herbs straight into the jar. No chopping. Just place them whole in the jar. Let it sit a few hours - maybe even over night. You could strain, but I find by leaving the herbs whole, its not necessary and leaving the herbs in the jar is so beautiful and fragrant as you hydrate!

X.Aja 

Natural Crafting: Tea Cup Candles

What to do when its rainy and dark for days on end and you just might have an abudance of tea cups from over-obssesive collecting? Oh yes, tea cup candles! I have been collecting tea cups for a few years now and I love making candles. This marriage was bound to happen sooner or later. And this weather pushed me over the edge. Don't get me wrong, the rain is lovely - any gardener will tell you that. But oh my, we are going on days and days with no end in sight. Its like I am back home in Seattle (minus the good coffee shops - sorry Providence, its true).

Candle making is unbelievably satisfying, especially if you use candles as much as we do in this home. Its a relatively fast craft project, after a little initial investment in supplies and a good amount of time learning the ins and outs. Trying to instill some coziness is paramount when you live in an old rubber mill and candles help warm our big, lofty space up.

There is no way I could tell you all I have learned about candle making in one post (hmm, perhaps I need to create an online class?) I have learned a lot of tips and tricks over the years - everything from choosing the right wick to the tools you can't live without. 

I recently picked up some wick centering tools and after using clothes pins, kabob sticks and anything else I could get my hands on, I have to say they are worth it. 

So very worth it as they fit a large variety of container sizes and make wick centering so much easier. You want your wick as centered as possible so the candle burns equally across the pool of wax. 

I typically use soy wax for container candles. It burns clean, is economical and made in the US. I use beeswax for my pillar candles because pillars need a hard wax and soy is too soft. Soy holds fragrance well which is important because using essential oils can be expensive. But overall, making your own candles is a money saver. Store bought candles can be really expensive! Making them myself, I can reuse the containers and always have hostess gifts on hand. Of course, making them in fancy vintage tea cups may not be the most economical container, especially when any old canning jar will do - but sometimes, you just need something a little special to brighten those rainy days.

X.Aja

Spring Knitting

Despite a few lingering winter projects that are still begging to be completed, I am looking forward to more spring knitting. These spring colored socks are for the Mr. and I am finally finishing the first. The yarn is just so tiny and his feet are really big. You can't really tell from the pictures, but this sock is enormous. 

I have tried all kinds of sock knitting methods and this is my favorite I think: toe up, magic loop, one sock at a time. I have tried two at a time, which is nice because its easier to get two identical socks, but its a lot of needles and yarn getting all wound up. I have tried wooden needles in the round just to see if I like it, which I did, but I like working magic loop on circulars better. Sock knitting is addictive, doesn't take long to learn and its easy to travel with. And who doesn't love a handmade pair of cozy wool socks?

The yarn is Malabrigo sock yarn, which is so soft and beautiful. Sturdy feeling too. I made a real silly mistake when I started these - I didn't write down the color or dye lot and this man's big ole feet are going to need more than one skein. Opps. But I think I will be able to find it again. I hope! 

Any spring knitting plans out there?

X. Aja

The Moon in Clay

 

One of the great things about living in an artist community is having an artist collaborative space right next door. There are studios, classes and very cool events on a regular basis. The hermit in me can manage to walk around the corner and be a social animal without much hesitation! I've been playing in the ceramic studio there once a week, learning wheel throwing, a magical and frustrating process. I've had a few successes on the wheel and maybe I will muster the courage to share them with you. 

But I do want to share my experimentations from last week. I say experimentations because raku-firing, the process we used, is very unpredictable - you never know what you will end up with for a surface. I made these tiles with moon drawings etched into the surfaces. I decided to not use any glaze, knowing the surface would likely turn a deep charcoal color. I am so happy with how they turned out. Raku firing is super satisfying because its so fast - after a time in the kiln, the pieces were taken out and put into a metal container with a nest of paper and bits of wood. Once placed inside the nest, it all catches fire and a lid is placed over the container. The smoke and fire and heat combine to create beautiful surfaces on the clay.

 

Traditionally, raku ware is hand-formed, rather than wheel thrown, so you create a one of a kind piece each time. Because raku is a low-fire technique, these little tiles are a bit more fragile than a kiln fired piece. But the surfaces remind me of the moon itself, rich and porous. 

Because these tiles were inspired by my moon woman work and the kinship I am feeling in what I think of as our moon den here, I am giving away one moon tile to one reader chosen at random, who leaves a comment on this post by this Sunday, November 20th, at 8pm. 

My way of saying thank you for holding this space with me.

