Little Green Dot

Category: Home

Reader’s Idea: Scented DIY Clay Ornaments
Last year for Christmas I made a garland out of these baking soda clay ornaments (honestly, I kept them hanging up all year!) Then last week, one of our readers sent me a question: Could we add essential oils to scent the clay? I love that idea! You guys are so creative!

She gave it a go… and she said they smell amazing! How cool is that?! I think that a scented clay decoration could be used in so many ways – not just for a Christmas tree! Decorate your home, make a necklace, gift tags.. Get create, give try it a try – and see what you come up with!

Need more inspiration? Click here to check out my Pinterest board for some fun ideas!

Scented Baking Soda Clay

For step-by-step pictures, check out the Baking Soda Clay Garland I made last year

Ingredients:
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1/2 cup corn starch
- 3/4 cups water
Directions:
1. Combine the ingredients in a pan over a medium heat.
2. Stir until the mixture becomes thick, like mashed potatoes
3. Remove from the pan and allow to cool with a towel covering it so that it will not dry out
4. Knead the dough for a good minute or two
5. Roll out the dough flat to about 1 cm thick
6. Use your shape cutters to create your shapes
7. Punch out little holes for hanging with a straw
8. Bake at 80 degrees C. for about 40 minutes, flipping over a few times
Make it scented:
- After the clay has dried – add a few drops of your favorite essential oils
December 19, 2013
Inspiring a Greener Life
My parents recently moved to Colombia and this year we’ve come with the whole family to visit! The first thing I did when I arrived was raid my mother’s kitchen – partly because I was hungry, but mostly because I’m super curious and love looking through all her things! And – look what I found….

She’s got a batch of vinegars infusing for cleaning the house! Eucalyptus (great for repelling mosquitos) and lime (yummy scent!)

Now, in fairness – my mother told me about cleaning with vinegar back when I was 20 and moving into my first apartment. I thought it was ridiculous and never gave it much thought… life is funny, because now I’ve taken it to the max!

Seeing my own mother now re-inspired by the things that we’re doing in our home, really makes me feel good! And, it’s just a reminder that the best way to inspire someone to live a healthier life – is to live one yourself!

Check out Mom’s Calendula Infused Vinegar! Smells so good and she even uses it to tonify her skin too, which is super smart because it has skin soothing qualities!

If you want to start infusing your own vinegars and making super-easy natural cleaners – check out a few of my favorite recipes:
What’s your favorite green cleaning recipe or tip? Let me know in the comments!
December 13, 2013
Handmade Christmas for Home
Hi friends!

I hope you’ve been enjoying this series of lovely all-natural DIYs that Claire and I have put together! So far, we’ve done one for the Guys (Aftershave), one for the Girls (Lip Balm), and lastly, we’re doing one for your home (Room Spray!).

If I was to ask you what Christmas smelt like, what would you say? I’d say Christmas smells like pine needles, spiced cookies and wine, heaters warming up, candles… So even though I probably won’t have any need for any of those things here in Singapore, we still thought it would be nice to bring those beautiful Christmas smells into our homes.

So let’s make some Sweet Orange, Cinnamon, and Silver Fir Room Spray, shall we? It’s dead-simple! 🙂

Here’s what you’ll need:
- Empty Spray Bottle
- Small jug of water (enough to fill the spray bottle)
- Essential Oils (See Below)
As with the Aftershave and Lip Balm DIYs, we had a chat with Herbalist Alina from Abundant Earth to get the low down on the best essential oils to use when creating a festive Room Spray. Here’s what she came up with:
- 60 drops of Orange Sweet
- 10 drops of Cinnamon Bark
- 20 drops of Silver Fir
This will give us a sweet and spicy room fragrance, which is nice to spray at gatherings and feasts. Sweet orange creates a cheerful social ambience, while cinnamon stimulates digestion.

Step 1.
Fill your spray bottle with water from the jug (or straight from the tap). Add 60 drops of Orange Sweet Essential Oil, 10 drops of Cinnamon Bark Oil, and 20 drops of Silver Fir Oil. Put the cap on the bottle and gently shake to mix the oils in.

