Blackberry Picking

I love all the summer fruits and I have loved living in South Carolina so far because quite frankly SC seems to be a lot of nothing.  And by a lot of nothing I mean a lot of land.  And where there is a lot of land there are farms.  And where there are farms there is a lot of local produce.  Jackpot. One farm in the area that I like is Bush-N-Vine.  The farm is about 25 minutes away but they have a produce stand just down the street.  We drove out there last week with my parents to pick blackberries. Out of all the berries, blackberries are probably my favorite.  It might because they tend to be the most expensive, so they really are a special treat.   

The farm itself was pretty impressive and the blackberry bushes left nothing to be desired.

Phoebe got the hang of it pretty quickly and knew to pick the ripe, black ones.  Although she did well picking them off the bush, she found it much more effective to pick blackberries out of grandpa's bucket to fill her own...

Believe it or not she also ate some blackberries!  She has never eatten them when we've given them to her at home.  But after picking for 15 or 20 minutes and watching us eat them, I saw her put one in her mouth.  And to my surprise it didn't come back out.  In fact she ended up eating quite few.  But of course she has refused to eat another one since we've brought them home.  I am convinced that although she truely is picky, her refusal to eat and stubbornness  regarding food is a complete behavioral power-play; it drives me crazy.

So now we have more blackberries than I know what to do with.  I've made blackberry cobbler and blackberry peach cobbler and will probably make one more cobbler before they're all gone.  Yum!

LOVE: Goat Milk Soap

Another thing I've been loving lately are these goat milk soaps from Goat Milk Stuff.  (Thank you Courtney for introducing me to them!)

Rather than water being the first ingredient in the soap (like all mainstream drug store soaps) Goat Milk  Stuff soap is made from raw unpasteurized goat milk, not water.  Goat milk soap contains: natural alpha hydroxy acids that help eliminate dead skin cells from your skin's surface, it is naturally high in vitamin A which has been shown to repair damaged tissue and maintain healthy skin, cream (duh, good for moisture), and many minerals including selenium which has been shown to play a role in preventing skin cancer.

The soap lathers well and one bar lasts me over a month with daily showers.  You can also check out tips on how to make your soap last longer.
Goat Milk Stuff also offers other goat milk products including candles, lip balm, shaving balm, laundry soap, bath fizzies, and sugar scrubs.
With over 40 different scents to choose from you are sure to find one that you love!  The Strawberries and Champagne is one of my favorites!  Goat Milk Stuff offers flat rate priority shipping so if you're as excited to try these soaps as I was you won't have to wait long!

LOVE: Woolzies

I'm back with another product that I LOVE.  For the past year and half we've been working towards a more holistic natural lifestyle by eating REAL food and eliminating potentially harmful chemicals from our environment.  I have been making my own laundry detergent for almost two years now, and recently came across Woolzies as an alternative to traditional dryer sheets and fabric softeners.

Woolzies Dryer Balls eliminate the need for traditional fabric softeners which contain harsh chemicals that can be harmful to both you and the environment.  Each package contains six handmade wool balls that you use in place of fabric softeners in the dryer.  Woolzies are guaranteed to last for 1,000 loads or your money back!  If you were to do eight loads of laundry/week one box of six Woolzie dryer balls would last you at least 2 years!  That is def worth the money!

I was especially interested in Woolzies for my cloth diapers.  You can not use any fabric softeners on the cloth diapers because they will hinder the absorption abilities of the diaper inserts (not good).  So whenever I take my diapers out of the dryer you can see and hear the sparks fly as you peel them apart from each other.  It is the one thing I dislike about washing the cloth diapers.  The Woolzie balls have significantly decreased the static in my diapers when I take them out of the dryer!  I won't say that it is completely gone (there is still a little bit of static) but it is negligible.  I was so happy and surprised!

In my regular laundry I have not missed my dryer sheets at all.  My clothes come out of the dryer the same as they always do.  Woolzies claims that they cut down drying time by 25% on large loads because of the way the balls bounce around in the dyer to separate the clothes to allow greater airflow through them.  Our dryer is old and awful!  It takes FOREVER to dry a load (I am so EXCITED about our new washer and dryer we bought for our new house) so I honestly can't tell if the balls have reduced drying time or not.

