Tag: natural

December 22, 2017

Tour a Stylish Victorian Decked Out With Natural Christmas Decorations

Tour a Stylish Victorian Decked Out With Natural Christmas Decorations | redleafstyle.com

When you walk up to my friend Cara’s 1912 Victorian home, you can’t help but feel the holiday cheer. She decked out the home for Christmas. The wicker chairs on her porch got dressed up for the holidays with bright, red stripey throw pillows. And a green table runner draped over the table in front of them proves that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get festive. A real evergreen wreath hangs on the door. But it isn’t the only greenery in sight. A galvanized metal bucket brims with sticks, holly berries, and evergreen and pine boughs clipped from her parents’ land and hauled back in her dad’s pickup truck. The door’s open but before you step inside, her sweet puppy Jude might come out to greet you. And then you’ll know you want to stay awhile. Vintage meets new Every year, the teeny town of Weston, Missouri, where Cara lives in her much-loved rental house, hosts a holiday candlelight homes tour. She decorated her house especially for the tour using vintage items, new finds and what she could forage in nature. Everywhere you look, her vintage-meets-new decorating style abounds. Like her collection of new...

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February 18, 2016

All-Natural Wood Scratch Remover

If your wood chairs, stools and end tables are anything like mine, they have their fair share of nicks, scratches and dings. Moving, pets and just everyday use take their toll. While I don’t mind—and even like—my furniture to look a little worn in and distressed, with certain pieces, especially bare wood, scratches are a bit unsightly. Luckily, you probably already have everything you need to touch up the scratches in your wood furniture in your kitchen cabinets. Here’s my recipe for an easy peasy all-natural wood scratch remover that you can make right now. I love making homemade cleaning supplies from natural ingredients. You don’t have to guess what’s in them. And, when you’re the one making them, you know that there’s nothing harmful for you, your pets or kids. Making your own homemade cleaners is also more budget-friendly. For this all-natural wood scratch remover, you need just two inexpensive ingredients: white vinegar and oil. While you can use whatever oil you like—olive, walnut or almond—canola oil is a great option because it’s super inexpensive. What you’ll need: – White vinegar – Oil (canola or olive oil) – Jar To make this all-natural wood scratch remover, simply combine...

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April 15, 2014

3 Tips For a More Natural Home (Plus, My Natural Living Journey)

I talk a lot about decorating here on Red Leaf Style. But there’s a whole different side of me that I haven’t really shared with you. Well, I’m really into everything natural. I eat organic food. I clean my whole home with baking soda, vinegar and lemons. I compost. I reuse. I recycle. I’m really into this whole natural and organic thing. I try not to take myself too seriously, but I do enjoy making natural living a part of my everyday life. Natural and organic. What do these mean? Let’s talk about these terms. Natural and organic are terms used to describe everything from food to cosmetic ingredients to fabric. I’d need more than this blog post to tell you about all of the differences. But in general, “natural” doesn’t really have any regulations behind it, but “organic” does. Organic means the food or ingredient has been grown without the use of chemical pesticides. How do you start living naturally? Most of us care about our health. Usually that starts with taking a hard look at what we eat. Maybe that leads to buying organic food or cutting out processed foods. An interest in organic food tends to...

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June 11, 2013

15 Ways to Clean With Baking Soda

Do you have a box of baking soda in your cupboard? Lucky you. You won’t ever need to spend money on chemical-filled cleaning products again. That humble little box holds the ingredient to clean, refresh and deodorize your entire home—and it’s completely natural. Conventional cleaning products on the market today expose us to a lot of scary ingredients, including toxins linked to asthma, allergies, cancer and a slew of other health issues. For a healthier home, use baking soda to clean, well, pretty much everything. Here are just fifteen uses. 1. Scrub stainless steel Once I discovered this easy method to clean my stainless steel sink, I’ve never used anything else. All I do is shake a layer of baking soda onto the bottom of the sink. Then, I turn on the faucet for about one second, or just long enough to make the baking soda slightly damp. The water and baking soda mix together to form a paste, which I scrub into the sink using a rag. Every time I do this, I’m amazed by the shiny transformation pulled off by just a little baking soda and water. You have to try it! 2. Absorb odors Plain ol’...

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