Category Archives: Health/DIY

Home Remedies for Influenza and Recipe for Shower Fizzies

Posted on December 15, 2012 | Leave a comment

Forgive me for my brevity and tardiness this week.  I am writing this still in the throes of the flu.  Hopefully a couple more days and the fever will have subsided. In the meantime, thought I would provide you with a couple of the homemade remedies I’ve used and ask if you have any suggestions to add to the list!
365 day 48 - Recovering

  1. Chicken Soup with Real Bone Broth – Bone Broth is like the best thing ever to help heal a sick body (second to sleep – oh glorious, elusive SLEEP!).  Canned soup has nothing on all the minerals, proteins and healing agents that a pot of homemade chicken stock can offer.  For a great tutorial on how to make a good one, check out Kitchen Stewardship’s version here.
  2. Vapor Rub Salve – Little ones can’t have menthol or camphor in their chest rubs (ala Vick’s, etc.) plus I don’t like the petroleum jelly base or any of the other weird chemical ingredients that I can’t pronounce so I make my own.  I use the basic recipe for the Sleep Salve (another must-have item) that I shared here and just modify it by replacing those essential oils with Lavender, Rosemary and Eucalyptus instead.
  3. Therapeutic Shower Fizzies/ Bath Bombs – Surprisingly a lot easier to make than I had anticipated.  <>  These are awesome because you put them in the hot shower with you and the release their aroma while you steam.  Just make sure you kick it into the corner so it isn’t under direct water flow.  Added bonus: it cleans the shower floor without any effort from you! Continue reading →

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Posted in Health/DIY

Tagged bath bomb, influenza, shower fizz

Going Primal … with friends!

Posted on November 20, 2012 | 1 Comment

I have this passion for sustainable agriculture, whole foods, healthful living and stewardship and yet I am hopelessly addicted to processed foods like chips …

And sugar gets me, too.  I’m a little better after replacing the refined stuff with honey thanks to Katie’s awesome cookbook “Smart Sweets,” but potato chips are my Arch-Nemesis… followed closely by Tositos.  Mmmm…chips and salsa.

However, since I read  and , I am now convinced that these evil processed foods have me enslaved.  And “I am made for more than this,” as Lysa likes to say (repeatedly) in her book.

I have to shake the habit so that I can lose this extra weight and become the beautiful and strong woman God made me to be. Continue reading →

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Posted in Dairy-Free, Health/DIY

Tagged , , ,

EXTENDED Healthy Living eBook Bundle {5-day Sale}

Posted on October 29, 2012 | Leave a comment

For 5 days only, 27 prominent Healthy Living authors have joined together to bundle 34 of their most popular eBooks, valued at just over $300, for the incredibly low price of $29.

That’s only $0.87 per book to gain inspiration, encouragement, and the practical resources you need for your own healthy lifestyle. Plus, receive $49 of additional FREE Bonuses, and be entered to win one of 3 great prizes.

What’s Included in the Sale? Continue reading →

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Posted in Health/DIY

Tagged Healthy Living

Alternative Options for Disposable Necessities

Posted on October 4, 2012 | 2 Comments

TMI ALERT: This post is NOT for MEN or squeamish ladies.

laundry
Things have been hectic lately in my life and I have let a lot of my earth-friendly ways slide.  Now that we are getting comfortable in our new temporary home, though, I’ve decided to step up my use of reusable products and rely less on disposables.

A couple of weeks ago I talked about my favorite cloth diapers and today I’m going to talk about another alternative cloth product: the menstrual pad.  I know, I know.  Ewww.  Gross subject.  But it must be done!  Today I Googled “How to Wash Reusable Pad” and came up with almost NOTHING!  So obviously someone needs to write about it! Continue reading →

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Posted in Health/DIY

Tagged Diva Cup, Glad Rags, How to wash reusable pads, Reusable menstrual pads

{Free Printable} Organizing and Downsizing when Moving Cross Country

Posted on September 24, 2012 | 1 Comment

When we first moved into our farmhouse I was convinced that this was IT.  We would never move again.  This is where we were going to raise our children and retire.  And that was how we moved in and unpacked – like things weren’t ever going to go anywhere.  (As was previously discussed in The Dream and The Reality.)

So – wow – imagine my surprise when I had to sort through all that STUFF to move into an *apartment*!  Although I have personally moved over a dozen times in my life, I hadn’t lived in an apartment since I was single and in my twenties.  We have two children now and a LOT more stuff than those days!

So here was my process for organizing and decluttering to prepare for the move:

  1. List everything that is ESSENTIAL – cookware, financial records, daily living items (toys, school/office supplies, etc.) and even bedding/furniture.  This list was updated repeatedly as we progressed through the clean and purge phases below.
  2. Identify anything that is garbage or can be donated/gifted/sold.  Throw it out!  Or put it in a big old pile out of the way – like in the garage – and, if you have a lot of time and the inclination, package it up into cardboard boxes or plastic bags using some sort of organized system.  We just tossed everything in garbage bags labeled “Trash” or “Donate” during this stage.
  3. Get a bunch of plastic tubs for storage items.  It depends on the time of year where you can get these for the best price; Halloween and Christmastime Home Depot and Lowes seem to sell colored tubs at discounted prices.  Remember to number EVERY box even that though it may seem unnecessary at this time.  We label every side, including the top, of every storage bin and cardboard box just to make it super-easy to see. Continue reading →

