Tasty, Homemade Peppermint Toothpaste

I am obsessive compulsive about my teeth. I will brush after coffee while I’m still at Starbucks. I will finish a meal out with a quick trip to the bathroom just to get my brush on. I blame my OCD behavior on good old fashioned self-imposed guilt knowing just how much my parents scrimped and saved so that I could have braces. I also blame my German teacher in high school, whose breath-God bless her heart-smelled constantly of coffee and lifesaver candies.

Therefore, I am determined to never offend someone with my breath or destroy the investment Mom and Dad spent a fortune on.

In the past, I’ve been alright spending $4 on a tube of toothpaste. Not anymore-those frivolous days have ended. I’ve finally found the love (of toothpaste) of a lifetime. It’s freakin’ cheap, it tastes great, and it keeps my pearly whites pearly.

It’s everything I hoped a toothpaste would be.

Here’s all that you’ll need to make your very own Peppermint Toothpaste:
4 TBS+ Baking Soda (depending on how thick you like your toothpaste)
2 TBS Vegetable Glycerin
1 1/2 tsp Stevia Extract
1/2 tsp Hydrogen Peroxide (3.5% or less)
1/4 tsp Peppermint Oil
5 drops Tea Tree Oil
Opaque/Dark Container

In a mixing bowl, measure out 4 TBS of Baking Soda. Baking Soda whitens your teeth and lightly scrubs away the gunk.

Add to this the 2 TBS of Vegetable Glycerin. The Glycerin creates a smooth, non-gritty toothpaste. You can leave this out if you desire, but the toothpaste will be a bit more cakey.

To this, add the 1 1/2 tsp Stevia Extract. The Stevia adds a little sweetness to the toothpaste. You can add more or less dependent upon your sweet tooth needs (ironic…).

Add the 1/2 tsp Hydrogen Peroxide. Hydrogen Peroxide will whiten teeth, clean gums, and disinfect the mouth.

Next, add the 1/4 tsp Peppermint Oil-which gives the toothpaste a kick and lovely flavor. You can replace this oil with cinnamon or something you prefer more.

Lastly, add 5 drops of Tea Tree Oil. The Tea Tree Oil is an anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-all nasty things that can be found in your mouth. (Yick).

Mix everything together using a spatula. Add more Baking Soda if the consistency isn’t thick enough.

Test a little out, adding more peppermint if you like super spicy, more Stevia if you want it sweeter.

Store the toothpaste in a dark or opaque container. I re-used a burn cream container for my paste.

Enjoy your very own homemade toothpaste while knowing you rule. With very little time or money spent, you now have a pearly whites polisher without all the chemicals and pocketbook guilt!

I hope you have enjoyed these recipes! It may seem overwhelming at first to rid your home of toxins and store-bought everything. And maybe you don’t want to make these products, but would like the benefits of non-toxic products in your home without going broke. I have found some simple solutions to replace the things that I cannot make/don’t want to make myself by purchasing them from a non-toxic green company online. Without directly endorsing them, if you are interested in knowing more,  Feel free to email me with questions.

Here are links to my other Homemade Household Cleansers and Beauty Products:

Homemade Beauty Products
Simple, Organic Lip Balm
Homemade Peppermint Mouthwash

Easy Laundry Soap
Homemade Laundry Softener
DIY Stain Stick

DIY Brass Cleaner
Organic Vegetable/Produce Cleaner
Homemade Household Cleaners

And here are a few Homemade Food Items to easily replace store-bought items:

Simple, Tasty Granola
Easy Crockpot Yogurt
Simple, Homemade Butter
Cooking and Freezing Beans, avoiding BPA
Homemade Hummus
Garden Fresh Salsa