One other quick note about the Woolzies Dryer Balls- the company suggests that you should use eight balls in the dryer for an extra large load.  (They are sold in boxes of 6.)  I did wash an extra large load of towels one time (honestly it was probably more than I should have tried to wash in one load) and I could tell that the extra two balls in the dryer would have been helpful.  It was the one time I noticed static in my regular laundry use with the balls.  So as the company suggests I would agree that you do need eight balls for an extra large load.

Overall, I am in LOVE.  Really.  I love that I am not using any chemicals now in my laundry.  I love that my clothes and especially my diapers come out of the dryer static-free.  And I would love for you to try Woolzies Dyer Balls too!  Enter below for a chance to win!  Or if you can't wait and aren't the gambling type check out their website to purchase some for yourself or learn more about Woolzies.  I hope you're as impressed as I am!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


I received a complimentary box of Woolzies to try and review.  I was not compensated in any way for my honest review and opinion. 

Linking up with Northern Bell Diaries for Just Because 

Love: Shea Butter and Black Soap

I want to start a new series and share some of my favorite things with you.  On Tuesdays I will be sharing different things that I LOVE.

I have gone through several different skin routines over the past several years.  I've gone from Clean & Clear and Cetaphil lotion, to Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser, to Neutrogena Naturals and Aveeno face lotion.  You get the idea.  I was never fully satisfied with any of them; my biggest complaint was that after I washed my face I had a feeling of tightness as if the skin on my face was being pulled out in every direction.  I don't know if that makes sense, but it didn't feel right. The face wash took off not only my make-up, but also all my natural oils.  I would try to replenish the moisture with the face lotion, but I still wasn't satisfied.  And for the record, the soap stripping my skin of all its natural oils really didn't help to eliminate all my acne either.

A little less than a year ago I was introduced to Shea Butter and Black Soap by my neighbor.  From the label: "Black Soap is a 100% natural soap with no animal fats or chemicals.  The black color is from the burning and boiling of the ingredients to produce a homogenous soap."  In fact there are 4 ingredients: cocoa pod powder, plantain peel powder, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil.

I never thought I would use a bar soap on my face, but I LOVE it!  It takes off my make up and leaves my skin silky smooth without feeling dry and taught!  I also tried the liquid  form in the shower and guess what... I love that too!

And then the Shea Butter...  I bathed my belly in this stuff during my pregnancy, but just a touch of this on my face has been the best!  It is very thick so it really only takes a tiny bit.  I typically only use it at night- sometimes in the morning as well just depending on how dry my skin feels.  100% pure Shea Butter is thick.  You need to get a little out of the jar on your finger and rub it together in your hands to "melt" it before applying.  

I have also used the Shea Butter on Haddie Grace after a bath and as a diaper cream to prevent diaper rash on both the girls.  Shea Butter is a great anti-aging and anti-wrinkle agent and (if used liberally) can be protect against sun poisoning.  From the website, see more about the properties of 100% Shea Butter below.

