All-Natural Deodorant

I mentioned earlier in the week that I would tell you about something new I'm trying and here it is. I've tried before to switch to all-natural deodorant and all I can say is we live where it is very hot and humid and nothing was cutting it. Well, there was one I liked but I had a reaction to it which I have since discovered is what I think is a baking soda sensitivity.

For some reason I thought the hottest weekend so far this year was a good time to try again. I had my mammogram recently and while everything was fine, it reminded me that this was something I wanted to try again on because they talked about how aluminum shows up on the scans so I had to wipe my deodorant off. Anyway, I digress.

The point is, I asked a friend for advice and this is what she suggested, so I spent some time reading and researching this product and was happy to see that they had some options that were baking soda free.

Helpful article about deodorant detox here.

Here is what I've tried:
Charcoal Unscented
Skin Soothing Serum
Magnesium Unscented

I guess I'm just sharing this in case it is helpful to any of you or if you, like me, have tried thing after thing without success. I've completed two full weeks so far on this and have been very pleased! Great results, no reaction to the new product, not stinking {and it has been stinking hot - see what I did there?!} and no need to reapply.

This is not sponsored or anything, just helpful info that I have found. And while we are talking personal care - I just discovered this site for small lady undergarments (smile). Waiting for mine to arrive, but they are SO hard to find that I'm hopeful!

Ok, so have you tried an all-natural deodorant? If so, tell me what has worked for you!

Beauty for Being in the Hospital

We have a young friend who is having surgery this week and I wanted to put together some goodies for both her and her mama for their time in the hospital. A hospital is not a homey place and I hope this will provide a little beauty in their time as well as some encouragement for their hearts.

I confess that I actually Googled this and looked on Pinterest and most of the ideas I found were for new moms, which is great, but doesn't fit the need I was looking for. What do you do for an almost teen going to the hospital? This is very personalized to what I know suits them - but maybe could be a good jump off point for ideas if you are able to serve in this way as well!

The printable is from Hymns From a Hospital Room. I also wanted to make a little garland to add beauty and truth to her room. I'm sharing it as a printable in case you can use it for the same reason - to bless someone else and I made both a boys and girls version.

Other things I thought of: a tiny bottle of Essential Oils - especially Thieves to protect from other germs, a CD of worship songs, a magazine for the waiting, foods that can be easily eaten or heated away from a kitchen, cute socks, blank note cards.

What other ideas do you have?

Health: Sore Throat Helps

Several years ago, I had strep throat three times in a short two month time period. Throat ailments have always been the thing that I will catch and that will knock me out a couple of times per year.

After this intense Spring, I was getting desperate for a better solution. First of all, it was miserable but it was taking me out of commission for a couple of days each time and I was really needing some resolution. I did go to the doctor, but I prefer not to take antibiotics unless absolutely necessary and honestly I was looking for more of a solution rather than treatment.

That summer I went to an Essential Oils info meeting and that began a journey to discovering a number of things that have helped me care for my throat and to attack symptoms before they are fully onset.

In hopes that this may help someone else, here is a list of things that has helped me in managing my sore throat issues. Whenever I feel something coming on, I start multiple of these things and I've never had a full blown sore throat that kept me in bed since. Yes, I will feel run down or like I'm fighting something but not to the degree I'd had before.

Again, just a reminder that I am not a doctor! Just sharing what has helped me.

* Oregano Oil: I put this on the bottom of my feet along with Thieves, On Guard or whatever you may call it based on what brand you prefer. Typically when fighting something off, I will do this three times a day.

* Lemon Oil: this is very soothing when my throat is scratchy or starting to get sore. I mix it with almond oil and rub directly on the outside of my throat. To avoid having to mix it each time, I keep a small EO bottle that is already mixed and I just use as needed.

* Thieves Oil/On Guard: this versatile oil blend is sold under a variety of names depending on which brand you purchase from. I found a recipe for making my own several years ago and that is what I've done ever since. Because it is a proprietary blend though, I don't feel that I can post the recipe online publicly. I'm happy to share it via email if you are interested. I like to diffuse this and put it on my feet.

* Ginger Lemon tea: steeping pieces of ginger root and then stirring in lemon and honey makes a delightful tea. I drink it even when I'm feeling fine! I have enjoyed it so much that I keep the ginger/lemon/honey concentrate in  my freezer and just thaw out one portion when I want tea so that I don't have to keep fresh lemons and ginger on hand and accidentally let them spoil.

* Elderberry Syrup: perfect for helping with feeling run down, when I feel like I'm fighting something, I take it three times a day.

