This Is Us

  For over 10 years I have been using deodorant that I make. I started having problems with commercial deodorant, I tried so many different brands. I would get red bumps, it wouldn't work longer than a couple hours, it would leave hard clumps on my shirts, or it would make me itch. One day I was talking with a friend about all the problems, and she said that her mom makes deodorant for her. I asked her what she puts in it and she wasn't sure, but that it had coconut oil and essential oils. After doing a lot of research I was able to put together a recipe that worked really well. The only problem is it would melt fairly easy if the temperature got about 75.  I recently found that adding beeswax would help with the melting point. I added beeswax and now it has a higher heat tolerance and it makes the deodorant have a smoother texture. It also has antifungal, antimicrobial, and antibacterial properties. I also started using unrefined coconut oil, so it smells like coconuts. I had...

Tomorrow March 12 is national plant a flower day.  Since it's a Sunday, I decided to plant a flower today and make that for my photo challenge. I love flowers.  They lift my spirit, make me happy, and bring joy to my day. Some of my favorite flowers are zinnias, sunflowers, roses, calendula, gladiolus, tulips, daffodils, and cosmos. Did you know that each month has a different birth flower?   Here they are: Birth Month Flowers January - Carnation or Snowdrop February - Violet, Primrose, or Iris March - Daffodil or Jonquill April - Daisy or Sweet Pea May - Lily of the Valley or Hawthorn June - Rose or Honeysuckle July - Larkspur or Water Lily August - Gladiolus or Poppy September - Aster or Morning Glory October - Marigold or Cosmo November - Chrysanthemum or Peony December - Narcissus or Holly They each have a meaning too. January - Love, Admiration, and Devotion February - Love, Faithfulness, Modesty, and Virtue March - Prosperity, Rebirth, and Cheerfulness Apr...

  For over 5 weeks now I have been doing morning workouts with  Grow With Jo on YouTube . I really enjoy them, they have given me more energy, I've closed my ring on the calorie app that apple has on their phone, they help me feel better, and my stomach seems to be smaller and my back seems to not hurts as much. There are a few workouts that I've tried, but some of the things she does in them I can't do.  They hurt my head (like bending over to touch my toes or burpees) or hurts my back (like laying on the floor arching her back).  There aren't many things in them that I can't do, which is something that is very important to me.  Like I've said before, I haven't been able to do workouts because of my head problems.  Most of them hurt my head really bad and made me feel worse than before I started. I really hope that I can continue doing them and that they will help me loose weight (so I can feel better) and tone my muscles so that my back and knees don...

  Do you know anything about bee balm? Do you know the benefits of bee balm? If not, here is a post for you. I’m going to be sharing all the info I can find about bee balm. Information about Bee Balm: It’s a perennial native to North America. They are usually 2 to 4 feet tall and grow in clusters. Their cheerful flowers resemble fireworks. The flowers come in white, pink, red, and purple colors. They attracted pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Which help the rest of your garden. They are part of the mint family, so it’s edible. Benefits of Bee Balm: It helps repel squash bugs and mosquitoes. It’s contains antiseptic, antibacterial, analgesic, antioxidant, and antifungal properties. The leaves can be applied to the skin or made into a salve to help heal minor wounds and infections. It can also help bring down the inflammation from a bee sting. When the leaves and flowers are made into a tea, it can help relieve headaches and digestive issues.

I love to learn. I find it so fun and worthwhile to learn about everything I can. For some examples: W hat are the benefits of hugging? How many kinds of cheese are there? What don’t I know about squirrels? What are the benefits of flowers? What nutrients are in watermelon? I also was having a hard time thinking about what to share on social media. So, I thought what better way to do both, then to look up calendars and see if I can find something to celebrate everyday. It’s amazing what I found. There is something everyday. National bagel day, cheese lover’s day, kid inventor’s, and more.  I created a calendar that I can type everything (well, not everything on some of the days because sometimes they aren’t things we would want to celebrate) in for that day. Then we can celebrate, learn more about those things, and have fun! If you’re interested here are the ones we’ve done so far: National Sticker Day National Organize Your Home Day Martin Luther King Jr. Day National Winnie The P...

  Today is National Hug Day. (It’s also  Squirrel Appreciation Day Did you know this about hugs? Hugging for 20 seconds or more releases Oxytocin. This feel-good hormone creates a stronger bond between the people, boosts the immune system, and reduces stress. They can boost your heart health. They help reduce fear They help you communicate  They can help relieve pain. They can make you happier. Here are some fun photos of hugs!

There are so many benefits to burning 100% beeswax candles. 🐝     They clean the air. Beeswax candles produce negative ions when they burn. The negative ions attach to positive ions (dust, pollen, mold, odor, toxins) floating around and neutralize them. 🐝  They burn brighter than other candles, and are in the same light spectrum as the sun. 🐝  They have the highest melting point of any wax, so they burn longer. 🐝  Because they are natural, when they burn they don’t produce any toxic byproducts. 🐝  They don’t release any soot when they burn and they drip less. We buy our beeswax candles from  Farm and Hive  . Susie has so many fun designs!

For those of you who don’t know, we are growing a lemon tree in our house.  It’s small but we have gotten a couple lemons so far.  The flowers are so pretty and smell like lemons! Did you know it takes about 6-9 months for the lemons to grow and ripen. Crazy huh? Lemons are high in Vitamin C, and also contain Vitamins A & B6, fiber, iron, and potassium. These vitamins and minerals help with: Heart Health Control Weight Prevent Kidney Stones Reduce Risk of Cancer Digestive Health They can also help to freshen your breath, keep you hydrated, and improve your skin quality. It’s recommend by some nutritionist to have the juice of 2 lemons a day and lemon water every day is perfectly healthy. Have a wonderful Wednesday! ✖️Please Note✖️ I am not a doctor, nor do I claim to be. I am posting this for information purposes. Please make sure to consult a doctor before proceeding with any form of health treatment from these.  

Today I made a Reel on Instagram about the benefits of tomatoes. There are lots of benefits to eating healthy food, especially homegrown food. Some from tomatoes are Vitamin A, Fiber, Antioxidants, Vitamin K, Potassium, Folate, and Vitamin C. They can help with heart, eye, skin, menopause, and more. These articles are where we found our information. 5 Health Benefits of Tomatoes Tomatoes 101 Do you like tomatoes?

Benefits of Hollyhock Flowers These are the colors of our Hollyhocks this year! Aren’t they just beautiful?  I’m hoping that the black ones I got will come up next year. Here are some facts about hollyhocks: 🌸  They are biennial flowers. So the first year they root and get lots of foliage. The second year they flower, then seed and die. 🌸 They can reach 9 feet tall. 🌸 There are 60 species of them. 🌸 They like rich, moist, well drained soil. 🌸 They are native to Asia and Europe 🌸 There are 43 different colors. 🌸 They are completely edible (flowers, roots, leaves, seeds) 🌸 They are directly related to Marshmallow and can be used interchangeably for that herb. 🌸 The flowers can be used to sooth dry skin. 🌸 The leaves can be used like spinach. ✖️ Please Note ✖️ I am not a doctor, nor do I claim to be. I am posting this for information purposes. I just have been researching flowers and their benefits because I feel Heavenly Father has put everything on the earth for a rea...

  In researching flowers we have come across these articles. They show and state health benefits that flowers can provide for us. Here are the articles that we found... This one  talks about a couple health benefits of certain flowers/plants and even about gardening. This one  talks about research done in Japan about reducing chronic stress. As we find more articles we will add them here. The photo is of flowers from our yard.

Benefits of Sunflowers This is one of 70 species of Sunflowers. They are in the Aster family (like Calendula) and one of the few plants native to the United States. You can eat their seeds and make oil. Potential Benefits of their seeds: Studies have shown that eating sunflower seeds is linked to a number of health benefits including lowering your risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. They also have nutrients that can support you immune system and boost your energy levels. 🌻  They have anti-inflammatory properties. They contain Vitamin E, flavonoids, and other plant compounds that can reduce inflammation. In a study they found that consuming the seeds five times or more every week lowered levels of inflammation, which also lowered their risk factors for many chronic diseases. 🌻 They are rich in healthy fats, including polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. 1/4 cup contains 14 grams of fat. Studies found that consuming seeds was linked to lower rates of Cardiovascular ...

Benefits of Calendula This is Calendula. According to the USDA: It is a member of the Aster Family and its Genus is Marigold. There are more than 100 different types of Calendula. Here are some potential health benefits: As a Tea or Oil: 🌼  It has anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties so it can help prevent infection and heal body tissues. 🌼  It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant components which could help fight cancer, protect against heart disease, and ease muscle fatigue. 🌼 It is full of carotenoids and flavonoids. Which are known to help lower your risk of cancer and other diseases. 🌼 Rather than drinking the tea or oil, it can be rubbed directly on the skin to promote healing. According to WebMD a study was done on participants who have diabetes-related foot ulcers. 78% of them showed complete healing. There are some risk factors. Please read below (I have copied it straight from WebMD) ⚠️  Warning  ⚠️   In some cases, calendula tea can cause mi...