Shea Butter comes out of Africa. This yellow-white to ivory colored butter, has been used for thousand of years by African healers to alleviate maladies of the skin and scalp. Shea Butter comes from the African Shea tree found along the West African Savannah Region and some parts of East Africa. It is a wild growing tree that produces tiny almond-like fruits - Shea Butter is extracted from the kernel of this fruit. The tree itself is not cultivated and takes 40 to 50 years to mature. In most parts of Africa, destruction of the Shea tree is forbidden due to its economic, health and social benefits. Indeed many herbalists in Africa regard Shea Butter as an invaluable agent for external and internal body purification. Our 100% Pure Shea Butter is unrefined and it's produced the traditional way without any chemicals by a co-operative of women in Tamale, Ghana. As with all vegetable fats, Shea Butter has soothing, moisturizing and protective effects. It displays a protective role against Ultra Violet Rays of the sun because it contains cinnmic acid. It also prevents certain sun allergies. Traditional uses of 100% Pure Shea Butter include, but are not limited to : Treatment of dry skin, wrinkles and damaged hair Removal of skin blemishes and discoloration Healing of cuts and wounds To relax stiff muscles As an aid for pain from swelling and arthritis; ideal for sprains and boils As sun screen Shea Butter contains fatty acid, triglycerides, and high amounts of unsaponifiable matter which can range from 2.5% to 15%. This exceptionally rich vegetable extract contain fatty acids, phytosterol and unsaponifiables which stimulate cell regeneration and capillary circulation (these favor the healing of small wounds, cracks, crevices and sun ulcers). 100% Pure Shea Butter has antioxidant properties due to its content of tocopherols. In the cosmetics field, this property helps to prevent skin aging. Shea Butter also has restructuring effect on the epidermis and it is also a good agent against stretch marks. It is very well tolerated by the skin, for it does not result in any allergic reaction and can be used in very sensitive skin areas such as tissues and around the eyes.

I have not found 100% Shea Butter very easily.  I have seen it a couple places here and there, but it has always been more expensive than I wanted to pay.  Most of the "shea butter" you see is not pure.  It has some shea butter in it, but it is mostly comprised of other things.  Visit NaturallYou for 100% Pure Shea Butter and Black Soap.

 You can also find Black Soap at Whole Foods, but most of the soaps there have more ingredients and are not as "pure".  Simple is better in my book.

What products do you love to use on your face?

Homemade All Natural Deodorant

First off, let me preface this by saying I really don't have any major issues with commercial deodorant.  But I will tell you that almost all commercial deodorant contain aluminum.  Aluminium toxicity has been linked to Alzheimer's disease, various cancers, as well as other health issues.  Commercial deodorant also contains parabens, which I talked about the dangers of here.

Again I wasn't on a hunt to eliminate commercial deodorant from my life, but I ran across this recipe several months ago and about 6 weeks ago or so I decided to give it a try.  I'm not really sure why I remembered it or thought about it, but I did, and I happen to have all the ingredients so I decided to give it a whirl.  So here you go- homemade all natural deodorant that costs next to nothing.

Ingredients: 

• 6-8 Tbs coconut oil** (solid state)
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1/4 cup arrowroot

Directions

• Mix arrowroot powder and baking soda
• Slowly mix in coconut oil to incorporate into powder.  (I just used the back of a spoon)  Continue to add in coconut oil until consistency is like that of regular deodorant- more of a solid state but easily applied.  

That's it!  It took me less than 5 minutes.  I store it in a small pyrex container in our bathroom and apply it with my fingers.  (You could also transfer it into an old deodorant container- click here for a tutorial.)  I've been using it for over a month now and will say it works well.  (i.e. no one has complained of me smelling and I have not smelled myself.  Remember I'm pregnant and my sense of smell is SUPER keen right now, so if I smelled I promise I would know.)  I was slightly concerned about it staining my clothes, but it has not at all.  It also rubs in incredibly well and leaves no residue to be seen.  It has a pleasant smell, but it is not over-powering or overly noticeable.  It could easily be used for both men and women.  (Although you will NEVER see or hear of my husband using this.  He would probably kill me if I asked him to try it.  There are some lines you just don't cross in your marriage.)  You could also add a couple drops of tea tree oil for the pleasant scent and anti-bacterial properties.

I will also say that it has not been particularly hot outside and I have not been heavily exercising either, so perspiration has not been an issue.  I will probably continue to use commercial deodorant when heading to the gym or running and probably for those humid Georgia summers when sweating tends to be more of a problem.  But for now I will continue to use the natural homemade deodorant and know that I am limiting my exposure to potentially harmful chemicals in my environment. 

