Nicky Goes Natural

Ode to Vinegar

When I was young & dreamed of being a writer, I never would have imagined I’d be dedicating an entire blog post to vinegar. First of all, blogging didn’t actually exist and secondly, all I cared about vinegar was that it partners well with salt, on things like chips, crisps & mashed avocado. But, as I’ve grown, I’ve learned so much. For example, vinegar is a wondrous cleaner, and a drop of lime oil is amazing added to mashed avocado.

If my nearly 4 year old knew what I was doing, she would say “Why is it called vinegar?” – because “why is it call xxx” is a phrase I hear on repeat these days. You may be older than 4., but I thought you might like to know that it means “sour wine”. It comes from Old French, which was in turn derived from Latin. Vinum = wine, and acer = sour. That pretty much tells you what it is, so is a more successful word origin hunt than I’m used to these days 🙂 . Vinegar contains acetic acid, and is made from fermenting plants into alcohol, then fermenting that again into vinegar.

As vinegar can be made from all sorts of fruits and grains, you get many types. I use malt vinegar on my chips, or most culinary things that call for vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is good for your hair, or for home made fruit fly traps – but I can’t bear the smell. But the one I use most and buy in bulk, is good ol’ white vinegar. This is also known as spirit vinegar, or distilled vinegar – which is a bit misleading, as it isn’t actually distilled. Why do I love thee? Let me count the ways…

Descaling. I mentioned in my first blog (https://nickygoesnatural.com/2019/02/15/my-very-first-blog-post/) that I was born & raised in South Africa. In my head, we had the best tap water in the world. It was clean & delicious. Growing up, we probably only ever had one kettle & that was always in perfect condition, and I had never even heard of limescale. (I have a remarkable talent for only remembering the good things). Then I moved to England. There was disturbing build up in the kettles, my Rooibos tea tasted gross, and when things were really bad, there was even a thin film on the top. And if bad tea wasn’t enough, my shower head had clogged up holes, the kitchen tap was growing something, and the bit by the drain in the bath looked like it was starting to rust! (Can ceramic even rust?) Turns out, we live in a place with “hard water”. All this evil was caused by a thing called limescale, and I had no idea how to defeat my new enemy! After years of searching & trying things, at last I found a weapon that worked. Vinegar!

How does it work? (how does it work work work…?) Actually, I don’t know how it works, but I can tell you how to do it. For things like tubs and sinks, simply put in the plug and pour in some vinegar. You can dilute it with water if you need to fill a large volume, so you don’t use a whole bottle. Leave it for an hour or two (or until you remember it again/need to wash your hands), then give it a wipe with a sponge or a quick scrub with an old toothbrush. It shouldn’t take much to dislodge it, then rinse it away. I noticed that with the patch in my bathtub, it actually removed itself slowly over time once I stopped using shop bought “chemical” cleaners. No special effort required.

For taps, soak a cloth in vinegar (or a vinegar water solution) and wrap it around the tap, trying your best to cover as much of the limescale as you can. Leave it to work its magic, then use the cloth to wipe it away. Ancient or excessive build up may need more than one application, but you’ll get there.

As for kettles, add a cup of vinegar and a cup of water to the kettle, and leave it for at least half an hour. Make sure you already have a hot cup of tea FIRST, and leave the kettle far from the plug, preferably with a note, just to be safe. (It won’t kill you, but it will taste seriously gross!) Before your next cup of tea is due, boil up your vinegar solution. Once it’s done, leave it to fizz… and fizz…and fizz. I have a short film of this that I will post to facebook, and link here. The fizzing is the limescale dissolving. It’s pretty cool. Once that’s settled, empty the kettle, giving it a bit of a swirl if you need to to catch the bits at the bottom. If there are any stubborn bits still stuck to the edges, wait until it’s a bit cooler and wipe them off with a soft cloth. They should just fall off with very little encouragement. Give it a bit of quick rinse and you’re good to go!

If your shower head is a bit blocked, unscrew it and give it a wash, then pop it into the kettle for a soak while you’re doing the kettle. Don’t forget to take it out before the “boil” stage, just in case ;-).

Vinegar is also great for the laundry room. One day, when I have an actual laundry room, I’ll store my vinegar there. In the mean time, I always have a bottle under the sink. Add a splash to the rinse load instead of fabric softener for soft clothes without the residue. (60-100ml if you want to be more precise). Fabric softeners may smell yummy, but they contain harsh chemicals that you don’t want next to your skin, it can cause irritation and even contribute to things like eczema. If you miss the smell then add a few drops of your favourite essential oil to the vinegar. The Purify blend works well, or I add something like Serenity to sheets and bedding.

You can also use vinegar to clean your washing machine. Once a month, add a cup of vinegar to an empty washing machine, and run it on a hot cycle. Once it’s done, give it a good wipe with a damp cloth. If you have the time, it’s best to open the little door at the bottom & drain out the dirty water first. Extra points for cleaning the filter while you are there – I try do it at least once a quarter. I’ll also add that it’s best to wipe the seals after each wash. As we live in the real world, I don’t expect anyone to actually DO that, but once a week is a good goal. I’ll do a detailed post on cleaning a front loader in future, and come back to add a link. *disclaimer: some people say not to use vinegar in a washing machine as it damages the rubber seals. Personally I think the dilution is weak enough to not be a problem, especially if you wipe the seals after. I have never experienced a problem, but its up to you to make your own decision.

