Accidental Green Mama...

How to Get Your Kids to Eat Vegetables and About the Time I Almost Met the Barefoot Contessa

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 22:09:00 +0000

We are not big t.v. watchers in our family and the only shows the kids have seen me watch are the occasional episode of Nineteen Kids and Counting, Beth Moore teaching (they think she screams and don't like me to watch her:), or the Barefoot Contessa cooking show on Food Network. Their favorite of the three is the Barefoot Contessa show because they love to discover new dishes to try and convince me to make for them.

At one time, my DVR was filled with episodes of the show and I have probably seen almost all the episodes once. I usually just fast forward to see what she is cooking and then watch the show if I am interested in making the item. Her recipes always work for me and usually taste amazing. She made me feel successful in the kitchen, which was a new thing for me. I am grateful that I can google her name and whatever I want to make (ie. Ina Garten roast chicken) and end up with a foolproof recipe made with simple ingredients that my family will love. Her simple recipe for roasted veggies made veggie lovers out of my kids. I will always love her for that. (See the bottom of this lengthy post directions on how to roast almost any veggie.)

Many years ago, Dylan started asking questions about her. Where did she live? Could we go to her house and cook with her? Why was she so overweight? He was really worried about her health at one point and was asking all kinds of questions about why someone would eat too much, etc. It sparked a great conversation or two. Then, a few years ago, I read that she had been to a Williams-Sonoma near our house to sign her new cookbook. I told the kids and they were very disappointed they hadn't gotten to meet her. I was surprised and told them that if she came to town again, we would be there.

A few months ago, I found out she had a new book tour planned in our area and I told the kids we were going to see the Barefoot Contessa in November! Dylan had since moved on and said, "Ummm...I'm o.k." Not interested. Alyssa was thrilled! She brought it up so much and was so excited that she would run into my room, first thing in the morning, letting me know how many more days until she met the Barefoot Contessa. I started thinking that maybe she didn't understand what a book signing was like, as she was so excited, so I checked in with her about what she was expecting. Her desire, she said, was to tell Ms. Garten she liked her recipes, that Beef Bourguignonne was her favorite, and she also wanted her picture taken with her. She then told me she wanted to put this picture in the hallway and I suggested her room would be an even better place for the picture. I thought these expectations were reasonable and I was ready to make her little dream come true.

The day of the event was an insane one for our family, schedule wise, so Tim left the house at 10:30 to stand in line (HUSBAND OF THE YEAR!!!!) and I was to meet him in line at 1:00 after facilitating the Thanksgiving feast games for Dylan's class (I am co-room mom for Dylan's class and the Thanksgiving feast was my party to run--I had originally planned to keep Alyssa out of school the day of and get in line early, etc. but that plan had to change) The event started at noon and I had paid for and reserved my cookbook a month ahead of time--this is like your ticket to the event and they only offer a set amount of books. Tim phoned me and told me to go to the Will Call line and pick up my book when I got there (you can't pick them up early) and then meet him in line. Tim and Dylan would then leave to a Cub Scout camp out and my little girl and I would stand in line as long as we needed to so she could have her picture and say her piece.

This is where things started to go downhill fast. To make this very long story a bit shorter I will summarize: Will Call line lasted for hours, Tim's line ended and only the Will Call line was left and not moving, they ran out of books, Barefoot Contessa got tired and walked out.

I will carry with me forever a picture of my sweet girl, eyes filled with excitement and expectation, still wearing her turkey t-shirt with her hand print on it from her school feast, holding my hand and waiting patiently, oblivious to the chaos and commotion around her. She didn't realize she wasn't going to get to see Ina. Women all around me were getting very angry, demanding things from the employees...it was an ugly scene. Alyssa asked me to take off her turkey shirt and fix her hair in anticipation of her picture. I complied and then just stood there in line, holding her hand, waiting until I could break the news to her without tears of my own. I was so disappointed for her. All the daily countdowns, excited squeals, careful planning and running around to make it happen, her waiting in line much longer than she ever had...I was just sad.

An older lady who had been standing near us in line and had been so impressed with Alyssa pulled the store manager over to us and pleaded, "This little girl has stood in line for 2 1/2 hours with a smile on her face, never complaining, wanting to meet Ina. Can you take her to the back for a quick picture with her?" The manager looked at Alyssa compassionately and told us she'd be back. At this point I knelt down and told Alyssa that it looked like the Barefoot Contessa had to leave. I reminded her she lives far away and probably had a plane to catch. Alyssa quickly turned into me and self consciously cried a bit. I told her I was disappointed too and that we would try again another time. The store manager returned and saw Alyssa hugging me, shook her head no and then said, "I'm going to go back and try again!"

The manager returned shortly and spoke directly to Alyssa. She told her that Ina had already left and that she was very sorry she wouldn't get to meet her. She, along with another woman standing with her, offered Alyssa some stickers signed by Ina Garten (which puzzled Alyssa because she didn't understand the significance of an autograph but she took them with a shy smile). Then the store manager introduced the lady with her as the Regional Manager for Williams-Sonoma and asked Alyssa if she wanted her picture taken with her because she kind of looks like Ina and had stood with Ina all day. I encouraged Alyssa to do this, but again she was puzzled because titles mean nothing to her. However, she walked over to her, smiled, and posed for the picture by holding up the free cookbook they had given her. After I had taken the picture and thanked the Regional Manager for being in it, I then looked to the store manager to thank her for her kindness. There were still angry people around us demanding all kinds of things and these two ladies, the ones with the "power" that should be putting out fires quickly, were going out of their way to make my little one feel special. She was looking at Alyssa, with tears in her eyes, and then looked to me and smiled sadly. I told them I was so thankful for their kindness, grabbed Alyssa's hand and we walked out the store and into the peace of the mall.

As she looked up at me, I braced myself for devastation. My girl feels things very strongly. In a happy voice she asked if her cousin was still spending the night. I assured her that she was and she happily asked if we could get a piece of chocolate from Godiva. As we had stood in line that day, we were smelling the wonderful smells coming from Godiva and watching them make their creations through the window. We walked in and bought a $7 chocolate strawberry and she was on top of the world. She was acting as happy as she would have if she had met Ina and now was making her plans for what she would do with her cousin. The last thing we did, before we left the mall, was take a picture in front of the Christmas decorations. She smiled, filled with excitement about her sleepover, and asked me to send the picture to the Barefoot Contessa--so she'd know Alyssa had come to see her.

That whole experience has made me think a lot. There were many lessons and blessings from that day and for that I am grateful. Seeing my husband give so much of his time, surrounded by women talking to him about cooking, was such a wonderful picture of him loving his girl. Watching the entitlement and ugliness that comes out when "grown ups" don't get their way was a good reminder of what can happen to any of us when we focus first on ourselves. Observing my girl move from excitement, to disappointment, to excitement again so quickly blessed me deeply. I love that she chooses to hope again immediately and that she has a joy and peace in her heart from Christ that cannot be taken away. Seeing people take the time to listen and to be kind to a seven year old experiencing disappointment was a blessing to me. Kindness is powerful and free and all of us can choose to lavish it on others each day. I want to consciously choose it!

The biggest gift I was given, however, was the reminder that Jesus always DOES live up to His hype. He never grows weary, is too tired, or is too busy for us. He always loves us and gives us His best. If our expectation and hope is in Him, we are never disappointed. Remembering this, I am better ready to move into Thanksgiving with an expectant, grateful heart and into the Christmas season with adoration for my King! Praise Him!

****For preparing vegetables in such a way that kids will eat them watch this. I have used this technique with great results with root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, etc.), broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and all kinds of squash. The result is sweet and tasty! I don't use olive oil at high heats, however, due to it not being stable at high temperatures. Instead I roast with coconut oil or palm oil.

I use veggies, Real Salt, oil, and pepper and toss on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper (to avoid metal exposure) or a glass baking dish (Anchor Hocking are completely lead free!). I toss the veggies every 10 minutes to make sure they bake evenly and have had good results at 400 degrees. With reluctant veggie eaters I would start with sweet potatoes or butternut squash as they become very sweet.

Here is a cool chart to explain which oils are best to use and at what temperatures.

What I am Loving!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 00:13:00 +0000

I take my iPad from room to room while I clean. I listen to sermons, Pandora, or Ted Talks. Or if I have to do a mindless project, I'll set it near me and listen to a webinar and learn something new. I love the iPad for the way it can be a constant source of inspiration and encouragement as I go about my daily tasks.

This is the latest gift I've found from Ann:

The Book Of Matthew recited by actors dressed up as Jesus and the people of His day. Tim and I listened to the Sermon on the Mount and marveled at how something written over two thousand years ago can speak to me in my "right now", calm my heart, and change my life.

"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

How do you receive inspiration and encouragement throughout the day?

Be the Blessing

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 23:59:00 +0000

May we be the blessing...

