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Picking for a Cause

Written on August 4, 2011 by Simply Heidi in Frugal is not the F Word, Where I live

One of the things that I love about living here in Oregon is the fantastic summer produce, all mine for the picking. This year we have filled our freezer with strawberries, raspberries, and marionberries (this, not this).
Last week, my family set out on an altruistic cherry picking adventure.

Sounds noble, doesn’t it?
Well, it is, though not necessarily noble of us.

Neighborhood Harvest is a non-profit organization that helps the hungry, farmers, and people like me that love fresh produce. They are the noble ones.

It works like this: Say a farmer is unable to harvest his crop – this happens sometimes due to weather, machinery malfunctions, impending sale of the property, or a myriad of other reasons – instead of letting the food go to waste, the farmer calls Neighborhood Harvest. They post the information to their website along with a call for pickers.

At the arranged time, pickers meet Neighborhood Harvest volunteers at the “harvest party”, receive their instructions and pick as much as they like. When it’s time to go home, the pickers give half of their yield to Neighborhood Harvest to be distributed to local food banks. The rest they keep, free of charge. It’s a really amazing program that benefits all parties.

It’s not just large farms or orchards that can donate, either. Even someone with a single overproducing fruit tree can call Neighborhood Harvest and donate their fruit.

Last year in our city, a whopping 28,406 pounds of fruit and vegetables were given to the needy. Though cool weather has delayed many harvests this year, 6,440 pounds have already been donated with more on the way.
Our family picked two buckets of Queen Anne cherries: one for us, one for the food bank. Of course, I love the free produce, but even more I love the feeling that an organization’s forethought, a farmer’s generosity and my labor all work together so someone hungry can eat.

I think it made our cherries all the sweeter.

Neighborhood Harvest seems to have several chapters in the Northwest. Do you have anything like it where you live?

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Coconut Oil Deodorant and Body Moisturizing Bar

Written on July 28, 2011 by Simply Heidi in Frugal is not the F Word, Natural Health and Beauty, Tricks and Tips

I haven’t used deodorant all summer. Want to hang out?
Actually, I’ve only been accused of smelling a bit funky one time, and I’ve asked my family plenty.
Wow, it’s hot today. Smell my pits!
That was hard work. I’m sweaty. Smell my pits!
So far, I’ve only gotten one P.U.. (Apparently homemade deodorant doesn’t work as well when you wear synthetic fabrics. Then again, conventional deodorants don’t work as well with those types of fabrics either.)
I’d seen several recipes online, but many used ingredients that I didn’t have lying around the house. I wasn’t motivated enough to spend my money on a bunch things that may or may not make a good product and that I had no other use for.
The recipes that seemed the most promising were mainly coconut oil. One day I was using my homemade coconut oil moisturizing bar and thought, what have I got to lose (except people wanting to stand close to me in elevators)? I rubbed some under my arms, and began my experiment.
Eureka (not to be confused with you-reek-a)! It works.
My pits don’t stink.
My skin is feels soft and lovely.
I didn’t have to buy anything new.
This might be my new best friend.
Want to make your own? Of course you do!
Here’s how:
Place your jar of coconut oil in a couple of inches of hot water to melt.

Pour some, say 1/2 a cup or so, into one of those thin plastic storage cups.

Add a few drops of essential oils. I like lavender and tea-tree, both for the scent and for the skin healing properties (great for freshly shaven underarms).

Allow to cool and solidify.

Pop it out of the container.

Rub on skin.
Ooh and ahh.
Put the bar down and rub oil into your skin (and underarms). Allow to absorb for a few moments before getting dressed.
Note: Coconut oil is liquid above 76°. Now, I know it’s summer. If you don’t have AC and your bar stays soft, you can either just scoop a small amount out to use, or keep your container in the fridge.

Now, who wants to stand next to me on the elevator?

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