A Long Overdue Update

I really do intend to get better about posting regularly! So here is a brief overview of what has happened since June...

As mentioned in a previous post, I spent some time at the Lotus Center for acupuncture and Chinese herbs to help the underlying causes of my infertility. Well, it worked and I got pregnant right away, but unfortunately on July 4, 2013 we lost our fourth baby, Avery. At that time we didn't want to pursue trying because we didn't want anymore heartache. We did, however, continue testing and after months of bloodwork and exams, we still don't have any answers. It took some time, but Tim an I are ok with that and know that God has our backs no matter the situation or outcome. Who knows?...maybe one day we will have a child of our own.  

In November, we added to our family a different way by adopting a kitten (Sabrina). Adding a Kitten in with a miniature Schnauzer (Olive, the tom boy princess), and another cat (Nimbus, ruler of the house) was (and still is!) entertaining to say the least. They all get along well and I have fallen in love with each of their sweet personalities! 

With the new year, Tim and I celebrated our third anniversary and are still very much in love! We also have some trips planned for the year (yay)!

There you have it! A brief overview of a few BIG things that have happened since early summer (and the last real time I blogged). 

Have a stellar Saturday!

Heather

Laundry Stain Removal

Last week at Bible study I accidentally marked on my pants with pen (poor, graffitied pants falling victim to my "graceful" ways!). When I did laundry using our regular soap nut method, the pen marks remained so I decided to find an Oxy-clean like recipe using only ingredients I had in the house. Thanks to a tip from my husband, and google verification, here is the recipe I tried:

2 parts water
1 part baking soda
1 part hydrogen peroxide
                                                          


Mix all ingredients well and pour on the stained area, then wash normally. Easy peasy, right?!?  I let mine sit for about an hour, scrubbing the pen mark stains with an old toothbrush during commercial breaks of a Gilmore Girls episode (a serious guilty pleasure of mine!)

When I put my pants in the washing machine with another load of clothes, I noticed the marks were faded, but still noticeable. I was starting to doubt this method of stain removal, but after the wash cycle the pen marks were gone! See for yourselves....

Before washing/treating, a little hard to see, but the marks are there.

After washing/treating

Marks are gone!

Introducing: Jade Made Creations!

So sorry for the loooong hiatus...I am pretty sure at this point I don't have any readers remaining! I have been enjoying summertime (yay) and haven't made time to blog (boo).  Today's post was inspired because I came across a station on iheartradio called Indie Vegan Cookbook Radio. Of course I had to choose it to see what that was all about. I was pleasantly surprised that the bands/people featured are ones that already listen to through my other stations (I will listen to anything, but alternative & rock are my favorites). So here I am listening to vegan radio and blogging about my crunchy transition.. It is a good day!

Even though I haven't posted anything new to my blog since June doesn't mean I have abandoned my crunchy/natural journey. One of my favorite changes this summer was significantly reducing our household's use of throw away paper towels. This was possible because Tim and I bought some Un-paper towels from one of my friends, a "work-at-home-mom" Jade Chiu! These towels are made of cloth and have snaps on the corners so they can be attached and placed on a paper towel holder. Use them as you would a regular paper towel, but instead of throwing them away, you just wash and reuse! 

Jade is super talented and makes all kinds of cool, reusable products, accessories, and items for baby! Check out her website here, or visit and like her Facebook page, Jade Made Creations! 

             

As always, thank you for reading and feel free to leave a comment!

Heather

Our Growing Garden!

Happy Summer!!! I love the season that brings warm weather, July 4th, beach trips, skirts, cookouts, and REAL FOOD!  In celebration of the new season I thought y'all would like to see updated pictures of our hay bale garden. For those doubters out there, YES, we have fruit and vegetables growing, and I can not wait until harvest time!  My first post on straw/hay bale gardening (along with "before" pictures) can be found here. Let me know what you think and if you would ever try growing your own straw bale garden. I appreciate the interest that the original post has generated!

The whole garden (perfect for two)!

Soon, we will have a lot of squash!

Zucchini is about to explode into yummy goodness!

Cucumbers too! 

Our tomatoes are doing extremely well!

A pepper.

Cherry tomatoes!

Green Cleaning!

In an effort to use safer cleaning products around the house, I have been making my own versions as I run out of the store bought/conventional products I have on hand. The homemade versions are generally much safer AND they clean & disinfect just as well, if not better than their chemical laden counterparts!

I have been tweaking my go-to recipe for an all purpose cleaner over the past couple of months and have come up with a mixture that I love using for all of my cleaning needs.. really!

Drumroll please.......

The recipe:
3  cups of hot water
2 Tbsp Borax* (disinfectant and bug repellant that is safe for pipes and septic systems)
4 Tbsp vinegar (the acidity in vinegar helps kill germs and reduce microbial growth, a safe cleaning product!)
10-15 drops of lemon or Tea Tree  essential oil (I used lemon for the fresh scent and it's antibacterial and anti fungal properties. Tea Tree, or Melaleuca, is a powerful antibacterial and anti fungal, making it a great addition to your cleaning supplies as well)

Mix all of the ingredients together in a spray bottle and store out of direct sunlight.
*Important* make sure you label your containers/spray bottles!!!