May we be the blessing today and not the curse.
May we encourage one another towards an abundant life.
May we seek peace and reconciliation in our own hearts and with the hearts of those around us.
May we live humbly.
May we give people, all people; our family, our friends, our neighbors, our communities and our leaders, the benefit of the doubt.
May we let LOVE lead us.
May we let generosity guide our actions.
May we stand for what Christ stood for or rather stand with those whom Christ stands with. ALL.
May we get down off our fences and high posts and come down into the level ground, into the open space where all truly live.
May we dwell in this fertile ground where our lives WILL eventually turn outward toward others.
May we allow our focus to turn from me to them to you and finally to us.
May we live united.
May we seek SHALOM.
May we be reminded of the image of God in all of our lives.
May we seek communion with all.
May we be the blessing not the curse.

my prayer. Melissa Greene– Nov 7th, 2012… the day after the election.

A Simple Way to Give This Christmas Season

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 23:47:00 +0000

Have you heard about Pure Charity? Do you have the desire to give and make a difference but feel sad about your lack of extra funds available? Me too! So I got so excited when I heard about Pure Charity!

We are going into the holiday season--a time when most of us are buying more than usual. Even though I am staying out of the stores as a rule, I am now planning the Christmas gifts I will buy, buying party supplies, and purchasing baking ingredients. What if a percentage of what you purchased, all throughout the year, went to fund causes that you felt passionately about? Do you shop at Walmart, Target, Lowe's, Groupon, or Priceline? There are over a 1,000 participating retailers but those stuck out for me. I just registered the credit card I use and every time I buy something at one of the participating retailers, a portion of my purchase price goes into my charity account--at no extra cost to me! And then I can decide which projects I want to fund with my account.

Jen Hatmaker, author of the book 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, wrote about all the details beautifully here. Click on this link and read all the directions if you are interested. Follow me too and I'll follow you! Maybe we'll fund an orphanage together or something cool like that! Jen Hatmaker is just back from a missions trip to Haiti and she is funding the building of a school needed by the people she just served. Technology can be wonderful, can't it?!

The Blessing of Losing a Job, Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 21:30:00 +0000

An Example of Excess in My Home--But She Sure is Cute!

I wrote last time about how my husband's job loss ended up being a blessing to our family. We were refined in the process and surer of God. Our family was stronger and tighter. All great things...

But God has used a few books, recently, to further change me and "wreck" my comfortable life. It's all good but I think it makes me even "weirder" and less mainstream than I was before. So that is interesting:) I guess I am just getting more comfortable not being a "normal" American.

Here are the books--one of them could even be considered "dangerous" to read. They all required action on my part after I read them...so read at your own risk!

    One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

This book changed my perspective on life. I love the way she describes everything around us as God expressing His love for us--if we would only pay attention! Children's kisses, sunsets, mountains, steaming soup, a husband's laugh--all blessings from God to be counted and enjoyed. This book I read awhile ago and the lessons apply to every season and help in every situation. We are unbelievably blessed by God, every day! I want to live like it!

Here is a link to Ann discussing her journey that will bless.



7; An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker

This one really wrecked me. It showed me, in a new and painful way, the excess in my life and how that kept me from seeing and responding to the needs of others. I had put off reading it because it sounded heavy when other people talked about it, but it was actually a very FUNNY read. The author makes it as enjoyable as possible to acknowledge the areas of one's own life that are out of balance.

I feel like this book freed me to be content with, and grateful for, what I have--and that is a beautiful, life altering thing! It also stoked the fire to give in a new way and to re prioritize my life. I am excited by what this book did to my heart. It made me a better person. It revealed some ugly attitudes and habits in my life. I really want excess out of my house and heart. God really used this book to change my life! I so desire to make sure this change sticks, though, and is not just a phase. I am asking God for a permanent heart change.

Here is a recent interview with the author and what changes have stuck in her house since she wrote the book. She is so real and funny--and is always entertaining!

My college suite mate, Robin Ann, is blogging right now as she goes through seven, 40 day fasts focused on the areas of excess discussed in this book. I think you will be inspired as you read what God is teaching her as she looks to Him to shape her life.


Nehemiah; A Heart that can Break by Kelly Minter

This is a Bible study on the book of Nehemiah that I am currently doing. What I took away from the study right away is that though I care about the poor, I don't know the poor. I don't have friends that are poor. I don't know the name of one poor person living in my county. Did you know that if you make $50,000 a year you are in the top 1% of the world's population? If you are reading this you are most certainly rich by the world's standards. If you have a bed, an extra change of clothes, and some food in a cupboard or fridge you are abundantly blessed.

God is doing something in my heart that has me focused, in a new way, on children living in poverty. I cry when I think about what I might do (my passion is so strong) but I realize that unless I live differently and sacrifice I won't ever be able to do what God is calling me to do. I want my heart to stay soft and my eyes to look to Him to guide me as I seek to do His will and live out what He created me to do and be.

So now I add reluctant consumer to my growing list of what separates me from mainstream America. If I am to give in the way that God is calling me to, I have to live my life and use my resources differently than I have in the past. I still have a  lot to process to determine what this will look like in my life long term.

But I wanted to write a post about these books because I thought they might be of interest to some of you. Maybe you've felt nudging toward a different way than the world's way. If so, I highly recommend all three of these books! I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read them and evaluate my life and attitudes from a different and better perspective. Growing is good...

Has a book recently changed your perspective or caused you to grow in a new way? I want to hear about it! Please share with me!

The Blessing of Losing a Job

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 23:00:00 +0000

I have always been cheap. My brothers and I were raised that way by my parents, and they by theirs.   In my very frugal family, doing without or finding a deal is celebrated and admired.  I don't enjoy something as much if I pay full price for it. My ultimate vacation is a beautiful, upscale hotel getaway at 70% off--usually cheaper than a Motel 6 room. I seriously enjoy myself more when a deal has been found.

So when people talked about materialism and excess in American culture, I never really felt the need to make any personal changes. Because I'm frugal, cheap, and always looking for a bargain. I never spend a lot of money on a pair of shoes or a dress. I rarely pay retail. My husband and I haven't traveled on our own dime anywhere special since our honeymoon. We are simple people.

Well, that is what I told myself. And I don't believe it anymore. In fact, I am embarrassed at the excess I was living with without regard to its effects on my family, my faith, and my personal growth. Here is what changed my perspective...

In early 2011, my husband had a great, well paying job and we had a brand new house that was more than enough for our little family of four. We painted the walls (no VOC paint, of course), ripped out the carpet and put down hardwood (the former owners had cats and we don't like carpet due to toxins), and purchased a couch for our empty family room. I actually felt "proud" of myself for not getting carried away with the decorating or remodeling. Even so, I didn't like the tile in the downstairs area, the kitchen cabinets, or the "older model" stove and oven. We had new appliances in our old home and I wanted new ones here too. I began researching the costs of new appliances...

Then my husband lost his job, completely out of the blue, and all of a sudden I was wondering if we were going to be able to keep our home. Now I wasn't thinking for a second about getting new appliances to replace working models. I realized I didn't need anything. I looked around my house and felt such gratitude and amazement about how blessed I was. I knew God would provide for us, without a doubt, but didn't know what that would look like for our family. People all around us in our neighborhood were losing their homes. I began to think about the possibility of living with my parents...it wouldn't be so bad. My kids would love it... Such a perspective change one lost job caused in me.

Tim and I stopped spending any money unless it was absolutely necessary. Only food, gas, mortgage and utilities. No more weekend outings, no clothes, no Target runs, etc. And we realized that there was a deep peace knowing God was fully in control and would provide for us--and we also had the satisfaction that we were being good stewards of what we did have. I could tell you some amazing stories of God's provision during that time--we actually received as much money with Tim not working (from random sources) as we did when he was working. God also did an unbelievable work in my husband's life that is still blessing our family and friends today! My kids became much more grateful about everything and stopped having the attitude of entitlement they were developing before. I look back on our time of unemployment as one of the biggest blessings of our time as a family because of all that it gave us in character and relational growth.   God works in our lives in ways we can't predict or understand. We trust Him in a new way now. All of that is wonderful!

I'm sharing this here because simplicity is one of the "greenest" philosophies around. One saves energy, resources, money, and time when life is simpler.

So what is different now? What changes have been lasting? What did we learn from our time of unemployment? Here is what stuck:

1. I now stay out of the stores. I actually feel weird when I go to the mall now. Kind of overwhelmed by all the lights, choices, and extravagance. If I don't go to the mall, Costco, or to Target, I'm not tempted to spend money or find new things I "need". I've probably missed out on a ton of new merchandise that has been invented since my husband lost his job but I'm blissfully unaware. I send my husband to Costco with my short list--he buys only what is on it and leaves--he is so much more disciplined than I am. I buy most everything else we need on Amazon or iherb.com. The prices are usually best and I am not tempted to look around and end up with $100 worth of extra things I wasn't planning on buying.

