Laundry.....

I've started using Soap Nuts instead of regular laundry detergent for some of our laundry.  They work great for normal laundry (like mine and my daughter's) but not so good for heavily soiled laundry - like my husband's.

He refers to them as "monkey nuts" and prefers that I don't use them to wash his clothes.  :)  It makes me laugh because, well.....enough said.  LOL

So I found a recipe for homemade laundry detergent and have been using that for his clothes.  Here's the recipe:

• 1 cup of grated bar soap (any soap you like - we use all the scraps or half used bars laying around the house)
• 1/2 cup of super washing soda
• 1/2 cup of Borax

Mix these all together in a bowl and keep them in a little canister in your laundry room.

     For a lightly soiled load - start the water in your washer and sprinkle in 1 tablespoon of the mixture so it has time to dissolve before putting the clothes in.  For a heavily soiled load - use 2 tablespoons of the mixture.

This mixture works great and cleans our clothes nicely and leaves a faint scent of whatever soap you used in the mixture.

Soap Nuts are more allergen free.  Actually, I don't think you can get more natural than these nuts for washing your clothes.  You can order them online through various retailers.  Just google "Soap Nuts".  I have used the brand "Eco Nuts" (pictured above) They typically come in a box with a little cloth bag.  You take 4-5 soap nuts out of the box and put them in the little cloth bag and throw the bag in the washer with your clothes.  That's it.

When you pull your clothes out of the washer - pull the little soap nuts bag out and throw it in your next load in the washer.  Occasionally, I have forgotten to retrieve the little bag before putting the load in the dryer and consequently the nuts went through a dryer cycle.  Doesn't hurt them one bit.  Just pull em out and throw them in the washer with the next load.  They are very forgiving.

You change out the soap nuts after about 10 washes - they start getting really brittle and shrived up.  Put the used up nuts in your compost or garbage and put in 4-5 new soap nuts in the bag and you are ready to go!

The outside layer of the soap nuts is a natural surfactant so it works just like soap, you just wont see any suds (which you really don't want in your washing machine anyway).  I personally think they do a great job of cleaning - they just don't leave a fragrance behind.  So your clothes smell like...you guessed it.....clothes! Just not dirty clothes.

If you're used to your clothes smelling like a flower garden after laundering - using soap nuts may take some getting used to.  If you can't live without your clothes smelling like some kind of fragrance, you might try the recipe I listed earlier for making the homemade laundry detergent.

I've read several accounts where people have switched to using soap nuts with great results because they are allergic to the fragrances and other ingredients in the laundry detergents you find at your local grocery.  My daughter has sensitive skin so I do like using these to launder her clothes.  I also like to use them on my clothes too - especially anything delicate.  We've been using the soap nuts for at least a year with good results.  I've been using the homemade laundry detergent for a few months - also with good results.

Hope these tips are helpful to you and your family!

"Non Toxic" Care of my skin - a work in progress

I read about the oil cleansing method a while back and gave it a try.  A few days after I came across a post from someone else who tried it and had broken out severely and it took her 3 months or so to get her face cleared up. YIKES!  I promptly decided not to pursue this method further.

UPDATE (5/13/2013):  One of my fave blogs posted a great list of TIPS on using the Oil Cleansing Method if you are thinking of giving it a try - one of her tips was not to use olive oil or coconut oil.

A friend told me she loved the Pumpkin Compexion Soap that I gave her for a gift one year and has been using it on her face ever since and LOVES it.  Her face looks great so I decided to give it a try too.

Its been a few months, and I love using this soap.  Its easy to use, it takes my makeup off easily, my face feels nice and clean afterwards.  My face does feel a bit tight and dry after it dries so I do need to follow it up with a moisturizer....

What should I use?

I started with organic virgin coconut oil as a moisturizer, as well as a lotion for all over my body.  It worked ok.  My skin definitely "drank" it up promptly, but it was difficult to figure out that balance of applying too much or too little.  Too little - would make my skin itchy and dry, too much - I would be a big greasy ball and leave grease marks on anything I touched.  :/

I ordered some samples of Body Butta from Bubble and Bee to try instead of the straight coconut oil.  I loved the smell of the Rasberry Vanilla and the Coconut Lime.  Wonderful!  They both did an excellent job of moisturizing all day with one application.  Not to mention, I smell divine!

