Shampoo and Toothpaste that won't eventually kill you

In my quest for healthy shampoos and toothpastes without going into debt to pay for them, i have tried different homemade recipes. The toothpaste was a continual flop. The kids and man of the house absolutely despised every recipe i tried. Marlin was willing to pay extra for healthy high quality toothpaste that didn't leave you with an overwhelming desire to never brush again. In case you wonder why we don't buy (at least not on a regular basis) regular normal toothpaste, fluoride, which the government has tried their best to convince the general public is a wonderful mouth saver, in reality is a poison. I would give you links to read, but my link thingy never got fixed. (Ahem.....oh computer hero, where are you.)And no, we don't think the government is all evil or anything like that, but lets face the facts, we don't have a godly government and your best interests aren't exactly always in their best pocketbook interests. Okay, back to poisonous toothpaste and hair ruining shampoo.

So here's a recipe for toothpaste that isn't as horrible as some of the rest. It's still not delicious enough to eat, but i love how clean my mouth feels afterwards and i love the fact that it saves money. Unfortunately i have a feeling Marlin will be ordering me to spend the money and get "real" toothpaste, even at $4 a tube. The recipe as follows.

3 T baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt (i will probably try 1/8 tsp. next time, Marlin was like, "whoa, that's some salty toothpaste" snicker, snicker.)
2 T glycerine
20 drops peppermint extract
a few drops of stevia if you like it sweet
Brush away!!

I also like to rinse with peroxide. I like the fact that it kills bacteria and is also a teeth whitener. Marlin thought that was funny until i caught him swishing some around his own mouth. I got the last laugh.

Now, for the shampoo. I won't go into all the evils of commercial shampoo, how it strips all the good natural oils from your hair, is full of chemicals and is known to make you itch. One of the reasons i won't is because we have some sitting in our shower. I hate spending so much for healthy shampoo, especially when i'm on a budget and it means more rice and beans and less steak. However, there is hope for the cheap skates like me. I found a recipe that Marlin loves and uses it for both shampoo and bodywash. I also use it for the kids and myself.

SHAMPOO
1 cup Dr. Bronner's organic lavender liquid soap (or tea tree, mild baby scent or whatever other flavor he has that tickles your fancy.... and ignore his ridiculous babblings and poetic sayings on the bottles.)

2 T vinegar

3/4 tsp. tea tree, vitamin E or olive oil

1/4 cup water

Place in a spray bottle and simply spray on your hair or washcloth. It doesn't take much to make lots of suds.

Marlin casually asked me what kind of ingredients were in the shampoo the first time he used it. I just as casually asked him why. I was expecting him to tell me to focus on homeschooling or making babies but much to my surprise he said it's great stuff and he loves it. Woo-hoo!!! A big score for this mama.

Speaking of homeschooling, the homeschool convention is this weekend. I can't wait to soak up much wisdom from parents who have successfully homeschooled, and just the thought of all those books in the book section gives me weak knees. I intend to make a list of the booths i want to visit and i'm going to try really hard to pray before i buy something. I hope to see old friends and make new friends and above all, i'm excited to get inspired and blessed.