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Posted in Health/DIY, Homemaking, Our Life

Tagged cross country, downsize, Free Printable, move, moving, relocation

{DIY} Labeling Homemade Salve Jars

Posted on September 20, 2012 | 4 Comments

As I’ve mentioned in the past, I love making my own baby products: diaper rash creams, salves and lotions.  I’ve shared with you where I get my recipes and ingredients, but now I thought I should share where I get the rest of my supplies! Continue reading →

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Posted in Free Printables, Health/DIY

Tagged DIY, Free Printable, Homemade Salve

DIY Diaper Rash Cream and Sleep Balm

Posted on August 30, 2012 | 5 Comments

I like making my own lotions and salves foremost because I think it’s fun, but also because I like cutting out all the extra preservatives and chemicals.  I like knowing what is touching my baby’s skin and I especially love knowing there are only three ingredients – all natural and sustainably sourced. Continue reading →

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Posted in Health/DIY

Tagged cloth diaper, DIY, Madeon Hard Lotion, rash cream, Sleep Balm

Independence Days

Posted on July 4, 2012 | Leave a comment
Project Motion - Flag in the Breeze

Image by Justin Grandfield

This year’s Independence Days Challenge is back on!  Woo Hoo!

Please join us in celebrating self-sufficiency by:

  • planting something,
  • harvesting something,
  • preserving something,
  • wasting not, 
  • wanting not, 
  • eating foods we’ve grown and
  • “skilling up.”

Read more on what this means at The Chatelaine’s Keys.

Here is a list of other things that I try to do to support our values and things you can do to support sustainable agriculture.

  • Shop local farmer’s markets
  • Find a local farm that delivers or become a member of a CSA
  • Eat organic or at least pesticide-free produce that is in season
  • Eliminate pre-packaged food products, including soda
  • Grow your own vegetables and herbs
  • Eat at home instead of dining out
  • Bring along healthy, homemade snacks rather than relying on fast food
  • Read labels
  • Research where your food comes from and do not buy foods from companies who do not support your values
  • Once a week try to prepare meals without using meat Continue reading →

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Posted in Farm, Health/DIY

Tagged eat local, farm, sustainable

Why Sustainable? Why local?

Posted on June 6, 2012 | 2 Comments

It bothers me that the hamburger that comes out of the drive-through window is from a cow that …

probably hadn’t seen a real field of grass since the day it was born – a cloned animal whose remains were washed in ammonia prior to being packaged by illegal immigrants enslaved by debt to giant corporations whose ex-employees now sit in high government positions like the FDA and EPA - agencies that don’t require the giant food corporations to identify to us, the consumers, that those animals were clones or that they were fed genetically modified fodder and a cocktail of antibiotics and growth hormones.

And, other than the issues of food safety (pesticides and pathogens) and inhumane treatment of farm animals and farm workers, there is the more overarching issue of HOW our food is produced.

In our industrialized and technology-driven world, farming has become a mechanized system that focuses solely on profit and not the health of the consumer or the planet.  In an effort to produce the largest amount of goods for the lowest cost and highest profit farming has been condensed to its most basic components to the exclusion of all else.

And any time the “machine” encounters a problem (like disease or death) technology (in the form of drugs, chemicals, etc.) is used to resolve the crisis (not the underlying issue).  There is no effort by the major corporations who control the US food supply to manage farming holistically to include the environmental and social impact of their actions.  This is where sustainability comes into play. Continue reading →

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Posted in Farm, Health/DIY

Tagged eat local, Food Inc, sustainable

In Defense of … Self-Defense: A Series on Safety for Moms

Posted on June 4, 2012 | 1 Comment

Swansea University Karate Club (6)
I know this isn’t a topic that we moms like to talk about.  I don’t want to talk about it really either.  However – after some serious prayer (really, Lord?  this topic?) – I think it’s something we should talk about.

First and foremost: It isn’t wrong to take care of ourselves.  Or our children.  It is necessary.  And it’s our job!

I want my children to grow up trusting that most people are good.  I want them to be cheerful, joyful, inquisitive and friendly children.   I want my kids to have the confidence to ask the librarian where to find a book and order their own meal.   I don’t want us to live scared, secluded lives.

Unfortunately, though, there are bad people out there.

We can’t be with our children every second of every day.  One day they will leave the nest, either at school or a playdate, and we need them to be aware, informed and confident about their boundaries, how they interact with strangers and how they behave in public and online. 

And that goes for us moms, too.  Many of us are at home alone with little ones for most of the day.  When we are out and about we are distracted by fussing babies, curious toddlers and wily preschoolers.  And distracted mommies are a target for predators.

Note that I say “target” and not “victim.”  My intent is not to be alarmist.  What I want to promote is awareness, education and confidence.

So, I am starting this multi-part series on Defense.

This series includes the following topics:

  • Stranger Danger

  • Personal Boundaries

  • Online Safety

  • Fire Safety

  • Police Officer Interview

  • Home Security Basics – Locks

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Posted in Health/DIY, Homemaking, In Defense Of

Tagged self defense, , stranger danger