A Greener Yoga Mat

I went through three yoga mats in one week.  I've always just bought a cheap mat at any old store without paying much attention.  THIS week,  my husband picked one up for me, but it was bumpy and I would rather have smooth so I picked up a cheap one from Walmart.  

Took it out to use it and I noticed it smelled pretty bad.  Very much like chemicals.  It was pretty gross to have my face so close to it at times.  I thought I would just let it air out, so on my way to the garage (it smelled that bad) I grabbed the cardboard that came with it and noticed this:

Warning:  This mat contains chemicals (recognized by the state of California) known to cause Cancer and/or birth defects/fertility issues.

Before You Bake. . .

If you've ever read the ingredients list on your Baking Powder you would find the following:  Cornstarch, Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda), Sodium Aluminum Sulfate, and Monocalcium Phosphate.

Let's look at Sodium Aluminum Sulfate.  Here is an excerpt from livestrong.com about this food additive:

A Healthier Halloween

I've had some inquiries about what has been happening in my kitchen this apple season. . . I promise, I will get to that. . . but this is not that post.  Since Halloween is right around the corner it is only right to discuss all that candy!  

I will start with a few questions I've gotten about our own family's Halloween traditions:

Freezer Smoothies

We just had the most productive 3 hours!  So productive that I am able to start this blog post before the kids go to bed!  We had a fun weekend, but the house suffered. . . and for three hours we suffered. BUT laundry is well in hand, rooms and floors are picked up, dishes are done, and Smoothies are made!

With Fall officially here and preschool already underway, I am especially looking for something to give my girls immune system a little boost.  (We have already been through a round of antibiotics this season).  Our girls love smoothies.  And it is super easy to hide some veggies in those!  

I wanted to be sure that my girls got a good dose of fruit/veggies in them at least once a day.  Sometimes we just run out of willpower. . . time to eat clean.  After talking to my friend about freezer meals and getting a few tips I decided I would get some canning jars and make smoothies once a week and stick them in the freezer so I could always have them on hand.

Start Eating Healthy: Top Ten Tips

The most common question that gets messaged to me is:  What is the easiest thing I can do to start eating better?

Eating healthy can be hard and time consuming.  There are so many labels to read and so much contradictory information out there.   Sometimes you just need to get dinner on the table and don't have time to "research" what you are eating.

My family and I came up with our top ten tips to help you get started.  Pick one or all ten, either way it's a great start!

How I Cured My Sinus Infection

Last Thursday I started feeling a little congested.  Thought for a day that it might be allergies.  Then Friday came.  I was miserable.  Over the counter medicine was doing nothing and I thought for sure by Monday I would be in the Doctor's office demanding a Zpack because I'm a mother and mothers know best asking if I could get a prescription.  While I was online researching pressure points I could use to try to relieve the awful congestion I found that Eucalyptus oil is suppose to be some sort of miracle for Sinus related problems.  I have never been a big believer in "the power" of Essential Oils, though I have been curious.

I decided I would try to track some down for a few reasons. 1. I was getting desperate.  2. I wanted Eucalyptus oil anyway because I read in, The Honest Life, that I could mix it with the Honest Healing Balm and make my own Vick's Vapor Rub!  3. I wanted some sort of Essential oil because I could make my own Air Freshener! (We all know by now that I enjoy making my own. . . everything)