Bug Off!

I was searching for natural insect repellents and came across a few ideas that I am going to try.

1. Pure vanilla dabbed on the wrists, neck and ears. And we would smell wonderful, too!

2. Witch hazel with a few drops of either tea tree oil, lavendar oil or peppermint oil in a spray bottle. Lightly mist the body.

3. Rub a lavendar flower on your body and clothes OR~lavendar oil mixed with a carrier oil on the skin. Smelling nice again!

4. 4 drops thyme oil

8 drops lemongrass oil

4 drops lavendar oil

4 drops peppermint oil

~Put 2 drops of this blend in with 2 t. carrier oil such as olive, almond, jojoba

~OR~put 5 drops of the above blend with 1 T witch hazel and 4 T water.

Father, We Thank Thee

Father, we thank Thee
For this wonderful day,
For all our blessings
Along life's way.
Guide us, protect us,
And forgive all our sins.
And be ever present
As this day now begins.
Amen.

Grandpa Storm used this as a table grace and we do, too, but I love it as a morning prayer, too.
The original table grace uses the word 'meal' instead of 'day'.

Natural Homemade Sunsreen

I don't think it makes sense to load up my family's skin with chemicals just to protect it from something God so lovingly provided~
~the sun!

So I go to the health store and buy Aubrey Organics Natural Sun lotion made with herbs and green tea.
It's exspensive but well worth it.

I might make my own sunscreen this year, though, with one of these recipes:

Recipe #1:
Buy zinc oxide ointment in the diaper rash section of your favorite store and mix it with your favorite natural lotion.
My friend, Melissa, makes wonderful natural lotion that I just love and use for my reflexology business. She has a beautiful etsy shop @ www.ElegantRoseBoutique.etsy.com.

Recipe #2:
3 T grated beeswax
3 T shea butter
1 T avocado oil
1 T coconut oil
1 T sesame oil
1 T olive, almond, jajoba or sunflower oil
3 T aloe vera gel
3 T lavendar hydrosol
1/2 t. borax powder (laundry section)
1 vitamin E gel caplet

~Melt in double boiler: beeswax, shea butter, avocado oil, coconut oil, sesame oil and olive, almond, jajoba or sunflower oil. Do not boil. Remove from heat.
~Add vitamin E caplet to oil/butter mixture.
~Warm aloe vera gel, lavendar hydrosol and borax in separate pan until well blended.
~Mix aloe vera mixture with butter/oil mixture and whisk until creamy.
~Store in airtight jar and refirigerate.
~Will last up to 1 month.
~You can add 5-6 drops of grapefruit seed extract (natural preservative) to mixture and it will last up to a year.

Recipe #3:

1. On low, heat 1 cup olive or almond oil.

2. Add 1 oz. crumbled beeswax to heated oil until wax melts completely.

3. Remove from heat and immediately add 2 T zinc oxide. Mix thorougly.

4. Pour into sealable container and store in refrigerator. Shake container if oils separate.

Eating deep green, red and yellow fresh produce also protects the skin and provides tons of antioxidants, so remember to get those in if you want to be healthy in the sun!

And you know what they say about avoiding too much sun exposure between the hours of 10:00-2:00. I think we should just be wise about it and wear a hat, etc.

The sun is a GOOD friend, not a bad one, but I think we should use a little caution.

I am sure all of you had a grandparent that you remember wearing hats and long sleeves in the summertime.

They weren't laying around baking in the sun.

Well, maybe some of you might have to think way back to the great-grandparents!

Anyway, give these recipes a try or check out Aubrey Organics products.

My Super-Easy June Wokout

My exercise classes are done for the summer!

I need a plan to keep me going!

So this is what I am doing for June:

1. Tea time in the morning. Quiet time to calm AND energize me before my day starts (see Tea Time (15 Minutes In the Morning) post)

2. Walk/run. Check out previous post on walking for a few different ideas.

3. 15 minutes of weight training. I absolutely love Joyce Vedral's books and the one I am using now is "Definition" which is a 15 minute workout 6 times a week or 30 minute workout 3 times a week.

Working out with weights is so important for muscle strength, energy, endurance, bone density and re-shaping the body.

4. Yoga and stretching and deep breathing. Even if I just get 15 minutes in, I'm happy!

My plan is to do this workout 5-6 days a week. I try to go rollerblading on Saturday mornings instead of walking and I keep my Tea time and yoga/stretching/breathing for every day!

Working out first thing in the morning works best for me as the day just keeps coming up with all kinds of reasons why I should be doing something else.

Of course, I need to have a plan B and even a plan C on occasion.

Just pick your best time and stick with it for the rest of the month.

So, put your plan down on your calendar, whatever you decide, and enjoy your health, energy and altogether better outlook on life as you get your mind, body and spirit in tip top shape!

I am also going to focus on eating a huge array of colorful, fresh veggies and fruits and drinking my water (12+ glasses per day).

It really is a simple plan-

~Quiet time

~walk/run

~weights

~yoga/breathe

~water

~colorful produce=

Happy mamma, happy family, happy life, happy anyone who comes across her path!