Maybe it’s just the heat and humidity of the interminable Texas summer, but lately my brain is feeling a bit…slow. I’ve been thinking about topics and ideas that I might cover here at Simple Organic, but everything I come up with feels a little lame. I think to myself, “Surely everyone already knows all about that, I don’t need to talk about that…”, or “That’s so off-the-wall, no one but me would ever care about that…”
Obviously, I could use a little inspiration. So, today, I have a question for you, the fabulous readers of Simple Organic.
What would YOU like to read about here at Simple Organic? What topics would you be interested in learning more about? What are your personal challenges and goals when it comes to simple, natural living?
I look forward to reading your responses!
{ 36 comments… read them below or add one }
I am beginning to think about the holidays…already. (while still enjoying the summer!) But what about these topics…
A greener Halloween, maybe do a repurposed costume contest, or ideas for greener, healthier and kid-friendly treats, or more eco-friendly decorations.
Or how to talk with friends and family about the kinds of gifts you’d like them to give your children. How do I get grandparents understand we’d appreciate hand-made, sustainable, BPA-free, gifts, preferably made from natural materials?
(We have way too much pink plastic in our home.)
Are there eco-friendly tips you have for us as we are getting our home ready for winter? Energy saving tips, ways to keep on eating healthy, and ways to help combat seasonal depression naturally?
We are thinking about the December holiday season in terms of a handmade season of “less is more.” Are there tips and tricks you can lend to readers to help make these holidays filled with less stuff but with more cheer?
And how about, tips on how those who are more eco-conscious, can spread the wealth and share with others our love for going green.
I believe that responsible sustainablility is certainly becoming a main stream trend. On the flip side, I also see, Americans anyway, feeling unsure about the economy and not sure how to handle their own tighter budget. For most, going-green seems expensive. So, any of these ideas combined with a budget-friendly flare, I think, would be most contemporary.
Thanks so much for this opportunity to put in our requests!
Yes to all!
Abbie had a lot of great ideas! I would enjoy reading about any of them!
One question I have is about homemade cleaners. I heard some where that letting batches of homemade cleaners sit (instead of using it all right then) isn’t effective. The article was saying that the ingredients neutralize and don’t really work later. Do you have any thoughts on that?
Also, I’m interested in exploring safe ways to clean my floors. I would love to hear your thoughts on steamers. Are they worth the money? How do you clean your floors with out harmful chemicals?
Rebekah´s latest post: How to Earn 4 Extra Swagbucks Each Day
I would also be interested in some research on steamers. Are they worth it? Are some better than others? Are they as effective as they are advertised to be? Many times I have been close to buying one but haven’t because I feel very undereducated on the subject and don’t want to waste my money.
I’m going to general and say I love just about everything we cover. However there is one category that I would like to see less of (or maybe none at all). It’s the articles about children. I know there are many moms around here, but I’m always disappointed when kid articles show up on here because this is not Simple Mom, or Simple Kids, or Simple Homeschool. If I want to read about children, I’ll add those blogs to my rss feed, not this one. I’m not not trying to be mean or harsh, just honest.
I would like to learn more about milk. An article overviewing milk would be good. What are the differences between raw and pasturized? Is goats milk comperable to cows milk? Should I purchase organic over regular whole milk? What should I be aware of in regards to the dairy industry and their practices? I have done some of my own research, but I would really love to hear your thoughts. This is odd I know, but it is something that has been on my mind and I would love to hear your thoughts.
Check out kitchenstewardship blog for some great articles on milk!
I would love to learn more about making your own toothpaste. I was making my own with baking soda, water and tea tree oil, but my dentist told me baking soda was too harsh of an abrasive to use on your teeth. Is that true? All the recipes I can find use some degree of baking soda. I’m currently using Tom’s of Maine (expensive!) until I can find a safe, homemade alternative.
Maybe this topic could turn into another 30 day challenge!
Ally,
My dentist told me my gums were receding, and that it was likely due to using baking soda in my toothpaste. Now, I brush with castile soap most of the time and supplement with Tom’s of Maine ever so often. Also, the first recipe here (http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/08/going-fluoride-free.html) does not have baking soda, and I have used it successfully as well.
Katie, I enjoy everything I read here!
I love reading recipes of any sort – from beauty products to food to cleaners.
I also love product/food reviews – like the sort that would take a popular food/product and dissect it to reveal why it’s questionable, kwim? Of course, this feeds my label-reading obsession . . .
Gardening tips of any sort – even easy stuff – like how to put up a simple fence or collect seeds for next year, tie up your peas or use a hoe. Most folks seem to get hung up on the most simple questions and never get started with a garden because they can’t get past the basics. Or, some harder stuff – how to collect cuttings for rooting or how to splice different varieties into your apple trees.