All love,

Aja

 

How to make a smudge stick

I use smudge sticks a lot - before and after meditation, yoga practice, ritual moments and even before and after guests come to visit. A smudge stick is a small bundle of dried herbs that is burned to give off an incense that is thought to clear space. I like the symbolism of using smudge to mark the beginning and end of something - I use white sage, a traditional herb used in native american smudge sticks and as soon as I smell it, its a cue that I have placed intention and meaning behind whatever follows. And I think it smells great (there are some in my home who disagree, but put up with it lovingly) My work in the SouLodge uses smudging regularly and we were invited to make our own if we liked. I had a great harvest of common sage this year, so I thought I would give it a try. You can do this with a variety of herbs: lavender, mugwort, juniper, balsam fir, pine, or cedar to name a few. It was so easy!

Start with a bunch of herbs and some twine...

Tie the ends of the herbs together....

And then wrap the bundle tightly, working upwards and around. Tie off at the top.

Next, the bundle must dry. When herbs are exposed to light, they lose their color, so I covered my bundle with some brown paper and tied some string to the paper at the top...

Then I hang the bundle somewhere it can dry - it takes about a week or so.

Then your smudge stick is ready to clear space and mark moments anew with its earthy good smells!

All love,

Aja

The Fall Table

There is butternut squash, purple potatoes, curly stemmed gourds, sweet wild grapes and of course, an abundance of ripe apples gracing our Fall table. For a special autumn setting, perhaps this coming Monday on All Hallow's Eve, use those abundant apples as candle holders. Simply carve a little out of the apple tops and place a votive candle inside. With a few scattered leaves thrown about, the table couldn't invoke the the beauty of Fall colors and smells more.

And when your meal is done, just peel, core and chop up the apples, cook in a saucepan, with a little brown sugar, slowly over low heat. You will be left with the most delcious sauce, on the chunky side, which is just how I like it. The perfect topping for your warm bowl of oatmeal in the morning. 

Moon Woman Beauty: Homemade Tooth Paste

Or more accurately, tooth powder! 

Why make your own tooth powder? Well, I suppose I could tell you a few scary stories about the nastiness of fluoride, the waste of tooth paste tubes or even the Wise Womanly-ness of making it yourself.

But honestly, like giving up shampoo, I do it not because of rules or out of fear - I do it because it works!

It really, really works. And also, because I like saving money. I like it a lot.

With every brushing I feel like I have been to the dentist for a cleaning. I also like the taste better (even natural toothpaste tastes sugary to me now) I also wake up with less, ahem, gunk in my mouth in the morning. That was a surprise actually. Makes me think it was the toothpaste leaving a gunk film. 

For an easy and inexpensive tasty tooth powder recipe you will need:

1/4 cup white cosmetic clay

1 tablespoon baking soda

20-30 drops peppermint essential oil 

1 tablespoon ground dried sage leaves (optional)

Mix the clay and baking soda in a bowl using a whisk. Add the peppermint oil and whisk to a fine ground powder (I sometimes put it through a flour sifter so the oil doesn't create any lumps). Grind the dried sage leaves in a mortar and pestle and add to the mix. Put in a jar and viola! 

You can experiment with other ingrediants - some people love clove oil and cinnamon (I love the taste but cinnamon turns your tooth brush brown and makes me think it won't keep your teeth pearly white). Some people like more baking soda, I like more clay - its all about your personal preference, so feel free to experiment!

It lasts forever and the ingredients can be used for a ton of other things - clay is great for practically everything. I wash my hair with baking soda. And peppermint oil helps make tasty treats even tastier!

Simple Herbal Medicine

Herbal vinegars: it doesn't get much more simple than that I think. You plunk some sprigs of fresh herbs in a bottle of apple cider vinegar, let sit for 2-4 weeks, remove the herbs and voila! A vinegar that is infused with vitamins, minerals and herbal goodness (not to mention they are delicious!).

One of the most transformative things I have learned from my herbal apprenticeship is that herbal medicine is about shifting consciousness to thinking of medicine as nourishment and food for our bodies (and away from pills and drugs). Our bodies best absorb the nutrients we need when they are delivered as food. Our earliest ancestors knew that food was medicine and they cared deeply about what they put into their bodies. Have we ever had a time when society cared so little for what they put inside (and outside) their bodies? Its hard to imagine it getting any worse....

Ah, but I don't mean to get down. Back to the vinegar!

The above vinegar is steeping with fresh sage, thyme and rosemary from my garden. I will give it another couple of weeks before straining. I made this with the cold season in mind, as these herbs support the respitory system. Even if you have no experience whatsoever with herbal medicine or have no garden space, this is wonderfully easy: just buy some apple cider vinegar and some fresh herbs of your liking at the store, put them together to steep for a few weeks and then strain. Wise woman medicine is simple, easy and safe, because we nourish the body. I would add it is usually quite delicious as well!