I also tried their sample of Organic Face Cream.  It was better than using coconut oil, but it is very thick and it takes a while to spread on your face - you have to let the heat of your body warm it up a bit so it melts some and then it spreads around much better.  I still felt like I needed more moisturizing than what this product offered.

A few months ago, I had found a moisturizing cream, the Healthy Glow Facial Hydrator, in my local ULTA Beauty store from a line called Belli.  This line is geared towards pregnant moms who are concerned about chemicals in their beauty products.  You can read more here.

I initially tried it when I bought it months ago, but at that point, I was still trying to move towards using the simplest products on my body.  (Products that had one or two ingredients, basically trying to use products that weren't full of preservatives, additives, no matter how natural they were touted to be - just trying to keep it simple)  I remember liking the smell of the Belli lotion, but I remember that I was also battling some minor acne at the time too, thinking that this lotion was just exasperating the problem....and so I put it aside.

Anyway, I pulled it back out about a week ago and started using it again for a moisturizer.  Its smells great, reminds me of orange popsicles....Its a very light cream that doesn't leave my face feeling oily.  It soaks in quickly and has worked great these past few days.  No feeling of tight or dry skin.  And I haven't had any breakouts either....yet.  I hope I don't.  I really like this lotion.

So what's in my cabinet now for skin care?

Pumpkin Complexion Soap - to cleanse my face
Coconut oil - to remove that pesky waterproof mascara
Belli Healthy Glow Facial Hydrator - for moisturizing my face
Bubble and Bee Body Butta Rasperrry Vanilla - for moisturizing all over

UPDATE: (5/13/2013)  I recently had a facial at my favorite spa and they just started carrying a new line of skin care called Naturopathica.  Their products are very simply made and use essential oils and other natural ingredients.  I was very impressed with how my skin felt and looked after my facial with these products.  I have been using the products for about 2 months now and my skin looks great and feels great too.  The products that I am using are:

• Aloe Cleansing Gel
• Lavender Protective Moisturizer SPF 17
• White Tea Antioxidant Mask

Baby/Child Toothpaste

I've been on the hunt for a less toxic version of baby/child toothpaste for my daughter.  We started out using the standard Baby Orajel (with the Elmo on it) that you can get in the local grocery store.  I wasn't really happy with it - since it was loaded with all sorts of parabens.

In my search I came across the brand Jack N' Jill.  I read some great reviews online about the toothpaste from several moms and decided to give it a try.

I soon found out that the company is based in Australia - wow.  However, they did ship to the USA, but shipping wasn't cheap.  After much debating, I decided to order 3 different flavors to make the shipping worth it.  I was pleasantly surprised and my daughter loves the toothpaste so much that she comes running to the bathroom when I tell her its time to brush our teeth!

I also love that the toothpaste uses certified organic flavorings - and they taste GREAT!  We ordered the strawberry (pictured above), banana and blueberry.  We've just finished the strawberry and started using the banana, and it is amazing how yummy each flavor has been.  No wonder my daughter loves brushing her teeth.  I'm looking forward to trying the blueberry flavor along with her in the future.

I also love that you can start using this toothpaste with babies that are 6 months old and it is safe to swallow.  Overall a great product and cute packaging too!

Natural Deodorant Update

Back in November last year, I made the switch to homemade deodorant.  Its worked pretty well for me.  There was an adjustment period that I went through since it is deodorant and not anti-perspirant.....It took a while to get used to having wet armpits now and then.  And if I would have a particularly stressful day, I would begin to get a little "stinky" about the time I was on my way home from work, ugh.

Surprisingly, its only been 11 months since I started using homemade deodorant and I've only had to make 2 batches of the stuff - it really lasts a long time!