If these parties are up, I link to them! (Here’s my complete Linky Party Page):
Monday: Crafts Keep Me Sane, The Better Baker, Skip to My Lou, DIY Showoff, Say Not, Sumo’s Sweet Stuff, Etcetorize, Sew Chatty, Brassy Apple, Flour Me With Love, Creating my Way, Mad in Crafts, Our Delightful Home, Sew Can Do, It’s So Very Cheri, Craft O Maniac, Polly Want a Crafter, Tuesday: Craft Edition, Inspiration Board , New Nostalgia , Lettered Life , Coastal Charm, Tip Junkie , Ladybug Blessings, Hope Studios , Todays Creative Blog, Wednesday: Someday Crafts , Day2DayJoys, Jillify It , Junk in the Trunk, We are that Family , Frugally Sustainable, Sew Much Ado, Fine Craft Guild , The Thrifty Home, My Girlish Whims , Quick, Easy, Cheap & Healthy, Trendy Treehouse, Thursday: Somewhat Simple, No Minimalist Here , A Glimpse Inside, The Mommy Club, The 36th Avenue, Cheap Chic Home, Beyond the Picket Fence, Fireflies and Jellybeans , House of Hepworths , The Shabby Chic Cottage, Friday: My Repurposed Life, It’s a HodgePodge Life, The Shabby Nest, Just Wingin’ It, One Artsy Momma, French Country Cottage, Finding Fabulous, Passionately Artistic, Petals and Picots, Simply Designing, Little Becky Homecky, My Romantic Home, Bacon Time, Simply Living, Saturday: Polkadot Pretties, Tatertots and Jello, Create and Inspire, Be Different, Act Normal, Craft Envy, Funky Junk Interiors, Petites Passion, Sunday: Under the Table, Natural Mothers, Mopping the Floor

Touching Tuesday’s

My lovely parents and their sweet little dog left my home yesterday-taking my heart with them. To ease the pain of missing them, I threw myself into cleaning the house, changing the sheets, washing the towels and piling the dog hair into the trashcan.

Although Max had entertained himself by pestering the dog for the last two weeks, I think he was a little torn up to see her go.

He spent most of the afternoon looking for the dog, meowing from room to room. He needed a little reassurance from his best friend, Bianca.

She was more than happy to cuddle up to her best friend, clean his dirty paws and fall asleep purring in his gigantic muscly arms.

It was pretty touching.

Easy, Homemade Peppermint Mouthwash

Did you know that the first ingredient in most mouthwashes is alcohol (ethanol), and coming in a close second is heaping dose of sugar (sucralose, sorbital, saccharine). Awesome. Just what I want first thing in the morning.

Most mouthwashes costs around $6 for 32 oz ($.12/oz), whereas this will cost you around $1.20 for 32 oz ($.03/oz).

With just a few ingredients and in two seconds, I had my own inexpensive and tasty peppermint mouthwash. (A printable recipe card for this mouthwash can be found at the bottom of the tutorial, along with many other Homemade Household recipe links.)

Here’s all that you’ll need to make your own mouthwash:
13 oz Hydrogen Peroxide (3.5% or less)
1/4 tsp Essential Oil (Peppermint, Cinnamon, Etc)
1/8-1/4 Liquid Stevia (only if you are married to a sweet tooth, otherwise you can leave this out)
Dark Glass Bottle or Dark Plastic Container with lid

Pour the 13 oz of Hydrogen Peroxide into the bottle, using a funnel if necessary.

Add to that the 1/4 tsp of Peppermint essential oil (or your choice).

Top the mouthwash off with the 1/8-1/4 tsp of Stevia. You don’t necessarily have to add this-I was fine without sweetening it. However, I am married to Biceps who eats brown sugar out of the bag with a spoon…so, there’s that.

Shake everything together, slap a label on the bottle and call it a day.

Pour a small amount into your mouth before of after brushing. Swish the liquid around for a few minutes in your mouth and then spit out. Rinse if desired. (Keep the liquid out of direct sunlight-like the photo above.)

This mouthwash leaves the mouth feeling refreshed, clean and tingly! I guarantee you will love it.

I hope you have enjoyed these recipes! It may seem overwhelming at first to rid your home of toxins and store-bought everything. And maybe you don’t want to make these products, but would like the benefits of non-toxic products in your home without going broke. I have found some simple solutions to replace the things that I cannot make/don’t want to make myself by purchasing them from a non-toxic green company online. Without directly endorsing them, if you are interested in knowing more,  Feel free to email me with questions.

