Current Loves

1.  Peace & Calming essential oil - Everyone I know loves Young and Living's Peace & Calming essential oil.  I have liked it, but up until recently it hasn't been one of my favorites. It's crazy how your oil loves are always changing.  My RE does not want me doing much with essential oils while going through IVF, but she isn't opposed to me diffusing here and there. It really helps with my stress and anxiety.  Also, zzzzz's.  Not like I have an issue there.  For those who have never had the opportunity to give it a sniff, it's a blend of tangerine, orange, ylang ylang, patchouli and blue tansy. Hands down our pup's favorite oil too!

2.  Sling TV - is awesome. It's new, it has it's kinks. It freezes and you have to restart here and there, but it really doesn't bother me.  We literally get every channel we cared about on cable for $20 a month!  A downside, you can only watch on one device.  This isn't really an issue in our household, but I can see it being an issue. I am sure an option for more than one screen will be available soon. 

3.  Nick's Sticks - These are our go-to when needing a quick snack.  Specifically the 100% grass fed beef sticks.  120 calories for two sticks!  Dye free, nitrate free, hormone free, sugar free, gluten free and antibiotic free. Love, love love these.

4. Emmaus "Touch of Love" skin towels - Emmaus Beauty was founded by Aminah Sagoe for her skin issues including Keratosis Pilaris. I personally do not suffer from KP, but I do have extremely sensitive skin. In the winter, my skin issues exacerbate. 

These towelettes are awesome. They indeed eliminated a dry patch of skin on my side and left it feeling smooth and moisturized. It was pretty much a miracle. I had tried almost everything before finding these and will be a must have for the winter months. Also, all natural ingredients are used. Win!  I also have been using the body wash and lotion which are fabulous, but the towels are by far my favorite. 

What are you currently loving? 

Hynt Beauty Must Haves

I have said it before, and I will say it again

What we put on our bodies is just as important as what we put in them.

Your skin is your largest organ, it absorbs everything you put on it. So think twice about using products containing toxic, hormone disrupting carcinogens.  These chemicals contribute to various internal issues such as infertility, cancer and hormone imbalances.  Just to name a few.

When I found out of my MTHFR mutations, I became even more cognizant of what I was using because of my bodies methylation issues.  The biggest impact you can have on your methylation is eliminating some of the toxins in your overall toxic load.

So, getting back on topic I am always trying new natural products and finding the best of the best.  I am a pretty loyal customer once I find something that I like, and I am positive I found a couple of products to add to my natural nontoxic makeup arsenal. The area of makeup has been most difficult in terms of finding nontoxic products, so when I received some goodies from Hynt Beauty I was anxious to give them a try!

Libre Luxurious Lip Gloss in Copper Glow -  I have a very difficult time finding lip glosses that do not make my super sensitive lips burn and or breakout after a use.  This gloss passed those tests with flying colors. The color of this gloss is so ridiculously rich and fairs well with my fair complexion, which to be honest surprised me. It glides on smoothly and doesn't feel sticky or thick. It's a hydrating gloss with lots of depth and staying power. Hynt swears by their lip pampering ingredients and I can attest to them. It feels like a lip treatment rather than a lip gloss.

Forte High Definition Eye Liner in Black - I am not going to lie. I had a hard time believing that this eye liner was free of toxins. I have been using the same Cover Girl eyeliner since high school (shame on me!) and I have finally found a "better for you" replacement. This eyeliner glides on like silk and has incredible staying power. I am not a smudger, but the pencil does have a smudger on one end if you are one who likes to smudge. In conclusion, you need this eye liner. In terms of green beauty, it is very difficult to find an eyeliner that glides on smoothly and has staying power. Trust me, I have quite a few collecting dust in my makeup case. I am in love with this eye liner, and cannot wait to try the mascara! Also, irritant free. This means I wasn't clawing at my eyes after a few hours of wear.

Velluto Pure Powder Foundation in Light Beige - I received a sample size of this powder foundation and will be purchasing a full size foundation ASAP. Seriously, this foundation is impressive. The first time I used it, I used it where I needed more coverage under my BB Cream.  I then realized it wasn't the type of powder foundation that settles into your creases and makes you look ten years old than you are! It is the best powder foundation I have ever used. It leaves your skin look flawless not FULL OF FLAWS.

Overall I think I will be adding a few items from Hynt Beauty to my Christmas list! I was impressed with the quality of the products and the fact that they are free of questionable ingredients.  It's a win -win!  For more information, visit Hynt Beauty's website here.

Disclosure:  I received these products in exchange for my honest review.  This blog was not compensated for this positing.  All thoughts and opinions are those our my own and were not influenced in any way. 

Sierra Sage Organics

Sierra Sage is one of the oldest hand salve companies in America, founded in 1971.  How is Sierra Sage different than other salve companies?  Each recipe is carefully designed using traditional herbal medicine guidelines.  All of the ingredients used by Sierra Sage are organic and free of "bad for you" additives.

Sierra Sage was generous enough to send me some products for review.  Specifically their Green Goo line, but they offer so much more. I love finding new "good for you" personal care products that work! I urge you to check out their plethora of products which are made with many years of expertise and a whole lot of love.

Here are my thoughts and experiences with a few of the products we received:

Sierra Sage Lip Balms - I have been using the Cool Mint flavor for the past couple of weeks.  I make sure to have a lip balm with me all the time, but especially in the Summer and Winter months.  I found this balm to really condition your lips, not just repair them.  The conditioning probably comes from the added Vitamin E oil  Also, I struggle with lip balms aggravating my lips or causing lip breakouts. I have had neither of these issues. The balms are made with coconut oil, which is a natural sun protectant. At under $4 a pop these will definitely be my go to lip balm

Dry Skin Daily Moisturizing Salve - I was most excited about this salve, because my husband suffers from calloused/dry hands.  He in in love with this salve.  I asked him what he exactly loves about it, and this was his answer:

"Its not as greasy as other salves I have used, and soaks into my hands instead of laying on top of them.  There is very little fragrance to it, and doesn't leave my hands sore or red."

He has been using the salve for the past couple of weeks and is nearing the end of the tin.  He is already asking me to order another.  He does a lot of hand shaking in his profession and is always very self conscious of his hands.  They have made drastic improvements the last couple of weeks with his use of this salve.

Skin Repair Skin Salve - This is what I have been using for the last week for a couple of small sun spots that I have. It is uber moisturizing. I will update with the progress of them fading.  I have also used it for the ridiculous amount of injection and blood draw wounds I have collected from my last IVF cycle.  I did notice a much quicker healing time after using this salve.

I also received the First Aid Salve that I passed on to a friend that fell in love with it after using it for her dried hands. She plans on purchasing a tin or two for herself.

Overall, I was very impressed with these products and look forward to trying a few other products in their line like the Calendula Infused Face Wash and Arnica Salve. 

If you would like to experience some Sierra Sage Organics yourself use coupon code Sage25 to save 25%

5 Steps to a More Natural Lifestyle

Any improvements you make to living a more natural lifestyle are steps in the right direction.  I am nowhere near perfect myself, but I started by making small changes. 

Here are my top 5 changes to a more natural lifestyle

1.  Eliminate plastics! Take inventory of the plastic you have that are used in your kitchen.  Especially those which you heat or freeze and get rid of them! Do you want toxins with your food? I would guess not.  Replace the plastic with glass or stainless steel.  I am a big fan of Pyrex but another cheaper alternative is mason jars.  I use mason jars to store nuts, flours, chia seeds, fresh fruit and the list goes on. Pick up a glass storage container every time you are out shopping . They will add up and your cabinets will be full of non-toxic glass containers that will last much longer than those nasty toxic plastic containers.   

2.  Replace toxic (non-stick) cookware with much safer alternatives such as cast iron and ceramic cookware.  It has been proven the non-stick coating on cookware breaks down over time which in turn emits multiple toxic gasses into the air.  Appetizing? Ya, not so much.  I recently found these awesome alternatives on Amazon and am quite pleased with how they have been working out. Check out Lodge Cast Iron and Wearever Ceramic Cookware.  Stainless steel cookware is another option to look into.  I cant live without my Wolfgang Puck chicken fryer.

3.  Personal care products in the US are minimally regulated which should cause you great concern.  You really need to be your own "police" when it comes to what you use in terms of personal care products.  Your personal care products are full of chemicals.  A solution?  Make your own! The Internet is full of recipes to make your own personal care products. I am planning on putting together a blog post of the top chemicals to avoid when choosing personal care products.  You can also  research what you buy through websites like Skin Deep.

4.  Follow the dirty dozen and clean fifteen, organic dairy and grass fed beef when available. It is personally impossible for me to buy all organic. I do my best!  If you are looking to switch over to a more chemical free lifestyle, I would suggest following the above guidelines at the grocery store. 

5.  Avoiding fragrances at all costs. These suckers are everywhere and in the U.S. they are simply called fragrances or natural fragrances.  We all know how worthless the word "natural" is in the U.S.  The fresh rain fragrance in your dryer sheets is probably derived from petrochemicals.  More often than not fragrances contain phthalates and you can read more about them here.  It's in your best interest to avoid all products labeled with a fragrance whether "naturaly derived" or not.  The word fragrance is synonymous for loophole.  Fragrances can be found in detergents, candles, perfumes, lotions and the list goes on.  Essential oils are a great alternative to avoiding the nasty chemicals.  I use them on my dryer balls in place of dryer sheets, diffuse in place of candles or air fresheners, as perfumes, added to coconut oil as a lotion and in my bath salts.  In addition to avoiding the nasty chemicals of "fragrances" you are also benefiting from their therapeutic qualities.

What steps have you made to living a more natural lifestyle?

After Sun Spray

You would think after 33 years I would have avoiding a sunburn down pat.  Welp, not the case. It happens. This past Saturday in Chicago was gorgeous and it just so happens I spent the entire day outside which turned me into a lobster.  You can call me "lobster lady".

Luckily for me I had my DIY after sun spray on hand.  This stuff is amazing.  It provides instant relief and is also ultra moisturizing which is exactly what sun parched skin needs MOISTURE.  So in addition to dousing youself in your DIY after sun spray get yourself some electrolytes!

I had a smaller bottle (pictured) on hand, but the next batch I make will be in a larger spray bottle (I really love this stuff!) and here is the forumulation

16oz glass spray bottle
1/2 cup pure aloe vera (not the easiest thing to find) or 1 cup aloe vera juice
1/4 cup fractionated coconut oil
1 teaspoon Vitamin E
8 drops Young Living Lavender
6 drops Young Living Peppermint
8 drops Young Living Frankincense or Elemi (I use Frank)

Combine ingredients and shake - easy peasy!

Make sure to give the bottle a shake before each application.  This stuff is great to cool off skin even if its not sun burned.  Its a natural skin loving quencher.  Think gatorade for your skin.

If you are interested in ordering Young Living Essential Oils click here for more information!

Current Loves

Happy Tuesday, loves! Today is the last day of my staycation, but I am not complaining.  It was a great few days relaxing, spring cleaning and unwinding from a couple of busy, busy months.  I figured it was time for a fluffy blog post and what better than a blog sharing my current loves.

1.  All things coconut.  I have never been a big fan of coconut water, but I would use it as a mixer for my wheat grass juice or as a liquid for my smoothies.  My sister-in-law introduced me to Amazonia Coconut Water and White Tea and at first I was hesitant because of my dislike of coconut water, but this is the perfect mix of coconut water and white tea. Amazing and refreshing. She also introduced me to Coconut Rolls made by Tropical Fields which are also cripsy and delicious. I ran out to Costco to pick these both up because you all know how unpredictable Costco is with stocking your favorites!

2.  Young Living Elemi Essential Oil often called "Poor Man's Frankincense".  I cant remember if I have blogged about Elemi before, but I love it. I am attempting to become better at maintaining a skincare regimen, and Elemi has been used in many of Europe's high-end age defying skin care products and by Egyptians for skincare concerns. It's also a grounding oil, and with my main goal of becoming more mindful its one of my favorite oils of the moment.

3.  Headspace proves there is an app for everything.  Headspace is an app providing guided meditation.  I love the user friendliness of the app. I have just started, but so far so good.  I may even sign up after the free 10 day trial.

4.  When Things Fall Apart:  Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chodron is a book you will read and re-read whether you are or are not going through a difficult/trying time.  I am savoring the pages of this book because the lessons are so simple, but often difficult to grasp.  Go buy yourself a copy. You will not regret it.

5.  Lilly for Target what more can I add? My husband and I woke up early Saturday morning to grab a spot in line at Target.  We may or may not have went to an additional couple of Targets to see if there were any returns I could scoop up.  Lilly is cheerful and Lilly from Target is inexpensive.  These two things are a necessity for me right now - cheer and cheap!

6.  Did quite a bit of spring cleaning the last couple of days and Thieves Household Cleaner did the dirty work.  Soap scum, toilets, oven top, counters - you name it!  Thieves can handle it.  This stuff is magic and toxin free.  Absolutely love this stuff. I will never, ever go without.

What are you currently loving?

A Year of Oils

 

Since introducing Young Living essential oils into your lives, we have...

Not suffered a cold/flu in a year - not kidding. In the past, we have had about two cold/flu/viruses a year. I would suffer through a couple of sinus colds that would almost always escalate into full blown sinus infections. Every other year my husband's colds would often escalate into pneumonia/bronchitis.  It has been a year and nothing. No sniffles. No sneezes. No coughs. Nada. Zilch. 

Eliminated the purchase of costly and harmful household products such as hand sanitizer, bug spray, hand soap, dish soap and household cleaner.  I make the majority of our household products using vinegar and essential oils or use the concentrated Thieves Household Cleaner.  

Eliminated many of our costly natural personal care items with items I make homemade using essential oils. This began with my sister-in-law introducing me to her homemade deodorant.  Have you used a natural deodorant? Expect to pay $5+  for a stick that works 50% of the time and leaves an icky sticky residue.

Did you know you can poison yourself 30 ways before even sitting down for breakfast??

Are essential oils magic? Absolutely not, but can be when used the correct way; in conjuction with a healthy lifestyle! I cringe when I see ridiculous claims all over instagram, facebook and other social media forums.  Educate yourself!

It's also important to remember, essential oils work when one uses them. They are not a "one size fits all".  What works for one person may not work for others just like any drug or herb.  If you claim that a single oil will work for everyone for the same condition, you are using essential oils like you would an over the counter or prescription drug - a "band-aid" to the real problem.  Essential oils should be used in conjunction with a holistic, healthy lifestyle including clean/whole eating, stress relief and exercise. 

Young Living Essential Oils can do amazing things in the body, with your body and its natural ability to heal iteself.   

What have you experienced since introducing Young Living into your life?

K Went to the Health Food Store and Bought - Volume 2

I almost frequent the neighborhood health store as much as I do Target.  Here is what I scooped up this time!

1.  Garden of Life Wheat Grass Juice Powder - I would love to grow my own wheat grass, but seeing that's not in the cards right now I picked up some Garden of Life Organic Wheat Grass Juice Powder. Garden of Life Wheat Grass Juice Powder is a powder made from juicing wheat grass and extracting the water creating a concentrated powder.  Wheat Grass has a plethora of health benefits which you can read more about here. I decided to add it to my diet for energy. I added it to my smoothie this morning and did feel a very big oomph in energy. 

2. Navitas Naturals Maca Powder - Maca is a root that belongs to the radish family. Maca Powder is a great source of Vitamins A, C and E in addition to tons of healthy minerals like magensium (which was highly suggested by my RE).  It is a also said to be great for mood balance and energy.  These are definitely current struggles of mine.

3.  Rainbow Light Men's One Multivitamin - A simple, inexpensive food based vitamin for G which includes live plant based enzymes and probiotics.

4.  Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw B Complex - Through my research for the perfect B Complex vitamin I found this particular Raw B complex which includes all natural food based forms of the B's. A good B complex vitamin promotes metabolism, regeneration, emotional wellness, energy, stress reponse etc.  This particular supplement also uses Folate rather than Folic Acid. Can you tell I love Garden of Life products?

5. Now L-Carnitine - A supplement for G, because men need vitamins too. L-Carnitine is an excellent vitamin for male fertility and increases energy.  I figure, why not?

6. Amazing Grass Organic Wheat Grass - I bought these simply for convenience, when I am not looking to consume a smoothie/juice for my wheat grass fix.  These have excellent reviews online.  The serving size is a bit overwhelming at 5 tablets.

7.  derma e Hydrating Day Cream - I was out of my usual day cream, so I decided to try something new.  I have heard good and bad things about derma e products and figured I would give the day cream a whirl. This particular cream includes Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin E and green tea extract. Most importantly is free of parabens, sulfates and mineral oil!

A Male Skintervention

Over the last 5-6 years I have slowly adopted a more clean (sans as many bad chemicals as possible) personal care routine. I have slowly traded these products with more natural or even homemade alternatives. My husband on the other hand has taken a bit longer to come around, but he has made major strides in the last year or so. Believe it or not he is extremely brand loyal when it comes to personal care products and persuading him to make the switch has not always been that easy. I always give the personal advice of "time and space" for women hoping to revamp their male companions personal care regimen into something a bit more natural.

Here are a few of my husband's natural must haves.  As I said he is quite particular so I have faith that the new products exceeded his expectations and most importantly have much less chemicals and fragrances.

• My husband once swore by Biore Pore Unclogging Scrub, and now uses Burt's Bees Peach and Willowbark Scrub. The switch was gradual until the day the Burt's Bees ran out and I told him he should still have some Biore in the closet.  This is when he confessed he prefers to use the Burt's Bees.
• Right Guard Deodorant Clear Fresh Scent has been replaced by homemade coconut oil based deodorant scented with one of his favorite essential oil scents Frankincense. He would bathe in Frankincense if given the chance.  So when my sister-in-law forwarded to me her favorite coconut oil deodorant recipe I decided to add something to entice him which was the Frankincense essential oil.  It worked! I will definitely share the recipe in a future post.
• Body Wash (the more chemically fragrance laden the better) has been replaced by Valor scented bar soap and Every Man Jack Body Wash.  In the near future, I hope to make a homemade Valor body wash with hopes of a more affordable alternative.
• Cologne has been replaced by his all time favorite essential oil Valor. I really thought I would miss Issey Miyake, but there came a point when him wearing the fragrance actually made me itch!  I love the smell of Valor and the extra benefits it offers makes it an even better choice.
• His Aveeno Shaving Cream has been replaced by Shea Moisture Three Butter Utility Soap and the Valor scented bar soap I mentioned above.  
• His Got2B hair gel has been replaced by Garnier Fructis Style Pure Clean Gel. Is it the absolute best alternative? No, as it does contain Benzyl Alcohol but it's definitely an improvement.   

My advice let your male counterparts observe the differences in you and then slowly introduce them to their own more natural alternatives.

A great resource for researching skincare products is EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetic's Database.