The same principle applies to cleaning a dishwasher. Put a dishwasher safe jug of vinegar in the top shelf of an otherwise empty dishwasher, and run it on a hot cycle. Bonus de-greasing, cleaning & freshness by adding a couple of drops of lemon oil at the bottom of the dishwasher. Sadly I do not have my own dishwasher to use this tip on, but I know it works.

Next must be windows! This is a more well known one, but was unknown to me for a very long time. I have to say I did go a few years without washing my windows, because I couldn’t psyche myself up to go through the hassle. But I found the answer! I used my all purpose cleaning spray (recipe here: https://nickygoesnatural.com/2019/03/08/pregnancy-paranoia-diy-cleaners/), sprayed the windows liberally and wiped with a microfiber cloth. I hate the feel of microfiber, but after seeing how amazing they work, I’ve come to accept (maybe even love?) them. Remember to work in circular motion, and from the top down, if you can. Get the kids involved. They love that kinda stuff. Also works a treat on mirrors and pretty much any glass. It works better on the outside of the oven door than the inside (I’m still working on that). And it’s great for the stove top lid, if you have one.

If you have an essential oil diffuser, vinegar is also great at cleaning that. I vaguely heard that somewhere, so once I decided to fill the thing with vinegar & let it run. Never do that. I thought I would burn my nostrils & panicked at the internal damage I may have caused. I then discovered that the correct method was to add a tablespoon (15ml) of vinegar, top it up with water, and let it run for 10 minutes. Try not to breathe in the fumes as you empty it! I have a more in depth diffuser cleaning post planned, so I’ll link back to that once it’s done.

Vinegar is a very good rinsing agent, and not just in the rinse cycle of a washing machine. It can help strip away soap residue, so you can use it after mopping the floor, washing dishes, or after cleaning with bicarb. It does not work well together with soap or bicarb, but they’re good for a one-two punch.

At some point in my “goes natural” journey I’ll probably explore the world of home made preserves, pickles or marinades. No doubt my good friend vinegar will come in handy then. I can’t see it happening any time soon, but rest assured when the time comes, I will document it and share my experience with you.

As mentioned in my previous post, there are a few things to avoid. Vinegar can etch away at natural stone, including marble and granite, so don’t use it on there. It can strip wax, so check before using it on wood. I have heard it is a great de-icer, but that is not a good idea, as it can damage the paint, and lead to rust.

As this is all about learning new things, if there is anything else that YOU do with vinegar, please share it with the rest of us. I’d love to know your favourite vinegar tips. ❤

Clean v Tidy, Rd 2.

I’ve just reviewed my last post – I seem to have promised a lot. I hope I can deliver. This is a post where I wish I understood the formatting better. The creative (and perfectionist) side of my brain is longing for there to be structure & prettiness! I may have to spend more time in future learning on how this all works. If that takes away from actual blogging time & I have to do a short post one week, I will let you know.

Let’s get down to business. We’ll start with “clean”. How do I clean my house naturally? I think it’s best to start with what I use, then move on to the how & why.

Vinegar: White vinegar is a marvel. It seems to clean everything, it’s a foodstuff (so relatively harmless if consumed in small quantities. Please don’t drink it.), it’s cheap & easily available. Do a search for any home made cleaners, and vinegar will be there somewhere. So, what is it? It’s an acid, or to be precise, acetic acid and water. At some point I will find out how it works and do a separate post. But first, you should know that it does not *actually* clean everything. Please don’t try it on: ~ Touch screens, or any smart screens (including modern TV’s); marble, granite or any bare natural stone, any waxed furniture/floors, or your car. I have an urge to give reasons for each of these. I definitely see a post dedicated to vinegar in my future. Don’t you wish your mind was as exciting as mine? Moving on…
Bicarbonate of soda/ Sodium Bicarbonate. This is commonly known as baking soda. Which is different to baking powder. But you knew that already. Like vinegar, this is also a marvel, a foodstuff, and easily available. Unlike vinegar, it’s not an acid, it’s an alkaline. My wonderfully loose grasp of science tells me that it’s sort of like the opposite of acid. What this means is if you mix the two together, you may get an awesome chemical reaction, but they are basically cancelling each other out. If you see a cleaning recipe that calls for both of them, either mix them on the job and use the reaction, or question your source. The interwebs is full of people making it up as they go along (ahem) so don’t feel you need to go with everything you read. Bicarb is abrasive, so it’s good at scrubbing. Think of it as an exfoliator for your surfaces. Please don’t use it on easily damaged surfaces. I’m not going to make a list, I’m going to trust you have good judgement (or at least google if you are unsure).
Essential Oils: These are a great boost to natural cleaners. Not only do a lot of them have cleaning or antibacterial properties, but they can also make your house smell amazing. As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, once you get going you will gain confidence to mix and match, but to begin with, it’s great to start with lemon, or pre mixed blends like Purify or On Guard. Different oils have different properties, so some would work better than others on certain surfaces. Remember that these oils are potent, a little really does go a long way.
Sunlight: I was reminded the other day that sunlight is a wonderful disinfectant. It is also great at stain removal. If possible, place items in direct sunlight for a few hours, and let nature do a wonderful job. A word of warning though – what goes out, should probably come in. My garden is littered with items left in the sun, but the urge to “finish the job” has gone down with the sun. If you are like me, it’s best to place the items somewhere inside where they can see the sun.

