Coconut oil

Coconut Oil Is probably my favorite product on the planet. I had never heard of it before my mother in law gave us a bottle for Christmas - this was about two years ago. Now, I use it daily in many different areas of the kitchen, bath and bed rooms. Coconut Oil smells marvelous, feels so soft on my skin, tastes yummy in my coffee, is a delicious ingredient for homemade candy (buckeye people should switch), great spread on my toast or waffles, is a super boo-boo salve for my baby's busted chin, is awesome on a mild diaper rash, washes away the dirt on my face, conditions my hair, nourishes my skin after a shower, is the reason my handmade deodorant is so awesome, sautés garlic and kale amazingly & is even condom safe (yep) and a whole plethora fun ;)
 
Oil Pulling - whiten your teeth, prevent/reverse tooth decay, and inhibits the growth of streptococcus
Solid Hand Lotion - nourishes and creates a layer on your skin protecting from infection

Facial Cleanser/Moisturizer - leaves skin feeling smooth and may fight those tiny lines around the eye
Kitchen Fun - pop it in a hot pan and fry a couple organic, free range eggs in it, spread it on some toast, drop in a hot cup of coffee.
Lowers Bad Cholesterol - "Coconut oil has a saturated fat called lauric acid, a type of MCT. It has been shown that lauric acid increases the good HDL cholesterol in the blood to help improve cholesterol ratio levels.  Coconut oil lowers cholesterol by promoting its conversion to pregnenolone, a molecule that is a precursor to many of the hormones our bodies need."
Helps Improve Thyroid Function - "The medium chain fatty acids found in coconut oil also help in rebuilding cell membranes and increasing the enzyme production that assists in promoting the conversion of thyroid hormones for use by the body (T4 to T3)."
Personal Lubricant - silky smooth, melts on contact, smells sensational, fights candida and is condom safe!

I recently made a coconut oil based deodorant and coconut meltables and sent a few to friends and family. Pics below!

Place all ingredients in a gallon size zip-close baggie, squeeze out the air, zip it closed and mash away! The heat of your hands will warm and soften the coconut oil and infuse the other ingredients. When it is about the consistency of butter cream icing, clip the corner of the baggie off and use it like an icing bag to squeeze it in your glass jar! This amount lasts my husband and I about two months. This time around I made a double batch, twisted the end of the baggie with a rubber band and put in it a dark cabinet. It's already solid and won't leak out. If you live in warmer climates be sure to keep it in a cool, dark place as it's melting point is 74-76 degrees Fahrenheit. Some even suggest the fridge but I haven't been using it in the warm season as of yet, so I cannot comment!

These are great for all kinds of things: drop it in your morning coffee, use it to wash your face & moisturize after a bath, condition your hair, solid lotion bar (keep in your purse), lip moisturizer, next to your bed to smooth under your eyes (helps fight those tiny lines), as a personal lubricant (condom safe and fights candida), place it on a hot waffle or toast, melt it in a hot pan and fry an egg...

Sarah

Follow Me Here on Pinterest, Facebook
http://oilpulling.com/oilpullingscience.htm
http://www.coconut-connections.com/skin_care.htm
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/surprising-health-benefits-coconut-oil
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/12/08/coconut-oil-combats-tooth-decay.aspx
http://www.hybridrastamama.com/2013/02/coconut-oil-for-intimate-uses.html

Saint Patrick's Day

Most of my genealogy stems back to Ireland so I am fond of this day, but at 34 and a mother of 3.5 (three full time & privileged to have my step daughter every other weekend etc) the sentiment of this day has certainly morphed. I find myself thinking of my grandpa (paternal) Fred who was proud of being Irish, proud of his name Frederick, proud of his country - to be honest I think even as I write this I realize he was a great example of humble confidence. My St Patty's Day memories of him include oversized green ties, shamrocks and laughter; paper projects and sweet treats... Probably similar to your first holiday memories. It then morphs into a celebration of beer & how much the Irish like to drink it. Green beer, Irish brands, cheap beer - didn't really matter as long as it was beer! Haha lots of foggy memories with painful days-after. The next transformation revisits the paper projects and sweet treats with my twin daughters (now 16) with my dad playing the part of grandpa. We can always count on shamrock flecked socks from my mom for all of us to wear to school and work - never forgetting to wear green, of course! Four years ago my Husband and I took a walk, held hands and kissed for the first time in about 7 years (a story for another time) and were married 7 months later which adds romance to my St Patty's Day book of memories! Today, I made a memory with my baby boy. He's just turned two and is trying to communicate. He jabbers non-stop all day long in broken English barely getting his meaning across. This is a frustrating time in his life! Three times this week he asked for a specific show using his choo-choo word. I started with Thomas & he said no, then Dinosaur Train and he said no to that too! He wound up howling and red-faced because I didn't know what he was saying :( broke mama's heart! This morning he started requesting it again, I attempted the same solutions I'd tried before and he began to cry when his sis mentioned Blues Clues. The look of relief that passed across his sweet face was just precious! He was finally understood & his big sis was a hero! My St Patrick's Day celebrations will likely revisit paper crafts and sweet treats again with the baby but, now I'm warm with memories from my childhood, fun with my sweet girl's and a forever-blooming romance with the handsome man in an Ireland t-shirt reclaiming the heart that was always his.

Wishing you always walls for the wind,
A roof for the rain,
Tea beside the fire,
And the love and laughter of those you hold dear.
Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!