My husband tried it a few times, but it didn't seem to be strong enough for him - he was stinky by afternoon.  I did play with the ratios of the ingredients on the second batch thinking I could make it more potent, but it didn't seem to work as well.  I cut back on the amount of coconut oil in it too, but I don't think that helped much either.

A few months back i found a website, Bubble & Bee Organics, that makes a non-toxic deodorant.  Looking at the ingredients list, its almost the same.  I had purchased a stick of it for my husband to try, since I was having trouble concocting a homemade deodorant that would work for him.

He tried it, but wasn't impressed.  So, it sat on his dresser for a few more months.  

And a week ago, I saw it and got curious (nevermind, that I was getting low on my homemade deodorant and was brainstorming new ratios to try on the next batch)

So I used it.  It had a very bright lemony smell, which I didn't mind.  

It worked pretty good!  Actually, it worked better than my version!  Ha!

I think I'm over trying to figure out the correct ratios - Bubble and Bee apparently have it right.  I've been converted.  I've been using this ever since.

UPDATE (5/10/2013) - Still using this wonderful Super Pit Putty from Bubble & Bee Organics.  I recently discovered that after applying the deodorant to my underarms, if I would rub the product into the skin and make sure it got smeared all over my armpit equally that completely stopped my random "stinky" moments.  Since making the switch to natural deodorant, I find that I don't sweat nearly as much as I used to when I first started (unless I just went for a 5 mile run, obviously) if I even sweat at all.  My hubby is still using conventional deodorant, but I have just found a new concoction to try on him.  Its a mixture of grain alcohol and Tea Tree Essential Oils sprayed on your pits.  It came recommended by another guy.  Stay tuned for the results!  :)

Wait a minute, what side are you on Monsanto?

Monsanto, a biotechnology company has contributed over $4.2 million dollars to try to defeat the upcoming vote on Labeling GMO foods in California (Proposition 37).

But according to the advertisement below, they are in support of labeling GMOs in the United Kingdom.

Uh, what ?

Here's the advertisement, taken from Monsanto's own website in the UK:

Monsanto's Advertisement

Baby Wipes

I recently came across a list of natural/non-toxic baby wipes that a young mom had put together and posted. It was such a plethora of great information, I thought I'd share.  She lists several different brands of baby wipes,  attributes AND how to purchase/find in stores.

A wealth of info for mommies, all in one convenient place!

Here's the link: click here

Just FYI we use the California Organics brand - and are very happy with them.  My only gripe with them is that HEB runs out of them on occasion and they are not flush-able.  Other than that, they are great!  And they make great makeup remover cloths too!

Support Proposition 37 - Don't give away the right to know what's in your food

YAY for Coconut Oil

A few weeks ago, I got asked why we use coconut oil (virgin), since it has such a "bad for you" reputation.
I had been reading about its benefits for a while now, in various articles and blogs that I have come across.

We use it for some things, but not a WHOLE lot.  I've actually been trying to incorporate it into our diet more.

We use it in our homemade deodorant and pan frying food.

I've read you can use it as a deep conditioning treatment for your hair, haven't tried it yet.

Also read you can use it as a replacement for vegetable shortening - and tried it a few weeks ago with my chocolate chip cookies - my husband remarked that they were the best I had ever made.  I have to say, they were pretty yummy.  I was pleased with how the coconut oil substituted for the shortening very easily.  I dont use shortening very often - only for a few baked goods that traditionally make during the holidays.  So I am looking forward to trying this new substitution for my Christmas sugar cookies!

so the Hype is that Coconut Oil is a saturated fat and we all have heard that those and trans fats are the ones that you need to stay away from.

But Here's the scoop on why its really good for you!  :)

This Cooking Oil is a Powerful Virus-Destroyer and Antibiotic…

link to article:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/22/coconut-oil-and-saturated-fats-can-make-you-healthy.aspx

You've no doubt noticed that for about the last 60 years the majority of health care officials and the media have been telling you saturated fats are bad for your health and lead to a host of negative consequences, like elevated cholesterol, obesity, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.

