5 on Friday - Staying Healthy

With a new baby in daycare, it's just a matter of time before the first illness hits.  I've been fighting the beginning stages of a cold for the past week and I'm praying that I can keep it at bay until after our floors are done.

My tried and true methods of fighting the germs:

1.
Boiron

I often pick Cold Calm before I grab anything else.

I also like their Sinusalia because I'm prone to sinus infections.

I do believe taking Cold Calm for the past week has prevented the beginning stages of my cold to progress into a full blown cold.

#wiggydiggy gets the Children's version.

2.
Oil Diffusing

I have diffusers in most of our rooms.  I keep Lavender going in the boys rooms for sleep, but once the weather turns I keep Thieves going in our main rooms.

Yes, I do buy most of our oils to diffuse (and diffusers) at TJ Maxx.    However, Thieves and Purification are blends I only trust to Young Living.  I need to order another bottle to keep at work for my work diffuser now!


3.
Vinegar

I wrote about how we moved to a more natural way of cleaning here.  I still use vinegar to clean most everything.  I also use microfiber cloths instead of paper towels for my cleaning as well.

Pro-tip:  Buy the microfiber multi pack from Home Depot.
18 towels for under $10

4.
Neti-pot

I bought our at CVS.  I use it daily when I'm sick, and every few days when I'm not.  It gets very dry in Montana in the winter, so every little bit helps.

5.
Vitamins!

#wiggydiggy takes L'il Critters.  We recently added Immune C to his morning routine.

I can honestly say I noticed a difference once it joined his multi vitamin and Calcium gummies.  We had a rough January with the flu and Hand, Foot, Mouth.  I ordered these post illness and he hasn't even had a cold!  His classroom was hit hard with a cough and cold in May (when #biggywigs was born) and he was unscathed.

I've been taking pre-natal vitamins since I was 20 or so per my Dr's recommendation.  (I need additional iron).  I've tried many, including gummies, but I always come back to Nature Made 

I do take the Nature Made Prenatal with DHA when I'm pregnant, but otherwise I stick to what works!

And of course, I always drink water.  I love my Glass Camelbak and I easily drink 4 or 5 bottles worth during work.  I have a harder time drinking water once I get home, but I make it my goal to drink a whole bottle before bed.

Do you do anything to help stay healthy during the winter months?

P.S.  As always, I link to Amazon (because I love Amazon) and it's easy to find everything.  I live in the flipping boonies and often can't find anything in stores.  So....convenience. 

Five on Friday - Natural Product Edition

I had a kick in my pants last weekend when I read the ingredients in my deodorant.
ALUMINIUM.

I know this.  I've heard about it for years.  I just never paid any attention to it.
Most of the urban legends of breast cancer and alzheimer's have been mostly debunked by science, but it still makes my skin crawl.

So we made the switch to natural deodorant!

1.
Schmidt's Deodorant

I picked up our first one from a local Natural Grocers.
No smell from either of us, but we do sweat more than before. This is because there is no Aluminium blocking the glands.  But there is no BO smell!

Justin stole the Lime from me for himself so I ordered the Lavender.  My next order is the Ylang-Ylang for me and Cedarwood for Justin.

2.
My Magic Mud Toothpaste

When I bought the deodorant, I saw some Activated Charcoal a few shelves over.  I've read about the benefits for brushing your teeth so I decided to give it a try.

Minus the shock of a black mouth, I love it!  Justin decided to give it a try to, so I'll report back on how we like it after a week or so of use.  (So far, I feel like my mouth is cleaner than with regular toothpaste)

3.

Apple Cider Vinegar

This has been making the rounds on the internet and Pinterest for a while now.  I deicded to give it a whirl while we are trying other natural products.

So now I'm using it in various ways to see if I see any difference.

4.

Perfectly Posh

I think I've mentioned them before - but this is a natural beauty product company.  I busted out the Purifier Skin stick after we had some bug bites one evening.  I really liked it!  I feel better using an all natural solution vs one full of chemicals on #wiggydiggy and myself.

Next up - I want to try the Go West face mask and Just Chillin skin stick.  I think that skin stick will be great this summer!

5.

My Essential Oil trade off

I really enjoy my Young Living oils, but I felt like I was wasn't getting the best bang for my buck when I used my diffusers.

So....I picked up the scents I liked at TJMaxx for cheap to use in the diffuser only.  Now I can save my Young Living oils are for topical uses!

We love these diffusers in our bedrooms.

Have a Happy Friday!

Some Damn Good Face Wash

Before we get to the review - just a quick overview of what was going on to lead me in that direction.

I have hormonal acne.  Nothing is more exciting for fun for a 30 something to deal with on a monthly basis.  I was fortunate to not really deal with acne between getting off birth control and getting pregnant.  My skin remained clear up until about two months after I had stopped nursing, then the fun began.  I did not get back on birth control for a myriad of reasons but after almost of year of dealing with painful cystic acne that flared up every 3-4 weeks, I was ready for other options.