Thanks to http://www.celticcolours.com/blessingsandtoast.aspx for the Irish Blessing!

Reusable Menstrual Pads

Reusable Cloth Menstrual Pads… I know how weird it sounds.

I have to be honest here and say that I hate my period. HATE IT & I do not want it to visit me anymore but I’m 34 and do not want to alter my body with surgery or take artificial hormones! I am beyond my desire to have more children(we have four between us and the baby is just two right now) so, I am coming to terms with the fact that I could have 10 or 15 more years of this visitor in some way or another. I need to own it. Learn to love it? I’d settle for tolerating it…. 

A few years ago I was reading “Gorgeously Green” where she mentions reusable menstrual pads and my first thought is, “Why would anyone want to do that?” I had to check this out because I wasn’t sure if I hated theidea or loved it. 

My Google search led me to The Organic Institute's website where they talk about the chemicals and fibers used in conventional tampons and pads:

"Most tampons that are sold in the stores are chlorine-bleached and made from 100% rayon or a mixture of conventionally grown cotton and rayon.
 Rayon is a synthetic fibre derived from wood pulp that is commonly chlorine-bleached to make it fully absorbent. Surfactants are also used in tampons to increase absorbency.
These super absorbent fibres absorb not only the menstrual blood, but also normal vaginal secretions resulting in dryness of vaginal tissues.
The fibres can also become embedded in the vaginal walls and amplify the production of Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin which causes Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), a potentially fatal illness.
 Chlorine bleaching of the wood pulp produces dioxin. Research suggests that dioxin is an endocrine disrupting chemical that mimics oestrogen and disrupts hormonal function within the body. It has been linked to immune system suppression, breast cancer, reproductive and developmental problems. 
For a comprehensive article on the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, check out the Endocrine Society Scientific Statement. You will be shocked by what you read! 
Dioxin pollution also poses a serious environmental problem as it is found throughout the environment worldwide in varying levels. It accumulates in the fatty tissues of animals and humans for decades."

The EPA says this about dioxins: "This background exposure [they are speaking of our daily exposure in the air, water and in our food - not even considering the extra exposure women and girls experience monthly] is likely to result in an increased risk of cancer and is uncomfortably close to levels that can cause subtle adverse non-cancer effects in animals and humans." 

Endocrine disruption? Immune suppression? Cancer??

I had to figure out a way to cut this out of my routine and fast! One of the companies recommended by Gorgeously Green was LunaPads who have a whole line of reusable pads, pantyliners, menstrual, thong and even the Diva Cup which is a reusable menstrual cup to replace tampons. I wish I had known about the alternatives earlier in life! I have been using LunaPads pantyliners for more than three years (and I love them), but have decided to make these at home in stead! If you are wanting to try this yourself but would prefer to spend pennies for your first try, then I recommend using old t-shirts, towels and other materials in your home or at your local thrift store. Be sure to clean the garments before use!

Materials:

1.5-2 yards of soft, cotton cloth for your cover. I chose astretchy t-shirt material that was on clearance.

1 yard PUL fabric

2-3 spools of heavy cotton thread

1 yard of absorbent middle (I am using scraps from abathrobe project I finished a month ago. The fabric is called “Ultra CuddleFleece”) you could use towels you are not using any more, flannel or any otherabsorbent cloth

Snaps (I like two per pad to keep in place)

Your favorite disposable pads in the size(s) you plan tocreate

Scissors

Long pins

So, here’s what I did (with pictures!):

1. Find your favorite-fit disposable pads and trim (if desired) to fit. Use this template to trace on the backside of your cotton cover and PUL fabrics. I used three sizes to make templates for overnight/super long, regular and daily mini’s. Make sure the tabs overlap (if not, add how ever much is needed to make them overlap) so that when attaching the snaps they will reach!

2. Take paper and place over top the disposable pad template and trace the cushioned absorbent middle for each size you are making. Cut the template out and trace onto your absorbent middle fabric (flannel, fleece, cotton etc). My Ultra-Cuddle Fleece is furry so I have decided to pin several layers together and just cut them out. I’m not looking for perfection here, just a good cut and a nice fit.

3. Sew the bottom cover to the PUL fabric using a single stitch about a ¼ of an inch from the edge all the way around the circumference. This will bring the two pieces together and secure them without puncturing the PUL fabric in the middle where it should be a leak-barrier.

4. Pin and sew the absorbent middle to your top cover using a single stitch around the circumference.
1. Overnight/super long: use three layers of absorbent middle, or two layers with scraps of material sandwiched between them (see photo)
2. Regular: use two layers of the absorbent middle
3. Mini’s: use one layer

I am quilting the overnight andregular to keep them from bunching with use.

5. Pin the edges of your bottom and your top together. Be careful not to puncture your PUL fabric more than necessary and pinch the absorbent middle  between the layers. Use a three-step zig zag around the entire circumference of the pad.

 

6. Trim the edges

7. The snaps are attached by hand.

I hand wash these as they are used & allow them to dripdry. On laundry day I soak them all in water with a bit of bleach alternativefor about 15 minutes before washing them in the machine. They sometimes needreshaping before hanging to dry.

If you are interested in this project for yourself, then I’mhappy to give advice! Whether you choose to make the switch or not, I encourageyou to visit LunaPads.com and see what theyoffer. Likethem on Facebook too!

The Journey to Organic Me!