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Well, it’s here, the official peak of “flu season”... otherwise known as a perfect breeding ground in lifestyle and climate for germs. The CDC map shows that this week in the United States, only the District of Columbia is holding out from stopping the flu from being widespread (last week West Virginia was too). Of courses we can count Hawaii and the Virgin Islands where the sun wants to still shine - and two places I would gladly like to book a flight. Maybe that needs to be my “home away from home” remedy.
Alas, I think having actual home remedies on hand is more practical. And since living in a bubble (or Hawaii) isn’t an actual option during the high flu and cold times of year, why not use tools available to you to help you body create it’s own immunity bubble. 
Before modern medicine existed, people found support for ailments in nature. Modern medicine also uses nature, but often it is standardized and manipulated for measurability. I happen to believe that sometimes we manipulate it a little too much and then we lose sight of the resources God gave us. We also tend to fall for the “party line” when it comes to conventional products. I used to get the name brand peanut butter because that’s what I had growing up. Guess what?! The generic tastes great and has less sugar added. I also used to have advil in the home and grabbed two when i had a headache or cramps because that’s what I had always known. Then I gave myself an ulcer in my 20s when I was taking advil throughout the days at work. Huh. Hadn’t really known that was such an easy thing to do. I also used to give tylenol or ibuprophen at the first sign of a fever in my little ones. The most obvious downside was they would start bouncing around playing like normal- and the minute the medicine wore off the fever was back and they were back to being lethargic. When I kept this up, fevers could last for days and they often got congested in addition. These days we often can skip using OTC medicine to treat what I now know to be helpful responses of the body.
A headache and a fever are protective mechanisms of the body. They are communication tools. If we silence these, we prevent our body from getting the help it needs. Headaches can come from a variety of causes. And due to the cause, we may need to address it in different ways. If you have chronic headaches it could be really important to understand the cause so that you don’t over use over-the-counter interventions and cause liver and kidney damage. If tension in life is a cause of headaches, learning how to manage that tension in various ways could be the “cure.” If your headaches are caused by poor sleep health, then learning ways to get better sleep could provide long term support. My philosophy is that taking OTC medicine without addressing the root cause doesn’t do your health justice. And it ignores your body’s way of trying to communicate with you. A fever even is going one step further and not just communicating an infection and need in the body, it’s also the body’s way of treatingthat infection. The temperature makes the body less attractive to the infected cells and more attractive to immune cells. Remember in my last post about how I talked about the flu germs being transmitted in cooler situations better- same goes for the body. The germs multiplying can be minimized with ahotter internal temperature AND the immune system strengthens to also attack infected cells! When we want to intervene to help our health there are two philosophies that I try to adhere to in our family: 1. Avoid doing more harm. Know the risks and the benefits. 2. Be proactive instead of reactive. Natural options can accomplish both of these. We integrate them into our daily life to focus on keeping us healthy. When we take our vitamins and supplements regularly, eat a balanced diet with plenty of whole foods, have healthy sleep patterns and minimize the pollution in our homes and bodies, we give our body more opportunity to keep a strong immune system. If any of these get out of balance,our bodies have to work harder to pick up the slack and then can’t maintain energy in the immune system. For example, a tired body getting exposed to germs has less of a chance than a well rested one! A poorly nourished body doesn’t have the vitamins and minerals to help organs and body systems to function and it can also bring on illness. A FAVORITE KITCHEN STAPLE
It's that simple. And scientific.
It’s proven by science and our bodies.
I love it when I can find scientific support for my home remedies. Personally, I don’t really need it when I can feel and see the effects of using them. But it’s always confirming to know that we aren’t getting a placebo effect. Though, can I also just acknowledge that a placebo effect working is not really that big of an issue when IT WORKS! Wouldn’t you rather trick your brain and feel better than mask your symptoms and possibly hurt your internal organs. Just me? I mean, even my kids like a quick kiss to the bumped knee over any other form of treatment (IE. Placebo effect).
So back to the science. There have been a few peer reviewed studies over this simple berry either in syrup, capsule or gummy form throughout the years.One study had 60 participants between 18 and 54 years who, when they got the flu, took 15ml (one tablespoon) of Elderberry syrup 4 times a day for 5 days. Their symptoms cleared up 4 days earlier and with less “Rescue” meds than those who had the placebo. Another study of 312 economy class passengers traveling from Australia to an overseas looked at cold symptoms and durations. They took elderberry capsules 10 days prior to travel, during and after travel. There was a difference between the placebo and treatment group in how many colds were acquired, but it was not great enough for research significance (17 in elderberry, 21 in placebo). The greatest significance happened in the duration and intensity of symptoms. The ones taking the elderberry recovered in half the time as those taking placebo. In addition, they rated their symptoms at 50% less intensity. In other words, consuming elderberry made sure that people got over their colds faster and with less severity! Yes, please. When studies have been done in vitro (meaning in agar plates and not in humans or animals) results show elderberry liquid extract to decrease the activity and growth of bacteria and flu viruses! The conclusion of this study is that it’s worth better understanding of how to take elderberry and also exploring how combining elderberry liquid extract “with additional ingredients with the goal of increasing its effects might also be considered, just as it is possible that various natural ingredients could be used in combination with the extract for different kinds of therapeutic applications.” So guess what?!?! That's exactly what I do when I make my Elderberry Syrup!
