A society of noise…..

I have difficultly with noise.

It was a blessing to move back out to the “country” after spending 10 years away. I forgot how quiet it can be. No constant traffic noise…Or ever present lamp light.  Now that I’ve lived out here for 5 years, I find the town I moved into with a population of 7,000, feels more and more like the 100, 000 in the surrounding area have invaded.

People are too busy to notice what is going on around them. Children chatter constantly not really saying anything; only to hear their own voices. Or they are mesmerized by a little flashy phone.

I am trying to teach my children something….new.

…too be quiet.

…to listen.

..to watch

…and inevitability to learn.

How do you battle the society of drones?

Homemade Healing Salve

This floated by on my FB page, the other day, from Happy Homemaker…a homemade, all natural, Neosporin-type healing salve.

Homemade, All Natural, ALMOST Organic, Healing Salve

It caught my eye, the DH and I were JUST having this conversation about the chemicals found in personal care products and my research on toothpaste. AND…Voila, here is a natural recipe for another one of his favorite tubes of CRAP!!

All the while, he’s still going about his day using products the kids and I no longer use.

Think I’m getting some resistance? Nah!

 

The best part….I have all the ingredients on-hand! How freakin often does that ever happen in a wife’s life?

Seriously…. My instant gratification addiction is rarely ever sated.

Ingredients List

• 1 cup Coconut Oil
• 1 cup Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup Calendula Petals
• 1/2 cup Comfrey Leaf
• 4 oz Beeswax
• 4 tbsp Honey
• 20 drops Lavender Essential Oil

Finding my “Craft Pot,” I starting warming my oils over low flame.

DO NOT LET IT SIMMER….Somewhere about 110* is perfect.

One cup coconut oil and one cup olive oil into the pot!

( I happened to already have infused calendula oil that needed to be used, so I supplemented a 1/2 cup)

Next…in go the herbs.

One HALF cup Calendula petals and one HALF cup Comfrey Leaf

***Note: the picture is wrong, I ALMOST forgot I was doubling the recipe ***

Herb infused oils

This I allowed to stew a couple hours…only because I was in no rush and was simply enjoying my quiet house.  The longer it takes the more infused the oils will become.

Next….strain the herbs from the oil and return it to the clean pot. Mix in the 4 tablespoons of honey and whisk it into the warm oil. Honey DOES NOT like oil. Next time I may use a stick blender.

Shred or grate 4 ounces of beeswax and add it to the pot.

4 oz of beeswax

Beeswax has a wonderfully light honey fragrance while its melting.

Once the wax is completely melted, remove from heat and add your 20 drops of Lavender Essential Oil.

Mix…mix…mix and pour into the waiting containers. I used two 1/2 pint mason jars with plastic lids. I also had enough leftover to make two small tins for “On-The-Go.”  (One my son uses for his eczema at school and the other I carry in my winter jacket)

As the salve cools you will need to stir it to keep the honey and oils from separating in the container.

A spoon will make a God Awful Mess, slopping creamy wax everywhere. I switched to a wooden kabob skewer….Worked like a charm.

This salve smells good, feels good, works well and was a cinch to make.

***Looking for holistic livestock remedies too….this is AWESOME***

Homemade, All Natural, ALMOST Organic, Healing Salve

~I’m off like a crazy woman

Why bother with homemade toothpaste?

In a previous post I wrote about how simple it is to make homemade toothpaste.

But I neglected to explain WHY I feel its important to STOP using commercially prepared oral hygiene products. They ALL contain fluoride by the way, so does boxed fruit juices and a few other kid foods.

PLEASE take a moment to read the ENTIRE post.

As I’m researching this, I am SO glad we switched.

Lets start with Sodium Fluoride…

Sodium Fluoride in an inorganic chemical compound and it is toxic.

The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) lists it as a…..

“Danger! Causes irritation and possible burns by all routes of exposure. May be fatal if swallowed. Contact with acids liberates toxic gas. May cause lung damage. Moisture sensitive.

Here is an article from 1996 regarding the toxicity of fluoride
and the most interesting reading, I think….if you can set aside the fact that they have been poisoning our kids with this s*** FOR YEARS!!

Ever wonder why our children have had such an increase in behavioral problems? Look at what scientific studies report about fluoride outside of the United States…..Here.

An article, Sodium Fluoride: The Obedience Drug, by Dr. Stephen Cooter describes, in detail, how the sodium fluoride is a by product of the aluminum industry and has neurological effects on the human brain….leading to ADHD.

From LiveStrong.com…fluoride in drink water causes BONE CANCER. Yay!

“Osteosarcoma Sodium fluoride in drinking water has been associated with the development of osteosarcoma, according to the American Cancer Society. Osteosarcoma is a cancer of the bones. This disease occurs when fluoride accumulates where bone growth is occurring. Sodium fluoride in the water may accelerate cell growth, and possibly increase the development of cancerous cells. However, more studies are needed to fully explore this potential side effect.”

Following along on the back of the tube of chemical paste. Please note that is the ONLY ingredient listed on the package IS sodium fluoride.

The next thing that caught my eye….a patent number….SO….I looked it up.

Patent Number 6740311

Most of the citations on the patent are “harmless” until you see the reference from Fox Chase Cancer Center regarding bioactive molecules??

What in the HELL are bio-active molecules and why do they have anything to do with TOOTHPASTE?? I do not know…but this is geek speak I can barely read.

Needless to say, after almost 3 hours of research, the chemical structure of “normal” toothpaste is beyond my comprehension.

Screw it!!

I quit….my brain is full. Thanks.