I also enjoy livestock articles – the pros, cons, how’s and why’s of keeping different critters.
Maybe these will give some fresh ideas? Keep up the good work!
Katie, you’re doing fine — your idea aren’t coming across as lame! But here’s a suggestion: if you haven’t already, could you do an article on kombucha? The health benefits, tips for making your own and doing it safely, etc. I’ve been trying to make my own lately but I’m slightly insecure about whether I’m doing it right. Any light you could shed would be terrific.
Hannah´s latest post: The Cousins
I like Abbie’s ideas about the holidays!
Also, with winter creeping closer, it might be fun to read some “staying well” ideas. Some tutorials would also be fun. Many people may not realize just how easy it is make organic, herbal remedies that cost so much at the health food store.
Stacy @ Delighting in the Days´s latest post: Kiss Vicks Goodbye – DIY Chest Rub
I would love this too!
Great idea!
I enjoy reading the postings on this blog. A suggestion would be gardening and other eco-friendly household tips for those of us who live in apartments and have very limited space for doing any growing, I know that many things are possible to grow container wise, I am just unsure what modifications are needed.
I would love to hear about making natural birthday cakes. Today is my son’s birthday, so birthday cakes have been on my mind. I’m not sure how to find or make a traditional children’s birthday cake using icing that I feel good about. Thank you!
I second the idea of herbal remedies and such. I know that there are books on how to make salves and elixirs and things like that, but some general advice on these things, with possible future articles going more in depth, would be awesome. I know you have done some in the past, but I know I would enjoy more of them. Thanks so much!
I’d love to read more about how to make your own beauty products, especially for kids. That could also be geared toward the holidays as gifts to make. Especially interested in how to make healthy and good-smelling lotions, shampoo, conditioner, body wash. How about dishwashing detergent for dishwashers that don’t leave a residue on dishes?
Oh! The non-residue dishwashing detergent is difficult to make. I haven’t had any success with it. This would be a great topic.
So many good suggestions I agree with! I have been wondering about feminine hygiene. I would LOVE more info and reviews for being green during during a menstrual cycle.
I’m fairly new here so if what I suggest has recently been done, just say so. No biggie!
I am a foodie and I’m working on transitioning our eating style to more homemade without the store-bought, chemically enhanced food. My husband thinks he’s going to die without a blue-box of Mac & Cheese (blech!). He’ll survive. I’m not worried. But I would love to see recipes. I have a small collection of things like homemade Ranch Dressing Mix (Divine!!) and Homemade condensed soup mix and so on. So I’d like to get more of this sort of thing…those items in our pantry that we’ve turned to for years for convenience sake.
I’d also love to see canning recipes for all sorts of things that will keep through the winter. We are living in Germany for a couple of years and the harvest starts much sooner over here. Summer weather only last 2 weeks and that happened back in July. So I think finding some really great canning recipes that don’t use a mix or that use an organic mix would be wonderful. You know, really great recipes!!
Thanks! I really enjoy reading your blog!
Shannon
Over at Simple Bites, there is a recent, week-long series on canning. Check that out.
I clicked on “Bites” on this page…is that correct? I couldn’t find the series on canning….just something on herbs. I’d love to see it…do you have a link?
On the Simple Bites site, click “Articles”… There is a whole section on Preserving. The recent series called “Canning 101″ can also be found by searching for it on the site. Here is the link for the first post in the series… “Canning 101… The Basics.”
http://www.simplebites.net/canning-101-the-basics/
Got it! Thanks!
Also love the holiday ideas. Please include.
Maybe you’ve covered it and I’ve missed it, but I’d also appreciate some reviews and discussion of cloth menstrual pads and/or the Keeper cup/Diva cup. Reviews of certain brands, upkeep…etc.
Thanks so much!
a discussion on peak oil from a mom’s perspective.
i absolutely love sharon astyk’s “depletion and abundance” and think many people out there would gain as much from it as i have. maybe a book club read…
I know you’ve covered a lot of beauty products, but I still have a hard time finding things to use that I can actually afford, and aren’t horribly toxic. I love the Skin Deep website, but find so many things that aren’t listed there. Any info on this topic would be greatly appreciated.
Also, more info on natural cleaners. I pretty much use only natural home made solutions, but still struggle with laundry and stains. Help!
I don’t know if food is off limits here because of Simple Bites, but I’m still always looking for quick and easy recipes using in season food from our garden or farmers market. Especially those ‘weird’ foods I see at the market, and usually pass over because I have no idea what to do with them.
LOVE this site SOOO much, and you’ve all done a fabulous job thus far! Can’t wait to see what the future brings!!!