Meanwhile during this same 60 years the American levels of heart disease, obesity, elevated serum cholesterol and Alzheimer's have skyrocketed compared to our ancestors, and even compared to modern-day primitive societies using saturated fat as a dietary staple.

Did you know that multiple studies on Pacific Island populations who get 30-60% of their total caloric intact from fully saturated coconut oil have all shown nearly non-existent rates of cardiovascular disease?^[1]

Clearly, a lot of confusion and contradictory evidence exists on the subject of saturated fats, even among health care professionals.

But I'm going to tell you something that public health officials and the media aren't telling you.

The fact is, all saturated fats are not created equal.

The operative word here is "created", because some saturated fats occur naturally, while other fats are artificially manipulated into a saturated state through the man-made process called hydrogenation.

Hydrogenation manipulates vegetable and seed oils by adding hydrogen atoms while heating the oil, producing a rancid, thickened oil that really only benefits processed food shelf life and corporate profits.

The medical and scientific communities are now fairly united in the opinion that hydrogenated vegetable and seed oils should be avoided.

These unsaturated fats, artificially manipulated into saturated fats, are also called trans fats, and no doubt you've heard about them lately. Some cities and states have now outlawed their use. There is no controversy anymore regarding the health dangers of these artificially saturated fats.

And guess what?

These are the same damaged trans fats that have been touted as "healthy" and "heart-friendly" for the last 60 years by the vegetable and seed oil interests!

But the truth finally came out. Trans fat was rebuked, debunked, and revealed as the true enemy to good health that it has always been, regardless of what the seed- and vegetable oil shills told the American public for the last half century.

Unfortunately, this rightful vilification of hydrogenated saturated fats has created a lot of confusion regarding naturally occurring saturated fats, including coconut oil.

If one form of saturated fat is bad for you, the argument goes, then all saturated fat must be bad.

Right?

Nothing could be further from the truth!

The Truth about Coconut Oil

The truth about coconut oil is obvious to anyone who has studied the health of those who live in traditional tropical cultures, where coconut has been a nutritious diet staple for thousands of years.

Back in the 1930's, a dentist named Dr. Weston Price traveled throughout the South Pacific, examining traditional diets and their effect on dental and overall health. He found that those eating diets high in coconut products were healthy and trim, despite the high fat concentration in their diet, and that heart disease was virtually non-existent.

Similarly, in 1981, researchers studied populations of two Polynesian atolls. Coconut was the chief source of caloric energy in both groups. The results, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,^[2] demonstrated that both populations exhibited positive vascular health.

In fact, no evidence exists that the naturally occurring high saturated fat intake had any kind of harmful effect in these populations!

That's not what you expected, is it? Based on 60 years of negative public policy towards naturally occurring saturated fats, you would expect these cultures to be rife with clogged arteries, obesity and heart disease.

It may be surprising for you to realize that the naturally occurring saturated fat in coconut oil actually has some amazing health benefits, such as:

• Promoting your heart health^[3]
• Promoting weight loss, when needed^[4]
• Supporting your immune system health^[5]
• Supporting a healthy metabolism^[6]
• Providing you with an immediate energy source^[7]
• Keeping your skin healthy and youthful looking
• Supporting the proper functioning of your thyroid gland^[8]

But how is this possible?

Does coconut oil have some secret ingredients not found in other saturated fats?

The answer is a resounding "yes".

Coconut Oil's Secret Ingredient

50 percent of the fat content in coconut oil is a fat rarely found in nature called lauric acid. If you're a frequent reader of my newsletter you already know that I consider lauric acid a "miracle" ingredient because of its unique health promoting properties.

Your body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoa properties.^[9]

Monolaurin is a monoglyceride which can actually destroy lipid coated viruses such as:

• HIV, herpes
• Measles
• Influenza virus
• Various pathogenic bacteria
• Protozoa such as giardia lamblia.

Lauric acid is a powerful virus and gram-negative bacteria destroyer, and coconut oil contains the most lauric acid of any substance on earth!

Capric acid, another coconut fatty acid present in smaller amounts, has also been added to the list of coconut's antimicrobial components.