2. We LOVE hand me downs for the kids. I have a wonderful friend (THANK YOU, KRISTEN!) who sends her sons' hand me downs to us. My wonderful SIL (THANK YOU, KATERI) gives us my niece's clothes. My kids also attend a private school which does a used uniform sale at the end of the year.  The items are only $5 each! So I don't really need to buy anything for the kids except shoes, socks, and underwear and that is a HUGE blessing. Another "green" blessing is used clothes have out gassed and been washed enough that they contain fewer toxins!
Used clothes also save resources, land fill space, and all the chemicals used to create clothing.

3. We only go out to eat after church. We used to do activities on the weekends that often included a meal out at a sit down, family restaurant. Three of those a month really raised the credit card bill each month. Now we go out to a "cheaper" restaurant like In N Out or Chipotle after church and the kids know we won't go out any other time so they don't ask. The occasional family get together out (my dad just treated the family to a special restaurant for my brother's birthday) is cause for lots of excitement and celebration. We appreciate these meals out in a new way.

4. I go to the grocery store once a week. We have a Sunday routine that works really well for us. We attend the early service at church, eat "lunch" out at 11:00, and then go grocery shopping on the way home. It saves gas and time because we live far from stores and I save money because when I shop more than once a week I spend more money on impulse buys. Tim also takes the kids to the park or otherwise occupies them while I shop because whenever I shop with kids (anywhere) I end up spending more money due to their suggestions and desires.

5. We spend our weekend doing simple activities. We enjoy hiking, biking, picnics, geocaching, and other free activities as a family. We have a pool and entertain friends several times a week during the summer. Staying home saves money! The highlight for our kids this summer was a weekly sleepover with their cousins and our Friday "Happy Hour" tradition--I make a homemade GF pizza and a huge bowl of guacamole with chips, Tim makes fun drinks (Zevia for the kids), and we play games. I've realized we are all recharged and happier when we spend time enjoying each other at home.

6. Clothes and shoe shopping on a "as needed" basis for adults. I used to purchase clothes for summer, fall and winter when the new season arrived. Now I organize my closet and shop there where there is plenty to choose from and it all fits! I amazes me how long Tim and I can go without needing to buy anything.

7.  We look for new things we can make from scratch to save money. I make my own, toxin free cleaners and deodorant. We drink homemade kombucha and I am trying to find a good homemade almond milk recipe my kids will drink. I am making fermented foods instead of buying probiotics (which are VERY important but VERY expensive for quality ones). Instead of buying lunch box items, I make healthy muffins, cookies, and applesauce. Tim is perfecting his garden in the backyard and is now working on sprouting seeds and investigating
composting. My next project will be making GF bread as the Udi's at $5 a loaf is killing the frugal person that I am:)

8. My social outings with friends no longer revolve around eating out and shopping. I have so many dear friends who I share my life with now. I used to get together with them for dinner or lunch and maybe a day of shopping. Now we walk and talk! We have a beautiful wildlife preserve behind my house that is an awesome walk/hike complete with deer sightings. We also have safe walking paths in our surrounding communities. I have loved my walking "therapy sessions" with friends. We get caught up on life and share our hearts, get a great work out, and there are no distractions. And it's free!

9. Staycations. We celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary during our time of unemployment. We had planned to celebrate by going to Hawaii and renewing our vows where we honeymooned. Instead, we had the kids go to Grandma and Grandpa's (thanks Sheila and Steve:), bought some special treats and food at Trader Joe's, and stayed home together. We cooked, laid out by the pool, and really enjoyed each other. I felt so blessed to be with my favorite person on the planet, uninterrupted, for a few days. It was wonderful and we saved a lot of money compared with our initial plan.

With the above changes I feel more grateful and thankful as I go about my life. I am also calmer and happier. I don't feel deprived or as if I am going without. I would have never guessed a job loss would result in so many blessings for our family!

I'd love to hear what you are doing to save money, live simply, and cultivate a grateful heart at your house! I am always looking for new ideas and would love to learn from and be inspired by your unique life!!!

On a side note...I just noticed I didn't post at all in September. We have had lots of big changes here and I was just keeping up with the necessities. I hope to get to write more in October! (Thanks Trudy and Mary for your recent encouragement!) Next time I'm going to share about what is reorganizing the way I view my life and my future.  It is the second chapter of change in our lives after the job loss.

That's Impossible!!! A Toxin Free Deodorant that Actually Works!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 22:39:00 +0000

My husband is a good sport. I have made difficult situations, like remodeling after a flood, more challenging because I checked all materials for toxins and pressed for healthier options. This slowed down the process considerably and he loves to cross items off his "to do" list quickly. He has been, in his own words, a "late adopter" of many of my green ideas. He is now, however, my biggest supporter in our journey to make our house healthy and safe for our family. But sometimes he still thinks I am a bit crazy...

The following example of one of my weird ideas is shared with his full permission:)

A long time ago a friend told me about the dangers of regular deodorant/antiperspirant. I shrugged it off and thought it might be true but I wasn't willing to stink. I felt this way for many years.

As we started to clean up our home for the kids, I became careful about what soaps and shampoos we used for them. I started thinking about the deodorant thing and thought I'd better figure this out now so we'd be ready when the kids needed deodorant. I probably bought ten different health food store "natural" deodorants. I would go on iherb and read all the reviews, pick the most popular ones, and try them out myself. Nothing worked!!! The Crystal worked for a while and then stopped. I gave up and went back to my trusty "Secret".

My husband is the most consistent exerciser I have ever known. He goes to the gym numerous times, every week, as long as I've known him. He runs in the morning before work. He also regularly goes on very challenging mountain bike rides lasting hours, with friends, for "fun". He has always showered twice a day because he stinks after workouts. He sweats A LOT which is great for detoxifying. But he needed to buy those REALLY toxic, clinical deodorants to keep from stinking--and even those didn't work so well. His exercise shirts were hard to launder so they'd smell fresh. I tried adding vinegar and baking soda to the load. I'd rewash his shirts a few times. I was bummed because I couldn't get the sweat smell out of his shirts--ever.

So back to my deodorant quest...I found a make your own recipe that people said worked well. It was coconut oil based so it was liquid most of the year (coconut oil melts as the weather gets warm) but I would apply it to my underarm with my finger and I was surprised to find it WORKED! My husband delighted in trying to catch me "stinking" but the new deodorant always worked. He wouldn't try it, however, because he didn't think it would work for him and all the hard core exercising he does.

One day we were on vacation and he realized he had forgotten his deodorant. He was going to have to use my homemade deodorant and we were at a theme park all day in the heat. He was worried! I was excited!!! I was hoping it would work and we could throw out the toxic, expensive deodorant he was using that wasn't even working well.

You can probably guess it worked amazingly well for him!! No odor after a two hour bike ride in the summer!! No more stains on his white undershirts. No more odors on any shirts. No smell at all--ever! This deodorant is so amazing that he wants us to sell it:) Because it really doesn't make sense that there are all these companies making deodorant that doesn't work well, is full of chemicals, and costs lots of money. And this one works perfectly and is super cheap and easy to make!

Since his conversion, I now am using an even better recipe that works just as well but has some beeswax in it so it stays solid in all temperatures. I just mix it, cook it, and pour it in an old deodorant bottle---I have tons of them from my days of trying out all the natural ones.

This recipe is adapted from Keeper of the Home and found here. I omitted the Castor oil in her recipe because I like the texture better without. I don't use lavender or tea tree oil in mine because of this study showing a link between both and the growth of breasts in boys. Further study showed the two essential oils mimic the actions of estrogen in the body. I think it is best to leave them out if there may be a problem with the oils, especially when they are placed so close to the breast tissue.

Here is the recipe with a picture of the ingredients:

I added the following to a saucepan, stirred to combine, and "cooked" over low heat:

5 Tablespoons of coconut oil, 1/4 cup of arrowroot powder, 1/4 cup of aluminum free baking soda, 2 heaping Tablespoons of beeswax pellets--(shown below), and 16 drops of an essential oil to scent (if desired) Check this list for essential oils to avoid due to their ability to exaggerate hormonal issues.

Heat until the beeswax pellets melt, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Pour into two empty, clean deodorant containers like the one pictured below. I twisted it so the base was all the way at the bottom and ready to receive the liquid deodorant. This starts to harden right away so you have to work quickly.

Cools completely within a few hours and is ready to use. Makes 2 containers of deodorant.

Some additional tips...

1. At the beginning, I needed to wipe this off at night with water so my body could take a break from the abrasiveness of the baking soda in the recipe. I just put coconut oil on the area over night to soothe.