So, how do I use these items? In lots of ways. You can get my all purpose spray recipe in my posthttps://nickygoesnatural.com/2019/03/08/pregnancy-paranoia-diy-cleaners/ .

Here’s another multipurpose recipe:

1 Cup (roughly 250ml) Bicarb
10 drops of lemon essential oils.
Mix together & store in a (not plastic) container.

Yes, I have a Mary Berry flour sprinkling thing especially for bicarb. Because I’m worth it.

How do you use it? Here are just a few examples:

Sprinkle it on to your carpets and let it sit for an hour or so, then vacuum up. A simple way to freshen and clean your carpets, with a lovely smell in the air.

Sprinkle on a dirty hob (or very dirty in my case). Rinse a tea towel or large cloth in hot water, squeeze out, and drape over the top. Wait about 10 minutes, then use the cloth to wipe. Prepare to be amazed!
Extra touch baked on food particles may take a bit more scrubbing, but this is by far the best method I have tried. … and I’ve tried a lot – including chemicals back in the day.

I’ll post the other vinegar ideas in my specialist vinegar post (Ooooh!) as this has gone on too long already. Watch this space!

Clean vs Tidy, Rd 1

Spring is in the air! Along with the pollen and irritants, there is also a sense of fresh starts and new beginnings. There’s ducklings hatching at the pre-schools and lambs in the fields. There’s something about the season that makes even humans want to get involved. There’s a phenomenon (boo boo be do be) called Spring Cleaning. Instead of getting on and doing some, I thought I’d rather write about it.

People who know me may snigger (or laugh out loud) that I am daring to talk about cleaning, but here is the truth – I love clean things. I love clean floors and toilets and counters and linen. And, despite what you may have heard, I actually do know how to do it properly. If something needs to be clean, I would like it to be actually clean. Not just a quick wipe down. But, in order to clean, things must first be tidy… and that’s where I fall down. Tidy is not my thing. I would like it to be, just for some reason I choose stuff over tidiness. Or maybe I am just lazy. It’s annoying, and frustrating.

I do know that I’m not the only one who has a problem with stuff, or tidiness. The revival of Marie Kondo is proof of this. (She does not bring me joy). I was not a fan when her books were all the rage, and I have tried to completely avoid it now that she is on TV. (You FB people have not made it easy for me to avoid her altogether!) If I were to only keep what brought me joy, I would be sitting in an empty room with a kilo of ASDA smart price chocolate & a roll of fruit gums. Let’s be honest, catch me at the wrong time & there may not even be any people left… (me included.) There are millions (probably) of people who have benefited from her system, so I cannot dismiss her, but I know she is not for everyone. I thought I would do a post about it, and try highlight that we are all different, and whatever our struggles, we need to find the right solution for us.

I have mentioned briefly that I have discovered a few different blogs out there trying to get my house under control. I found Clean Mama, and I really got into trying out her routine. I tried, I really did, but i just could not get it to work. Then, I saw someone on her FB page mention the Slob Comes Clean podcast. I admit, I had seen her website before, but the “non-negotiable” tasks completely put me off. I did not think she had the answers. I decided to listen to the podcasts anyway and it was like she was in my head, or my kitchen, because so much of was she said was how I felt or what I did. I decided that I needed to try her routine. I wanted to try her “28 days to hope for your home” book, but as it was going to be published at the end of her new actual book, it was no longer for sale as an ebook. I decided to pre-order her actual book, and in the mean time thought I would read another of her ebooks. “Drowning in clutter – don’t grab a floatie, drain the ocean”. At that point, I thought I just needed to nail a system or routine. I had no idea I had an actual problem. Until I read that book. It broke my heart, but it was true. I needed to drain the ocean. I ended up luckily being on the launch team for her book “How to manage your home without losing your mind”. I loved it. It is still by my bedside and I have read it through more than twice. I still have an ocean, I still cannot manage my home, and long ago I lost my mind, BUT she gets me, and the way my mind works. Her systems show me where my wonderful logic falls down. It’s awesome logic. It’s logical logic. It would work for most of you out there. Just not for people like me. As an example, if you are tidying/organising/decluttering, it makes sense to pull everything out then make piles. Different piles for different places, or “keep” vs “donate” piles. It makes sense! Until you get distracted, or it’s time to get the kids from school, or you stop for a cup of tea and the next thing you know it’s 7 months later. The piles have merged, and worse – they’ve called over friends! A helpful friend told me that once something was in my hand I had to take it to where it belonged. I could have launched the item at her head. I’m all about efficiency. Why waste steps? Or time? Pile it all up & I’ll take it when I’m going that way. See? Logical! But oh so flawed. I still resent it but putting things away one at a time is the best way to go. And if you haven’t pulled everything out, the minute a kid comes in with a grazed knee, you can stop what you are doing and the area is still *better* than where you started. Even if you only managed to move one thing. There are so many more nuggets I have learned over the years, so if you think it could help you I would highly recommend “How to manage your home without losing your mind”. I do have to tell you though, even though it will help you know where to start (re-start…again…again), the work still physically needs to be done. I fall off the wagon so many times, but it is easier each time to start again, and if I really pay attention, I can see that I actually am making progress.