I had shopped the aisles of Target and CVS and purchased almost every OTC acne treatment out there to no avail.  I also had a hard time putting all of those chemicals on my skin knowing that I was trying to RID my house of chemicals.  Around late summer I was doing some research in natural skin care and came across Tea Tree Oil for acne.  This method was helping some.  I felt immensely better about cutting all of the chemical treatments out of my skin care routine, but I wanted something that did even more than the Tea Tree Oil.

Late fall I started washing my face with coconut oil with great results.  Here in Montana, the winters are VERY dry, so the extra moisture from the oil was a god send.  I was using less moisturizer with frankincense oil!

BUT.....

My hormonal acne was still acting up.  Some months were more painful than others and even though I had a handle on the small little flare ups (think white heads, surface pimples, etc) the cystic acne was not getting any better.

If you've ever had cystic acne, you know what I'm talking about.  They hurt for a week before even "showing" up on your face.  The pain is deep and they are sensitive to the touch.  UGH UGH UGH.

I made an appointment with a dermatologist, but it was 4 months before I could get in.  Not pleasant.  I decided to go full blown natural skin care to see if it would have any impact.
Enter Damn Good Face Wash.

When it arrived I was bursting with excitement!!  For three weeks I washed my face every night, used the toner, and moisturizing oil.  In the morning I was still using my Cetephil bar in the shower but I used the moisturizer instead of my face lotion.

I was using:

The Works

The Works

The Works

At the end of three weeks, I had noticed a difference in my breakouts.  Not enough to cancel my appointment, but enough to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I also noticed I used too much of the face wash at one time.  Whoops.

I started removing my makeup with coconut oil and THEN washing my face with The Works face scrub.  I was able to stretch my scrub out to almost 6 weeks.

My take away?

Awesome stuff!!!   However, I still have a TON of toner and oil left and no face wash.  I think I'll stick to coconut oil as my face wash for now, but I'll definitely keep the toner and oil around.  Next time I place an order, I'm going to get The Problem Child oil.  I'm curious to see if it will work on my acne more.  I'm also looking at this Damn Good Clay.

I don't regret making the switch to all natural skin care.  Of everything I've come across so far - this is the best.  It's Damn Good. :)

I love the feel of my skin now.  Even with this hard winter, I haven't been plagued with a dry, flaky face.  I won't go back to using store bought skin care as long as Damn Good is an option.

Check out Bridget at Tales of Me and the Husband.  Her sister is the genius behind this product!

*they don't know who I am and have no clue I wrote this.*

Whole30 Juicing

Juicing isn't exactly encouraged on the Whole30 regimen.  However, our little man LOVES his homemade juice with dinner and I love knowing that I can get a few more vegetables into our diet than we would otherwise.

Our juicer

I don't use the juice as a meal replacement only as a supplement.  I also make sure half of the juice is vegetables so the sugar isn't taking over.

Our standard juice is:

Kale/spinach blend

1/2 - 1 Cucumber

 3 Celery

3 Carrots

1-2 Apple

1 Orange

1/4 Pineapple

This makes enough for all three of us....for now.  #wiggydiggy drinks as much as Justin and I do!

When we start Whole30 in January, I'm going to keep juicing in our routine because it's incorporated into our dinner, not replacing it.   Any way I can sneak extra vegetables into #wiggydiggy and Justin, is a good thing!

Some fruits and vegetables I'm looking forward to mixing in:

Beet Root

Pear

Swiss Chard

Zucchini

Mango

Another benefit of juicing - it's helping me kick my caffeine cravings.  Once we started juicing regularly, I wasn't needing a latte as often.  I'm trying hard to cut back so that I'll be coffee free starting in 2017.

Whole30 Snacks

With Thanksgiving two days away, I wanted to share some Whole30 Snack ideas that I'm keeping on hand.  Besides the obvious - whole fruits and veggies (think: sliced fruit, grapes, blackberries, carrot sticks, sliced veggies etc).

Those are delicious and great snacks - but I like to mix it up so I don't feel like I'm stuck eating nothing but salads.

Nuts are great (but NOT peanuts)  I love sunflower seeds.  Bonus if they are in their shells - removing them is a distraction and time killer if you are guilty of snacking without thinking!

I love appetizer trays for the olives and pickles!
(careful on pickles though.  Bubbies Brand is the best, but Clausen will do)

Potato Wedges

I'm making these for our Thanksgiving meal.  Great as both a snack and mashed potato replacement.  Dairy is a no-no on Whole30

Sweet Potato Sticks

I'm so excited to try these!

Any good snacks you like?

Whole30 Prepwork

The concept of Whole30 has intrigued me for the better part of a year.  On my own I had already started cutting out processed/artificial food and drinks.  I've been soda and red bull free for about 6 months now.  I've been cutting out sugary snacks, but Halloween was a huge test for me.   Only a few bite sized candy bars were eaten and everything else was handed out to trick or treaters!  The day after Halloween we were candy free in our house.

I have always been in tune with my body.  My chiropractor has joked that I can feel every shift of muscle and bone.  He's not far off!  Now that I'm paying even more attention to how I feel after eating certain foods, I'm beginning to have a clear picture of cause and effect.