2. Some people have a week or so "adjustment period" when starting this. This is supposed to be your body adjusting to being without the chemicals in the deodorant you used before. My husband and I did not and were "stink free" right away.

3. You don't need to use much at all. I place the container to my underarm, twisted up to reveal just a bit of the deodorant, and let it soften a second from my body temperature. Then I lightly cover the area, without tugging or rubbing as baking soda is abrasive.

Let me know if you try this and how it works for you!! I hope it ends up being a great improvement over your present situation:)
Moneysaver: I purchased the arrowroot powder inexpensively on Amazon, the beeswax and baking soda from iherb, and the coconut oil from Trader Joe's. There is a bit of an investment upfront if you don't have the items already, but the deodorant ends up costing just a few cents to make each time. If you live near me, I'll happily make you some if you give me an empty container. Then you can try it first, without purchasing the ingredients.

Green Cleaning For the Home...More Effective Than Chemicals!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 00:24:00 +0000

I remember clearly an interaction I had with a lady, in line at the grocery store, even though it happened over six years ago. I can still see the entire scene in my mind--it was that upsetting to me at the time.

It was late for me to be out shopping, maybe 7:30 in the evening, and Tim was watching the kids. I was absolutely exhausted and overwhelmed, as I usually was at this stage in our lives, but we needed baby food so I went out. I decided to buy in bulk because I wanted to avoid another night time shopping trip, and this particular store gave a 10% discount when you bought a whole flat of something. I had a ton of organic baby jars on the counter, all single ingredient versions due to my daughter's extensive allergies. The lady behind me started studying my purchases. Then she couldn't help herself:..

"You know you can make your own baby food at home?" she asked.

I told her I did know that with a smile.

"It is super easy and so much healthier!" she continued.

Now I gave her a nod and tried not to start crying in front of her. I paid for my food and cried my way to the car. Then I cried the whole way home.

My kids, and their intense, unique needs due to illness, meant that I could not make one more thing from scratch. Regardless of how easy it was or how healthy it was. At this point, I had a twice monthly cleaning service and my mom helped me by making some of the more time intensive items we needed like wild duck, bone broth, and buffalo casserole. I purchased my green cleaning supplies online and bought baby food in jars. We used Seventh Generation disposable diapers and wipes. I, myself, was eating far too much fast food as I drove the kids from doctor appt. to doctor appt. while devoting my energy toward my children's diets instead. We were doing what we could do, based on what we knew, what we could afford, and what we had the time and energy to accomplish.

But I still let myself feel guilty when I had interactions like the one above. I wish I would have let it roll off my back. Jarred, organic baby food was fine! We were in a very intensive, exhausting season and we didn't have the ability to do everything "right". So we just did the best we could at the time.

I write all that to say if you don't want to make your cleaners from scratch that is fine! I am just offering what we have found to work at our house, is safe for the littles in the house, and saves us money. There are, however, plenty of of non toxic, green cleaners that you can purchase easily at Walmart or Target. Making your own cleaners might not make sense for you right now.

But if you want to...

Here is what we use:

Windows

My husband is very excited about this window cleaner recipe we found online. I'm sorry I can't remember where it is from. The key to the recipe is the corn starch which I've read it used by professional window washers. You do have to rub it in a bit but the result is better than Windex!

You start with warm water, vinegar, corn starch, rubbing alcohol, and a spray bottle. I use my old cleaner bottles, well washed, instead of buying new spray bottles.

Add one Tablespoon of corn starch to two cups of very warm water. (I doubled the recipe in the pictures so that is why the measurements are different).

Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved. This is the most important step!

Add 1/4 cup of vinegar.

Add 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol. I may try cheap vodka next time instead.

Stir and pour into a spray bottle.

All Purpose Cleaner

I use this on counter tops, sinks, and any surfaces I need to clean. This recipe was given to me by my friend, Melissa. It was originally called a floor cleaner (the recipe was on a bottle she bought from Crate and Barrel) but we have both had success using it all over the house!

The ingredients to gather are dishwashing liquid, borax, and vinegar.

Add 1/2 tsp. of borax to two cups of very warm water. Stir it until it is completely dissolved. This is the most important step.

Add a splash of vinegar.

Add 1/2 tsp. of dishwashing liquid and stir.

Pour into a spray bottle. So easy a child could make it:)

Floors

We have no carpet in our house. Just a few wool area rugs and a few areas with Flor carpet tiles. The rest of our house is tile or hardwood. When people call the house and speak with me they often ask if I am in the bathroom or comment on how loud the kids are due to the echoing from lack of carpet. I guess this should be embarrassing? Anyway, our favorite method to clean our floors is to use the Shark Steam Mop.

First Tim vacuums the floors and then he uses the steam mop. My lovely husband does our floors every week and it takes a couple of hours. He is a BLESSING!!! With only water, the floors feel soft and clean and are sanitized as well! We love this mop! We purchased it at Costco.

Toilets

This is very easy! Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of vinegar into the toilet bowl. Let it soak as long as you can and then scrub. My friend, Melissa, has added fresh lemon juice to treat stubborn stains with success too.

I spray the rest of the toilet with the All Purpose Cleaner above and wipe down with a rag. For a smelly bathroom (boy bathroom) I spray vinegar on the toilet's surface and the floor below to take care of any urine smell. For a really bad toilet, I'd use a paste of baking soda and lemon juice along the caulking (the meeting place of the toilet base and the flooring). This area seems to absorb smells and this will neutralize the smells. I found this idea here.

Scrubbing Paste

The stain cleaner/ scrubbing paste my husband made here is great! It needs to be made on the spot, however, as there is power in the reaction between the baking soda and vinegar. When we've used it later, after it was stored, it is not as effective.

Another scrubbing paste I keep under the sink, is the following:

Add 1/2 cup of liquid laundry soap to a mixing bowl (I use whatever "green" soap is available at Costco.

Add 1/2 cups of baking soda (I used 1 1/2 cups) and mix until you get a frosting consistency as shown above.

Add 10 drops of Tea Tree Oil. This serves as a natural disinfectant. Mix again!

Pour into sealable tub and use when needed. I found this recipe here at Keeper of the Home. She has wonderful, natural living posts about food, gardening, and health care.

Disinfecting

Virginia Polytech. Institute found in their study that spraying from a bottle of vinegar (white or apple cider) followed by spraying from a bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, or E.coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food and surfaces. This made it more effective than bleach!
Remember to keep the peroxide in the dark bottle to protect the peroxide--just add a nozzle to the top.

Wow, that was a long post!! I am going to start experimenting with a stain fighter for clothes and will post about that if it is as effective as the Zout I continue to use. I haven't found anything more effective than Zout yet and will continue to look until I do. That is what is next for me regarding cleaners.

Next up for the blog is my husband's absolute favorite green thing I've made to date. He keeps wanting me to sell it but I am going to give you the recipe and directions here...soon!

Moneysaver: Use old spray bottles from store bought cleaners (well washed) to fill with your homemade ones. I buy vinegar, baking soda, rubbing alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide at Costco.

Preventing and Healing Urinary Tract Infections Naturally

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 19:23:00 +0000

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My honeymoon in Maui was absolutely amazing! We swam, snorkeled, saw the sights, and I often wondered aloud why I had to keep going to the bathroom. Turns out I had my first UTI (Urinary Tract Infection). What I will share with you today I have learned by trial and error over the course of the past 10 years. I hope it helps someone avoid the pain and discomfort of chronic UTIs! They are a huge waste of time, money, and energy.
My first stop for treatment was the traditional doctor I was seeing at the time. She gave me an antibiotic and sent me on my way. I was back two weeks later as I never really felt relief from my symptoms. Long story short, she prescribed a low dose of antibiotics to be taken each time I had intercourse. I didn't want to be on antibiotics all the time but I didn't know there were any alternatives--except drinking cranberry juice. In time it was obvious the cranberry juice was not working either. I have now since learned that drinking cranberry juice is a waste of time and money. There is too much sugar and not enough cranberry to make any difference--and the sugar can make the problem worse! Taking a cranberry supplement is much more effective.

Here is the protocol I have developed to keep myself free from UTIs:

Take one or two Cranactin tablets at bedtime each night. This is to promote health in the urinary tract.

Dissolve a teaspoon or two of D-Mannose in water and drink right after intercourse. D-Mannose is a completely safe glyconutrient, a healthy natural sugar, and is without side effects. It attaches to e. coli, which is responsible for up to 90% of UTIs, and prevents it from attaching to the bladder wall. Instead, the e. coli and D-Mannose leave the body together in the urine. Read the reviews about D-Mannose from the link above and you will be blown away by how effective it is and how much it helps so many!

Repeat the D-Mannose and Cranactin amounts above every 12 hours for the next 24 hours.

Some people who suffer from chronic UTIs because of MS, chronic constipation, or spinal injures may need to take D-Mannose daily to stay UTI free.