Us launch team peeps posted silly pictures of ourselves when we finally received the physical book. Here’s mine! (yes, I got it for Christmas 😉 )

Another reason I mentioned two different blogs, was to tell you that there is no “one-size-fits-all”. When I listen to Dana White sometimes I think we could be twins, but when it comes to laundry, what works for each of us is completely different. She has learned that “laundry day” is how she finally solved the problem. Even her kids (and followers) will tell you that “Mama does laundry on a Monday”. I could never get that to work. Laundry (clothes in general actually) were my biggest nemesis. As the biggest mountain (literally) that I had to climb when it came to housework. I finally cracked it by following the Clean Mama load a day way.
No matter what part of your life you apply it to, I do not believe that you (or I) need to be exactly like someone else. By all means find someone who inspires you, who you can relate to, who is like minded. Follow them (not in real life- you could get arrested for things like that) and learn from them – but be YOU. Use what works. Tweak what doesn’t. If it still doesn’t work, change it completely.

I am still learning. I’m happy to report I am still improving. I discovered a while back that I am even improving emotionally, and I feel like sharing another story with you. When Ms Kondo hit Netflix, there was a post by an influential person on Facebook about it. She had got to one of the episodes, and commented on how the woman featured was a terrible mother and how can people live like that. If you take out a jar of honey you stick it straight back into the cupboard when you are done. What is she teaching her children? I don’t remember the details, and I hadn’t even seen the program, but it hit me. It brought back all the emotions of being a terrible mother because my house was a mess. It reminded me that I was “not normal”. It reminded me that I could not invite anyone over and that I had to be ashamed over how I lived. How could I be raising children in a house like this? It upset me that here was this woman whom I respected, who was teaching me so much, not only did not understand what it was like but was so open as to publicly rebuke a stranger on TV. I decided not to comment, but I wanted to tell her that Ioved watching The Biggest Loser, but never once did I declare that these people should be ashamed of living that way. I always cheered them on. I loved watching them progress. I never watched it so that I could judge people whose problems were different to my own. I know I have issues so who am I to call out other peoples? In the past, posts and comments like that brought up all the emotions I have just mentioned and it pushes me backwards. I feel like a failure, which makes me even less productive and I can get into a bit of a pit if I let it.

But this time, while I did feel all the feels, I didn’t let it set in. It did not knock me back as far. I acknowledged my shortcomings and then acknowledged how far I have come. There is still so much farther to go, but that’s okay. I’m going in the right direction. “The steps you take don’t need to be big. They just need to take you in the right direction.” I am even still a fan of the person who made the comment. Which goes to show that I am now just making progress on the home front, but also in accepting (and being okay with) who I am. Maybe I really am awesome?

I think that was all for this week. Next week I would like to take you through some of the more practical steps of “my way” of cleaning and maybe even tidying. I’ll share a few things that I have tried that have worked and maybe a few things that didn’t. I will also share a few of my recipes of how I clean my house “naturally”.

The doTERRA difference – Part 2 (In which we finally hear about Co-Impact Sourcing)

Previously, on Nicky Goes Natural… she was about to tell us something awesome about doTERRA, when her train of thought veered wildly off track. The train was last seen flying over a cliff – will she be able to bring it back on track? Will it land safely with her reputation intact? Will she ever get to the point? Find out in this week’s instalment… (hopefully)

So, we’ve established I’m a bit of a fan of good sourcing, & supply chains. Turns out – so is doTERRA! They created something called “Co-Impact” Sourcing. My post will not be comprehensive on this (because it’s too awesome), so I will link to it when I’m done rambling.

What is Co-Impact Sourcing? It’s working directly with the growers of the plants, working together to develop long term relationships. doTERRA work with growers from over 40 different countries, more than half of which can be labelled “developing”. They treat them fairly and ethically, they pay them on time (a big deal to me!). In some cases, they teach them how to work with each other, to form co-operatives or to find long term (and sustainable) solutions to their socio-economic problems. For decades people have been pouring money into these “poor” countries. Endless fundraisers are still going on. Great causes, great ideals, but do they solve the problem? I may cause offence here (not my intention), but this is how I see it. Celebrities make you cry, you hand over your money to charity of the week, and then…. well, there are expenses to cover. Genuine expenses, I agree. Overheads, people who work for the charity at all levels. Then, the rest goes to the country it’s needed. No doubt some high level officials need to skim some off the top to allow it through. But then the rest gets to where it’s needed. From what can tell, it buys food, it feeds starving children, it gives them life saving medicine, it gives them clean water, clothes. It saves lives. That is a wonderful thing. But it’s a bandage on a gaping wound & no one stops the bleeding. (I know there are awesome people out there who are trying to get to the root of it, I’m not saying there aren’t.) But there has to be a better way to help.

doTERRA research the oils that they want, then they find where in the world they grow best. Then, they go there and see for themselves. Yes, millionaire founders of a global fast growing company out there in their shorts checking it out for themselves. They want the best product. That comes when they plants are grown at their best, in their natural environment, with conditions they were created for. If that means a war torn country, a beautiful holiday destination, or their own back yard, then so be it.