Long winded intro to say I'm going to try Whole30 after the New Year.

I'm not crazy enough to do it over the holidays!  Haha.

By mentally preparing during the hardest season to eat healthy, I know that January will be a successful month.

I've been laying the groundwork and taking Step 5 by storm.  (Step 5: Get Your House in Order)
I'm making as many meals as I can now with all of the non-Whole30 compliant foods we have.  This means lots of pasta, rice, beans, etc.  By making as many meals now as I can, I means that when I run out of something, I'm filling it with a Whole30 compliant food instead.

Already my salad dressing has gotten a face lift.

Pinterest has helped immensely.  I'm already incorporating Whole30 recipes and meal plans into my lunch rotation.

I'm going to try Cauliflower Rice this weekend.

If you've done Whole30 before - have any good recipes to share? 

Essential Oils - Skin Care Addition

A while back I mentioned that I started putting Frankincense oil in my face lotion (see here).

Two months later?  I LOVE IT.  My skin is so smooth and baby soft!

I also use diluted Tea Tree oil in my skin care routine.



Post Breastfeeding wreaked havoc on my face.  I was blemish free all through pregnancy and breastfeeding.  Then one morning, a week or so after finishing nursing -  BAM.  Major breakout.  Now my hormones cause a breakout every month, but each month that passes, there are fewer and fewer blemishes I have to contend with.

I have a hard time putting chemicals on my skin now.  Not only do I get horribly dry spots that peel and can't be covered in make-up, I don't know how the chemical affect other parts of my body.  With Tea Tree, I have no peeling skin, no extra redness, and no worries!  Personally I've seen faster results from using Tea Tree than I have using any other OTC or prescribed medication.

After I wash my face at night, I get a cotton ball damp and put two drops of tea tree oil on it.  Then I swipe it over my acne prone spots and let dry.  Then I put on my lotion and wake up to buttery soft skin that glows.

Essential Oils - Roller Ball Addition

A while back I talked about my introduction into the world of essential oils/going chemical free.
(See Here)

**Important note: not all essential oils are created equal. The only oils I can recommend in good conscience are Young Living essential oils.**

Over the past few months, I've done a bit of research and experimenting and I wanted to share a few more tips with you!


These roller balls from Amazon are fantastic.

I also order Fractionated Coconut oil from Amazon as well.

I utilize Pinterest as often as I can, but I feel like every time I pin an essential oil tip, the pin is taken down (copyright request).  I've learned to check the website link ASAP and write any recipes down that I like.

How to Use:

I fill my roller ball 3/4 full of Fractionated oil, then put in my Essential Oils.
Shake and roll on when ever you want!


Favorite Recipes:

Sleep Blend
Equal drops of Lavender and Peace and Calming
(use fewer drops for younger children)

Uplifting "Chiropractor in a Bottle" Blend
10 drops Valor

(this oil can also be used neat, but I like the roller ball for easy use)

Fever Reducer
10 drops Peppermint
(use fewer drops for young children - only apply to bottom of feet)

I use this one on #wiggydiggy anytime he begins to run a fever, typically when he's teething, and IT WORKS!

I also use Lavender alone and Peace and Calming alone.  I carry Peace and Calming with me everywhere.


Do you have any favorite roller ball recipes?

Natural Cleaning

A few months ago Justin and I watched a documentary on Netflix:

The Human Experiment

I had already started moving towards natural cleaning and eating, but this documentary really set the wheels in motion.

I went out to Amazon that week and bought a 6 pack of glass bottles with BPA free sprayers:

I follow an adorable blogger Jen at The Coffeehouse and she has an amazing Oils page that has great recipes for cleaning naturally.  I followed her homemade multi surface cleaner recipe and haven't looked back:

From Jen:

Multi-Surface Cleaner

16 ounce glass spray bottle

Fill half full with distilled white vinegar

Add 10 drops Lemon essential oil

Fill the rest of the bottle with distilled water

Shake and spray and dance and clean!

In our kitchen I use Lemon Essential Oil, in the living areas (our dining room, bar area, living room) I use Lavender, and in the bathrooms I use Peppermint.  The essential oil is really *necessary* but the smell helps cover up the vinegar.

Our fantastic neighbor uses Young Living Oils and when she saw my Instagram post about #wiggydiggy home with his first tummy bug, she brought over DiGize.  That Oil ended up helping me when I came down with the same bug 48 hours later.  

If you are interested in Oils, I would recommend buying a starter kit (the diffuser ALONE is worth it!).  Use code 3328786 if you feel like it ;)  I'll be sending out a small spray bottle with instructions to make a homemade hand sanitizer to anyone who uses my code.  

Since we've turned our whole home into a "chemical free zone", I feel better about cleaning.  I can spray the cleaner on the bathroom counters and toilet while lil man is taking his bath.  There are no fumes to irritate his tiny nose!

Keep in touch!  More recipes to follow :)

*affiliate links used*