The Original Dish Drying Mat Review

I was recently given the opportunity to try out The Original Dish Drying Mat from Influenster as part of the naturals Vox Box campaign and I must say it is simply perfect!

The options for drying hand washed dishes used to be pretty yucky, I mean you could leave them in the sink to dry (and possibly get dirty before getting put away), you could dry them all with a dish towel right away (takes too much time), you could set them on a tea towel to dry on the counter (can we say counter puddles), or you could use a dish draining rack (they get slimy and gross easily).  None of these worked well for me, and so I turned to my trusty dishwasher to get the job done.

Well I hate using my dishwasher because it uses too much water, the eco-friendly and chemical free detergent is expensive, the amount of electricity used to heat the water and run the machine (including the drying cycle) is just wasteful in my opinion, and often the dishes wouldn't come fully clean.  This is where The Original Dish Drying Mat comes in handy!  It absorbs 4 times it's weight in water, dries quickly, doesn't slide around on the counter, looks pretty, and best of all it's machine washable!  So I wash the dishes, lay them on the mat to dry, put them away and then hang the mat for drying and storage!

 Now you tell me, what could be simpler?  This mat has made my family so happy, because now we have a perfect solution for drying our dishes!  I've had no need for the dishwasher since receiving The Original Dish Drying Mat, and my counter stays puddle free!  This mat is easy to use and store, and measures 18" by 16" and is large enough to accommodate our sink full of dishes.  

You can visit The Original Dish Drying Mat on Facebook or their Website and you can purchase The Original Dish Drying Mat at Bed Bath and Beyond for only $4.99.  It comes in the original cream color, as well as a sage green, gray, and red to coordinate with your kitchen.  If you need a larger mat you can purchase the XL Dish Drying Mat which measures 18" by 24" and comes in cream, red and black. 

Birbitt Thinks The Original Dish Drying Mat should be on every wedding registry, and in every kitchen! 

Disclaimer: Birbitt Thinks was provided The Original Dish Drying Mat free of charge as part of Influenster Vox Box program, I was not required to write a review here on my blog and all opinions expressed are strictly my own!

Green Virgin Products review and giveaway

As part of our quest to eliminate toxins from our home I needed to change our deodorants. One reason is we were still using anti-perspirants which have aluminum in them and that is toxic to our bodies. For another even just plain deodorant has undesirable chemicals, which I would prefer to avoid. Now I have tried many natural deodorants in the past 8 months, none of which worked nearly as well as I liked. I mean sure they worked just fine if I was just in the house, but the minute I stepped out into the desert awaiting me on the other side of my front door the magic stopped.

Another large change that needed to be made was our laundry detergent, and let me tell you I've tried dozens of laundry solutions from making my own soap, to buying expensive natural detergents, to using soap-less washing methods. Again nothing was working for more than a few washes. Talk about frustrating!

Not only did I want a natural, non-toxic product but I also wanted a reasonable price tag.  This is where Green Virgin Products comes in!  They only sell all natural, eco friendly, and non toxic products for your home and body AND at the best possible price!  I was sent products to help with the immediate needs of my family: a mineral salts deodorant stone and a bag of soap nuts.

I'll start with the deodorant stone.   This little white stick was quite honestly the best natural deodorant I've tried!  I simply wet the stone, and apply to my underarms after my shower.  It works very well, keeps me clean and odor free until I get back into the shower.  This is not to say I don't sweat, because certainly I do, however I do not worry about sweating.  That's a natural reaction of the body and who am I to interfere with it?  What I do not want is being all smelly after playing with my kids outside, and Green Virgin Products' mineral salts deodorant stone is just perfect for that! My older boys are also starting to get to where they need some deodorant from time to time, and I do NOT want to start them so young with all the toxins in commercial deodorants, well ideally I don't want them filled with toxins at all but that's not my decision once they are grown up.  I have been using the product for about 3 weeks now, and have yet to find it has failed me, nor does the stone look as though it has shrunk at all.  I think this one little stone will last me a year or more easily!  You can purchase the stone at Green Virgin Products by clicking any of the links above, and the stone retails for $5.99.  Seriously, you tell me where you will get a year's supply of deodorant for just $5.99?  What a great deal, and even better is that it's all natural, non-toxic, Eco-friendly, and leaves no residue on your skin or clothes!  That's right ladies, no more white lines on your clothes, no more little gummy balls of deodorant left over from the morning's application, and no icky feeling on your skin after application!

The second product that I tried was the Soap Nuts, which are a dried, de-seeded berry from the Chinese Soap Berry Tree, these berries have a high saponin content which is a natural surfactant (the active ingredient in detergents).  The Soap Nuts are hypoallergenic, all-natural, Eco-friendly, organic, AND work in all temperatures of water!  I have used them to wash my towels in hot water, my delicates in cold water, and even just our regular warm water washes for our everyday laundry and every load has come out clean, and soft without any additional additives!  Yup, you read that correctly, no fabric softener, no vinegar, no nothing except 3-4 soap nuts in the little bag!  I was also able to wash 3 loads of laundry with the same little bag of soap nuts, can you do that with your laundry detergent? Now soap nuts have many other uses besides laundry, I threw a few into the silverware basket of my dishwasher, and then ran a full load of dishes - the dishes came out sparkling and there was nothing else added except a vinegar rinse! Of course the soap nuts are good for more than just dishes and laundry they can also be made into liquid soap for any number of uses! 