I’ve found that if your product isn’t listed in Skin Deep, that you can look up single ingredients instead (if your bottle at least lists a few). Sometimes that helps me understand which chemicals are the “really bad” ones too.
First, let me so how much I enjoy your readable, practical, delightful blogging already. As for other ideas, I’d love to hear more about sustainable pantry eating. I just read Sharon Astyk’s book _Independence Days_ which inspired me to trade in my just-in-time approach to grocery shopping for something a bit more long term. This involves things like recipes that are nutritious, affordable, and taste good; alternatives to root cellars; how to preserve and cook whole food when both parents work outside the home; how to make small changes that inch us closer to a more sustainable life.
I’m already looking forward to the great ideas above as well!
Naomi´s latest post: Flax or Pharma
I love this blog, and I pass it on. You’re doing a great job.
Just to throw in some different types of articles… what about interviews with Green-Living women… how did they get started… what have they found to be the best way to navigate the ‘organic’ revolution we seem to be experiencing? I guess I struggle with where to draw the ‘green’ line in my own home. We don’t have the money to buy everything organic… mattresses, sheets, clothes, food, cleaning products, etc. It would be nice to know how other people find a balance.
Also… maybe some book reviews or movie reviews…. there are lots of great documentaries out now, Food Inc, King Corn, Fresh!, etc. And books, too. A discussion about the topics covered in the media might be interesting.
I am a young mom, I work full time while my husband is going to school, and we live in a small rental house in a somewhat large city. I am trying to go organic, simple and natural, but it seems that all of the blogs that I read are work-from-home moms. I work nights, am a mom during the day and don’t necessarily have the time or energy to be as organic, homemade, and simple living as I would like. Can you give pointers on how to do things quickly, ahead of time and easily accessible while also trying to get a skeptical husband on board? What are easy changes that can be done through baby steps to create a green home while getting your family excited? I love your blog and look forward to each email.
My ideas are a bit scatterbrained, so bear with me.
With the cleaners, hygiene products and other things you’ve done I would love to see them in an ebook form. Even if it just 3-4 pages, but somewhere I could go to and just print it off to stick in my ‘mom binder’. Hand copying is time consuming and sometimes it’s difficult to go back and find what I want, when I want it.
As for the holidays ideas, they are all fabulous, last year Tish did a weekly thing leading up to Christmas, maybe something similar focusing on greener, more organic ideas. Even ways to cut down on driving all over town to different stores and not spend money on shipping with online purchases?
I love the ideas about salves and herbs. I’ve tried to make my own chapstick before and it was a dismal failure. Buying the stuff to start is on the more expensive side (more expensive than buying a tube of chapstick from the store anyway) and I don’t really want to keep doing the trial and error thing if there is something better out there.
Maybe it’s been done and I missed it, but essential oils. They’re expensive! But I don’t want to buy some that are cheap or not as good quality. What brands are best? Could you rate them? Also, if I were to invest (and not buy a ton because I value my cabinet space) which ones are best? Why?
Lastly, what books would you recommend for someone wanting to be more green, thrifty and organic?
Camaron
A few things come to mind:
- dishwasher detergent. I made my own and it didn’t do a good job. Left glasses filmy. It was a powder but got hard as a rock in the container (citric acid culprit, maybe?) Anyway, I’d love to try homemade detergent if I can find a better recipe.
Cloth diapering. I did it for 1 year with my daughter but her urine literally began burning her so we’ve had to go to disposable. : ( I used Chinese prefolds and tried everything – stripped them, different washing routines, different detergent, I asked many people, including my local cloth diaper store owner. It literally seems like now that daughter is on solid foods, her urine needs to be absorbed by the “absorb beads” or else the fumes burn her. Am I the only mom who’s faced this? Anyone have a solution to enable me to go back to cloth?
-Holiday gift ideas we can make ourselves/”upcycle”
-recipes for “in season” produce. I’m bad at knowing what’s in season and then how to cook it.
Thanks – can’t wait to see these articles and more in the future! You do such a great job!
E – thanks for the suggestions! As far as the problem your daughter is having with the cloth diapers, my daughter had pretty much the same problem. I was very upset. We were using 100% cotton diapers (CPFs) and someone suggested we try diapers with the polyester microfleece against the skin. It has wicking action. We bought a couple of BumGenius diapers to try it out and it worked like a charm. We ended up taking the rest of our prefolds to a seamstress who sewed a top layer of the polyester microfleece to the prefolds, and using those and the few BumGenius we had purchased. She was able to stay in cloth until she started using the potty at 2.5 years. Hope that helps!
I would like to know about shaving cream that’s organic. I use regular conditioner on my legs now and my legs sting for a whole day afterward and have all these red pocadots. I am desperate for help. Thanks.
{ 1 trackback }