autumnal gratitude

i can be driven to frustration
driven away from it
back to the nature that sits on my doorstep
patiently
gently
reminding me
of love and acceptance
and letting go
this place

this beautiful space
this gentle soul of nature
my neighbour

simple

the stunning views

the changing leaves
the dance of sunbeams

those sunbeams that follow

beams of light that remind me of the spirit of this space
this is a place i can return to

this is where i can feel home
this is where i can find lost joy
this is all in its wordless expression

and fractured pieces of myself draw whole
and i am grateful
i am grateful

the beauty of baking soda

hmmm...when i love a product, i'll admit it can become an inexplicably committed passion.
i'll be honest, baking soda is borderline for me in this way.

i know i have extolled the virtues of baking soda before
and it is a staple in both cleaning supplies and cooking and body products in our home (my recent posting of my deodorant recipe is a notable example)

why does this odd obsession with b.s. continue?
well, the stuff is amazingly useful
as is white vinegar
they are sort of each other's yin and yang - cooking and cleaning, powder and liquid

and now
even MORE uses for baking soda
(a link with 61 uses, some of which i have discovered on my own, and some learned here)

http://www.bellybytes.com/articles/bakingsoda.shtml

deodorant recipe

i like to make as many of my home and body products as possible - this extends to deodorant.
part of my frustration with natural products is never finding a deodorant that really worked well for me.
so i had to come up with my own.
i stopped using commercial deodorants/anti persipirants years ago as i didn't like the idea of the chemicals being that close to a cluster of lymph nodes, let alone being absorbed by my skin and into my body.
so i started doing my research
i started detoxing (i apologized to my dh in advance for what my body would do as it released what it was going to when i stopped using those products in stick form
i started spraying my underarms in the shower with apple cider vinegar (to help restore ph balance)
and baking soda after to help cover the odour
and two weeks later
came back into balance
i found several recipes for natural deodorants (in earlier blog posts i did post a few)
but i took all of those and came up with my own
and it is pit perfection!

ingredients
(makes enough for about 3mths worth)
3tbsp corn starch
3tbsp baking soda
2tbsp each of shea butter and coconut oil (the type that is hard at room temperature)
essential oil (i used about 12 drops of tea tree oil for this batch)

put all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and mix with a fork until smooth
then put in a resealable jar

YES - it's that easy!
apply a tiny bit to your armpits with your fingers
i find i can often even skip a day with this

i call it my b-o-balm

wood air bathing

i've lost the word in japanese for it
i was told it over a year ago - but although i lost the word in translation
i didn't lose the meaning

wood air bathing

listening to the voice of your heart
by taking the time to go for a walk in the woods
to pay attention to the senses
taking in the essence and the messages

i don't know what it is that makes wood air bathing sound so magical
and so pure
but my intention this week is to take some time
quietly
and on my own
for wood air bathing

what would you do if you could not fail?

i was at a lecture in june where the intuitive life coach leading the discussion asked this question.

what would you do if you could not fail?

and then she continued to explain that voicing that brings all visions together to that goal. there were so many components to that lecture - food for future posts - but in terms of envisioning the future, she just put it so succinctly...gathered the thoughts i've had in the past...made sense and words of them.

intuitively, i have been moving in this direction - natural wellness for lack of a better term.
after books about shamanism, energy medicine, etc., etc...
and courses and lectures on sound therapy and past lives and crystals
all over the place and yet coming together to that one goal
that one idea
the one that i have held as a pipe dream
the one that i would do if i could not fail

and now its voice
a natural wellness centre
open to all - families, singles, couples, friends.
retreats, courses, workshops, gatherings
a gathering of wellness practitioners, healers, philosophers
a place big enough for all the positive, full energy to grow and rise

it will happen
maybe not today, tomorrow
perhaps 20yrs from now
but i've seen my wandering and searching as a journey
i am not lost
i am figuring it all out

what would you do if you could not fail...

next on my natural to do list

buy a boar bristle brush so that i'll hopefully have some no-poo success this time around

did do baking soda and apple cider vinegar and just looked nasty - and i know things get nasty before better, but it was the summer and it just looked bad. i suppose winter is a good time to try - i can always cover my head...

http://hair-care.suite101.com/article.cfm/using_a_boar_bristle_hairbrush

"Instead, boar bristle brushes are designed to clean, polish and condition hair. The densely-packed, fibrous bristles attract dust and dirt, brushing them out of the hair. For those committed to water-only or natural haircare, the brush becomes a primary method of removing foreign particles from the hair.