But when the best place is a “developing” country, they work with the growers. Most of the time the growers know best about the plants, as it’s been passed down for generations. doTERRA shows them how to get the best deal from these plants. To quote their site: “Growers and harvesters are encouraged to form cooperative groups to share collective benefits and bargaining power while improving skills and capacity”. They are effectively taught the business side. And they have a reliable supplier, who values their product and skills, and pays them appropriately (on time, remember!).

By teaching people how to use the resources they already have available to them, and providing what they don’t need to start, they are able to grow or purchase their own food. When you teach people to work with what they have, instead of giving them what they need in the short term, you not just save a life, but you change a life! And not just one life – a whole community. They are able to pass these things on to their children, who will have opportunities to do even greater things. This is a very long winded way of saying “Teach a man to fish”, but sometimes you need the detail to fully appreciate it.

I believe in economies. You can buy a small bottle of something that can bless your life, and the money you paid goes through the supply chain to bless the life of everyone in that chain, all the way to the source, empowering them, giving them money to spend in their own local economies. It’s not a bandage, it’s healing the wound, and allowing it to become something healthy and strong.

I encourage you to look at some of the Co-Impact sourcing projects. doTERRA care about their products. They want you and your family to have the best their is. They also care about where they come from. By choosing to use doTERRA oils, you are not only doing the best for your own family, but also for the families of the growers. And to me, that is awesome. https://www.doterra.com/US/en/difference-co-impact-sourcing

This is not the last you’ll hear from me on the subject. Next time I might get to how Co-Impact sourcing affects you, the user, and delve into the wonderful world of the healing hands foundation. Bet you can’t wait 😉

[If you are ready to start your own essential oil journey, go to http://www.mydoterra.com/nicolastanton or get in touch]

The doTERRA difference – Part 1. (In which we learn nothing about doTERRA.)

Welcome to week 5! Are you having fun yet?

I think we’ve got enough back story to move on to how I found doTERRA, or, as happens to most people, how it found me.

As I mentioned, I was using essential oils in my cleaning spray, but I had no idea what specific jobs they did. Life was too busy though to look deeper into it, but I still did a few online oil searches every now & then. It was not a priority, I had established that it worked, so that’s the main thing. But there was still a nagging dissatisfaction popping up every now and then.

Then, I saw a post on facebook one day that my sister had ordered a kit, from doTERRA. I’ll be honest, I had to google it. Then I got a bit excited, and asked her if she was going to be a doTERRA lady! My knowledge of network marketing did not extend much further than Avon or Tupperware. But parties sounded fun 🙂 . She hadn’t decided yet if she was going to be a “doTERRA Lady” (turns out the actual term is “Wellness Advocate”, or “Independent Product Consultant”), but at last I had someone to fire my questions at.

The first thing I wanted to know, was what other oils could I use for cleaning? I hated the smell of the one I was using, but I wanted to make sure whatever oil I chose killed the baddies. She did a bit of research, and came up with either “on guard” or “purify” blends. OR… doTERRA actually made their own cleaning range! Awesome! I had also started to do my own little bit of research. doTERRA was looking interesting to me, not only as as source of oils and education, but maybe, possibly, I could be an oil lady too? I had to look into this company a bit more. I spent a few months looking into every aspect I could, going down rabbit holes & trying to get through opinions and down to facts. It must have been a frustrating and annoying few months for my poor sister, who had to respond to my questions that may not have even made sense to her at the time. (She was new to this all too). I had still not even bought a single oil. In fact, when I saw a price list, my eyes watered a little when compared to the cheap bottles I could find online. Why would I want to pay more? I don’t think it counts as spoilers to tell you I did end up buying a kit, and ultimately becoming an “oil lady”. But I think I should tell you why.

You may think I’ve told you way more about myself than you wanted to know (but hey, it’s my blog), but there’s a bit more about me that is relevant here. In my past life, I was a planner/buyer. For nearly a decade, I worked at a manufacturing company, starting out in a 2 person purchasing department, and growing with it (personally & professionally). When I left, my small department had split into 2 departments (Purchasing & Planning) and had gone from 2 people to 6 people. I studied after work for 4 years to earn my Level 6 Graduate Diploma in Purchasing & Supply Chain Management (Scroll of Cleverness +1 according to my geeky husband). Logistics, sourcing, supply chains & all that stuff became a part of me. It’s in my blood now. I don’t think of it often, but when good sourcing comes up, I get excited. I loved the thrill of seeing how pieces of the puzzle fit together. I chose planning over purchasing because I love building those day to day relationships with suppliers. I knew where the different pieces came from, and who I needed to talk to when I needed it. I had the choice, and I rejected the status, extra money & “world travel” that would come with purchasing, because I did not want to be the person whose only point of contact with a supplier was when something went wrong, or while discussing pricing. I can do contract negotiation. I can be good at it. But why would you want confrontational relationships when you can have day to day good working relationships? I loved most of my suppliers. And I know a few of them loved me back. Most of that comes from working together. I’ll also tell you that smaller companies are much nicer to work with than large distribution centres. It’s far easier to have a conversation when people not only know their own product, but also your product, and how they work together.

Oh dear – that was much longer than anticipated. What’s it got to do with doTERRA?
I think if this is going to get posted on anything close to the regular day, that may have to wait until Part 2.