**Coconut oil does change from a solid to liqued state at 76 degrees, so if your bathroom or house tends to be on the warmer side (like 76 degrees) you might have issue with it melting...
**Although we primarily use coconut oil in the kitchen for cooking, it has A LOT of other great uses for skin and hair.  For more uses for coconut oil click here

Linking up with Monday Mingle and YOLO Mondays

DIY Liquid Hand Soap

So as part of my quest for natural, simple, and sustainable living, I have been trying to cut out unnecessary chemicals from the home.  You can't (or at least I can't....) cut them all out- you would go insane! But I figure every little step helps :)
Most commercially made liquid hand soaps (as well as body washes and shampoos) contain at least one if not all three of these potentially harmful chemicals: phthalates, parabens, and DEA.  
phthalates- Probable human carcinogen.  Endocrine disruptor that can cause girls to develop earlier (along with many other factors and hormones in our food I wonder if this could be contributing to young girls hitting early puberty??) and reduce testosterone levels in males.
parabens- (includes any methyl-, proply-, butyl-, and ethyl- prefixes)  Endocrine disruptors that have been found to be linked to reproductive disorders, developmental disorders, learning disorders, and immune system dysfunction.  They have also been found in breast tumors.
DEA- (diethanolamine and derivatives) Has been shown to interfere with normal brain development in mice and the International Agency for Research on Cancer recommends it be treated as a carcinogen in humans 
Just for the record I am NOT a scientist nor doctor and am not making any health claims.  These are just things that I have found in my own personal research and quest for healthy and natural living.

There are many more natural brands of soaps that do not contain these ingredients, but two that I like are Mrs. Meyers and Dr. Bronner's.  As with most natural products, these soaps are not cheap.  And if you haven't noticed the liquid soaps are significantly more expensive than their bar counterparts.  We prefer liquid hand soap at our house.  Actually I don't mind bar soaps, but Chris does not like and will not use bar soap at the sink so liquid soap it is!
So enter DIY liquid hand soap!  You simply make liquid hand soap out of bar soap.  It is SUPER easy and took me all of 15 minutes hands-on time.

I choose Dr. Bronner's Tea Tree Oil Soap.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the smell of tea tree oil.  And it is not a feminine scent so men won't mind using it as well.

Step 1- Grate 4oz of bar soap with cheese grater  (Note: my bar was a 5oz bar.  I think I will try to use the whole bar next time.  I only used 4oz because I was concerned about my liquid soap getting too thick.  The consistency turned out great, but I am going to try 5oz next time to see how that works)

Step 2-  Combine 1/2 gallon of distilled water with soap shavings in large pot on stove

Step 3- Add 1 Tbs liquid glycerin and heat on med-high heat until soap is dissolved.  (You should apparently be able to find this in the band-aid section of your local drug store.  I had some difficulty.  I ended up finding it at Whole Foods and therefore probably paying twice as much for it...)

Step 4- Go away; leave alone for 8-10 hours or until completely cool

Step 5- After completely cooled it will harden and look like liquid soap.  You might need to take some beaters to it to get it to the right consistency for liquid soap.

Step 6- Funnel into soap container to use and store remainder to re-fill later!  Wash hands and enjoy the savings!  You now have 64oz of liquid hand soap that costs about $5.  A 12-16oz soap pump or refill bottle of Mrs. Meyers or Dr. Bronners typically costs between $4 and $10 respectively.  Not a bad deal...

* This soap does have a little bit different texture or consistency than typical liquid soap, but it still cleans just fine and is not clumpy at all.  I have read that it doesn't always create a big lather.  Lather does not correlate to cleanliness.  My soap lathers quite well, but apparently others have not always had the same results.

Speaking of lacking lather and bubbles- if you're into this sort of thing or just like saving money check out my homemade laundry detergent recipe and savings.  You can easily make your own laundry detergent free of enzymes, dyes, and perfumes for a fraction of the cost.
Don't forget to enter my GAP gift card giveaway!!

H54F

It's Friday again, and I'm not sure where the week went.  One of my goals for the month was to slow down.  Spoiler alert- I'm failing.   Anyhow, here's a brief recap of my week.

1. On Monday my sweet husband surprised me with flowers and movie tickets when I came home from work.  Yay!  I LOVE stargazer lilies and have been enjoying their scent all week.

