I'm not sure how I can get these thoughts down in writing, but I'm going to try...

Anyone else out there have this dream of returning back to the way it was...? I mean way back..... I may have a misinformed idea of how things were back in the biblical days.... but to live in a small community with family and friends close by.... I know they had their difficulties...the work had to be harder then I can imagine. Just a simple job today would be something complex and time consuming back then.  And sanitation, I'm sure was unpleasant....We have so much to help us today in our daily tasks, just maybe too much help. Choices...wow! Just to buy a shampoo or deorderant...look at the choices we have. Then those that are snipping coupons, rebates and watching sales before they even get to the stores....wow! I applaude them....but that's too complicated for me. Just to look at the aisles in our stores now...

I remember that feeling I had when I last looked for a shampoo and besides comparing the prices, we have to look at ingredients, and oh man, the fragrances, are you a sniffer like me? This could be a real challenge and temptation to splurge on that really pretty bottle with the great fragrance.

ok, I got off track.... or maybe not....I would love to be able to have just a few changes of clothes...and I love the look of homemade woven linens and cottons that I picture the clothing to be made from. Have you seen "The Nativity Story"....? the movie that came out last year? my kids laugh at me when I tell them I wished that was how we dressed today. Unfortunately, they have discovered Abercrombe, etc...

I love the simple clothing.....how freeing that would be. A choice you wouldn't have to make before you even walked out the door.

I have eliminated a few choices in my life, it really started for health reasons, but the simplicity of it, fits well in my current lifestyle.  Anyway........

1) I don't buy shampoo anymore, I use only baking soda in my hair and occassionally rinse with apple cider vinegar. It works ! I was really a sceptic when I first heard aout it. Because I am a sniffer and I love soft hair. But all I do is put a heaping tbls in my palm, wet it and massage into my roots or scalp.. I rinse well and my hair is clean. I also, rub a tiny amount of olive oil in my palm and rub onto the ends of my hair. I usually will add a drop of essential oil to that so I am not missing out on fragrance. I'm in the process of infusing some oils with herbs to give a more pleasing aroma. Like rosemary and lavender.

2) I don't use toothpaste or deorderant anymore. I again use baking soda w/essential oils.

3) I don't buy soap for bathing, I use my homemade goatmilk/olive oil soap for cleansing my body and my face. I use a homemade oil blend w/essential oils for my face and body moisturizer. Again, I did infuse some almond oil w/gardenia flowers this fall and it smells great. 

4) I rarely use makeup anymore..but when I do it's mascaria and a little mineral powder on my face to even the skin tone out.

5) I also use the recipes we have all seen for household cleaning. and I make my laundry soap with my homemade lye soap, borax and washing soda. Again, for my linens I will add lavender or lilac to a damp cloth and throw in the dryer. I hang out clothes but not when I'm using the wood heat...I'm not fond of smoky smelling clothes.

These steps have saved us money and more importantly we are not inhaling chemicals and the poisons aren't going into our bodies through our skin.

You know I think I got of topic again...lol. My son Jacob has awaken and he is trying to get my attention...and he has.

Do you have any simple and easy things you have found to work for you ?

Living simply isn't always easy...but these few choices have really simplified it for me.

Cindylee