Netflix bingeing has ruined the days of cliffhangers, so I’m here to bring a bit of that back 🙂

Pregnancy Paranoia & DIY Cleaners

If you’ve been following along, by now you will know that I am a strange person with my own individual quirks. In this post, I’ll be carrying on with the story, but the recipe I’ll be sharing will be the one I am using today. So, you’ll get to see a bit of progress! It’s like getting two Nickys in one post 😉

At this point in the story, I’m still pregnant with number 2. I have these reusable wipes (which no. 1 is loving when she goes to the potty…), and two bottles of oil that I know nothing about, and, quite frankly, make me sick.

Here’s another back story, again when I was pregnant with baby no. 2. The day before I found out i was pregnant, I cleaned the bathroom. But this time, I decided to really blitz it. (I’ve heard of nesting. For normal people, this happens in the last few days before birth. For me, it happens in the blessed few short weeks at the start of pregnancy, before I suddenly feel like I’ve been hit by a truck, and then spend the next 6 months wishing I was dead.) I got a heavy duty “no need to scrub” foaming spray, sprayed every surface and tile, and rejoiced at the shinyness. I also coughed, choked, & felt a bit sick. But who cares, I didn’t need to put any effort in! Then, I realised I was pregnant. What had I done?!? At a vital point, when a tiny life was just just forming, I clouded it with harmful evil chemicals! What damage had I caused? Pregnancy messes with your mind as much as with your body. I freaked out, and for the next 9 months wondered what harm I had done. (For the record, she’s perfect. She’s dinky, but I don’t think that was down to me cleaning the bathroom, or the dodgy can of beans that gave me the worst food poisoning I can ever remember having.)

So, that was it. Out with every kitchen spray, bathroom spray, and anything else I could find. There needed to be a better way. (Isn’t there another way?!). It turns out, there was. Home made cleaners. The internet can be a wonderful place, and I found a cleaning blog. It was my first experience of this blogging thing. I did not know how it worked, but this lady had routines, and recipes, and convinced me that for just 15 minutes a day, I could have a clean house. Oh I wish that I could be one of those people. I tried so hard, but I just couldn’t do it. This was before I found out I was a slob, & found my true leader. I still wish I could be a clean mama person, but first I need to get rid of everything I own & get my brain rewired. So, for now, I’ll work with what I’ve got. For the record, I found Clean Mama’s printables amazing. For a few years one of her planners was the perfect one for me. If you are not a slob, but are still looking for great housekeeping tips or a cleaning routine, check her out. http://www.cleanmama.net

I’ve gone way off track, but stick with me! She had a recipe for an all purpose cleaner. All it needed was water, white vinegar, and essential oils! And I had ALL OF THOSE THINGS! I had to order a spray bottle, but Amazon has everything, so that wasn’t hard. So, I whipped up a batch. And it worked. But I didn’t know how it worked! Was it the vinegar? Was it the oils? And if it was the oils, was it okay that I was just using the ones I had lying around? Were they just for smell? In which case, I’m out, because they did not play nice with my nausea. I was also waiting for the point when we would get sick. Just because it looked clean, how did I know it was *actually* clean? Were the germs dead, or just in hiding? What about when raw meat slipped off the chopping board? A part of me did wonder if I was putting my family at risk, but time went on, and we didn’t get sick. I also didn’t need to ventilate the house every time I sprayed something.

Once I was used to the change, I wanted to change up the smell. But I had no idea which oils I could use that would still be effective. I had a tab open on the laptop with an essential oils page open for at least 6 months. It had all sorts of amazing ones I wanted to try, but what did they do? I was going to find out… one of these days…if I figured out where to look… I just kept going with the ones I had.

Fast forward to now. I have found out so much more about what essential oils do, and how they work. I found a company that not only insists on the best quality of oils (expect a whole blog post about that point), but they also focus on product education. They want everyone to know what they oils do, how they work, and how to use them safely. They want their customers to feel confident in using their products, which is so important. I mixed up a fresh bottle yesterday & we came up with a new blend to try. I have a book with information on every oil, and failing that, I can look on the doTERRA website. The book I use is called modern essentials, but there are others out there. My spray has oils that are anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, cleansing, purifying, but also beautiful smelling. I love the flexibility, but I also love keeping the air we breathe safe from chemicals.

So, here is 2019 Nicky’s recipe for a homemade all purpose spray. Try it. Then adapt it. Make it *your* home made all purpose spray.

*1/2 Cup White Vinegar

*1 1/2 Cups water

*20 Drops of essential oils. This time, we used Tea Tree (Melaleuca), Clove & Lemon.

If you are new to oils, or just starting with homemade cleaners, I would suggested starting with lemon oil & go from there. If you have started with a “Top 10” kit, you could also add Tea Tree, or On Guard Protective Blend. Oregano would be brilliantly effective, but your house would smell like a pizzeria. It’s not as awesome as it sounds, but it’s your call…

I can’t add videos yet, but here is the link to the video on facebook, where you can see me make it. https://www.facebook.com/NickyGoesNatural/videos/329033544485190/?t=0

Those two bottles I started with are long gone. Now, the only oils I use are doTERRA. If you would like doTERRA in your life, contact me, or go to http://www.mydoterra.com/nicolastanton .

