BYOJ

I was reading the paper the other day and came across a great article about a new "trend" that is catching on. It's called A Bring your Own Jar party. Tables aren't filled with tupperware or candles, but with baking soda, salt, vinegar etc. The guests bring their own jars and part of the party is to eat organic chocolate and other goodies, but another reason is to get together to make their own cleaning products with the ingredients our grandmothers used to use. A non-profit environmental group "Women's Voices for the Earth" based out of Missoula, Montana launched the idea last March, offering party kits, including a video and six recipes for homemade cleaners. However, they give some recipes on their site if you don't want to send for a kit to make your own. Go to womenandenvironment.org.

Here is a furniture polish that I got from their site.

Furniture Polish

1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar 20-30 drops lemon essential oil Shake well before using (2 teaspoons lemon juice may be substituted for lemon oil but then must be stored in refrigerator) Dip a clean, dry cloth into the polish and rub wood in the direction of the grain. Use a soft brush to work the polish into corners or tight places. And if you are worried about what you will do when/if a pesticide ban comes in as rumour has it, here is a handy thing to know.

There are recipes for killing weeds with a vinegar mixture. Just remember that vinegar will kill the plants you like as well, so be careful when you apply it. Go to this interesting site to read about the info on vinegar as a weed killer and a debate about the additional things you may or may not want to put into your mixture. It may not be great for your lawn unless you like bald patches. But a great seed that is good is eco-lawn from Wildflower farm, which is a fescue grass blend. You only mow it once a month, it looks great longer, and it resists weed seeds because the grass is so darned tight at the roots!

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BYOJ

Furniture Polish