Natural Body and Home Care

I’m a little late to this party, but I am finally starting to look at seriously changing many of my body care habits to be more natural and less toxic. I’ve realized this was important for quite some time, but have given myself a break on the topic because dealing with sourcing, cooking, and managing my food was enough for me to handle. Although I feel like I’m pretty good in the kitchen and pretty well versed in the food department, it does still get a little overwhelming sometimes. It took time to get familiar and comfortable with all the “strange” ingredients this lifestyle introduces (things like coconut and almond flours, arrowroot powder, apple cider vinegar, ghee, I could go on…) and slowly start accumulating them. I wasn’t ready to jump in on the natural body care stuff as well, at least not at first when I wasn’t quite sure I’d like the results and didn’t want to waste money on stuff that would just sit around.

But now, I’m ready. I think. Inspired by Easy Paleo’s post about how she’s starting this process, I’m about to embark on trying out some new products and/or recipes. I will make sure to keep you posted on how it goes. Here’s the list of things I’m going to try over the next few weeks. Please note that I haven’t moved on to hair products just yet (baby steps!) and still am using my Deva Curl products, which don’t seem to be too incredibly toxic according to Safe Cosmetics, at least. I’m not even going to mention my hair color – I tried to wean myself off that habit with disastrous results. I realize it’s not all or nothing and my hair color habit probably won’t knock me dead any time soon and does not undo any other positive changes I decide to make. Any attempt at reducing my exposure to toxins is probably worthwhile (I hope!) I’d also like to get into using more natural homecare products as well. I’ll list the ones I already use or plan to try below, too, but I have a lot more room to grow there as well. Any suggestions you all have in this department are welcome!

Body Care Products/Ideas

• Fermented Cod Liver Oil/Butter Oil Blend (Used this for months already – body care from the inside-out!)
• Oil Cleansing Method (I’m going to try this out just with coconut oil because I have it on hand before trying out the caster oil/grape seed oil blend)
• Grandma's Lye Soap (just ordered this)
• Natural Deodorant (I will mix some the second, easier recipe up tonight since I have the stuff on hand)
• OraWellness Brushing Blend, Toothbrush, and Tongue Scraper (ordered these online today for a total of about $35 with shipping)
• Epsom Salts in the Bath (very relaxing – love this!)
• Natural Beach Waves Spray (Mine didn’t turn out that great – I used too much conditioner. Will try again)
• Primal Life Organics (I think I'll probably start with the Primal Face and Body Package - I'll see how my attempts at making my own deoterant and using the oil cleansing method go first)

Home Care Products/Ideas

• Vinegar and Baking Soda to clean (used both in the shower with a wash cloth and it worked well!)
• Vinegar with water as a glass cleaner (tried this in the past and it works)
• Tropical Traditions Dish Washer Detergent (I’ve been meaning to try this – will order next time I run out)
• Seventh Generation Laundry Liquid  (not up for making my own)
• Dish Soap (I’ve used this for awhile – it is effective and smells good)

If you're looking for good info on this topic, definitely check out Cavegirl Eats and Wellness Mama - both have tons of great resources, recipes, etc.

Navigating Home Ownership

First off, I have to say that I’m in love with our house. It’s everything and more we dreamed about during those long months of preparation. But man, does buying a home do a number on the finances. Since paying off my credit card debt and starting my method of using my rewards card for all my spending, I’ve loosened up on the day to day budgeting. It worked well for a while and was quite freeing. I felt I’d earned it. But now, with all the little things that come up both for myself and the house? I’m way off track. I have to come clean… Over the past few months both before and after the home purchase, I’ve been raiding my savings like there’s no tomorrow. It boils down to overspending – nothing huge, just inattention to the details, giving in to immediate gratification, and just plain impulse buying. It’s time to buckle down and pay attention!

Cute Man and I like to keep our finances separate. It’s not about trust, it’s about control. It’s just easier to keep track of one set of in and outflows and just negotiate the common expenses. This is what works for us. Now, with the house, we have had to realign who pays what and sorting out all that has really been a reality check. The bills! They’re killer! Savings, what’s that??? After the panic subsided, we came up with a plan that will keep us on track and allow us to continue saving a little bit, at least. As long as I keep a handle on my discretionary spending, I’ll be OK. I’m lucky as hell to still HAVE any discretionary spending money at all. It just has to remain a very finite amount if we’re to stay on track with our short and long term goals.