Give the bottle a little shake before each use and you have an environmentally friendly, inexpensive, and safer cleaning solution that's works!

*Although Borax is an all natural product(sodium tetraborate, a naturally occurring mineral), use caution when handling. It is an eye irritant and can be harmful if ingested.

Traditional Medicine to the Rescue!

A little background for ya:
About a year ago, a friend recommended a center specializing in acupuncture, Chinese medicine, and healing arts for my healthcare needs. At that time I had just had my third miscarriage and was willing to try just about anything to have a child. I looked into it and shared the information with Tim. We were both interested, but something was holding me back. Maybe it was fear of going in a different direction with my health, maybe it was that I had been to so many appointments around that time that I was just doctored-out (doctor can be used as a verb, right?!?), or maybe the truth was that I was not emotionally ready for this step. Even though I did not initially go, the idea of a different approach to health care stayed in the back of my mind. Holistic Healing/Chinese Medicine is definitely natural so I researched, learned, and ultimately decided to give it a try!

The Lotus Center
A year later, I scheduled an appointment at the Lotus Center for fertility and acne. When I arrived I was greeted by Joy and Matt and was then taken to a back room where I met Michele. These three made me feel like everyone should feel at an appointment, a person, not just a number to be rushed out of the door. This was unlike any medical visit I have ever had. I was first guided through intuitive questions and shared my medical history. Then Michele suggested acupuncture and herbal medicine as my treatment. I was also instructed to eat foods that would build my blood and track my BBT for signs of ovulation. Needles do not bother me in the least, so acupuncture was incredibly relaxing and enjoyable. For around thirty minutes, there were small needles hanging out in my legs, arm, feet, stomach, and forehead while I listened to soothing instrumental music in a dimly lit room. it was perfection! it was too brief, but there will be  many more sessions to come. In order to treat the underlying cause of my specific issues, I will be going back once a week through July for adjustments in my herbal blends and acupuncture. Before leaving the center (1 1/2 hours later!), Joy and Matt filled my prescription (herbs) and taught me how to cook them.  At this point I don't care to ever go to a "regular doctor's office" again. The level of care given here was amazing!

I am hopeful that this will lead to a healthy pregnancy and ultimately a child for our family!

Cooking my herbs:
Once home, I used my recipe to make a decoction.

Step 1: Soak the herbs in 4 cups of water for 20-30 min

Step 2: cook on med heat for 25-30 min, strain. 

Step 3:Cover herbs in water an cook for 5-10 additional minutes. Strain and add all liquid together.

Step 4: store herbal tea in the refrigerator in air tight jars until ready to use.

(I am drinking 2 cups/day) 

What are your thoughts on Traditional Medicine? Have you tried it, would you try it? Thanks for your input (and for reading) !!!

Eco Friendly Laundry

I haven't written a real post in a while. It isn't because I have forgotten about the blog and you, my fabulous readers, but because I haven't been home long enough to get my thoughts together. In the past few weeks I have continued trading out our go-to conventional products for natural ones. Tim and I are embracing the lifestyle changes and now he is even coming up with ideas for us to try!!!

There is a great resource for those of you looking to see how environmentally friendly your cleaning, cosmetic, and other common household products are at www.ewg.org.

 Excerpt from their website (About us): "The Environmental Working Group is the nation’s leading environmental health research and advocacy organization.  Our mission is to serve as a watchdog to see that Americans get straight facts, unfiltered and unspun, so they can make healthier choices and enjoy a cleaner environment. We use the power of information to create cutting-edge research and advocacy that transform government policies and the marketplace in order to conserve land and water, produce and use energy responsibly and ensure that food and consumer products are free of harmful chemicals. We investigate government subsidies that encourage wasteful practices, and we support policies that promote thoughtful stewardship of our land and natural resources. With your help -- and with the help of hundreds of organizations with whom we partner -- we are creating a healthier and cleaner environment for the next generation and beyond."

I was curious about our regular laundry detergent, Gain Ultra HE Liquid Laundry Detergent, Original Fresh,  so I looked it up. Wow, I was completely shocked at the results! Based on their data, our detergent scored a F, really a F!! The ingredient with the highest health concern was Sodium Borate which can have negative endocrine, reproductive, and developmental effects. A complete breakdown of our detergent can be found here.

The information I just discovered sent up huge red flags for me because Tim and I are trying to have children. That being said,  I set out on a mission to find a better alternative detergent for washing clothes. It didn't take long before I came across soap nuts (or soap berries) as an eco friendly-hypoallergenic- organic- natural-all around awesome-soaping fruit! (See my previous post explains what soap nuts are by clicking here.)

I ordered our soap nuts from Eco Nuts (around $40 for 360 loads!) and started using them immediately after the arrived. I LOVE THEM! They are easy to use and effective at cleaning. All you have to do is put 5-7 soap nuts in the provided cotton pouch and toss them in the washer. After 4-5 washes, replace the soap nuts and you're good to go for the next several washes. (you will know to replace when they become white and very soft, see picture below)

I feel relieved that I will never have to buy commercial laundry detergent again!

Soap nuts on the left are used and need to be replaced, 

while the ones clustered on the right are fresh and ready to use