Here are links to my other Homemade Household Cleansers and Beauty Products:

Easy Laundry Soap
Homemade Laundry Softener
DIY Stain Stick
Homemade Beauty Products
DIY Brass Cleaner
Organic Vegetable/Produce Cleaner
Homemade Household Cleaners

And here are a few Homemade Food Items to easily replace store-bought items:
Simple, Tasty Granola
Easy Crockpot Yogurt
Simple, Homemade Butter
Cooking and Freezing Beans, avoiding BPA
Homemade Hummus
Garden Fresh Salsa

If these parties are up, I link to them! (Here’s my complete Linky Party Page):
Monday: Crafts Keep Me Sane, The Better Baker, Skip to My Lou, DIY Showoff, Say Not, Sumo’s Sweet Stuff, Etcetorize, Sew Chatty, Brassy Apple, Flour Me With Love, Creating my Way, Mad in Crafts, Our Delightful Home, Sew Can Do, It’s So Very Cheri, Craft O Maniac, Polly Want a Crafter, Tuesday: Craft Edition, Inspiration Board , New Nostalgia , Lettered Life , Coastal Charm, Tip Junkie , Ladybug Blessings, Hope Studios , Todays Creative Blog, Wednesday: Someday Crafts , Day2DayJoys, Jillify It , Junk in the Trunk, We are that Family , Frugally Sustainable, Sew Much Ado, Fine Craft Guild , The Thrifty Home, My Girlish Whims , Quick, Easy, Cheap & Healthy, Trendy Treehouse, Thursday: Somewhat Simple, No Minimalist Here , A Glimpse Inside, The Mommy Club, The 36th Avenue, Cheap Chic Home, Beyond the Picket Fence, Fireflies and Jellybeans , House of Hepworths , The Shabby Chic Cottage, Friday: My Repurposed Life, It’s a HodgePodge Life, The Shabby Nest, Just Wingin’ It, One Artsy Momma, French Country Cottage, Finding Fabulous, Passionately Artistic, Petals and Picots, Simply Designing, Little Becky Homecky, My Romantic Home, Bacon Time, Simply Living, Saturday: Polkadot Pretties, Tatertots and Jello, Create and Inspire, Be Different, Act Normal, Craft Envy, Funky Junk Interiors, Petites Passion, Sunday: Under the Table, Natural Mothers, Mopping the Floor

Okie’s Rock-A New Line of Awesomeness

Dear Readers:
Have you ever seen an impressive product or heard a catchy phrase and thought, “Why didn’t I think of that?”. That’s what happened to me when I first saw “Okies Rock” t-shirts.

And I’m giving one away today!

But, even if you don’t win, get a 15% discount on your entire order by using the discount code “POTHOLES” at Okies Rock. (Offer expires 10/31 and each code can only be used once per customer, but it’s good for the entire order not just one item.)

Okies Rock creates t-shirts and tank tops for ladies, men and even the kiddos-with a variety of sizes and colors. And, the t-shirts actually feel great on your body-they are super soft and super sexy (can I say that?).

So, who is behind this genius idea, you may ask? Oklahoma natives Adam Hernandez and Kacie Frazier (my good friend, Crossfit buddy and the amazing vocalist to our Sunday morning soiree’s) developed this idea and wanted to make hip, trendy and fun t-shirts and tanks with the cleverly designed “Okies Rock” logo.

If you are in the Tulsa area, join them for their “1st Annual OkiesRock Black Friday Birthday Bash” on November 23rd. Here are the details on that little party:

1st Annual Okies Rock Black Friday Birthday Bash
November 23rd, 2012 7:30pm-2:00am
Treehouse (18th and Boston, Tulsa)
* First 200 people will receive FREE special edition Okies Rock shirt
* Live music
* Tons of giveaways, no one will leave empty handed
* Okies Rock is buying your first beer!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Its up to you how many times you enter to win.
Winner will be chosen at random and contacted for winning shirt and size selection. Good luck!