Spray away! It really couldn’t be simpler!

All that’s left to do is to make the bottle look pretty! Claire created some simple black and white labels for you to download and use to decorate your Room Spray Bottle. Head over to her blog and scroll down to the bottom to download your FREE printables!

Page one: Labels the right way around – Print on sticker paper.
Page two: Labels in reverse – Below you’ll see some cute little gift bags we created to package your Room Spray in, and for this you’ll need Iron-On transfer paper, and the reversed labels.

We decided to go with one of the long banner stickers for this lovely, but there are lots of different stickers, you can choose whichever one you like! 🙂

Here’s what you’ll need to create the same look:
– Finished Room Spray, sealed.
– Plain Muslin Bag
– A printed sheet of labels (the right way around) on sticker paper. Cut out the ones you want.
– A printed sheet of the reversed labels on Iron-on Transfer paper. Cut out ones you want to use according to packet instructions.

Step 1.
Peel the backing off the sticker and stick the end of the sticker (where it says ‘handmade especially for you’) onto the back of the bottle about 2cm from the bottom. Take the sticker underneath the bottle and back up the other side. Stick down well.

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To make the little gift bag to package your Room Spray in, cut out the labels you want from the ones you printed on the Iron-On Transfer Paper. Iron them onto the muslin bag according to the packet instructions.

And you’re done! Package it up and give it as a hostess gift, or use it yourself! It’ll feel like Christmas in no time 😉
DIY Sweet Orange, Cinnamon and Silver Fir Room Spray
Materials

Empty Spray Bottle

Small jug of water (enough to fill the spray bottle)

Essential oils (see below for details)

Essential Oils

60 drops Orange Sweet essential oil

10 drops Cinnamon Bark essential oil

20 drops Silver Fir essential oil
Fill your spray bottle with water from the jug (or straight from the tap).

Add 60 drops of Orange Sweet Essential Oil, 10 drops of Cinnamon Bark Oil, and 20 drops of Silver Fir Oil.

Put the cap on the bottle and gently shake to mix the oils in.

Spray away! It really couldn’t be simpler!
Abundant Earth

Orange Sweet

Silver Fir
As we’ve now come to the end of this series of All-Natural DIYs, I’d just like to say a huge thank you to Claire for teaming up with me on this! It was so much fun, and really great for me to try something new! Be sure you check out her blog, Fellow Fellow for loads more crafts and design inspiration!
December 13, 2013
Green Cleaning DIY – Soapy Surface Scrub
I know. Cleaning is not fun… but making a green cleaning product is! And you’re going to love this scrub, so maybe you’ll like using it too! It’s so easy to make, crazy cheap and you can feel good knowing that you’re cleaning your home, simply and without harsh chemicals.

We’re using a soap bar for this Soapy Scrub – which is smart because the product keeps dry – that means you don’t have to worry about it going off. Make sure the soap you buy is all-natural, it can be any brand. This is Doctor Bronner’s with Tea Tree Oil, which is antimicrobial, giving my scrub extra cleaning power. A natural soap is important because when you use it in your home and wash it down the drain, it biodegrades – leaving no chemicals behind to linger.

Zest your soap bar right into a container of baking soda, stir it up and you’re done! It’s barely a recipe!

You can use a blender to mince up the soap. Cut off slivers with a knife and blend just until finely broken down – only for a few seconds! Otherwise it heats up, the soap will soften and clump up. If you have a microplane, I think it’s best. If you don’t have one… why not?? Go get one, they’re awesome!

To use: just sprinkle it on, wet your scrub with water and get to work. The best way to wipe it clean is with your Infused Vinegar Cleaner. The vinegar breaks down any baking soda residue and wipes up sparkling clean!

Give this a go – it will take you seconds to make, and you’ll feel good all day. You’ll walk around looking for something to scrub!