* Throat Coat tea:  this has been a great discovery too - Traditional Medicinals makes a variety of herbal teas for various symptoms. So far, I've only tried this one and love it! I steep mine with a peppermint tea bag also for ten minutes. Then stir in 1 Tbsp. honey and sip. Lovely!

What are your favorite all-natural throat care remedies?

* Amazon affiliate links above.

Homemade Elderberry Syrup

I first heard about Elderberry Syrup through Beeyoutiful and their Berry Well product. I tried the Berry Well one time but did not love the taste and at another time got a bottle of the Berry Well Spice on a great sale. I loved the spiced version and enjoyed using that bottle.

When I felt like I was coming down with something I'd take a teaspoon or so about three times a day to really attack the symptoms I was feeling and it helped!

All that to say, I'm sort of new to the elderberry syrup game and I really still don't know a whole lot about it but, I do know that it helps!

After trying unsuccessfully to order the Berry Well Spice again {discontinued flavor} I was very interested in learning to make my own.  I received some great advice from Beeyoutiful on how to flavor my syrup and then mentioned to my sister about wanting to make it and she shared a recipe from our mutual friend Katie. She mentioned it was not her original recipe but from a friend and also found on the Mountain Rose Herbs website and in Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health.

What I'll share here is what I do - I have not consulted these other sources to see how this compares.

Homemade Elderberry Syrup
1/2 c. dried elderberries
3 c. water
4 Tbsp. honey
1 drop cinnamon Essential Oil
1 drop clove Essential Oil

Boil the elderberries and water together and after it comes to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer for 30-40 minutes. Strain the liquid into a canning jar and press the berries in the strainer to remove any extra juice. Stir in honey and essential oils.

Store in the refrigerator. Makes about 2 - 2 1/2 cups.

This is great to have on hand in sickness season! Tell me your experience with elderberry syrup!


* Amazon affiliate links above.

Glorify: Health Journal

As I mentioned yesterday, I started 2017 feeling very depleted and wanting to make some changes. I was unmotivated, not resting well, unfocused, anxious, angry, low feeling and had a lot of headaches. When we got home from Christmas, I started doing some research on vitamins. I knew I wanted to be more careful about what I was eating but still I thought I needed to do more. And I knew myself well enough to know that I'm historically low in iron and have low blood sugar.

With all of that info, I went to a site I trust which is Beeyoutiful.com, I've been using their Tummy Tuneup successfully for years and am a huge believer in it for keeping away tummy bugs! Anyway, they have a lot of great info and articles so I started reading about various vitamins and benefits, etc.

I had already been sporadically taking iron and Beeyoutiful's Super Mom vitamins but I wanted to do more and be more consistent about it.

To do this, I knew I would need a way to keep track of things and also a way to gradually add so that if I had any side effects I'd be able to figure out what had just changed and maybe what didn't work. So I started a health journal. An empty journal I already had became dedicated solely to this purpose. On Sunday afternoon/evening I would write out a list for the week and then use it as my checklist for the week in keeping track. And I would only add one thing per week.

For example, the first week I took a probiotic and Super Mom and breakfast and a second Super Mom at lunch and that was it. The next week I added iron on Tuesday and Thursday only. The third week I added Magnesium twice a week and so on.

The first thing I did was sit down and make a list of all the things I wanted to improve about the way I was taking care of myself. Eat more salads, take Vitamin D, increase walks, try protein powder, etc. Then as I was writing out my weekly checklists, I could refer to this overall goal list and see what I still hoped to add.

I weigh myself every Monday and write that at the top of my week so I can see the progress from the week before. 

While I can't point to one thing in particular that I've felt benefits from, I would say that overall I have noticed how much better I'm feeling. And like most natural-health things, it is such a little bit at a time and over the long haul rather than quick simple results.

For now, this is my most successful weekly plan {shown above} and what I'm restarting with this year as I'd gotten a bit lax about it skipping a couple of months.

Some of the vitamins I take are just from Wal-Mart and some are from Beeyoutiful. My favorites from Beeyoutiful are:

Tummy Tuneup: this is a very easy to take and easy to store probiotic, it is shelf stable so it doesn't have to be kept cold. I've been using this for years and love it! My kids can take it too - when they are too little to swallow the capsule, I simply opened it up and sprinkled it on applesauce or dissolved in water. Cannot recommend this highly enough if you are averse to the stomach bug as I am ;)

Super Mom Vitamins: I tried these years ago and did not love them but gave them a second try and am glad I did. The suggestion is to take four capsules per day and I started with one for a long time and now take two. They are loaded with lots of vitamins but don't include iron which is why I take a separate iron supplement. I order the veg caps because they are smaller and I can't swallow large pills easily!