Treating Sebum

The bristles also catch hold of sebum, the oily substance produced by the scalp. Left to itself, sebum tends to clump near the roots of hairs, clogging pores and giving hair a greasy, unwashed look. A boar bristle brush spreads the sebum from the root down the length of the hair shaft, allowing it to do its job of coating and protecting the hair. Sebum is the natural hair conditioner, and repeated application helps hair to stay moisturised and shiny."

we shall see

yet more about bs

it's another baking soda post
i have been trying to find no-poo recipes that would be easy to do
i had tried just using apple cider vinegar but it dried my hair out even more
but i think i have found another process i am ready to try...

baking soda - dilute 1tbsp in one glass of water
and then either
acv diluted
or
lemon juice diluted
i think i'll make a spray bottle up so i can add some essential oils

then i'll try something along the following routine:

1 wet hair
2 bs in cup with warm water
3 scrub scalp
4 rinse
5 use diluted acv or lj
6 rinse again

will see how it works

also, i managed to spill half a bottle of tea tree oil behind my washer - strong!

making your own deodorant

i found this recipe on a discussion board at mothering.com and slightly modified it
it works really well, and i've nicknamed it my b.o. balm (so it sounds like b.o. bomb)

am sharing it...you mix it all in a small bowl and use a small glass jar with a lid to put it in (my last batch is just running out and i made it 5 months ago!

2 tbsp each of coconut oil
shea butter
baking soda
cornstarch

plus 6 drops of essential oil (i liked sweet orange for the last batch)

the chemistry of parenting

so interesting. dh and i are definitely into attachment parenting as a way we live with our son.
i really enjoy the sears family and their approach to attachment parenting.
now they have posted an article about the chemistry - the hormones that are active as an attached parent...
THE BODY CHEMISTRY OF ATTACHMENT

"In reviewing attachment-chemistry studies , we conclude that a secure mother-infant attachment keeps the baby in hormonal balance"

laundry soap

so i finally am happy with the laundry soap i have been making. i was trying lots of combos and was using borax which i love to use but is hard on cloth diapers

so....
batches later and happy happy

4l bucket
2c washing soda
1c castile soap
1tsp ginger -mmm love the smell for laundry
1c baking soda
warm water
add all and stir
have to stir before each use

about 1/2 c per load

earth-gentle living...and then hang dry load...this part is definitely harder in the winter

natural remedies

this post from mothering dot com has tonnes of natural remedies
love it!

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showpost.php?p=7116703&postcount=2

it includes many natural product ideas as well as recipes to make your own cough syrup and probiotic

window cleaner - home recipe

my window cleaner is simple

in a spray bottle i use (approx
2c water
1tbsp castille soap
4tbsp vinegar
2-3 drops essential oil (i like citrus-y choices for cleaning)

voila! done and easy
i put a label with the ingredients so that they can be refilled before they are totally empty and no screw ups!

one more on the subject of earth day

i should of course point out the obvious - breastfeeding is earth-friendly!

here are two wonderful links that talk about it -
Breastmilk: the perfect renewable resource

and
from La Leche League

a few of the highlights - "The undermining of breastfeeding is the destruction of a natural resource and should therefore be seen in the same light as logging in the rainforests or overfishing our seas and rivers."

"If 50% of infants born in Canada (total births about 400,000 per year) are bottlefed for six months, then more than 15 million tin cans would be discarded."

making your own deodorant

ok, a real stinker of a subject.

i am trying to come up with a successful combo that will allow me to shed the use of heavy metals as applied from commercial deodorant to my armpits.

it's all in the experimental stages but given that the safety of deodorants is not firmly proven, i've finally decided to try and minimize any future exposure and limit health risks.

i plan on using some shea butter i picked up with baking soda and some essential oils, maybe some alcohol and see what happens.

here are a few recipes i came across for making your own deodorant - haven't tried them yet but likely will!

3 tbsp vodka
3 tbsp distilled water
2 drops tea tree oil
2 drops thyme oil
2 drops eucalyptus oil - put all in a spray bottle

1 cp baking soda
2 drops bois de rose oil
1 tbsp rosewood herb

we'll see...i mean smell...

the essentials for making home cleaning supplies

most of my cleaning supplies that i make at home use some combination of water, vinegar, castille soap, borax, baking soda, and essential oils

RECIPE
one of the easiest cleaners to make is dishwasher detergent - equal parts borax and baking soda, and adding vinegar during the rinse cycle. about 3tbsp of the borax/baking soda is all that's needed (i keep it in a sealed jar and shake before use)

so pics of the cleaning basics...


castile soap and baking soda

plain old white vinegar

borax - not always easy to find but a lot of natural food stores carry it

if you need to use your dryer...

steve and i moved into an old house almost 2yrs ago. circa 1906, our house has needed a lot of work, with a lot still to do.
mending ill repairs etc.

we did buy energystar appliances as the tenants that lived here before took the washer and dryer with them, and had broken the dishwasher and stove and left us an old fridge which we gave to our handyman extraordinaire - sylvain

in any case, winter and spring are often difficult times to dry the laundry outside. but there are ways to avoid using dryer sheets or commercial fabric softeners (discovered by research and trial and error!)