Soapy Surface Scrub

Ingredients:
- natural soap bar (look for something that says: all-natural, biodegradable)
- baking soda
Directions:
- Find a large mouth container to store your product
- Fill it with 2 parts baking soda, 1 part finely grated soap (ex: 1 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup soap)
- Mix well
- To use: sprinkle over surfaces, floors, countertops, tubs, sinks and showers. Use a wet brush, scrub or towel to clean. Wipe away with water or a Vinegar Infused Spray
November 19, 2013
20 Ways to Get the Most out of Your Lemons
If you’re a green shake enthusiast, green juice lover – or trying out the 21 day morning detox – you’re going to be using a lot of lemons! Don’t throw away those peels – so much goodness lives there! I have 20 ways to use them:
1. Lemon zest for cooking. Before you squeeze your lemon, zest it first. You can store it in the freezer to use for cooking when you need. Perfect to brighten up a cream pasta sauce!
2. Lemon Vinegar Cleaner. Cut off the peels and store them in the fridge until the end of the week. You’ll have enough to make a vinegar infusion. Pat them dry and make a lemon vinegar to use in your household cleaning recipes. Use this recipe for the how-to.
3. Lemon Ice-cubes. Add lemon slices to your ice-cube tray to brighten up your drinks!
4. Lemon zest butter. Make any steamed vegetable awesome by mixing in a little lemon zest, butter and herbs!
5. Make Lemon Olive Oil. Pat dry the lemon rinds and add to olive oil. Allow to sit for 2 weeks to infuse in the lemon flavor
6. Make Drawer Sachets. Dry out your lemon peels in a warm oven and then mix with spices like lavender to create a beautiful potpourri.
7. Clean Stainless Steel. Use the rind of the lemon with a little salt to scrub your stainless steel clean.
8. Perk up your Mood. Squeeze the lemon rinds and let the essential oils fall around you. Breathe in the uplifting scent – lemon essential oils are known to enhance your mood and reduce stress and anxiety.
9. Sanitise your chopping board. Squeeze the lemon rinds and let the essential oils fall on the chopping board. Lemon essential oils are incredibly antimicrobial and help keep your boards clean!
10. Make a fruit & veggie spray. Infuse the vinegar with lemon rinds and use the solution to clean your fruit and veggies. Get the recipe here.
11. Make a lemon vinaigrette. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper and dress up your greens!
12. Lemon Scrub. Add lemon zest, soft brown sugar and pour in coconut oil until the mixture feels like wet sand. Makes a great gift!
13. Coffee Cup Stain Remover. Place lemon peel in the stained cup with boiling water. Let it sit, and then wipe away with cloth
14. Microwave Cleaner. Place your squeezed lemon in a bowl with some water. Microwave for 2 minutes. The essential oils in the steam will help to break up any caked-on stains.
15. Oven Cleaner. Sprinkle baking soda inside your oven and use the used lemon to give it a good scrub. Rinse clean with a vinegar cleaner.
16. Lemon Salt & Pepper. Dry the lemon rinds in a warm oven. After they have dried, pulverize in a blender. Mix with salt & pepper to make a homemade seasoning.
17. Remove stains on surfaces. Great for any surface, wood or marble, take the used half lemon, add salt and scrub on stains.
18. Clothing Stain Removal. Soak delicates in a bath of lemons and baking soda for an hour before washing.
19. Make Lemon Extract. Just like a vanilla extract – it’s super easy to make. Zest you lemons and pour over vodka. Allow to sit for 8 weeks. As you collect more lemon zest you can add it to the mixture to strengthen your extract. Use lemon extract in cooking, baking and to make cocktails!
20. Make a refreshing toner. Add boiling water over the lemon peels with a mint tea bag. Store in a spray bottle and in the refrigerator for a cooling and refreshing mist to perk up your skin (and mood!). Lasts for up to 5 days in the fridge. Note: You don’t want lemon oil on your skin out in the sun! Wait a few hours or use this is the evening or when you’re not planning on going out.
November 13, 2013
How I Organize My Table Top

Becoming more organised has a big part of simplifying my lifestyle. It just makes my life easier. You know what you have, you only have what you need, it’s all good. But, I’m not naturally organised – I still have a long way to go. So I’ve worked out a couple tricks that help me.

here’s one of my favorite tools for making my space look cleaner… trays. Something about putting everything on a tray, makes it look intentional. Almost orderly.