When you buy elderberry syrup at the store, they will often have added preservatives and are sweetened with sugar. I have a problem with these sugar sources- that are often glucose syrup or other synthetic forms. These are not natural and aren’t processed by the body in the same way as whole foods. They can also be harmful to the body and cause the liver to have to work to remove toxins. In addition, they are often from GMO corn sources. Making your own elderberry syrup eliminates this altered sugar form. It also only includes whole foods. Simple DIY Elderberry recipes often include elderberries, Cinnamon sticks, fresh ginger, honey, cloves, water and simmering. I prefer making anything I do have magical superpowers with minimal extra work so I here’s why I use what I use!
Raw honey:
Raw honey is first of all, a whole food. It’s easy to digest and break down the natural sugars. It’s also GREAT for the immune system. Raw and unfiltered honey and has a high antioxidant level and is known to be antibacterial and antimicrobial. Honey helps your brain, your immune system and the digestive system. When you are consuming a local honey, you’re also consuming local pollen and helping your body build immunity to allergens and reduce seasonal allergies. Also, little known fact- it’s helpful for getting to sleep at night! So taking the elderberry syrup right before bed maximizes it’s time in your system, and can help you sleep better on top of all it’s doing for your body.I LOVE the farm where we get our honey from. I have talked to the bee keepers and learned more about their practices. I trust them and also use their beeswax for all my DIYs!
Essential Oils:
In our home we use Young Living essential oils as supplements. We consume them internally as well as using them topically in lotions and in our aromatic diffusers. I have found that adding essential oils to my elderberry syrup can make the flavor amazing and it can also support our immune system. There are a few complementary choices when adding essential oils including Thieves Vitality, Cinnamon Vitality, Lemon Vitality and more. Two of our favorites are Clove Vitality and Orange Vitality. Clove Vitality essential oil can promote a healthy immune response and support general wellness. Orange Vitality has antioxident properties and cleanses the digestive system. All of these are amazing additions to elderberry- because we often are using it to help our immune system and our digestive system. Using Elderberry Syrup in a lot of ways
Home Remedies for everyone
Hopefully Elderberry syrup can be one of your go to remedies this season and in years to come. If you would like my recipe and tips for making it, along with 10 other home remedies and techniques, text “Home Remedies” to 412-748-0406. It's not hard to make and I'd personally love to help you learn how to!
I love teaching about this topic in person and virtually so always feel free to reach out with any questions. Let’s all arm ourselves with tools that help us to feel empowered and ready to take on this seasons germs. It’s amazing as a mom to no longer have that helpless sinking stomach feeling that doesn’t come from getting the flu but from watching one of your kids come down sick. You can do more. Science and I both know so! Plus, with a superpowered elderberry-wolfberry-essential oil-honey infused hot toddy in hand you can do anything. Cheers to our health!
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In an effort to review non-biased research, I got the book “Healing Intelligence of Essential Oils” (2011). In it, Kurt Schnaubelt (a leading scientist and author who is not affiliated with Young Living) discusses how the essential oil industry, much like other consumer industries, can be driven by trying to reach a desired price point for consumers. "An ocean of processed oils lies between the seeker and a comparatively minute quantity of truest authentic oils." So the question is how can authenticity be proven and does it influence the effectiveness of an oil if it is not authentic? The number one way to know if an oil is authentic is to know it's source. Where is it grown? How is it grown? Which vendor sells it? How do they distill it? Take a look at these videos to get some insight into the process choices.
