The Simple Living Shopping List

Three of the rules that I try to live by in my quest for Simplicity are: Be Green, Spend Less, and Have Less Stuff. When it comes to cleaning products for our home and personal care products for our bodies, most of us break all three of those rules!  Here are the items that most families buy on a regular basis, to keep their homes and bodies clean and presentable:

Soap/body wash

Facial cleanser

Shampoo

Conditioner

Children’s/baby shampoo

Facial moisturizer

Body lotion

Perfume/cologne

Toothpaste

Deodorants (different brands for different family members)

Hand soap

Various Hair styling products

Shaving cream

Dishwashing detergent (hand washing)

Dishwasher detergent

Laundry detergent

Toilet cleaner

Tub and tile cleaner

Window cleaner

All-purpose spray cleaner

While it is certainly possible to find "Green" versions of most of these products, those brands tend to be VERY expensive. And the affordable brands are full of nasty chemicals. So what’s a Simple Mama to do? Well, let’s start with the Simple Living Shopping List:

Castile soap (We buy Dr. Bronner's unscented)

Baking Soda

Vinegar

Borax

Washing Soda

Sunflower Oil

Almond oil

Olive Oil

Coconut oil

Castor oil

Essential Oils

With these ingredients, and a few good recipes, you can make everything you need to keep your home clean and pretty, and to keep yourself and your family clean and pretty, too!  And chances are, many of these items are probably in your kitchen already! In the coming weeks I will be sharing some of our family’s favorite recipes for cleaning and personal care.  Stay tuned!