This is where I get ready in the mornings and I like storing my homemade skincare in these little beautiful containers. It’s pretty, and makes me happy. This is lip balm made simply with shea butter, coconut oil and beeswax

and this is my homemade translucent powder. It’s barely a recipe: Rice powder mixed with cocoa powder until you reach your skin tone. It really works!

And with everything placed on a tray, it looks uncluttered and makes my morning routine faster and more enjoyable. Just a quick and simple tip that works for me at home…

November 5, 2013
Simple Eco Tips for your Home

Being green is about the little steps – done often, they add up! Here are three tips that you can do around the house, ways to repurpose items and get the most out of the things you buy.

Removing an egg yolk from your omelette is sometimes a good idea – but then you’re left with a yolk and not always sure how to use it. I know I’ve kept a yolk in my fridge, not wanting to waste it, just to toss it in the bin a few days later! Here’s what I do now: take out one yolk from my omelette and use it as a beauty treatment! I don’t even need to buy hair mask products anymore – try this homemade protein hair treatment – it’s awesome!

Before you toss out your aluminium foil wrapper, scrunch it up and put it to work! It great to scrub the bottom of pots and pans, to clean the grill, the caked on mess on your glass bakeware. You can use it to polish your silver – just line a dish with the foil paper, add cold water and a couple tea spoons of salt. Then toss your silver in and let it soak for 2-3 minutes. I’ve even heard that you can ball it up (smoothly) and toss it in your dryer to remove static cling! I haven’t tried that yet, if you do – let us know how it works!

Sometimes our storage solution needs change and that’s totally normal. So, we just go with the flow and find new ways to use our storage bins! Even in unconventional ways! The bins on top used to store my cleaning supplies and the bin at the bottom I used in my bathroom for a while. Now they keep my freezer organised!

Remember, repurposing items is a great way to extend the life of a product and keep it out of the landfills – but the first and most important step is to not buy it in the first place! Think carefully about the things that you buy and how long they will serve you – often stores tempt you with bulk bins and cheap prices, and hard to resist. Even if you didn’t set out to buy something in the first place, next thing you know you have 4 plastic bobble-heads and no idea why. These items fill our homes, our lives and cause clutter. What’s that point of that! Simplify and cut out the excess, you’ll feel better for it, I promise!

September 17, 2013
What I See When I Run

When I first saw these prints featured on an American blog, I thought – wow, I feel really drawn to these images, they’re almost familiar. Then I realised why – these beautiful portraits are based on nature found right here in Singapore! The work is by Francis Ooi, an amateur photographer whos weekly runs along Bukit Timah Reserve, turned into nature walks as he felt himself captivated by what he saw around him.

How beautiful is that feature wall? I really love the story behind his work – it speaks about being present and in the moment with your eyes wide open. It’s easy to get caught up in work and life, but when we take ourselves away from our desk, computer and out of our own head – it can lead to so much inspiration. He did it by going on nature walks, I like to cook and tinker around the house. Some people meditate or exercise. What ever it is, create those moments where you can unplug and just be. Who knows what beauty you’ll see!

Check out Francis’ shop to see all of his prints. At only $40, this is such an affordable way to bring inspiring art into your home!

p.s. Want to create a feature wall? Here’s how he did it!

September 10, 2013
Cheat’s Beeswax Candle – Make it Yourself!
This is one of those five-minute projects that comes together so easily and leaves you feeling so satisfied! Do it for yourself, or do this when you have guests coming over. It’s a small detail that really makes a big impact – and I know you’ll love it!