That is it! The above works as long as my body is not completely exhausted. If that is the case, however, I can still treat the developing UTI without antibiotics.  It will take about 24 hours of rest and the following the protocol below. Unfortunately, I had the opportunity to try this out again very recently and I was symptom free within 24 hours! Here is the UTI protocol:

Take two Cranactin capsules followed by one teaspoon of D-Mannose powder in a glass of water. Do not eat or drink anything for one hour and do not go to the bathroom. This will allow the D-Mannose to have time to attach to all the problematic e. coli in the body.

Repeat the D-Mannose powder in water as described above (not eating, drinking, or urinating for an hour after taking) three more times spaced throughout the day. Rest and drink lots of water. If I have Pyridium in the house I will also take that for pain.

I repeat the 4 doses of D-Mannose, along with two Cranactin pills, the next day also. If the UTI symptoms do not subside within 48 hours, I would go to the doctor. The UTI you have may not be from e. coli which would make it unresponsive to D-Mannose.

If the UTI symptoms do go away within 48 hours, I would take one teaspoon of D-Mannose powder per day, for a few days, to keep the body healthy.

The last time I had a UTI was a time I was so busy I was unable to take the time to rest and fight the infection at home with supplements. I had too many responsibilities I could not get out of so I reluctantly went to the doctor. This urgent care doctor, not my regular wellness doctor, embraces alternative methods in his practice. He listened to me as I described the protocol I had developed to stay UTI free and he got really excited.  He went to the computer to see what he had prescribed to treat my last UTI and he couldn't find a record in the computer. I had been able to use the above protocol successfully for so long that my last UTI related visit was not in their records! I was excited too...as excited as a person can get who is in a whole lotta pain.

This protocol is the most important thing I do for my body to promote health and wellness. If I was following a traditional medicine protocol for UTIs, I would be on antibiotics constantly. I want to be able to use an antibiotic only when I really have to have it so my body will be responsive to the necessary antibiotic and my gut will stay full of healthy, beneficial bacteria. There is so much research out there to show the importance of a health gut. Did you know that about 70% of the body's immune system is found in the gut?  In addition, the health of the gut is expressed in our skin (eczema) and our mood (depression, anxiety)? Avoiding antibiotic use, unless unavoidably necessary, is an important part in keeping our guts, and ultimately our bodies, healthy and happy.
Moneysaver: I purchase D-Mannose from iherb and I purchase Cranactin from Amazon. These places have the best prices I've found.

I am not a doctor. I am only sharing my personal experience and what has worked for me. Please discuss health care decisions with your doctor before trying a new regimen.

What I Learned About "Eating Healthy" on a Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 22:43:00 +0000

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Tim and I have a little vacation tradition when we are getting away--just the two of us. Upon arrival in a new town, we stop by a convenience store and purchase all kinds of snacks and treats we would never buy at home. Our kids aren't with us to ask for the junk and we know we'll get back to normal eating habits at home. Usually after the first day or two I'm all sugared out and done. But it is fun to indulge a little and eat things we don't normally.

I wish we could do this "7-Eleven indulging" with our kids on vacation, but their little bodies can't handle it. I know that as their immune systems get stronger they will be able to handle unhealthy foods without reaction. But currently, my kids are much happier and calmer with a gluten free, low sugar and low carb diet free from artificial flavors, colors, and MSG. So, while we are still somewhat limited in what the kids can eat, we are not where we were!

The best way to explain how differently they used to eat would be to tell you we used to travel with cooked brussels sprouts in glass canning jars. The kids loved them and people would stare and even ask questions when they saw what the kids were excitedly eating. We had to bring all the kids' food with us when we vacationed or ate outside the home and each item had to be made from scratch. Sometimes it was a deal breaker for me and I wanted to just stay home instead. It was so much work to cook for days, pack it all up, and then carry it all over wherever we were vacationing. Buffalo Casserole with minced veggies at Sea World? We've done it! At this point, the kids were only able to eat a few organic vegetables and select meats. That was it!

I now try to keep our diets gluten free, low carb, and low sugar. It is just so much healthier, I feel better and the kids do better. But on vacations I allow myself to use many more convenience foods and serve more carbs than normal so I have a vacation from cooking and the kids can have some "treats". So far this summer we have traveled to the Grand Canyon, Sedona, and a nearby mountain community. Here is what I've learned from our travels:

Buy lots of "new to you" snacks and take them with you. Don't let the kids see them ahead of time! Watching cousins or fellow tourists eat treats you can't have is hard if you don't have something special too. I purchased things like brown rice cereal bars (like Rice Krispy Treats), chips in little bags, an organic flavored popcorn, bottled water and juice, and some GF cookies to pull out when a special treat was warranted. The kids were happy, grateful, and surprised. They also liked banana chips, pistachios, cheese sticks, and trail mix.

I also got some treats for Tim and I at Trader Joe's that enabled us to have an indulgence but without chemicals and added junk. We loved the dark chocolate peanut butter cups the best!

Bring things that will be hard to find on your trip. Gluten free specialty items can be harder to find and very costly if they are sold. I brought GF sandwich bread, raw almond butter, hard boiled eggs, organic fruit and cut veggies in a cooler on our road trip and we saved so much money. We didn't have to purchase any snacks or drinks and we ate much healthier than if we stopped along the way. It tasted better too!

We stayed in a rental home during our mountain vacation (thanks to my generous MIL) and we ate at home most meals. I brought up things I knew I wouldn't be able to buy at the local grocery store. I brought nitrate free hot dogs and bacon, homemade salad dressing without the chemicals, GF frozen pancakes, GF macaroni and cheese, quality nut butters, and organic produce. Next time I will also bring deli meat as the only GF option had nitrates.

Restaurants can be hard. Have a back up plan. We planned on finding a GF restaurant on the way to the Grand Canyon but ended up eating at Mc Donald's. There was just nothing else available. Next time I'd have sandwiches ready instead of assuming we could find a suitable option. Another day we planned on eating inside the Grand Canyon Park and all that was affordable were those sandwiches wrapped in cardboard and sealed with plastic like the ones you can buy at the gas station. We spent way too much money for low quality food that no one enjoyed. We would have been happier with a packed lunch. Next time I'll pack enough snacks so we don't have to eat out if the options aren't appealing or within our dietary restrictions.

In the mountains we went out to dinner the first night and happened upon a pizza place that served GF pizza. The kids and I shared a small 4 slice pizza and salad. They were hungry and and not happy about their small pizza slices compared to the regular pizza others were eating. We had already spent $65 on the meal so I wasn't going to buy more food. If I had brought snacks with us, I could have supplemented the meal and it would have been a more enjoyable meal for everyone. Hungry, tired kids are no fun to be around.

Bring more water than you think you'll need. We never buy water bottles at home but the kids feel like they are getting a treat when we have them on a vacation. We didn't bring enough water on either trip, however, so we didn't drink enough and ended up paying high prices for bottles on the road. Next time I'll bring gallon jugs too.

We are now planning for our next trip and I am hoping to get it right this time!

Moneysaver: Trader Joe's has great snack items without preservatives, chemicals, and HFCS that are well priced. You can't beat Costco for bottled water prices. I purchased some of our gluten free grocery items at iherb to save money also.

How to Bring Down Your High Cholesterol without Statins

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 03:16:00 +0000

I was going over lab results with our specialist and he let me know that my kids had very high cholesterol numbers--one child's number was 371! Wow! He wasn't too worried, however, because he had a solution and it didn't involve prescription medication. He explained that statins, the medication commonly prescribed when a patient has high cholesterol, can cause many side effects including diabetes, immune suppression, and increased cancer risk! My children already had immune issues so I wasn't interested in anything that would burden them further.

The specialist's "alternative" solution was simply to take one capsule of L-Carnitine Fumarate and one capsule of Flush-Free Niacin each day. L-Carnitine is a nutrient know for energy production and metabolizing fat. Fumarate is a naturally occurring compound in the body that aids in energy production. Some people say they lose weight by taking this supplement. Niacin is a B vitamin that is known for lowering cholesterol but will cause a flushed face and discomfort if you don't choose the "flush free" version.

So I purchased the two supplements and started giving them right away. Six weeks later, follow up blood work was done and and the child with a initial 371 result went down 68 points to 303. Six weeks after that, down to 222. A year later, their cholesterol was 161! Down 210 points using only supplements that support and encourage health and healing rather than taking a drug which potentially leads to serious side effects.

My other child's results were very similar and the results came quickly too! So I asked our doctor why people wouldn't try this method first, before resorting to prescribed medication for their high cholesterol levels? He said that no one is paid to promote and advertise vitamins. People don't know about alternatives to medication and many doctors don't either!

I hope this can help someone stay off statins and lower their cholesterol levels a more natural way!

