I have developed a body wash I like. I have also used it to shave and it worked very well. I am currently trying it as a shampoo. The biggest thing about making your own products is that they can be different then those store bought and so you have to get use to them. I decided when I started this to give anything new a two week period before I decided if I like it or not. Changing to a natural shampoo can cause your hair to go oily for a while until your scalp gets use to not having all the chemicals. So although my hair is a little greasy now I am hoping that if I wait it out my new shampoo will work well. I will let you know how it goes. I have also revised my toothpaste recipe.
Body Wash/ Shaving Cream
5 TBS Liquid Castile Soap
2 TBS Almond Oil
½ cup Baking Soda
Mix all ingredients.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Makeup
Only 11 percent of ingredients found in personal-care products have been screened for safety.
I use my homemade toothpaste, lotion, lip balm, face scrub, and deodorant. I am looking for body wash, shampoo, and conditioner I have tried a few things but I am still on the search for the best thing for me (easy and cheap). I have found a makeup I like.
I have started using Everyday Minerals. http://www.everydayminerals.com/
The makeup here is good, natural, and inexpensive. Now from what I have heard no make up is perfectly safe and you should really go without but who can actually do that all the time? I need my makeup to make me feel and look better. So I wanted to go with a mineral makeup because there would be none of those nasty chemicals and they are better for the environment. Everyday minerals are only available online but their prices are amazing especially if you buy a custom kit. To start with tough you can get a free kit of foundation, blush, and concealer you just pay shipping about 3-4 dollars. Read through all their information it can help you choose the colors that are right for your skin.
I use my homemade toothpaste, lotion, lip balm, face scrub, and deodorant. I am looking for body wash, shampoo, and conditioner I have tried a few things but I am still on the search for the best thing for me (easy and cheap). I have found a makeup I like.
I have started using Everyday Minerals. http://www.everydayminerals.com/
The makeup here is good, natural, and inexpensive. Now from what I have heard no make up is perfectly safe and you should really go without but who can actually do that all the time? I need my makeup to make me feel and look better. So I wanted to go with a mineral makeup because there would be none of those nasty chemicals and they are better for the environment. Everyday minerals are only available online but their prices are amazing especially if you buy a custom kit. To start with tough you can get a free kit of foundation, blush, and concealer you just pay shipping about 3-4 dollars. Read through all their information it can help you choose the colors that are right for your skin.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Andon’s favorite lunch
Lunch is always a big decision I get tired of grilled cheese and I want to be sure I am making something healthy and giving Andon variety. So I found a recipe to try and after adjusting it to my taste I have a good lunch recipe both Andon and I like.
Veggie Nuggets
1 cup chopped fresh or frozen veggies (we like carrots and broccoli)
1 cup shredded cheese
3 slices whole wheat bread
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon water
Heat oven to 375° F. Cut up the bread into very small pieces. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Form the mixture into nuggets and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 min.
Let cool and enjoy with some ranch for dipping.
Veggie Nuggets
1 cup chopped fresh or frozen veggies (we like carrots and broccoli)
1 cup shredded cheese
3 slices whole wheat bread
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon water
Heat oven to 375° F. Cut up the bread into very small pieces. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Form the mixture into nuggets and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 min.
Let cool and enjoy with some ranch for dipping.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Organic eating
Eating organic is one of my biggest goals this year. As I started researching natural living I discovered how many pesticides and chemicals are in the food we eat. Eating organic is not just for your body but the environment as well. Organic food is made without chemicals so there are no chemicals washing into the ground and rivers. Plus there are no chemicals entering your body.
I really thought we were eating healthy. We always ate fresh fruits and veggies and I made sure we had lots of protein and grains in our diet. I would always get comments at work about the good food I brought. Rarely did I eat a TV dinner or go out for fast food. I guess in the large scale of how many Americans eat I was eating healthy but in reality I was not doing all I could do eat well.
When you realize you are shaping someone’s eating habits for the rest of their life you began to really look carefully at what you are doing. I decided we would have no more junk food sitting around the house. Although Stephen was not too pleased I stopped buying cookies and sugary snacks. Once we ate what we had it was gone and I was not going to buy more. If I really wanted cookies then I would make them at least then I knew what was going in to them and I could control the ingredients.