(If you are already working with someone in doTERRA then ask them how to get these oils into your life).

The “Modern Essentials” book mentioned, as well as other great reference books, and glass spray bottles, can be ordered from the Essent Oils website [This is my referral link, so if you buy from it, I will receive a small percentage
https://bit.ly/2HrcZIB ]

I buy my vinegar off Amazon. I’ll add a link once I’ve sorted that out, but if you get stuck while waiting, white vinegar is available in most supermarkets.

Let me know what oils you used for your spray!

It all started when….

Actually, I don’t know when it all started. I can look back and identify a few points in my life that show me that this all shouldn’t be a great shock. I remember being a teenager, sitting in my dads car, with a headache. But I didn’t want to take anything for it. For some reason, I decided that I didn’t want to take any more pills. I have no objection to modern medicine (generally – I do know over-reliance on them can be dangerous though). I know that modern medicine kept me alive as a child. I think a part of me decided that growing up in & out of hospital, and needing daily meds to keep me alive meant that I had had my share of pills, thank you very much. I don’t need to add to my collection for a silly little headache. I have no idea how long that personal crusade lasted…. or even if I ever told anyone until now?

I do, however, know when this current path I’m on started. I worked my way back, and it all started with re-usable wet wipes. I was pregnant with baby no. 2, and decided that I was sick of buying wetwipes. I hated the way you needed half a packet for a really bad nappy. I hated how you got half a dozen out when you only needed one. They are slimy, and wet, and by the time you are potty training – expensive! So, I decided it was time to try something new. I invested in re-usable wetwipes. Now, I understand that £40 or whatever it was for a started kit was way more than £1 for a packet of wipes, but that’s why I said “investment”. Sometimes, you need to be willing to take a chance. To take the “risk” and try something. Did it pay off? Well, 4 years later, even though I have added to my collection, I am still using the same wipes. At a packet a week (and to be honest, I don’t remember how many I got through), I’ve not bought £200 of wet wipes. I’ve had another baby since then, so add on a bit more.

But it’s not just the money. It’s fewer chemicals on my babies skin and less nappy rash. Even though these days most wipes are marked as “suitable for newborns”, midwives still recommend just cotton and water for the first few weeks. I’ve just extended it to just cotton & water as often as I can get away with it. (Side bar – I always use cotton wipes at home. But with baby no. 3 I tend to use disposables when I’m out because life it too crazy to remember everything. I’m not perfect. Sorry about that..) . Then, we see in the news in the last few months, we learn that wet wipes have plastic, and they’re in the ocean, and they’re in the fatbergs, and they are bad for the planet. (I haven’t really looked into. I’m sorry if any of that was exaggerated…) But still. I’ve saved a ton of wipes from going to landfill (exaggerating again, sorry), and that makes me pretty happy with my “crazy” decision to use re-usable wipes.

When I decided to go for it, I bought a starter kit. Often the best way when trying something new. It came with perfect sized terry cotton wipes, a “fresh” box, a “mucky box”, some essential oils, and instructions. These two little bottles, (one for the fresh wipes & one for the mucky wipes) were the first essential oils to enter my home. And I did not know a thing about them…

Back to the wipes themselves. The theory is, you take an amount, and put them beautifully in the fresh box with some clean water and a drop or so of the corresponding oil. When it comes to changing your little angel, you open the box, take out a wipe (one at a time!!!!!), squeeze if it needs, and use. And 90% of the time, you just need one! Miracle! Then, you dump it in the mucky box, which has a net bag lining, cold water, and a drop or two of the corresponding oil. Every day or so, you take out the net & add to a load of laundry. Easy! Of course, we never do anything properly in this house. We have a designated cloth drawer, and when we need one we take it out, walk to a tap, wet & squeeze. Then, when we’re done, we have a bucket for wet laundry that the cloth goes into. This way works for us. Even the kids know where to get a cloth (they get used for so much more than baby bums), and where to put anything that gets wet. As I’m still figuring out what works, I still add a scoop of nappy sanitiser to the load if there are cloths in there, but I’m not even convinced it’s needed. [My proof reader, who does 80% of the laundry, just informed me he rarely adds a scoop. As we’ve never encountered a problem, I will take this as evidence that it isn’t needed. See, we keep learning more!]

I bought some colourful ones for weaning, so white for bums & colours for hands & faces, but that didn’t last long. Yes, that means that you never know where that cloth has been! I’m not telling you this to gross you out, but to share that they are cleaned in between. That after 4 years of constant use I’m happy to pull out a random cloth to wipe a mucky face because I know I can trust it. If you have ever been tempted to try reusables, don’t be put off by the squeamish bits. As they say, it all comes out in the wash.