easiest - dry your laundry on low heat as you would for delicates - static cling almost zero

next easiest - take aluminum foil - make a small ball and toss it in - buhbye static

not hard but effort required - take a small washcloth (i use one of callum's baby washcloths - wet it, rub in baking soda - at this stage you can toss it in or if you have a fabric hair elastic you can form the cloth into a ball so none of the baking soda comes out

you can add 2-3 drops of your fave essential oil to the foil or washcloth if you like a scent

we need more natural medicine in the world

...and i am not just talking about homeopathy and naturopathy and tcm - i love them all, and have used them all



but i am talking about the medicine that our own, human, bodies provide.



the benefits of breastmilk are just beginning to be recognized - not just for infants, toddlers and their mothers, but for the immuno-supressed as well.



consider this - "When there is milk available some milk banks will distribute it to adults who are immuno-compromised. Preliminary research indicates that breast milk can have nutritive, immunologic and palliative effects for cancer patients (Radetsky, 1999). Adults with GI disorders and organ donation recipients can also benefit from the immunologic powers of breast milk." wikipedia



it is both obscene and criminal to me that there is only one human milk bank in canada - in bc. what are we doing? why are we not considering natural products made by humans, for humans?

we need more research, and to respect the incredible powers within the human body.

passionate about breastfeeding

callum and i had a very rough start with breastfeeding. being in the nicu, and born without a sucking reflex, he was whisked away from me minutes after he was born.

i pumped exclusively for 2.5 months before he learned to latch for good. i never knew something natural could be so difficult. i'd sometimes pump for an hour, take an hour off and pump again 10-12 times a day i was pumping in order to have enough breastmilk for my son. i often cried while pumping. the motor was loud enough to drown out the sounds of my despair. but i wanted him to have breastmilk, and only breastmilk. the fact that nothing about his coming into the world came close to what i would have hoped for, i would at least commit to this. so i did.


i was told i'd lose my supply if i didn't take drugs - WRONG

i was told i'd probably quit because you can't just pump - WRONG

i was told i would need a lactation consultant to get him to latch - WRONG

WRONG WRONG WRONG

no one told me breastfeeding could be so hard

this is just part of why i am so passionate about breastfeeding, and here are a few of the 101 Reasons To Breastfeed Your Baby (from promom.org)

1. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends it

5. Not breastfeeding increases mother's risk of breast cancer

10. Breast milk contains immunities to diseases and aids in the development of baby's immune system.

14. Nursing helps mom lose weight after baby is born

15. Pre-term milk is specially designed for premature infants

16. The World Health Organization and UNICEF recommend it

17. Breastfeeding protects against Crohn's disease

18. Formula feeding increases risk of baby developing type I (juvenile, insulin-dependent) diabetes.

21. Not breastfeeding increases mother's risk of developing ovarian cancer

22. Not breastfeeding increases mother's risk of developing endometrial cancer

23. Formula feeding increases chances of baby developing allergies

24. Breast milk lowers risk of baby developing asthma

27. Breastfeeding protects baby against diarrheal infections

28. Breastfeeding protects baby against bacterial meningitis

29. Breastfeeding protects baby against respiratory infections

30. Formula fed babies have a higher risk of developing certain childhood lymphomas

31. Breastfeeding decreases chances of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

32. Breastfeeding decreases child's chances of contracting Hodgkins disease

33. Breastfeeding protects baby against vision defects

34. Breastfeeding decreases chances of maternal osteoporosis in later life

39. Breastfed babies have less chance of developing ulcerative colitis

40. Breast milk protects against hemophilus b. virus

44. Breastfed babies have less chance of developing necrotizing enterocolitis

52. Breast milk acts like a natural tranquilizer for baby

53. Breastfeeding acts like a natural tranquilizer for mom

59. Fewer waste packaging products

65. Natural pain relief for baby

77. Facilitates proper dental and jaw development

80. Better speech development

86. Contains no synthetic growth hormones

87. Lack of breastfeeding associated with multiple sclerosis

88. Less chance of inguinal hernia

93. Protects mothers against anemia (iron deficiency)

96. Breast milk is good for combatting eye infections

97. Breast milk is a good natural antibiotic for wounds

101. It's what breasts were designed for!

For the medical resources, and all of the 101 reasons to breastfeed your baby... http://www.promom.org/

why i love bs

...baking soda

in my quest to make all of the products i use in the house (and i do make all of our household cleaners, laundry detergents, dishwashing soaps and detergents), i have found baking soda to be an absolute marvel!

a few uses...

1. natural deodorant - well at least part of the deodorizing routine. you take a bit of baking soda, rub into your armpits well while showering and then rinse off. i am experimenting making balms as well for personal deodorant. works really well

2. cleaners - i use this in almost every cleaner i make - disinfectant to all purpose

3. fabric softener - wet a baby cloth, rub in bs, throw in the dryer. add essential oil too for scented laundry

4. scouring - great for sinks and other grimy spots, toilet bowls too

5. dishwashing - along with borax, this is my dishwasher detergent

6. +++ - it's in my laundry detergent and cleaners too

baking soda is just amazing - power cleaner!