Moneysaver: I always Google any supplement prescribed to find the least expensive price--pay attention to shipping and tax too. I usually use iherb.com because their prices are usually 30-50% off health food store prices. Sometimes Amazon or an independent retailer has a better deal. I also get all my supplements, toiletries, and some groceries from iherb as they are usually so much less expensive than anywhere else I've found. I get an automatic 5 -10% off my order (I am a VIP member b/c I've spent so much money with them and they increase the percentage saved based on total order amount) and free shipping (with a $20 order, 1-2 day shipping with a $40 order). If you use my coupon code, MER003, you get $5 off your first order and I earn a few pennies too:) You don't have to use my referral code, you can google other coupon codes too.

I am not a doctor. I am only sharing what has worked for my family and what we did under the guidance of a medical doctor. Please consult your doctor before discontinuing medication or trying new supplements.

What Alternative Medicine Means to Me

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 04:16:00 +0000

I'm a first born, rule follower. I have never had the desire to stand out. I wanted to please my parents, my teachers, my elders. I have always gone with the flow. So the switch to alternative medicine and green living has not been an easy one for me. I didn't do it to be different. I don't like to be different. It certainly wasn't remotely normal when we started down this path. I just had two sick kids and lots of specialists that wanted to prescribe many, many medications which weren't working. We needed a new plan but I was afraid to go against the doctors' recommendations. They made me feel like a bad mom for not doing things their way.

The specialist I now use for both my kids, a pediatrician (MD) who uses alternative methods to treat children with immune issues, explained alternative medicine to me in this way. God made the body. He gave us everything we needed to be healthy and whole. But we live in a broken world with toxins, diseases, and sickness. Yet the body gives us clues when things are not working correctly. Pain is an obvious signal. Allergies, eczema, and asthma are also clues that the immune system needs support. I use the clues the body is giving us to guide me in giving the body what it needs.

My mainstream doctor looked at allergies and wanted to do allergy shots. Eczema called for prescribed creams and asthma resulted in prescriptions for steroids, albuterol, and pulmicort. However, our specialist said, "These things are clues." He did allergy panels and we removed offending foods. He did blood work and prescribed supplements to treat the vitamin and mineral deficiencies he found. He encouraged me to keep their struggling bodies away from things that would burden them further like toxins and chemicals. And then the allergies, eczema, and asthma went away. Kids were MUCH happier. Skin became smooth right away. The asthma stopped right away. It took awhile, however, before foods that had to be removed could be reintroduced. A few allergies remain for one of my kids. But it is nothing like before. It seemed so logical, this alternative medicine, but people were very suspect and uncomfortable with it.

So I have been willing to be the weird one because it has brought so much health and healing for the kids. And, because I do not love debates or controversy, I've kept our medical views largely private. But it is a passion of mine to encourage the mom who is where I was. So scared and overwhelmed with mounting copays, tons of prescriptions, and sick kids not getting better even though you are doing what the doctor recommends. There may be a new idea here in the pages of this blog. May be you'll find some answers and options in unexpected places. Maybe alternative medicine isn't so crazy after all!

This blog is for you so if you have questions, ask them! If I don't know the answer, I'll try and put you in touch with someone that does. I'd love to learn with you!

The picture above is my kids eating ice cream! We went all the way to the Grand Canyon and that was the highlight for my daughter! Such is the way with a child who has had dairy allergies in the past.

How to be Safer in the Sun

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 03:47:00 +0000

Have you seen all the reports that are coming out now about how people who use sunscreen maybe more likely to get skin cancer than those who don't? And how you are 50% more likely to survive breast cancer if your Vitamin D levels are "normal" than if they are low--and 1/4 of Americans are low? Have you read about the toxins in our sunscreen that we liberally apply to our largest organ? Crazy, huh? What is a fair skinned and fair haired mommy living in Southern California to do?

What I do is very against the norm, but what else is new? Here is what we do over here:

1. Take 4-10 mg. of Astaxanthin daily. This is an incredible antioxidant and anti-inflammatory (known for helping to prevent Alzheimer's Disease, cancer, and blindness) that also works as a natural sunscreen when taken regularly for about 6 weeks.

2. Use hats, rash guards, and umbrellas during peak sun exposure. The kids usually swim in the afternoon but sometimes we are outside the entire day at the beach, pool or lake. Those days I use sunscreen all over me, wear a hat, and sit under an umbrella. I am also the weird one in the wide brim sun hat at Disneyland. I am now on wrinkle alert as I have just entered my 40's.

The kids wear rash guards, hats (if they will keep them on), and sunscreen on their faces. Their arms are covered by the rash guards and all my son might need is a little sunscreen on the tops of his feet--his swim trunks are long! I put sunscreen on my daughter's upper legs and tops of her feet too.

3. Use safer sunscreen. The Badger sunscreen I use for the kids is rated a 1 (best safety rating) by the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Database rating the sunscreens on the market today. It would be very educational to see how what you are currently using is rated. The MyChelle sunscreen I use on my face is not rated by Skin Deep but I am comfortable with the ingredients and I use it very rarely.

4. Expose skin to the sun in small doses to boost Vitamin D levels. Studies show that regular exposure to the sun (and resulting higher Vit. D. levels) can reduce blood pressure, decrease your risk of cancer and diabetes, and lower your chances of a heart attack. I expose my skin 5-10 minutes a day, a few days a week, to get the sun exposure I need to keep my Vitamin D levels where they need to be. My doctor checks them every year and always asks me what I do because they are right where she wants them--a rarity she says. I take Vitamin D3 November to May (5,000 IUs a night) and stop taking it when I am getting regular sun exposure again due to sunny skies returning. This plan works for me, in Southern California, but may need to be adjusted based on your location.

That's all I have! I hope you are enjoying your summer! It is such a wonderful, magical time for kids.

Moneysaver:
I buy my sunscreen from iherb or Amazon, depending on who is running the best deal. I also get all my supplements, toiletries, and some groceries from iherb and they are so much less expensive than anywhere else I've found. I get an automatic 5% off my order (I am a VIP member b/c I've spent so much money with them) and free shipping (with a $20 order, 1-2 day shipping with a $40 order). If you use my coupon code, MER003, you get $5 off your first order and I earn a few pennies too:)

Safely Take Your iPad to the Beach!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 03:50:00 +0000

Even in a protective case with keyboard, it fits perfectly in a gallon sized Ziploc. With room for your keys and phones too!

Fabulous Grain Free Granola Recipe and Why We Eat Mostly Paleo

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 03:33:00 +0000

My husband loves to have a bowl of cereal right before bed. He has been doing this since he was a kid he says. He doesn't like having all those carbs in his belly right before he goes to bed, however. So he was really excited when I found this recipe for a grain free granola in a cookbook I bought for the kids, Eat Like a Dinosaur. Everyone loves it that has tried it so far...my Father in Law even saying I should give it out as a gift this Christmas! This is some tasty granola!

Here is the recipe with the modifications I've made:

Grain-Free Granola

1 1/2 Cups of sliced almond
1 1/2 Cups coconut flakes, chopped (I use this I purchase from Amazon)
1 Cup of walnuts or almonds (ground in the food processor)
1 Cup of macadamia nuts, finely chopped
1 Cup of dried cranberries
4 fresh medjool dates, chopped to the size of the cranberries
1/2 Cup coconut oil, melted and extra for greasing pan (sometimes I use butter instead)
1/3 Cup of raw honey
2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Combine almonds, coconut flakes, nuts, and fruit in a bowl. Whisk together oil, honey, and cinnamon in another bowl. Pour oil-honey mixture over nuts and fruit and mix. Spread into a well greased glass baking dish. Bake at 275 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to prevent burning. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

And Why We Eat Paleo...

The Paleo Diet is gluten free, dairy free and full of whole foods. Most of the food eaten is just meat, vegetables, and fruit. There are no artificial sweeteners, colors, or processed foods in the diet. The diet is also very low carb and low sugar.

Something is obviously wrong in our world. So many kids have all kinds of allergies, disorders, and cancer is so prevalent. I believe this is due in large part to all the toxins in our environment, but the changes in our diet are at fault also. So much of what people eat is processed junk. People don't cook from scratch anymore. So our guts are full of yeast and bacteria overgrowth, and food intolerances, allergies, and asthma are now common. People just accept allergies and asthma as part of their lives. Go to Disneyland (or anywhere else you see a random sample of our population) and people are obese, with big bellies. And they have the accompanying health problems that go with their size...diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart problems.

I started serving Paleo food at home because I liked that it keeps blood sugar stable, helps keep inflammation down, and fights yeast overgrowth in the gut (because sugar and carbs feed yeast). I also liked that it is free of many of the common food allergens. I had never been gluten free but noticed that quickly after starting the diet, my belly became flatter as I stopped eating gluten. I read Wheat Belly and better understood why. It is written by a cardiologist who clearly explains how wheat has been altered to increase yields for farmers and, due to being altered, it is now causing all kinds of problems for people (celiac, IBS, allergies, obesity, etc.) He says if you get out your grandma's old family pictures and look at the people, you will not see these "wheat bellies" that are so common today. Very interesting stuff in this book. Another good one is Why We Get Fat: And What To Do About It. Here is an interview with the author and an interesting article about why people have trouble losing weight.