This is one of the key reasons you should consider consuming coconut oil, because there aren't many sources of monolaurin in our diet. But the health benefits of coconut oil don't stop there.

The Benefits of Medium-Chain Fatty Acids

Coconut oil is about 2/3 medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs. These types of fatty acids produce a whole host of health benefits.

Coconut oil is nature's richest source of these healthy MCFAs.

By contrast, most common vegetable or seed oils are comprised of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs), also known as long-chain triglycerides or LCTs.

Let me tell you why these long-chain fatty acids are not as healthy for you as the MCFAs found in coconut oil^[10] :

• LCFAs are difficult for your body to break down -- they require special enzymes for digestion.
• LCFAs put more strain on your pancreas, liver and your entire digestive system.
• LCFAs are predominantly stored in your body as fat.
• LCFAs can be deposited within your arteries in lipid forms such as cholesterol.
• In contrast to LFCAs, the MCFAs found in coconut oil have many health benefits, including the following beneficial qualities:
• MCFAs are smaller. They permeate cell membranes easily, and do not require special enzymes to be utilized effectively by your body.
• MCFAs are easily digested, thus putting less strain on your digestive system.
• MCFAs are sent directly to your liver, where they are immediately converted into energy rather than being stored as fat.
• MCFAs actually help stimulate your body's metabolism, leading to weight loss.

Coconut Oil Helps Fight Diabetes

 Your body sends medium-chain fatty acids directly to your liver to use as energy. This makes coconut oil a powerful source of instant energy to your body, a function usually served in the diet by simple carbohydrates.

But although coconut oil and simple carbohydrates share the ability to deliver quick energy to your body, they differ in one crucial respect.

Coconut oil does not produce an insulin spike in your bloodstream. You read that correctly, Coconut oil acts on your body like a carbohydrate, without any of the debilitating insulin-related effects associated with long-term high carbohydrate consumption!

Diabetics and those with pre-diabetes conditions (an exploding health epidemic in America), should immediately realize the benefit of a fast acting energy source that doesn't produce an insulin spike in your body. In fact, coconut oil added to the diets of diabetics and pre-diabetics has actually been shown to help stabilize weight gain, which can dramatically decrease your likelihood of getting adult onset type-2 Diabetes.^[11]

Cococut Oil, the Friend to Athletes and Dieters

If you live in the United States, you have an almost 70 percent chance of being overweight.

And, by now, I'm sure you're well aware that obesity affects your quality of life and is linked to many health concerns.

One of the best benefits of coconut oil lies in its ability to help stimulate your metabolism.

Back in the 1940s, farmers found out about this effect by accident when they tried using inexpensive coconut oil to fatten their livestock.

It didn't work!

Instead, coconut oil made the animals lean, active and hungry.

However, many animal and human research studies have demonstrated that replacing LCFAs with MCFAs results in both decreased body weight and reduced fat deposition.

In fact, the ability of MCFAs to be easily digested, to help stimulate the metabolism and be turned into energy has entered the sports arena. Several studies have now shown that MCFAs can enhance physical or athletic performance.^[12]

Additionally, research has demonstrated that, due to its metabolic effect, coconut oil increases the activity of the thyroid. And you've probably heard that a sluggish thyroid is one reason why some people are unable to lose weight, no matter what they do.

Besides weight loss, there are other advantages to boosting your metabolic rate. Your healing process accelerates. Cell regeneration increases to replace old cells, and your immune system functions better overall.

Coconut Oil on Your Skin

Besides the mounting medical and scientific evidence that coconut oil has powerful positive health benefits when eaten, it has also been used for decades by professional massage therapists to knead away tight stressed muscles.

However, you don't have to be a professional massage therapist to gain the skin and tissue support benefits of coconut oil. Just use coconut oil as you would any lotion.

Coconut oil is actually ideal for skin care. It helps protect your skin from the aging effects of free radicals, and can help improve the appearance of skin with its anti-aging benefits.

In fact, physiologist and biochemist Ray Peat, Ph.D. considers coconut oil an antioxidant[13] , due to its stability and resistance to oxidation and free radical formation. Plus, he believes it reduces our need for the antioxidant protection of vitamin E.