Did you notice how Young Living’s oils were processed in a clean environment? Did you also notice that the other brand of essential oils were distilled in mud and then stored in old plastic containers?? Gross! The Young Living promise of authenticity also means that these oils are organic, pesticide-free, and chemical-free. They’ve been cared for from Seed to Seal. In addition to poor distillation techniques, adulteration can influence the activity of the essential oil. Adulteration is when an oil has been altered, either through the low quality distillation method, the addition of another element or a less expensive essential oil. For example, Lavandin is a form of Lavender that is not as hard to source, grow or distill. It also doesn’t have the same properties as Lavender but it does have a similar smell. Most “lavender scented” products you will buy will be made with Lavandin or even a completely fabricated fragrance. It won't have the health benefits of Lavender. It is possible to add these low molecular components to an oil by using half of the actual oil along with the other less expensive substances. This results in crowding out the pure components and reducing their presence in the final bottles of oil. The oil still has some of the same elements, although it isn't easily detected as changed. It's not as if they added alcohol (though that can happen too!), but they industrially tweaked the balance in the oil to make it "cheaper" for consumers, using the lower quality components to bulk up the oil. I view it as buying Velveeta. Is it cheese? Or isn't it? They used to market it as cheese and they still call it a "cheese product." It can melt and make things "cheesy" and I am sure some of the same ingredients in Velveeta are found in cheese too. And sure, you get a lot of bang for your buck when they add all the cheap fillers into that big brick. When they made Velveeta they aimed to make imitation cheese which was cheaper and they wanted it to go farther in a day and age when food was less affordable and less available. The issue is, Velveeta may look like and smell like cheese to an unaware person (or a small kid who doesn’t know any better). And yes, it's sold in the cheese section of the store. But I am going out on a limb here to let you know... It's not cheese. People aren't getting anything health benefits from it. It's not fueling their bodies well. In fact, it’s actually causing their bodies to work harder! All of the processed elements in it cause your body to have to do a lot of extra work to digest this substance and attempt to find some nutrition in it! Velveeta is not just milk and cultures (you know- the healthy parts of cheese!). Likewise, an essential oil can look and smell like it's plant source. It can still be a "plant product" and not providing the same level of effects as unadulterated, organically sourced oils. "Most importantly, the complex effect- the properties emerging at the level of the whole organism expressing the characteristic qualities of a specific species- are woefully absent from doctored oils" (Schnaubelt, 2011). A little while back I sniffed oils at a local health food store and couldn't believe how odd they smelled- certainly not as pure or real as the ones I have. It’s almost off-putting how gross they smell. (Once you’ve had delicious sharp aged New York cheddar gracing your cracker, Velveeta just won't do.) If you have used these types of oils, you may think “they don’t work.” Well I agree- they don’t. They can’t have the same ability as an oil that has been sourced from a healthy, organic seed and then farmed and distilled with the least invasive and most effective process! Some people may settle for imitation health sources. But I'll be over here savoring the best of the best while getting the best results. Join me on a journey to authentic (*delicious*) health! And if you want to stay in touch and get to know my friends and I more, here is our Facebook group where we announce classes and learn more!  I have mentioned that I am an art therapist/teacher and that I love all things clay. I teach pottery as often as possible and do my own work when I can get to the studio. Working with your hands can be calming, centering and focusing. We do a lot of tactile play at home too. Just the other morning my three year old beat me downstairs and had already gotten out the Citrus Fresh scented Aroma Dough we had made! She loves it. I keep the Stress Away scented kind in my purse to hand to her when she needs something to squeeze and be entertained with in different places! (think shopping carts while waiting in checkout lines!) Play dough can also be integrated into learning for preschoolers- make snake letters or shapes out of it, or draw or write in it. Discuss and sculpt body parts and faces too. Working in different modalities solidifies and encourages learning. Tactile play and homemade play dough got kicked up a notch when essential oils found their way into it! Making homemade playdough is relatively easy and if you do the kind where you cook it on the stove it lasts so long! Here is the recipe that I use and that lots of other sites claim to love too: Play Dough Recipe: 1 cup white flour 1/2 cup salt 2 tablespoon cream of tartar (find it in the spice section) 1 tablespoon oil 1 cup water food coloring Mix first 4 ingredients in a pan. Add water and mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3 – 5 minutes. Dough will become difficult to stir and form a “clump”. Remove from stove and knead for 5 minutes–add food coloring if so desired during kneading process. Play dough will keep for a long time stored in a covered plastic container or plastic sandwich bag. I took this write up from another site. You’ll see on her site she suggests adding cinnamon to the dough for a multi-sensory experience.  I couldn’t resist going one step further and I split the dough four ways and added four different colors and four different scents to it. When we had a playdate each of the kids got to each enjoy different scents and trade and share and decide which was their favorite! Some oils that worked well in the Play Dough and can translate to smooth and calm play time:
Stress Away, Citrus Fresh (in the old kit), R.C. (in the new kit), Thieves, Lavender, Peppermint and Purification. You can use different scents at different times depending on the effect you are looking for! Peppermint would be a great one for during homework breaks to boost alertness! And Stress Away is great for mommies and kids during those homework breaks! For more fun activities like these that are kid friendly follow me on Instagram or Join my Facebook group! Winter is here. Wah Wahhh. Time for cold fingers and toes, figuring out how to exercise the dog, taking 30 minutes extra to suit up the kids only to walk to the car and suit down to buckle up. I am trying to embrace it, trying to see the dusting of snow that covered the yard this week as gorgeous. Trying to laugh at my daughter touching every snowy surface the other morning with her gloved finger and then licking her finger. And trying to know that following every snowy and cold winter there is a glorious and green spring. I am trying. And I am mentally escaping… I mean coping. In doing this I like to think about growing and life and green. Lately I can pretend I am growing. My mom recently got me a pre-winter, birthday gift of a sun lamp. It helps me to feel like a plant- absorbing all the sun needed to become full and green. It is really nice to sit at my desk and feel bright and warm. The lamp is called a Sun Box and it certainly is as bright as the sun. The goal is that it can provide light therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder. There is research on the positive effects of using properly made sun lamps. “Researchers have two main theories on why light therapy works. One is that it affects the biological clock in the brain. There’s some evidence that depression, like jet lag, occurs when the biological clock is out of sync, and light helps to correct that, Lam said. SAD isn’t something I have diagnostically struggled with- though my opening introduction to winter may cause you to think otherwise! However, I can say that our house gets very little direct sunlight in the areas where I tend to hang out and that can be a little sad to me. I remember designing a dream house in an introductory Computer Aided Design class in college. Budget and reality weren’t an issue and modesty was apparently not on my mind, because the whole thing was made of windows. I like natural light. I do often want to bathe in it. Now I can. My goal is to integrate the Sun light into my morning yoga routine (that routine I have done for three mornings in a row- yes, that makes it a routine!). In addition to feeling like a plant, I am also growing a plant. Last birthday I asked for a citrus tree for my gift. It came, about 2 feet tall and green. I am not blessed with a green thumb. But it is a goal of mine to paint it green somehow. And this fall I almost jumped up and down and called everyone I knew when that tree finally had blossoms. Seriously. The blossoms smelled great all fall and they were really pretty. I have gifted the plant with one of the few windows of the house that gets sun. It is happy. And it has fruit on it! So now I can patiently wait and hope that some of those teeny tiny clementine’s will become delicious. And that I don’t freeze off my green thumb. Seriously I want to build some planters and try growing a little garden this spring. I pray I maintain this glimmer of an ability and the Clementine doesn’t go the way of the Money Tree, Rubber Plant, Wandering Jew and all the other lovely green housemates I have neglected over the years.
Smelling the sweet citrusy buds on my clementine got me feeling creative and desirous of smelling that scent more often. But I didn’t want to stop at tangerine, I needed to smell like all the citrus. That feels like it should be a hastag: (#allthecitrus). Maybe it could be the name of this delicious body butter. I also thought Citrus Grove was fitting. I have made a few different kinds of body butters. In perusing recipes to determine what helps make it wonderful, I like the ones with the least possible steps (no emulsifying needed), basic ingredients and pure scents. There are a few basic butters out there that I have tried but by far Mango butter has become my favorite. It is soft to the touch once whipped, non-greasy and doesn’t have any smell. Shea is good in that it’s soft and not too greasy (though I think it’s slightly more buttery than mango which is a little more powdery soft) but I can’t stand the smell of it and it doesn’t allow the essential oils in the recipe to come through purely. When I make a homemade lotion, I like to use a food scale to measure my ingredients- mainly because some of them are in large chunks and figuring out how to make that work with measuring cups makes my math brain hurt. This recipe is all in ratios- that way I can make different amounts in the future based on the amount of ingredients that I have on hand. I prefer non-technical recipes. And my goal is to empower people to realize that you can play around a little. This isn’t baking, your body butter won’t “fall” if you have too much coconut oil in it. It may be a little oilier but you can balance that out by adding more shea or mango butters And it’s not that big of a deal breaker. I promise. Just try it, have fun and feel moisturized and fresh, like a Citrus Grove in California. A bucket list place I’d like to go: California in January.   