With our new budget eating out many times a week has ended. We now eat out about 2-3 times a month and other then that I cook dinner. This does not mean that I am spending hours everyday cooking. When we do have a frozen pizza or boxed pasta I make sure I have bought something with natural and organic ingredients. I do spend a lot of time now looking at the ingredients on packages and if I can not pronounce or I do not know what an ingredient is I tend to think again before buying it.
I am far from perfect and sometimes it is hard to find organic products so not everything we eat is organic. I do my best and I am lucky to have HEB which has a lot of organic products. Some things are more important to buy organic then others. I put dairy products (especially milk and eggs), fruits and vegetables, and baking supplies at the top of my list. Yes it can be more expensive to buy organic but the benefits are well worth it.
You do not have to change everything at once. I was way overwhelmed in January and February until I decided to give myself a year to go natural now I love every step because I do not feel rushed or forced. So I am asking you to try something little switch one or two things to organic and go from there. If we spend our money on organic products companies will began to understand that we do not want the chemical products in our body.
I really thought we were eating healthy. We always ate fresh fruits and veggies and I made sure we had lots of protein and grains in our diet. I would always get comments at work about the good food I brought. Rarely did I eat a TV dinner or go out for fast food. I guess in the large scale of how many Americans eat I was eating healthy but in reality I was not doing all I could do eat well.
When you realize you are shaping someone’s eating habits for the rest of their life you began to really look carefully at what you are doing. I decided we would have no more junk food sitting around the house. Although Stephen was not too pleased I stopped buying cookies and sugary snacks. Once we ate what we had it was gone and I was not going to buy more. If I really wanted cookies then I would make them at least then I knew what was going in to them and I could control the ingredients.
With our new budget eating out many times a week has ended. We now eat out about 2-3 times a month and other then that I cook dinner. This does not mean that I am spending hours everyday cooking. When we do have a frozen pizza or boxed pasta I make sure I have bought something with natural and organic ingredients. I do spend a lot of time now looking at the ingredients on packages and if I can not pronounce or I do not know what an ingredient is I tend to think again before buying it.
I am far from perfect and sometimes it is hard to find organic products so not everything we eat is organic. I do my best and I am lucky to have HEB which has a lot of organic products. Some things are more important to buy organic then others. I put dairy products (especially milk and eggs), fruits and vegetables, and baking supplies at the top of my list. Yes it can be more expensive to buy organic but the benefits are well worth it.
You do not have to change everything at once. I was way overwhelmed in January and February until I decided to give myself a year to go natural now I love every step because I do not feel rushed or forced. So I am asking you to try something little switch one or two things to organic and go from there. If we spend our money on organic products companies will began to understand that we do not want the chemical products in our body.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Lotion, Lip Balm, and Face Scrub
Lotion
Since your body absorbs what you put on your skin I decided I wanted to take a closer look at my lotion. I found there were chemicals I would never think of eating yet I was placing them on my body and therefore in my body everyday. I made this lotion and love it. I use it for my body and face as well as my arm pits to make everything nice and soft. With beeswax I grate it first with a micro grater.
Lotion
½ TBS Beeswax
3 TBS Cocoa Butter
2 TBS Almond oil
½ TBS Cornstarch
½ TBS Vitamin E
Melt beeswax and coco butter in a double broiler. Take off of heat. Add almond oil and mix well. Add cornstarch and mix until smooth. Add the E last. Place the lotion in a container and let cool in the fridge.
Lip Balm
Even more then lotion lip balm enters your body whenever you put it on. Through my research I also found just how bad Vaseline and petroleum based products are for your skin. So I came up with a lip balm I love. Sometimes I add peppermint essential oil for taste and smell.
Lip Balm
2 ½ tsp Beeswax
3 tsp Cocoa Butter
2 tsp Almond oil
1 tsp Vitamin E
Melt beeswax and coco butter in a double broiler. Take off of heat. Add almond oil and mix well. Add the E last. Place the lotion in a container and let cool in the fridge.