Like Dr. Peat, many experts believe coconut oil may help restore more youthful-looking skin. When coconut oil is absorbed into your skin and connective tissues, it helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by helping to keep your connective tissues strong and supple, and aids in exfoliating the outer layer of dead skin cells, making your skin smoother.

Coconut Oil and Your Heart

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S. And heart disease is often a silent killer. The first sign of cardiovascular disease is commonly a heart attack, and sadly, over one third of heart attacks are fatal.

And despite the propaganda, the truth is this: it is UNSATURATED fats that are primarily involved in heart disease, not the naturally occurring saturated fats, as you have been led to believe.[14]

Plus, the polyunsaturated fats in vegetable and seed oils encourage the formation of blood clots by increasing platelet stickiness. Coconut oil helps to promote normal platelet function.

Coconut Oil in Your Kitchen

I only use two oils in my food preparation.

The first, extra-virgin olive oil, is a better monounsaturated fat that works great as a salad dressing.

However, it should not be used for cooking. Due to its chemical structure, heat makes it susceptible to oxidative damage.

And polyunsaturated fats, which include common vegetable oils such as corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola, are absolutely the worst oils to use in cooking. These omega-6 oils are highly susceptible to heat damage because of their double bonds.

I strongly urge you to throw out those omega-6 vegetable oils in your cabinets.

Why?

Reason # 1: Most people believe that frying creates trans-fat
. That is not the major problem, in my opinion. Although some are created, they are relatively minor. There are FAR more toxic chemicals produced by frying omega-6 oils than trans-fat.

Frying destroys the antioxidants in oil and as a result oxidizes the oil. This causes cross-linking, cyclization, double-bond shifts, fragmentation and polymerization of oils that cause far more damage than trans-fat.

Reason # 2: Most of the vegetable oils are GMO. This would include over 90 percent of the soy, corn and canola oils.

Reason # 3: Vegetable oils contribute to the overabundance of damaged omega-6 fats in your diet, which creates an imbalance in the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3. As you know from my extensive writing on this subject, I believe that excessive consumption of damaged omega-6 fats contributes to many health concerns.

They are all highly processed and consumed in amounts that are about 100 times more than our ancestors did a century ago. This causes them to distort the sensitive omega-6/omega-3 ratio which controls many delicate biochemical pathways which results in accelerating many chronic degenerative diseases.

There is only one oil that is stable enough to resist mild heat-induced damage, while it also helps you promote heart health and even supports weight loss and thyroid function -- coconut oil.

So, whenever you need an oil to cook with, use coconut oil instead of butter, olive oil, vegetable oil, margarine, or any other type of oil called for in recipes. Even though I don't fully recommend frying foods, if you must fry, by all means use coconut oil -- it's your smartest choice.

Coconut Oil Safety

The medium-chain fats in coconut oil are considered so nutritious that they are used in baby formulas, in hospitals to feed the critically ill, those on tube feeding, and those with digestive problems. Coconut oil has even been used successfully by doctors in treating aluminum poisoning.^[15]

Coconut oil is exceptionally helpful for pregnant women, nursing moms, the elderly, those concerned about digestive health, athletes (even weekend warriors), and those of you who just want to enhance your overall health.

Uh, oh...EVOO?

I posted this weekend about starting to use the Oil Cleansing Method to clean my face.

That evening, I came across some not so bueno comments on another blog that said this method made them breakout with very painful acne that has taken them a couple months to clear up.

Yikes!

So, I have only used this method once to clean my face and frankly, I'm a little afraid of trying it again. I'm thinking I can deal with my tight, flaky skin after using soap much easier than painful acne.......

In case you want to read more, the comments I found were on a post on Crunchy Betty's blog about EVOO and how sometimes the labeling is fraudulent....Which I must say is a MUST read if you use EVOO. I learned alot and there is a link on the post on where you can check to see if the EVOO that you currently use really is what it is labeled as......crazy huh?