Citrus Grove Body Butter Ingredients and the Ratio amount for Body Butter Four : Mango Butter. I get it Here. One: Coconut Oil. The only question is how much you want to stock up on. One: Shea Butter. I get it Here. One Tenth: Beeswax. I got mine in bricks from a local beekeeper. One Tenth: Sweet Almond Oil I get it Here. 18-36 drops of Essential Oils These are the ones I use. How to use the Ratios: If you have 4 ounces of Mango Butter(one fourth of the bag that I get), use 1-ounce Coconut Oil, 1-ounce Shea Butter, .10-ounce beeswax and .10-ounce Sweet Almond Oil. This will give you about one cup of body butter- since whipping it will add volume. Process: Melt the Beeswax in a DIY double boiler: AKA a Jar in a pot of water on Low. (if in a chunk, break this up while it’s melting to speed process) When melted, Add Mango Butter, Coconut Oil and Shea Butter. If you don’t have Shea, you can just add a little more mango or even cocoa or other butter- honestly it may not even be all that needed to have that extra bit. You can also add these in smaller chunks if possible so that they melt quicker. Stir as able to get them melting and mixed in. When it's mostly liquid- it’s ok if there are little bits of butter chunks. Take glass container out of the pot and pour liquid into a mixing bowl. You can place this in the fridge and check on it. You want it to start to get thicker. I will check on it and start to whip it with an electric beater. I don’t use anything fancy. I am not fancy. After this mixture cools, you can add your essential oils. With Citrus oils sometimes you need to add extra for lasting scent. I added about 3-6 of each of these oils: Stress Away, Lime, Orange, Tangerine, Lemon and Grapefruit. There is no exact science in adding essential oils. Citrus essential oils are distilled from the rind and have a more subtle scent when added to lotions. But you can use what you have and the best part is you can try it out while you’re working to see if it is scented to your preference and add more as you go along. Citrus oils can cause some sun sensitivity- of course in the winter months this is not so big of an issue but they are best to avoid where the sun is shining the rest of the year! I am using these oils to embrace their emotional influence. I call them “happy oils” as they all have properties that enhance positive feelings. If you’re looking to support the condition of your skin, here are some other options: Lavender, German and Roman Chamomile, Geranium, Ylang Ylang, Elemi and Frankincense. Make sure to whip this into a stiff consistency. If it’s not doing that just keep refrigerating and then taking it out and whipping it more. It also stiffens when it sits. I accidentally over refrigerated one batch but just sort of let it warm under a light and then whipped it. Whipping adds air to it and allows you to be able to get a good scoop of it when you're ready to use it. In making my own lotions and lip balms I’ve noticed that the longer they “Cure” the stronger the scent will get. The viscous oils seem to absorb the essential oils more. Also DIY lotions can take a little longer to absorb into the skin and some people find them oily. I feel like this body butter is the right balance of moisturizing and oily and a little bit can go a long way. It is also always good to give your skin a little time to absorb the lotion before putting on clothes- depending on how harsh winter has been on it! My feet can use this slathered on like butter on a fresh baked roll. I say slather away and become one with the citrus grove.  May we all be able to mentally escape the winter as needed. And may I learn to love licking snow.
For now I will be sitting in the "sun" sending positive thoughts to my tree while slathered up with Citrus Body Butter. Making healthy food into something fun is one creative trick for eating and feeding your kids well. Who wants to be sitting around eating bunny food all the time? Though, don’t get me wrong, I will gladly share a fresh salad with the back yard bunnies if they’d like. With healthy eating, comes recipe hunting. While looking for family and kid friendly snacks I read about an ingredient called gelatin. I proceeded to experiment with in many times in the past few years. It is a “superfood”- as classified by a lot of healthy foodies. WebMD has great things to say about it: “Gelatin is used for weight loss and for treating osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and brittle bones (osteoporosis). Some people also use it for strengthening bones, joints, and fingernails. Gelatin is also used for improving hair quality and to shorten recovery after exercise and sports-related injury.”  I have personally enjoyed stronger nails and less hip ache (Thanks, Pregnancy!) from consuming Gelatin regularly – two welcomed benefits! As with any food you aren’t used to consuming, try a little at a time as you system needs to adjust (even to healthy foods!). Here’s the thing though, if you eat Jell-o, you are consuming this. In addition to a whole lotta blech: artificial dyes, sweeteners, sugars, fake flavoring... Just say Jell-NO!! It may be cheap but it’s only cheapening your health. (You can quote me on that one!) With this little canister, you can make your own jello. You can even make it fruit filled in a giant mold ala the church picnics of my childhood. No matter what you make this into, it can give you a great health boost and your kids (or hubby) won't even know! For healthy jello with our without fruit follow this Recipe from Wellness Mama: http://wellnessmama.com/3803/healthy-jello/ I used frozen blueberries and a can of no sugar added cherries when I made it the first time and it was delicious! Jello is a good way to ease into the Gelatin world but Gummies- AKA Jigglers- is another way to make a finger food snack (And to replace gummy fruit snacks since our dentist say to skip them for the kiddos – even the 100% fruit ones - they are so chewy that they get stuck to the teeth! It’s a good thing our kids don’t do grocery shopping and are pretty flexible about snacking ‘cause we used to have them on a daily basis!) I have made a lot of experimental batches of gummies in the past few years but wanted to share some of the fall themed ones I have done lately! Creamy {Can't get enough} Coffee Gummies: Do you like to start your day with coffee? Me too. Next time, make an extra cup so you can whip up a batch of these creamy coffee gummies for a mid-day snack. Or meal. Yes, sometimes these have to do when life is busy. They make a great breakfast or lunch when needed! Grown up finger food. Want to REALLY make these a grown up finger food? Add a shot of your favorite liquor to the creamer- and then make sure to NOT eat them for breakfast! I do generally brew low caff or decaf coffee so a spiked version makes a great after dinner dessert!  