2. Chris also installed this New Wave Enviro shower filter to our shower head to filter the chlorine out of the water.  Did you know that your body absorbs more chlorine through skin and lungs while showering than from drinking tap water?  Chlorine strips the body of protein and can leave skin feeling dry and itchy.  I had been looking at and reading about this shower filter for awhile and wondering if it would help the insane itching I've had during this pregnancy.  Y'all I'm not going to lie-it has helped.  Absolutely amazing.

3. We finally took Phoebe to a new pediatrician and loved him.  It was a great experience.  I felt like he thoroughly laid hands on my child and did a compressive well-check.  He also sat down and talked to me, answered my questions, and listened to me.  Why did we not do this sooner??  On the downside, Phoebe only weighs 18lbs 3oz.  I was really hoping for 20lbs.  We're back to adding butter to her food to try to increase her calorie intake...

4.  I have hit that point in pregnancy where I am no longer sleeping well.  I know some people have trouble sleeping throughout their pregnancy and I am thankful that it is just the last few weeks for me.  As much as I dislike medication I did dig out my Tylenol PM I had leftover from Phoebe's pregnancy.  I only had a few left in the bottle so I went out to get some more this week.  Did you know that Tylenol PM is currently unavailable?!?  I went to 2 different drug stores looking for it and can't find it anywhere!  The manufacturer website says its currently unavailable due to manufacturing and system upgrades.  WHAT?!?  I need it now!!!  I might resort to taking my Ambien that expired in 2011....

5.  Yes, I hit 100 followers on Monday!!  I can't believe it!  Thanks so much for stopping by to read my little blog.  Y'all are awesome and I appreciate you so much!  To celebrate I'm participating in a $150 GAP card giveaway.  Go enter to win!


Have a great weekend!!!

Meatless Monday: Cheesy Lentils and Rice

Although I did not make any New Year's resolutions or goals, I did enjoy reading a lot of other people's.  A lot of people have goals or are wanting to make lifestyle changes to incorporate healthy lifestyle choices including their eating, cleaning, and exercise habits.  I love it!  Although not resolutions these are things I feel passionate about and have been trying to incorporate more of into our lives.  I'm going to try to share some tips and some changes we have been able to make over the next few months.
But it has been awhile since I've shared any recipes (at least healthy ones...) so I thought I'd do that today.  I saw several goals to eat "Meatless Mondays"  We don't really follow Meatless Mondays in my house, but I have been trying to incorporate a meatless dinner once/week.  I have been wanting to start buying organic meat for over a year now, but frankly just haven't been able to work it into the budget.  I do choose grass fed beef or organic chicken when I can (typically at the beginning of the month) but it is just so expensive, which is where meatless "Mondays" come into play.  Saving a bit of money on meat once/week allows more money for the organic meat for other meals.

I love lentils (and they are a great source of protein!) and I love how easy this recipe is.  Because dinner time tends to be PFB's fussy time, I can easily prep the veggies and cook the rice and lentils during nap time so it takes minimal prep-time just before serving.
I substituted quinoa for the rice this time to pack in some extra protein.  Did you know that quinoa is the only whole grain that has all 9 essential amino acids making it a complete source of protein?  It also cooks in about 15 minutes vs. 45 minutes for brown rice.  Quick and easy substitute in a time crunch.

Cheesy Lentils and Rice

• 2/3 cup uncooked brown rice (I used quinoa)
• 1 cup dried lentils
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 chopped green pepper
• 2 cloves garlic minced 
• 2 cans diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground red pepper
• 1 tsp Tony's seasoning (or other favorite seasoning)
• olive oil (I have never measured olive oil in my life)
• 1 1/ 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

(the pineapple is not part of the recipe...)
And the ziploc bag is homemade chicken stock that I cooked the lentils and quinoa in rather than water to add some extra flavor

Cook rice (or quinoa) according to package directions.  Set aside

Cook lentils according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Saute onion, green pepper, and garlic with olive oil large skillet over medium heat.  Saute until tender.

Stir in lentils, tomatoes, and next five ingredients.  

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally

Stir in brown rice (or quinoa)

Sprinkle with cheese.  Cover and let stand 5 minutes before serving