Natural Sleep Help

I often have trouble sleeping - my body gets tired but my mind won't shut off. Here are a couple things I use to help me fall asleep:

• I take a hot shower before getting into bed.
• I use lavender aromatherapy oil.
• I drink chamomile tea.
• I listen to calming music.
• I meditate.
  

I'm always looking for new suggestions. Counting sheep just doesn't do it for me. Someone suggested I try visualizing mowing the lawn. I tried. I failed. The next day I couldn't get the image of the lawnmower mowing in a square out of my head. What helps you sleep?

Fabric Gift Wrapping

Every holiday season I become frustrated by the amount of wasted paper that goes into gift wrapping. (I get particularly frustrated by the number of people who don't even bother recycling all of that wrapping paper!) For birthdays I usually put gifts in reusable bags, but during the holidays there's that whole wrapped-presents-under-the-tree tradition. I have previously used fabric in creative ways, tying it with ribbon and twine. I recently came across this incredibly useful tutorial on how to wrap gifts in fabric without using anything but the fabric to hold itself together! I'm so excited to try all the different methods! (Unfortunately I don't have gifts to wrap that match all of the shapes...) Anyhow, I'll let you know how things go once I actually start my wrapping.

Winter Composting, Anyone?

I'm curious about what other people in cold climates do about composting in the winter. We don't have any kind of fancy composting system - just a compost pile surrounded by a mesh fence. During nicer weather composting is easy - we just make sure everything eventually breaks down. I always get frustrated during the winter because we can't use the compost pile when the ground is frozen. I know there are churning barrels and similar appliances designed for year-round composting, but I would love to hear other ideas. What works for you?

Paper or Plastic?

When I do my grocery shopping I try to use paper bags, although the occasional store only offers plastic. Here are a few tips about using and reusing both paper and plastic grocery bags.

• Ask for paper! Often stores automatically bag your groceries in plastic, so go ahead and ask for paper if they don't ask you first.
• Reuse your paper bags. Most grocery stores like when you bring your own bags in. I keep four or five paper bags in my truck so I remember to bring them with me when I go grocery shopping. Remember which stores you're going to! I doubt that any store would be pleased if you showed up with a competitor's bag.
• Recycle your paper bags. The wonderful thing about paper is you can recycle it. I save grocery bags that are sturdy and recycle those that have ripped or have been used several times.

• Small garbage can liners. Plastic bags are perfect for small garbage cans. I keep a little can in every room of my house.
• Tissue box bag holder. Keep your plastic bags in old tissue boxes. This is a great storage method and they're easy to pull out individually. I keep a tissue box of bags near each small garbage can, and the litterbox.
• Garage sales. A great way to get rid of a large amount of plastic bags is to use them for bagging products bought at garage sales. This could be for your own garage sale, or for an organization's event. Often churches, schools and other community organizations have larger sales and might need the extra bags.

Other bag ideas? I'm sure they're out there. Go ahead and comment!

Natural Toothpaste

Okay, I admit it, toothpaste in a tube really disgusts me. I've never enjoyed squeezing it onto my toothbrush or the feel of the paste in my mouth. That being said, I also prefer more natural methods of keeping my teeth healthy. I tried just using baking soda and water, but the baking soda left such a bitter taste in my mouth that I really didn't look forward to brushing. Then I was introduced to tooth powder. At first I was wary, but I've been using it for over a year and I'm hooked! There are different brands and varieties and I've only tried a few (I really like Eco-Dent), but I love the idea of powder instead of paste. This is also a great tooth cleanser to travel with - if it breaks in your luggage you can sweep it up and nothing gets ruined! Two added bonuses for me are that 1) you need very little to brush with and 2) if you normally share your toothpaste with someone else there's less contact on the actual brush than with a tube.

Wood Floor Cleaner

There are a variety of ideas out there for natural wood floor cleaners, but the bottom line is they all include some combination of vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil. Vinegar is the main cleaning ingredient, olive oil is the main polishing ingredient, and lemon juice adds that lemony good scent. I mix this in small amounts in a squirt bottle and gently mop with it after sweeping. The best part to me is that if you have small children crawling on the floor you don't have to worry about any bleach or other chemicals being left over from cleaning. You're basically cleaning your floor with a salad dressing solution and it works incredibly well!