If I was able to keep up my debt repayment while working at the salon for peanuts per hour (with Cute Man’s major support!) I can do this. I have the incredible perk of being able to go home and enjoy the fruits of all this effort every single night. It is truly a wonderful thing to go home to our house every evening and spend time with Cute Man. It’s nice to have a tangible reminder of what we’re working toward – maintaining and building our happy life and future together.

Day 10 Gluten Free and Home Loan Approved!

Yep. It’s official. The loan has been approved and things are chugging along. Home ownership here we come! Now, it’s pretty much a waiting game as they build our house to-be. The timeline is still July or August for move-in. I’m personally routing for July, not only because it’s sooner and I’m inpatient, but because August is going to be a busy month. I have our annual convention in San Diego, Cute Man has his college trip with the kiddos. However, he does have a week off that month so that could come in handy! Either way, it will be a wonderful kind of busy.

In other news, I’m doing well with avoiding gluten. I’m not finding it all that difficult. I think I can say that the heartburn is a bit better (though not totally gone). And for the record, I have NOT given up coffee. The second day of that resulted in a near meltdown so I decided to pick my battles. I have replaced the stuff at work that they provide with my own instant from Trader Joes that I use to make iced coffee. I think it’s less oily and/or acidic so the tummy is happier, in any case.

Since I was at Trader Joes, I did decide to try out some of the GF products. So far, the pancake mix is a hit. LOVED IT. Literally the best mix I’ve used. Not kidding. I’ve also tried the brown rice spaghetti, which was good – I rinsed it well, which helps. The rice mac and cheese was good but a little unsettling to the tummy – I think it has more real dairy in it than the other kind that I seemed to be able to eat without a problem. I will try it again with Lactaid and see if that helps. I’m not worrying too much about the casein right now. After the coffee debacle, I’m trying one thing at a time. Maybe I’ll do a test taking that out later on, if it still seems like it may be a problem.

That all being said, I don’t want to become dependant on substitutes. I really do want to work towards eating more whole foods that are naturally gluten free. However, it’s nice to know these comfort foods are there when/if I want them and that they’re actually tasty.

Today happens to be tough one for me in terms of body image (I think PMS is the culprit!) but I’m trying not to draw any conclusions based on that. I have these days every now and again (roughly once a month!) so I tend to just discount them entirely and wait it out. So overall, I’m feeling good about this gluten free experiment so far and I plan to continue it indefinitely.

On the Way Home – Part 2

It looks like the builder is indeed going to start construction earlier than we first thought – move in is now slated for July or August. Not a huge change, but I’m excited nonetheless. It looks like I just might be able to enjoy the pool for a bit this summer :)

Our meeting to pick out our finishes went well. We’re getting ceiling fan wiring in the master bedroom and living room, upgraded facets in the bathrooms, and nice flooring for the kitchen/bathrooms. And I am so looking forward to my huge tub in our bathroom and the washer/dryer that will be installed and ready to go when we move in. The kitchen will be gorgeous and look something like this, although it will be laid out differently and be bigger. But these are the cabinets/counters/appliances we chose:

As for the loan, all of that is underway. We’ve pretty much abandoned NACA and I’m left with an extremely bad taste in my mouth regarding the program. I look back at my post from early January – at the hope and anticipation and I have to laugh. After being a bug in our consultant’s ear, constantly asking for updates without any real answers for months, I have given up. It’s a real shame since the program is so good in theory. In practice, it is so not worth it – not if you have any sort of other option. And truthfully, if you don’t, you probably shouldn’t be buying a house! I guess the whole point is that they can help people get themselves together to get to that place as they move through the process. But starting off in semi-reasonable shape just left me frustrated at the ineptitude and inefficiency of the whole thing.

We’re now going with the lender associated with the builder to get a ton of incentives (like $19,000 in closing costs paid!) The loan will be FHA insured and we’ll be putting 3.5% down. Half of that was our earnest money that we had saved up over the last few months and the other half will come from an IRA my mother started for me some years ago pretty much for this purpose (as opposed to being really for retirement since she knew we wouldn’t have to pay the penalty for early withdrawal for a house purchase). That was some great thinking on her part and I cannot thank her enough for the incredible foresight and thoughtfulness that went into such a decision. Cute Man and I will both still have our 401ks trucking away so we’re not really harming our retirement savings. This account was pretty much started for this purpose.

