Saturday, June 2, 2012

Joyfully Sewn Designs Giveaway


 Sarah from Joyfully Sewn Designs is celebrating her birthday!

As part of her celebration, she's offering a $25 gift certificate to her shop!


She makes beautiful clothes for girls and women, plus she's very nice and easy-going to work with.


My oldest daughter has a skirt made by her, and it is one of her favorites!


Isn't this dress below so cute? :)


 Enter the giveaway below!  Giveaway ends June 16th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thank you, Sarah!! :)
 

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Herbal Toothpaste Kit



The Bulk Herb Store has come up with an awesome toothpaste kit!

The toothpaste kit contains:
Bentonite Clay Powder 
  • Helps scrub and polish teeth.  
  • Absorbs bacteria and infection.   
  • Whitens and hardens teeth and enamel
Sea Salt
  • Antibacterial
  • Prevents tooth decay
  • Fights gingivitis and other disease
Cinnamon Sticks
  • Adds great flavor
  • Antibacterial
Cloves
  • Antiseptic
  • Treats toothaches
Stevia Herb
  • Sweetens the toothpaste without coating teeth like glycerin.
Watch Shoshanna make her own toothpaste!


The Bulk Herb Store has this Bentonite Toothpaste kit on sale for 25% off through this Thursday, May 31, 2012! 


I cannot wait to make my own toothpaste!  This is by far better than any natural toothpaste I've used!

Have you ever made your own toothpaste?

Monday, May 28, 2012

The Cause Of Most Diseases

(photo source)

It is estimated that at least 90% of disease is caused by constipation. 
 
While this isn't a topic that I particularly enjoy speaking about, it is too important of a subject to ignore.  Cleansing the colon is the first essential step in healing and preventing disease.

Most people have no idea the pounds of waste that they carry within themselves on a daily basis.  Constipation occurs when a person doesn't have 3 bowel movements a day, and/or if the bowels are not completely emptied each time they move.  If you are not eliminating 3 times a day the things you have eaten that day, the waste has to go somewhere,....

Join me at Little Natural Cottage to read the rest!



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Friday, May 25, 2012

Get A Healthy Dose Of Sunshine

 

One of my favorite times of year is now…bright, sunny and beautifully warm Spring! The sun’s rays wake up the earth, encouraging plants to bloom and blossom and it’s hard to resist basking in those rays yourself. Getting a healthy dose of sunshine has great benefits, but there can always be too much of a good thing. The sun is a great source of Vitamin D, something most humans are deficient in. Vitamin D has been shown to prevent and/or improve many conditions such as Bone Health, Cancer (breast, colon, skin, prostate), Diabetes, Heart Disease, Fatigue, Depression and much more. A good healthy dose of life giving sun rays would be about 30-45 minutes of unprotected sun exposure, but try for mid-morning or late afternoon. Much more unprotected sun exposure can have damaging affects if you aren’t careful. Do you know how to naturally protect your skin from too much UV exposure? Well, let’s find out!

Avoid Harmful Sunscreens line of defense

While it may seem the easiest solution to protecting your skin from damaging UV rays is to slather on the sunscreen…things are actually more complicated than that. Most sunscreens contain scary chemicals including, but not limited to:
  • Artificial preservatives
  • Parabens
  • P-aminobenzoic acid (PABA)
  • Petrochemicals (Dioxybenzone, Menthyl anthranilate, Octocrylene, Sulisobenzone and many more. Don’t those names sound scary enough to avoid?)
Do you really want to slather on chemicals that are so easily soaked into your skin? After all, your skin is your body’s largest organ and is very absorbent… anything you put on your skin goes directly into your bloodstream, yikes! {If you want more information on just how scary these FDA approved sunscreens really are, I recommend reading EWG’s Skin Deep 2012 – Sunscreen Guide} I’ll pass on the OTC sunscreens, thank you!

Natural Sun Protection

So…how do you protect your skin without a store bought sunscreen? There are several things you can do to avoid and deflect the damaging UV rays, let’s take a look.
-Avoid being out in the sun between 12p – 4p…the sun’s rays are the strongest between these times.