Apple Cider {Probiotic} Gummies My next foray into fall flavors was using Mock Cider. (You can use real cider too so if at some point the following explanation is too much for you, skip it and just go right to the recipe!) I have been fermenting Water Kefir. It's great. You can make all different flavors and recently I second fermented it with a sliced up Macintosh Apple a stick of Cinnamon and a few slices of ginger. It was delicious and tasted much like Apple Cider but less intense and with fizz (aka probiotics). Water Kefir is a natural source of probiotics and is a great alternative to Soda! It's also super easy to make! Learn more here. I warned you that might get a little odd there for a second but if you just want to use Apple Cider, you could always empty a probiotic capsule into the final mixture to make these just as healthy AND delicious! Adding the Thieves oil makes these immune boosting gummies! That's a Super, Super, Super food opportunity right there! These didn't last long as the kids kept sneaking them out of the bowl! Hence only pictures of us holding them before consuming!  Boo-berry Bat Gummies It's Halloween and it's not my favorite holiday. I can not seem to maintain a cool composure with the great influx of candy that arrives on our doorstep Halloween night! So I plan on having a bunch of these little guys on hand! They are festive, delicious and the kids loved them. I was even trying to take pictures and a little hand reached up and tried to swipe some more (hence the blur)! The great thing about the silicone mold craze that exists is that instead of making candy you can make GUMMIES! My creative brain is spinning in preparation for Christmas too! I may need to clear out a cabinet just for fun molds!
 Have you realized how many possibilities there are for gummies yet? I hope your creative brain is clicking! Here is a little gallery of all the steps laid out so you know what things could look like! Of course I don't take fancy pictures just so you can feel better about life. Real life isn't always shiny and perfect. Like that time when you went to fill a mold and poured gummie mixture all over the counter. It happens. And it still tastes great! What flavors do you want to make gummies with this fall?! To learn my year round recipes follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook Group!
People. Listen. This is really important. Especially in the heat of the summer. This is my PSA for the month: Deodorant is awful. Have you heard? It has aluminum in it. Really. A-LU-MI-NUM. The stuff that we used to put on houses but decided it wasn’t good enough for them anymore. If houses shouldn’t wear it, neither should you. End of story. Well, not really. The whole story goes like this: There are multiple sketchy things in your deodorant. Aluminum is only one and it is linked to cancer growth and Altzheimer’s. Other ingredients include Phthalates which are known endocrine disruptors that cause hormone Imbalance; Formaldehyde, which we like to embalm things with so they don’t grow fungus. Ugh. It’s also known as a carcinogen. Double Ugh. There are Parabens which have been directly linked to breast cancer and which disrupt hormones. One last winner ingredient is propylene glycol which is also called antifreeze. Hold up. I thought the whole point of deodorant was anti-heat. Confusing and disgusting. None of these sounds like something I want to keep smearing on my pits- that skin right above my lymph nodes Lymphnodes are small and important tools for our bodies.
So a few months ago, I just stopped wearing deodorant every day. Do the math- it was the winter and it wasn’t quite so vital. I was fed up with that fact that I was smearing soda cans all over my lymphnodes, and the ick-o stink-o of fake smells… There is nothing appealing to me about being around someone who smells “baby fresh” in their thirties- or teens for that matter. What is that?! Why do grown women who are obviously hormonal enough to have stinky sweat want to smell like baby powdered bums? No thanks. Who knows though, maybe I'm the only one who feels this way. When I stopped wearing deodorant, I didn’t really replace it with anything. I know, I know- how rude! But you love me and you really don’t want me to wear toxic chemicals, you’d rather me just declare ripeness as needed. Right? Right? (My sister is not allowed to answer that.) To be fair, I wasn’t around many people during the heat of the day other than my kids. They never complained. My hubby may have implied a thing or two once or twice. But he loves me too and knows my thoughts about chemicals. Lucky for him I went searching for solutions before summer struck!  As I was searching other options, I learned more about essential oils and too the plunge and ordered a starter kit from an organization that knew their stuff. I figured these little sweet smelling oils could translate into making me sweet smelling. Or at least I had hope. I first cleaned out an old tube of deodorant and made a beeswax, coconut oil base mix with Stress Away and Tea Tree. I love the way this smells. Stress Away is mostly Lime and Vanilla with a hint of spiciness and it made sense to decrease stress when I am sweating! I didn’t use any recipes with baking soda in them as I had heard a lot of people complain that it was irritating. I hoped that the coconut oils’ antibacterial properties would be sufficient for combating ripeness and the oils would freshen me up. I knew that since I didn’t grind up any soup cans I wasn’t going to fully combat perspiration. But did you know perspiration is your bodies way of detoxing? (More about that later. Don’t skip ahead yet, leave it for suspense). The solid deodorant stick I made was basically a lotion bar. It didn’t really keep me Super Fresh. It was more like Sorta Fresh- and was okay in the spring. I had to re-use it a few times a day and that was way too much habit change for me- nothing to all is hard for me. But it was still a valid, traditional option.