The speed at which the process has moved is staggering when compared to the molasses that was NACA. It’s amazing how motivated people are when they’re getting paid! I love nonprofits, but sometimes they can be inefficient, as I’ve learned the hard way with NACA. I’m really sad that things worked out this way. The program has a great mission and I looked forward to volunteering with them as part of the program. Now, I’m glad I don’t have to do that. I will find another way to give back – they have lost an advocate in me, that’s for sure.

It’s time to let all that go now and just move forward. When all is said and done, I will chalk it up to a big learning experience and just revel in the end result, our new home. Here’s a peek at what it should look like on the outside:

On the Way Home – Part 1

The contract has been signed, the earnest money deposited, and the loan paperwork is underway. It’s happening! Cute Man and I will be the proud owners of a brand new townhouse within a few months.


It’s a three level, three bedroom with a two car garage and “mancave” on the first level. Cute Man is in heaven imagining the good times he’ll have down there! The middle level will have a living room, kitchen, and dining room, with a deck off the back. The top floor is for the bedrooms and the laundry (I love the fact that it’s up there!) We’ve opted for just a few choice upgrades including an extra half bath on that first level (bringing the bathroom total to 2 full, 2 half!), an upgraded soaker tub in our Master bathroom (that baby is all me), and granite countertops in the kitchen. Cute Man’s best friend also noted that ceiling fans are key for keeping down AC costs so we’ll probably opt for a few of those as well.

We were most attracted by the location – Victory Promenade is just steps from the Morgan Blvd. Metro Station. This will allow us to both still take the train to work and remain a one-car family. This was literally only one of two developments I found that could provide that convenience. In my never ending searches online, it was tough to find much of anything in close proximity to a train station that was both within our price range and in decent shape. We’re simply not looking to have to fix anything up. Townhouse living is the best fit for us because we don’t have the time or inclination for yard work or home improvement projects. Yet, it allows us to have a nice balcony, common park space/playgrounds, a fitness room, and even a pool to use. For our lifestyle, it really can’t be beat. And I must admit, the fact that it will be brand spanking new absolutely floors me.

When we set out to look for our first home, we knew we couldn’t “have everything”. With our modest incomes and risk adverse personalities we knew a McMansion was not in our future. We were prepared to make concessions. The process of sorting through months of online listings really helped us solidify what was most important to us. The considerations outlined above are what we came up with. The response I’ve gotten so far from friends and family has been super supportive, but those who know the DC area inevitably wring their hands asking, “But what about the schoooooools?????” (We’ve also heard concerns about higher taxes, etc. but the pros outweighed the cons on that front for sure). Back to the schools. Yes, they don’t have the best rep in that area of Prince Georges County. Yes, that does not only affect property values but also could shape the lives of our prospective children. Please note the “prospective” modifier.
We do plan to have children and the education they get is important to us. But they don’t exist yet so it’s hard to hamstring our lives based on what ifs. There is a wonderful looking daycare place right across the street from the development and that would be way more of a factor over the next few years anyway. We will cross the bridge of what to do about the schools when we come to it. I do not personally believe that only the “best” schools turn out successful children. Much rides on parental involvement and outside stimulation. Safety would be my #1 concern for sure and we will just have to go see what the real deal is when that time comes.

As to property values, that’s not really an issue for us. We’re planning to stay for the long haul. Due to the proximity to the train, the location will probably remain attractive to young professionals and families. But all that remains to be seen and is not a factor until we need/want to sell, many years from now.

My main concern going into this remains financial security. It will be more important than ever to build a decent emergency fund. We should be left with a bit of cushion after all is said and done, but certainly not the several months of income that would make me feel secure. It will be tougher than ever to continue saving once we start paying the mortgage, but I am committed to making that happen. I like that we’ll have at least a few months more of paying our significantly lower rent so we can save as much as we can now.

I am really proud that we did this “the right way”. We have been extremely patient, living in our small apartment for what will be 5 years of marriage this summer. That patience definitely saved us from getting in over our heads before the bubble burst. Because we’re both so cautious, we knew we weren’t ready for homeownership before now, but I’m sure we would’ve been given a loan several years ago – I shudder to think of how that would have turned out. Instead, we chose to pay off all of our debt and truly start saving before taking this plunge. I know this is the right time – the right time for our particular circumstances (much more important than what’s going on in the market).

So that’s where we are now – on our way. We’re headed back to the development this weekend to pick out our interior choices. That should be super fun. Our sales manager also indicated that they want to start building a little earlier than expected, so I’m curious to see what that does to our timeline. Initially, it was an August or September move-in. It will be interesting to see if that has been moved up. We’ll see!