Was January a crazy month for you, too? It truly seems like the New Year took off like a rocket and here we are coming up on February. Don't they say that time flies the older you get? LOL! Just wanted to give a sneak peek of some things I plan to babble about in February and beyond. Looking ahead is getting me motivated to tough out these last few months of Winter!
Valentine's Day is coming up and I'm planning on sharing some homemade recipes to share with your special someone (and that special someone can be yourself!) including edible body paint, a romantic massage oil and some other crazy, fun things that are currently hangin out in my brain, too! I will also be continuing the series of "Your Well-Stocked Skin Care Pantry" with Part III, which covers different natural oils and butters and how they can be incorporated into your at-home skin care. I am also super-excited to begin sharing some natural product reviews and guest blogs from the members of the new Skin Care for Your Soul test panel. And since Spring is around the bend, I'm going to be documenting the sprouting and planting of new members of my skin care herb garden and hope that you will join me in planting one, too!
So that is just a peek at some of the posts to come! I always welcome suggestions on anything you would like me to post on, too, so please let me know! Blessings all!
New Herb Companion Blog Post!
Check out my latest Herb Companion blog post on brewing up your own elderflower infusion to ease cold symptoms. Bottoms up!
Behold The AMAZING Pomegranate!
Good for us, pomegranates are LOADED with free-radical fighting antioxidants (primarily Vitamin C) and polyphenols (tannins and flavanoids) that skin loves. The juice has shown benefits for both acne conditions and to help fight the aging process. The edible seeds of the fruit also contain tons of fiber, which helps to clear toxins out of your system that could lead to sluggish skin. In addition to skin benefits, the pomegranate has shown potential in fighting heart disease, cancer and diabetes. And pomegranate extract has even been touted as a sexual tonic! Yes, please!
The pomegranate has a history in just about every ancient culture and religion. In ancient China, it was a symbol of fertility (due to the tons of seeds!). The Hindu's thought of it similarly as both a sign of fertility and prosperity, as well as a medicinal plant which they used in the ayurvedic tradition. There are several biblical references to the pomegranate and it is thought by some to be the actual forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. The pomegranate also shows up throughout history on money, in famous works of art and even as decoration at Greek weddings and funerals. Crazy!
While we also use the pomegranate to decorate our home during the holidays, what we really like to do is eat it! Our favorite way is straight up, right out of the shell. The easiest way to get out the tasty seeds, called arils, is to break open the fruit while it is submerged in a bowl of water. Break all of the little seeds away from the shell and membrane, then give a quick rinse and drain in a colander. This technique avoids seeds flying all over the kitchen and juice squirting in your eye!
If it is the amazing pomegranate juice that you are seeking, the best way to capture it is exactly how you would squeeze an orange. Cut the pomegranate in half and use a manual orange juicer to squeeze out the beautiful blood-red juice.
Here are a few experimental recipes that I've created using pomegranate juice both internally and externally, for a double whammy! Hope you enjoy!
Pomegranate Skin Toner
Juice of 1 large pomegranate
Distilled water
Blend pomegranate and distilled water 1:1 (same amount of water as juice). Pour into a spray atomizer bottle and store in the refrigerator. Spritz your face throughout the day for some pomegranate lovin!
Juice of 1/2 large pomegranate
Juice of 8 small lemons
3 cups pure water
1/2 cup agave sweetener
Pour all ingredients into a pitcher and stir thoroughly. Serve over ice with a sprig of mint. Turn on your shower until the bathroom is all steamy, sit and sip your pomegranate lemonade while pretending you are somewhere in the tropics!
Great Recipes for Your Sweetheart from MRH
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| Photo from dreamstime. |
Valentines Day is right around the corner and what better way to say "I LOVE YOU!" than with a handmade goodie? I will be posting some of my own handmade lovin' over the next few weeks so stay tuned! Blessings!
DIY Cough and Cold Rub
Cold season is in full effect and, although our family has been pretty darn healthy this winter (knocking on wood!), this past weekend I whipped up a batch of trusty cough and cold rub to keep on hand if the need arises over these next few tough months of winter. This rub reminds me of being a small girl and my mom slathering me down with Vicks VapoRub before blowing my snuffly nose and tucking me into my warm bed. A warm fuzzy memory!
We call this "Sicky Rub" in our house and we apply it to our chests, necks, shoulders and back at the first sign of any respiratory-type cold. The application of the essential oils to the upper torso areas helps to alleviate coughs and break up congestion swiftly. Peppermint has an antitussive (anti-cough), expectorant and decongestant action. Rosemary also acts as an excellent respiratory decongestant and mucolytic (breaks up mucous). Eucalyptus is great for nasal congestion that often comes with a head or chest cold.
PLEASE NOTE: It is not advised to use this rub on the face, near the nose or any other mucous membranes and PLEASE remember to wash your hands immediately after applying so that you don't rub your eyes with it (not that I've, er, done that, er, anything). Also, this is a therapeutic product and should be used with safety and caution. Please keep this rub out of reach of children as it should not be ingested. If the rub irritates your skin in any way, discontinue use immediately.
"Sicky Rub"
96 drops peppermint essential oil
96 drops rosemary essential oil
48 drops eucalyptus essential oil
1 cup vegetable oil (I used sunflower)
1 oz. beeswax pellets
Place the essential oils in a bottle and shake for 1-2 minutes to blend the oils fully together. Place the vegetable oil and beeswax in a small glass bowl placed inside a shallow pan of water. Slowly, heat the oil and wax on the stove on a low temperature until it the wax is completely melted into the vegetable oil. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the essential oil mixture.
Pour the finished blend immediately into two 4oz. salve tins. You can also halve the recipe, if desired. This rub should be used within a few months, but stays fresh for longer if you keep it refrigerated and remove the rub from the tin with a clean spoon, rather than fingers.
Jim McDonald's 2011 Herbal Intensive
Spots are now open for Jim McDonald's 2011 Herbal Intensive Course! I am thankful to have had the chance to be one of Jim's students in the 2010 course and it totally changed my life. I encourage those who are interested in herbs and how they can be incorporated into their lives to consider this course. While the fee for the course may seem a bit expensive up front, the money I have saved in treating my family with local plants - even those from our own backyard - has paid for the class and then some. We have avoided several doctor visits, as well as the cost for items we may have purchased over the counter to support our health and well being. It has kind of been our "herbal insurance!"
If you don't live in the local Southeastern Michigan area, not to worry! On Jim's website, he lists a wealth of information on herbs and how to make your own herbal preparations. You can also find videos of some of Jim's herb walks on the Herb Mentor website (another great, affordable resource for learning about herbs).
Happy Birthday to You, My Dear Husband!
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| Jim gets a smooch from Marilyn at Madame Tussauds in Vegas. Goofball! |
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| Jim and I the summer we met - 1993. A beautiful punk rock boy fresh out of the military. How could I resist??? |
Happy birthday, honey. I love you with alla my heart!
And all the roads we have to walk along are winding
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding
There are many things that I would
Like to say to you
I don't know how
Because maybe
You're gonna be the one who saves me ?
And after all
You're my wonderwall
Whats up With Your Bottled Water?
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| Image by Peter Kozikowski on Dreamstime |
One of my favorite organizations, The Environmental Working Group, has recently released their 2011 Bottled Water Scorecard - a report on how different brands of bottled water stack up as far as purity, quality and safety. Even though I don't drink bottled water, I found the results to be quite interesting and I think you will to! They basically sum it all up by saying that filtered tap water is your best bet!
The EWG even has a handy tool where you can type in your favorite brand to see how they rate. We all know how important pure water is to our health and skin, so this is worth checking out.
For a quick snapshot of the best and worst water brands, check out this article released by Yahoo.
Mask of the Month: Traverse City Dreamin'
It is about this time every year that I long for summer days spent in Traverse City, Michigan - the beauty of the northern Lower Peninsula known for its amazing cherries (and the Cherry Festival held each July). In my 20s, my mother and I would plan a mother-daughter trip to Traverse every summer. It was a long weekend full of quality time that I will hold dear for the rest of my life.
We would spend lazy days shopping under the warm Michigan summer sun at the local boutiques and art galleries, tasting wine at the several local Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsula wineries, munching on fresh baked bread from Stone House Bread slathered with local cherry preserves and sleeping in late at our favorite bed and breakfast by the water - The Omena Sunset Lodge.
After I had my two beautiful daughters, times changed, priorities shifted and these trips have come few and far between. It is on days like today that I think back to those carefree trips and the unmatched beauty of up-north Michigan summers. To take me back to those days and escape from the cold outside, I whipped up this month's simple, easy breezy mask - Traverse City Dreamin'.
The cherries in this mask are loaded with antioxidants to fight those nasty free radicals that age our skin. Their natural astringent action also help to tone and tighten skin tissues. The addition of honey hydrates and nourishes.
While a bottle of wine to accompany your mask experience is purely optional, may I recommend my fave for a summer's day - Chateau Grand Traverse Riesling!
Traverse City Dreamin'
10 fresh pitted sour cherries (or you can use thawed frozen ones)
1T raw honey
Blend the cherries and honey in a blender until smooth. Apply mask to freshly cleansed skin and leave on for 15 minutes. Kick back, close your eyes and imagine you are being bathed in sunlight. Remove mask gently with a warm, damp cloth. Follow with your favorite toner and moisturizer.
Where are you dreamin' to be right now???
Blessings on 11/11! Angels Be With You!
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| Image from Dreamstime. |
In the late Summer of 2006, I experienced a phenomena, that at the time seemed insignificant, but unfolded to be something that began a shift in not only my life as I knew it, but gave my slow spiritual awakening a kick in the arse!
In late August, 2006, I began seeing the number 1111 everywhere. I would look at the clock at exactly 11:11. My bill at a restaurant would be $11.11. A license plate in front of me would have the numbers 1111. While some may say this was all just coincidence, it was happening frequently enough for me to take notice.
I consulted with my dear friend, Jill, who is in-the-know about these types of things, as to what the possible significance could be. Why was I seeing this number everywhere? Jill just smiled a big smile and told me that I needed to read the book Angel Numbers by Doreen Virtue. She let me borrow her copy and I read it within a day.
While I have since discovered that interpretations on the number 1111 can vary, the very basic interpretation is that it is a "calling card" from the angels. It is a way that they get you to begin to take notice.
Back in 2006, just days after reading the book, I sure did take notice and the message was loud and clear. I began feeling a familiar funny feeling. A little bit of nausea and a whole lot of sleepiness. Things started smelling funny. Oh, crap! There is no way! Is there? But! No! There is no way! I made a quick trip to the corner drug store to pick up a pregnancy test, and sure enough - I was pregnant! My receipt for the pregnancy test - $11.11!
It was then that I began to believe in angels and started opening myself up to them. While this may seem nutty to some, I truly believe that angels communicate with us in ways that we many never fully comprehend in our world, but can only embrace on a level that is deeply personal to each individual. I have continued to see 1111 at significant times since this experience. For me, it has evolved into a regular message that all is well - that I am on the right path.
This is only where the story begins for me. The angels had more messages to share, but I will save that story for another time...
Have you ever had an 1111 experience? I would love to hear it!
Inspiration for Monday and Beyond
The following is a post by Jesse Wolf Hardin from Anima Lifeways & Herbal School titled - Live Your Dreams! It’s Both Unhealthy and Unwise, To Do Otherwise. I have subscribed to their blog for a time and I am always touched by the thoughtful posts and the emotion that they put into them. Sometimes they are filled with such emotion that I have to read them in small doses! I found this post particularly inspiring as we head into the new year and hope that you will, too!
Kiva and I have been studying the archaic Western Four Humors constitutional model lately, after frustration over Western herbalists having to turn to Eastern cultures for an effective and practicable constitutional and energetic system. It has proved uncanny in its descriptions of Kiva, a “melancholic-choleric”, and “choleric-melancholic” me: decisive and determined, allegiance to noble ideals, goal or cause oriented. My type can be judgmental, intolerant and impatient they say, and I truly can’t deny that. The corollary on the Anima Medicine Wheel is the Center place of origin, in which the predominate energy is wild growth, movement, direction and potentially abrasive insistence, not always the most restful or pleasant of overriding personality-defining characteristics, this relentless need to re-create, heal and better the world, to identify a dream and obsess over its fullest realization.
Too often, however, human kind of whatever constitution error the other way, in unhelpful extremes of acceptance and toleration, reconsideration and resignation, self doubt and imagined powerlessness, attachment to approval and obedience to authority. As a people we tend to doubt… doubt the wisdom in any options we choose between, doubt our ability to make the right choices, doubt that we can effect the world in a significant or lasting way, doubt that we have the courage to take necessary risks or that we are truly worthy of the blessings and rewards.… doubt that we can ever live – or even deserve – the life and way of living we’ve always dreamed of.
There is something seriously wrong with the modern civilized tendency to ignore our callings and let our dreams slowly die, self-sabotaging a goal that might have been possible if only we trusted sufficiently in its meaning and value, in ourselves, in the power of courageous impassioned effort and personal persistence, and in the seemingly magical alignment of circumstances that can result in the highly unlikely often coming true. Far too often, we may listen to the warnings and compromises of others, or be held back by the concern they might dismiss our greatest and longest lived dreams as frivolous, childish or out of reach. Judging by some of the reactions we get, you’d think that we’re supposed to be satisfied living lives that we neither dreamed of nor planned for, obeying rather than discerning and initiating, conforming in order to function as part of a machine, rationalizing our dissatisfaction, suppressing our wild desires, and settling for less of what we need and desire most.
I can’t help but ache to this day, thinking about my own mother’s relentless desire to be an interior decorator, but never having the self confidence to act on it. I hurt, sensing the longing of all those who dearly wish they were someplace else, dreaming of opportunities in New York while failing to notice the pleasurable aspects of a Springfield or Tucson, or dreaming of settling in Alaska or Hawaii instead while thinking they’re settling for the state where they’re at. I am disquieted… by the quiet desperation of anyone who grew up hungering to be a healer or teacher, writer or an artist, a free form dancer or red-eyed rodeo star and then opted instead for a safe career that actually holds no meaning for them.
Whatever your most precious and significant dreams are, it’s vital to your deepest needs and ultimate satisfaction that you keep them alive, doing all you can to bring them to fruition, feeding them, growing them, and most importantly doing all you can every moment and day to live them! And this is true whether your dream is being a folk herbalist or Ph.D-holding researcher, bioregional farmer or world changing revolutionary, underpaid tree planter or unpaid backwoods parent . Whether it involves soothing stillness or stimulating motion, traveling the wide world or leaning how to become a responsible native in a single special place. Remaking society, or devoted to making the most wondrous meals. It’s stultifying to slip into default mode, unquestioningly repeating old habits and patterns, meeting outside expectations without responding to inner wants, or an inner calling reflective of a larger purpose. There is more damage is done to one’s self and kids by resentful or unenthusiastic mothering than by turning children over for adoption, and every relationship we give to is improved as a result of our making sure our dreams are acted on instead of relegated or sacrificed for their sake. Little that’s inspired can be expected from jobs we stick with only because we were once trained for them. Yet at the same time, even the most uninspiring source of income can be devoted to enabling and funding our desires and dreams… if only we make it so!
It’s up to each generation to help the children to identify, define, develop, and then fully live their most meaningful dreams – those that define, excite and motivate them the most. We may not always share their hopes and aspirations, but we need to support their pursuit nonetheless. Some youngsters may want to finish college so they can qualify for a certain enticing career, others may be called to dis school in favor of a more experiential route. Maybe their most fervent wish is to raise horses, work with the handicapped, or design solar powered gliders that soar effortlessly through the sky… but whatever it is they’re reaching out for, what helps most is to see the parents and adults around them stretching at the same time. We’re the most useful example for others when we’re not always doing the convenient or practical thing, but are instead demonstrating whatever level of determination it might take to heed a calling and honor a vision. We probably all wish the young folks we know will be able to make their dreams come true, and one of the best ways to help them is by showing we’re fully given to our dreams too.
Give yourself to that important cause that needs your dedication. Don’t let any obstacles stand in the way, push forward and watch for every opening. If you get fired from work, it could be the opportunity to create that innovative business, clinic or school that you always wanted to. If they cut your hours, it’s more time to do the things you’ve so long been missing. It can require a failed relationship, for us to insist on a more healthy pairing and dynamic the next time. Deep unhappiness with any aspect of our existence, can be our chance and our inspiration to change them. Being burdened with challenge, is our opportunity to insist and continue, persevere and prevail, exceed and excel. And it is the very difficulty and improbability of fulfilling our dreams that makes the our efforts in that direction so commendable, our results so prominent, and the resulting satisfaction so profound.
Climb that mountain that you said you would one day. Pick up that musical instrument you hanker for, even if it might take years to get good at it. Move to that city you can’t stop thinking about, or finally give yourself the country lifestyle you always wanted. Go broke if you have to, buying and sailing that dream boat. Give your all to the difficult but purposeful task. Do what’s required to pay for and facilitate the projects and causes you most care about, even if it temporarily means working for money at things you don’t enjoy. Sign up for the important home study course that you’ve been afraid you don’t have enough time or focus for. Start that practice and hang that shingle, walk that trail, organize that demonstration, stand up against that clear and grievous wrong,. However you envision your purpose, and whatever you imagine might bring you contentment, you need to know that it’s crucial as well as possible, even if you don’t yet know how… and remember that it’s never too late, so long as you start right now.
Too often, however, human kind of whatever constitution error the other way, in unhelpful extremes of acceptance and toleration, reconsideration and resignation, self doubt and imagined powerlessness, attachment to approval and obedience to authority. As a people we tend to doubt… doubt the wisdom in any options we choose between, doubt our ability to make the right choices, doubt that we can effect the world in a significant or lasting way, doubt that we have the courage to take necessary risks or that we are truly worthy of the blessings and rewards.… doubt that we can ever live – or even deserve – the life and way of living we’ve always dreamed of.
There is something seriously wrong with the modern civilized tendency to ignore our callings and let our dreams slowly die, self-sabotaging a goal that might have been possible if only we trusted sufficiently in its meaning and value, in ourselves, in the power of courageous impassioned effort and personal persistence, and in the seemingly magical alignment of circumstances that can result in the highly unlikely often coming true. Far too often, we may listen to the warnings and compromises of others, or be held back by the concern they might dismiss our greatest and longest lived dreams as frivolous, childish or out of reach. Judging by some of the reactions we get, you’d think that we’re supposed to be satisfied living lives that we neither dreamed of nor planned for, obeying rather than discerning and initiating, conforming in order to function as part of a machine, rationalizing our dissatisfaction, suppressing our wild desires, and settling for less of what we need and desire most.
I can’t help but ache to this day, thinking about my own mother’s relentless desire to be an interior decorator, but never having the self confidence to act on it. I hurt, sensing the longing of all those who dearly wish they were someplace else, dreaming of opportunities in New York while failing to notice the pleasurable aspects of a Springfield or Tucson, or dreaming of settling in Alaska or Hawaii instead while thinking they’re settling for the state where they’re at. I am disquieted… by the quiet desperation of anyone who grew up hungering to be a healer or teacher, writer or an artist, a free form dancer or red-eyed rodeo star and then opted instead for a safe career that actually holds no meaning for them.
Whatever your most precious and significant dreams are, it’s vital to your deepest needs and ultimate satisfaction that you keep them alive, doing all you can to bring them to fruition, feeding them, growing them, and most importantly doing all you can every moment and day to live them! And this is true whether your dream is being a folk herbalist or Ph.D-holding researcher, bioregional farmer or world changing revolutionary, underpaid tree planter or unpaid backwoods parent . Whether it involves soothing stillness or stimulating motion, traveling the wide world or leaning how to become a responsible native in a single special place. Remaking society, or devoted to making the most wondrous meals. It’s stultifying to slip into default mode, unquestioningly repeating old habits and patterns, meeting outside expectations without responding to inner wants, or an inner calling reflective of a larger purpose. There is more damage is done to one’s self and kids by resentful or unenthusiastic mothering than by turning children over for adoption, and every relationship we give to is improved as a result of our making sure our dreams are acted on instead of relegated or sacrificed for their sake. Little that’s inspired can be expected from jobs we stick with only because we were once trained for them. Yet at the same time, even the most uninspiring source of income can be devoted to enabling and funding our desires and dreams… if only we make it so!
It’s up to each generation to help the children to identify, define, develop, and then fully live their most meaningful dreams – those that define, excite and motivate them the most. We may not always share their hopes and aspirations, but we need to support their pursuit nonetheless. Some youngsters may want to finish college so they can qualify for a certain enticing career, others may be called to dis school in favor of a more experiential route. Maybe their most fervent wish is to raise horses, work with the handicapped, or design solar powered gliders that soar effortlessly through the sky… but whatever it is they’re reaching out for, what helps most is to see the parents and adults around them stretching at the same time. We’re the most useful example for others when we’re not always doing the convenient or practical thing, but are instead demonstrating whatever level of determination it might take to heed a calling and honor a vision. We probably all wish the young folks we know will be able to make their dreams come true, and one of the best ways to help them is by showing we’re fully given to our dreams too.
Give yourself to that important cause that needs your dedication. Don’t let any obstacles stand in the way, push forward and watch for every opening. If you get fired from work, it could be the opportunity to create that innovative business, clinic or school that you always wanted to. If they cut your hours, it’s more time to do the things you’ve so long been missing. It can require a failed relationship, for us to insist on a more healthy pairing and dynamic the next time. Deep unhappiness with any aspect of our existence, can be our chance and our inspiration to change them. Being burdened with challenge, is our opportunity to insist and continue, persevere and prevail, exceed and excel. And it is the very difficulty and improbability of fulfilling our dreams that makes the our efforts in that direction so commendable, our results so prominent, and the resulting satisfaction so profound.
Climb that mountain that you said you would one day. Pick up that musical instrument you hanker for, even if it might take years to get good at it. Move to that city you can’t stop thinking about, or finally give yourself the country lifestyle you always wanted. Go broke if you have to, buying and sailing that dream boat. Give your all to the difficult but purposeful task. Do what’s required to pay for and facilitate the projects and causes you most care about, even if it temporarily means working for money at things you don’t enjoy. Sign up for the important home study course that you’ve been afraid you don’t have enough time or focus for. Start that practice and hang that shingle, walk that trail, organize that demonstration, stand up against that clear and grievous wrong,. However you envision your purpose, and whatever you imagine might bring you contentment, you need to know that it’s crucial as well as possible, even if you don’t yet know how… and remember that it’s never too late, so long as you start right now.
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Ginger Week at Iron Oak Farm!
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| Photo by Jennifer Sartell, courtesy of Iron Oak Farm |
Reflections on 2010
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| Photo by rajatt2010 on flickr |
Like any year, 2010 was full of its ups and downs. My husband's Detroit agency office folded under the heavy weight of a suffering automotive industry, leaving him without work and our family without insurance (definitely a down!). But days later, he was offered a great contract job (up!). The spa where I have worked for 8 years closed its doors, unable to keep up with the economic impact of the same suffering automotive industry (sigh...down!). However, I don't leave there empty-handed or with a heavy heart. I leave with the greatest memories of a wonderful place of employment and friends that have become like sisters (up!).
In 2010, I saw both of my daughters starting off on their adventure as schoolkids. I expanded my circle of community to include a bunch of crazy chicken ladies, a pack of herb nerds and a group of Peruvian Shamans - all of whom I absolutely adore. I watched family members move forward gracefully on their spiritual path. I watched a few of them stumble along the way. I celebrated anniversary Lucky 13 with my dear husband. I witnessed my little sister-in-law marry her longtime sweetheart this past New Year's Eve.
And in 2010, I decided to blog again. Writing this blog has enriched my life beyond any words and I am looking forward to a new year full of sharing and interaction. I truly appreciate that you take the time to read my posts and I am so happy that you, too, are part of my community - our community.
I would love to hear your reflections on 2010. We all have a story to share. If you'd like to share any personal experiences from the past year with our community, please leave a comment. Blessings to you!
Happy New Year!
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year! I'm back to blogging this week. Boy, have I missed it!
Here's to a wonderful, blessed 2011 for you all! I'm looking forward to it!
Here's to a wonderful, blessed 2011 for you all! I'm looking forward to it!
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