Do It Gorgeously: How to Make Less Toxic, Less Expensive, and More Beautiful Products (66 page)

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You can find zinc oxide at Natural Health Supply (www.naturalhealthsupply.com). It is sold as Deodorant Zinc Oxide and comes in a large jar that will last you awhile.

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Find in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.

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Find in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.

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For a baby under 12 months old, skip the essential oils.

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For a baby under 12 months old, skip the essential oils.

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Berries are on my “Top Five Must-Buy-Organic” list.

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Make these stitches as tiny as possible, just catching a few threads of the fabric.

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Make sure the boxes fit into your drawer. If one is too high, you may need to carefully cut a couple of inches off the top with a box cutter.

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Interfacing is a firm woven fabric, which can be ironed onto the wrong side of an appliqué or piece of fabric, to make it more rigid. Iron-on interfacing can be found at all sewing supply stores and at www.amazon.com.

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See towel sizes under “You Will Need.”

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If you’d like to get fancy, you may want to find some cotton jersey in a bright fuchsia or orange and use a contrasting bright color of thread.

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If your mayo does curdle, try adding 1 tsp. of boiling water, as it often does the trick. If it doesn’t, you may need to chuck everything and start again.

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If you want a low-fat version, use ½ tbsp. mayo and ½ tbsp. low-fat yogurt (see “Do It Gorgeously in the Kitchen”).

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If you are vegan, tempeh (fermented soybeans) works really well as a substitute for the fish in this salad. Also substitute Vegenaise for the yogurt.

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In winter months, substitute 1 cup celery root, grated.

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Find virgin coconut oil at Spectrum (www.spectrumorganics.com) or Tropical Traditions (www.tropicaltraditions.com).

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Find brown rice syrup at Lundberg Family Farms (www.lundberg.com).

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Find hemp protein powder at Living Harvest (www.livingharvest.com).

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Available at most health food stores.

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As the container is being heated, glass is safer; it won’t leach BPA (Bisphenol A), a hormone disrupter.

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You will get a small packet of calcium powder along with your Pomona’s pectin. To make the water, add ½ tsp. of calcium powder to ½ cup of water and store in a clear glass jar with a tight-fitting lid in the fridge.

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Make sure you sterilize the bottle before using by running it through a hot dishwasher cycle.

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You need to back tack at the beginning and end of your stitching. This means that you sew to the end and then go back half an inch over the stitches you’ve just done.

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Find beeswax sheets and candlewick at a crafts store, or try Candle Wic (www.candlewic.com).

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Find beeswax sheets and candlewick at a crafts store, or try Candle Wic (www.candlewic.com).

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I found a great selection at a local discount store. Make sure the container is as wide as possible, as you want to fit in at least 2 or 3 plants without their leaves touching the glass. (See resource section for where to find glass containers.)

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Perfect plants for your terrarium are button fern, creeping fig, miniature holly, miniature
sinningia, bird’s nest fern, English ivy, weeping fig, and miniature violet. I also love
to put herbs in my terrarium, as they add a lovely scent.

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I recommend putting a thermometer in your fridge, rather than relying on the thermostat.

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Fill valves are inexpensive and relatively easy to install. When you buy a replacement fill valve, it will include detailed installation instructions. The only thing you need to know when you go shopping for your replacement fill valve is whether your toilet has the ball or cylinder float (see above).

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If you are removing hard water-based (as opposed to rubbery silicone) caulk, you may need to use a heat gun to soften it before removing with your razor blade.

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I recommend Elmer’s Carpenter’s Wood Filler, or PL FI:X Solvent Wood Filler, available from KenCraft Company, www.kencraftcompany.com.

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I recommend BioShield Aqua Resin Stain Finish, available from Green Building Supply, www.greenbuildingsupply.com, or Building for Health, www.buildingforhealth.com.

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It’s vitally important that the rubber blade of your squeegee is in good shape, or you will get streaks. If you know it’s old or if it looks warped, you’ll need to buy either a packet of new squeegee blades or a new squeegee.

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This little blue tablet is eco-friendly and biodegradable and is used by many professionals.

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Washing soda crystals are an alkaline washing soda, commonly used in the UK. They are biodegradable and don’t contain phosphates. They’re a wonderful all-purpose cleaner and can be found under the brand name Arm and Hammer at Ace Hardware and Amazon (www.amazon.com).

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A home improvement store with a lumber department will cut this for you. If you are lucky enough to find reclaimed wood, use it instead of newly cut timber.

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Since a regular-size coconut coir brick will expand to 2.5 cubic feet, you could go with just 1 brick and add another 2 cubic feet of compost, or go with 2 bricks.

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If you don’t like the idea of using breeze blocks (not the prettiest things in the world), you could always put together a wooden frame that will fit the size of your window in the same way that you created your raised beds.

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A storage container from a hardware or big box store will work perfectly. Get one as big as you have room for. It needs to be at least 24 inches high. (You can use wood or galvanized steel. However, the steel is expensive and the worms eventually eat through the wood, so plastic, although not my favorite, is more convenient and cost effective.) If you’re buying a new container, make sure it’s recyclable plastic with the numbers 1 or 2 in the chasing arrows on the bottom. A bin that measures 2x3x1 ft. is large enough to compost the kitchen scraps from a family of 4.

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When your seeds first start to germinate, you’ll see a set of two tiny leaves poking out of the soil. These are not the “true” leaves. Wait a few more days for the second set of slightly larger, more oval “true” leaves to appear. Now your plant is well on its way.

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Get both at a grocery or drugstore, or at Ace Hardware (www.acehardware.com).

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In the parking lot of most grocery stores, you’ll find a recycling bin for grocery store bags. This is where you might easily find your 200 bags!

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You want a contrasting color to your placemat, so if your mat is solid, go for a pattern, or vice versa. The remnant box in a drapery store would be a good place to look.

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To avoid clogging up my drains, I keep a large jelly jar in my freezer for meat grease from frying bacon, chicken, or beef. I wait until it’s full before disposing of it. This is a great way to use up some of that grease.

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If you don’t have one, go to your local thrift store or check out a few yard sales. If you can’t find a fleece, you’ll be able to purchase ½ yard of fleece fabric from your nearest fabric store.