Here's the link:

http://www.crunchybetty.com/when-your-extra-virgin-olive-oil-isnt-so-wholesome

Oil Cleansing Method

I've been reading a lot lately about the Oil Cleansing Method on some of my favorite blogs (Sortofcrunchy and Crunchy Betty). It's a method to clean your face with oil instead of soap. The idea is that "like dissolves like".....as in dirty facial oil is dissolved by cleansing oil and leaves your skin moisturized, instead of dry, like soap can.

I've been using natural, organic soap on my face now since about July last year and on the whole, its worked pretty well for me - I've always had oily skin...however, the last month or two I've noticed that my skin is a bit tight and itchy and sometimes flaky after it dries from washing my face.
So I decided to try this new method to see if it really works or just makes an oil slick of my face. :)

Here's the recipe I am using, in case you want to try too.

Oily skin: Use 2/3 castor oil to 1/3 carrier oil. (Or measure out 2 tsp castor oil and 1 tsp carrier oil.) For the carrier oil i used EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) You can find castor oil at your local health food store, I found mine at Sprouts Farmers Market.

1. Take a bit of the oil mixture and rub it on your face - no need to take your makeup off prior to - it should take that off for you too. Rub it around - using upward strokes and let it soak in a bit.

2. Take a very warm, wet washcloth and lay it on your face a bit to open your pores, then slowly wipe all the oil off your face with the cloth.

That's it.

I was pleasantly surprised that my face didn't feel oily afterwards. It didn't feel tight and itchy afterwards either. Ladies and gentlemen, we may have a winner! :)

Mascara Update

So, my last update on mascara was pretty hopeful. I was using the Coastal Classic Creations mascara - $25 a bottle. not too cost effective. Using the mascara brush from one of my favorite maybelline brands helped alot but the mascara just didn't perform very well long-term for me.

I happened across an "organic" mascara at my local HEB grocery store made by Physician's Formula. I figured I'd give it a shot, and at $8 a bottle that was much more reasonable and it was easily accessible and didn't have to be purchased and shipped over the internet.

so fast forward a month or so. I've been using the Organic Wear mascara and its pretty good.

it still is not as good as my old toxic mascaras, but its good enough that i can live with it. it plumps my lashes up pretty good. its not waterproof, but is easy to take off in the evenings with whatever soap i wash my face with - so i don't have to have a separate cleaning solution. I'm all about simplicity :)

and the price is right!

Is going organic really worth the extra $$$$ ?

When I look at my grocery bill these days - sometimes I wonder..

BUT, I just came across this article on www.babycenter.com and it was good information:

I copied and pasted it below:

Is organic produce really worth the price difference?
That's up to you. A 2003 University of Washington study found that children who ate a diet of organic food had a level of pesticides in their bodies that was six times lower than children who ate a diet of conventionally produced food.

Many studies also show that organic fruits and vegetables are more nutritious — containing more vitamin C and antioxidants, which may help prevent heart disease, than non-organic fruits and vegetables. A 2003 study at the University of California at Davis, for example, found that organic fruit has up to 58 percent more antioxidants than non-organic fruit.

If you have the outdoor space, you might consider growing some of your own organic fruits and vegetables. Gardening is also a great way to teach your toddler about nutrition. Look for organic growers at your local farmer's market, farm stand, or food cooperative. Most grocery stores now have organic produce sections, as well.

if you'd like to read more, here's the link to the article:

http://www.babycenter.com/0_pesticides-in-your-toddlers-food-what-you-need-to-know_5054.bc?scid=mbtw_post13m_1w:1270&pe=MlV4ekFJT3wyMDExMTIwMQ..

