Pig Tits and Parsley Sauce

Thought I’d Share Some Feedback….

Here’s what some happy customers have been telling me lately… I totally recommend people invest in the Baking Soda and Vinegar books as the money saving and environmentally friendly ideas are inspirational.

I just wanted to say that I took the plunge and tried washing my hair with baking soda last night. I must admit that I was rather sceptical at first (and I suspect my husband thought I had finally lost it) but the results speak for themselves – my hair is soft and silky, and it even seemed to dry quicker so less time under the hairdryer which has to be a good thing. I am so impressed!

Claire Cooke

I tell everyone that listens about what you are doing and about baking soda and vinegar. I am a complete convert and have found that with prices going up left right and centre, I am coping quite well as I try and shop and cook the basics and am happy with the results. My family aren’t complaining (maybe a little). My eldest daughter would like to have more snacks at home that she likes as she says everything takes a lot of effort (and she cant always be bothered), but I just smile and let her know that it isn’t worth her health or mine or her pocket. I get my baking soda, washing soda and glycerine from a lady in West Auckland and get mostly everything else at either my local bulk barn shop (no Binn Inn locally) and Pak N Save. I have been using the recipes that I used when I was home with my kids when they were little and I think very carefully about everything I spend money on and have cut out a lot of unnecessary expense. My hair is also behaving a lot better since I switched to baking soda and vinegar and found the tv programme by Petra Bagust very interesting about hair products. I could go on and on but must go now.

Angela

I have to tell you that last night I tried baking soda as a facial scrub and today my skin feels so lovely and soft. Also, it didn’t dry my skin so I didn’t need to use as much moisturiser afterwards. To think that I have had a big tub of baking soda sitting in my kitchen cupboard for ages and I’ve never thought to use it for anything other than baking bread! I must have spent a fortune on shampoo and facial scrubs over the years – what a terrible waste. I am going to visit Bin Inn this weekend and stock up on this amazing ingredient. And I have also been raving about the benefits of baking soda to my friends and family back in South Africa. They are all rather sceptical at the moment but I will convert them in time 

Someone else’s take on Baking Soda for Shampoo/White Vinegar for Conditioner

Here’s a blog I pinched off the rubbish free web site just to give you someone else’s opinion. What cracks me up if that she was pretty sceptical at the start, but that is to be expected when you are changing lifetime habits and belief’s that have been reinforced with advertising. I’ve personally been using this hair washing method for 18-months and reinterate – my hair has never been better. Even gets rid of dandruff…. saves money and works better – what more could you want.

It’s been a long time since I, Waveney, blogged – but I want to tell you all about my hair! During our Rubbish Free Year I felt that nice, expensive salon shampoos and conditioners were ‘permissible’ – partly because I had chosen brands with hard plastic containers that can be recycled at kerbside, but mostly because my hair isn’t what it used to be. I know that’s the cue for the 50 somethings to say ‘honey you haven’t seen anything yet’ but nevertheless, as the sun has set on my silky 20-something hair a growing dependence on allsorts of hair products has steadily risen.

I say all this as a defense of some sort because I don’t use the shampoos and conditioners at my local bulk eco food stores where I can refill my own container. I also have to confess to not trying any of the completely natural, and rubbish free, suggestions that people in the know have offered – until two weeks ago that is. My mum rang me all excited, she had been told that cider vinegar is an amazing hair conditioner and she had just tried it, “Its silky” she said, ‘’you’ll have to feel it to believe it.” And when I next saw her I actually was impressed. It sat better, it looked better, it really was silky.

Do you get that problem when a hair product that used to work really well starts to be less and less effective? My conditioner has been getting that way recently and mum’s hair was looking better than mine (and she’s 60 something). It was all the convincing I needed, I tried it and actually couldn’t believe it. It worked better than my salon silky treatment stuff, in fact I don’t know if my hair has ever looked and felt so nice.