-Wear appropriate clothing…modesty is certainly not a bad thing in the summer. The less skin that is exposed, the more protected you are. If you have to be out mid-day, pull out a thin “summer” sweater and a cute sun hat for added protection.
-Use healthy oils/butters that have natural SPF…oils like jojoba, shea butter and sesame oil all contain low amounts of SPF. They would need to be applied often to protect your skin. Something that I have not tried but have heard mixed thoughts on is zinc oxide. I would recommend doing your research to find out if zinc oxide would work for you.

-Eat foods high in vitamins C, E, and A…these vitamins help build a healthy, natural barrier against UV rays. If I know I’ll be out all day, I make sure I eat or juice a lot of veggies before heading out.
-Stay well hydrated…drinking extra water during the day, especially a warm, sunny day, allows your body to function well and keeps your skin healthy.
Doing these things will certain help prevent too much sun exposure, decreasing your chances of getting sunburns, sun poisoning, pre-mature aged skin, and exposure that could cause skin cancer.

 

Yummy Sun Protecting Recipes

Sunscreen Smoothie {This yummy, cool drink doubles as a natural, topical sunscreen. Save a little to apply to your skin then rinse it off about 30 minutes before heading outside. Remember what I said about your skin being a sponge? Well, it will soak up the SPF properties from the smoothie and help protect you skin better than just drinking it. But it can get messy, so do it in the bathroom or in a shaded area outside! :) }

¼ cup of chilled, brewed green tea
¼ cup of fresh squeezed pineapple or orange juice
A handful of frozen strawberries
A half of a cucumber
¼ to ½ cup of frozen papaya and/or mango chunks
1 tbsp of virgin coconut oil
1 tsp honey (optional)
Place all ingredients into your blender and blend on high for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Sunscreen Body Oil {A great, simple recipe from the book “Organic Body Care Recipes” byStephanie Tourles}

¼ cup jojoba base oil
¼ cup neem base oil
¼ cup pure aloe vera juice
¼ cup sesame base oil
3 tsp vitamin E oil
1 tsp lanolin
Add all the ingredients to a storage container. The aloe vera juice is water-based and will separate out, so the formula must be vigorously shaken each time prior to use. No refrigeration is required if the product is used within three weeks. If refrigerated, the oil will keep for 4 – 6 months. It will thicken when chilled, but will liquefy when allowed to warm to room temperature. How to apply: Apply to body immediately before and repeatedly during sun exposure. The base oils won’t leave an oily film if massaged in thoroughly (unless too much is applied). // Well, I hope you enjoyed the natural tips for nourishing and protecting your skin! Remember to use good, common “sun” sense while you enjoy the warm weather, gardening and summer picnics. Do you use sunscreen? Why or why not? What do you use?


Jasmine (aka Happy Mrs Bass) is a God fearing, always learning, stay-at-home-wife to the best husband in the world!  She is continually learning to slow down, enjoying the important, simple things in life...
She really enjoys creating things "home-made" and showing others how to do the same!  Which is why she started Like A Mustard Seed blog and her Etsy shop!  In the past couple of years, her new found loves have become herbal fix 'ems and things "all natural"!



Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Uses For the Dandelion

Most people think of the humble dandelion flower as being a nuisance, a reason to get out the weed control and spray the entire yard.  In our society, people tend to think that dandelions scattering the lawn means an unmanicured lawn.  Little do those same people know just exactly how beneficial this "drab" flower really is, and how greatly it can benefit our health!  

Dandelions are hardy plants, growing in dry soil and adapting to areas that are difficult to grow plants in.  They are also smart little flowers!  Ever notice that dandelions pop up shortly after the lawn is mowed?  These flowers know to grow back shorter the next time so the lawn mower blades don't reach them.  How amazing is that?   

Instead of getting frustrated with their persistence, let's discover their benefits and enjoy them! :)

The entire dandelion plant can be used.....  
Join me at A Mother's Heritage to find out the ways you can use the dandelion!

 
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