The Paleo Diet is not perfect and I know there is no perfect diet. My husband does some intense workouts several times a week and enjoys them very much. He needs to supplement with some carbs before and after these workouts so he can have the energy needed for the long workouts. We also aren't super strict about following it in its entirety. I still happily serve potatoes (chips too) and some gluten free, carb heavy treats like GF homemade pizza, pancakes, and Mac N Cheese on occasion. We just eat far fewer carbs than the average American and make most of our food from scratch. And we also do some dairy and alcohol as we desire. But we are really enjoying coconut and almond milk, hot dogs and hamburgers without buns, and looking for ways to eat more healthily.

My husband's cousin has started eating Paleo and was joined by some friends at work. They've all lost weight but the exciting thing is that the people that have done before and after blood work are seeing big improvements in their triglycerides, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels!

I feel better than I ever have since starting this way of eating and I don't miss the bread at all! The cravings for sugar, flour based treats, and bread are gone. And I used to love the bread basket at restaurants. It was seriously a highlight! Speaking of restaurants, I don't really crave their food anymore either. Me who LOVED treating myself by going out to dinner. Now I am happier eating at home. Never in a million years would I ever thought I'd be here...

Moneysaver: I buy the ingredients for the granola at Trader Joe's. Their nuts and dried fruits are so much more affordable than other stores. I need to look into Costco too.

A Healthy Bed--Finally!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 05:01:00 +0000

We love our bed! It doesn't matter where we are sleeping and how nice the bed is, Tim and I always miss our bed. It is comfortable, but what I love about it goes way beyond the comfort factor--it is a non toxic bed that improves our health as we sleep!

Have you ever heard of Earthing? As simple as walking barefoot in the soil, Earthing (also called Grounding), can calm and and help the body heal. Here is an excellent article about what grounding can do for you!

We sleep with a grounding sheet and an electric field shield on our bed. Both were suggested to us by our Building Biologist, Larry Gust. The electric field shield helps protect the body from the stress of electric shields in the environment. Here is more information from Larry's website: http://gustenviro.com/electrical_sensitivity.html

The grounding sheet helps the body heal quicker, sleep more deeply, and get better quality sleep. Many athletes use this product and it was tested on the US Tour de France team with beneficial results. Both are connected to our bed via a telephone line, leading out to a grounding stake, pounded into the dirt outside our home. Sounds complicated but it was easy to do. Now we are getting the benefits of grounding and protection from electric fields while we sleep.

Here is the rest of our bed--from mattress to comforter detailed below:

Mattress: We have a latex mattress from Custom Comfort. I had my doctor write a prescription for a mattress without flame retardants so our mattress was made especially for us without these toxins. The kids have organic matons (half mattress, half futons) from Lifekind and my son has the bed and drawers pictured below also.

Organic Dust Mite Barrier and Bed Bug Barrier Mattress Cover from Lifekind I have read that a pillow that is two years old is 10% heavier in weight from dead dust mites and their feces. This keeps the dust mites out.

Wool Pillowtop with Organic Cotton Cover from Lifekind This keeps body temperature regulated, wicks away moisture, and wool is naturally resists dust mites. The kids do not have this.

Organic Flannel Mattress Pad from Lifekind This protects the wool pillow top as it can be easily laundered.

Organic Sateen Sheet Set from Lifekind These are very well made, soft sheets that last and last.

All Season Wool Comforter with Organic Cover from Lifekind We remove this in the summer because my husband runs really warm but I could comfortably use it all year long. It is covered in an organic duvet cover from a sheet set we purchased a while back. The kids have a organic, cotton, basket weave blanket from Lifekind instead.

Wool pillow for me and a customizable wool wrapped natural shredded rubber pillow for Tim. Both from Lifekind

Organic Dust Mite and Bed Bug Resistant Barrier Pillow Covers from Lifekind

Moneysaver:
We purchased all of the above a little at a time, as Lifekind had sales. Right now they are running a 25% off everything sale and sometimes you can save much more! My goal was to have all materials on the beds in my home toxin free but I had to take my time and buy things a few at a time. The first things I bought were organic pillows, barrier covers, and organic pjs. I sleep in organic t-shirts and cotton shorts that I purchased at Walmart for $3.00 or $4.00 each. The kids sleep in organic pjs from Hanna Andersson which I purchased from the Hanna Anderson outlet very inexpensively. I figured what was on the body and under the nose was the most impactful. Then I purchased the other items as we were able and when there was a really big sale.

Due to allergies and health issues in our family, our doctor wrote a prescription for an organic, toxin free bedroom and the supplies above were tax deductible. The amount that was tax deductible was the amount over and above what a typical item would cost.

Grow a Mother and Brew Your Own Kombucha!!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 03:53:00 +0000

Kombucha is wonderful! It tastes like a sparkling wine or a fruit seltzer, isn’t too sweet, and always makes me feel energized after I drink a glass. Kombucha is also full of wonderful health benefits and is an especially powerful source of probiotics. This amazing drink is full of B vitamins and even helps your liver detoxify, so it is wise to start slowly when introducing it into your diet. Some people claim it cured their cancer and others say you can beat major health issues after drinking it regularly for a year.

The price of kombucha at the local health food store, however, kept me from drinking it very often. Where I live, the average price for a serving size bottle of kombucha is $4.00. Knowing you are getting lots of powerful probiotics makes it feel like a supplement, but $4.00 a bottle is too much for me to spend regularly. I’m cheap like thatJ

So I set out to see if I could brew it myself at home. It took me a year to figure it out but I finally am brewing two gallons a week, for less than a half dollar a gallon! And it’s not hard once you know what to do, and what not to do. First, what didn’t work...

I tried rehydrating three different dehydrated scobys I purchased from an online company. The first two never took off and the third one developed mold. I learned later that scobys are very difficult to grow from a dehydrated mother and that kombucha should be brewed outside of the kitchen because of the mold spores in the air from things like onions sitting in a bowl on your counter or houseplants. I was trying to brew my kombucha right by a bowl of onions and my potted herbs on the kitchen counter—so the mold problem isn’t a surprise. I was really wary of getting a scoby off Craigslist or from the local health food store bulletin board. My mother drilled into me lots of handwashing with hot water in the kitchen and I was afraid of bringing someone else’s germs into my house.

One day at Trader Joe’s, one of the ladies working there told me you could grow your own mother (scoby) from a store bought bottle of kombucha. So I googled and came up with wonderful directions here:

http://www.paprikahead.com/2009/07/how-to-brew-your-own-kombucha-from.html

The benefit of this method is that the scobys used by these big brewing companies are strong and healthy so the product you will get at home should also be strong and health. I used GT’s Organic Raw Kombucha in the original flavor to grow my mother. The resulting kombucha tastes just like the store bought bottle, though sometimes we add a splash of juice in as well.

The fermenting time took much longer than the directions said it would initially. I waited two weeks before the tea smelled like kombucha and there was no film growing on the top. I fed the culture anyway and hoped for the best. The first cycle I didn’t even grow a mother but the tea fermented and we drank some and saved a cup of the tea to use as another starter and I tried again. I followed the directions with my newly created starter and finally grew a mother (scoby).

At first, as it was beginning to grow, it looked like specks of white mold all over the top of the tea and I almost threw it away. But then those specks got larger and grew into dots, and ultimately the many large dots grew together to form a scoby covering the top of the tea. (Google “Kombucha mold pictures” so you will know what kombucha mold looks like. It is normal to have white or brown strings or mounds but if you see anything black, colored or furry you need to throw it away and start over).

IMPORTANT REMINDERS: Make sure everything you use, including your hands are very clean! Once you add the kombucha starter, you can’t let anything metal touch it. No silverware spoons dipped in to taste, or big spoons to stir. No metal strainers. No metal lids of canning jars. Scobys and metal do not work together.

I watched and waited for it to grow the necessary thickness described in the directions, and then the scoby was finally mature enough to brew a gallon of kombucha. I followed her directions to brew kombucha and it worked perfectly! Here are some pictures of the process and some tips:

Starting early in the morning, boil 12 cups of water in a big pot. I use a Le Creuset dutch oven.

When the water starts to boil, add one cup of organic sugar. Let it return to a boil and make sure the sugar is dissolved.

Take the pot off the burner and add 4 tea bags to the sugar water solution. I use Organic Oolong Tea. I have not ventured from this choice because I read that this is one of the better choices and some teas have oils that promote mold growth. I just went with a safe tea with great health benefits.