Face Scrub
I needed something to clean and scrub my face in the morning. I tried baking soda and water but it dried my face out too much. I developed this mixture which I really like and Stephen even uses it. I use a bar of castile soap to wash my face at night. and this in the morning in the shower.
Face Scrub
2 TBS Almond oil
1 tsp Lavender
1 tsp Tea Tree oil
½ cup Baking Soda
1 TBS Vitamin E
2 TBS Liquid Castile soap
Mix all ingredients except castile soap. Add the castile soap last.
Since your body absorbs what you put on your skin I decided I wanted to take a closer look at my lotion. I found there were chemicals I would never think of eating yet I was placing them on my body and therefore in my body everyday. I made this lotion and love it. I use it for my body and face as well as my arm pits to make everything nice and soft. With beeswax I grate it first with a micro grater.
Lotion
½ TBS Beeswax
3 TBS Cocoa Butter
2 TBS Almond oil
½ TBS Cornstarch
½ TBS Vitamin E
Melt beeswax and coco butter in a double broiler. Take off of heat. Add almond oil and mix well. Add cornstarch and mix until smooth. Add the E last. Place the lotion in a container and let cool in the fridge.
Lip Balm
Even more then lotion lip balm enters your body whenever you put it on. Through my research I also found just how bad Vaseline and petroleum based products are for your skin. So I came up with a lip balm I love. Sometimes I add peppermint essential oil for taste and smell.
Lip Balm
2 ½ tsp Beeswax
3 tsp Cocoa Butter
2 tsp Almond oil
1 tsp Vitamin E
Melt beeswax and coco butter in a double broiler. Take off of heat. Add almond oil and mix well. Add the E last. Place the lotion in a container and let cool in the fridge.
Face Scrub
I needed something to clean and scrub my face in the morning. I tried baking soda and water but it dried my face out too much. I developed this mixture which I really like and Stephen even uses it. I use a bar of castile soap to wash my face at night. and this in the morning in the shower.
Face Scrub
2 TBS Almond oil
1 tsp Lavender
1 tsp Tea Tree oil
½ cup Baking Soda
1 TBS Vitamin E
2 TBS Liquid Castile soap
Mix all ingredients except castile soap. Add the castile soap last.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Toothpaste and Deodorant
Toothpaste
Did you know one of the ingredients in most toothpaste can actually cause canker sores? Well I use to get lots of those little guys in my mouth and they are painful. So when I learned about the chemical sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate Floride is a crock also. It is way more dangerous then good for you. I decided I would try making my own toothpaste. Well after a few trials I came up with a recipe I love. The best part is since I started using it in February I have not had one canker sore!!! Another bonus is that I use only food grade ingredients therefore it is safe for Andon. He loves it and when I started using it on his toothbrush he actually let me brush his teeth.
Toothpaste
8 TBS Baking Soda
4 TBS Hot Water
20 drops of essential oil for flavoring (peppermint, cinnamon)
Mix all ingredients and then place into a squeeze bottle.
Deodorant
Ok I have always sweated a lot no matter what I use so I thought going natural really could not be worse. I found through research antiperspirant that clogs your pores and stops sweat is all chemicals and there really is no natural remedy. I decided I would try an easy natural recipe first and see what happens.
I read that Apple Cider Vinegar is great at keeping you from smelling. The vinegar kills the bacteria that makes you smell. Vinegar is very cheep so I decided to try it. It worked so well I was amazed. I then started brushing on a mixture of baking soda and cornstarch to help absorb sweat. Together the two work well but my arm pits were becoming rough and dry. Now after showering I rub on a little lotion then spray with the apple cider vinegar and last I brush on my baking soda mixture. I still sweat sometimes but no more then I did with chemical deodorant in fact I think I am sweating less now then before.
Liquid Deodorant
Apple Cider Vinegar
A few drops of an antibacterial essential oil such as lavender
Place ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake to blend.
Deodorant Powder
Equal parts of baking soda and cornstarch
Place the ingredients in a jar and shake to blend.
Spray the liquid deodorant to underarm. Allow a few minutes to dry and then dust on deodorant powder with a makeup brush.