Just say NO to TOOTHPASTE!!

Homemade toothpaste…

Many things have encouraged me to eliminate chemicals from my family’s daily life.

My small collection of essential oils

Thoughts like…

“Why are there warning labels on toothpaste?”…

“Why would I give my kids toothpaste that says, ‘Do not swallow.’” and “contact poison control”

“If it’s SO bad…why should it be in their mouths in the FIRST PLACE?”

Hello?? Fastest place to absorb chemicals is through your soft tissue, isn’t it?

Oh yeah… that’s right…. because some “scientist” told me too? I find, more often then not, overly educated people are IDIOTS and have lost sight of logic. Having been stuck in a book for so long, they no longer ponder…WHY.

I could go on with…. “What part of our body ISN’T absorbent?” BUT…I’ll save THAT ‘Bunny Trail’ for a later date.

Homemade toothpaste is SUPER EASY.

1 to 1 ratio of coconut oil to baking soda….add essential oil to taste.

Mix with a fork.

I smoothed it out in a one ounce tin and popped it in the fridge to solidify.

I used cinnamon. It has its drawbacks….like burning the CRAP out of your face.

LOL

Talk about sensitive absorbent skin….ya, tell me about it.

~I’m off like a Crazy Woman

Here are some links:
Essential Oil Collection
Cinnamon Bark, Clove, Lavender, Lemon, Eucalyptus & Rosemary

My favorite brand of Coconut Oil

Dishsoap…My way.

{Update: I did remove the orange peel from the soap. However, it rounded out the citrus smell, nicely…so I’ll do it again.}

It’s almost February in the beautiful frozen North and I decided this morning to make something FUN.

The house was just a little too quiet, so I popped over to You Tube found some tunes, and started belting out the lyrics in my kitchen as I mixed together a dish soap recipe.

• 2 Lemons
• 1 Orange
• 9 cups of water
• 1 bar of soap, shaved
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 20 drops of lemon essential oil

The whole thing is fairly straight forward….seriously.

I grated one bar of my homemade “Nothing” soap…. 4-5 oz??

I really need to own a REAL freakin cheese grater…this one a pain in the ass

I cleaned out the fridge a couple weeks ago and salvaged these two ketchup bottles….two out of the FOUR I HAD IN THERE!!!  ***Boys!!!***

I had two geriatric lemons setting in my garden window, so I figured I’d chunk them up and simmer them in 5 cups of water.  Along with the lemons, I threw in some leftover orange peels.

Squeezing, mashing and stirring…

I simmered them for 30 mins on low, extracting as much of the oil out of the skins as I could.

Straining the liquid into a glass bowl, I set aside the cooling rind.

Returning the citrus water back to my leaky cauldron (approximately 4 cups) I pour in the 1 1/4 cups of shaved “Nothing” Soap and 4 more cups of hot water…

Soap melts fairly quickly….

The amount of bubbles you will have, will depend on the type of soap you use. My “Nothing” Soap is made with coconut oil and so it lathers well, some soap does not.  At this point I also add the 1/2 cup of Apple cider vinegar to the soap mixture.

I love the nice lemony color from the citrus fruit 

I diced a few of the large rinds, to put in the bottle for some added color and FUN!

***It’s a grey, blustery morning….SUE ME…I’m well aware it’s going to get stuck in the spout…I don’t care. Think of it as one of those stupid kid toys with the glitter. ***

I also add 10 drops of lemon essential oil to each bottle.

Simple….yet effective.

~So…..I’m off like a herd of turtles

No, I’m not dead….

I’ve been a wee bit busy though.

In Alaska, when spring hits…..it’s “Go Time!!”

With 100 frost-free days you’ve got to be on the ball, come ‘Hell or High Water,’ OR ya might as well waddle your ass back into the cave because you’re destined to eat the truck-ripen produce at the store that has literally been sitting in the back for a month. Sorry.

From planting the garden in May, to fussing with it most of June, we make damn certain all the little plants get off to a good start. Finally!…The foundation for summer is set..you can breathe for a minute. Enjoy.

In July, for the last two years I’ve traveled 200+ miles to fish for Sockeye Salmon. The most delicious, and sot after, of the salmon species. AND in Alaska, only residents get to catch them with a big ass net!! Yee haw! This year I spent 3 out of the 4 weekends on the Kenai peninsula. This is the first real bite of summer.

I really enjoy dip netting from the beach with the sun and the sand. In the end, my chest waders are full of water, I have sand in my hair and I’m slimed from head to toe, but I have a kick ass tan and a grin from ear to ear.

August is harvesting the garden, berry picking, purchasing extra produce to put up in the pantry. And a bit of time to relax before the push to the end.

September, if you’re not tracking a big ass moose 30 miles from the nearest road, you better be cleaning out the garden because snow is looming.

October to the end of the year, I’m trying desperately to slide through the Holidays without scalping anyone. So, I experiment in my kitchen and write…here with you.

Gotta go!! Just stopped in for a minute!

Here’s How You Can Browse the Web Without Being Tracked

Reblogged from askmarion:

Think Big Brother Isn’t watching?? Obama Truth Team’ Orders GoDaddy To Shut Down Website

A political website that contained stinging criticism of the Obama administration and its handling of the Fast and Furious scandal was ordered to be shut down by the Obama campaign’s ‘Truth Team’, according to private investigator Douglas Hagmann, who was told by ISP GoDaddy his site contained information that was “maliciously harmful to individuals in the government.”

Read more… 1,086 more words

This is a blog I follow. It freaks me out most of the time, but having my head in the sand is not an option. Get educated!