Amazing homemade, non-toxic, disinfecting wipes!

Back story quickly - my oldest son suffers severely with allergies. 75% of his allergies are related to the outdoors. About 25% indoors. Nonetheless, when I quit using toxic, chemical cleaners in my home, my sons' allergies improved drastically & for the first time in 12 years, he didn't need medication daily to manage them. He went, literally, months, with no medication! He no longer suffered & for that reason alone, I will never, ever use store-bought cleaners again.

That said - wipes. We use them. With 4 kids & 2 dogs, we need them. Even though I no longer have a baby (sniff), I always continued to purchase baby wipes because they are convenient. But I ran out. We are battling colds, & while out shopping the other night, I picked up some disinfecting wipes & tossed them in my basket. As I continued to shop, I knew it was wrong buying those things. Yes, I wanted a disinfecting wipe this round, but I did not want that horrible, strong, overpowering smell, as well as the chemicals, back in my house. After 20 minutes, I went & put the wipes back & decided I would make my own.

And I did! This is my own process. :)

Supplies:

35 or so paper towels (I only use Walmart brand, white, select-a-size paper towels. Great price & great quality.)
16 oz. of prepared Basic G non-toxic disinfectant/germicide (more information on Basic G at the bottom of this post.)
Container (as you can see, I used an old Target baby wipe container.)

*The reason I chose to use prepared Basic G is because I wanted to be confident the ratio of cleaner/water formula was accurate. Using it already mixed properly, I now know my wipes are effective! No second guessing, hoping I got the ratio correct. Now I know I'm killing germs, without a doubt! You can use any disinfectant you prefer - I suggest you use it in it's 'ready to use' form. If you don't, you are guessing at the formula & there's a possibility you aren't killing any germs/bacteria. Basically, you'd be using cleaning wipes with water & touch of cleaner. I want to know my wipes are effective.



First, I triple folded the paper towels & placed them in the container:





I then took about 1/4 of them out, poured in my Basic G: (Originally, I just poured the solution on top, but noticed due to thickness, the middle & bottom wipes were dry - so I did it in steps.)



Added a few more & poured in Basic G - I did this to ensure all paper towels got wet, then I shook the container to distribute more of the solution:



And then...

Tada!



Tip - I discovered if you triple fold unevenly (similar to baby wipes) - fold the first fold about 3/4 up & then fold the rest over - it will allow you a little flap, in which to grab & pull through the hole.

Tip - I added the entire 16 oz. bottle of cleaner, because the towels are thick & it took a lot. The wipes are just a tad too moist (bonus! Just squeeze the excess out in the sink - it's non-toxic, so it's ok!). Next time I'll try 3/4 of the bottle, instead, & see how that works. Obviously, if you make less wipes, use less cleaner. Shoot for less because you can always add more.



Took me 6 minutes to triple fold 35 paper towels. All together, making 35 homemade, non-toxic, disinfecting wipes took me 10 minutes. 10 minutes! I can't even get to the store, grab wipes, check out & be home again in 10 minutes! Winning! :)

I love them. Love, love, love them! My husband & I both have already used some. I will never buy store-bought, chemical & fragrance filled wipes again! I should have done this years ago!

Oh, & total price? To make a 16 oz. bottle of Basic G the cost is about $.05 cents. Paper towels, for 35, lets just say $.50 cents. So about $.55 cents & that's possibly a little high! Not bad, huh? Winning again! :)

**Check out the incredible Basic G. Click here! I will never use any other disinfectant & it lasts forever!! It's a huge bottle & because it's so concentrated, it has a 3 year shelf life. Basic G cleans, deodorizes & disinfects in one simple step! It is effective against more than 40 bacteria, fungi, and viruses, including: Salmonella, E-coli, Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Strep pathogens, Herpes simplex types I & II, HIV-1 (AIDS virus), Influenza-A/Hong Kong, Athletes Foot, Feline leukemia, Canine distemper, Rabies, and more. Basic-G is neutral pH, gentle to human skin, Kosher, EPA registered and environmentally friendly. And no residue left over! It's amazing!

Linking up: A Bowl Full of Lemons, Not Just a Housewife, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, The Shabby Nest, House of Rose, By Stephanie Lynn, Alderberry Hill, Uncommon Designs , Huckleberry Love, Home Stories A to Z, Between Naps on the Porch

Getting back in the swing of photography!

We got out a few weeks ago & I did a fun shoot with my kids. It had been way too long! I was unhappy with many elements of the shoot (clothing/hair style choices, mainly), so we went last weekend & had a redo. I love them! They turned out really good, spite the freeze that occurred in between shoots & I lost most of the pretty scenery. In addition, my youngest was on the verge of getting a cold, so she was fit to be tied by the end. But that's ok - I've let go of perfection & embraced life. And that's exactly what the photos are. :)











And my favorite, with the extreme pop of sun flare:



I will fix the reflection at the bottom before printing, but for now, I left it.

I am still SO excited to finally be starting my own photography business! It dawned on me the other night that I did attempt to do so before, a few years ago, (remember Rock That Shutter?) but the timing was all wrong & that was the end of that. Now, the timing is right! I had a shoot scheduled for last weekend, but their little girl got sick & they had to cancel. A bummer, but totally understandable. I have another shoot scheduled in December. Realistically, with the holidays upon us, I figure I'll probably get going in or after January. I'm ok with that, as the holidays, followed immediately by three birthdays, are a very busy time for us.

Being I'm self-taught, I can use that extra time to enhance my photography skills. I've never taken a photography class. I shoot full manual only - I set all my own camera settings (every single one!) & I never use a flash. I edit my images in Photoshop CS4 & my editing is extremely minimal. I am not like the others. IMO, why take a photo, just to change it all up with this, that & the other? That's not what my photography is about. My photography is the real deal, & that's what I want my clients to see when they view their photos & look back on their memories. Not flaws removed. Life isn't flawless & neither are people.

Thanks for following along!

You can follow me on Facebook, too, for more fun stuff! Click here!

I am finally starting my own photography business!

Lets do this! It's never too late, right? Or, better late than never!



For too long, my photography has been ignored. I adore photography. I always have. Many of you, who have traveled with me over the years, know that. Photography makes my heart go pitter pat. For too long (several years), I have contemplated opening my own photography business. I've been supported & encouraged, but always said no. A month or so ago, I began to revisit the opportunity. There have been many discussions with my husband & family. I am thrilled to announce - finally, I made the decision to ignore my fear vs. my photography. I'm currently wrapping up details. And I am oh so excited to begin this new journey with my own photography business!

Yip!

I will incorporate my photography into my current Facebook page. Click here to follow along! I also will be posting sessions here on my blog. So darn tootin' exciting!