A Moment of Soapy Zen

#HealthUpYourHome

A Moment of Soapy Zen

Meditative laundry. A good book and my Toms!

 

There are few things I hate more than having to drag my stinky work-out clothes to the laundromat and eat up a precious 2 hrs of my week.  Our new apartment is inconveniently located a grueling 15min walk from the closest laundromat.  It's painful.  Last week's load was even worse because it contained all the extra moving day gems like bed linens, curtains, dust rags, and towels.  After lugging it down 4 flights of stairs, I had to bungee the load onto our hand truck to take it on it's 15min walk.  (All the while thinking to myself, "This is so not cool.")  

Yes, I know a civilized Brooklyn-ite would just use a pick up/ drop off service.  I've heard it from all my friends.  Someday, I hope to afford myself that luxury...or better yet have my own W/D!  

My solution to the madness was to make the dreaded process into a meditation.  I took a good book, decided to not check my phone and tried to zen myself out while my sports bras and yoga pants happily twirled in their suds.  

I noticed a woman using what looked to be homemade detergent and broke my no phone rule to google laundry soap recipes.  I'm dying to try!  It seems like a much better solution to the artificial fragrances and chemicals that are in my usual detergent.  

2 gallons Water (hot)

1 bar Soap (grated)

2 cups Baking soda 

• Melt grated soap in a saucepan with enough hot water to cover. 
• Cook on medium-low heat, stirring frequently until melted.
• In a large pail, pour 2 gallons hot water. Add melted mixture, stir well.Then add the baking soda, stir well again.
• Use 1/2 cup per full load, 1 cup per very soiled load.

Do you or anyone you know use natural/ homemade laundry soap?  Do they work?  I'm intrigues and excited.  (Dork alert!)   Leave your comment, tweet  (#HealthUpYourHome), or post on the Motivated Nutrition Facebook page! 

In naturally sudsy health,

Joanie   

Joanie Johnson, CHC

Motivated Nutrition

www.motivatednutrition.net

814-442-5311

Healthy Fashionista Challenge

I'm a health coach.  I eat and work out really well.  I'm a dancer.  I can touch my toes and bust a move in heels.  I work with kids.  I can create fun games at the drop of a hat and run circles around the fastest 3 yr old in the room.  I'm a fitness instructor.  I can rock my hot pink Nikes as I jump rope and do crunches into oblivion.

What I'm not, is a fashionista.  My boyfriend, who used to work in fashion magazines is constantly offering gentle suggestions on how I might alter my outfits before leaving the house.  Ok, it's not usually gentle.  It's usually delivered in the form of, "Uhhhh...are you really wearing that!"

Since we've gotten back from our 7 1/2 months of travel (You missed our travel blog?  Where have you been? http://bucketbath.travellerspoint.com/ ) and wearing the same 3 outfits for that amount of time (don't worry EVERYTHING was given away before we even boarded the plane home from India) I find myself longing for an amazing New Yorker wardrobe.  Unfortunately, 90% of my clothing is STILL in storage and I've been forced to get creative while I run around the city as my fabulous, health coaching, dancing, kid wrangling, fitness instructing self. 

This has all lead me to become obsessed with the fashion advice of fellow Brooklyn-ite, Hilary Rushford and her blog, Bow Ties & Bettys.  I'm waiting for the day I can afford (or be given the awesome gift...anyone?) to have her over to do a wardrobe edit.  Until then, I'm taking her July Instagram photo challenge.  I'm hoping it brings out the fashionista that is hidden under all the workout clothes and sweat every day.

As and added challenge, I'm going to try to accessorize it with some healthy advice, work-out move or recipe.  

Wish me luck!  Better yet, join in and take the challenge with me!  Check it out here: