Boosting Your Weight-Loss With Herbs

What Are You Striving For in 2018?

What Are You Striving For in 2018?

Today is a special day. Today marks the midway point in the year. We have made it exactly halfway through 2018! We have the exact same amount of time left in this year than what has already passed us by. Even if we have used up half of the year we still have that much time AND more to accomplish what we set out to do! 

So the question we have to ask ourselves is WHAT are we focusing on? What are our goals and desires? If we haven’t checked them off the list, why is that? Do we really even need a list?

I have never really been a New Years resolution kind of person. At one time in my life I didn’t have any goals at all and I wandered aimlessly through each and every year never really growing or changing and never really accomplishing much of anything outside of seeing my children grow up and survive my parenting without too much emotional damage.

I believe that the MOST important goal or desire that someone can have is to grow spiritually, physically, and emotionally. All the other stuff falls into place when these things are improving. It’s amazing what improved physical health can do to your emotional health and vice versa. One of the things that I do that has consistently improved who I am and propelled my growth spiritually, physically, and emotionally is to read books and listen to others advice and words of wisdom. Another’s insight has a way of sparking our own understanding. One of the people who I absolutely love to listen to is Dr Wayne Dyer. I decided to listen to one of his videos today titled “Be Yourself, Do Not Give Up”. Like most of his work this one really spoke to me and I hope you will listen to it and it will speak to you too! 

These are the key points that really stuck out to me and I want to share with you! I’ll share the link at the bottom and I hope you will listen to it and let his words of advice guide you through the second half of 2018.

• Do not operate from deficiency. Focus on the positives and be grateful for what IS good.
• Everything that comes your way is a blessing. If something “bad” happens it could be leading to something better or opening you up for growth.
• Everything that you see that isn’t from God was created by man and started as a thought! Your thoughts will do the creating so be careful of what you’re thinking!
• Success is not something you GET in life it is something WITHIN you!
• Always follow ethics over rules. Do what is right!
• What you put out into the world is what comes back to you. What are you putting out there?
• Knowledge over achievement. Knowledge is power!
• Don’t let your goals become your obsession. Enjoy the moment. Practice serenity.
• Honesty is a karma that goes out into the world. Be honest!
• More is less. Find joy in every moment and don’t search for it!
• Attitude is EVERYTHING!
• Live in the Light!
• Be LOVE! 
• And lastly, forgiveness is VITAL on the path of enlightenment and growth!

Here is the video and I hope you take the time and watch it!

Peace, Love, and Health,
Jennifer

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yH7UCn8BzJk

Anti Aging Non-Toxic Skincare Routine

Anti Aging Skincare Routine

What you put ON your body is just as important as what you put IN your body. The skin is our largest organ and is part of a delicate filtering system. If you are using toxic products on our face, scalp, and body you are contributing to the overall toxicity of all your organs. Many, if not most, of the beauty products on the market today contain toxic chemicals. These toxic chemicals can alter your hormones and cause a number of health conditions including cancer! 

If you are ready to make a change to a non-toxic lifestyle you will need to start paying attention to the ingredients in the products you use. When you start the search for healthier products you may notice that the less ingredients a product has the more expensive it will be. This is not always the case but it is also usually more difficult to find healthier products without going to a specialty store.

I have found that if I want to get the BEST products for the BEST cost AND have control of the ingredients I would be better off to make them myself. By doing this I not only have drastically reduced my exposure to toxic chemicals but I have also saved money!

I have kept my skincare routine pretty basic. I am not going to share product names or brands but I will suggest researching the ones you plan to use or the ingredients you plan on using to make your own. The Environmental Working group has a large product base with an easy to understand toxicity scale that breaks down each ingredient. You can find that info here:

https://www.ewg.org/

When I search for ingredients for my products I always look for organic and therapeutic grade oils. This is my favorite Anti-Aging Blend here.

This recipe is a mixture of the following:

Argan oil

CBD oil

Rose oil

Frankincense oil

Lavender oil

Using a 1 ounce bottle add 4 mL of cbd oil, 10 drops each of rose, frank, and lavender, and fill to the top with argan oil. Shake well before each use.

Here are some benefit/uses of this mix:

wrinkles

fine lines

sun damage

stretch marks

blemishes

skin cancer

wound healing

scars

facial capillaries 

redness

I hope you enjoy this amazing blend!

Sesame Honey Energy Bites

Anyone else love sesame seeds? They may just be one of my favorite foods! I love the sesame sticks from the bulk food section at the grocery store and I love the candy bites too! I don't always love the ingredients though. I decided to make my own so that I can enjoy them without worrying about what ingredients went into them.

I looked through pages of recipes and decided I would just try my own thing because, how hard could it be? Through a little trial and error I came up with this simple recipe that tastes DELICIOUS!

I started with these ingredients. Simple isn't it?!

I toasted the sesame seeds a bit in the pan before I added the honey then stirred for about 8-10 minutes.

Let the mixture cool before emptying onto a cutting board covered with wax paper. Place another piece of wax paper of top and roll out to desire do thickness with a rolling pin. Remove paper on top and score with a sharp large blade knife.

Recover with wax paper. Place in the fridge for about 10 minutes then break apart and move to a glass sealable container to store or you can just eat them all!

These won't last long! Yum!
Hope you enjoy!

Sesame Honey Energy Bites

1/2 cup of raw sesame seeds

1/4 cup of honey

Dash of salt (optional)

Cook on stove top in stainless steel pan on medium to a light boil for about 8-10 minutes. Let cool but not completely and spread onto wax paper. Cover with another sheet of wax paper and roll out with a rolling pin to desired thickness. Score with a large bladed knife then recover with wax paper and put in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes. They are now ready to break apart and enjoy!

Detox Clay Beauty Mask

Detox Clay Beauty Mask

The One Thing Keeping You From Health

The One Thing Keeping You From Health

What's the one thing you can think of that all the sick and unhealthy people you know have in common? I'm not referring to serious diseases or poor living conditions that cause poor health. If you look closely enough at those people who are "sick and tired" of being "sick and tired" or who can never seem to shake that chronic aggravating health condition or that extra 20-50 lbs. you will find a big HUGE... excuse! Or maybe you will find multiple small excuses but I promise that you will find some sort of excuse!

I had an epiphany today while having a conversation with my mother-in-law. For those of you who don't know my current situation I am the caregiver for my 83 year old mother-in-law who has Parkinson's and the beginning stages of dementia. I believe her conditions have been completely brought on by poor diet and prescription drug use. She lives in our home and for the most part I am her daily caregiver, fixing her meals, cleaning up messes, and bathing and helping her to get dressed. This has been a huge adjustment for our family and has caused many arguments between my husband and I. It's not easy being a caregiver to someone much less a hard headed, negative, and demanding elderly person who wants no part of health. That's a whole other story... 

As we sat there eating my freshly prepared, super healthy organic chicken and rice soup (she had a side of bacon flavored ritz crackers with hers, not because I buy it but she does and then requests it) she proceeded to tell me that the reason she was not active or in good shape, are you ready for this? Is because she had to take care of my husband (30 years ago!!) when he was in a car accident and shattered his hip! Are you freaking kidding me? This is not the first EXCUSE I have heard from her for her poor health. She told me that the previous two years before that she had joined the Y and was exercising every day and felt better than she ever had but then...he had an accident and she had to care for him. She took a very temporary situation and used it as an excuse to just stop. There have been many conversations where she has blamed her ex-husband, her job, and anything else she can think of to blame for her poor health. I see these as obstacles but not legitimate reasons.

So this conversation got me thinking, is it really a reason or just an excuse? I mean I am currently a caregiver to her, I homeschool my 8 year old son, I help my husband with his business, I am trying to grow my business I keep up my house and I still find the time and energy to exercise and stay active. I could throw my hands up in the air and give up but that's not really what I want so I press on. How does one person use excuses like a stepping stone to poor health? Why would someone even want to use all these excuses for a situation that they don't even want to be in?

I have had situations that didn't go my way and were difficult to crawl out of but in the end when I decided this is not where I want to be I figured out a way to change it and get out! I will add that I was responsible for most of those situations. So I guess the real reason would be that these excuses actually keep you from accepting any responsibility for your current situation. It makes it easier to pass the blame onto someone else than to say, hey I did this to myself! 

So why does all this matter and how does it affect you? You have two choices: you can make EXCUSES or you can make CHANGES! There will always be reasons why things are more difficult but at the end of the day there is always room for improvement. I consider myself a work in progress. No one wants to be stagnant. Stagnation stinks! You want a living flowing life that grows and evolves. Next time someone asks you, why...remember to keep it honest and forget about excuses. 

I thought I should add that my mother in law is NOT online and can't really even read because of poor eyesight. That's the ONLY reason I can be open and honest about our difficult situation here and now. I will also add that I have a new respect for caregivers. It is the most difficult thing that I have ever had to do!

Grain Free Keto White Herbal Pizza

Grain Free Keto White Herb Pizza

I have an insatiable appetite for pizza but I'm currently on the True Cellular Detox diet so I needed something grain free. I found this recipe for a cauliflower crust and it worked well! You can find the recipe here: 

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

With it being flu season I decided to get some good stuff on my Pizza! I sautéed grassfed butter and lots of garlic in a pan. I then added fresh lemon peel, and organic oregano, Rosemary, and parsley from my garden. 

Looks yummy doesn't it?!

I then took my cooked cauliflower crust and slathered my herbal butter mixture on top. 

I chopped up an organic spring mix of greens that had kale, spinach, and arugula and sprinkled it on top of the butter mixture.

Lastly I topped with an organic shredded mozzarella cheese and baked in the oven till melted.

This not only hit the pizza spot but it was absolutely delicious! The flavors were incredible and it doubled as a flu shot with all that herbal goodness!

Hope you will take the time to try this recipe and if you do let me know how it turns out!

Grain Free Dairy Free Brownies

I had a taste of some keto brownies this week that a friend was gifted for her birthday. There were so moist and delicious I decided to find a great recipe and give it a try! I couldn't find a recipe that I loved all the ingredients so I made my own. Most keto recipes are using stevia and in my experiences using stevia the recipes end up having a bitter aftertaste. I love coconut sugar and I'm not specifically on a keto diet but I am gluten free so this recipe worked perfect!

 

3 eggs

4 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup coconut sugar

Pinch of pink salt

Bake 350 for about 20 minutes 

The icing was actually a chocolate mousse and was 1 can of full fat coconut milk, 1/2 cup coconut sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa and I blended it in the Vitamix then chilled till pudding consistency. You can ice the brownies as you serve or keep refrigerated if you ice the entire batch.

I hope you enjoy these as much as we did😀

5 Ways To Get Better Sleep Naturally

5 Ways To Get Better Sleep Naturally 

I keep hearing people complain about not sleeping well or not being able to get to sleep at night. This isn't a problem that I've had regularly but when I have it has been a nightmare! I require LOTS of sleep and I am kind of fond of it too. Did you know you lose weight while you sleep?!? That means if you are not sleeping well you are actually hindering any weightloss efforts you may have been trying to achieve. Good sleeping habits are a necessity of overall good health.

There are many different reasons why you may not be getting a good nights sleep but that's the topic of another post. Here I am going to share with you my top 5 tips for perfecting the art of a good nights sleep. I hope these tips will bring you to a restful sleep and end the nightmare of tossing and turning while bringing you into the colorful world of dreaming.
 

1.) Sungazing: Did you know gazing at the sun at sunrise and sunset each day will boost your melatonin and serotonin? These feel good hormones will not only help you get a better nights sleep but also help with weightloss!!

2.) No caffeine or stimulants after noon. If you are relying on stimulants such as caffeine to get you through your day these can affect you all the way up to bedtime and wreak havoc on a good nights sleep! Enjoy your cup of joe in the morning but cut out all caffeine after noon for a great nights sleep.

3.) Magnesium, magnesium, magnesium! Did you know over 90% of the population is deficient in magnesium? This magnificent mineral not only helps you to sleep better but helps with symptoms of anxiety and restlessness too! Take a nice hot bath about an hour before bed time and add at least a cup of Epsom salt (I like adding an entire box!) for a great nights sleep and detox benefits too!! There are also magnesium oils and supplements you can take to help you get that sleep you so desire. If you want to give a DIY a try and make your own magnesium oil here is a link to an easy recipe:

http://www.integrativenutritionaltherapies.com/diy-magnesium-oil-spray/

4.) Binaural Beats are a great way to rewire your brain into relaxation. By listening to two different frequencies in either ear the brain actually makes up the difference and changes! You can use binaural beats for more than just relaxation and sleep! Here is a link to one for you to try for better sleep. Remember to always use headphones when listening to binaural beats.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P6izUrS1q7o

5.) Meditation is the best way to handle ALL the stresses of life. If you are feeling overwhelmed I recommend spending 5 minutes sitting in meditation and focusing on your breath. If you make it to 5 minutes without a problem try increasing your time in small increments. Even if you feel as though you are completely failing you will feel better internally. If you are so completely stressed that this sounds too far fetched try a guided meditation video. Here is one that is specifically for sleep but you can try one for stress or anxiety too!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HutgMrYMbfE

Masking Pain With Pleasure

How many of you have experienced a painful situation in life? How did you handle that situation? Is the first instinct to cry, or to get angry, or to find something to block out the pain? Sometimes it's revenge we seek when we experience pain. For some reason we feel that seeking revenge on the person that hurt us will make us feel better but in the end it usually only hurts us and is extremely bad for our health!

Part of a healthy lifestyle is mastering how to deal with pain effectively. And when I say dealing with it effectively I'm not talking about masking it with drugs or alcohol or food or shopping or filling your calendar with social events and dates. If you are unable to find happiness with just yourself in an empty room or sitting outside in nature alone with nothing to do but be then you haven't mastered this.

As told by Deepak Chopra in his book, The Book of Secrets, "The beginning of suffering is often a refusal to look at how the situation really is". There was a study done that was sponsored by therapists hoping to learn where people turn to for help when they find themselves in trouble. It was found that 15% of people seek some kind of help from a counselor a therapist or a pastor but the rest just sit and watch TV.., refusing to ever even consider looking at the problem or opening it up for discussion with someone who might help them. I think it's pretty obvious if you look around in this age of the consumption whether it be food, alcohol, stuff, or experiences people are trying to mask their pain instead of dealing with it and healing.

I have had my share of pain in this life and one day I will write a book and share my experiences in hopes of helping others who may be dealing with similar pains. I've experienced the "need for revenge" and the deep despairing pains that leave you exhausted and searching for something to end it or just numb it. I've turned to all those coping methods mentioned with absolutely ZERO healing! It wasn't until I stripped all that stuff away and actually dealt with the issues that I have been able to realize that healing IS possible and life can be pure bliss on the other side of pain. 

I've lost loved ones to both death and indifference and experienced the kind of hatred from people that smothers the soul and I lived through it and I'm so much better because of it! Life's troubles have a purpose! The purpose of pain is to expand your consciousness and allow your soul to grow! You will never grow if you cannot face the pain and deal with it and you cannot grow if you're masking the pain with drugs or alcohol.

I will be completely honest, because I believe that IS the only way, and say I am so very thankful for ALL the pain I've endured!! I'm thankful for the growth that has taken place. My self-pity and bouts of crying because of the hurt inflicted from others is much shorter lived than in the past. I have been able to let go of how I believe things should be and accept the way they are even if it's not exactly how I'd like it to be. Ive learned to deal with deep pain without turning to drugs or alcohol or stuff. I've realized that I can't change people, only they can change themselves and I've accepted the fact that some people will never change. 

I hope that if you are experiencing pain and heartache that you will find healthy ways to work through the pain and grow. I hope you will turn to meditation and prayer and leave behind all the bad. I hope you will find someone to talk to who will guide you through the process of letting it all go. I hope you find the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.

Much peace and love to you❤️✌🏼️

Healthy Vegan Gluten Free Granola

Anyone else try really hard to eat a healthy breakfast but get bored of the usual smoothie or juice? Pre-packaged cereals, even the organic ones, are usually filled with sugar and other unnecessary ingredients. I wanted something that was not only healthy but quick and delicious! This recipe works perfectly! You can store it in a mason jar and it will keep fresh longer than you will be able to keep it on the shelf!

 

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl and wet in another. Combine the two together and make sure the dry is evenly coated with the wet. Once coated spread onto a cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes. Once it is cooled you can transfer to a sealed container for storing.

 

3 cups gluten free oats

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon himalayan salt

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup dried cranberries (unsweetened)

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)

5 Things That Will Make You Healthier and They Don't Include Foods or Exercise!

Are you trying your best to be healthy but finding that all those diets and exercise programs are more of a commitment than you are willing to make at this time? What if I told you that you could be working towards a healthier body WITHOUT changing your diet or exercise program? There is so much more to health than those two things alone yet that seems to be all the focus nowadays. I'm not saying that there aren't wonderful benefits to your precious body by what you put into it and how you move but I have a little secret that you may not have heard.....THERE IS MORE!

As i started my journey to health I focused mostly on food and some on exercise, I'm not a cardio junkie! Thankfully my journey has taken me through many ups and downs and twists and turns and I have learned so much in the process! I am going to share 5 SIMPLE things to add to your daily routine that can bring wellness to your life.

STEP 1
BODY BRUSHING
Have you heard of body brushing? If you haven't it is somewhat of a spa experience that you can do AT HOME! Body brushing helps to remove dead skin cells from the surface that give your skin a new and smooth feel but that is not the best part! It improves your circulation and lymphatic drainage which aids in detoxification! How awesome is that! With detoxification and circulation comes less cellulite! Who could use a little cellulite reduction? I know I could!

STEP 2
TONGUE SCRAPING
Here is another daily practice that you could easily add into your daily routine! Tongue scraping is an Ayurvedic practice that removes food particles, toxins, bacteria, and dead cells from your tongue. It takes seconds a day to do this and has the potential to greatly increase well-being! Did I mention it can also help in relieving food cravings? First thing in the morning scrape your tongue before you brush your teeth. Those few extra seconds will add so much to your health! Oh and say goodbye to halitosis!

STEP 3
MEDITATION
There's an old Zen saying, "You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day, unless you're too busy; then you should sit for an hour". Our lives are busy, hectic to say the least! If you don't take the time to sit down and breathe you will never learn to let go of all that stress that you are accumulating. I suggest starting with 5 minutes a day. Everyone has 5 minutes! It's easy and there's really no right or wrong way. Focus on the breath, breath in and out and continue this for 5 minutes. You can work your way up to longer times and you may even enjoy it so much that you pass the 5 minute mark your first time! I always feel so much happier and relaxed after even only 5 minutes of meditation! So many of us are shallow breathers because of stress and anxiety and this exercise will flood your system with oxygen as you are actually focusing on the breath and not taking that beautiful breath for granted!

STEP 4
AFFIRMATIONS
How many of you have affirmations? Do you even know what one is? Affirmations are positive thinking that can boost you towards a better mental outlook AND better health! We will literally become what we believe we are! How do you feel about yourself? Do you think you are lazy, a poor eater, out of shape? By speaking positive affirmations to yourself daily, you can work towards clearing out all that negativity and creating a NEW, HEALTHIER YOU!! Start out by telling yourself each morning as you look in the mirror "I am healthy and happy". You can add to this with any areas that you are aware of that need work and build on each area. You will be amazed at the results!

STEP 5
READ
This one may sound a little strange to add into your routine as you may already be doing this but this one alone has changed my life completely! When I started my Health Coaching journey with IIN I learned from many health and wellness experts. Most of the schooling was lecture format with lots of info packed into an hour or so session and it was hard to retain most or any of it! I would search deeper than what was being offered to me and find any or all books authored by these experts and read until I couldn't read anymore! It's amazing how the health journey is guided and inspired by each and every book, bit of information, and expert you have learned from! If you have a specific health related issue find a book about that issue and read it! When you are done, find another. You will find that somehow the information that you are needing for healing will eventually fall into your lap! I believe this is what is called serendipity. It has has happened to me MANY times!

So, now that you have read the 5 things to add to your daily routine for better health, what do you think? Do these sound doable to you? If you are already on a special diet, or exercising regularly you will find that these are easier to stick with and that half the battle is conquered! With your body and your mind finding better health the more difficult tasks such as diet and exercise will surely come to you too.

Love and Blessings,
Jennifer

Green Eating Healthy Living

It has been a long time since my last post! I have been so busy studying and learning that I have not shared any new posts in a LONG time. My Journey to a Green Life has brought me to a new career! Last year I enrolled at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I have been learning some valuable information on how to truly live a green life! It is all about what you eat. I always considered myself a "health nut" but this education has really opened my eyes to so many new ways to maintain health.

I will start seeing clients starting in April for a 6 month program to help them live a healthier and happier life. In my program I will be sharing easy and attainable ways to not only eat better but nurture your mind, body, and soul! Some side effects of my program may be weight loss, newfound energy, and feeling great!

Feel free to visit my website and take a look around.

Synergy Health Coaching

Repurposed Decorating and Crafting

We have been busy creating for our Etsy shop. Our main focus is repurposing items, recycling items, and using vintage and antique items to decorate and furnish homes. I love having unique pieces in my home. They are not only decorative but serve as a conversation piece too! So here are some of the things we have done recently.

This is a lovely headband with flowers made from vintage fabric and tulle. The fabric is actually a sewing notion (bias tape) shaped into a flower.

Here are a few more in different colors.

This is a vintage domino game piece that has been made into a charm. The domino dots are covered with faux crystals and then covered in a glaze.

These are adorable hair clips made with vintage lace and buttons. I love repurposing items!

This is barn wood that is over 100 years old! My husband mounted an iron piece for decoration and an antique glass doorknob to turn this into a wonderful coat rack.

Here is another coat or towel rack. This one is a repurposed piece of molding and acrylic glass look knobs.

Here is a king sized headboard made from the ends of a baby bed. What a great way to salvage the drop side cribs that are no longer deemed safe into something beautiful and purposeful. I was attached to this crib too because I loved the lines so dumping it was not an option!

Here is another one! Do you have any clothes that you have outgrown or are out of fashion but you love the fabric? This is a great way to repurpose old fabric and pearl necklaces. Nylon and silk fabrics can be seared on the edges and layered to create beautiful flowers. Add some pearls from a broken necklace and you've got a pin or barrette from repurposed items.

Next time you start to throw something away, take a closer look and see what you can repurpose it into. Learn to live green in all ways. Happy green decorating and crafting!

You can find most items listed here on my Etsy site at 

www.ElijahsAttic.Etsy.com

Green Crafting

I have finally put to use some of the wonderful items that I was given recently. I love making things especially when I don't need to run to Michael's or Lowe's to purchase anything. You can find something to make with just about any item you have laying around your house. I have even seen beautiful jewelry made from recycled milk jugs on ETSY. I was given boxes of sewing notions and some other craft items and so far I have come up with some pretty fun "Green" crafting.

For starters I had some vintage rick rack. I made some really cute flowers for barrettes using the rick rack as seen here:

I also have lots of fabric remnants so I made many flowers for hair clips by searing the edges, multiplying layers, and adding beads or pearls to the center as seen here:

I think I may use these for embellishments on picture frames too!

Another cool idea is scrabble tile pendants. Using old scrabble tiles, old magazines, and a few jewelry making supplies, you can make the cutest charms for necklaces or bracelets as seen here:

 This one I added a guitar pick to it for my daughter that is a musician.

I have many more ideas and will be sharing as I go but for now Happy Green Crafting!

All of my items are on sale at my Etsy shop you can see here:

http://www.etsy.com/people/ElijahsAttic?ref=si_pr 

GreeningYour Life Takes Time..

It has been months since my last post and all I can say is wow! It takes time to green your life. I devoted many hours toiling in my spring garden only to lose almost half of the crops due to lack of water or pests. My fall garden will have irrigation in place before any planting is done to ensure a daily watering regardless of my plans.

I have yet to build rain barrels and am still searching for a free source of safe barrels to use. I have tried my local craigslist and even posted in our community freecycle ads looking for some but I may just need to pay to get that project started. I really think it is important to look for recycled products to use for as many projects as possible. There is way too much good stuff going to the dump and that is just sad!

The one "green" change in my life that is going really well is my recycling. I have my family trained well in knowing what items to NEVER throw in the trash. A weekly trip to the recycling bins keep the pile from getting out of hand. For those who have a recycling pick up, you really have no excuse just go for it! I recycle almost everything that comes into this house.

I had some disappointments with the produce I was buying from local stands. I noticed some had stamps from other countries and that is not good enough. I really think we need to have a local market set up that only sells local and surrounding produce. My husband and I made a trip to Plant City to pick up produce that is local the only drawback is that it is not organic. I am still searching for the perfect, low cost produce supplier close to us.

I am going to try and share more in the upcoming weeks of some projects I have going. I love to make things and I have inherited a stockpile of vintage crating items. I will be sharing some of the creations once I figure out what to do with it all. Happy Greening!

Greening Times Two

I have been doing a double in the green department. I started with two bunnies and one cage. We added two more bunnies so we needed a second cage. My awesome husband built another one last night with recycled materials of course! I started with one clothes line and realized that our laundry filled one up too quickly so we added another one. By the way, I love these clothes lines because they are not always in view. I just stretch the line across the yard to a hook and when I am done it reels back up. It is like this one below.
 A great investment for about $15 a piece from Home Depot. I have only used my dryer one time since I purchased the first one a month or so ago. I have broken the doubles when it comes to compost piles. With the addition to the new bunny cage comes another compost pile.
We are finally starting the worm bin and I cannot wait to get some worm casting tea to fertilize the garden. The plants are doing good so far. I did use an organic pesticide recently because I noticed lots of baby grasshoppers around the beds. The pesticide was a mixture of sesame oil and fish oil. The odor wasn't great but much better than the toxic alternative.

I completed one of two furniture refinish projects recently. The first is my new china cabinet as you see here.

 This was a very unattractive piece of furniture, in my opinion, before the refinish. My patience paid off. I wanted a larger cabinet to house my glassware and couldn't find one I liked and didn't want to buy new wood to build one. I kept it green by waiting for one I could change up a bit and make it work! I am pleased with the outcome. The next project is curbside entertainment center find that is probably 8 feet long and 6 feet high. This one will take a little longer to complete but it will be worth it in the end. It truly is rewarding to be green:)

Modern Day Turning Points

As I sit there staring out my back window watching the rainbow of colors waving in the wind I could not believe that I had taken a step back in time. The colors all flapping in the wind as if to welcome me into this new way of life with a wave. In all my life I have never even thought about using a clothes line to dry my laundry. It wasn't until that message my Aunt Mary sent me just a week or so ago that sparked an interest in me that brought me to this point. She had purchased a clothes line and was excited about it! I have to say a thank you to her for bringing me to this simpler way of life. Living in Florida it really makes perfect sense to air dry laundry outside. With the heat in the summer time running a dryer in the middle of the day makes the a/c work even harder and not to mention adding to the excessive power bills because of the heating element. I did some research and found that the sun works great to disinfect clothing too! I also read that it is somewhat like exercise because of carrying the wet clothing out to the line and hanging them up burns calories. I will agree with that but I won't be cutting out any exercise regimes because of my new laundry methods. I will just look at this as an extra calorie burning bonus of air drying my laundry. I even hung a line in my laundry room to hang clothes if the weather was less than perfect. I have actually gone close to a week without using my dryer. I am so excited to see the difference in my electric bill next month. I had some hesitations about the freshness of clothing that had hung outdoors to dry and surprisingly they smelled great! For all of you that have been doing this your entire life, kudos to you! For those of you like myself who never considered reverting to a somewhat old fashioned way of doing things, you should definitely give this a try. I promise it is not that difficult:) This is so much better for the environment and if that is not a good enough reason for you then the savings should be enough to make you a convert.

Backyard Gardens

I have been so busy in my backyard that I haven't posted in a while. The bunnies have already multiplied. We purchased two more because they are simply the best pet you could have and they are extremely adorable. We have a second compost pile because when you are not eating out of a can or box there is lots of food scraps to add to the pile and one was just not enough. Needless to say with two new bunnies and a new compost pile there will soon be another bunny cage over that pile too.

We have been busy planting too. We have added a peach tree, two blackberry bushes, and five blueberry blushes. We also have planted corn, spinach, onions, carrots, tomatoes, garlic, sunflowers, lemon balm, more basil, and mint. We are working on the remainder of the veggie space so that we can get the rest planted soon. So far our plans are to add beans, potatoes, squash, and zucchini.

Since our garden is not producing much as of now we took a trip down to Venus yesterday afternoon to stock up on some organic produce. It was so cool to see all the great looking veggies picked right out of the ground and then served up for dinner just a few hours later. Talk about some great fresh tasting food! I will be picking the rest of the collards and purple mustard green to make room for some more plants. Those two have been the easiest to grow yet. The collards were huge and we never fertilized or sprayed them with anything. You really can grow without chemicals. I keep asking my husband if we can grow bananas in our yard but he says it is not wet enough. I may try anyways considering we consume about 5 a day in our house.

Our next task is a chicken coop. We are working out the details right now. We will probably start with 5 or 6 chickens. We will have plenty of eggs when they start laying so we can share with family and friends. I am looking into ducks because I heard there is a possibility Eli can eat duck eggs if he is allergic to chicken eggs. How wonderful that would be for him to be able to eat eggs. I could actually bake him a cake with eggs! I have to talk to the allergist first. I don't want to experiment on him and make him sick.

I will be posting some pictures soon if the outdoor spaces we are working on. Honestly I have been so extremely busy I haven't had the time to take any pictures. I am enjoying every second of it though!