 Wait! Freeze! Before you run and get those ingredients, or ask Amazon or Vitacost to do it for you, you may want a little more information about detoxing your pits. I recently came across a blog post about how when you switch to a natural deodorant you can get some sore spots, more stink, more sweat or more sting. I didn’t experience much of this problem since I had gone rouge and just quit deodorant. But you may have more success with the whole process if you start here: Detox the Pits.
Regardless of which way you start. Just start. Please – for the love of the lymph nodes! (And life without stink!) So, ya’ll know I love me some essential oils, right? (They aren’t right up there with my family, clay, dark chocolate or curling up and devouring a good book, but they are close.) The thing I love about them is that they are inspiring. They’re these little bottles of delicious smelling goodness that can also work magic in different ways! I love being able to find wellness in oils, but I also love being able to create wellness. This week I finally got motivated and got to work making some oily wellness. In the form of bars: lotion bars for everything!. But crazy enough, the bars mutated into lotion sticks and then into lip lotion sticks. It wasn’t even a lot of work or . I have been looking up recipes for making lotion bars on various websites (such as this and this) as I need to replace chemically filled hand lotions and find something fabulous to help with dry ceramic hands and coming winter scratchy hands- not to mention supporting all my body systems proactively.! So, way back when I decided I needed to make lotion bars and I looked up recipes and gathered my ingredients, my first thought was, If I am getting all these materials and going to all this trouble, I am going to want this to be purposeful. I want these lotion bars to not all be for the SAME purpose. 'What, lotion has a purpose beyond making my skin all soft and lovely?' You Say. Well, when it contains essential oils it does. It can provide all forms of goodness. Good Skin. Good Muscles. Good Feelings. Good Immune Support. Hi, my name is Megan and I am a multi-tasking addict. But I am unashamed to say Lotion Bar Making Multi-tasking was the name of the game this week. So after pursuing the recipes, I went with:
This made about 3.5 cups of liquid once I melted it down in a double burner- well, not a double boiler, really. It was a large Pyrex Measuring Cup sitting in a sauce pan of water sitting on a burner on medium setting. I don’t own a double boiler. This worked out perfectly though. The spout on the measuring cup poured the melted lotion out easier and with less mess. I used a silicon 6-cup cupcake pan, poured about ¼ cup of lotion into each cup, added somewhere between 10 and 15 drops of EOs to each cup and stirred them up with a plastic knife. I was able to make each one a different “Flavor” and give them each a different purpose.  Here are the combos I went with. They all target a different body system and their aroma benefits differ too (noted in parenthesis). If you don't already have some helpful reference materials, but want to know more about each oils' properties, get one. These oils are dynamic! WORKOUT BAR that WORKS IN: Wintergreen- supports skeletal system (Stimulates/increases sensory awareness):4 drops PanAway- targets muscular system: 4 drops Copaiba- support whole body: 3 drops SUPER HAPPY SKIN and MIND: Lavender (Calming, Relaxing and Balancing): 7 drops Elemi (Grounding): 4 drops MANLY and SENSIBLE: Valor (Balance and Self-esteem): 6 drops Cyress (Soothing, Helps life Flow Better): 4 drops Idaho Blue Spruce (Balancing): 4 drops IMMUNITY BOOST: Thieves- supports healthy immune system: 10 drops CRAVINGS CRUSHED: Grapefruit (refreshing and uplifting): 7 drops Ocotea (Increase feelings of fullness): 3 drops DON’T MESS WITH ME OUTSIDE: Purification- Citronella is predominant oil in this blend: 10 drops
 I have since kept these in the fridge as coconut oil and summer don’t result in solid bars- and the coolness of the Super Happy (Lavender) Skin and Mind Bar felt great after a long day in the sun! I was thinking that in the future I might add more beeswax or skip the liquid oil in the warm months but on the other hand, I like the moisture of the coconut oil… sooooo. The point is- these are great no matter what. They are adaptable to different ratios and you can feel free to play around and not worry about it being exact(my kind of making)! And you could even pour them right into little 4oz jars so it doesn’t matter if they get softer. I was out of these cute little jars- ‘cause other oily concoctions have filled them! I love doing different replacements for other products – it makes my oils pay for themselves and it ensures that I know all the ingredients and where they came from- in this case- all 5 ingredients! Doesn’t get much simpler than that!  