Did you know one of the ingredients in most toothpaste can actually cause canker sores? Well I use to get lots of those little guys in my mouth and they are painful. So when I learned about the chemical sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate Floride is a crock also. It is way more dangerous then good for you. I decided I would try making my own toothpaste. Well after a few trials I came up with a recipe I love. The best part is since I started using it in February I have not had one canker sore!!! Another bonus is that I use only food grade ingredients therefore it is safe for Andon. He loves it and when I started using it on his toothbrush he actually let me brush his teeth.
Toothpaste
8 TBS Baking Soda
4 TBS Hot Water
20 drops of essential oil for flavoring (peppermint, cinnamon)
Mix all ingredients and then place into a squeeze bottle.
Deodorant
Ok I have always sweated a lot no matter what I use so I thought going natural really could not be worse. I found through research antiperspirant that clogs your pores and stops sweat is all chemicals and there really is no natural remedy. I decided I would try an easy natural recipe first and see what happens.
I read that Apple Cider Vinegar is great at keeping you from smelling. The vinegar kills the bacteria that makes you smell. Vinegar is very cheep so I decided to try it. It worked so well I was amazed. I then started brushing on a mixture of baking soda and cornstarch to help absorb sweat. Together the two work well but my arm pits were becoming rough and dry. Now after showering I rub on a little lotion then spray with the apple cider vinegar and last I brush on my baking soda mixture. I still sweat sometimes but no more then I did with chemical deodorant in fact I think I am sweating less now then before.
Liquid Deodorant
Apple Cider Vinegar
A few drops of an antibacterial essential oil such as lavender
Place ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake to blend.
Deodorant Powder
Equal parts of baking soda and cornstarch
Place the ingredients in a jar and shake to blend.
Spray the liquid deodorant to underarm. Allow a few minutes to dry and then dust on deodorant powder with a makeup brush.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Beauty products
One of the first things I really changed when going natural was my beauty products.
First off you can not believe advertising. Most things you see that say natural really are not. There are no regulations as to what can be called natural in the beauty world. I looked at a lot of products and there are a few which are actually natural and some at ok prices. I decided though to try my hand at making some products in order to hopefully save money and make something I would feel safe using not only on myself but also on Andon
The internet has been my friend through this. I have spent a ton of time looking up recipes for different beauty products. I was looking for things that were easy to make with ingredients I could find at my local grocery store (HEB). Well I came up with some things I love and some even Stephen will use. Sometimes I think of switching things up with different oils or Shea Butter but everything is working well and I do not have the money to spend on experimenting. If you try one of my recipes let me know how it goes and feel free to change anything you want. I will post my recipes as I organize and get them written up.
First off you can not believe advertising. Most things you see that say natural really are not. There are no regulations as to what can be called natural in the beauty world. I looked at a lot of products and there are a few which are actually natural and some at ok prices. I decided though to try my hand at making some products in order to hopefully save money and make something I would feel safe using not only on myself but also on Andon
The internet has been my friend through this. I have spent a ton of time looking up recipes for different beauty products. I was looking for things that were easy to make with ingredients I could find at my local grocery store (HEB). Well I came up with some things I love and some even Stephen will use. Sometimes I think of switching things up with different oils or Shea Butter but everything is working well and I do not have the money to spend on experimenting. If you try one of my recipes let me know how it goes and feel free to change anything you want. I will post my recipes as I organize and get them written up.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Mast Cell Disease
According to the dermatologist Andon has Urticaria pigmentosa a form of Mast Cell Disease. Basically he is fine he just has brown spots on his tummy, back, neck, and face. We are lucky because they do not seem to bother him.
http://www.skinsite.com/info_urticaria_pigmentosa.htm
http://skin-care.health-cares.net/urticaria-pigmentosa.php
It is amazing though because some of the triggers that can make it worse are perfumes, dyes, and other unnatural things. It is a good thing we are living more natural maybe it will help. You can see the spots on his forehead in this picture. (as well as his runny nose)
http://www.skinsite.com/info_urticaria_pigmentosa.htm
http://skin-care.health-cares.net/urticaria-pigmentosa.php
It is amazing though because some of the triggers that can make it worse are perfumes, dyes, and other unnatural things. It is a good thing we are living more natural maybe it will help. You can see the spots on his forehead in this picture. (as well as his runny nose)
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