And that’s not the end of the story. A few weeks earlier I had actually read a blog, by the legendary Lyn of Taranaki (Pigs Tits and Parsley Sauce), saying that cider vinegar conditioned and baking soda cleaned hair. And Lyn was raving about it, saying all the heady things I’m saying now. Although I hadn’t quite believed it, I did remember it. So yesterday I went back to the blog to sus out the baking soda thing feeling convinced that Lyn could be trusted and that I was on to a winning ticket. Consequently, my hair got the double-hippy-whammy, first the baking soda then the cider vinegar! I waited expectantly as it dried. And the verdict? Silky, shiny 20 something hair! With results this good saving a serious bit of cash and helping the planet out almost fade into the background. I couldn’t recommend it more. But if you don’t feel quite ready to flush decades of lab tested, break through developments down the drain, then next time you think your product of choice isn’t working as well as it used to, wash your hair just once with baking soda, it will completely strip away the build up of the hair product out of your hair thus allowing it to become fully effective again.

Future-proof with Baking Soda

In these uncertain economic times with prices rising and taxation (GST, ETS) increases pending and even unemployment on the rise it is great to know you can easily take control over your household spending. The feeling I get when I walk down the cleaning products and cosmetics aisles in the supermarket without spending a cent is fantastic.  The positive spin off to family health and the environment with less chemicals and less waste packaging is just an added bonus.

You feel weird when you first limit the grocery budget as your natural inclination is to shop like you used to but just get less.  Then you realise that there is cheaper products out there and if you don’t get sucked in to value added marketing spin, you will realise that the cheaper products are just as good if not better… we pay a lot for brands and advertising with no real benefit to the consumer.

After a while it becomes a fun challenge to spend less and get more and you and the family quickly start to realise where to find the bargains.  For me Bin Inn has been a real gold mine of value and the fact that you can avoid packaging be using your own containers and recycling is a boon.

The meals I make now are not fancy but they are hearty, filling and I think healthier that before when we used to eat a lot of pre-pared packaged convenience food, no doubt laced with addictive salt, fat and sugar.  Meals in our house are now much more appreciated too, no longer taken for granted.

Now I have the knowledge to make and create my own cleaning solutions using cheap ingredients like baking soda it has opened the doors to diminishing my day-to-day living expenses. I no longer feel threatened by uncertain economic times as I know we can live well on as very small amount of money. Even more importantly my children are learning by example and will take the skills with them into adult life.

Making my own cleaning products and cosmetics has definitely been the key to our success and the information I learned from the Baking Soda and Vinegar books (see buy books and recipes) has certainly stopped me from buying rip off branded products.  I just wish I could get my money back from all the past things I have purchased unnecessarily  when baking soda would have done the same job, better and cost a few cents rather than $$$$$. Some of these include… shampoo, cleanser, exfoliant scrub, hand cleaner and sanitiser, toilet cleaner,  foot powder, damp rid, pot scrubs, oven cleaner and kitty litter.  Never mind – you live and learn.

What’s Really In Our face Cream?

I am thoroughly enjoying Petra Bagust & ‘What Really In Our…??? TV3 Tuesday night at 8pm. Petra looked at moisturisers and face creams last night and let’s be honest – they are a great big con. It’s not fair that manufacturers take advantage of our vanity and fears of ageing yet we spend millions of dollars collectively on the false hope that we can put something on our faces and end up looking younger.

Try sweet almond oil as a night moisturiser.  you can get a 500ml from www.amoraromatherapy.co.nz (see link on this page) for about $16 – it will last you forever, great savings and great results. I have a great home made moisturiser recipe on my cosmetics pamphlet ($10). Only 4 ingredients, you make it in the microwave in minutes,  let it set over night and you’re laughing. The quality is vastly superior to over the counter and you know exactly what’s in it. A little bit goes a long way and if you have sensitive skin… just don’t add any colourant or fragrance to it.

It is great feeling to know you can make something so easily that does a great job and costs way, way less than anything you would buy over the counter.