Now that spring has arrived, it’s time to freshen up our winter-weathered homes. Unfortunately, the often-toxic ingredients found in most conventional cleaning products can be just as harmful as the dirt and germs they are meant to eliminate. The good news is that spring cleaning doesn’t have to be dirty work. You can avoid the toxins in most conventional cleaning products by making your own. White, distilled vinegar is great for disinfecting, degreasing and non-toxic cleaning. It’s also extremely economical and readily available. Note: The smell of vinegar does dissipate fairly quickly, but if the stench bothers you, try scenting it with fragrant essential oils.

What You’ll Need:

• Aura Cacia Essential Oils (we recommend lemon, peppermint, eucalyptus, tea tree)
• Sprouts Baking Soda
• Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap
• White distilled vinegar
• Clean distilled water
• Toilet brush
• Spray bottles
• Cotton cloths

Disinfecting Surface Cleaner

Wipe away grime with this gentle, yet effective surface cleaner. Mix equal parts vinegar and water to disinfect walls, doorknobs, crib rails, and so on. If desired, add 5–10 drops of essential oil, per 2 cups of mixture. Dampen a sponge mop or cloth with the mixture and get to work!

Mirrors and Windows

To give your windows and mirrors a smudge-free shine combine 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar and 2 cups of water. Add 12 drops of lemon essential oil for added fragrance. Pour the ingredients into a clean spray bottle and shake well. Spray on surface and wipe with a clean cloth.

Multipurpose Cleaner

From the stovetop to the countertop, keep your home clean, fresh and safe with this multipurpose “greener” cleaner. Take an empty spray bottle and combine 1 tablespoon of liquid Castile soap, 1/2 cup of white distilled vinegar and 1 1/2 cups of water. We recommend lemon, tea tree, eucalyptus or lavender essential oils to create a sweet and wholesome scent. Put the cap on and shake well.

Toilet Cleaners

For regular toilet seat wipe downs, straight vinegar will do the trick. For tougher jobs, combine 1/2 cup baking soda, 1 cup distilled white vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of tea tree essential oil in a spray bottle. Spray the bowl and allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes. Sprinkle baking soda inside the toilet. Then, scrub with a brush and flush.

Bath and Shower

The best way to prevent soap and scum from building up is to regularly spray the bath and shower walls with vinegar. For a deep cleaning, make your own soft soap cleaner with baking soda and Castile soap. Use the baking soda in place of scouring powder. Sprinkle it liberally on porcelain fixtures and rub with a wet rag. Add a little soap to the rag for more cleaning power.  

Nothing says “I love you” quite like a bouquet of freshly cut flowers. This Mother’s Day, why not take it a little step further and create these beautiful, DIY hand-painted mason jar vases that you know she’ll love. Better yet, if you’ve got little ones of your own, get them involved too! Mix and match multiple colors or simply choose the ones that go wonderfully with her favorite flowers. Either way, these do-it-yourself vases are easy to make, plus, Mom will know that they were painted with love.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Mason jars
• Chalk paint in your preferred colors
• Sandpaper
• White chalk
• Clear acrylic spray
• Paintbrush

Summer is in full swing and what better way to celebrate the season than with a DIY Ice Cream Float Bar? Kids will love the option of creating their own recipes and adults will enjoy the nostalgia of this diner delight. Keep cool with these tips on how to create the perfect ice cream float bar.While you can’t go wrong with traditional vanilla, mix things up by providing a variety of flavors like mint chocolate chip or strawberry. You can find a number of dairy-free ice creams that will satisfy any sweet tooth. Sneak in an extra serving of fruit by dicing up fruit popsicles as a colorful option. Save time by prepping your ice cream the night before, by pre-scooping and freezing on a cookie sheet. Keep your frozen treats cool by serving the containers on ice.

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The Drinks

Along with good old root beer, be sure to offer a variety of sodas for guests to mix and match flavors. To keep things even more interesting, add cold brew coffee, flavored seltzer water, sparkling lemonade and even kombucha to the mix. Be sure to display some adorable patterned straws for an added touch of color.

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The Toppings

To make your ice cream float bar extra special, you’ll need more than just a cherry on top! Fresh fruit, crushed graham crackers or marshmallows are just a few of our favorite toppings. Stop by our Bulk Department to pick up just enough dried fruits, chocolate or gummi bears to make your guests’ floats even more unique.

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The Pairings

Give guests inspiration by creating a chalkboard with different recipes for one-of-a-kind pairings. Don’t know where to start? Here are some recipes that we’re loving.

• Mint Mocha – 2 scoops mint chocolate chip, cold brew, chocolate sauce drizzle
• Strawberries & Cream – 2 scoops strawberry, 1 can cream soda, fresh strawberry garnish
• S’mores – 2 scoops chocolate, 1 can root beer, whipped topping, graham cracker crumbs and mini chocolate chips
• Strawberry Lemonade – 1 strawberry popsicle, sparkling lemonade, crushed mint leaves
• Blueberry Kombucha – 2 scoops vanilla, 1 blueberry kombucha, fresh blueberries

Give the gift of baking by attractively assembling all of the dry ingredients needed for cookies, breads or brownies in tall glass jars. Use pretty ribbons to tie on the recipe, along with a wooden spoon or cookie cutter for an extra special touch. Don’t forget to print out and attach the recipe cards to the jar mixes! Here are a few tasty suggestions to get you started.

Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups Coconut flour
• 2 tsp. Ground ginger
• 1 tsp. Ground cloves
• 1 tsp. Ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Ground allspice
• 1 tsp. Baking powder
• 1 cup Brown sugar
• 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup Solid coconut oil, melted
• 2 Eggs

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, melted coconut oil, brown sugar spices and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, fold in coconut flour.
3. Scoop cookie batter onto prepared baking sheet using a small ice cream scoop or 2 teaspoons. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until golden. Cool completely before removing from the pan.

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White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Softened butter
• 1 1/2 cups Brown sugar
• 3 tsp. Vanilla extract
• 1 Egg
• 1 1/2 cups Flour
• 1 tsp. Baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1 cup Dried cranberries
• 1 cup White chocolate morsels

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a medium pan with parchment paper.
2. Soak cranberries in bowl with hot water for 3 minutes. Drain water from cranberries.
3. Cream butter, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture with a wooden spoon or large rubber spatula. Carefully mix in cranberries and white chocolate morsels.
4. Press mixture evenly into pan and bake for 20 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes and enjoy!

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Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 cups Flour
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 tsp. Baking soda
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. Baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. Ground cloves
• 2 Eggs
• 1 cup Sprouts Canned Pumpkin
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1/2 cup Chocolate chips, optional

Instructions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, spices and baking powder. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin and water. Stir into dry ingredients until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips if desired.
2. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350°F for 55–65 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing.

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Peppermint Brownies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Sugar
• 2/3 cup Cocoa powder
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Crushed peppermint sticks
• 1 1/4 cups Flour
• 1 pinch of Salt
• 1 cup Butter
• 1/4 cup Boiling water
• 2 tsp. Vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper, allowing excess paper to overlap the edges.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and sugar; set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, add the cocoa powder and salt. Add the boiling water and stir with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is paste-like. Add sugar, vanilla and butter, mix using an electric mixer until smooth. Using a wooden spoon, slowly stir in the flour mixture, and mix until combined.
4. Spoon the brownie batter into the prepared baking dish, batter consistency will be thick. Smooth top with a rubber spatula. Bake for 35 minutes or until the brownies are cooked through. Cool in the pan or a wire rack for 1 hour.