And I got to add a BONUS step! Since I hadn't added oils directly to the whole concoction AND I had extra melted oil (if it hardens, just put the cup back in the pot of water and melt it back down), I got to make lotion sticks and lip balm!! YEA FOR MORE MULTITASKING! I added Stress Away (10 drops) and Lime (5 drops) to the left over mix and filled some empty mini deodorant style stick containers. THEN I added 3 drops Peppermint to the rest of the mix and filled these adorable clear lip balm containers. The containers had been hanging around in my oily supply cabinet for a while so I am sure they were glad to now have a designated purpose! With my left over mixture, I just poured it into little cupcake cups- it didn't melt through so I may have to do that again in the future. SO MANY CHOICES! I hope you feel empowered to try a little DIY and make your own lotion bars. What are your favorite simple oily DIY projects?
We are dog people. We will always be dog people. Though, for a while there, I was worried we would loose our standing after not owning a dog for over a year! How did we survive? Mainly by being in the middle of showing our house, selling it, packing it up and moving and unpacking it all with two small human destruct-o-bots running around. So, there was a nice little fur-free respite in there. BUT there was also a four-legged hole in our family portrait. This winter we took the plunge, worked with an AMAZING rescue organization and found our new furry family member: Ketch (as in Catch the ball but pronounced like you're from the 'burgh and are obsessed with all things Ketch-up!) He is the dog we didn't know we needed and he is, putting it mildly, amazing. We count our blessings as he is the snuggliest, kindest, calmest black lab pup we have ever met. But in spite of his awesomeness, he has definitely reintroduced (dog) stink to the house. And we had just got new carpets after moving in last summer, so that's not too thrilling! In an effort to retain a clean but not complicated house, I figured out the easiest, cheapest way to make carpet freshener. Baking Soda is easy to find and really affordable. But by itself it is odorless and kinda boring and not super effective! I am no fan of all the chemicals and fake scents in carpet fresheners you buy at the store. I also never felt like they worked all that well. But this recipe, works and makes the carpet smell fresh for a while! AND you save money not buying junk from the grocery store! WIN-WIN-WIN! And I am not talking save a buck. I am talking for 32 ounces of a popular name brand carpet freshener you pay between 2 - 4 dollars to sprinkle icky stuff on your floor and into your air. To make the same amount out of the listed ingredients, you pay approximately 1$ for 32 oz of generic baking soda and approximately .35 to 70 cents for oils, depending on which scent combo and how many drops you like! Lemongrass is my personal favorite and it's also the most frugal. You can make 32 oz of NATURAL carpet fresh for around 1.60. Seriously. (and please forgive my estimations, math is not my skill set. I tried, I really did. It just wasn't happening down to the penny. It's all about creativity around here, remember! Plus, it's even less if you're getting the amazing prices on the oils through the starter kit (more about that here).) Once I am done sprinkling the mix on the carpet, I put the jar with a piece of cheesecloth over the top into the coat/shoe closet to hang out with stinky people shoes and the carpet freshener becomes air freshener. THEN, after you have let the freshener sit on the carpet for an hour or a day (whatevs), vacuum it up. (I procrastinate on vacuuming) You're also freshening up your vacuum by sucking up all that good smelling baking soda and dispersing the clean smell through the vacuum! See: Creative Cleaning! Its nice to have a healthy option to make the carpet smell better, 'cause we are trying really hard to keep Ketch off the couch! I don't always stay strong as he does think he's a lap dog and I sometimes think I need a lap dog! Do you have any good "clean up after Fido" tricks or Creative Cleaning? 
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CreatorI am an eat, play, work at home Mom- a part time new-mom's support facilitator- full time dreamer of clay- an all the time thinker- a trained art therapist- and a home biz empower-er who never has enough minutes in the day, clay in my hands or ideas in my brain to create all the things! Also: I am mildly invested in our families health using nature's tools! Just kidding. That's my passion and message for others: Your life is essential. Take back your health! Follow on Instagram:
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