One Ingredient Natural Laundry Detergent It’s no secret that store-bought laundry detergent contains ingredients that aren’t great for the environment and our bodies.  From sulfates to dioxanes to fragrances, conventional laundry detergents are sudsing up a toxic soup in your...

My Simple, Natural Homemade Mouthwash Anytime I can save money and make my daily routine greener and more natural, I do. That’s why I’m so excited to share the easy homemade mouthwash recipe I created. When I began my transition...

Easy Homemade Toothpaste Recipe Since I switched to a simpler, more natural lifestyle, I’ve replaced many personal hygiene products with natural and/or homemade alternatives. Homemade toothpaste was one of the first and the easiest natural hygiene products to replace. (See...

Natural Alternative to Dryer Sheets I don’t know if you’ve heard, but dryer sheets are kind of toxic. Yes, even the fragrance free kind. Of course, I know I can’t completely eliminate all possible toxins from my home. However, when...

Are Bath Bombs Safe? Like many moms, I enjoy relaxing in a lovely hot tub. I’m always looking for ways to make bath time a more beautiful experience. One of the most delightful ways to enhance bath time is by...

The Benefits of Earthing Let’s talk about the benefits of earthing. If you’ve never heard of earthing (or grounding as it’s also called) then grab a cup of coffee or tea and read on. Because of the benefits of earthing...

Is Coconut Oil Bad For You? Is coconut oil healthy? Recently the American Heart Association told us to avoid coconut oil because it contains saturated fat. Saturated fat increases “bad” cholesterol levels. However, I’m still buying and consuming coconut oil....

The No Poo Method Didn’t Work For Me It’s no secret that I like my personal care products to be as natural as possible. I use a natural deodorant, make my own body wash, toothpaste, and facial moisturizer. I try...

Natural Remedies for Cold and Flu Oh, ’tis the season, folks!  As we head into the depths of winter, our bodies face the task of fighting off cold and flu germs. The good news is, while our bodies are fighting...

How I Stopped my IBS Naturally My IBS began suddenly after the birth of my first child when I was 22 years old.  At my six-week postnatal check up, I talked with the doctor about my constant stomach upset.  She...

Homemade Moisturizing Body Wash Have you looked at the ingredients in your favorite body wash?  I have.  It’s not pretty. Check those ingredients on EWG.org. Then, throw that bottle of perfumey blech away. (Or, recycle it if you can!) Once...

DIY Facial Oil Recipes Have you peeked at the ingredients in your favorite facial moisturizer? Have you checked the safety of those ingredients on EWG.org? If you haven’t you should. When I saw the safety rating of my former favorite...

How to Prevent the Stomach Flu Naturally I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather have a respiratory virus (cold) than a stomach virus.  When I have a cold, I still function pretty well during the day.  As long...

5 Ways to Get Relief from Morning Sickness My morning sickness with my first pregnancy was fairly typical.  I walked around in a nauseous haze from 6 weeks until 13 weeks.  Then, except for a strong gag reflex that got...

How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies Naturally When I began my Real Food journey my kitchen was filled with fermented foods, lots of fruits and veggies, and, of course, a countertop compost pail. All of those things are a...

Five Must-Have Essential Oils for Fall I’ve been using essential oils daily to support my family’s physical and emotional wellness since the spring of 2014.  I am amazed all the time at what a difference they have made for us....

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tom’s of Maine for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine. My family’s journey into natural living actually began when I was a child. My mother was passionate about green...

Yesterday I received an Ecocentric Mom Box in the mail to review. I’ve been a fan of the Ecocentric Mom shop for a while. I love that they sell green, organic, natural products for baby, home, pregnant moms and the...

  How to Get Relief From PMS Did you know that almost 85% of women experience at least some symptoms of PMS? I’m one of those women and I bet you are, too. While some of us experience more severe...

This post brought to you by Scott Tube-Free. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Our Small Hours. You guys know that my family and I are all about the green life.  We believe we have a responsibility...

What is Your Why for Healthy Living? When I first began writing this article the words poured from me.  I could go on for a while about why healthy living is important to me. This article could easily end up being...

Life Without a Microwave Are Microwaves Safe to Use? We ditched our microwave five years ago and we’ve never looked back.  When we got rid of our microwave, we were convinced that it was a health-robbing appliance that should be avoided...

The Stork® OTC Conception Aid for Achieving Pregnancy at Home In an emotional moment several months into trying to conceive after my miscarriage I told my husband that simply couldn’t see myself going to the fertility doctor for help if...

Is Perfectionism Ruining Your Diet? Are you a perfectionist when it comes to your health and the foods you eat?  You might say, “No way.  My diet is NOT perfect!”  Well, neither is mine. That’s right.  I’m write about the...

Blossom Cup Review Recently I was given the opportunity to try a Blossom Cup.  I was hesitant at first because, well, I’ve never used a menstrual cup before and frankly, I thought of them as something used by my friends who...

How To Get Rid of Ants in Potted Plants It’s the beginning of fall and the ants are taking over.  We’re cutting grass less often (probably won’t need to cut it again until mid-Spring) and tending to the plants less...

How to Wake Up Easier in the Morning Waking is up hard to do.  But it doesn’t have to be. Have you heard that if you need an alarm clock to wake up in the morning you probably aren’t getting...

Conceive Plus Fertility Lubricant Trying to conceive is not always the simple process that we dream it will be.  When our romantic interludes with our partner don’t result in a positive home pregnancy test two weeks later, it’s easy to...

The Best Natural Deodorant Well, you know you’re a hippie when . . . Yes, I’ve crossed the last threshold into the world of natural living. However, I don’t fancy smelling badly. I’ve had my eyes water on more than one occasion...

Editor’s Note: I was compensated and provided with a Baiden Mitten to try in exchange for my honest review of this product. Baiden Mitten:  Ancient, Natural Remedy for Smooth Skin It’s that time of year!  The weather gets hot and for the...