Other favorites:

Daily probiotic: In addition to Tummy Tuneup {which we use only when we are exposed to a tummy bug} - all of our kids and myself take these tummy gummies daily. This is one of those things I won't be without now - I'm a huge fan, they taste great and I am grateful for the benefits we receive from taking these regularly. My sister just told me there was a Wal-Mart brand now but I haven't tried those yet.

Iron: sometimes iron can be hard to take - but I really like Slow Fe and have had very minimal side effects from taking it. It is a great option for people like me who are historically anemic. I have been using this brand for years.

Other things like Vitamin D, Magnesium, etc. I'm still unsure if brand matters on - like I mentioned earlier some of mine are just from the drug store and some from Beeyoutiful and I'm fine with that for now.

I'd like to learn so much more about vitamins! So far, when I check out a book from the library about vitamins I get very overwhelmed so I've been sticking with things I'm already familiar with or have a personal recommendation on.

Some of these are affiliate links just in case you decide to try something. I'm not a doctor or a medical professional, again, just sharing what has worked for me. I love the journal because it keeps me accountable and gives me a place to log how I felt that week and what worked and what didn't. 

Do you take any vitamins? Or keep a health journal?

Glorify: Tracking Meals

This is a topic I haven't really approached on my blog before - I've kept to myself and quiet because sometimes it seems like when I share something, my commitment to it is challenged in a way that is hard and unexpected.

But with my word of the year and really wanting to be real and honest, I've decided to open the door on it and share what has worked for me. I also want to acknowledge that our health and body is something very personal and very unique and individual. No two of us will likely have the exact same experience and our needs are very different as well.

Almost four years ago {I can still remember the day, I was taking photos for this post} I was feeling really disgusted with myself - I had let myself get pretty lazy and was eating anything I wanted anytime. I'm a comfort eater and stressful days are common. Really my biggest issue was that I wasn't feeling comfortable in my own clothes - they were tight and not fitting right and I was feeling icky about that and wanting to make a change.

I don't remember a lot of the details that got me started, but I knew I didn't want it to be about my weight necessarily. Not a number anyway, I wanted this to be about me feeling better about myself because it was affecting my outlook in many areas of my life. I got serious about logging my meals using My Fitness Pal and trying to add a little more activities to my days.

My Fitness Pal is great because it is FREE and is easy to use either on your laptop or device through the app. It really doesn't take long once you get into the habit of typing in your meals and keeping it up to date. I also like it that I can eat whatever I want really and am making my own choices about what to eat just in manageable portions. A thrifted food scale has been a help in this as well.

The most successful way for me is to plan out my meals the night before - it only takes me 2-3 minutes to type everything in and once I see it in front of me, I can make changes or adjustments and then just eat that plan for the next day. I love it. When I leave it for the day of, I'm not nearly as successful as I'm more likely to eat what I want and hope it works out {usually doesn't!} and it reminds me of something as simple as a grocery budget. When I plan my meals and shop from a list, I'm much more likely to stay on budget than if I go randomly through the store. Same is true with planning out my meals and portions and counting my calories. 

Within a few months, we had this family photo shoot at Christmas time and I remember feeling so good that day. I was so happy! It was cold and I felt so much better about myself and enjoying this time we were having together. And I kept this up for a while and then slowly got lazy again. One year ago, I was in the same place - really wanting to re-start this area of my life.

Last year was really hard and stretching in many ways especially through the Fall - and when I got to my parents house for Christmas, I was exhausted, weepy and just generally depleted in many ways. It was really on my heart to not only re-start logging my meals but also to look into adding vitamins into my life.

Jumping back in was great and in a couple of months I was feeling so much better and by summer - I felt even better and enjoyed the healthy glow that had returned to my heart and life. Like everything, it is not a one-size-fits-all fix it plan and it isn't even easy. But I have found that it has worked for me and it has been a blessing, why do I keep getting lazy and falling off the wagon only to have to start again?!

Here we are in January again and my pants are snug and I'm back to it, it gets easier to start again each time because I've developed some habits that are fairly easy to pick back up again even when I let them fall by the wayside.

Losing a few pounds is great and even better is how it affects my attitude and outlook. When I feel better about myself that shows and gives me confidence and joy. Next time we'll talk about vitamins!

May God be glorified in the sharing of these words and in how we take care of ourselves!