After making boiling several soap nuts in water for a few minutes, I used the resulting liquid (once cool) to wash our 7.5 month old puppy who decided that rolling in mud would be fun.  Not only was she clean, but her fur was soft, and she was not itchy at all like she is after a trip to the doggie day spa for a bath and pedicure.  I also used this liquid soap in a bucket of hot water to mop the kitchen and batroom floors, I was very pleased with how clean they were, without any sticky residue and with no need for rinsing.  After seeing how well it did on these tasks I decided to mix a few drops of essential oil into the liquid soap and use it to make my kids a bubble bath.  It makes great big gobs of suds, and the boys had tons of fun.  It didn't irritate their skin, and they enjoyed being able to have a bubble bath for the first time in months.  This liquid soap does not contain preservatives so it will spoil after a few days, so I recommend only making a little at a time, and storing it in the refrigerator to extend it's life a bit. 

I simply can not say enough good things about Green Virgin Products!  They have a great selection of products, which are all on my list to try, and I am seriously in LOVE with the soap nuts and mineral stick deodorant! 

Would you like to win your own prize pack?  Green Virgin Products is offering one lucky reader a prize pack containing one Kilo pack of soap nuts, and two Mineral Stick Deodorant Stones, don't forget to stop by their facebook page and thank them for the awesome giveaway!


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Disclaimer: I received the abovve mentioned products for free in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are strictly my own.  Also, the above links are affiliate links, and I may receive a slight monitary compensation for any purchase you make. 

Natural cleaners

One thing that I have been asked by many people is what I use to clean with since I'm against chemicals.  Well I have several options for you. 

My favorite cleaner is made by Young Living and it's called Thieves Household Cleaner.  I buy it in a 14.4 ounce concentrate and it lasts me several months of daily cleaning.  It is non-toxic, safe for use around children and pets, and I don't have to worry that my toddler will get into it.  Plus it smells good, reminds me of cinnamon and oranges. :) If you'd like to get some, please visit me here for more information on that.

Of course I do also have some more readily available options.  For glass and all purpose cleaner, plain white vinegar in a spray bottle works great just wipe with newspaper for nice clear glass!  Don't like the smell of vinegar?  Well then, try soaking orange, lemon, lime, or grapefruit (or any combination of) peels in your glass jar filled with vinegar for a few days to a week, and you'll have lovely citrus scented vinegar.

Want a germ killing cleaner that gives you peace of mind?  Try Vodka, yup just the cheap stuff here though.  You can even soak the citrus peels in vodka to get a citrus scent in your cleaner.  Then just use a spray bottle to spray the counters or floors and wipe.  

Need to clean your toilet bowl?  That's easy!  Pour in some white vinegar, then add baking soda.  Let the fizz settle and then just brush and flush.  My big boys think this is great fun! Another great toilet cleaner is simple hydrogen peroxide, just pour in 1/2-1 cup and let it set for 5-10 minutes then brush and flush.

Cleaning carpets more your need, well then just add plain vinegar to your machine or add in a few drops of essential oil for scent.  Clean as usual and watch as your carpets are restored to their lovely color in no time at all!  The vinegar scent can be overwhelming, but with open windows it's not an issue and once the carpet is dry there's no smell left.

 What about room fresheners, those are easy too.  Just pick yourself up a few travel size spritzer bottles, though glass is best plastic will work in a pinch.  Just put a few drops of essential oil (I use Young Living exclusively because I know it's safe and high quality) into a couple ounces of purified water.  Carpet freshener, same thing only instead of water I use baking soda in a shaker canister with a few drops of essential oil.  Let it set for 5 minutes or so and then vacuum up as you usually would.

Something gooey stuck on your counter?  Use baking soda and warm water to create an abrasive paste to help loosen the mess and then just wipe it away with a towel or sponge.

Speaking of those sponges, how do I keep them fresh and clean?  Well, when I'm done with them I rinse thoroughly, and then soak it in bit of vinegar, wring it out and let it dry.  Smells clean every time I use it!

Of course there are MANY great chemical free, green cleaners out on the market and I've used some of them and still do use some of them, but I wanted this to be a way to clean on the cheap.  I will be discussing some of those other cleaners another time, but for now I'll just recap with a list of common household things that can be used for cleaners.

Vinegar - all purpose including glass (soak citrus peels in the vinegar for a more citrus-y, less overpowering scent), also works great in mop water!

Baking Soda - Combined with vinegar makes a great toilet cleaner, as well as disposal cleaner, and drain un-clogger.  Also works great as an abrasive for those sticky messes.  Good carpet deodorizer as well.

Vodka - all purpose cleaner, and disinfectant.  Can soak citrus in this as well to give a more desirable aroma. 

Spray bottles, large and small

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Essential Oils for scent

Birbitt thinks that green cleaning can be cheap and easy.  The cabinet under my sink has never been cleaner or less cluttered!