Oh, the changes a baby brings! :)

I think the first of the changes I implemented was for Ruthie's diet when she began to eat solids.  Some of my friends, with babies, had talked about saving money by making their own baby food for their kiddos and the thought had crossed my mind to try it but I thought it probably would be more trouble than it was worth. Well, one of those friends let me borrow a book called, Top 100 Baby Purees by Annabel Karmel.  (Thank You Katie!) And I thought, "Hey what the heck, I'll try one of these."  IT WAS WAY EASY.  Ridiculously easy.  steam the food, puree, put in a freezer tray, pop out of tray next morning and put in big Ziploc and keep in freezer till needed.  EASY.  and when you fix the food - grab a cube out of freezer - put in microwave for 20 sec and "Wha-La!"  instant baby food.  this was highly empowering to me - and it felt great  to know we were saving some serious money by doing this.  It was also great to know EXACTLY what i was feeding my baby and allowed me to go a step further by choosing organic fruits and vegetables to make her baby food with.

At this point i was really not concerned at all with what me and papa were eating (whether it was organic, natural, etc) or not.  Its all about Miss Ruthie at this point.

So my obsession with Ruthie eating organic began with fruits and vegetables, and as we added more new foods to her diet, I tried to find organic versions of those to feed her as well.  So at this point in time, Ruthie has eaten most of her solid diet from organic food.  probably 85-90%.  why not 100%?  well, some things are REALLY hard to come by in organic.  Like meat - and when you do come across it - ground beef for $7.99/lb.....its really difficult to fit that into our budget right now.  BUT I did find an alternative for that and that was the prepackaged baby food brand of SPROUT that started showing up on our HEB's shelves.  All organic and Ruthie loves all the different varieties.  And we've introduced her to alot of flavors this way of things we don't even normally eat - so hopefully she won't be as picky of eaters as we are.  ;)

At some point, I did wonder about the formula that she was consuming - (Kirkland's Signature from Costco) and what was in it.  But after doing some research and visiting several different grocery stores LOOKING for an organic alternative - I really didn't find much and what I did find would have been too expensive to change to.  So I decided to just "stick it out" on the formula and when the time came to transition to cow's milk - Ruthie would be drinking organic milk.  And so, that's where we are now.  Ruthie has been drinking a glass of organic cow's milk everyday for the past few days.  And after she's been doing that for a couple weeks we will slowly begin to wean her from the formula.

She loves yogurt so we feed her alot of the YO BABYorganic  yogurt made by Stonyfield Farms.  Its made from whole milk also.  And its some pretty darn tasty stuff - I can understand why she loves it!  :)  We've found organic versions of most of the Gerber snacks on the shelves, like yogurt bites and puffs and they all taste good and Ruthie likes them all just fine.

And because she is beginning to eat a little of what we are eating now, we are (ever so slowly) transitioning some of the foods we eat into organic versions.  For example, eggs.  We eat scrambled eggs on Saturday mornings - especially lately and Ruthie likes them a lot.  and they give her an opportunity to feed herself so we let her go wild with them.  We have found that the organic eggs taste better to us as well.  So, its a little more expensive for the organic eggs, but we feel we are making up for it in taste and a healthier value for our  bodies.  :)  We've also tried some organic pasta - pretty good - can't really tell a difference in taste.  Slowly, we are adding more and more items to our pantry shelves that are organic.  Now sometimes, there's just not any organic options out there - and in those cases, we buy what we always have in the past.  But we are always on the lookout for an organic option.  I will say that for some produce - with very thick peels, you can probably get away with consuming the conventional version.  There's a list floating around of the "Dirty Dozen"* on the internet.  If you're going to only do a few foods organic - these are ones that you would benefit the most from (the theory is that pesticides and such are stored and applied to the skin of the produce - most of the dirty dozen are produce that you would consume the skin)  So, you'd probably want to purchase organic fresh blueberries, but wouldn't need to worry about spending the extra on organic bananas unless you intend to eat the peel.  :)

*A link to the Dirty Dozen is included on my list of Noted Websites.

I know I'm not the only person out there that is interested in consuming more foods from organic sources.  Over the past few months, I have seen more and more organic items on the grocery shelves.  That's good - because every dollar you spend is like a vote.  Its telling the grocery chain what you want to continue to see on their shelves.  I remember my dad always saying that Money talks.  And that it always said, "Bye, bye", or you could read that as "Buy, Buy".  Money is definitely talking for us all in this situation.  :)  Guess Dad was right!