I’ve been wanting to make a beeswax candle for ages. I have beeswax pellets that I use to make lip balms, but I don’t have the kit to make a candle and just haven’t gotten around to it. So I cheated a bit… but got the same results! Beeswax burns with a clean, light scent of honey, it’s beautiful and perfect for a bathroom where scent can otherwise overpower a small room. You don’t need to add fragrance – on its own it’s refreshing, deodorising and since you only use a bit of beeswax – it’s really inexpensive too!

Beeswax Cheat’s Candle

materials:
- beeswax pellets or shaved from a block
- oil burner
- unscented tea light candles (stay away from toxic paraffin! go for soy)
instructions:
- add about 2 tablespoons of beeswax
- light the tea light candle
- breathe!
[ribbon title=”Where to buy Beeswax – in Singapore and online”]

Order Beeswax Pellets from iHerb: iHerb sell a big bag of white beeswax. I haven’t tried it and not sure how strong the honey scent is, though the reviews say that it does have a soft scent. This bag will serve you well to make all kinds of things like hard lotion bars, salves and lip balms – so you’ll get great use from it. Note: if you’re new to iHerb, you get $5 off your first order when you use my code: CPF766.

Order Beeswax Pellets from Singapore Soap: Singapore Soap sells white and yellow beeswax in all kinds of quantities – their 100g bag is a really inexpensive way to start playing around with making your own products and cheat’s candles!
August 30, 2013
Lavender Household Cleaner Recipe
Here’s a simple way to infuse a vinegar, for the purpose of making your own natural household cleaner. I used dried lavender because it smells beautiful and, because we’re using it for cleaning our home, it’s also helpful that it has antibacterial and cleansing properties. Which, by the way, makes this infused vinegar really great for skincare recipes, but that’s for another day. And, let’s be honest, I did taste it and I’m thinking it would make an amazing salad dressing, but now I just sound like a crazy vinegar lady. Basically, you’ll find a ton of uses for infused vinegars, but today, let’s focus on cleaning our house, making it sparkle and smell… delicious!

Use your infused vinegar to make an all-purpose cleaner. It’s amazing everywhere from windows and glass to countertops, bathrooms and kitchens. It works any conventional all-purpose cleaner would, but better because you made it perfectly safe and natural!

vinegar: Ruthlessly anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-fungal… vinegar is the boss! It also does a neat trick of breaking down minerals found in water, which is what leaves behind cloudy spots on your mirrors and builds up the soap scum in the shower. It’s also going to eat away at mold that grows in corners and in between tiles. Vinegar is safe on wood, fabric, chrome, tiles, floors – basically everywhere except: marble and granite (that’s because of its appetite for minerals) but in this diluted form, I’ve never had a problem on my compressed marble floors…

lavender: Vinegar alone is already a fantastic cleaner, but when infused with lavender – it becomes something much more special. Lavender is a cleansing herb, it’s anti-bacterial and will help to disinfect your home. The scent is calming and refreshing, and helps to relieve anxiety or stress. It’s naturally bug-repelling, driving away moths and fleas, which is why I like to spray my all-purpose cleaner in my closet, couch and rugs.

I hope you try this recipe! I think it makes the best window cleaner that I’ve ever used and I’m obsessed with the scent – I spray it everywhere!
Lavender All-Purpose Cleaner Recipe
1 cup vinegar

1/4 cup dried lavender

water
in a glass jar, mix the vinegar and dried lavender. Seal shut

allow to sit in a sunny spot for 10 days

then, strain out the lavender and reserve the infused vinegar

to make your all-purpose cleaner: in a spray bottle mix 1 part lavender infused vinegar to 2 parts water

use your vinegar cleaner as you would any conventional all-purpose cleaner, simply spray and wipe! Great for counters, the refridgerator, windows, mirrors, bathrooms, kids toys and highchair – basically everywhere.
Be careful on marble and granite as vinegar can degrade the surface.
p.s. I promise I don’t put my baby to work but, that said, she loves playing with our homemade cleaners and to be honest, I’m not complaining!
August 14, 2013