Wait for the tea to reach room temperature. This takes hours which is why I recommend starting early in the morning. You can kill the scoby if you add tea that is warm so this step is important. If you have any bugs in your kitchen, I’d recommend putting a towel over the top of the bowl, once the steaming has stopped, to keep anything from flying into your tea.

Add the tea to a clean, gallon jar. I got mine for $5.00 at Walmart. I use a plastic funnel to make sure I don't spill tea everywhere but my husband did the pouring for this picture and he is much braver than I am:) Then add two cups of starter and your scoby to the jar. Cover the opening of the jar with a coffee filter secured with a rubber band.

6. Place your jar in a place where it will stay warm (around 76 to 85 degrees should be good) but is also a dark area, away from direct light. You want to keep it away from food and plants too. I put mine in our family room, up high, in our media cabinet.

I start checking the kombucha at a week, just smelling it to see if it seems fermented and making sure the new scoby is growing. Usually the new scoby grows on top of the mother. I have found that after 10 days the tea is at just the right level of fermentation. It shouldn't be sweet but it shouldn't be vinegary either. By tasting a store bought, original flavored kombucha, you will know the taste you are aiming for in this process.

After the brewing is finished, you can pull the two scobys apart and brew two gallons next time, instead of just one. Or you can freak your friend out by bringing it to her in a jar with two cups of starter as a housewarming gift. Probably few friends will appreciate this type of gift but you might have some really cool friends open to a new adventure!

For information about the amazing health benefits of Kombucha see: http://www.foodrenegade.com/kombucha-health-benefits/

Is Your Bedroom Keeping You Sick?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 04:20:00 +0000

Did you know that your bedroom, and what is in it, probably causes more harm to your body than what you are exposed to during the day? Your body needs to rest and heal at night but many bedrooms are filled with things that deplete the body rather than aid in restoration.

Here are a few simple, free, or inexpensive ways you can change your health--while you sleep:

Power Down: This is the most important thing you can do in my opinion. Sleeping without the EMFs (Electric and magnetic fields) from outlets, clock radios, televisions, and all kinds of phones is important for restorative sleep. We have a device that looks like a garage door opener that we hit to power down the kids' rooms and then another to power down our room. It is called a "Remote Circuit Cutoff Switch". It also turns off the wi-fi and our televisions and cable boxes throughout the house. We save $90 a month on our electric bill by just doing this! Before we had the remote, Tim would just flip the appropriate switches on our fuse box. We have a battery operated alarm clock but never need it because our kids are up early every morning. You can read more about how EMFs affect our body in the websites linked below.

Sleep in complete darkness: This helps your body produce melatonin, the hormone that gets you sleepy and is an important antioxidant.

Turn off your cellphone: Or at least keep it in another room far, far away from your sleeping area. Some phones, like the iPhone, are constantly checking reception so they function like a mini cell tower. You don't want to sleep next to a cell tower--just google cancer and cell towers. We have a very cheap, corded phone in our room that is safe to keep next to our bed as we sleep.

Make sure your bed faces north: This optimizes red blood cell production, yields optimal deepness of sleep, and prolongs REM sleep by 7%.

Sleep with your head away from things like computer stations, smart meters, etc. It doesn't matter if a bedroom wall is separating you from the item--you are still exposed to radiation.

Avoid metal in your bed: Headboards or bed springs can act as an energy concentrator.

Avoid using chemicals and fragrances in your bedroom: Clean your bedroom and bed linens with green products. Use no VOC paints and buy furniture that is either used (and done off gassing) or made of real wood and stained with natural stains. Cheap furniture often outgasses formaldehyde.

Avoid carpet and drapes: This allows you to keep your room relatively dust free, and carpet is a breeding ground for dust mites. I will talk more about this in my "Healthy Bed" post next week.

I learned about almost everything above from Larry Gust http://gustenviro.com/about_us.html He is a Building Biologist who came to evaluate our home and educate us on what we could do to make our home a healthier place.

Here are some EMF websites if you are interested in learning more:

http://emf.mercola.com/

http://www.electric-fields.bris.ac.uk/
http://www.electromagnetichealth.org/
http://www.emrpolicy.org/

Next week I'll write a post on everything we've done to make our bed the most comfortable and healthiest one we've ever slept on--even better than the Four Seasons! We don't sleep as well anywhere else!

Image from http://www.freedigitalpictures.net/

Our Beginning with Green Living

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 03:22:00 +0000

My second child was 4 months old, in the ER examination room, struggling to breathe. My husband was in denial when they decided to admit her. "I think they are short patients and drumming up business. She doesn't need to be admitted," he told me. I was so very sad. I couldn't believe we were doing this again. My firstborn's short life had been filled with hospital stays, lots of prescriptions, and many allergies.

At four months old my daughter's entire body was covered in bumps (eczema) and a few places were constantly scabbing over and bloody. She refluxed constantly and was a very unhappy baby. She had several loose bowel movements a day that poured out of her diaper and burned her bottom. She had open sores on her bottom too. I changed her sheets numerous times a day due to the diaper leaks. Now she was being hospitalized with asthma.

We already had a medical baseline allowance with our electric company because of the constant use of the nebulizer for my son (up to 7 times a day for both Pulmicort and Albuterol). The doctor said it was a lifetime condition when she signed the baseline allowance form and checked the lifetime (no need to be renewed) box. The medicines and mainstream medical approaches did nothing to help my son get better. We just spent a lot of time with the nebulizer and he suffered the side affects from the medicines. I had always listened to and followed the advice of my mainstream doctors so I had felt hopeless that their solution wasn't working.
Recently, however, I had been able to stop all my son's asthma meds by putting him on a diet free from his food intolerances and by giving him supplements to support his immune system. A specialist had done blood tests to tell me what foods to eliminate and what supplements to give based on his allergy panel and blood work showing vitamin and mineral deficiencies. I had also been starting to research how to make our home environment and food as non toxic as possible. Finally something was helping my son get stronger and healthier!

When they released my daughter from the hospital the next afternoon, with several prescriptions and a nebulizer, I knew what I was going to do. I promised myself I would use the nebulizer IF she started wheezing again but would first try and prevent wheezing with the same protocol I had used for my son. And she hasn't needed a nebulizer since that hospital stay at 4 months! No meds. No wheezing!

It has been a long journey, but now, just finishing her Kindergarten year, she is a happy, healthy girl who was recently awarded an academic excellence medal at her school's award ceremony.

This blog will discuss the many things we are committed to, as a family, to be as healthy as we can be! Healing comes from God and I believe with all my heart He is the reason for the healing I've seen in my children's lives. That being said, He has used some interesting methods to bring that healing about:) I am committed to praying and asking God to guide us each day. You may be surprised when you read where that has taken us.

How I Got Here...A Dirty Chair and a Smart Husband

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 03:22:00 +0000

People have been telling me that I should start a blog. I never thought I should, however, because most of the things they thought I should post about (our green journey and discoveries) were all created or discovered by someone else. But yesterday, my wonderful husband thrilled me by cleaning our dirty, leather bar stools (which were uncleanable!!) with a creation of vinegar and baking soda paste. And I thought--I need to start a blog. Because this kind of thing happens all the time and it may help someone else. And that would be cool. So here is my first entry:

Our kids eat at least one meal a day at matching bar stools in our kitchen. These bar stools are white leather (I know, bad decision) and have gotten filthy. And I faithfully try to clean them with whatever is in my homemade cleaner arsenal. Because the kids are going to be sitting on them, touching them with their fingers, and then touching their food and probably their mouths. So I wouldn't use anything toxic to clean them (But I did try Windex in a moment of weakness and then wiped it down with water afterwards). Long story short--nothing has worked. Probably 7 different cleaners and the bar stools looked yucky and I thought probably the white paint on the leather had worn away and maybe they had to have this look forever. Unless I used leather polish which wasn't going to happen.

Tim poured baking soda in a canning jar and added vinegar. Luckily it was in the sink because it did that "volcano" thing and poured out foam a bit. He mixed it and added baking soda until it was a honey consistency. Then he poured some of the liquid/paste on the chair and used an old sponge to rub it around. Very quickly, without much effort, the dirt lifted away. I wish I would have taken a before picture but I didn't got the blog idea until he started cleaning.

Here is during:

And here is after:

Once they dried they had a bit of a gritty residue but that easily wiped off with a rag. I am thrilled!

He has also used this cleaner to get dirt stains off the floor in our shower. These stains were there when we moved into the house and I tried all sorts of things--even scrubbing with bleach, which I don't keep in the house anymore. Nothing worked until this applied with a scrub brush. It is crazy to me what you can do with cheap, safe ingredients. Works on the kitchen sink's stains too!

Moneysaver: I buy my vinegar and baking soda at Costco in huge containers.

Next time I'll talk about how I became an accidental green mama!