Just a sweet story to end (sweet to me, because it makes me smile. Probably weird to you.). One day I was doing painting with my girls, and it was one of those fun happy days. They were getting colourful, and masterpieces were being created. One of those times you think you’re doing good at this parenting thing. Of course, paint brushes need cleaning, so I got some water, and a random cloth to wipe the pant brush. It happened to be yellow. Every time a colour change was needed (we were short on brushes), it would be dipped then wiped on the cloth. The cloth was multi coloured by the end! But I still remember it was yellow. Because every time I pull out that cloth, i can see a bit of the paint stains. They are growing fainter now , and i fear the day will come when I will no longer recognise it, but every time I wipe a face, or hand, or wipe up a spill (or a bum!), I remember that perfect moment. I holding my hand tangible evidence of it, and it makes me smile. (Obviously any memory of fighting over brushes, spills or other dramas were not preserved by that cloth 😉 )

Where to from there? I’ll tell you next week 😉

Nicky Goes Natural

So, now you know a bit more about me, it’s time to tell a bit more about Nicky Goes Natural. We’ve done the who, now on to the what & why!

What is Nicky Goes Natural? Well, it started as an email address, actually. Then a facebook page. Now a website & blog. But it’s actually just a place for me to tell my story, to share the crazy thoughts in my head and new things I’ve tried (ones that work and ones that don’t!). I’m hoping it will help grow into a fun thing that will help others too.

Why Nicky Goes Natural? Because I’m a sucker for alliteration! (I have an alarming alliteration addiction?) The “goes” bit is to show that it is a “journey” (cue lame music). This doesn’t come natural to me. I’m not a hippy, & I confess that there was a time when I would have laughed at such things. Being involved in the essential oils world there are still things that I raise my eyebrow at but I can accept that while I may not understand it (or just plain think it’s weird), there may come a time when I understand it better, or “get it”. So, I’m open to personal evolution. But it’s okay to not be ready for everything all at once. As I have been willing to try one thing, I’ve been able to see for myself if it “works”. As the successes increase, it helps me be brave enough to try the next thing. I was talking about oils the other day, and someone asked me how I knew that they worked.
A: Because I tried them.
I hope to inspire you to try new things too.

It would be wrong not to tell you about my blogger inspiration, as it was part of my reasons for doing this. I found a blog & listened to the podcast of a lady named Dana White. Her blog is called “A slob comes clean”. I forgot to mention in my last post, that, unfortunately, I am a “slob”. Listening to her story helped me so much. She started a “practice” blog to help her “deslobifiation process”. She wrote about trying to get a grip on housework, when she was the complete opposite of an expert in that field. By the time I found her (after much searching and failing to find something), she was an inspiration to tens of thousands of “slobs”, and her first book was being published. One of the many reasons this helps me, is to show me that I can write about things that I am not an expert about. I can learn “with” you guys, as I go along. And maybe, even if I don’t inspire tens of thousands of people trying to live better, if I help even one person, “great shall be my joy”. I will find a way to link to her blog, I promise.
Edit: Found the way! (I told you I was learning…)
https://www.aslobcomesclean.com/

Just one more for now – When? At the moment, I’m planning on publishing one post a week, currently on a Friday. But, that may also evolve as I learn more about how this works.

Come back next week to find out “how” it all started! Thanks for popping by.

My very first blog post…

Let’s start at the very beginning, (a very good place to start…) When you sing, you begin with “do re me”, when you blog, you begin with “who is she?” (Who is me?)

My name is Nicola, and unlike Dory, I think I have eaten a fish. I also answer to Nik, Nicky, Poldylocks, Mummy, and Who wants ice-cream? I am here to tell you the tales of my adventures in “going natural”, which is basically eliminating unnecessary toxins and other rubbish as much as possible, and doing things the old fashioned way. So, “Who is she?”. Here are a few things I can think of about myself that may influence how this blog develops:

~ I am a Mummy. Most people with that title put it first, so I will not break from tradition. I have three beyond gorgeous girls, ages 6, 3 and a half, and nearly 1. Expect posts of treating grazes, helping sniffles & trying to catch more than 3 hours sleep at some point in my life. … if I ever manage that last one, expect a big news story!!

~I am a wife. Expect some posts inspired by my husband, who not only generally goes along with my crazy ideas, sometimes he comes up with them himself. …and sometimes he just walks away & shakes his head. My friend called him “Mr Goes Natural” one day. The name might stick 😉

~I am a wellness advocate for doTERRA. It was joining doTERRA that made me realise that I had already started “going natural”, and helped me figure our what it was I actually wanted to do and be, including this blog. I just take *forever* to actually get moving. Expect lots (and lots) of posts about essential oils. When I figure out how this website thing works I will set up a link so that you too can get these awesome oils in your life (if you haven’t already).

~I’m a spendthrift. Or bargain hunter. Or… what’s a polite way of saying I’m cheap? When you look deep enough, the reason I do most things is to save money. My very first step in this journey was buying reusable wet wipes. An upfront investment, but I couldn’t be bothered to fork out for disposable ones every week. (But if anyone asks, I did it to save the planet 😉 ). Expect posts of ways to save money, good deals, and free stuff! I’ll also try to figure out getting referral links on here.

~I go to Church on Sundays & I’m somewhat active in my church community. This may not be relevant, and I have no idea how this will affect my blog, but no doubt a quote or scripture will end up in here every now & then. So, just in case, you read it here first.

~I was born & raised in South Africa. This may affect the way I say things. Do you know the difference between “now”; “now now”, and “just now”? Who knows what childhood influences this blog will conjure up?

I have no idea how long these things are supposed to be, so I’ll leave this one here. Next time I’ll go into more detail on what “Nicky Goes Natural” is, & what it means to me…

Thanks for joining me on my new adventure!

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

post